four months this week. huh?

What is upppppppppppp

so this week nothin too crazy happened. today i enjoyed a nice meal of bread and avacado (which i hated before the mission). every day i am learning to love peru even more. at first i STRUGGGLED. there were days when i honestly didnt even want to leave the house. but, my spanish is picking up, i am learning to love life as it is(honking mototaxis, barking dogs, and frequently stepping in dog poop), and through hard work im coming closer to God and better understanding the gospel. a missionary i was working with commented how in a mission, you learn in 2 years what would normally take 20 years to learn. i totally believe that. i am learning how the church works and more importantly, how the gospel works in us to change us.

something cool i noticed this past week: kids playing outside. i´ve seen them all day everyday since ive been here but just realized how cool that really is. they dont have iphones, xboxes, ipads, and computers. they are happy running around outside, playing soccer or throwin a trumpo (a top that you throw with a string and then use it to know down the other trumpos). awesome.

yesterday we met a guy and asked im if he had heard of us. when we mentioned the mormons and he laughed and said oh yeah.. ive heard of you. not very good things. we asked him what. he saidd "he escuchado que sacan ojos".. i heard you take out eyes. that was a definite first. we´ve heard everything from polygamy, to worshipping joseph smith. never taking out peoples eyes haha 

so this next sunday im giving a talk in church. wish me luck! ten minutes of spanish to a peruvian congregation without the help of elder fallas. ahh yeah.

so i got a letter from a friend this week. she bore her testimony on trials and how she prays her thanks every day to her heavenly father. i realized how awesome trials are. last night i was thinking about some of the hardest times in my life and realized i wouldnt trade those times for anything. our trials shape us. i wouldnt be the elder brown that i am today without my trials. yesterday in church, we talked about ether 12:27 for a  little bit. the guy teaching helped us understand what it really means. if we come unto god THEN he will show us our weaknesses. it doesnt say whe you feel week, come unto me and i´ll instantly turn you into super man. come unto me and i will show unto men their weaknesses. that they may be HUMBLE. for my GRACE IS SUFFICIENT. for those that humble THEMSELVES before me. and when they have sufficiently humbled themselves before me, THEN will i make things strong unto them. that was a really butchered paraphrasing of the scripture but i hope you get the point. trials are gifts from god. when we wish to be closer to him, it requires humility. when we realize that our needs can and will be met by doing things his way, then he will give us the strength to them. 

2 cor 12:10

2 nephi 22

d&c 122:7

I love you all, thanks for all the prayers. and to all those who have sent me letters, thank you! letters are like gold! i apologize though that i cant write you all back. love you all, the church is true. i know it.

Elder Brown