July 27, 2013

WOW!!! I don't think I have been more tired in my whole life. It's crazy, I will tell you more why a little bit later. Well, it was so good to hear from everyone in the family this week. That was sure awesome to see one little update from each one of you. I thank you all so much for remembering me and taking the time to drop me a few lines and pics. I am glad to hear that everyone is busy and doing well. Sounds like you were able to all do some fun things this last week. I sure love every single one of you. AS well as my buddies Rick and Jordan, who take the time to write me even though I am sure they have better things to do. Thanks guys, I appreciate it and I love both all so much. Thanks for your great examples and support.

That's so cool that Dad is in Mexico. It sounds like from Elder Balbuena that his house is only like an hour and a half from where Dad is right now. E Balbuena was pretty excited to see the Pics of Mexico. Thanks Mom, for sending me a package, we'll see how long it takes to get here. Caiden, I am glad to hear from you bud. Thanks for writing me as well. Thanks Britt, and of course Lacee, for taking the time to throw in a little something.

Well, I guess I will go into all that happened this last week. It was crazy. So, Mondays are always crazy here in the office because it's the rest of the missions p day, so they are all always calling to ask to do things and all kinds of stuff. That same day we received the calender of Pres. for the rest of July and August and we are supposed to organize our calendar according to his. We realized it was going to be a really busy cambio, and if we wanted to be able to go on divisions with all the ZLs we would need to leave this week to start, because the next few weeks after we weren't going to have much time. So Monday night we were on the drive for Puerto Montt. We stayed the night there in Puerto Montt and the next day we went to the District meeting there and then headed to Chiloe for divisions with the ZLs there, who happened to be E. Gardner (from my group in the MTC) and E. Virhuez. It was a great time there in Chiloe, which is an awesome place, you will have to look it up on Google. It's a big island that is in our mission; it's really pretty. We then on Wednesday headed back to Puerto Montt, where we did divisions with the ZLs in Puerto Montt east, which went really well. I got to be with my comp from the MTC, E. Cowley, so that was really cool to work with him and to see how much we have grown in the last few months. Then the next day we crossed to Puerto Montt West to do divisions with the other ZLs, those also went very well. By this time I was pretty much toast haha. The next day we headed to Puerto Varas, where we did our last divisions yesterday, ha, which were also really cool, because one of the ZLs was my buddy E. Rytting from Timp, so that was cool. Woo, then we got back this morning at about 11, bringing sandwiches to enjoy with the office Elders. Now here I am as tired as can be writing, my wonderful family. So much happened this last week that it is a little hard to explain in detail the many different things that happened. One of my favorite parts about this past week though was when E. Balbuena and I could do a "trainer and new Elders" training where we got all the missionaries in the zones where we were together and with their new comps we talked about the training program and how important it is. I sure loved doing that and looking into the eyes of all those new missionaries and just try my very best, though a pretty lame attempt, at trying to explain to them how much the mission means to me. I tried to express how the adventure that they have just begun has changed my life forever. I can't imagine not having come out here. I tried my very best to testify to them of this work and how wonderful it truly is. I hope that with the time that I have to serve the Lord all day every day will not be a waste to Him, but that I can do much good of my own free will and bring about much righteousness. There is nothing that I desire more than to learn all I can, teach all I can and to everyone I can, and try to show God that he can trust me with his errands.

Well fam, I don't know what else I can tell, besides once again bare my short testimony to you all because it seems that now that might be all I know how to do but I am for sure fine with that. I know that God blesses his children, he gives them all that they need to progress. Whether it be trials, responsibilities, missions, or any other thing, he knows what he does, and it is for our good. He surrounds us with blessing. I feel that one of the greatest blessings he has given me is since I was young I have always been surrouned by greatness. I think God does that with those he knows are going to struggle to even be good. He blessed me with the best parents, he then gave me great sisters and a brother, he blessed me with friends that always lift me up and don't let me slack, then I came out here on the mission and he did not stop to do the same, he put me in a group with 3 other guys in the MTC that were coming to this mission that from the beginning pushed me to become better. He gave me an amazing president and his wife. Every single companion that I have had has lifted me up in some way. My companion right now, E Balbuena, is the best! There could not be a better missionary than him. I feel humbled to be with him. Every week he continues to do this as I have been able to get to know more missionaries and learn from there amazing examples of faith, hope, love, diligence and much more. I feel so blessed. I love you family and friends so much.

