Week 34- The craziest week ever! -the latter-day dudes dad is a monk!

OK,  so this email probably will take me all day because so much has happened today.  It ills me that I have to type this all out.  Let me summarize first and then go into detail!

First I tried to hop a fence and absolutely ate it and face planted on the other side! Elder Reynolds laughed for 10 minutes straight and almost threw up haha! We tried to take a short cut and that didn't turn out so well! After I fell  two days later we ran into the coolest monk ever! The monks son is a guy we ran into 2 weeks prior who is a minister from the Church of the Latter Day Dude!!!! Can you believe that's even a church.  They are both funny dudes! His dad who is the monk walks around with this black robe,  he looks like he is from the KKK hahaha  crazy!

Then Sunday rolls around and I have to give a talk in church about how I gained a testimony!  Never did I teach so simply and with total comfort and peace!   I didn't write anything down but I spoke from my heart and prepared a bunch of scriptures to read! Then this morning I get a call to be the district leader in this ward that I'm currently serving in and Elder Reynolds got called to be a zone leader!   I'm a district leader uh oh! It gets even better.  So in a zone there are two district leaders but since they took out a set of sisters they made it one whole zone and district making it a mega district.   I have to do goal barrier and action plans and follow up with 5 different companionship's!  The zone leaders and the AP's are in my district so I have a crowd haha! I'm going to have my plate full!  I'm in charge of district meetings which means I have to train, assign training's and a couple of other assignments! A lot to look forward too.  Nothing is a happening with Paige and kelan yet.   ugh

My new companion is going to be Elder Bailey.   I came out with him.  He was in the mtc with me just not in my same district! He was a convert at 17 so he is a good guy with a strong testimony!

That's my crazy week, and the story behind my fall is way longer and super funny but I wrote it in my journal so it will be a fun story to tell when I get home! I also talked to a pilot less active member who went to UVU and got his degree and took business classes as a back up but got hired as a pilot and works for southwest! He gave me a lot of good insight! That's pretty much the crazy week summed up for you! Hope you all are doing good! 

To answer your questions mom, my allergies are fine.  Its super dry out here but its good nothing bothering me yet! For my birthday probably fast food gift cards taco bell especially! We eat at costa-vida sometimes so that's pretty good! Probably extra pocket cash! A simple watch maybe! nothing expensive just a casual watch. Some Nike socks.   I have a lot of ties so I'm good there. Maybe a Denver Colorado sweatshirt or something like that! That's all I can think of! I liked the picture of McKay,  I laughed my head off! I don't know what else to tell you.   I just am excited for pday today get to play basketball and blow off some steam! Always a good day! Izzy's bio in the high-school musical brochure is hilarious! She would like to thank her Grandparents for the use of their basement stage where she gained all of her experience! I laughed at that!

When  the president called he said I'm glad I have two elders in the mission who just get it! He said he is proud of the people we are so that was a good compliment!  I don't know what else to tell you have a good week! It stinks I can't go to priesthood session with dad! Imiss that! but I will be there watching! I miss march madness too! but this is way better! I love you all and miss you all!

Elder Brown

Week 33- March Madness is Making Me Mad

March Madness is making me mad because I'm missing it! I hear everybody in church talking about the games and I can't help but then daydream about basketball! I miss it so much! My comp is good!  Elder Krulish my ZL is good. Elder Gray is good and Elder Wood is a college bball player so pday basketball is so fun! I'm jumping really high now I'm going to send you a video of me throwing it off the backboard to myself and cramming it! I'm trying to tomahawk so I'm going to keep lifting so I can!
 Yesterday at church the beautiful music director for the hymns asked me to conduct the music for her next Sunday.  Willingly I said yes!! I wish I would of  said, "I'd do anything you asked" hahaha! She's so pretty. :)  We did exchanges with the AP's and I went with Elder Gray who was my ZL in Brighton Colorado! We had a good time.  He helped me a lot,  especially talking with everyone we see!  I am  working on becoming a heat seeking missile! When a person we come in contact with  boom..I'm there. talking.   That way we  give everyone the opportunity to hear our message and you have more of a chance finding the people that will listen. We have been talking to a lot of people recently but still trying to find the ones who will actually receive us! It is tough but again I won't ever give up!

