Week 12-Baptism

Hey Mom how are you doing!! I miss you!! I have big news!  I'm getting a baptism on November 5th!! Me or my companion or whoever else is baptizing him and he will let us know when the time comes! He is a 14 year old kid. His mom was baptized a couple of months ago but has been in jail for 3 months and now is out of jail! She got a DUI again for the 3rd time. Next one is life in prison ugh. So we are meeting with her and going to get on her a little bit but I think she will be okay.  We talked to her and she now has to send in her intake on all foods and drinks everyday so they will know if alcohol is put in her body. Anyway he is this African American kid and was raised in a pretty bad home life with his mom and her boyfriend. The boyfriend was abusive and he saw his mom beaten as a kid! He lives with the Bishop and his wife because they are foster parents( they have a little baby who honestly is the cutest kid I have ever seen- his name is Antwan) We met with him at church because bishop takes him and asked if we could stop by and basically teach him. He said he's been to church enough with bishop that he wants to take the discussions. We were trying to get him to read but he said he hates reading. This week he said he read the whole chapter and said he is starting to notice and feel things in his life and we asked him for a baptismal date for the 12th. He said no!! I want to be baptized as soon as possible! It was really exciting. He said he has felt the spirit in church and is ready to be baptized so we thought November 5th was the best date!  That's in 11 days!! I'm so pumped but even more excited that he has felt the spirit and a change in his life! The gospel of Jesus Christ truly is amazing!!

Anyway that's pretty good news. The story of the week I suppose! I sent the letter in the mail today so you should get it soon. I wrote whatever was on my mind I didn't know exactly what you wanted me to write but I tried! I sent you music I want in the letter so don't feel rushed to download it all. Take your time and maybe if you think of anything else you can put that on there. Like the primary songs in 2005 that have the beat boxer on there. That's an awesome cd! The vocal point album is called "Lead Thou Me On" 

Anyway I'm doing great. My comp is doing great. We are hastening the lords work. I have a funny story to share next week but don't have time to share it. We ran into the same druggy guy the other day and he said that someone stole his truck.  I don't think he owns one!  I said I will keep my eye out for it hahaha.  He is so funny.  All the missionaries in the area know about him. 

Love you Mom so much!!

Elder Brown

This is all I get!  Silly Selfie

Week 11- Blessings that make me want to work harder!

I'm being patient with my Companion. He has a strong opinion on people but really respects me and how patient I am with him on the bike! Oh and I don't need to go grocery shopping for the rest of the month.  I'm so stocked up on food that I am set!  I had to purchase bike crap and all this other stuff so that I can actually do work out here. I don't spend that much on food.  I'm buying bagels and milk this week because I'm set. I found these 25 cent dinners at Walmart so I'm going to stock up on those! (25cent dinners Oh my Gross)

                 

Oh I just thought of this.   I played a musical number for zone meeting! Elder Barker and I are going to do a piano solo and singing solo for church coming up but I need you to buy me a song.  Look for a song called "All I need to know 2014 efy" Can you buy it and print it off and send it to me. Elder barker and I are going to play and sing it for sacrament meeting. I heard that Nic is home and gave a talk! That's awesome, and Lauren came which is even better! 

Anyway I got a super cool story for you. And yes this is a blessing! We were on are way to a dinner appointment.  We planned to drop our bikes off and kinda tract the development before we ate. We were riding directly toward the house and a guy walk up to us and said,  "you boys on your missions?" and we said yeah and looked at each other like he was about to chew us out.  He starts talking how he had a bunch of Mormon friends and they all went on missions. He started talking to us asking about what we do kinda an overview of missionary work and he said he doesn't pass up opportunities with the Jehovah's Witness or in this case the first time he ran into Mormon missionaries. Anyway he didn't seem that interested because he already goes to church with the Jehovah's and he said well I'll let you guys get to it.  I know you're  busy.  My companion was about to leave and I jumped in and said well do you think we can come back.  We would love to talk to you more. He said yes that would be really nice. He then started asking us how we go about studying and I told him how much the BOM helped me in my life and on my mission.  He starts talking about his situation with his messed up life and how he is fighting over the custody of his son because it is the only thing that is giving him drive. He is a punk rocker and a really good one! He did some heavy things.  His wife didn't love him he realized and he filed for a  divorce. His son walks outside to shoot hoops with us while we were talking to him, the boy is 7, and this man is the best father to his son. It honestly made me so happy the relationship he has with his son and the man asked his son to "listen to the missionaries." He said he has been reading the Book of Mormon and bible to his son every night before they go to bed. He is writing a song about his son and it is the sweetest thing ever. Anyway, he told us we are exactly what he needs, he wants his son to be baptized and he and his son are reading the book of Mormon together.  He said he hasn't had a lot of hope lately with all the court cases with his son and a lot of depression but he said he totally feels the spirit and he has a new hope something to hold on too. We said a prayer for him and he was in tears and said this is what I want in my life. He even said he wants his son to serve a mission haha! I think we can baptize this man I really do! Its just touching how the Lord puts these people in your life because they are ready to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. When his boy told us I want to be baptized the spirit came over me so hard and I knew then that the Lord is going to help us bring this little broken family unto his gospel. It will change their lives completely and for the better. I love this work I do. Experiences like that just make me want to work even harder.

