February 24, 2014

This week has been a long one, but it´s been really fun. Monday we finished our p-day by buying my camera, that I´m really glad I bought. Now I´m not worried about my camera not working when I need it. Thank you so much for letting me get it, it can be my birthday and Christmas presents for a long time!

I LOVE this girl!

Tuesday was our last day together-mine and Hermana Nielsen’s ): She packed up all her things and got moved out over to her other piso! Then I rode the long bus ride to Málaga.  Hna. Deere picked us up and took us to the mission home.

New Trainers

We got there and our hijos were already there. It was a little different from when I was being trained. We got to meet them that night, and eat together and be companions.

My hija´s name is Hna. Read as you already know. She is from Michigan. She´s really cute. She is 19, speaks fluent French, super smart and really good at picking up on things, and has a pretty accomplished life already. She´s the oldest of 5 and  a vegetarian. 

I'm excited, but nervous to be a trainer!

Wednesday we left back to Alicante! Hna. Read is really cute, she really wants to work hard and I am SO GRATEFUL for that.

Thursday I picked up the Valentine´s Package!!! Mom that was the best gift ever! Thank you so much for doing that. It made my life, and I got it right when I needed it most! Training is hard. It´s hard to know how much to teach and how much to be an example. I have TONS of questions, so I ask the SHE´s quite a lot of things, because I am definitely not perfect at this. But really thank you so much for doing that. It made me cry!

This is where they have bullfights.

Friday we had district meeting and on Thursday, Elder Durfey assigned me to teach something from the white handbook. Nothing specific. I chose to speak on obedience. As I was teaching, both Elder Durfey and Gonzales were kind of smiling and laughing a little... then Gonzales went and shared his talk. It was all about OBEDIENCE and Elder Durfey assigned him to that. Then Elder Durfey talked about it too. It was pretty cool that it was led by the spirit to share that! After district meeting, we went to Dominos with Hna. Nielsen and Johnson.

): So sad.. .So many of our investigators are moving.  Seriously so sad that they are leaving.  We went to see F, and we talked about a scripture, then I started to bare my testimony and I got a little choked up. I am seriously so sad that he is leaving. I wrote my testimony in his Book of Mormon - he said he´ll have it with him ALWAYS! 

Saturday was a little rough. We walked A LOT! We didn´t have many lessons, but we did contact a man named P. When we introduced the name of our church he said, ´´ÚLTIMOS DÍAS, ÚLTIMOS DÍAS! Tengo miedo!´´ (Last days, last days! I´m scared!) Haha he was super funny.. we talked to him and asked if we could write down his number, he said he would call us. We taught T, and Hna. Read invited him to baptism!! He accepted a date (; Whooo!! But he´s not in our ward we figured out ): Then we went to see MC. Wow..what a change in her grandma. She told us she has been reading in the Book of Mormon, and that it has cleared up a bunch of her doubts. It was really cool!! She also told us that she wants us to talk to MC´s mom.. That wasn´t happening before, but now yeah! Super great! (: 

It´s been a long week, but it´s been great! We´ve had a lot of work even for though we only worked for 3 days. I love training, it´s a lot of fun. We´re both learning a lot, and I just hope I can do a good job.

I love you a lot. I hope you have a good week!!

Love,

Hermana Brown

A BIG RESPONSIBILITY!

February 17, 2014

What a week!! (: I received news last Monday that I was going to train. What a big responsibility that´s all I can say. I´m super nervous, and excited at the same time! After emailing and getting the things done we needed to, we had a lesson with A. G accompanied us along with another cute less-active from Argentina, named M. We taught the word of wisdom. He was very concerned about tea. He said he could give up everything else, but not tea. We said that it was a requirement for baptism to live this commandment, and he said ´´what you´re not going to baptize me because I drink tea?´´  umm.. yeah like we said, it´s a requirement. We talked to him about praying for an answer and that he can pray specifically for things he needs. He was a little stubborn and wouldn´t ask for help in front of us, but he said he would read and pray.

