Tijuana Temple Open House, Baptisms and Spanish Calculus

Nov 16, 2015

Elder Brown and Elder Ruiz at Temple Open House

It seems like it's been a day or two, not a week since I last wrote you all!! However, a lot has happened. For example, I got over a 4-day stomach cramp, my feet developed a lot of blisters and then healed, we ran out of water to drink and water to shower in. It rained, and in Imperial, that's never good. I have taught a few horrible lessons, and met more than a few people in contrary to us. However, those are minor prices to pay for the blessings I've received. We have many progressing investigators. We have more investigators than there are people in the branch. However, there aren't many people in the branch, and the investigators never progress as quickly as us missionaries would like. :) We baptized two investigators last week. We have another sure baptismal date. We visited the Tijuana Temple Open House three times since the open house commenced on Friday, November 13th. I've had a lot of spiritual experiences, and I've learned a lot that can't be written.

Elder Brown, Carlos, Elder Ruiz

I have been serving a mission for 2 months, to the day. I am 1/12 of the way done. It's crazy how quickly the time goes. We baptized two people Saturday and Sunday. The first is named Carlos. He was my first lesson. I committed him to baptism when I taught my first lesson in the field. He then decided not to be baptized but has since changed his mind again. I was able to baptize and confirmed him also. That was a cool experience.

Diego was a cool experience also. He wasn't very sure that he wanted to be baptized, all of the way to Friday the 13th, when he decided to be baptized Sunday the 15th. That was a really cool lesson.

Elder Brown at Temple Open House

I remember thinking, "we need to get the investigators and members to conduct a Noche de Hogar, or Family home evening," and then dismissing the thought due to the logistics of balancing our lessons with our investigators, recent converts, and members. Later that day, during the mission correlation meeting, a brother from the stake told us that the members need to conduct Noche de Hogar's in the homes of the investigators. I learned that sometimes the Spirit may give us enough of an idea to develop it and then act on it. If the prompting doesn't seem feasible, find ways to creatively achieve it.

Mrs. Gourley, you’re going to LOVE this next story!!! We were trying to teach a sister of Karla, named Clara (dangerous naming scheme, I know) but she was doing homework. Turns out, she needed help with math. I ended up teaching her and her friend calculus in Spanish. That was a fun experience! :) We are now teaching her and she is planning on being baptized in December. The family of Karla is opening to the Gospel. She's really a blessing to them and to the branch. She has done soo much for them. Her aunt and cousin might be taking the lessons after most of Karla's family and her aunt and cousin attended the temple open house today.

The Tijuana Temple may well be my favorite one. It's beautiful. It's not large, but it's fantastic.

Elder Brown Enjoying Little Cesear's Pizza

The Gift of Tongues

Nov 9, 2015

Hola! There have been many great things happening here. First off, I thank you for the prayers that have been sent my way. :) Thank you for all you've done to help me be a good missionary. However, in the missionary handbook, I am told not to ask that my family or friends hold a fast for me and my area. I was thinking about it, and I think I might have an idea why. Yes, I am your friend, son, brother, or possibly annoying sidekick. However,

Photo from Mexico CCM

I am not your missionary. I am a missionary of the Lord. Your missionaries are serving in your wards and stakes. Those missionaries should have just as many, if not more, prayers, and I believe actions to go along with them.

I learned from Mosiah 18 that members are the ones that build the wards, not missionaries. I see that evident in Tijuana. The past two weeks about 20 members came from the stake to attend our branch and then came with us, the missionaries, to serve and invite others to attend the following week, and more importantly, to attend the Tijuana Temple Open House.

Yesterday, 10 young men, in their white shirts and ties, deconstructed the home of an investigator at the request of the missionaries. There wasn't enough work for the other ten that came, so instead they decided to stand on the corners and pass out invitations. They were better full-time missionaries than we are!

Friday we had our zone meeting and the mission president told us all that we were doing wrong. As I was listening, I thought, wow, he's talking to us like you're two-year-olds. Then I realized that I really am. Sure I'm all grown up and smart, but I have so much that I need to learn. Kids in kindergarten are permitted to do fewer things than I, but the restriction allows them to learn the basics. It's the same as in the mission. I can do fewer things here than before, but here I get to refine the basics. It's brilliant!