Love,
Elder Brown

Doxey-cotton,

I sure love you man. Don´t worry man, I am sporting you from down here. I will be there to give you advice some up coming day haha. Don´t let anyone else take my place by your side as we play old school smash and talk out and council over the situations of life. I will be there haha. I love you man. Keep going strong. I wish I had time to write you all my advice in your situation but I am out of time. I love you man.
Love,
Elder Brown

Jord,
Help Rick out man haha. Ilove you man. That's too bad that Eliza is heading out to New York. But don´t worry, you got to wait for me before you go off dating a bunch of chicks and doing all that fun stuff, so it will all be good. Hold down everyone while you wait for me, don´t let anyone go off and get married haha. I love you man. Good luck in your Job.
Love,
Elder Brown

July 20, 2013

Hola Familia y Amigos,

Wow!!! Is all I can say as well Mother about this last week. It was full of many really cool expiriences, and as well as a lot of different emotions. I am glad to hear that all is going well and that the family continues to enjoy the summer vacations, well at least Caiden, haha. I am not sure how Lacee is doing because, of course, I have not heard from her for quite awhile, haha stinker, but I know she is busy. That's way cool that Brent is now home. I am so glad that Bridger remembers me and shows interest in the fact that some day I will come home.

Alright, first for a few answers to some questions. Dad, you are exactly right about the sleeping bag, and yes, I will be able to bring it home because I will leave some big stuff like sheets and towels here when I come home, so that will free up plenty of space for a sleeping bag. I am thinking about buying a better one so I am not sure how much I am going to spend. I am sure I still won't spend too much on one as long as it can be stuffed up real small. Mother, I will now try to answer all your questions. I hope that I don't miss anything. First off, we do not live in the mission home. We live in an apartment building, where we live on the 4th floor. All 4 elders from the office live on the 1st floor, and the Goodmen's, a senior couple, live on the third floor, haha. It is a building full of mormons! Mother, I don't think I explained real well that Elder Larsen was only with us till Wednesday. He actually is not here, he went to train a new elder in the sector where he started his mission. It's just me and Elder Balbuena. Yes, I had a chance to say bye to everyone in Punta Arenas, because I went to church there on Sunday and left right after for the airport. So, I got to say bye to everyone there in church, all at once, haha. It is cold in Osorno, but not too bad, it's not as bad as in Punta Arenas. I had no feeling what so ever that I was going to come here to Osorno, haha, it was a suprise. I actually don't think Iwill need any new shirts because I just found a couple when we were cleaning out a little missionary closet thing we have in the basement of our apartment building and they are perfect for me and they are really nice, so I think I will be just fine shirt wise. One thing I do request is some more Nerds, because, remember my good friend Elder Moreno, who loves them? He happens to be here in the office as secretary of the mission, so I would like to be able to give him some more because his face when he sees Nerds is a crack up haha.