After that lesson, we went to G´s and she made us this coffee stuff. It´s not coffee, but it kind of smells like it - I really liked it. We taught her and M a little message then headed to F´s. I think I´ve talked about him before, but he is just so great! His wife and 2 kids were home so we went and taught them all together. It was so fun to have a family to teach. We´ve been praying for one, and it was just so nice to be in a home with an entire family. We taught about prayer, and they loved it. The kids are the cutest things ever. I can´t remember their names right now, but we should be seeing them again tonight! After that, we went to Noche de Hogar and B taught a lesson about families. I shared about how dad gets up to have prayer with you before you go to work, everyone thought that was so great! At the end of the lesson, B shared a video with a little kid singing ´´Families can be together forever´´ So cute, I started tearing up a little bit. 

Tuesday morning I had to travel to Málaga. We left at 9:30 and got there about 5:15ish. It´s a really long trip. While we were traveling, we stopped in Granada, and guess who got on! Hermana P. We sat and talked for a while about things happening in Alicante. It was fun! Then we got to Málaga and got to go to the Mission Home!! Oh I just love that place, I love President and Hermana Deere! We got YUMMY homemade food, Café Rio Pork Burritos!! Whoooo! I was craving that (: So good! We talked and laughed, then got ready for our meeting. President Deere told us how important trainers are to him. The first thing he does when transfers come along is pray about trainers - before a.p´s, zone leaders or anything. He said, ´´what missionaries learn in their first transfer is how they will be the rest of their mission.´´ I´ll write more about this in a letter that I´ll write you on my long bus trip tomorrow! (: It´s a big responsibility, but it´s an honor and a humbling opportunity. I´m excited! There are two natives and two from the states! We won´t know until Wednesday morning! Later that night, the newer missionaries came over to eat and then we ate dessert. They are really cute and nice.

Wednesday we got up and ate breakfast and then sat in at the meeting for the newer missionaries. I loved it. President Deere is just the coolest. He talked about finding, and I just got this animo to go and do the work. After, we just went and got back on the bus back home. It was a long trip for a short meeting, but it was worth it, and definitely needed! That night I got home about 8 and we went and taught T. He says he loves the way he has felt since he´s been talking with us. 

Thursday Hna. N made yummy stir fry and then we went out to work. I talked to this guy on the street named M. He is from Cuba and he´s a lawyer here. He was super nice, and we taught him the Book of Mormon. We also set up a cita with him. Then we talked to C and invited her to church.. she said she would come this week. Then we saw F!! We taught him the first part of the Plan of Salvation and focused on the Atonement. ohhhH QUÉ FUERTE esa lección! Oh man the Spirit was strong. We asked him to be baptized and he accepted a date for the 8th of March. He is so ready! He could be ready before that, but that one just felt good. 

Friday morning we walked for a good three hours because no one was home. Then we ate at G´s. She made us queso frito (fried cheese), arepas, lentejas, rice, meat, potatoes, and fruit to end. Ohh man, I was stuffed. I had eaten a lot already, and she just looks at me and tells me to eat more. I was so full, and so sick. We left and went to the chapel to have our lesson with J. We taught him the restoration and he loved it. He already knows a lot and he accepted a fecha for the 8th also. Then we taught A. We thought he was a little mad at us because he failed on us twice. But he came and said that he prayed and that he won´t have a problem with the five things, (tea, coffee, tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drugs) then he named them off. He said he felt something in the lesson, but he prayed to make sure and he said he won´t do it. It was really cool. Then he pulled out a tithing slip and said, ´´Can you teach me about this?´´ It was a great lesson and M bore a strong testimony. Then we went to teach F and his wife E. We taught the rest of the Plan of Salvation and E loved it. We invited them to church, but I think they´re a little worried about the kids. Maybe if we had the primary president come with us to a lesson or something. After that we went to Roxanna´s to eat. I was still more than full and then she fed us really yummy meat with cilantro sauce and a mountain of rice. Usually she never feeds us that much, but of course she did today!

Saturday we worked so hard to find 2 news, but we ended up walking all morning. Then the sisters from Benidorm were doing a cosecha so we went there. We got hit on by so many creeps. An old man asked me to a discoteca and touched my cheek... super gross.

