hello from the motherland!!!

Hello family!!

wow, where to even start i don't even know!! needless to say it has been pretty crazy around here and everything has been kinda a blur, but lets see what i can remember to tell ya. ok, so after i talked to you in the airport we got on the plane and went to NY. the jfk airport is HUGE, and we had 30 min. to run and catch our next flight. I was carryin a 40 pound carry on bag that i stuffed all my russian books into, haha, and needless to say by the time we got to our gate i was sweating like a pig and i felt like my arm was gonna fall off. but it was fun. The plane ride to moscow was like the longest in my life! i tried to sleep some, but that didn't work out to well. we got to the airport and meet pres woolley and his wife, and the AP's who actually are leaving home today. but anyways we hoped on a bus that took us to the center of moscow, and pres. let us go see red square. so i have some pictures of red square and the kremlin and things, so when i figure out where my camera cord is a how to email the pictures ill have to send a few of those too you. After that we walked over to a really famous russian orthodox cathedral in moscow. I can't remember what it is called. sorry! but that was very pretty and interesting to see to. We met the mission driver after, and he drove us through some awesome moscow traffic back to the presidents house. Now let me tell you, moscow traffic is the craziest thing you will ever see!! it is awesome! there are like basically no traffic laws i feel like, people just like swerve in and out of the lanes without any caution, and people just run throughout the streets. it kinda crazy. there are no pedestrian laws either. If you walked across a street you really have to watch for you life, people just might run you over. so you got to be good at watching the traffic when you cross the street. but yea, the driving was fun. if you remember the car chasing seen on borne supremacy, that is how everyone drives in russia. great fun!!! so we went to pres. and we had a yummy dinner and interviews and testimony meeting. by that time i was exhausted and the time change just made the world spin, the world spinning is doing a little better now. it still might take me a few days to get used to it all. Me and sis. kelly stayed at the pres. home for the night, and then wed. morning we all met at a church building in moscow for training. After that, some of the missionaries headed to their cities, but our night bus didn't leave until 7 so sis. corbett and I and some other missionaries went to some museum in moscow that pres. said we could go to. The art was very pretty, and i enjoyed it. So since we took time out of yesterday to see some culture, we have to get started on missionary work a little sooner today. um..so we got on our bus and it was like crazy!! it totally reminded me of dallin and angela, and harry potter, and how they probably would have loved to be there. We talked with the elders that were coming down with us, and then we headed to our cabin and tried to get some sleep. it was crazy and sleep was a little more difficult, but thats ok!! the country scenes were beautiful though! and it was fun trying to get to sleep to the rolling sound of the train. so this morning the train stopped here in Voronezh, and we got off and caught a taxi. I hope that the luggage that i brought over here holds up the whole time, cause after lugging it down streets and through metros and train stations, it has had a hard day!! today after we got of the train i had a fun time carrying my luggage up and down stairs of the train station as thousands of people rush in and out and run all over you. its kinda funny. people just stair at you like your crazy, and if you are in their way they have no problem just pushing you right out of the way. its funny though. so we shoved all the luggage into this little taxi, and then our taxi driver was kinda crazy. first off, i couldn't really understand what he was saying, i can't understand what anyone is sayin, but that is another topic. but i could basically pick up the jist of what he was sayin, and he was just talking about and showing us his stab wounds from being a taxi driver, and then he showed us his gun that he always keeps on him. he brought us to our apt. complex. Everything from the outside here looks pretty ghetto, but the inside of the apt. is actually pretty nice. It's weird that im not shocked or freaked out about any of this. maybe it will catch up to me someday. but ya everything here is just so so different. it really is a whole new world!! so i just try to go with the flow and laugh at all the funny crazy things that happen. oh so yea they turned off our hot water for a few days. I guess the government just does that and you don't even know when. You usually will have at least some water, but they either turn off the hot or cold water at one time. it just depends. So i haven't showered yet today, but i guess i just have to heat up some water on the stove and shower with that. FUN!! i am excited to get used to all of this different stuff. Lets see oh man what else to say!

grandma i just got your email, and yes i totally know elder larsen!!! there was one in my district and actually another one in the district next door in the mtc. so i don't know which one it was, but i knew them both!! I think it might be the one that is headed to st. petersburg. that is said that they are stuck in vienna!! and noelle, yes i got your email and i am excited that the movie you saw was fun!