OK, now for a little bit about this last week that was so crazy. So, Monday we talked with all the zone leaders and saw how the zones were doing. It was really cool to be able to talk to all them and get to know them a little better and see how they are all super awesome and amazing missionaries. I don't know very many of them because being down in Punta Arenas is like being in another mission. It's so far away that you don't hear from anyone except those who are down there. Tuesday we got to go pick up the new missionaries that got here. There was 20 of them, 12 sisters and 8 elders. It was so cool to be there with Elder Larsen and look back and remember that over a year and a half ago that was us getting off the plane. Ha, it was pretty fun to get to know the new elders. We brought them back to the mission home with Pres. Rappleye, Elder Goodmen and Elder Erickson (yep I got to see the Ericksons and it was so awesome to see them for a couple days while they were down here helping with transfers). We then gave a little welcome presentation to the new Elders where we talked about our mission and how awesome and pretty it is as well and share with them a couple of the rules of the mission and stuff like that. We got to enjoy a great dinner with all the newbies and the three pairs of senior couples in our mission, including Pres. and Hermana Rappleye. Then Wednesday was the craziest of all days. We gave a training to all the new trainers that came to pick up their new elders. Then we had a lunch with all the newbies and their trainers, then it was a hustle to get all them to their buses and get all the elders out to their new sectors since Wednesday was official transfers over all the mission. Then came the hardest but most spiritual part. We had the program for those missionaries who were leaving the mission, including my beloved comp Elder Walker. We had an amazing dinner with all of them that were leaving, the senior couples and Pres. and his wife. We then had a devotional where we watched their slideshow with pics from their missions. We then had a devotional where all the missionaries shared their testimonies. It was so powerful. Then the senior couples all gave their advice to those that were leaving. That was so powerful as well. Then Pres. and his wife said some words. We then were supposed to sing the hymn of the mission wich is called "fe en cada paso" or in english "faith in every footstep". Oohhhh, I could not handle it. I could not sing a single verse of that song I was so choked up. The spirit was so strong, I love that song so much. We then headed to the bus stop to drop all the Elders off so they could head to Santiago. It was so hard to see them go. There were so many members there to say bye to Elders. I happened to see some converts from Rahue there, as well as my first Mamita of the mission. It was so awesome to see them. There were a lot of tears shed in that Bus station. The next day Elder Balbuena and I were invited to go with the Ericksons and Goodmens to do a devotional on missionary work for the one and only stake of Rahue, or in other words, the stake where I started my mission. It was amazing to see members and converts of where I started my mission. We were able to bare testimony of mission work and answer the youth's questions. It was so much fun. Wow, then the rest of the week was full of all kinds of work. Ha, the week went so fast.

Well family, I want all of you to know how much I love the Lord's work. I know that this is his work. I know that he leads it and with his servants he brings it about. I hope to be one of these servants. I hope he can trust in me and send me on his errands. I hope he feels he can rely on me to follow his spirit. I hope that through out my whole life I can be a servant that he can always send on his errands. I love this Gospel and I know that it is true I love you all. I will atach as many pics as possible because today we went on a trip with the Goodmens to some pretty places.
Love,
Elder Brown

1. Pres. and Hermana Rappleye and some good guys and me haha
2. After that youth conference that we were invited to with some of the kids I taught and were baptized after i left cool huh????!!!!!
3. A good young man that I met in my first sector that is super funny
4. The women in the middle is the lady that we found, tuaght and baptized her husband I saw her at the conference where she had brought a couple nephews who arn´t members to the conference!!!
5 Today at volcan osorno
6 All the office elders hanging out haha
7. Salto de petrohue
8. The Goodmens and me
9. Waterfall

July 15, 2013

Hola Familia y amigos,

Well, the least I can say is that this past week was a crazy one. I am not sure that I can believe it. It has been a whirlwind of all sorts of feelings and many other things, such a whirlwind that has carried me all the way to Osorno, no joke here, I am found back in Osorno, but this time it will be a little longer than a few days. Ha, I will leave it at that for a bit while I answer to your emails, questions and other things haha.

