"This snow is a lot different from the stuff in Idaho."-Elder Ontiveros

Dearest Family of Mine,

I love you! I am so grateful to have received emails from Aunt Becky, Brooke, Michael, and Dad! I really live off of the strength those emails give to me. Thank you so much for always updating me on what is going on back home. I'm sorry if I can't answer all the questions which I have received, but I love each one of you and I read every email that comes into my inbox. Each one is noted and loved.

This week has been soooooooo cold! It still hasn't dipped below zero, but the coldest temperature that I've seen on the thermometer has been 7 degrees. It snowed on Sunday morning, and while Elder Ontiveros and I were walking to wake up someone for church, he looked up at the snow and said, "This snow is a lot different from the snow in Idaho. It's a ton more fluffy out here. It just floats down to the ground." I responded, "It's a lot different than the snow we got in California too." "It snowed in California?" He asked. "Nope, just rain," I said, "That's what makes it so different." He didn't think it was a very funny joke.

Probably the highlight of the entire week is that we got to return to Nauvoo on Thursday to witness the baptism of Karen! She had completely finished the Book of Mormon and was so prepared for her baptism. She had never heard if I was coming or not, but President authorized us to go and we made it a surprise! When we showed up, it was so wonderful to see the expression on her face. Seeing Karen get baptized was probably the best experience of my mission thus far. You see, every single person that I had met up until this point on the mission that has eventually been baptized knew Elder Adamson and had been taught at least 3 or four lessons with him, so I could never tell if I was really helping the area or if I was simply riding out his success in the area. Karen was my "independence baptism"! I had never had a chance to be the senior companion and help someone come unto Christ. She wanted to so badly that I didn't have to help much, but it was still amazing!

This is Karen and her grandson Shakir. Brother Billings is the one who baptized her. 

When we were walking out of the room after the baptismal service, she told me, "I've been praying morning, noon, and night that you would show up to my baptism, and just the other day, the weather got all cold. The weather always gets all cold when you guys come over, so I knew you were coming today!"

Not only that, but I saw Elder Lindhardt stand up at the front of the room and share with everyone the most humble testimony. Seeing that Elder stand up there and bear witness, the Lord showed me just how much he had changed. I was nervous that when I left, I had failed as a trainer because I couldn't see much change in him, but the Spirit testified that I hadn't failed. He was being changed by the Lord the whole time. I wasn't a perfect trainer, and he wasn't a perfect trainee, but we had fulfilled the measure of our companionship, and had accomplished all God had designed for us. It was a beautiful moment. Now I just have to do the same for Elder Ontiveros!:)

I love you people so much. I am excited to call on Christmas! I still don't have any more info on when or what or how, but I'm excited nonetheless!

Love,

Elder Brown

PS: I'm all the way through Journal #1. I just bought a new journal today. It's a big milestone!

Right before I left my last area. It's Mike, and Buddy and Rhonda.

Whites in the washer

Family,

Last week I bought bleach for my laundry, and I put all of my white shirts into the washer together. I had never used bleach before, and I knew how bad it could be if I happened to use it wrong, so I made sure that I looked at the directions. The back of the bleach instructed me to "fill the washing machine with water and clothes, then add 1 cup bleach to soap and water solution. Wait five(5) minutes for solution to settle, then begin regular wash cycle." So, I waited 5 minutes, then started the regular wash cycle. Out came wonderfully white, pure white shirts.

This last week has been much more trying than I initially expected after reaching this area. We have had miracles of course! We have just also had many many frustrations. Finals week for the University is coming up and everyone is going out of town or is too busy to meet with us. It has been really crazy trying to find people that will actually connect with us and be taught something! Not to mention, this town has been ghostly for the past week with Thanksgiving break being in session.

