Sister Acacia Brown 19 January 2011

Glad to here that everyone is doing pretty well and that you all had a
wonderful time in kanab when dallin got his patriarchal blessing. That picture of kacey's baby is just so cute. I got the christmas
picture of uncle mont's family yesterday, and was thinking about how
things have changed so much at home. The little kids are all growing
up. Everyone is getting married and finishing school. I have horribly
forgotten some peoples names and I am sure they have also forgotten
mine! It was kinda weird. I am glad the grandparents got my cards. I
can't believe that gma is already off her mission. crazy how the time
flew.

This week has been good, but also disappointing a little bit. I have
no idea where to find people who want to accept the gospel, and I have
no idea how to "work with all my heart". But it has also been a week
of mini miracles. Because the week has been a little harder on me, I
decided to look for the very tiny miracles every day, and then always
thank the Lord for them. One day we were contacting a lot, having no
success, no one wanted to talk to us. And my companion didn't want to
talk to anyone either. So, I was getting down on myself and didn't
know what to do. And then I felt impressed to just stop this one
lady, she listened to us, and she wanted to know more. I told her
about the book of mormon, and invited her to read it and pray about
it. When I asked her if she would, she said, "well, yea, I won't know
until I try, right?" And I thought, YES! She seemed to have such an
open mind about it and I was very excited. I pray we can meet with
her.

We are also teaching this young girl and I am very excited about it.
She is sweet, and seems to be opening up a little more. What I need to
do is to find the balance between being bold and between following the
spirit when it comes to giving the baptismal commitment. We have a
mission goal to commitment one person to baptism every week, and I
want to reach that, and I want to invite her to be baptized, but at
the same time, I don't want to scare her or come on too strong before
we have developed a good relationship with her. I guess this is a
matter of prayer, and I know that the Lord will help me. And I know
that as I try my very best He will help to make all my mistakes right.

Dad, you asked about the goals that we have for our mission. Well, to
give you all a picture, I think last year we baptized like 73 people,
and our goal was 75. So we came very very close. And this year,
president has divided the year into 4 quarters. The first quarter, now
until March 31, we have a goal in our mission to baptize 31 people.
That is a little more than 1 baptism per companionship i think. We
also have a goal to commit one person to baptism each week, we want to
have 2 new investigators each week, we want to have 2 investigators at
church meeting each week, 3 lessons with investigators and a member
together each week, and president has asked us to look for a miracle
each week, and to tell him in our weekly emails to him. So, I really
am trying to reach these goals, but sometimes it gets disappointing
when it doesn't go the way you want. I just pray that the Lord will
help us along the way, and I pray that I can trust in Him, and put my
whole heart into the work and be strong.

Yes, it is nice to share my talent of piano playing. the young girl is
14. She is great fun and i love her.

Well, i honestly can't think of much else to say this week. I love you
and pray for you all. I hope everyone is well and please keep me
updated in everything. I can't pray for you all enough. I am trying to
work really hard, and I know the Lord gives me strength each and
everyday. I love Him, and I am grateful for all the blessings He has
given to us. I have been given much, and I know that He expects a lot
out of me. So i am really trying. I love you all and hope that this
week is another wonderful one! Until your next emails!!

Hugs and kisses!
The one and only Sister Acacia Brown

hello lovely 12 January 2011

Hello!!

As always it is good to hear from everyone. Good to hear from sara and terence!! it has been years! But I am glad you are healing pretty well terence and that things are going good. and sara is already graduating! crazy! and congrats.

Also, did y'all get my package yet? i hope so. Speaking of packages, I got some letters and packages from grandma and grandpa brown, grandma read, aunt kristi, and aunt lois this week. thank you thank you!!! It was wonderful to get them and I felt greatly loved. Every time i open a letter or package i get teary eyed. either I am going crazy, or I am just really really grateful to have so much support and love from home. Thanks!