So yea, this week and been eventful and fun and hopefully today i can get all unpacked and somewhat settled into the apt. This morning we actually ate breakfast at the couple missionaries apt that live just right below us. Pres. tries to put a couple missionary in all the cities to help keep tract of his missionaries since the mission is so big and the cities are so far apart!! we are about 11 hours south of the mission home right now. So we ate breakfast with the Lowry's, and there are 4 other elders in this city. and then me and sis. corbett. I like her a lot and she is just great. Today i also get my first experience shopping at a russian store, and tonight im sure we will get to work on tracting and teaching and whatever we do!!! I just need to learn some russian and fast!! i don't know anything. but i can bear my testimony, so hopefully that is good enough for now. My companion actually leaves on monday to kazakhstan because she is getting her visa renewed. She is from canada and she will have to be their for about a week. So i think i take a bus ride to the city of lipitsks and stay with two native sister missionaries there and just help them. So that should be fun and a whole other experience. Everything here gets pretty crazy with having to travel around so far and so much for visas and things, so that will be fun tryin to figure that out every 3 months. ha.

Ok, welp i really don't know what else to say!! At this moment i can't think of anything. But i am glad everyone sounds like they are doing just great! I love you all very much! And don't worry about me, im doing good and just tryin to get used to everything one step at a time. it was great to talk to you and hear your loverly voices on monday. take care everyone! i love you!!! until next week!

Love,
Sister Brown

bye bye mtc!!

hello my lovely family!!!

well first off, this letter is going to be typed uber uber fast, cause there is a lot of stuff to say before i head out next week for russia! wohoo!! ok, grandma thank you for those beautiful pics you emailed of the snow! they are great! and thanks everyone for dear elders and emails and such. i knew that the college kids were having their exams about this time, so i was thinking about t and sara and rhen and kori and how they were doing. oh man, i forgot kori would be graduating!!! that is crazy but so exciting!! shout out to you girl! good luck and congrats! also good luck to t and sara and rhen on your exams. Oh rhen, and dad said you got into the CM major. Congrats bro! i bet you're excited. well it sounds like everything is going good. Things here are pretty great to. The weather has been absolutely beautiful and warm and i love the sun! the mtc sport field opened last week and so now for gym we can play out there or run around up by the temple. it is wonderful and i love it!! it is amazing the wonders that some sun and warmth does for my spirits. So hosting the new sisters last wed was alot of fun! and we get to do it again tomorrow. Also, me and sister kelly were selected to be demonstrators for the orientation that they do tomorrow night for the new missionaries. We come up in front of a big group of new missionaries, and we demonstrate with an investigator how to "begin teaching". it will be kinda weird cause im used to doing it in russian hah, but we will see how it goes in english. it should be pretty fun. Last week was the last time that they are doing the mtc choir, cause they are renovating the gym and the seats and stuff. So that was really fun to be a part of that and to also be able to sing in that choir last week the last time for a few months. welp, just keeping busy packing and studyin alot. tryin to cram in what i can as far as the language goes. I have realized now with this 100 percent russian thing how little i know!!! haha. i need to get better at studyin for that. Other than that just the usual! sorry that nothing here is to exciting. after being here for 12 weeks its pretty crazy the things you run out of to say cause its just the same old same old. but i am more than excited to get to russia and actually teach some real people!!!!!! (and a little bit scared too, haha)

speaking of Russia. we obviously have our flight plans. i don't know if they emailed you. but this is basically whats goin on. I leave mon the 26th. our flight leaves from salt lake at 8:35 am. then we get to New York at 3:13 pm (im not sure if that's new york time or utah time) then we make an uber quick switch and leave from ny at 4:05pm. and then it says that we will arrive in MOSCOW, RUSSIA at 10:10 am on tues the 27th. so there ya go! and yes, i will be trying to call. the layover in ny is def no time, so If i do have time to call early in the morning before we get on in salt lake that is what i will do. So if any of you want to talk to me!!!! haha. but i will be calling soon on mothers day too when in russia. but yea, we leave the mtc at like 5:30 i think, and then drive up to the airport and get checked in and stuff. So i probably won't be able to talk for too long, but i will try and make a quick call. And yes mom, i don't know how the calling card works. You can either send me one and give me instructions, or you can buy one and keep in there, and then just give me the number and instructions through dearelder or something. Whatever you would like to do will work great! Also sometime this week i will be mailing home a few things that im not gonna take with me. And i got a hep A shot the other day, and im mailing home that receipt too so that you can file it with our insurance. that is what they told me to do. but yea i hope that there was some money in my account, cause i paid 70 dollars for that shot.

im glad to hear that everyone had a great week and that all was so fun. Dad it sounds like you had some fun adventures with that lovely car! and mom and ange, those cinnamon rolls sounded delicious!! I hope yall are doing great and never forget that i love you so so so much! we watched a lot of the old mormon ad commercials the other night for devotional, and it was the best devotional ever!! the inspirational messages from them were good, and then the kids in them and the families were just so cute!! they made me think of yall! one of them the family tricked the dad into comin out into the camper and then locked him in and drove away to go camping. i thought it was funny and it reminded of all those fun camping trips we made in SC that always got rained out! haha. good times.