I was thinking yesterday as I was walking down the path to church about how I might respond if I received visible success, a.k.a., baptisms. Then the Spirit told me, “The moment you stop thinking about the progress and focus on the success is the moment I leave.” Perspire, don't aspire. I can't really explain it, but It was a really neat experience.

I had another cool experience. I believe it was Thursday. Anyway, we taught the plan of salvation to a family who had lost a ten yr old daughter, presumably to cancer. I taught them a few of the principles and my companero did the same. It was really cool because normally I make a couple of mistakes and speak a bit choppily, but when we taught that lesson, I spoke perfectly. There were no mistakes and there were no pauses to collect my Spanish thoughts. I have noticed that most of the time, when I choose to speak to someone in Spanish about the gospel, the Spanish comes well. However, when someone else chooses for me, or when I don't speak but merely listen, The Spanish is difficult. I really believe it is the gift of tongues. Alma 7:32 says open your mouth and it will be filled. I believe that it is true not only with a new language, but with our first language as well. Open your mouth and God will help you to teach what needs to be taught. He will also teach you at the same time.

Kind Members

Dinner at the Camacho's Home

This post written by Elder Brown's Mom--

Our family has been blessed by the kindness of the members in the Imperial Branch. Elder Brown was not able to send pictures home this week. However, he has had the pleasure of eating dinner in a member's home and they took a picture of him and his companion and emailed the photo to me.


Later, a recently baptized member in his area emailed another couple pictures. This time, it was raining and the missionaries didn't have their umbrellas. This wonderful sister, not only lent the missionaries umbrellas but took a couple photos and emailed them to us!

Rainy-day Rescue

It truly makes us happy to see his smiling face! The unexpected pictures have been a nice surprise this week.

The Family is Central to Heavenly Father's Plan

Hola All!

What is there to write about? Well night one, I was teaching with Elder Ruiz and we invited Carlos, who had 16 years, to be baptized. He accepted, and then the next lesson he decided not to. However, he doesn't talk much so we couldn't figure out why...

Next we taught Lucero, someone who had committed to a baptismal date, and she decided she didn't want to be baptized either...

Every day we have enough appointments to fill the day, but when we follow up and knock on their doors, they're not there. We spend about half of the day contacting. The worst is when a night appointment falls through, because it's too late to knock doors, but its too early to be done...

The computer I'm using right now functions much better than the last one. We're at a nicer internet cafe, but I'm not sure if I can upload pictures from this computer unfortunately. I will see about a different computer next week.

We attended the branch in Tijuana yesterday. It was a testimony meeting, like in every other ward in the world, and I bore my testimony. There were about 20 people from the stake that attended sacrament meeting and then came with us to visit less-actives in our branch. It was really fun. Of four lessons, four lessons worked out. That doesn't generally happen for us. I think it was in large part due to the member involvement. I love it when the members do fulfill their part of the work of salvation, because it enables me to fulfill my part in it as well.

Tijuana LDS Temple

For a long time, I have known the importance of the atonement in my personal life, but not until the past week have I really begun to understand the centrality of the family to it all. Without the family, the church can't grow. Without the family, we can't grow. Without the family, the beautiful children of Heavenly Father can't receive bodies and learn to use them. The power of an entirely active family is something special in the church. Carla, a recent convert to the church, has taught a few lessons with us, but her family is not yet a member. Her baptism may be a powerful influence for their welfare, but her entire family needs to have the blessings of the gospel in their lives. I CAN'T WAIT for the dedication of the Tijuana Temple. Think about it. Most of the members of the church here haven't received their endowments. More, Most of them can't say that if their son were to die, they know they will see them again. When a temple is constructed in Utah, sure it's exciting, but imagine how many more of God's children in Tijuana will have all of the blessings of the Gospel in their home. Its a powerful thought. No wonder every time a temple is built the power of the adversary is lessened in the earth.

Funny story of the week: I cut jalapenós yesterday helping the branch president prepare dinner and I wiped my eye with my jalapenó juice-covered finger. Boy did it sting!! I washed my hands and then my eye. Eventually it stopped hurting. :)

Q and A from the Family: 

 Q: Have you taught any investigators? Tell us about them. 