I am glad to hear that all are well and are found safe and sound. That's awesome that Britt had a good time there in Nashville and is back home. I was super happy to hear from Wade and hear about what's going on in his work and things. Sounds like he is busy as ever and is working hard. Sounds like Caiden is as busy as ever with all his activities and is enjoying his summer. I was super happy to hear that you were able to go to the homecoming of Elder Skousen and to see some of the crew. That is so crazy that Ryan Draper is getting married so fast, that is so so so weird ha. I just can't imagine my friends getting married. It makes me happy that I might make it home to see Brandon get married, that would make me so happy to at least be able to go to his reception. Mother and Brit, I really can't think of anything I really need. I need garments, but that can wait a few more months, it's not worth it ha. Mother, it's better that you don't ask about my shirts, haha, they are doing great, except for a few worn out parts here and there. We are all good in that sense. I am really not sure what I need. I am going to have to take out some money in the next few days because sadly I will probably have to buy a sleeping bag to use for these next three months... I will explain later. I really just can't think of anything real specific, what ever comes to your creative minds. I know you will come up with something real good.

All right, I think I should probably explain to you what has happened in the last few days and why I just happen to be here in Osorno again. I will start from the beginning. So, I am not sure if you know but transfers happen to be coming this Wednesday. So obviously, we were waiting a call, maybe Saturday or Sunday night. Well, FRIDAY, in the morning we were in the store buying a frame for one of our converts when the phone began to ring. I pulled it out and happened to see the name of President Rappleye. I answered and we talked for a little then he asked me if the Elders had told me about my flight. I said no. President said ¨Oh... well your coming in here to Osorno to be one of my assistants¨! I wasn't sure what to say, so I said ¨Really?¨ Pres. said Yep. Haha, I said "Ok" and Pres. said "see you soon" and the call ended. I wasn't really sure what to think or to say. So, to make a long story short, I was told Friday that I was coming to Osorno to the office and Sunday afternoon I was on my way here haha. It was like ripping off a band-aid really fast, leaving Punta Arenas and all the great members and converts that I got to know. It was hard, but really fast and really, since I left, I haven't had a chance to think about it or really to think at all, haha, so sorry if this email is a little sporatic. I got to Puerto Montt on Sunday at 5 and my two comps were waiting for me, Elder Larsen (from the group I came with) and Elder Balbuena, two of the best missionaries I have ever known. They made me drive the car back to Osorno and it was really weird to drive again. It had been so long and as soon as we got there we were right to work and we haven't stopped since. This morning we had a meeting with Pres. and all day today I have been talking to the zone leaders verifying all the great work that they are doing. It's been crazy! I still don't know what to think. Now, here I am writing my dear family from the office of the mission.

Man, I am just full of thoughts and I really just can't express them right now, but there is one thing that I would love to express to you all. It is that I love the Lord's work with all my heart. I know it is His work, for I have seen His hand in it many times. I have learned so much from being but a small part of such work and when I catch a view of the big picture I realize how very small and weak I really am. There is still so much for me to learn, and once again, my greatest desire truly is that I can do the Lord's work in His way and not get in His way. There is no greater cause. I will go forth and try to be worthy of the Spirit and always follow Him. I hope I will not lose a chance to do some good in any way possible. I love you family. I love you so much. Thanks for all that you have each taught me and all the prayers you offer for me. I sure do need them. This week is going to be crazy, with transfers and all the new missionaries showing up. I am excited to take new opportunties and challenges so I can continue to grow and learn. Love you all.
Love,
Elder Brown

Dox the Fox,

I sure love you my good friend. I am not sure if my councils are any better than anyone else's and I sure hope we can have many more moments of counciling between the two. There is no better man the Rick Doxey to talk out the good and bad times with of a good time at the gym. I will be sure to try the best to answer all questions you have when I return. I love you man. Thanks for your support, keep me updated on all the news like that girl haha.
Love,
Elder Brown

Jord,

Man am I glad to hear from you. I love you so much man, and I thank you for the great example you have always been for me, especially of how to live up every moment. I sure hope I can do so in the next few months of my mission. I sure do love it out here and I will be applying all that I can of your advice. I sure am thankful that you took the time to give it to me and remember your good old friend out here in Chile. I love you man. Keep me updated.
Love,
Elder Brown

July 7, 2013

The Fantastic Four

Wow, what a week. I don't know if I have ever been so tired in my life like I was this last week. It went by so fast I cannot believe it. It feels like it was just yesterday that I was writing all you back home. This week was crazy, full of buses, planes and the Spirit haha. As well as seeing many old friends and people that I love. Well, I am so glad to hear that Caiden had a great time there at EFY. There is nothing better than EFY. I hope that I can hear a little bit more about it when he tells you about it for family night. That's so cool that Britt is out there in Nashville, that's way cool. Britt, I met an Elder while I was in Osorno that went to AF and graduated last year and he said he knew who you were haha. I thought that was kinda cool that my sister is pretty much famous haha.

