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