A: Yes, I taught investigators. Most of the investigators are not progressing very well. It's rather unfortunate that they attend church every week, but they won't get baptized. There's been one baptism in the past 6 weeks, her name is Carla, and she's doing really well. We have taught lessons with her. 

Q: How many Book of Mormons have you given out this past week? 

A: We hand out temple invitations, not Book of Mormons, right now. However, with the new investigators, we have given about 4-5 Book of Mormons out. 

 Q: What does the interior of your apartment/house look like? 

A: The interior of my house is nice. I wish I could upload pictures, but unfortunately I can’t. 

 Q: How many bedrooms are in your home/apartment? 

A: There’s a bedroom, a study room, a kitchen, and two bathrooms in our casa. 

This is Going to be Fantastic!

Hola! Semana 7

no tengo el tiempo para enviar todas los fotos. Son bellos. Me encanta mi nueva area.

Elder Ruiz and Elder Brown

Now English. I'm loving all of it. My companion, Elder Ruiz, is awesome. He doesn’t speak English but he doesn’t need to! I wish I could send the pictures of all of this. It's seriously the craziest thing ever. I'm in the only area in the entire mission in which there is no hot water. The area is fantastic. I love my trainer. My Spanish is coming along very well and at the same time…not. This is going to be flat out fantastic.

I lent my scriptures to a member of my district because he forgot his somewhere else. I won't get mine back for a month... :)

I'm sitting in a legitimate shack typing this letter to you on a keyboard with more dust than keys and using a mouse that only double-clicks. Imagine that... It makes things a bit more difficult.

On the flight today, I was able to teach a psychologist some English. I also handed out a Book of Mormon and invited another to read The Family: A Proclamation to the World. I also gave them cards for mormon.org.

I can bear testimony, once again, of the fact that when you commit to share you testimony, whether it be formally or informally, God will give you an answer. Think of ways to express your testimony in natural ways. I know it may seem slightly counter-productive to try to artificially create a natural conversation, but It is a way you can treasure up in your heart the things of the Lord. Then when the time comes, you will have given you the exact words in the exact moment what ye shall say. And you will be given one to whom you may give that testimony.

A little about my knee, the one I injured last week.

Me gustaría compartirles una evidencia del poder del sacerdocio. El ultima semana, me lastemé la rodilla. recibí de Elder Scoubes una bendicion sacerdotal que me bendiciera que mi rodia no impediría mi servicio como un misionero. Hoy, aunque haya caminado mucho, no me ha lastemado la rodilla.

My New Street

I would like to to share with you an evidence of the power of the priesthood. Last week, as you saw, I hurt my knee. I sprained it and may have done worse. Elder Scoubes blessed me that even though I hurt it, it would not impede my service as a missionary. Today, I have done substantial walking, and my knee hasn't hurt me all day.

The priesthood is real. It works through us and changes us as we turn outward and give it somewhere to go. :) It works in us as we let its power flow through us to the blessing of everyone we can.

First Home in the Field

What more? Um, I listened to a talk by Elder Bednar called The Character of Christ. It was the reminder I needed of how I was who I was. Before my mission, I took every opportunity given me, and even those not, to turn outward and serve others. The CCM seemed built to serve self, to build self. However, at the end of his talk, Elder Bednar said somethings along the lines of: “With the apostolic keys given me, I promise you that according to your desire and diligence to develop the Character of Christ (which turns outward in service, always), you will be blessed with every other blessing or gift that you need. So forget about yourself when you go to the MTC, wherever you go. The MTC isn't about you. School isn't about you. It's about your classmates. You future family, your God. Buckle down and lose yourself in the growth of His divine work, and I promise you will be happy, in the measure you make every decision one of service.” :) 

Love you to the moon and back,

Elder Brown

—This gun dun been fun :)

Krispy Skreams and CCM Departure

Sunrise

Elder Brown started his Monday October 26 out very early getting ready to leave the CCM in Mexico City for the mission field in Tijuana, Mexico. He needed to be up and ready to leave at 3:30 a.m. (That is 1:30 Utah time and he was flying into an area that is on California time). I'm sure his internal clock is a little messed up today. He sent home this beautiful sunrise picture and I thought I would share it with all of you.