Alright, now for a little update on the week. So Monday and Tuesday we did all we could because the rest of the week was pretty much going to be toast haha. Wednesday we got everything ready and the Bishop took us out to the Airport at about 4 in the afternoon. We got to Puerto Montt at like 9 at night and Elder Anderson and Ulmer were there waiting for us. It was so good to see and talk to Elder Anderson, he is an awesome Elder and I am so glad that the two of us being from the same stake got called to the same mission. Then Thursday morning we headed up to Osorno in a bus. Dad, I am not sure why we don't fly into Osorno. I think it has to do with the fact that the Osorno Airport is really bad and I think that it is under construction. We got to Osorno at about 12 and the AP's came and got us: Elder Larsen, from my group, and Elder Balbuena from Mexico. They are so cool, I love them so much. They had a bunch of stuff to do so they dropped us off at the office where we just sat around and helped the Elders from the office. At about 5 when we had like nothing else to do I got permision from President Rappleye to go over to my old sector in Rahue, my first sector, where I was able to see some converts that got baptized while I was there. You would not believe what news I heard. I don't know if you remember an investigator that got baptized like in the first few months in my mission that had a wife that was a member, inactive, and they had a 5 year old son that had died a few months before we had found them in a car crash. Well I went and knocked their door on Thursday where the wife answered and told me some news that I will never forget. They were sealed in June as a family!!!!! WOW, I was so happy. Not only that, but the man that was baptized is now a member of the high council and is working hard to keep the work moving foward, but wait I am not done ha. As a result of their sealing the family of the wife were all reactivated and have callings in the church. Her best friend and nephews are listening to missionaries and will hopefully be baptized soon. Then the man that was baptized when he went to the temple and his mother found out that she couldn't go in it caused her some curiousity and she is now taking the lessons from the missionaries as well!!! I could not believe all this news. I was so darn happy to hear that. I am so glad to be here on a mission and to be able to see what the Gospel can do in the lives of people. People can and will change if we just see them as they can become and try our best to help them. When we first knocked the door of this family the very words that she said to us were "I don't want anything to do with you". Now just a little bit more than a year later they are sealed in the Temple and many are being blessed and change by their example. What a life the mission is!!! After seeing a few more converts there in my old sector we went back to the office to find all the Elders still working on stuff, so in the end we were not able to to divisions with the APs. Friday morning we headed to the mission home where we ate breakfast and there were a lot of great reunions where I was able to see and hear from a lot of great elders that I hadn´t seen forever. Then we had all the meetings where pres. talked to all of us about the focus of our mission and what we could do better. Then Friday night we took the long trip home and got to our house at about 1 in the morning. It was a great week full of some great experiences.

One other thing that I would like to tell you is the father of the family that was baptized a few months ago received the Higher priesthood on Sunday, and to think that 3 months ago he had no idea that the priesthood even existed - what a blessing!!!! Man I love this work and I know it is true because I have never felt such a feeling of fullness within me than I have here in the mission. I love you all and thank you for all you do.
Love,
Elder Brown