It was a pretty interesting evening. I got to chat with Hna. J on the way back to Alicante, that was nice, it was like we were coming back from Valverde again! I just love her. As I was sitting in the trainers training, everything President taught is exactly how Hna. J was. She´s so great! I hope i can take what I learned from her and put it into practice! That night we taught MC again. Her grandma is scared for her to ask her parents if she can be baptized. It´s a little sad ): 

Sunday we walked with C to church and she absolutely LOVED it. She said the people were so so nice to her. I guess I just don´t see that, I’m glad our investigators do, but sometimes the people can be a little stand-offish. But she loved everything about it. That night we said goodbye to a bunch of members. The saddest was E. She is super mad that Hna. Nielsen is leaving. She really likes her. She was pretty bummed.

So yeah that was my week! I´ll be going to Málaga again tomorrow for 1 day and bring my hija back with me! (: I´m excited and I´m so happy I have a mother who is such a good example for me! (You mom... not just Hna. J) (;

I love you so much!! I have a testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Everything is part of Heavenly Father´s plan. He loves us, and He restored the church so we can receive all the blessings of being a part of it!

Love,

Hermana Brown

Another GREAT week!

February 10, 2014

Wow... what a great week AGAIN!! We have been so blessed - seeing the grand miracles of the Lord every day. I love being a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

After e-mailing on Monday, we took a nap - because neither of us felt very well. We both had a big headache so we took a little rest. Then we went to the chapel, but A said he couldn´t come. None of our other plans worked out either. As we were walking to E´s, these men were trying to talk to us, and Hna. N says, ´´I always feel like we´re in a big game of cat and mouse´´ It´s funny, but so true. It´s super scary, and our area isn´t even ghetto or anything like that. But it´s okay, we are smart about where we go, and we have the Lord on our side. We went to go invite E to the family home evening, but she couldn´t come. We went to the family home evening, and didn´t end up starting until 30 minutes later than planned. It was probably good that she didn´t come.

Tuesday I woke up feeling a little sick. I ate, hoping I would feel a little better - but my tummy was really hurting. I laid back down for a little, then we went out and worked. I didn´t feel too good, but I wanted to be able to work. We went and saw F (a new investigator that moved into our area) he wasn´t there though - but his mother in law was. She loves the gospel. She was taught years ago by two Hermanas. She´s not baptized though, but sadly, she doesn´t live in our area. After teaching her, F came in and we taught him about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He accepted the baptism invitation, but didn´t want to set a date because he wants to be sure. I´m happy for that... I´m happy that it means so much to him. He´s a great guy, and he wants to change his life. He has 2 adorable kids. I haven´t met the other one, and the best thing is....... HE´S MARRIED!! Whoooo!!! The spirit was really strong during the lesson, and I know he´ll be baptized soon. After that we went to teach F. But our afternoon wasn´t as successful.  ): We walked a lot, and couldn´t really find anybody to teach. We taught our English class and then had noche de hogar, we ended up getting locked out of our piso. Our key stopped working, so we took a bus to the SHE´s, and slept there. When we got there, they told us that they didn´t have blankets. UH OH... luckily they have a heater. Wednesday morning we woke up, ate, and took a bus back to our piso. We found a number of a locksmith and then decided to try our key again. We got in really easy. Super weird. We got showered and ready, then went to the church to plan for the baptism. We got it all figured out, and then did our weekly planning there. We always try to make weekly planning fun, this week we ate chips and salsa!! YUM! Then we taught F about tithing with little chuches (candies). He loved it. After mediodia, we had another great lesson with F. Sadly, it had to be in the doorway because there wasn´t a woman there. We talked about faith, and he is just so perfect. I love him! Then we went to a member´s house. She wanted us to come so she could introduce her to her friend. We went with her and her daughter to her friend´s house. Her name is G, and she is really cute! She´s from Columbia and has been searching for a church. After teaching about the Book of Mormon, we asked R (the member and friend) if she would give her testimony about it. She did AMAZING!! She also shared a scripture about searching with diligence to find an answer. It was awesome!! And R, used to be in the Evangelist church - and that´s what G has been to. It was such a powerful testimony, and then we asked G to say the prayer. She began to cry, and thanked Heavenly Father for putting her friend in her path and having us in her life. Super cool. Then we went to R´s house and we made arrepa´s. It´s like dough, then smashed up beans, then scrambled eggs and fried meat and cheese! They were delicious. 

