Back to the River

Family,

Just a heads up. The Mississippi is still as nasty as it used to be. BUT DAVENPORT, IA IS A BIG CITY!:D

Welcome to Davenport, IA, 100,000 people live here on the banks of the catfish hangout of the Mississippi River. And guess what! It has SUBURBS! After I got called to Iowa, I didn't think I would hear the word suburb until I got home, but I am in a town the size of the Home Land! Good old high rise apartment buildings never looked so grand.

Now, I do have to apologize. Monday was our P-day, but it was President's day, so the Library was locked down. Now usually, Tuesday would be a GREAT day to email! Except that we had this big old stressful meeting on Tuesday with President called Mission Leadership Council, where we talk about what the mission needs to know and how green Elder Brown still feels and we spend a full day out of our area! But, I'm not complaining.

I've never been this busy in my mission. Between new meetings and getting to know my new area, I feel like I haven't even been a missionary for the past week. But let me tell you about my new companion.

Elder Brown and Elder Roybal

Elder Ben Roybal is my new companion. He has already been here in Davenport for the past 3 months. He is such a good missionary, and he has been out for 18 months. Now, I've gotta tell you the back story on this guy. He was in my original zone back in Fort Madison, and Elder Adamson and him were really good friends. They are both SUPER funny, so being around them was a blast. He also trained one of the people who was in the MTC with me, so that is a cool connection as well. I'll include a picture of him. He is so loving to the other missionaries. I want to learn from him how to care for the missionaries. He is a humble, loving, laid back Elder, and I love the guy!

Elder Ontiveros is still back in Kirksville. He's a stud like usual.

There really isn't much more to add. We are just preparing for a big old Zone Training Meeting today for like 3 hours, and then we will FINALLY get to go knock on some doors! Whoohoo!

One of his favorite families in Kirksville:)

I don't think I've ever been this excited to go finding in my life, but I'm just so stressed when we are out of our area this much.

Sorry this is so scatterbrained, but a quick experience.

Yesterday after MLC, I went up to President Jensen and thanked him for giving me Elder Roybal as a companion. It helped to relieve so much stress. He mentioned that he had prayed really hard to know where to put me, and he said, "I felt really strongly that you needed to be in Davenport, and then I felt that you and Elder Roybal would be good companions. I had no idea that you knew him before!" President Jensen is so stinking close to the Spirit. That man receives clear revelation from the Lord. He is teaching me so much about how to follow the Spirit.

Keep on reading, praying, and going to church! To those of you that don't do that yet, Give it a shot! It works every time:)

Love you all!

Elder Brown