July 30, 2012

Familia y Amigos,

 

Como estai po locos? Elder Contreras has really taught me how to speak like a real Chilean. Ha, that is probably not a good thing. No one is going to be able to understand my Chilean Spanish. Everything is very well here in Calle Calle, or street street in english, ha. First off, yes mother, I did get my package on Tuesday. I think I got it a little later because our zone leaders didn't go pick up the mail the week before. I loved everything inside. The things to give to people are super awesome! I love them. As well as all the treats, there is not much left haha. Oh mom, if you havn't sent the package yet, a tie would be awesome. I sure love ties.

 

Oh my goodness, I can not believe that Elisa is going to get married!! WOW that is so crazy. My first date ever, hahahha, that is so crazy. If you see her tell her congrats. Yes, I did get Whitney's letter this week. Along with one from Rick, the young women of the stake, and Kenzie Bullock. Sounds like your week was a blast. Oh man, did I love to see those pics of Strawberry. I love that place. It looks like the camp out was a success, the fishing not so much ha thats ok. The lake looked pretty dry. Wow, everyone is getting married. Dana, Elisa, Dalton - who is next? It's got to be my sister hahaha. Come on Lacee, go find me an awesome brother in law.

 

Ok now for some of the questions. There usually isn't that many Elders doing email at the same time. Today I am sitting in a huge mall doing my email. It is a big mall. We are starting our 4th week of the cambio today crazy huh. There are some great members here, just really few ha. We had 30 in the iglesia (church) this week. The bishop has been bishop for 8 YEARS ha crazy huh. It is because there is no one to take his spot. Poor guy, but he is a good bishop so no worries. I take lots of pics, I just send you a few of the good ones. The problem is we can't take pics while working so I don't get to take as much as I want. No, I haven't developed any, wait I lie, I did once to give to members before I left Rahue.

 

This week was good. Thursday in the morning we got a call from the zone leaders saying we had interviews with president Rappleye in an hour, then all of the sudden I hear some knocking on our fence in front of the house. I look out the window and guess who I saw, The three APs haha Elder Nelson, E. Coria, and E. Carmen, all my good buds came by to pay me a visit in the morning haha. It was awesome. I got a pic so I will send it your way. Then we went and had our normal interviews with president. It was great. I love talking to that guy, he has a lot of knowledge to pass on to me. While E. Contreras was in his interview, I used Sister Rappleye's iphone to call Elder Larsen, who I was in the mtc with, to see how he was doing. It was awesome to talk to him a bit. I got to talk to Elder Cowley earlier when he called me one day. We had a good week of work. We had challenged 3 people to be baptized, but then one of them moved away so now it's just two. I am hoping to be able to put 3 more with a baptism date this week. The work is coming along. The problem we are now having is getting people to church. That's what we are focused on this week.

 

Mom, I loved that qoute you sent me about choosers, that was really cool. Dad, that talk you sent me was amazing. Wow, I loved it. I learned so much. Selfishness is behind almost every sin that we commit as humans. If we can cut out the selfishness in our lives we can also rid ourselves of almost all sin. That is cool. Selflessness is key to missionary work and pretty much any kind of teaching at all. As I read that talk one thing I really realized is the selfless service I have seen others give to me through out my life. Especially my good parents. The selfless service you have given me has made me into the person I am today as well as has created a bond between us that even though we are far away will always be there. As well as the awesome leaders and friends that I have in my life that have taught, served, and loved me selflessly. I am so blessed. I feel like I am surrouned by amazing people. Shout out to all those who have sacrificed loads for me to be out here whether it was your money, teaching, or just your support. Shout out to all my boys out on missions. I sure love you all, keep working hard you are all great examples to me. I can't believe that Trent dies soon wow time flies. I love you all very much thanks for your emails.