Thursday we had a zone training with President Deere. I just love him so much, he´s seriously the greatest President, I´m so glad I won´t end with a different one! After zone meeting, we did intercambios!! I got to be with my mom again!! We went to F´s for our last lesson before his baptism. We went over the interview questions - he did a pretty good job. Then we ate, yummy cheese soup and then rice with ham. It was yummy. After that, we went to teach J and R. J is the mom and R is 9. J started telling her that there is one big church (referring to the catholic church) then little churches branching off... we had to stop her and explain the Book of Mormon again. It was a little rough - then we had to run to our next cita. But we went to the wrong street. Bad luck.. then when we finally got there, she wasn´t there. ): We went up to our area, and saw C. (the begger) The other day she was reading something from Jehovah´s Witnesses, so I gave her a plan of salvation pamphlet. I guess if she is going to read something, should probably be true!! So we talked a little bit about that. Then we went to English class - went pretty well. Then we went to teach T. He bought us colacau.. (hot chocolate) and we taught the restoration. Man I´ve missed Hermana J. She´s just so great, such a great teacher. When we got back home, she told me it´s been really fun teaching with me again, especially because I can teach more now. It was fun. Ohhh and I also got the best complement EVER from Hermana C in my journal. She said, you remind me of your mom, Hermana J. I was so happy!! I told that to Hna. J and she was really happy too... I pretty much love her a lot. And she knows it, because I talk about her all the time! (: 

Friday morning we went to teach F. Silly me, I didn´t get a woman to come with us. So we had to go to a park. It was a good lesson, we taught the restoration again, and he really understood the need for authority! I was happy for that. Then we went and taught A - our menos activo. He was REALLY down today. We had planned to teach lesson one, but we ended up just asking lots of inspired questions. I drew a big blank - not from the Spanish, but from not knowing how to help this guy. We taught him about Orar (pray) Leer (read) Asistir a la capilla (attend church) . He said he would come - but he didn´t ): At mediodia, we traded back to our normal comps!! I loved being with Hna. J, but I´m also super happy that I have such a great companion. We went and ate with G. She made us really yummy fajita stuff!! Then we came home before going to see J. He is a new investigator, but his mom is a member in Ecuador. He really likes the church, and our lesson was great. The only bad thing, is that it was in a park. After him, we taught M. We also taught him about OLA (orar, leer, asistir) Then our eating cita failed, so we went to see E. We went there and I ended up sharing with her what had happened with Grandpa. I haven´t told anyone, besides - Hna. N, Hna. J and Elder N. I guess she needed to hear it, and I testified that everything was okay, because he is with Heavenly Father. The spirit was strong and I hope she heard what I was saying. 

Saturday I witnessed my first drug deal. It was weird, and not secret at all. Then we saw A and taught her 3 Nephi 11... we got this cool new thing to teach from President Deere and I love it so much. We go through the whole chapter and focus on baptism. It was great. It was our first time teaching with the outline! Then we had the baptism of 3 boys!

It was FANTASTIC.. 120 people turned out and I think we planned it quite well. I enjoyed it anyway. The ward helped out so much and it turned out to be a great baptism! Then we taught M, we invited her to baptism and she finally accepted. After assuring her that her parents would accept.

Sunday we prayed that Heavenly Father would help people come to church. We were SO close to reaching the mission standards. We lacked one more person and church and one more with a baptismal date. But Heavenly Father did bless us. F showed up and stayed for all three hours, and F´s dad came to see him get confirmed. It was fast Sunday, and I decided to bear my testimony. It was good - I didn´t get emotional either, and I was able to say what I wanted!! YAY!! (: After church we passed by M (Investigator) and he told us that his wife had passed away. We also got to see A (less-active). She bore her testimony today in church, and it was so powerful. She did such a good job. 

Today we went to go ride bikes with a bunch of the missionaries, but the wind was so strong and they couldn´t really get the rental place to work. But we ended up going by the port and taking pictures! It has been a pretty fun week!

I love this work. I never want to take my chopa off! I love being a missionary and I love being able to help people be happier.

Love you all so much!

Love,

Hermana Sara Brown

February 3, 2014

February 3, 2014

Well.. It´s been a crazy week like always!!!