   I passed the sacrament in church! I'm so tall compared to all the little deacons! I hardly remember being that small!

This week has been absolutely beautiful! one day it reached 80.  I was sweating haha! To be honest Denver is not a bad place to live.   It is warm most of the time! I kept thinking of you dad when you were shoveling the snow because I know how tough that is and your an old man haha! I bet Mr. Lapp was a big relief!  I also kept thinking of Saturday's  while the games were being played that  you had the tv on doing chores around the house while Izzy was at dance and I would be doing homework and then at night you relaxing on the recliner chair and watching some sports! I could picture that scene in my head all day! I miss it but this is even better!

I'm starting to really get into the scriptures and slowly I'm actually starting to fulfill my patriarchal blessing by memorizing scriptures! They have been popping in my head during lessons and remembering where they are just not remembering all the words!  I'm getting there! When I wake up in the morning I think about my studies right away and figuring out where I'm going to be in that day! I feel like its just waiting for the thanksgiving feast at grandma's house! "feasting upon the words of Christ" I want more and more of it. In fact sometimes despite how tired I usually am at night I just put my nose in the scriptures and start feasting! It's awesome I love the scriptures! I can't wait for general conference! Then soon after I will be turning 19! crazy! Then four months after that I will be at a year! too fast too fast!

When I think of home sometimes I just get worried what I want to do with my life.  I hope I can figure it out in the next year and four months.   
Other then that transfers are in a week.  The  ap's say I will take over as district leader most likely and Elder Reynolds will leave because he has been her for 2 transfers already and he will become a zone leader! Anyway a lot to look forward to!




Don't worry about sending me stuff.   I'm okay out here!  The members feed us every night! oh and I met a family whose son is Levi Savage in 17 miracles!!!! His sister is in our ward and her parents were in town so it was pretty cool.

I love you!  Have a good week!
Elder Brown

 The other night after we were done working we saw this rabbit.  We threw a rock at it and killed it! Yikes! We didn't have a big dinner so we carried it across the intersection by our apartment and took pics with it skinned it and cooked it and ate it:)

 My shoes are trash too, they give me blisters and the bottom of my shoe is completely torn.  They did me good for 4 years!

Week 32- We are nothing except through the Savior

I do not  have hardly anytime so I'm going to leave you with my testimony! The Gospel of Jesus Christ isn't something that is separate from our lives that we do on weekends! Well some people do and that's not the gospel of Jesus Christ! The Gospel of Jesus Christ is very much intertwined with every thought every action every decision we make in our lives! Without these principles like faith and repentance well our lives slowly start heading in an off direction! We need those things, they are here for us! When we finally come to understand that our spirituality just blossoms into something greater than our mortal state! We start to become more like our father in heaven which is indeed his plan! But that is not possible unless there was a Savior! Somebody who would save us from our fallen state and loose the bands of death! We are nothing except through the savior! If there was no Savior there would be no gospel.  If there was no "character of Christ" there would be no atonement, because the Character of Christ is the gospel! Faith love hope charity with an eye single to the glory of God! When our eyes are focused on nothing but the savior and we tune out all that worldly crap well then we can bet our bottom dollar that we are living the gospel of Jesus Christ and fulfilling the Lord's plan that he has made for us! So my challenge to you! Lay up treasures in heaven, think about the things that matter most,  things that are eternal, that are everlasting rather than things like instant gratification that are carnally-minded and unimportant. When we do that we can then say in testimony , "I know the church is true." -
Blessings

Elder Brown    

I have to go mom! oh one more thing! I can't buy a ukulele it is now a rule because missionaries were using it as entertainment on the streets.  But if I ask The president in person, he likes me enough maybe he would let me have it. :) 