The more and more I consider the time I spent bleaching my clothes, the more I think about what President initially asked me to do when he sent us to this area. He asked Elder Ontiveros and I to "Whitewash" this area. I had never thought about that phrase until now! I started to think about why anything would be "whitewashed". I think the reasoning would have to be because something was previously stained, tainted, or soiled. This area had some ground in distrust for the missionaries, be it member, nonmember, and less active. The Lord didn't even trust the missionaries here for a while! To align this with my allegory, the whites were put into the washer, and the Lord applied the bleach. He put his Spirit over this area, and He is softening the people here, but it does require some time and some patience. I honestly think Elder Ontiveros and I got tossed in with the wash. God doesn't waste his resources. He's bleaching his missionaries too! I feel like each day is a serious personal purification. Soon, out will come wonderfully white, pure missionaries and members.

There has been such a cool miracle here though! A majority of the people that we have contacted have been Chinese students studying here at Truman State, and they are really cool kids. Their culture is so unique and interesting. I find it truly fascinating! But one young man in particular that I have to point out is N*o (yes, just like the Matrix). We knocked on his door the other day, and as we spoke with him, we asked if he believed in God. "No." He said, a bit puzzled that we would even ask.

"Well," we replied, "God exists! He made you. He is your Father!" N*o nodded. "N*o, if God made all of us, do you know what that makes me and you?" I asked.

He shook his head again, this time a little interested, "No..."

"That means we're brothers, man!"

"Oh! Cool!" He said, a smile coming across his face.

We went back two days later and shared all about who God is and how awesome it is that we get to pray. A chinese recent convert came along with us. It was such a powerful experience to see this young man who had had no idea who God is or, for that matter, who HE is, begin to understand. He does have a long, long way to go before he can really make the baptismal promise, but he has identified the Spirit speaking to him. The next day when we were in the church building showing him around, he identified the Spirit in the chapel, saying that the room "feels good."

Don't take for granted how incredible it is that God is real, and that you know that! Also, don't take for granted that He has ASKED you to talk to Him. That is such a marvelous blessing and privilege.

I love you guys! Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!

Love,

Elder Brown

Hellooooo!

Family!

   Hello again from Iowa! News this week? We've seen another miracle! K*itlyn, our long time investigator, FINALLY got baptized. After much trial and tribulation, she finally decided to make her covenant with Heavenly Father. It was a long and crazy ride, but it was one that really helped ME understand why baptism is so vital.

   Another amazing miracle of the whole baptism is that J*sey, our Recent Convert who was the one who helped K*itlyn get committed in the first place, spoke at the baptism! For only being twelve, she did a phenomenal job.

   I'm sorry I don't have many words today. It has been a draining week... I'll tell you a couple of the specifics:

1. One of my zone leaders, and the last missionary of my original district, finally went home today. I had held onto him, my trainer, and my other district leader, and after six months, I feel a bit... left behind. It's amazing to be on a mission, but it is sad to lose those who have been your family out here.

2. I'm getting transferred. President Jensen called today and asked if I would once again train and be district leader as well as whitewash an area. I accepted, but I'm still trying to get past that all. I've been here for nearly 6 months! I just don't quite know what to do with myself now. I guess I'll just move on to companion number 3.

I don't think anything is necessarily wrong. It's just a week of goodbyes and big changes. It feels a lot like when I left college. Just like everything is changing, and it's not going the way I wanted it to go! Luckily, I have a sure knowledge that everything is going to be pretty much identical to what it has been in my last area. Still doors to knock on. Still sheep to feed. Still people to love. Still fun to be had:)

Dad, I loved to hear about your wonderful missionary experiences! You are such a phenomenal man and I love you so much. Keep up the good work. I really hope all of you can feel the love and the prayers and the joy that fills my heart when I think of the fact that we are going to be a family forever.

Keep reading the Book of Mormon! It is the GREAT RETAINER of testimony.

Love,

Elder Brown

The Miracle of Daylight Savings Time

Family!

   Have I ever told you how incredible daylight savings time is? Well. Let me clue you in:

   For those of you tuning in who may not have been on a mission or know much about them, you follow a very strict schedule! We go to bed at 10 30pm on the dot, and we wake up at 6 30am on the dot. 8 hours. No more, no less. Now, be assured, I understand that is a lot more sleep than most of us get on any given day, but there is something interesting about missionary work. The constant interaction and spiritual aspect of the work causes a lot of physical tiredness at the end of the day. Also, when you are sick, you still don't alter your schedule or change your plans so you can sleep in. Such became my problem this last week.