I cant believe they are doing Highschool musical that's awesome.....who would have guessed! 

And Mom I do need a winter coat eventually. I realized the coat that guy gave me isn't really a winter coat it is more of a rain/ thermal jacket which I already have! So maybe in like the end of the month send it because it got really cold the other day.  It was 34 degrees.  It started hailing on us which it hurt a lot because the hail here is a lot bigger then back east. They were like gobstopper size so we ran for cover. we saw glass windows cracking from them! It only hailed for like 30 seconds though. 

I'm going to send you a list of music I would like but this is all I have for this week. I will start writing you a letter about everything it may take me a while but I promise I will send one.

love you!

Elder Brown  

                     

Week 10- New Companion

First let me start out by saying Isabelle looks like a grown woman in those homecoming pictures and It was so weird hahaha.  She is beautiful!!!

1.) My companion is pretty cool he can sing really well and plays a tad bit of piano, but beat boxes super well. So he has a spot lined up for him for vocal point, BYU's Capella group! But we may or may not sing together because the only chance I have to do a musical number would be at zone conference next transfer which we probably wont be together.   

Elder Barker is from Orange County, CA and is not awkward he is super smart and a good missionary! He just doesn't talk a ton but when he does he is not awkward. He is  deathly afraid of bees. A wasp flew into our member home and he wouldn't leave the bedroom! he locked the door and put blankets in the cracks under the door so it wouldn't fly through. I finally told him if he comes out of the room and tilt the lamp down which was holding the yellow jacket wasp, then I will kill it. He kept saying I can't I can't oh my gosh oh my gosh elder no! I was trying not to laugh because he kinda has a high voice hahaha! We killed the bee and we were able to complete our studies. 

 

He also never learned how to ride a bike so he has been learning on his mission. He always slips or says freak a lot when riding the bike and has to get off and walk it up hills so I'm being very patient with him. I have realized that there is never a reason to get mad even when you can't stand that a 19 year old man can't ride a bike to save his freaking life haha!  It's not a big deal though, other than that we get along pretty well for the most part.  He has been out only 6 weeks a head of me so honestly I'm planning for our day.  I'm basically showing him things about being a district leader,  so I have had a lot of stress trying to balance a ton more than last transfer!  But it is a good stress because its teaching me how to multi task and to think a ton more! I'm growing more than I think! I have been getting way better at remembering things too!

 

2.) last transfer with Merkley was awesome just because we have bishops trust and we dug the area out of the grounds. but one thing I noticed was that  we didn't have a ton of progressing investigators. So now Elder Barker and I are not going to focus on the quantity of lessons but we are going to focus on helping our investigators progress so really praying about what we can teach these people and things to say that will help them progress.

 

3.) I fasted yesterday for an investigator and I think I have figured out what I want to say

 

4.) I heard Nic got home.  I miss him a ton!! Lauren told me you watched the video of Nic coming home for like 10 minutes! Dang you have a long time to wait to have our video. hahaha love you!!  If you see him at church please tell him I miss him a ton!!

 

5.) Kate Rohrer won homecoming queen. I did study groups with her and Josie Weaver in anat and phys

 

6.) Can you start working on music for me? vocal point album, penatonix christmas album, i will send you a list of music next week , I wrote down songs. You don't have to buy them you just copy and paste and download it mp3 style. That's what all missionaries brothers or mom's do. 

 

7.) I played the piano and I'm writing a ton of arrangements and my piano skills are still there.   I have been playing out of my books and by memory 

That's all I got this week 

I Love You!

Uh oh I forgot I moved houses!

 

 

PS:

You can send me  More gift cards? Chipotle, red robin

or just power bars so when I'm on the go I can snack on something. 

