hello Nizhney!!! 30 June 2011

Me with Ipara and her daughter : )

My last FHE in almaty!!

Hello everyone!

Great to hear from you! As always, I love hearing from you. Everyone sounds good. That is great. Dad, I have seen that video, I watched it last week. Pretty cool right? And yea, that is the language that I speak. I don’t sound too much like her, because she is Russian and has a real accent. I have an American one. Oh well.

So, I am writing you right now from the seniors couple in Nizhney Novgorod. They are the Lovetts from las vegas. They are cool. So yea, I got a call Friday telling me that I would be on the early flight from almaty to Moscow on Monday. So, it was very quick having to say goodbye to everyone, but, I think I got it all done.

I am excited to be here. It is just different. I am here with sister taggart. Except for right now we are in a 3 some with another sister who is waiting for her visa to go to Kazakhstan and take my spot. I got into the office Monday morning and hung out there and did random assignments there, and then Monday night I took the train to nizhney. It was weird and is kinda spastic because Tuesday we spent the day packing up and calling taxis, because we have to move to the other sisters apartment that is here. They are doing a remodel on the one we were in, and so we moved into the other. To make a long story short, there were 2 companionship's of sisters here before, one had the upper area above the river, the other worked in the lower area below the river. And each area has its own branch. But just before I came president took one companionship out, and so now it is just me and sister taggart. And we are living in the lower branch area, but are supposed to work in both areas and take turns attending the different sacrament meetings. So, it will be busy with traveling time from place to place, and I am worried that none of the members will even get to know me because we will be switching so much and I don’t have much time here. But, that is ok. I am wanting to get to work and to really set up some great lessons and really get to know the investigators and the members here.

So tuesday we moved. We opened the apt. door and I just looked and said “wow, now this is truly a Russian grandma apartment!” It is not like a horrible apt. and I don’t want to complain, but it is definitely the oldest and most un-nice apartment that I have seen on my entire mission. It is just kinda a dark and old place. There is no room for a fridge in the kitchen, so it sits in our front hallway by the front door : ) And there is one of those creepy old looking gas water heaters that we have to turn on to warm our water and showers. So, that kinda freaks me out a little bit, but its all good. I'm getting used to it. I like the apt. I just need some time to clean it up and organize it and make it look better : )

So Nizhney is good. I miss almaty, but it is great to get to know a new place too. Ipara in almaty has a baptismal date on Saturday. So I am really excited for her. I will not be there, but I can still call and talk to her. It was sad to say goodbye, but she is in good hands with sister cianflone there. Ps…..it is pretty hot here in nizhney. I don’t know why it is so hot here, because it is like the most northern city in the mission. But it is definitely hotter here than in almaty . which is weird. It reminds me of last summer in Voronezh. The good ol’ days when you wake up and are sweating, and your makeup is sweating off as you are putting it on. Yep, those days are back. I missed them!

Well, I honestly don't know what else to tell you. Not a whole lot of things have been going on right now. Just sayin goodbye in Almaty and coming here and moving and trying to get settled in and used to the new area. It should be great. And I keep praying that these will be some great weeks here also. Sister gorkavenko wrote me a quick email, and she is home. She just said that things were good and she was busy. Crazy she is already home, and that we live half a world apart. She is great. I am glad that she seems to be doing well. Anyways. Things are good. I am glad to hear that things are going well. I am praying for dallin and hope all things work out to the Lord's will with his job and things. I hope ange had fun at camp. Our camp was good. Just one night. Our investigators came, so that was awesome. Well, I love you all! Have a great week! Until next!!!

All my love!

Sister Brown

I hate goodbyes........22 June 2011

Hello everyone!!!

First off, I loved those pictures!!!!! It was so great to see everyone in them. that is so fun! Im glad you all enjoyed yourselves and stayed safe. Those cottages look huge!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so surprised, I have not seen something that big and amazing in years! And what is up with rhen and terence's facial hair? And those lovely camouflage pants of rhen's?! man, they look like some nice rednecks that grew up in south carolina. but that's fun. It gave me a good laugh. It really sounds like everyone is keeping busy. Don't go crazy though. Angela, don't try to get tan like I was that summer before I left on my mission. I was stupid and will probably have sun cancer sometime soon. but anyways, I am so white now you won't even believe it! but I am proud of it. just so you know, we are taking a girls day when i get home and getting pedicures. I neeed one terribly terribly bad! And my companion reminds me of it everyday. but we have decided that my horrible feet are the glory that I have received from all my work. So, we both decided I need to go home and show off all my glory feet before I fix them. ok, that was a gross story, but whatev, its my life.