Dox the Fox,

Of course I am getting your emails. Thank you so much man for taking the time to write to me and to send me such awesome pics. I love you man so much. It means a lot to me that you take the time to inform me on how everything is going and as well to give me some tips on how to be better. I sure hope that I can apply them and become better and finish off strong inviting all to come to Christ and be baptized. That fish was huge and I am glad to hear that your muscles and basketball skills are intact and on the up hill. I hope I can do the same. My favorite scripture is " He who loses his muscles for my cause will gain them" oh wait, I think I made that up but still I have faith on it haha. Don´t go doing anything cool till I get home alright haha. I miss you a ton and tell all the guys to write me and give me tips and tell them that I love them and miss them too. Keep updating me please. I love ya man. Thanks for always pushing me to be better from spotting me in my lifts to writing me tips on how to be a better servant of the Lord it means a lot.
Love,
Elder Brown

July 1, 2013

Wow, I cannot tell you all how much I love you. I could not be more blessed to have such an amazing family and friends. I love you all so much. I really just can't seem to express that in any other way than just saying it. It seems that nothing can really get it across in the way I would like to, but I find that to be a frequent problem now days with the many feelings that I feel and experiences that I have. They just become hard to explain and help others to understand just what I feel. I feel like Ammon, once again, in Alma 26:16 when he says, "Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel." I think that just pretty much hits it on the head; what I feel about my family, the Gospel, the mission, my friends and just about everything else that the Lord has blessed me with. I am glad to hear that all is well and that you are all seeming to pass the summer away having fun and enjoying it. I am so happy that Caiden is going to EFY. I sure do love that program. Elder Stanley and I always listen to the EFY melody and just love it.

Well Mother, as of right now I can't think of any specific gift things that you can send me. I think that anything would be fine; the Chileans aren't too picky haha. I was so glad to hear that you are still hearing from and seeing my buddies that are home now. Keep in contact with them and make sure they don't get into any trouble until I get home haha. I sure love all those guys and I am so glad for their great example. I would ask one favor of my sweet fam. If you see or talk to any of my buds who are home from the mission I would love to hear some of their ideas and things they used to be more effective as a missionary. I want to keep working hard and try to help as many as I possibly can come unto Christ before I end and I would love to hear from all my boys on what they did to invite more people to come unto him and be baptized. Tell them to email me their good ideas.

Well, this week was another crazy fast one. We have just been running around doing all kinds of little errands lately. We run around doing stuff for visas of the elders, buying things that they need, sending info to Osorno, getting packages for the elders and just all sorts of stuff. We also moved some of the Hermanas from their old house to come live with the Hermanas that just came to our ward. Another thing we have been trying to solve is that awhile back we bought an oven for the Hermanas. Here in Punta Arenas they use natural Gas for everything and ovens don't come prepared for that, so you buy them and then the store sends a guy to change the gas pipe so you can use it down here. Problem is that the store never sent that guy to come change it and it's been a month. So, patiently as possible, Elder Stanley and I have gone back to that store to.. with love... ask them to please help us out. They always help us out there, but the guy still has not shown up, so we have been working with that for the past week. I've got some crazy news. Elder Stanley and I are going on a little excursion to Osorno haha! Wednesday we are getting on a plane to go to Osorno for a council with all the leaders of the mission, and then we are coming back Friday haha. So we will be there in the mission home for the 4th of July ha. There we will go to this council and we will go on divisions with the AP's. I am excited to return to the place where I was born haha. It will be a cool experience. This past week a whole fam of less actives returned to church after we gave them an assignment to bring the bread for the sacrament. So that was way cool to see. Other than that I think that's about all that I can tell you.

Thank you fam for all that you do for me. I hope all goes well for Caiden at EFY and Britt in the heart of country music, haha, I am a little jealous. Parents, I hope you can get a little get away to Saint George so you can rest up a bit and enjoy a little time together. I want you all to know how much I love this Gospel. I know that it is that very Gospel that Jesus Christ came and taught to his children in ancient times and I feel so grateful to be out here following the Lord's commission to go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. There is no greater cause, I know it. I thank my fore fathers for accepting this gospel and living it for generations so that I could be born in such a wonderful family of faithful members. Thank you parents and grandparents for being faithful to your covenants so that I could to make them and come down to the end of the world to try to help a few to do the same. I love you all. I love this work.
Love,
Elder Brown

1. A little bit wet haha