Love,

Elder Brown

 

1. My three buds, the AP'S. I think you know who they all are.

 

Caiden,

Here is some advice for you my good buddy. Get working hard on football when you get back. I sure miss that game. Get out there and work hard. It will pay off. When I get back me and you are going to train together and get big ha. As well as read the scrips ha.

Love,

Elder Brown

Sorry, I will write you all next week.

 

July 23, 2012

Familia y Amigos!!!!

 

Hello everyone another week has come and gone it is just crazy. Family I can´t believe you are heading up to Strawberry to go camping. I sure love that place and I sure love camping. I hope you guys have a great time up there. I think that that might be one of the first things that I will want to do when I get home after going to the temple. I want to go camping up where you guys are going. Of course that is very far in the future and I don´t want it to come to fast. There is much more to do here in the mission before that.

 

Ok mother for your big question what do I want for my birthday....... uh that's really hard. Ha! I don´t really need anything. of course I would love some treats, like some Swedish Fish, what else do I need though?? Some more music would be great, oh i just got a great idea!! It would be cool if you could send me some pics of Jesus. I am not sure which ones but maybe some like Grandma and Grandpa have in their bookstore. Ones like the one that is in my room. That would be cool. That's about all I can think about for now. Oh and more pics of me with friends and family.

 

Well everything is going good here in Calle Calle we are just plugging right along. Its still been pretty tough and we are working on changing things up here and making it a lot better then when we found it. We had an activity with the ward this week and we ate these things callled picarones. Oh my goodness they are so good. Dad you have to look them up. I was lovin it eating those ha. We are having a really hard time getting our investigators to church so its hard to get baptisms going if they won´t come to church, but we are working on it. Sorry if this email is kinda all over the place. There are tons of elders in this place and I found Elder Turner so we were talking for a bit and reminising ha. Here in Centro Valdivia like three zones come to buy food and things so there are tons of elders doing email here.

 

Ok to finish with a little thought of the week. I love this quote that I read from Thomas Edison "The value of an idea lies in the use of it." I love this quote. When we learn things it comes to no use of ours unless we apply it and try it. When we try things is when we really find out if it works and we also realize what is good and what is not. We must always be trying new things and changing seeing what is the best for us. If we don´t, all the knowledge we receive doesn´t change anything. It is when we convert it into wisdom is when it comes to our use and benefit. I really loved that thought. I love you guys so very much and I hope that all goes well with you Dad in work with all that to do. That temple looks so cool. Caiden I sure love you too but and thanks for writing me. Keep reading the scrips. When I get home I am going to destroy you in soccer doing rainbows over you haha jk. Love you all.

 

Love,

Elder Brown

 

Jenna,

I forgot to put the letter for Maryn in your letter so I will send it next time. 

 

1. this is a recent convert and her fam who just left our ward because she moved. The little kid is so funny haha

 

Sorry this letter was so short. I was distracted by all the elders haha.

 

July 16, 2012

Familia y Amigos!!!!!!

I am so so so very sorry for not writing last week. I know that you (mom) would be a little worried or freaked out haha. The reason I didn't write was because all the internet here in our sector went down and we couldn't find a place where the internet was working.

Now for all the great questions. The transfer was a huge change...... not ha! Elder Contreras and I are together, still here in Calle Calle, so that's sweet. I will tell the truth, I did not expect that. I was hoping to be able to be companions with a younger missionary that I could teach. When I heard that I was staying with my companion I felt I little down. As I sat there at night thinking about it, I realized that it's not what I want, I don't give him my expectations, but it's His expectations that He gives us and He expects that we go forward with them and make the best of it. Maybe I am not teaching younger missionaries, but I am with my same comp right now for a reason and hopefully I can do something to help him. The missionary work here is going ha. It's a really tuff sector. A whole lot different from my last one. Sometimes I feel like I am in a whole other mission, but then again it's not about the sector, it's about the missionary. We have not had any baptisms. We are working on it though. I sure hope we can help some people get to that point. I have no idea if I am losing weight or not. Special people... ha well, we are teaching a married couple named Segundo and Mariluz, and it's been a long trip with them. We have helped Segundo stop drinking and we are trying to help them the very best we can. They are very nice and live in some very humbling circumstances. We found a 20 year old girl who shared with missionaries before that is really interested, so we will see how that goes. As well, we are teaching the Grandma of Abraham, a new member who comes out with us all the time. He is so awesome. She is so sweet and nice but very stubborn. We have tried to put her with a goal to get baptized so many times and she just doesn't want to say yes yet. Slowly we will get there. There are a few others that are coming out of the wood work so hopefully things start happening here. I type my emails in these little cybers that they have. They're like little stores that people have connected to their house where they have computers. Not many friends write emails because none know that they can, but YES YOU CAN WRITE ME BY EMAIL FRIENDS. ha. The only one that writes me by email is Jenna. No I can't respond back in a separate email, but I can in this one email to everyone as well as I will always write them that email me.

