September 24, 2012

Familia y Amigos,

Wow how great it is to hear from you. I love you all. It felt like it had been a long time since the last time I heard from you guys and I am so glad to hear that all is well. I sure am so amazingly greatful for the family and friends that I have. Almost everyday, at some point, I reflect on the blessings I have in my life and the one that always comes back to me is how I was raised surrounded by greatness. Like Dad said, starting out with grandparents who have set one of the best examples possible of a family centered in Jesus Christ and his gospel, and then all the way through the generations, of course, my amazing parents, brothers and sisters, leaders, neighbors, and my army of missionary friends. Wow, am I lucky or what!? God knew I was going to need a lot of help so he sent his very best to surround me and kick me in the bum back to where I needed to be whenever I took a bad step. Boy am I thankful for that.

Well, fam, it sounds like everything is going good there in the wonderful world of Utah Valley! I say that because it's a whole different world than here ha. I sure do love to see pics of those cute little boys that we call sabrinos. It's good to hear all about what's going on over there. I sure do miss that game of football. It's to bad BYU couldn't pull it out against Utah. Go Timp! It sounds like they are just rockin' it this year. I am glad to hear it. Darn TIMPVIEW, they need to stop being good. I am sick of them ha. I forgive you pops for sleeping in, you are for sure not the first one to do it. I think I have slept in many more times when I was supposed to be doing something for my fam haha I forgive you all, so don't even worry about it. That's so cool to hear about the new Temple. It looks like an awesome Temple on the outside, kinda like the Salt Lake without so many spires, it's cool. Tell my Grandpa happy b-day. I sure do love that man so very much. I was also glad to hear that you saw some pics on facebook of us during this last week of holidays.

Now for questions, we were able to do a bit of missionary work during the holidays. It was a lot harder because we could only work with set appoinments and no one wanted to set them for the holidays. Mom, I don't develop pics, I just have them all on my card here. I am still trying to decide how I will send them home, but for now I will just keep sending some through email and the rest you can see maybe in a year haha. Mother, all my clothes have held up really well. The insoles of my shoes have had it the worst and they are begginning to die ha. I haven't heard from many lately. I would like to hear from Shayla Gibb, Whitney Halford, Chris Thurman!!!!!, and many more that wrote me at the beggining and then died off haha.

Well, now for a little bit on the very interesting but awesome week. First the holidays: Mon., Tues., Wed. we only worked with set appointments and we ate so so so much. Wow, I was dying I was so full all the time ha. The holidays were awesome. We were still able to teach some, so that was good. There were some elders that were stuck in their houses all day long doing nothing haha. We ate lots of meat and empanandas, my two favortie things haha. Oh, I have a request for you all that is urgent. Well, more for Dad. I need you to send me the recipes for friendship cookies, banana oatmeal cookies and chocolate chip, our specially good recipes, because I have now made a deal with members that if they will invite friends to have family home evening in their house and invite us I promised I would make homemade cookies, American style, and the thing, is the first family of members made the deal and we have a home evening with them this Sunday and I don't remember from memory how to make those cookies. So, tonight could you send me those recipes Dad that would be awesome, but I need them like right now, haha, thanks pops. Ok, we are seeing all sorts of blessings here in Calle Calle. The work is moving right a long. We are teaching a family of 6 and they are all awesome. I am so excited and happy. We are finding like crazy here and we are just going to keep doing it. It suprises me how connected the success of your sector is with the faith that you have that you will find those who are prepared to listen. As soon as we can gain that faith and go out and show it in our work, the sector changes and we do find those people who are ready for the gospel right now. WOW, is that cool or what. Then for the real interesting news: Thursday night we got a call at 11:00 while getting into bed from Sister Rappleye saying that we needed to get out of bed because Elder Contreras was walking to our house because his comp. had run away!! Wow, that was a suprise. We got up and got some stuff ready and when he got there we then walked back to his house to sleep there just in case the comp. came back. Well, he never did and so we were a trio all weekend, back with my old comp once again. We even had a baptism in his sector, cool huh. Well, now Contreras is staying with the zone leaders and I haven't heard anything about his comp. I am not sure they have found him yet. Not too good. But the work is going great. I love you all so much and I know that this is the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ!! It's His, how blessed we are to be a part of it and to help others to come to know of what we know. I love you!

Elder Brown

Sorry other family members I am not going to be able to write you. But I love you all and am so glad to hear from you.  

1. Asado con la familia Mancilla
2. Activity with the ward

September 15, 2012

I don't know if you guys forgot or just didn't understand in my last email, that I had to write today, Saturday, because this next week is a national holiday for the Independence of Chile and everything is going to be closed Monday. I hope that everything is well there at home and that all are just doing great. I don't have any questions to answer or comments to make about something that was said, so, this letter might be a bit shorter ha.