Oh yeah can you send me zone perfect bars strawberry  bars

 

 

 

Week 9 -Spiritually Edified

Hey Mom! Guess what?  I'm staying this transfer in Arvada 3rd! Elder Merkley has been so good he has been called as a zone leader. He is a good missionary and pushed me really hard. He would leave me out to dry when I stumbled but it was good it taught me to be a better missionary. I'm glad I'm staying and I hope I will continue to do good work.   I just need a tire tread for my bike because it has a giant hole through it. I may spend a lot this transfer because I need a gps, I need a tire tread and now we don't have a car hahaha! My new trainer is Elder Barker. He has only been out for two transfers and I heard he is really awkward  and can't fix anything! great! oh well I'm excited too see what new will come!

Conference was awesome. I was so excited for conference and I actually was able to focus and watch every single session. I feel super spiritually edified! I saw Chase Hendrickson and saw elders on screen in the choir that have been at the MTC for like 10 weeks. They are going to Thailand! Yeah seeing chase singing was so funny!  I'm getting a lot bigger in muscle mass. probably the biggest and ripped I have ever been. I have been lifting every morning for like 6 weeks! When I come back I'm going to be so big! I have grown another inch almost which is weird. I'm like 6' 2 and 1/4! hopefully I can fit in my suits haha! I got Aunt Karen's gift cards! 

oh I do have a funny little story. So there is this crazy guy we met on the street three weeks ago, he had 5 cigarettes between each of his fingers a bottle of booze and he was packing a lip all at the same time walking around talking to himself back and forth outside these apartments. I said to Elder Merkley should we go talk to him and he said yes heck yes! so we go over to him and he just starts going off about how hot it was outside and he said its hot about 50 times in our conversations he started talking at a mile a minute and how he was a "firm believer in Christ and don't forget Santa Clause because you better be on that nice list or you are going to hell." But he was talking about the most random things I was trying not laugh and when we left we started dying. We didn't know where he lived but this week I was on exchanges with Elder Tanner my zone leader and we knocked on this door and what do you know the crazy guy was there and the apartment smelled like leaking battery acid. It was crystal meth, cocaine,  cigs, weed everywhere on his table and everything and he started talking at a mile a minute again and I just busted out laughing and turned the other way so he couldn't see me laughing. After we left he came outside and asked if we wanted our bible back? We said nope keep it. oh my gosh it was the best thing ever hahaha! 

I got the package from the MTC! Wish they found my hat though! I haven't had very much opportunity to sing and play the piano but somebody told me that Elder Barker my new comp sings really well and plays the piano so that should be fun! 

We are going on a hike in the mountains today so I will take pictures there!

Okay I love you mom!! I gotta go talk to you next week❤❤❤❤❤💋

 I need a haircut!!!

Week 8- Fall is Coming and so Is Conference.

 My T-shirt finally came

My jimmied belt.

Transfers are coming up in a week and a half! How crazy is that!! We met with the  Bishop Saturday night because he invited us to come over to discuss our progress reports which Elder Merkley says never happens. We go over there and basically the Bishop tells us the work we are doing is fantastic. We got three people on baptism date this week! The one guy named Zach we saw one day working on his car...tattoos, dirty,  whatever you want to use to describe  someone who doesn't look interested at all,  actually started talking to us. We got him to go from believing in nothing which he referred to God and JC as a bunch of BS hahaha! To believing in them and realizing there is more to life than just fixing cars and getting into trouble. It's crazy how the spirit can work with people and ways that you couldn't imagine by just looking at people. This guys life has now totally changed and he is on the road to a better outcome. Hopefully he continues to read the BOM and pray to know if it is true. Anyway the Bishop told us he prayed in ward council that Elder M and I could stay in the ward because they are afraid the work is going to go down like it has been for the last two years again. It humbles me to know that people recognize the good things you do and it makes me strive to be better. Yes I know I am not a perfect missionary and I never will be, but that doesn't stop me from striving to be one. I know if I can have the success I have had from working hard in my first area I wonder what the Lord has in store for the areas to come.

