2014

What a week.

so here, on new years, kinda like on Christmas, everyone celebrates with loud music, getting drunk and lighting off fireworks. all night long.

FUN CHALLENGE. get a livestrong type bracelt and loop one end over yor thumb, run it over the back of your hand, then loop the other end on your pinkey. then with just that hand, try taking it off. me and elder laiche (as you´ll see in the pictures) did that to help pass time in our room as we waited formidnight. 

HERRONS- i got your christmas card, thanks! its good to see the whole crew is back in action!

so this week was another rough one for the work. worse than christmas week. we did alot of walking and searching members out, and didnt have too many results. literally didnt teach a single investigator this week. but the lessons we did have with members were awesome! there are some amaaaaaazing families here and its a process but im still getting to know and love them all. ive been learning something big. mainly yesterday. we had a few lessons with members where we were going in to kindly burn them. i am someone who speaks boldly, and directly. i dont like waiting too long to get to the bottom of things, but, as i walked into our lessons yesterday, and as we talked through their situations, my whole attitude changed. i am learning to never judge a situation before hand. i can misunderstand people or situations in an instant and change my dimeanor (thats a word right?) towards them in an instant. but, im tryin to change that. be more understanding and open.

 haha its funny that as a nineteen year ld kid, grown adults trust me with their marital situations and are wiilling to take my counsel. welp. ive got alotttt of experience being married and everything do its fine. even though i dont have that experience, i have the ability to share my knowledge of the gospel and the things that the spirit directs me to say, so even when i dont fully understand people because i havent been through what they´re going through, im still able to be an instrument in trhe lords hands.

so on saturday, after a full day of everytrhing falling through. we ended up at a guys house, his name is santos, and hes a member that  has been less active for a long time. before the lesson was over, he had cried, i had almost cried. it was a good lesson. my companion had just been saying before how he feels ike were not doing something right, that theres more. after that lesson, we realized that every disappointment we faced that day led to that lesson. in the end, santons said, when asked when we coulkd come back, "ill tell you tomorrow" (AT CHURCH) he then said you have strengthened me, now im going to strengthen you. ill be there tomorrow. and he came. it was awesome. on top of that, we had three new people show up to church. all friends or relatives of members and this week were going to teach them. yessssssssssss,

welp. thanks for all the prayers, i need them sooooooooooo much. every day. i love you and am so grateful to have parents and family that love and support me so much. other elders arent so lucky. thanks!

elder brown