We had an awesome week this week and it is still not over!! We have begun to teach 2 new familias and they are both pretty darn sweet. In our zone conference we talked a lot about focusing on familias and hombres because they are the strength of the church and the power that allows the church to grow. We talked a lot about some pretty scary statistics about the inactive members in Chile and how if we can only start focusing more on baptizing familias the inactivity rate will go down a ton! So, this last week we have been praying and working super hard to try and find those familias and hombres that the Lord has prepared to hear the message of the Restoration. Look what we found, 2 familias!!!!! BAKAN!!!! We are working with them both and hopefully, as soon as possible, we can help both of them accept baptismal dates and begin to really progress. Wow, the Lord sure does answer our prayers. So, we will continue to pray super hard and work even harder to work some mighty miracles and help both these familias progress. I am super excited to see what goes down. We decided that it is our choice to make this sector the sector celestial. It is our fault if it doesn't become that because God has trusted us with this area and has given us everything we need to bless people's lives, now it's all on us to go out there and make it happen. Obviously we go with the strong companionship of the Holy Ghost, for if it wasn't for him and the divine help that the Lord gives us missionaries, especially with me, I would be just a bum knocking doors just like I did before the mission selling the football cards that were worth nothing. Thank goodness this message is worth everything and on top of that we have the strong divine power of the Holy Ghost to guide and direct us and bare testimony of us. I am super grateful for that because I wouldn't do much with out it. The work is going super good here and it is just going to keep getting better and better with more and more hard work.

Other than that I am not sure if I can think of much else to tell everyone. This next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we can't go out to work unless we have appointments that are set in stone, and the problem is no one wants to set appointments because they want to party all week for the Independence Day, which they don't just celebrate for one day but a whole entire week!!!!! Those Chileans are sure good at partying haha. So we might be studying a bunch there in the house ha. A few members have invited us over to celebrate with them, so we might go out to do that. Also, Monday the ward is going to have a little party so we will be over there for awhile.

Our new Mamita is so so so cool. Her food is the best, I love it. She made us pizza today. I think I might start to gain some weight back now haha. I sure hope so. I still miss our old mamita as well though because I loved her so much. We do still go to visit her quite a bit and turns out that her family has now turned into our best source for future baptisms because we have recently started to teach or are going to begin teaching 2 of the boyfriends of the two daughters and the girlfriends of the son haha. Hey flirt to convert I guess, hahaha, not us missionaries but the members! 2 of the kids of mamita are inactive as of right now but as we keep teaching them and their partners we are going to be able to help them straighten things out as well as help their partners make a covenant with their Father in heaven. I sure do love this missionary work. I would not trade these experiences for anything in the world, especially would not trade it to be able to get "kicked out of a college football game"! I love the mission. The things I have learned and continue to learn have affected me and changed me so much and I know that it will continue to do so the rest of my life. I can't believe how time flys. I feel like it was just a few weeks ago that I said bye to my parents there on the curb in Provo, Utah. Now I have been to Peru, Rahue, and Valdivia and I have been completely changed and taught so much and my head is beginning to spin and I am sitting here wondering "wow what happened" haha. I am going to keep on living up every moment though. I love you all.

Love,

Elder Brown

1. There is the drunk guy that we found and he made us come in and take pics haha

2. Same

3 from awhile back when the old mamita gave  us cake for my b day

4 Casita

5 some kinda historical site ha i don´t know what for sure but cool huh

Jenna,

Sorry I am taking so long to send your letter. I am trying my very best! Send me an email though when ever you want and tell me where you live haha.

Love,

Elder Brown

Hno Turner,

I hope you read this man but I am so glad you wrote me. It's good to hear from you. Don't get married too fast ha.

Love,

Elder Brown

Hno Purser.

Oh my papa, thanks for writing me man. Make sure to keep updating me on everything. Go to BYU. Ha thanks for everything man.

Love,

Elder Brown OSO

September 10, 2012

Hola Familia y amigos,  

Another week come and gone just like that. I was able to look at some of the pictures of my mission the other day that I have on my pen drive, and wow, The time has flown. As I looked at all the pictures a great feeling of gratitude hit me in the face, haha. I am unexpressably (if that is a word) grateful for the many people I have had the chance to teach, the many Elders I have been able to meet, and the many expiriences that I have had and will continue to have. WOW, I love the mission and am so very grateful for this time that I have. I can't spell or talk anymore. I know exactly how Mike feels haha.