This week has been slower, but good. It has been a little challenging for me with a mini missionary, but I am trying to work my hardest and show the Lord that I really want to reach our goals. Our mission set some new goals to reach by March 31, and i am pretty excited about it. Now we just need to get my mini missionary excited about them too : ) I really pray that as we rely on the inspiration of the Lord and that as we set goals and show the Lord that we are working towards them, that we can accomplish these goals and the work we were sent here to do. Sometimes when we don't get as many contacts as I would like and when people don't show up for meetings, and when we have no progressing investigators, it is really easy to get down on yourself and wonder, what am i doing wrong? But I know without a doubt that prayer helps. That communicating with the Lord is a huge part of missionary work and a part of our lives. I pray everyday for enthusiasm and love for this work and for these people. And the Lord helps to give these things to me.

This week we did have one great lesson with one of our english investigators. We taught her about joseph smith and the book of mormon. She seemed very excited and interested in the message and said she will definitely read. I was very excited and was like yea! my first book of mormon as senior companion! I pray that as we continue to meet with her that she will accept the message and understand what we teach her. I have realized that testimony is huge. Bearing your personal testimony, everyday, everywhere you go, with everyone you meet, is the most important thing that we can do as missionaries and members of this true church.

Dad, i think there are probably more women members here in the church than men. And yes, there is a local branch president. So that is great and he has a great supportive family. Usually they fill all the callings with members here, but as missionaries we are still expected by the branch members to be involved and have a part in everything that is done. What we need to do is help them but not hinder them, so that they can function as a branch if there were no missionaries here.

This week I taught my first piano lesson to a young girl in the ward. Like no one knows how to play the piano, and I thought it would be helpful if people other than the missionaries knew how to play the piano, so I am teaching piano to her as some service and hopefully one day she will be a great piano artist!! And Ange, I have my mini missionary basically this whole transfer.

Well everyone, i think that is about it for the week. I am sure there is more to say but I already forgot. I am glad you get to go down to kanab and that dallin gets his patriarchal blessing. I am very excited for you d man. When you get your blessing, read it often. I have only realized now the importance of these blessings, and I know that I still have much much more to learn. Read it. Whenever your having a hard time, read it. It is revelation from God to you, and it will help you in everything. I have realized the great comfort that actually comes from reading and pondering on that blessing here on my mission.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week. Be safe and have fun. I am glad to hear that dad is doing well. I pray for you everyday. Keep me updated please. Let me know what I can do for you all. I love you. Great to hear from everyone. Until next week!!

Hugs and Kisses,
Sister Brown

It's a new year..and it's gonna be a good one!! January 5, 2011

Hello my dear dear loves!!

I don't know why but this week i was really really looking forward to hearing from you all today. This week seems like it has been forever, so to me thursday took a while to get here. But now I have read your emails and am glad to hear that things are going well. I am very glad that you all have enjoyed the holidays, and pray that everything goes well as you get back to school and work and all that jazz. So one question? Dad are you healthy enough that you can still go to work and things? Did you miss a lot of work in the process? Well anyways, I cannot say how very very excited i am for Dallin and that grandpa can give him his patriarchal blessing. What a wonderful wonderful opportunity!!! Dallin i am proud of you! Hang in there, and I love you!! Man, terence had shoulder surgery again?! what is up with that? Well, i hope he heals fast. That is fun that sara made him brazilian beans and rice. yummy!

So new years for us was pretty fun. We all gathered at the Moore's because we didn't want to be outside with all the crazies. Fireworks went crazy for new years eve and for a few days even after that. I think they are pretty much done now though. So when we were at the moore's all of us missionaries had a yummy dinner together and then we were allowed to watch a movie. it was pretty funny because we were watching "the best two years" and then we looked at our watches and it was already 5 min. past 12. So we said Opps!! stopped the movie, and then said happy new year to everyone, and then finished the movie real quick and the moore's took us to our apts.