But with all the positives there comes negatives. We got a Car this last week which was a total surprise since its the last two weeks. Yes we can get to places and appointments a lot faster and yes it saves us from the long bike rides but we don't have the opportunity to contact people on the way so our finding hours decrease. So after using the cars and realizing how lazy it made us we decided to take our bikes out and only use our car for dinner appointments and far away appointments. We take our bikes out and we park them to tract in this neighborhood. We come back after an hour of tracting and my new slime tire is totally flat laying down on the road. It had a 3 cm hole in the bike and it looked like somebody jammed a stick into it so the green slime totally leaked everywhere because the hole was so big. Its the third time in the transfer my tire popped and I was so angry I felt like loosing my temper and throwing my bike and yelling at the Lord.  Then I thought of the blessings he gives me and how can I blame him for this.  We were miles from home and I couldn't walk my bike back to the house because we had an appointment. We called the zone leaders and they picked us up and took us home. The next day we woke up and our car wouldn't start and I was like you got to be kidding me. The battery was totally dead and jump starting it did nothing! I  just laughed and looked at my companion saying you got to be kidding me. So we walked everywhere we went that day and took it into firestone and got it fixed. Anyway, I guess the Lord really wanted us to walk or something because he took away every single source of transportation. So now we use the car but we get out of it and walk a lot so it is teaching us to be disciplined.

Anyway those are the highlights of my week.   My comp plays baseball we talk a lot about that.  He is super funny and athletic and he is 1/4 Mexican so he makes a lot of Mexican jokes and can sound like a Mexican.

I got all the packages from Amy and Grandma, Tracy the Lapps and you.  Tell them all thank you!

I'm watching conference at the Ellis's the lady who feeds us dinner all the time that had three sons serve missions. I will get you here contact info because you would get along really well.  She is kind of like Aunt Karen. 

fall is coming it got cold Sunday 49 degrees.

I have all warm gear but I need winter boots that's all and gloves.

I have trouble getting up in the morning so my companion turns all the lights on and talks like a Mexican dude and jumps on me in my bed to get me up!  I'm so tired in the morning.

 

 I did get taller and I have been lifting every morning. I'm starting to get bigger muscle wise, but I broke my belt the other day while I sat down in the car.  It snapped right after dinner because my companion said I eat to much and I'm going to get fat.  And then when it snapped we started dying and he kept saying see you are getting fat. 

 

Love you Mom!

Week 7- I'm on the Lords Errand

Hey Mom how are ya! 

Tuesday I did an exchange with Elder Wood! He is so cool and an elder that I look up to it was so weird because his personality reminds me of dad weird. He taught me how to be more personal and teach the restoration in a minute because sometimes that's all the time you have with street contacts. Everywhere I go I swear me and and whatever Elder I'm with break records in certain areas. The bishop this Sunday told us we are doing such a fantastic job he says this areas poppin more than it has ever popped before. He said its finally time we get elders that want to work and who can fill up a whole progress report. He said keep working hard and try to get more members present to scheduled appointments. Kelly moved to California because of her home situation and needs to be with her kids. She said thanks for all the help and to give her the elders number in California, so we are working on that. I knew it was all good to be true. She was progressing and then moved all of a sudden. I thought for sure we could get a baptism. Elder Merkley hasn't had one on his mission yet and he has been out here for 7 months. Anyway we are doing great work and my skills are getting a ton better as a missionary. I still have a ton of room to grow. 

The Broncos played this week and nobody answered that's typical but what are you going to do haha. I got a new bike an elder gave it to me for free and the reason i spend 48 dollars is because I spent 12 dollars on a new slime tube so that even when it pokes a hole through the tires the slime fills in the holes and it patches it up right then and there. It was a quite wise investment I shall say hahahahaha. I'm good on food and thanks for the snacks gum and muscle milk. I have gained 5 pounds in muscle I'm not getting that fat because I burn off everything I eat when biking. we bike more than a marathon each day its crazy my legs are already getting so much bigger. And I'm  more ripped because the only way I stay awake in the morning for personal study is if I lift weights and do insanity or p90x with my comp. Me and my companion drove down to a trainers meeting with all the new missionaries and their trainers. I'm like best friends with the AP's(assistants to the president) my comp told me that if you get really close with the Ap's and they see good in you they will appoint you a leadership position. haha! Me and my comp got the car, from the zone leaders so we got the truck to drive down. its was an hour and a half drive. His dad is a professional racer so he can drive really well. We jammed out to music and ate at L&L an Hawaiian BBQ. It was amazing. Anyway I got all your packages.  I'm in good spirits I love it here I don't want to leave.  Hopefully I stay put this transfer and stay another one because its fun.  I Love it here and I know I am on the Lords errand.  Tell everyone I miss them!

Driving to Denver with my Driver!

Week 6- Humility keeps the spirit!

Hey Mom crazy week! This week was busy.  I will try to answer your billion questions again haha!  I love you but you still stress me out sometimes hahaha. Okay here I go...