   On Halloween morning (by the way, I got the package... I think I gained another 20 pounds:)) I woke up with a sore throat, the sure sign of an oncoming cold and fever. I'm used to just busting through colds by napping at certain points throughout the day, but that's not really an option out here, so 8 hours would have to do for now.

   But here's where the miracle comes in. Saturday night, it hit me hard, and the last 3 hours of work was much harder than usual with a pounding headache and a stuffy nose, not to mention aches and pains all over, and I was unsure if I was going to be able to get over this cold if I didn't have more sleep. I truly wanted to work hard all day, and I did, but the cold had pretty much laid me out. I wondered if I really COULD work the whole next day. Could I call in sick... to God? I just started to pray my guts out for a miracle healing or an ability to push through the next day and be able to rise from bed.

   Was I miraculously healed?! No.

   Did I experience incredible, Herculean strength the next day? Not at all.

   Did the Lord provide an extra hour of sleep in the form of Daylight Savings Time? Thankfully, YES. He literally stopped time for an hour just so Elder Brown could get the sleep he desperately needed!:)

   D&C 123: 17- "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed."

   I think all too often we expect a bolt of lightening from the sky to fix all of our problems when all we do is throw up feeble, half formed prayers. This is not the way that our Heavenly Father works. He expects us to "Pray like it all depends on God, then work like it all depends on YOU." When we work for our sustenance, we show God our faith that He is going to fill in the gaps that we, as His frail children, will undoubtedly make. He simply expects our faith first, and the miracles will always follow. Believe it!

   I love to see the pictures of Halloween with Brooklyn, Gwen, and Caleb. If those kids were any cuter, they wouldn't be related to me, that's for certain!:)

   Our Halloween was pretty relaxed. We just ate a ton of candy and stayed inside in the evening time(we weren't allowed to be out after 6pm.)

  

I love you all! Keep the faith. I pray for you always!

Elder Brown

PS: It was really rainy this week, and as a result, My pants got a little wet while we were walking around to our different appointments... Luckily, I have an umbrella! Those things are miracles!

Also, check out those fall colors!

I'm Running Low on Creative Titles

Family,

   I know that I usually have a really good title to my emails, but I'm sorry. We have hit the bottom of the tank. We have scraped the sides of the peanut butter jar. Only juice is left in the pickle container. In other words, I'm fresh out of creative things to say!

   I guess I'll just get down to the nitty gritty... THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF THE EMAILS AND LETTERS I HAVE RECEIVED! I love getting them so much! I was telling Elder Lindhardt this week that I love nothing more than my family. That really is the truth. I love you guys so much. How in the world we were blessed with each other I don't know, but I sure am grateful.

   In connection to my comment to Elder Lindhardt, we then drove by the US Post Office here in Fort Madison. I pointed at it and said, "I sure love my family, and that building there is my best friend." That place is a miracle for a missionary who lives in the middle of nowhere...

   I love to hear about the missionary work that each one of you are doing. Dad, WAY TO GO! You are, in missionary vernacular, "a gospel sharing fool":). I love you and you are an example to me of a powerful missionary. Tell Dr. M*zj that I love him and I am so grateful for the wonderful care that he gave to Mom. Please communicate that I am sure that Heavenly Father gave him to us as a gift for his incredible talents. I will always be grateful for him.

   Happy Halloween! I am curious, what will Brooklyn, Caleb, and Gwen be for Halloween? And is there any such fun activity going on with the family?

   Ok, as for the experience of the week, this one happened just last night. It was a very interesting prompting:

   About a month ago, we met a lady named D*ebra. We walked up to her as she was in her car and she stopped us and said, "No thanks guys! I'm saved." As we talked with her, she told us that she has an aunt who is a member and after some gentle cajoling and the Spirit's guidance (not to mention some fancy talking by Elder Lindhardt), she agreed to let us come back. We had such an incredible first lesson with her, where she identified the Spirit and agreed to read and pray! Sadly though, we lost contact with her just days later and she stopped answering our phone calls and everything.