It was very enjoyable for me to be able to get some cleaning done in our apt. the next day. It was super weird to just sit inside all day, but it was good to get some things done there. Sister chetina left on sunday, and it was sad :( So she should be at her home today. Crazy. And yes, dad, the Lowry's left in december and picked their son up from his mission in argentina and then went home. Crazy that everyone is leaving. But anyways, now I am with my mini missionary and am senior companion. I feel like i have no idea what i am doing!!!! A mini missionary is a young adult who is in our mission and in one of the branches. Pres. Woolley just sent them on a short mission to get some experience before going on a real mission if they would like to. So, I am with Sister Muhina from the town of Nizhney. She will soon turn 21 and wants to go on a real mission. So i pray I can help to make that desire greater from her. She will be with me about this whole next transfer, and then goes back home to work. It is kinda weird because they don't always have the same rules as us because they are not "real" missionaries, Like they still have contact with the outside world and things. But anyways, things are going pretty good. Right now is a little tougher time with our investigators. We have no progressing ones. And I am just a new senior missionary and don't have the best language skills and don't really know what to do. No one wants to meet with us because the holidays are still going. A lot of people are out of town. And when we go contacting we just walk around and around in the freezing cold weather and see about only 2 people. So, right now is a little tougher time, but I pray that it gets better. I will try to do all I can to rely on the Lord and spend my time where the Lord would have me. I just want people to be interested in the gospel and they only seem to be interested in english. But anyways, things will get better and as I rely on the Lord things will work out.

Dad, you asked about the pictures in the newsletter. One is Anya, she got baptized not long after I arrived in Almaty. she is amazing and wonderful, but has a small baby, no husband, and no job. She has been trying to figure out what she can do with her young daughter so that she can find a job and earn a living. We are trying our best to support and love her, and do all we can to help her. She is very active in the church and so so sweet. Eva is a young girl, whose grandmother and uncle are members of the church. She came one time to church with her grandma and said that she wanted to be baptized. She is 10 years old, and we started teaching her. She is a sweet little thing. I pray that her grandma will still support and encourage her as they all come to church together. And then masha and nastia just got baptized last thursday. They are twins and just so amazing. I pray with all my heart that they stay active and that we can help them do so. They work a lot though, and I don't think their family understands about the church and all. But, I pray that we can work through the Lord to help them and to increase their knowledge even more about the gospel. We had a lesson with them yesterday, and I struggled really hard to try and explain to them about the priesthood and the organization of the church in Russian. It was difficult, and I felt stupid, but I pray that I didn't say anything completely wrong and that she understood and felt the spirit. And yes, in Voronezh my and sister gorkavenko's investigator, Olya, got baptized on Christmas day. I was very very excited to hear so. But as always sad and a little heart broken that I could not be there for her. Pres. let sister Gorkavenko be there for the baptism, but he said that almaty was too far away. That's ok though, i understand, it is just a hard part about being a missionary when you have wonderful investigators and aren't there for them when they actually take the big step of baptism. I am very excited for her though. Very very.

That's kinda funny that you fasted for me on Sunday, because I fasted for you all and for dad. I believe I felt some peace. Well, mom, thank you for the words of comfort. I am trying really hard and trying to be very humble. I feel like I have been given a lot of weaknesses here on my mission especially, and I look at other missionaries who are so smart and personable and good at the language and happy and enthusiastic and baptizing alot and always have a lot of investigators, and I just think, man, how do the do that? How are they good at everything? But I'm doing my best not to compare. I have been given weaknesses and they definitely help to keep me humble, and put my trust in God, and not in the arm of flesh. I know that I cannot do anything without my Heavenly Father and Savior. That is one thing i have learned on my mission. I can't do everything on my own, and I am not meant to do so.

Dallin congrats again that you will get your patriarchal blessing. I love you and know that you are doing the right thing. I miss you and pray all the time that you are doing well.

Well, i think that's about it for this week! I am very happy to hear that things are going pretty well. I love you all! I pray that you all stay healthy and safe and don't forget about the most important things in life. Have a great week! And until next week!