 

Well, it sounds like everything is going great there in O town. Elder Anderson and I have already made some good plans of what we are going to do when we hit the O town, de nuevo, it's not for another year and that is fine with me, but we do have some plans. We had a good week here in Valdivia. I will tell you more about it a little later. I am glad to hear that Caiden is getting a little bit better, lurp nation, haha. Timp football is rockin' the house! That's what I am talking about! Too bad we could never do much of that. Hey, it was still fun. I am glad to hear that my buddy Joe is doing a great job out there on the field, hahaha. That's pretty funny they lost to Utah State. BYU started with Weber State, haha, way to challenge themselves. Well, at least they could start out with a good win. I love football. I am getting pretty good at the other futbol though. I got some mad skills. I like the idea of a fam team, Wade and caiden, let's do it. Solo bebe futbol si no me gusta la grande.

 

Alrighty, now for a bit of question answering and asking, ha. I am doing alright with District leader and trainer, learning a lot and I hope I continue to progress. There is a lot of work to do. I have a lot of growing to still do before I head home and do all that fun stuff that comes after. Oh, by the way, I found out that Elder Coria is engaged! A new world record for speed haha. Elder Jensen and I are doing great and working hard. I am still working on the friend letters and I love them. When does Elder Howard get home? We don't usually have time for naps on p-days. We do shopping and today we played soccer and ate completos as a zone. That's what we usually do on p-days and we clean the house, and eat haha. I am keeping warm. It is warming up during the days now that we will be entering into summer. I don't ever talk about the cold because I am used to it now, ha, it doesn't even bother me. Yes Brit, I got all your gifts from Arts Cow, they are sweet. I love the cube. SO SWEET. Thank you, I love you all.

 

Well, this week was a very good one. Before I start though I do want to tell you all that I will be emailing this Saturday, like this week, because next Monday is the biggest holiday here in Chile. They celebrate for like a week and we have to stay in our house unless we have citas. It is the independence day Monday, so nothing will be open, nothing haha. It's a big deal here, Chilean flags everywhere and I hear lots about a lot of meat and drinking so for that very reason we can't be walking in the street much ha. Speaking of drunks, I got a good story for you. SO, we were knocking some doors and an angry man with an awesome mustache answers a door. I ask happily, COMO ESTA?  He looks at me without response. I ask again, haha, no response. Then after some silence he says, "SOY ANTI NORTE AMERICANO" or in other words, racist haha. Well, I say "awesome because I'm not gringo anymore" ha and I pull out my carnet or Chilean ID, ha. He looks at it all confused, just if you don't know by now, he is pretty drunk. He says, "OH, BUENO PASEN" (Oh, then come in) ha, and wants us to come in! I say we can't, but he insists so we go in. Then starts a party with us three, or that's what he thinks, full of dancing and singing about California and Utah, and how his new friends were going to take him to the states, ha oh boy! Well, I got him settled down and I asked him if I could leave his house with a blessing. He kindly let me and we left, haha. We haven't made it back there yet. I will send some of the pics he wanted us to take ha. Other than that great story, we had Zone conference and it was sweet!!! Guess who I saw for the first time after the MTC - Elder Cowley my MTC comp. I was so excited and we sat together the whole day haha. I loved it. We have been working hard trying to apply all we learned. We talked a lot about working with members -something we are very weak at, but they are key for finding the families and men that we need to strengthen the church. We have found some good investigators and we are working with the boyfriend of the daughter of our old mamita, so hopefully he can get baptized after they get married. Oh, we did find a new mamita and we are eating with Elder Contreras and his comp. everyweek ,ha funny huh. Well, that's about it for this week. Oh, by the way Lacee, send me all the missionary music you can get I loved it. If you can find the rest of the hymns by Kalai I would love it. There was one on one of the cds. Love you all and I just want you all to know that I know that this is the work of the Lord. I know that this is His church because I have felt the truthfulness of it many times by the power of the Holy Ghost. I have seen it work in others and I know of the power that it has. I love this gospel and I love the mission. I love you all so much.

 

Love,

Elder Brown

Caiden, I am going to destroy you in soccer, just you wait, and then we will play for the same team. 

Wade get the boot off, gee wiz haha, it's been way too long. I love you all. Tell those little boys that. 

Write me before Saturday all of you haha. Sorry I didn't have time for pics.

September 3, 2012

Hola mi maravillosa familia y amigos,

 

Les querio muchisimo, vosotros soís los mejores familiares y amigos en todo el mundo. No prodria haber recibido mejores (You are the best family and friends in the world, I could not have had any better). What a great Birthday here in the mission. I have been tripping out a little bit every time I have been reminded of how much time has passed by and how fast time keeps flying by. It is so crazy. First off, family, you are the best. I got the package on Tuesday, the day before, and waited till Wednesday morning to open it like a good boy. WOW, so much stuff! I love everyting! The ties could not have been better picked, I love them. My family and friends really know me because everything was perfect. The music, oh man, you can not get better than a little country church music. The ring is sweet. The huge bag of Swedish Fish and Bottle Caps, WOW, how could you know me any better?! Also , the cool bag for toiletries, it's all exactly what I needed and wanted. You are amazing all of you. Mom I love you so much. I know you were the head of putting all that together. What a Mother and woman, who raised me. It's a good thing I got the best, because anything less and I might not have turned out. The best was needed to raise me, and that's exactly what I got.