This week has been soooooooo good!!! i don't know what it is, but i have truly been blessed and i am so grateful for your unending support and love!! it truly has been a miracle. no lie. and i have been feeling pretty great! I meet with the counselor in just a little bit, and they decide on how i am feeling if they think i could go out to russia now and be fine. I honestly think im going now. I would be surprised if they told me to stay. I think i am feeling very well, obviously im still pretty nervous about a whole new world and stuff, but i think they will send me out. I know that i just need to believe and trust and have faith and keep smiling. All in all i feel very wonderful compared to before. But yes, thank you for your thoughts, prayers and fasting. I still feel like i totally don't deserve it all, but i have been so blessed and i am always so very grateful for the amazing people i have as family and friends. And i am grateful for my savior and his atonement. I know now more than i ever have before that the atonement is real!!!! and it encompasses everything!!!! i love you all! and i will write soon today in the mail to tell you how this appointment goes. other than that, ill be talkin to ya and soon be in russia! next email i will be a true russian princess!!! Love you all again, and i don't think i need anything. im actually tryin to get rid of stuff. but if i do ill write snail mail. Love you all and im prayin for you!!! take care! until next week!!!

love Sister Brown

lots of love, hugs, and kisses

hello family!

first off, can i just say thank you thank you thank you!! I fasted with you all on sunday, and it was the most peaceful day i have had in the mtc yet. It was wonderful, and I felt peaceful that whatever is decided is the Lord's will. So sunday was amazing, and I know witout a doubt that it was because of all the fasting and prayers. I always feel the love of my family, and yall have been soo soo supportive through all of this that i don't even deserve it all. but thank you again. Yesterday was pretty good. i meet with the thyroid lady this afternoon and hopefully we can get some stuff figured out.

ok, so this week has been a good one. pretty busy as usual!! I glad that you all had such a wondeful spring break and had so much fun. Yesterday we started speaking 100 % russian for the rest of our stay in the mtc. hahaha. its pretty crazy. needless to say i don't say much, haha. oh wed. we get to host and help all the new missionaries come in like when i came in a few months ago. Im pretty excited about it. i feel like i have been here a lifetime, but then again i feel like i have not and that i need to learn a ton more. um lets see what else i can tell you. I don't even know. Just still learnin lots and teaching lots of lessons. It has been fun to have the russian native sisters in our room because we get to talk to them and practice our russian on them. (mine isn't very good, haha, but it will just have to do). The byu mens choir came on sunday night to sing at the devotional, so that was pretty fun. you know i love my music!! um so yea sorry this email is so spastic and not very imformative. i just don't know what else to tell you that isn't the same old same old. But know that i love you all and pray for you always. Thank you for all that you do. I know this gospel is true and i am so very grateful for my Heavnely Father and for His son, Jesus Christ, and for His atonement and all that we can do and overcome with them on our sides. Thanks again family and everyone! Love you! Can't wait to hear from you and until next week!!!

Sister Brown

Hello my loving family!

well, first off i am writing earlier than normal because we have a later session at the temple today for the russian natives to recieve their endowements. Thank you grandma for all those wonderful pictures! Everyone looks great and so happy! i wish i could have been there! haha. Yes, conference was very good and we were able to watch all of the sessions. Sat. night while the elders were all at priesthood session, all of us sisters watched the young women session. It was great! made me think of you mom and ange! um, lets see. oh, hey wells! i got your little notes in the mail. Thank you so much! that was sweet! and i can't believe brady is coming home so soon. Wow! times flies. Speaking of time flying, can you believe that i fly out to Russia exactly 3 weeks from yesterday!!!!!!! awwww!!! so crazy. I fill like i have lived here FOREVER! but at the same time it is weird cause it just feeels like a complete daze, and it felt like it flew by. haha. i don't even remember what ive done for the past couple months, haha. speaking of couple months, i haven't heard from my older bros in like ever! man, what are yall up too? Didn't think you could write you little sis while see so faithfully wrote you BOTH while you were on your missions huh?! yep whatev, i see how it is. hahahaha jk. I hope the Y is treating you well though and that life is just grand. so yea, back to russia, 3 weeks baby! i was really excited, but then when i think about it i get just so nervous!!! that's like halfway across the world!! I don't know what Heavenly Father was thinking sending me all the way over there, haha, i think i might just wet my pants getting off and on the plane, and then everyday after that! haha jk. hopeful it will all settle down after a while and i can get used to things. The the mtc is the same a usual. Learning lots and getting very tired. haha. Russian is coming along. We have set a lot more language goals, and starting monday we are supposed to speak completely 100% RUSSIAN!! oh man, this is gonna be fun! I won't be talking much at all! haha. ill have to let you know how it goes. my mind just basciallly blows up trying to even comprehend what others are saying, let alone speak it myself. haha. its all good though. it's coming slowly and i just gotta be patient. other than that, I don't know what else there is to say. still teaching often. but yea, this week was not super eventful so sorry i don't have a ton to write. I love you all and pray for you! Keep doin well and having fun! Until next week!

Love, Sister Brown