I think that is it for all the questions. I hope I answered good enough. It is good to hear that Dad is going back out to do what he did before he got sick. I am so proud of my Dad. We were talking about our Dads the other day and I told my comp about the times when me and my Dad would go camping just me and him. The weather here hasn't been bad at all, sunny but really cold at night. I am doing good though.

Mother, about the Job thing, wow am I greatful that I got off my bum and got working. I learned a lot from those two summers of long hot work days. There were many a times when I just wanted to quit as you know mother, but I am so glad I didn't, even when it seemed liked I was doing every single moving job in the state of Utah haha. The other day I used my moving skills in helping a group of little Chileans put this huge thing in a truck haha. It pàyed off, that job ha.

Well, a little bit about the past two weeks. It's been a normal two weeks here in Chile - full of drunks and funny stories ha. The other day it made me laugh when a drunk told me ´´Yo te voy a decir la verdura´´ which means "I am going to tell you the vegetable" when he was trying to say verdad which means truth ha. Oh man, those guys make me laugh ha. Oh yeah, and the other day while walking down the street a little kid yelled out "look dad, it's the martians, the mormon martians"! Ha I got a good laugh out of that.

Something I have been thinking about a lot this week has been Mosiah 3:19. For the natural man is an enemy of god and always will be. I thought of that story where there is a snake about ready to die of cold when a boy passes and the snake says put me in your coat and warm me or I will die. The young boy denies, but then after the persistence of the snake the boy picks him up and puts him in his coat. Shortly later, the boy was bitten and drops the snake. The boy, very angry, says you told me you would not bite me and the snake simply replies you knew I was a snake when you picked me up and that is my nature. Our nature is to be men and enemies of God, we mess up and do dumb things, but unlike the snake we have the chance to change our nature. God has given us the tools, prophets, scriptures, prayer, and the spirit. With these tools we can over come that nature and achieve a potential we didn't know we had. I really like that. We have what we need, now it's up to us. Put off that natural man and become a saint!!!!
I love you all so very much.
Love,
Elder Brown

Lacee,
I am so proud of you!!! Keep the dating going hahah.
Love,
Elder Brown

Britt,
I love you, thanks for the email but I have to put pics up now.
Love,
Elder Brown

1. Me and Elder Frosty
2. Rio Calle Calle this is in my sector we took it today.
3. Cooking eggs and hot dog in the combustion that warms our house ha that is how it is down.

July 2, 2012

Helo A whatz ur nam,

 

Ha, I thought it would be funny to greet you all how I get greeted here by all the youth! They usually yell that from across the street at me, haha. Then they all laugh because they think it's so funny haha. Sounds like it was a nice week there in my beloved Utah. I sure love Utah. I just finish the book "Our Heritage" and I am sure glad that they went to Utah, because I love that place. Sounds like Lacee and Caiden are really just living up this summer. I am glad to hear it.