 

Just a little comment: I have been amazed to hear all the stories and testimonies of my friends. It's crazy to see the amount of growth among us all. I could barely hold in my emotions of excitement and love for my friends as I heard their stories, testimonies, and growths. I want to give a shout out to all of them: Elder J stew, E Dox the Fox, E Richard Dowd, E Trentikans Howard (almost dead can't believe it, AP!!!!!! I can believe it), E Terry, E Burdett (pretty much Mexican now), E Porter, E Skousen, E White and so many more. We are really an Army. I love you all. Keep working hard and building the kingdom all over the world. Thanks for all your great examples to me.

 

Ok, now for some quick thanks. First off, again, with my wonderful family, thanks for the package. Also, I got both things from ArtsCow, thanks Brit, they are awesome. Jenna, thanks a ton for the tie. It is super awesome - I love it. Thanks for thinking of me on my birthday. Aunt Vicky, one of the most amazing aunts ever, for your letter and money. Tres, for your awesomeness, I am sad to hear he left the Young Mens. Just goes to show that I really was surrounded by the greatest ( All the new guys are awesome too). Natalie, for the way sweet cookies. You sure know me well, too. Everyone else who sent me their wishes for my b-day. I love you all!!!! (Mother, yes I can change money here very easily)

 

Ok, now for a little on what happened this week. Wow, everyone wanted to celebrate my birthday. I had my fair share of little celebrations. First, Estafani and her fam ( stef is a member the rest aren't) they love us and did an awesome little party for me with tons of food, balloons, cake and fake candles that wouldn't go out - that tricked me haha. Also, mamita gave us cake. The familia Mancilla as well had a party ready for me with completos and cake with real candles haha. I was well taken care of and felt the love from all over Chile, the states and maybe even other places ha. Besides birthday stuff it's been a crazy week. First, I lead my first district meeting this week. I felt like it went really good and at least I enjoyed the meeting haha. I hope others did as well. We talked a lot about attitude and how we can do better in our contacts because the standard is to do 140 every week, not how we should be doing them to get the numbers, but to get to know them and try to help them realize by applying the gospel it can help them with any need or challenge they have. Other news, we have been working on all the stuff and pains of changing Mamitas...... I am very sad. I sure loved Mamita Mabel, but she has done it for 20 years and I think she was ready for a rest from all her selfless service she gave to us and focus a little more on giving it to others now ha. So we struggled to find someone to take us in. Then one day suddenly, at about 7:20 in the morning I hear a yell outside our gate. I look out to see a very sweaty, breathing hard E Contreras and his comp. They had run to our house for exercise to tell us that their Mamita was really close and that we could come eat with them. So that's what we did and we met her today. So everything worked out and we won't be going hungry like we were thinking we might have to for a little bit. A little bit on the work. We are working hard and searching a lot for new people. We have been knocking a lot and contacting as many as we possibly can. It has been a struggle, but we are slowly beginning to see the fruits of hard work and obedience. We will continue to work harder and harder and obey with even more exactness and I know that the miracles will come. I love missionary work. Nothing better than a good hard day of mission work.

 

I cannot believe that Caiden separated his shoulder. Why would you let some kid do that to you? I am not a fighter, but when I was on the football field I didn't let kids treat me like that. You just need to show those kinda guys that you don't grab my face mask or your hand is going to get torn off of there, haha. Sorry bud about your shoulder. I hope you can punch through the pain and get back out there on the field to go knock some kids on their bums with that skinny body of yours haha.

 

Now for a little bit of my testimony: I am so used to always leaving everyone with at least a little spiritual thought that I can't not do it with everything I do ha. One thing that I keep realizing more and more is the wonderful and amazingly perfect plan that God has given us. He gave us agency, the ultimate tool, to help us to grow, but understood the huge responsibility that would put on us. Knowing that we could not blame outside factors for the bad choices we would make, he sent His Son, our Savior, to pay for those mistakes and pains so we could be cleansed and pure to be worthy of the presence, guidance, and empowering help of the Holy Ghost, who can help us to rise to the huge responsibility of free agency and become like our Savior Jesus Christ. Like E. Porter said, "with his face engraven in ours". And as my great friend E J Stew so perfectly expressed of his gratitude for the atonement and the opportunity it gives us to locate our weaknesses and become better. I share the same gratitude with my good amigo ha. I love you all. Thanks for your many prayers, thoughts, and all your love.

Con mucho amor,

Elder Brown

 

1. Birthday celebrations in the house of Estafani