All my love,

Sister Brown

Happy New Year!! 31 December 2010

Hello everyone!!

I love you! It was great to talk to you all on Christmas and it was so weird to see you and hear your voices, but it was awesome! I loved it. I forgot to wish mom and dad a happy anniversary when i called, so now it's late, but I'm glad that you had a wonderful day. Christmas day we just made our phone calls, and then we had lunch at a members home and then there was a baptism, and then there was the branch christmas party. So it was pretty fun and we got no "missionary work" done, so it was weird. Today is our pday, and then tonight we have to be indoors at 6pm because there will be crazy drunk people wandering the streets. So, at six we will all meet at the Moore's apt, and we will have some fun there. President is allowing us to watch 2 movies he approved, and we will have dinner and snacks and games. And then we need to be at our apts at 12:30am. So for safety reasons, the moore's will take us home. And tomorrow, the president says that we are not even allowed to leave our apt. The 31st and the 1st just are huge party days here I guess. So tomorrow we sit inside ALL day and do deep deep cleaning. So it will be nice to get things cleaned, but it will be weird just sitting around. My companion leaves on Sunday for home, so she will be packing up all day. It is sad to see her leave a place that she has grown to love so much. Just so you know, today we went to the most massive of outdoor markets here, and I bought some fun "souvenirs" for you all. I am excited!!! And, I left my jeans in moscow, and so I bought some awesome designer jeans there for super super cheap! I was very very excited. It was crazy there though!! People were running around like chickens with their heads basically cut off. And it was so cold I thought i was going to die. I was so relieved to finally get on our semi warm bus to go home, and then the bus hit a person, and so we all had to leave the bus. and then our second bus broke down, and so we had to get on a third bus. It was a fun little adventure in freezing cold weather, but we survived!!

This week has been pretty much the usual. Well kinda, it has been kinda crazy with the holidays, but it has been good. Yesterday the twins got baptized. We are very excited for them. We set some goals and really wanted to see them baptized, so we are very happy that they were able to enter the waters of baptism.

President called me yesterday and told me about transfers. Since my companion is leaving for home, I will get a new russian mini missionary with me. I will not be training this transfer. But my mini missionary is from the city of Nizhney Novgorod in our mission, and she is 20 years old I think. I am excited and nervous all at the same time. This will be my first time as senior companion, and now everything is up to me :) I have learned some good things from all my companions, and now I hope i can put those all into practice during this next transfer. I know it will not be easy, but I will have the help of the Lord.

Dad there are probably about 70 active members in the branch here in almaty. And president is sending 4 elders to the city of astana to open it up in february I think. Pretty exciting.

Welp, I think that's about it. I love you all. Have a great week and a wonderful new years. Stay safe and healthy and warm!!! All my love! Until next week!

Sister Brown

Christmas bells are ringing...23 December 2010

Hello my dears!!

Thank you for the emails and the loves! I didn't write yesterday because we had zone conference. President is in town with his wife, and so today we will have our missionary christmas party with them. We are all very excited and it should be a wonderful evening. I am glad the week has been going well and that you have enjoyed reading the story of christmas together from the scriptures. Sister Chetina and i have been wanting to do that, but we have not yet found the time. Sad huh? There has been so much stuff going on here and during our study time we are trying to read the book of mormon and finish it in a month. So when ever we have free time we are trying to meet that goal. I'm so excited to talk to and see you all on saturday you don't even know! it will be a great christmas gift. And grandma, i received the email from you with the picture. Thank you, thank you! You are so sweet. I am excited to read the book.

So this week has been a good one. We continue to teach about the birth of our Savior. I really enjoy it. It has been a little frustrating lately, because we have had so many people that don't show up to our meetings. In the past few weeks we have had so little meetings that it has just been pretty disappointing. I think with the holidays coming up people just get busy and don't think to call us and tell us they won't be coming. So that has wasted a lot of time. I pray it gets better.