1.) Zone conference was long! 9 Hours of sitting in a prolonged meeting, Holyyyyy crappers! But I got a lot of things out of Zone conference and probably my most humbling and spiritual experience of the whole week so I will spend a little bit of time on this. A lot of the theme was My brothers keeper and what the true meaning of Love is which is crucial to have in our lives because it is what allows the spirit to be present. What does it mean to be "my brothers keeper?" Well think about your family mom. Not just our family but your brothers and sisters. I'm laughing because your family may not be the best example hahaha just kidding that was a joke Dad might get a kick out of that. anyway, think about your family. Dusty Rob Amy Kory. What would happen if one of them was murdered and killed. I know that sounds harsh but think about it how would that make you feel. awful right! that would be terrible. And think about if you could go back in time and have the chance to do something that enables you to save their life. I know if you had that chance you would. But we need to ask ourselves,  would we lay down our lives so that our brothers or sister could live? Because that is what love truly is. "I will be my brothers keeper, I will protect him and I wont let anything happen to him because I love him." Now there came a time when the savior was on the earth and he was among his apostles including Simon-Peter. The Lord asked Simon-Peter do you love me. his answer was yes. he asked again, Do you love me. he thought about it again this time a little longer and said yes Lord. he then asked again, do you love me. Simon- Peter thought about this like it was a trick question and after a lot of time he said Yes Lord I love you. But without saying it when the savior asked do you Truly love me what do you think that means. Well now think about the Savior. He loved us so much that he laid down his life not only for me but for everyone. He is the keeper of his sheep. Now think about that the savior loved us so much that he laid down his life for us he suffered terribly not only physically on the cross but he suffered in the garden for all of our sins pains agonies and everything that is not of the spirit. Let that resonate deep in you and think about it. stop reading and think about that please. Now how does that make you feel. Lets go back to Peter and let peter represent us. Will we lay down our lives for the savior!  Will we follow him to the ends of the earth. Will we serve him. will we love our neighbor, Will we be the peace keeper in our families, will we look at others needs instead of our own selfish needs. I hope and pray we do. because he suffered in that garden and on that cross and we need to pay him back by serving him with all of our heart might mind and strength. I love my savior and no matter how much I am accused,  made fun of like the Eminem line "chewed up and spit out and boot off stage," I will be my brothers keeper. I will follow him to the end of the earth because I love him and he loves me. I will follow him to the ends of the earth because he is my Savior and my King. I can't say that I truly love him because nobody is perfect and  I haven't followed him at times because of my sins and decisions I have made. But I strive to everyday.  Just because I'm on a mission doesn't mean I am safe. But we need to work toward truly loving the Savior and not just loving him. Simon-Peter, was asked to lead the apostles and he knew that he had to leave his fishing behind and follow the Lord whole-hardheartedly. We need to do the same thing in our lives. We need to be truly converted and work towards that. As we do that the Lord will direct our paths and show us the way. That's all he asks us to do. Anyway that is my testimony of that sorry that was long.

2.) I'm fine, I am eating, maybe just send me money instead of gift cards because there are some places that we eat that I don't have a gift card to ha ha. Mitchel is at the MTC no way! On Thursday every time the Broncos scored, I literally could hear the whole neighborhood cheer at the same time.   It was crazy. People are more friendly when the Broncos play. They invite us in to watch but we say no ha ha. Its like when the Broncos play it is their Sabbath day. So Friday we find out the score and that's how we teach people lessons. Bring up the Broncos and their hearts are softened:)  So yesterday I beat to teach this kid playing basketball.  He was 16 and pretty good at hoops but I beat him so he had to listen to what we had to say.  He seemed really poor but super nice. He had a little bit of an African accent. We taught him the restoration and he retains information well so hopefully we can follow up with him. Oh somebody gave me their bike so I will try to live off of that but I am going to buy a tube because I popped a tire and the patch kit wont fix it.  Amanda and Brad had a Baby.  I'm happy for them! I live in a basement yes it is small but its good. I workout with my companion every morning we do insanity and p90x. Send me some protein powder so I can have some for breakfast instead of spending a bunch of money on food. My companion will stay probably for another transfer but I will leave most likely. Who knows.

Well Mom I've got to go! I love you so much and I miss you! Tell everybody I miss them. 

Dad thanks for the email I hoped I answered your questions as well. I'm trying to humble myself everyday! Humility keeps the spirit.  I miss you so much!!

Love always,

Elder Brown