 

Ok, for a few of the questions. Yes mom, I have taken a few pics with my companion. I will make sure to take some more though. Whenever we take pics I always say, Mi mama va a querer ver este. Ha, I always say my mom is going to want to see that ha. Elder Contreras always laughs ha. He doesn't know my mom though. I sure love you Mom. Just yesterday I was talking to the son of the Mamita and he told me that he always fights with his Mom. I told him you just have to always assume that she is right even if you don't want to and it's hard because in the end it's very true, she is always right. I sure wish I would have done that more before the mission. I love you Mother so very much. Yeah, Elder Frosty told me his parents weren't coming anymore. He has a week left, crazy huh? Elder Coria likes being AP. He told me it's really different, but he likes to be able to get to know all the missionaries. Yes, Zach will move back to Vernal, but he is going to go to UVU so he will be living up there in Orem or Provo so he told me I didn't need to cry haha. I sure love our little army of missionaries. I can't believe some will be getting done soon. That blows my mind. Yes, I always finish all the letters. I love them!! No big deal if they are out of date. Me and Elder Contreras are doing good. I am just trying to always give him a good example and trying to help him, but we are good. I have no idea what is going to happen, but I am thinking I will be staying here. We are staying warm, don't worry.

 

Well, this past week was a tough one in the way of lessons. We walked a lot this week. We found this little group of houses out in the country in our sector and two days we walked clear out there to try to find some people. What fun the mission is. I sure do love this life. I can't really express how much the mission means to me, but I am so glad to be here. Thanks to people like my Grandparents who help money-wise so I can be out here. Along with so many other aunts and unlces and friends. I love you all. I promise that money does not go to waste, but is paying for the most amazing two years ever. Those two years that have changed me, are changing me, and will do so till the 840th day or something like that ha.

 

Something that has been running through and through my head this week is the power of the Holy Ghost. We as humans under-estimate this power. In Moroni 7, I think... it says that God works by POWER according to the faith of his children. By power, but this power, I don't think we use all of it because we don't understand how much it really is. I believe that the Power of the Holy Ghost can enhance every skill that we have, even down to physical skills if that was the will of the Lord. Many times in my mission so far I have felt this power fill me up and help me do things that afterwards I thought in amazement, "how in the world did I, weak sauce Elder Brown, just teach like that and in the Spanish language"? I'm not trying to boast of myself, but like Alma said in chapter 26, but I do boast in the power of my God. Which power, if we can just focus in on being worthy to have it and ready to recognize it, we can do things that we thought were far out of our reach. I sure do love the Holy Ghost. I am so very thanful for this gift that God gives to us His children. Without it I wouldn't do or be very much.

 

I Love you family and friends so very much. Thank you all for writing me. I had an inbox full today of great things to read. Love you all.

Love,

Elder Brown

 

Brit,

You are one awesome and very wise sister. I love to read your letters. I learn and get so excited to go out and learn and improve after reading your letters. I love what you said about even the smallest things like preparing a lesson can teach us so much. It reminded me of a quote by Hellen Keller that goes something like this, ¨My job isn't to do great and extraordinary tasks, but to do small and simple ones as if they were great and extraordinary". I know that from the smallest tasks we can learn great things if we will just look at that task as a big and great one.

Love,

Elder Brown

 

Wade,

Thanks for that awesome story you sent me. I love it. I am going to have to remember that one. Thanks so much for the email Wade. Sounds like an awesome opportunity to work with houses.

Love,

Elder Brown

 

Caiden,

That story about what you guys did with the contract made me laugh so hard. That is so funny, but pretty darn smart at the same time. Keep working hard bud. I sure do love you.

Love,

Elder Brown

 

Lacee,

Wow your week sounded fun. That's so cool that you got to be with old comps. I want to do that after the mish too.

Oh by the way, Jenna told me to tell you how pretty she thinks you are . I agree you are pretty pretty, ha, and awesome.

Love,

Elder Brown

 

Jenna,

I started your letter today and will send it as soon as possible.

Love

Elder Brown 

 

Sorry forgot my camara so no pics.