   Last night we went to dinner with a member who is out on the edge of our area, very much in the direction that D*ebra lives. These members had such a strong spirit in their home that as we left, I felt so uplifted and inspired. Now, I hadn't even thought of this lady for probably two weeks, so as we came up on the entrance to the trailer park where she lived, I was surprised to feel a distinct pressure and urge to turn and go talk to her. It was later in the evening, but we followed the impression. My heart was pounding and and I felt a very urgent need to talk to her.

   When she opened the door, nothing special or miraculous happened, but as we visited, we shared how much we loved her and had missed her, and she set up another appointment to meet with her. As we drove away, I wondered why I was so impressed to go there, but I think the Lord was picking up the slack. He wasn't done with her yet, and we had lost focus.

   I know that this is the work of the Lord! He is the way, the truth, and the life. Never forget it! Read the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon, every day. It will keep you "continually in the right way!"

   I love you all and hope you have a great Halloween!

Love,

Elder Brown

Our area has been compromised!

Family,

   This week, something terrible happened! Our area got SPLIT! I don't think anything could have been more sad for me, due to the fact that my very favorite recently reactivated sister lives on the other side of the area. It has been such a miracle to see her journey back into activity, and I miss her already, but I know that she is in the hands of the two new good and faithful missionaries of the now "Fort Madison South Area."

   Other than that, we are still doing missionary work. This mission is growing exponentially. This last transfer, 37 new missionaries entered the field and only 10 went home! It has been incredible. Every area in our district has been split, so now instead of 4 areas in the district, we have 6!(One was split last transfer) That brings the total missionaries in our district up to a grand total of 13. I was getting stage fright just standing up at district meeting and giving a training... it's nuts! It's funny too, because half of the district is way older than me, and I'm supposed to be their leader! It's probably one of the most stressful things, especially with all of the areas opening up, because I want to be such a good missionary, but sometimes sheer inexperience trips me up. I have already changed so much in the way that I think and work and pray and study, but I still have so far to go!

    So it's miracle time! This is my favorite part of the week:) This week, we have been caught up in a lot of logistical things getting the other missionaries locked into place with their living situation and things, so it's been hard to find time to see and keep in contact with our investigators. This caused a lot of worry for me because a young man named C*** that we have been working with really struggles with depression and anxiety, so we feel a real need to keep in contact with him on a daily basis. He has a baptismal date, but it has been getting more and more shaky since we set it. This week when we went to teach him, my fears were all realized. He was acting super unnatural, wanting to smoke in front of us, asking us weird questions, and acting a little bit like he was drunk. We asked a lot of questions, but he just wouldn't open up to us and the member that we brought. Eventually, we had the Spirit tell us to show him Elder Holland's talk from this last conference about mental issues, and so we asked if he had a computer. As we watched the talk, C*** didn't change one bit. At the end of the lesson, the member bore a strong testimony about the love that exists in the church, and how Christ can help everyone, no matter their situation, but still, his expression was unchanged. We exited the lesson a bit downhearted.

    The next morning during our study hour, C*** called us. "Hello, this is Elder Brown!" I said nervously, not sure if he was calling to drop us.

    "Hey Elder Brown," Said C***,  "I just was calling..." He paused, and I clenched my teeth, bracing for the blow, "I just was calling to apologize for last night. I wasn't myself. I... I want to be baptized and learn about the...Jesus Christ." My jaw dropped.

    "Hey, C***!  Don't worry about it man," I said, my grimace turning into a shocked expression, "We totally understand. Last night was rough for you. But... What changed?"

    "Well, after you left, I got back on youtube, and I listened to more talks from that guy. I really felt good. Then I watched a video about missionaries helping this one lady who was a party animal. I thought, 'if she can change, I definitely can'."