Oh my goodness! So president told us yesterday some awesome news! So you know how almaty is the only city in kazakhstan open to missionaries and with a branch. Well, the city of Astana will soon be opening to missionaries too!!!!! Great right!! He wants to send in 4 elders first to start setting up the church there. So i don't know if i'll ever get a chance to serve there, but it is just a wonderful miracle. We are all very excited. Astana is in northern kazakhstan up closer to Russia. He also said that sometime soon they want to make kazakhstan its own mission, so it won't be part of the Russia moscow west mission anymore. We were all just so happy to hear that news. Work here is moving slowy, but surely. the work of the Lord truly moves on. We had a ward get together last saturday because it was the birthday of the church being in kazakhstan 10 years.

So it snowed quite a lot here the other day. And it is beautiful. It is like a little white fairy land. At night with all the new years lights up and the white snow it is very pretty. I have not been able to get a good picture yet. Aw, speaking of snow. When it landed on my black coat, you could actually see the shapes of the snow flake because the flakes were so big...can you believe that? I knew that snowflakes had shapes but i just always thought they were so small you could not pick out the shapes of them. But I really saw the shapes!! They are beautiful!! I was so so excited. Sister moore told me that snow in utah is just the same. I don't know why i never noticed it before. oh well. it was fun. I tried to take a picture of it but my camera does not have THAT good enough of a zoom :)

Well i don't know what else to write and i will be talking to you soon!! I love you all and wish you a wonderful holiday season. Be good and nice and have fun! Until, well SOON!!!

С Рождеством!!!! (Merry Christmas!)

Сестра Браун

another week come and gone! 15 December 2010

Hello everyone!!

I am glad to hear that things are going well. yea sis. moore told me she talked to you mom for about an hour. she said that you both just laughed and laughed. and I thought wow thats cool but I was kinda jealous. I thought "hey, that's my mom! i should be talking and laughing with her, not you!" just kidding. but it is kinda weird when i hear that the senior couples here talk to you and I can't. I opened the package of the things I could before christmas and it was so fun!!! They gave it to me at the branch building after FHE and I let the elders help me open it. They had so much fun and screamed like little girls when they saw the bubbles and stickers and things. It was so hilarious!! So I think I am gonna give them some of those fun little things for christmas too, I think they would really enjoy it. And oh my gosh that cookie making thing and the sprinkles are awesome!!! Sister Chetina and I are so excited to make some cookies. They don't really have sprinkles like that to buy here. But seriously thank you, thank you so much for thinking about me and thinking about the others here. Everyone will all be so excited I think. I am a little sad that you spent so much money to send the christmas packages, but I am very grateful and the others will be very grateful too. Thank you for always being so considerate. I told you I sent a package right? It has some awesome kazak chocolate that you will love.

I can't believe this christmas season is already sneaking up on us. Mom and dad and rhen and t, have fun at the game and be safe, ok. I pray you all have a good time together. Dad, about the culture and christmas and things. I don't really think it is too weird for my companion, because she was baptized when she was 13, and so she has been in the church a while. And she said that usually at her home branch they always did american things and had american christmas because they always had missionaries in the branch that they did these things with. Of course here new years is huge and christmas not that big, but she said that they always did something on the 25th for christmas with the branch, so I don't think it is too werid for her. What is up with all us american missionaries americanizing every branch?! I bet people really get kinda of annoyed about that sometimes.