Eyeball Doughnut

Here's a little shout out and a great big THANK YOU to the Missionary Package MX people. Last Wednesday I ordered a dozen Halloween themed Krispy Kreme doughnuts (they call them Krispy Skremes)! Thursday Elder Brown told me he hadn't received them. All day Thursday and Friday, I was trying to figure out why he hadn't received them yet and began getting a little sad he would miss receiving something fun and yummy before he left the MTC Monday morning. I finally decided to send a quick email to the company to see why they had missed the order. Turns out, for some reason, the order never processed and was still in my shopping cart!!! It wasn't their fault at all. It was mine (or my computer's). I was pretty bummed. BUT they came to the rescue. They called Krispy Kreme to see if an additional dozen of their yummy Krispy Skreme donughts could be added to the order for TODAY and the answer was YES! The Missionary Package MX people are making sure my sweet child feels loved and remembered this week. Today, it is bringing tears of joy to this mother's eyes and heart. Seriously, look how cute these doughunts are!

Mummy Doughnut

Thank you Missionary Package MX for saving the day and delivering a darling and yummy treat to my son before his MTC departure! You have gone beyond your call of duty and this missionary mom is so touched!

Just in case anyone reads this who has a child getting ready to enter the Mexico City MTC, you can order goodies and other items from www.missionarypackagemx.com. You can even send a 1-3 page PDF letter to your child via email and they will print and deliver it the next day (free of charge to the MTC)! They even send you an email telling you when your letter/package has been delivered! Awesome!!! And, in case you are like me...I have checked with the MTC in Mexico to see if using this company was okay since in our missionary packet it clearly states that we are not to send packages to the MTC. The MTC told me using this service was an okay thing to do. There are actually four companies they allow deliveries from, but don't publicize the companies. However, I just had to share my story!

--Elder Brown's Mom

Daily Scripture Study

Hola!

It's been another great week down here in the MTC! I'll be leaving to teach the people of Tijuana next Monday at 3:30 a.m. I'm thoroughly excited to assume the role of a full-time missionary. I'm excited for the blessing I have to lose myself in service, whatever form it may be in. I hope to learn to love the people and then show it in a way that increases their love for God.

I've been learning the importance of daily scripture study. It is vital to a life of full conversion. Joseph Smith said that "is the most correct book of all other books on the earth, and the keystone of our religion; and that a man would come nearer to God as he followed its precepts than by any other book." I know that this is true. My conversion story is based upon a decision to read the Book of Mormon. My conversion story every single day is based upon that principle. It brings a depth into life that cannot be achieved nor rivaled in any other way.

MTC Study Time

I've been studying the scriptures more often now than at first in the MTC. It's been really helpful. I've said many times to many people that one can predict the day based on a prayer. If one would consistently have good days, not just fun or happy, but truly good ones, then one must consistently have powerful prayers. In order to have powerful prayers, one needs intentional scripture study. It's a continuing cycle. Each enhances the other. I love to read the scriptures. I love to learn about the prophets, and even more, about Christ. I love to feel the power of his words when he talks to the Nephites. There's an undeniable power there. Read the scriptures every day. Pray over them. I love them. I know that the scriptures contain the power of God. They will change your life. They will make your life a life worth living. The depth of your life will increase. Its meaning will deepen.

Weed-Whacking Warrior

As you may have noticed in my picture with the Weed-Whacking Warrior, I have a knee brace now. During a game of ultimate frisbee, I hyper-extended my knee, sprained it, and may have bruised/roughed-up the cartilage. The doctor here says I'll be fine, I just need to abstain from running. Walking is ok, but any misplacement or twist hurts it. It gets sore and stiff really easily. However, I got a blessing from Elder Scoubes last night. I was told that the injury would not have a negative effect on my capacity to serve. I was told that God knew me and had a plan for me in the CCM and my mission. I am very grateful to have companions that are of such stature as to be a medium of the words of God in a blessing. Elder Kelson has given me a blessing as well. They are great men. I hope I can do things like them. I was really blessed to not have injured myself more with the nature and manner of the injury.

I know that the priesthood is of God. I know that blessings are not given by melchizedek priesthood holders, but through them. I know that this church is true. I love it. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Elder Kelson's Bday Party-MTC Style

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

This week we celebrated Elder Kelson's bday. Elder Kelson opened presents! Elder Scoubes received two dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts. We had ourselves a little party!

Love,
Elder Brown