     AH! I think I gave my companion a hug, and ran around the house screaming after that. It was a good morning:)

     I know that D&C 123:17 is true. "Let us cheerfully do all things which lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." This gospel is true! I love to share it. Do your best to become the faithful proclaimers of the Gospel that the Lord needs His children to be! I love each one of you! I'm excited to hear your missionary experiences! I loved the letters I have received, and thank you so much for the package! Also, Dad, you made Elder Lindhardt's week. That's the first letter he's gotten. He said, "Man, your dad is AWESOME!" I said, "Oh, believe me, I know." :)

I love you guys!

Elder Brown

PS This is me and my favorite Assistant to the President. He just went home this week. I got to know him really well because he served with Elder Adamson. It was almost like I was sending home my trainer all over again!:(

It's a miracle that I'm still alive!

Family,

I want to let you know, only about 30 minutes ago, I nearly DIED! It's my companion's turn to be "senior companion" for a week, and as a result of that, he's driving. On our way to the library to write home, he swerved into the other lane without looking and got like 2 feet away from this massive truck which had to slam on his brakes! Tires squealed and everything.... At first I was a little bit mad, but I have definitely made those mistakes many a time when Dad or Mom has been in the car, and I tried to act like they would have. I started to think after this experience, and a thought hit me very hard: Being a parent must be terrifying! So, Dad, thank you for being patient and risking your life daily when I drove:)

Dad! You are amazing! How did the triathlon and everything go? You and Mike P and Mike F are awesome, and I'm pretty sure that Mike P has lost some serious weight since I have been on the mission. That is awesome! Did you enjoy the opportunity?

To answer your questions, I have not been able to sing in church. I don't know if I am supposed to! My companion definitely wouldn't want to do it with me, so I'd have to go solo... plus, I'm not sure when I would have time to practice or anything of the sort. Have I told you that I have been able to play the guitar 2 times since I've been out? It was a saving grace. Both times were in the middle of the most stressful weeks of the entire mission, and I know the Lord provided an oasis where I could de-stress and play a song or two for the less active members and investigators that allowed me to play. It was an incredible opportunity.

I am so excited to get the letters you will send! I cannot tell you how giddy I get every time that I get mail! It is amazing. 

I wanted to share a couple miracles just quickly though! So this week, 19 years after being separated from Church, Chr*s was re-baptized. I can still remember meeting him the very first day I came into Fort Madison. At the time he was bitter and completely opposed to our advances with ANYTHING having to do with the church, but he would always come and help out with any service project that we needed from him.

To see him soften over the past 4 months has been nothing short of miraculous. This man who once was calloused and offended is now tender and testifying to everyone he comes in contact with about the truthfulness of our Savior's divine message. His baptism was powerful, and the Spirit was undeniable. As he stood to bear his testimony, shortly after his confirmation and ordination to the office of a priest in the Aaronic Priesthood, his eyes were wet and he admonished how sorry he was that he didn't allow himself the blessings of the gospel sooner. My own body coursed with joy and electricity as I witnessed him go underneath the water and come back up. He actually was cleaner. I don't know how else to explain it! Elder Adamson, a recent convert friend who recently received his endowments, and the aunt and uncle that Chr*s has been living with have been invaluable assets to Chrs's return to his covenants! He now calls me "Lebrown" as a joke (like Lebron James... Though I'm still bad at basketball). I now call him "brother".

One last miracle for the road. We taught a lesson in Spanish yesterday! We met a man named Ju*n, and he speaks very little English, but we came back to teach him. Essentially all I could say in Spanish was that I know the gospel is true and can help Ju*n! I read him out of the Spanish pamphlet Joseph Smith's experience, and testified again and again. So many times as we were talking, I desperately prayed, "Heavenly Father, I don't know Spanish at all! What is this word?" And suddenly, miraculously, into my mind would pop the exact word I needed to say! Ju*n is so prepared, and so we were sent for one reason or another.

I love the Gospel! I know it is true.

Please, everyone who reads this, go back and read Elder Gerald Causse's talk in conference. Follow his advice! He is correct! I know what he said is true and vital for member missionary work.

I love you all!:) Keep smiling big!

Elder Brown