So this past week in our lessons with investigators and our english investigators we have been talking a lot about Christ, and about His atonement and all that he has done for us. I have really enjoyed it and it has got me thinking more about applying the atonement of Christ in my own life. The atonement is a really hard thing for me to fathom sometimes. How could the Savior honestly atone for every single person that lived, lives, or will live on the earth. And He atoned for every single sin, mistake, heartache, pain, weakness, etc. He honestly understands how every single one of us feels. It is hard for my human brain to understand, but I know it is true. I know that through the atonement of Jesus Christ, we can truly be forgiven for all of our sins if we are truly desirous and truly repentant. I was talking to someone the other day and we were talking about the atonement, and how it is very important that we forgive others, because when we forgive others we are working through the atonement, and we are letting the atonement help people repent and be forgiven. And then she said how we also need to forgive ourselves. She said that if we don't forgive ourselves for our mistakes and sins, that we are not truly partaking of the atonement and letting the atonement work in our lives. I never really thought about it that way. I never thought that if I were to keep beating myself up about past mistakes, that I was disregarding the atonement. But now I understand better. Even though it is hard to forgive ourselves at times and forget about our past mistakes, I know that when we do we are truly partaking of the atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ. I know that He does not want to see us continue to beat ourselves up about things that He has already died and suffered to forgive. He loves us dearly, and He wants us to forgive ourselves, and move on. I know this is true. And I know that as we always rely on our Heavenly Father and Savior, that we can truly become clean, and become better people each and every day. For this I am forever grateful. And during this holiday season I am so so so grateful for the atoning sacrifice of my Savior, brother, and friend Jesus Christ. May the spirit of Christ be with you all this wonderful holiday season.

About the phone call. I am very excited!!! I will be calling you (or you calling me?) at 8:30 AM on christmas morning here. Which will be 7:30 PM christmas eve for you. So be ready then!!!!!

Next pday we have zone conference, so I won't email on thursday. We might have some time friday morning to send a quick email. But if not, i will talk to you on your friday evening! oh my gosh. this is crazy sauce. i can't believe it is already christmas.

Well, have a wonderful christmas holiday. Be safe, nice, and do what's right. Enjoy this week, and don't forget about the true spirit of Christmas. All my love! Talk to you next week!!!

Loves,
Sister Brown

Christmas is coming 8 December 2010

Hello my dear family!!!

Sounds like christmas is on its way for you all!! Here it is not too much of a big thing, but we will be doing something with the missionaries and with the ward. With a lot of muslims living here, not many people celebrate the birth of Christ. They know what it is, but the big holiday is new years. That is when everyone does presents and things. But anyways, im glad to hear that everyone is staying safe and keeping busy. Sounds like you all had a lot of fun at your parties. Man, you are just the party people!! Anyways, lets think....this past week has been a good one. It snowed and got super super cold. But now it has warmed up a little bit and the snow is all mushy and nasty brown and black. But it was pretty for a day! On sunday when we walked to church is was so so cold!!! I think it was about -5 F. can you believe that! pretty crazy. Im nervous for january and feb. I heard those months are the coldest. Ill have to let you know. I am just very grateful at this time of year to have a warm apt. and to have warm clothes. I can't imagine living without them.

Anyways, our investigators are moving along well. We met with a few new people this week and so that has been good. President just emailed me and told me that there is a woman that lives quite a ways from almaty, but she communicates with a member in america. And she loves to read the liahona. So, we are going to get a hold of her and see if we can make some visits out to see her. I am very excited.

The other day one of our investigators brought her friend who was interested in english, and also in arguing about religion. He is very very serious about his religion, but after our english section, we felt impressed to share with him the restoration of the gospel, even though we felt like he would want to argue with us. It was kinda funny, because my companion, she is usually pretty straight forward anyways, but she said at the beginning of our lesson, "ok, so we want to share with you this message, but I have a feeling that you will want to argue with us. So if you could just not argue with us and listen and nicely discuss this" He agreed to the conditions, but he argued with us anyways throughout the lesson. Usually when we teach women they don't argue with us like that, so it was a little different and I didn't really know how to handle what he said or how to answer his questions. But, throughout the lesson I felt very very strongly that the church is true. And it just broke my heart that he wouldn't accept our message. Like many people in this world, I think he is searching for a sign. He thought it was silly that we prayed about the book of mormon and received answers, and he wanted us to prove to him everything we were saying through the bible. He said he reads the bible and believes in it and loves it, and that is all he needs. We tried to explain to him that these things can not be proven by science, but they are answers that you can only receive through the holy ghost. I went home kinda upset that night, thinking why am I hear struggling to share the gospel and share my testimony in a different language, and people don't even listen and don't even care to open their hearts. I just prayed that night that somehow and at sometime his heart would be opened and that he will accept the gospel and all the blessings and happiness that come with it. And then last night we had a lesson with a woman and I tried to share the message of the restoration with her. And the whole time she was just correcting my russian. I started to get kinda frustrated and thought come on people! Im sharing a message with you and your not even listening!!! Its ok, Im good about it now. It is just the ups and downs that come along with missionary work. Despite that, I know that this church is true, even if people don't listen to us and think at times that we are silly for believing what we do. Im sorry for being not so positive in this little section, but I just wanted to share with you an experience that I had, and even though it was tough in the moment, it really strengthened my testimony.