 

I performed in church A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief! The best I have ever played it and on a super nice piano it sounded awesome!! I sat down after I was done and the guy that got up to speak after me had tears in his eyes and he took like 1 minute before he could utter out a word and finally said,  "I don't know what to say!" The spirit was so strong when I played I had chills! When I sat down I of course cried! The spirit was really strong that sacrament meeting! I received a lot of compliments!  I said to them in response,  "I give full credit to my mom!:)"

Also I gave a training in district meeting on listening rather than speaking and asking inspired questions! It was awesome!  I felt great about lesson. 

 

Oh I would like power bars and pictures,  lots and lots of pictures.  From all of my  friends and things that you guys have done recently.  I love those! Candy and  goodies also.  Jake...if you could ship Jake in a package that would be awesome!

 

Maybe for my birthday you could send that $14  stretch ping pong net you can attach to tables and send two good paddles! That would be fun!

 

Okay love you.  Have a good week! I miss you so much but I'm just trucking on through! Tell Avery and Izzy I love them so much! Love you dad thanks for your letters they are always so good! Ok mom over and out...

 

Week 31- Simple

Lauren got accepted to BYU! She is going to do awesome there! That was the highlight of my week looking forward to whether or not she got in! I can't believe I didn't get to see the performance.   I hope somebody recorded it so I can see it.   I'm actually pretty bummed that I didn't get to see it.  Was it funny?! Was Al hilarious or what hahha! His humor is kinda hidden because he is a little shy but he is one of the most funniest kids I have ever met! ughh still bummed someone better of recorded it! Too bad I didn't get to see my sister in it.   I'm even more bummed about that! Izzy should do vocal lessons all four years of school she would get way better! I bet she just lit up that stage! Wow what a crazy week I missed a lot! But the work here is better!

Elder Reynolds and I are working hard together! We are having a fun time but to answer your question dad we realized the first week how goofy we are and took seriously when we could be goofy and when we should be serious so all that is sorted out! I'm having a lot of good teaching moments where I have been realizing when the spirit constrains when I go off on little rants and when I teach simply how much stronger the spirit is! Because it is so easy for somebody to ask a question and try to answer by using every tiny tiny detail but I have realized that when you keep the answers simple and relate it back to knowing if the Book of Mormon is true the spirit can work with them! We found two promising investigators but unfortunately none of them are going to be baptized this transfer! Everyone in our district is finding so many investigators and we are working super hard and have found so few! It makes it easier when you have a good teaching pool and then being able to take them out and put the good ones in the pond but we have such a small pool that we have like only one or two in the pond! But we will keep tracting and finding as many people as we can! Its making me more patient and understanding sometimes that's how the work goes!

I'm learning and growing so much this transfer.  I'm fine tuning a lot of things teaching wise and spiritual wise! I have a lot of room though in my brain for more knowledge especially being able to teach from the scriptures! Elder Reynolds does that so well and I struggle a little with it! It just comes with time and studying the scriptures everyday and making the most of my personal study time! But teaching simply is key! The savior taught so every one can understand!

O, all ye old men, and also ye young men, and you little children who can understand my words, for I have spoken plainly unto you that ye might understand, I pray that ye should awake to a remembrance of the awful situation of those that have fallen into transgression." Mosiah 2:40

says it right in the scriptures! 

Lost my train of thought but just know I'm growing everyday and I just want to be the best missionary I can be! I have yet still a lot to learn but we can never stop learning! I still wish I was better on the spot when it comes to explaining the Gospel of Jesus Christ! but it is a skill that comes with time! 

I hope Alex is doing okay I love that kid so much!  I don't have a ton to say but I love all of you so much! Thanks for keeping me in your prayers and I hope you continue to see the blessings of the gospel! I didn't realize how real and important the gospel of Jesus Christ is and my testimony of it has grown tremendously because of it! Love you!

Elder Brown