I´ve been thinking a lot about you all and praying a lot!! I hope everyone is feeling the comfort of our Heavenly Father during this time.

Well Monday we just hung out at home and wrote letters. I hope you got the little letter I sent with my sd cards, if not, it should be coming soon. Monday night we had a cita with our Mission Leader and his family. We weren´t expecting to eat, but we ate quite a lot. It was nice, because he invited a friend to come too. She has listening to missionaries a lot - she knows pretty much all of them, but we don´t know how much interest she has. After that, we had Noche de Hogar like always. Whoever was supposed to have the lesson, didn´t have it again, so we taught Origin. Did you watch it? It´s great... I recommend it!! 

Tuesday we had our district meeting and Elder D asked Hermana N and I to give a short talk about how we have so many fecha´s (baptismal dates). It was a little awkward, because we know it´s not us that has done it, but we´re just instruments in the Lord´s hands. We just told them that when we felt the spirit the strongest, that is when we invited people to be baptized. And the spirit testified to them that this is the truth, and they accepted. After mediodia, it seemed like we walked FOREVER... no one was home and none of our plans were working out. We got to teach A, but we didn´t have a woman to come with us, so we had to teach it outside. We taught the Plan of Salvation. Then we taught English class and E ended up staying AND PARTICIPATING in the Family Home Evening!! So great. She didn´t say she liked it or disliked it, but at least she´s coming and listening! 

Wednesday morning I got the call from President Deere. I cried a little bit, but after studying and praying about the plan of salvation. I felt at peace and I knew that he is with our Heavenly Father again. We taught 3 lessons that morning (that´s pretty uncommon for us) then we ate and taught with the Familia R and C. Then we had 3 lessons that night. It was a busy day, but I was so grateful for it. I love how my Heavenly Father has been helping me keep my mind busy with helping other people understand the gospel!

Thursday was crazy. We planned in the morning, and ended up having 5 lessons that evening. We were RUNNING everywhere. We got 2 new investigators and a great lesson with A. She is a less-active that is having a really hard time. We talked about patriachal blessings and she is going to prepare to receive hers. 

Friday we had 6 lessons and found some new investigators. We talked to A (a less-active that moved here last week) He loves meeting with us, and we are trying so hard to help him. He is a tough one. We made him cookies because it was his birthday Saturday. He´s a great guy , and I feel like when he has a testimony to stand on - he´ll be such a good member of the church. Saturday we had stake conference in Elche. The chapel is BEAUTIFUL. There are palm trees everywhere and it´s a cute little building. Hna. N and I were sitting outside and I saw a girl who looked so familiar. I could not think of how I knew her. I kept staring and she kept looking at me. We went up to each other and I asked ´´how do I know you?´´

She said that she is Gabby´s roommate, Lauren, (so pretty much mine too) how embarrassing. But it was just like shocking that she was there. The conference was GREAT!! It was about the work of Salvation, and mission work. I loved it. We got a ride home from a member so that was great too... Luckily too.. because we got to teach another lesson that night. 

Sunday we taught A the law of chastity before the conference. We were SO worried, we didn´t know much about him - just that he had a ´´pareja´´ which could mean they´re married, or just say they are. We taught and we just spoke really bluntly. He said, ´´I can´t keep this, I´m already married,´´ We were RELIEVED!!! We explained that he is living it, and that he just needs to stay faithful. It was good. We were so excited and he is SO excited for his baptism this Saturday!!! The Conference was great. Elder Ballard spoke along with some of the seventy... and they all spoke directly to the people of Spain and Portugal. It was neat to have them address everything they said to us. After mediodia today we taught 6 lessons!!!!! That´s insane!!! We found a new investigator named R and she is AWESOME... but the sad thing is, is that she lives in the Elder´s area. ):  The other lessons were all great too... we taught F, who is the son of a member who is 8 but not baptized. He is getting baptized this Saturday too!

So last week we taught a bunch of lessons and were super blessed... this week we taught 29 lessons and we have seen so so so many miracles. I¨m so grateful to be here. The work is so much fun, and we have so many things to do, it´s super busy and super great!

I love you so much! Thank you for everything you´ve done for me! I love you lots!! 

Love,

Hermana Brown