I have to tell you that here, all the babies and young children have the biggest, chunkiest, and cutest cheeks and faces that I have seen in my entire life!!!! its awesome!!! I just want to squeeze them! ok enough of that.

Thank you mom for the articles, i have not read them yet but I am excited. Well, I love you all and wish you all the best during this wonderful holiday season. May you always remember the real reason we celebrate christmas. And may you feel the love and peace that comes from the love of our Heavenly Father and Savior. I am so very grateful that our loving Heavenly Father gave us His son, and I am grateful that our Savior loved us enough to atone for all of our sins, shortcomings, weaknesses, mistakes. The atonement is for EVERYONE!! And this christmas I am so very grateful for it. I love you all! Have a wonderful december week! until next week!!!

All my love!! hugs and kisses!

Sister Brown

already december!! 1 December 2010

Hello my dears!!

Thank you for the emails. It is as always great to hear from you. Sad to hear about the game, but happy to hear that everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving together. I hope you all gave each other lots of hugs and kisses from me!! Ok, yes mom, I did see the first package you sent, and I will let you know when we get the second one. Sister Moore will not let me open it up! But that is good, i will be grateful to have something to open on christmas day. That is fun that you are already getting your christmas decorations up. Man, i love this time of year. It is strange that it is so cold there. Here it is quite nice, we have not had snow yet. You all be careful in that snowy and icy weather. Don't do anything stupid, or you will give me one more thing to worry about.

We had our thanksgiving dinner with our investigators. It was at the moore's apartment and we were sad when it all ended. Sister moore found a turkey out here, so we ate turkey!!!! cool huh!! I was excited. It made everything feel a little more real. I really think all of our investigators enjoyed the evening too. They have a lot of christmas lights put up here in almaty. It is very pretty. I think there are so many because this year is the Asian Winter Olympics here, and I think they want it to look pretty for all the visitors coming in. So that is fun. I want to wait until we have some good snow so that I can take some really pretty pictures with the lights. Hope its soon!!

Our investigators are doing well. We are really enjoying teaching them all and pray that we can help them progress and receive answers to their questions. We found a new contact the other day and we met with her, she is just awesome. I am really excited to work with her and see her progress. She was baptized not long ago in the Russian Orthodox church, but thats ok. It shows that she is searching for something and wanting to grow closer to God. We had an open house at the branch building the other day, and gave tours of the building and explained who were are as a church and what we believe. Not a ton of people came, but more than a few. So that was good.

Well, I don't have any other big news this week. I am trying to put together just a little christmas and new years package together for you all. It is nothing big, so don't get too excited about it, but I just wanted to send you some love from me!! I hope I can get it sent off sometime soon so it gets to you before next summer! All the missionaries in the district want to do a bunch of things today, so i don't know if getting to the post office will get done. Just remember that if it gets there later than the new year that I still love you very very much.

Well, I love you all. I pray that you all have a wonderful week, and remember to stay close to the Lord. Like I always say, keep saying your prayers and reading your scriptures, go to church, and serve and love one another. Have a great day!! Until next week! All my love!!!!

Sister Brown