Welp, this past tuesday was a sad sad day. My lovely Sister Gorkavenko left me...its was super sad and weird. She left at like 4 am, and so all the sisters slept together at their apt. And then when it was 4 I had to say goodbye. It was super weird. We were both so tired and she was running out the door because her ride was waiting, So it was a super quick goodbye. I didn't cry when she was there. But immediately when she left and I went back to bed I cried. And then when I woke up in the morning, I realized, wow, she is really really gone. Crazy. So, i have really been missing her these past days. I am trying super hard to stay focused, but sometimes it is hard. A huge group of missionaries left with sis G, and they are all amazing. And Elder Cecil (who goes home with me) is getting super trunky. So with Sister G leaving, and so many others, and an Elder to help me get trunky, sometimes it is hard to focus and difficult to not think about all those things. But I am trying really hard. I know, I told sister G so many times that we would love love for her to come visit. She kept saying she doesn't know. I think for one it is very expensive, and she might be a little stubborn about visiting the "amazing and perfect America" that everyone talks about around here. But we will see. If she doesn't make it out to America, then sometime down the road I would love to save up enough money to go back to Russia and see her family. But yes, I would really really really want her to come see all of my lovely family. She would think that you are all super funny and crazy, because you are!!

Welp, you have probably learned that this mission here and our president loves to throw curve balls. So, we had zone conference last friday, and president was here, and had interviews with us. And, he threw me another curve ball. So, I supposedly will not be serving in Kazakhstan until the end. He wants to send me to Nizhney Novgorod again, for the last transfer, to be with sister taggart again (girl from my freshman ward at BYU). So, i guess i will be going there. but there have been a few problems with my visa, so by the time I get there i will probably have like 4 weeks there or so. so we will see. Next time I write I am hoping that I will already be in Nizhney, but we will have to see. President just said he wanted me to have an opportunity to serve in more than just 2 areas on my mission. I am excited but sad of course. In my head i really expected to be here till the end and had been telling all the members and investigators that. So, this was just a surprise. But, those things just come with the mission. I don't know if I will be here for Ipara's baptism. But, I know that Sister Cianflone will take very good care of her and all our investigators. She is a great missionary and powerful testifier.

So, let me tell you the super cool and spiritual news of this week. So do you remember me telling you about our investigator who is american? She is from arizona I believe, and she is here in Kazakhstan because she is working with the peace corps for two years. she has been placed in a super small city super far away, so we have lessons with her over the phone. She knows a lot about the church because her boyfriend is a member, and they have talked about it. And she went to church a few times in the states. But she has never investigated with the missionaries. So, we are her first missionaries, and it is pretty cool. We invited her to be baptized, and she had concerns about what her family would think, and she wanted to do this for herself and not just for her boyfriend. She is amazing though, always reading and praying. She already follows like all the commandments, and knows a ton. She really has been searching and wanting to know for herself. And so we invited her to be baptized, but she wasn't sure and asked us to ask her again on our next lesson. And so we called back and she started telling us about how she had been thinking about baptism of course, and all the answers she has received from the Lord, and she realized that she already had received all the answers she needed. She called up her boyfriend in america and asked him to come to almaty, Kazakhstan and bring her mother with him, because she wanted to be baptized. So, she will be baptized in November of this year, when she will come to almaty for a work conference. We are so so so excited for her! And the whole time we were talking to her I just thought wow. It is so true that the Lord is really in all the details of our lives. Who knew that she needed to come to Kazakhstan to find out the truth for herself. Who knew that President woolley would put two american sisters together in Almaty so that we could teach this sister in english (he doesn't put american sisters together very often in almaty). Who knew?! It is pretty amazing that I can be involved in this work. I feel honored to teach her, and to help her grow closer to our Savior. I know the Lord knows all. And as we listen to the still small spirit, we will be where we need to be when we need to be and with whom we need to be. And this helps us to become all that the Lord would have us to be. I am so happy the Lord prepared me throughout my life to be ready for this mission, even though I personally never planned on it or thought about it. And when the time came, I was ready, and I could get my papers ready quickly and just take off. If I didn't leave on my mission when I did, I may have never met the amazing people I know here, and may have never known the amazing sisters I have had the opportunity to serve with. And I may have never had the opportunity to teach Ipara or this wonderful amazing spiritual and sweet girl from america. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father and Savior. I know they watch out for us, always.

So this week president told us that we get to go to girls camp here with the young women. so we are super excited and it should be way fun. We are having some investigators come too. It is only for one night, but it should be great! We are really excited. Our mission president is super cool.

Well. I think that is about it for the week. I am glad to hear from you all. Remember I love you. Remember who you are, and that the gospel is true!!! Have a great week! Until next week!

All my love, hugs and kisses!!!!!!

XoXoOOXxxOOoxoxoOXoXO

Sister Brown

15 June 2011

So this picture was taken a little while ago, when our greenies came. It is of our district, my new companion, Sister Cianflone, is the one next to me on my right.

Us in the hail storm!!!! hahaha

Hello!!

I am glad to hear from you all and hear that things are going well! Angela, thanks for writing, and I am glad that trek was a great experience for you. To be honest, i don't remember who my parents were on trek, but that is pretty awesome that you have them too! Hey, tell dman if he has time to write me an email next time and let me know how life is going for him. I miss him tons. oh, before i forget.....Happy Father's day daddy!!!!!!!! I hope you have a great one and remember how much I love you and what a great example you are to me!!!!! Have fun with the fam up at the ranch, and stay safe! Ride a horse and catch a fish for me! do you remember that one time we went fishing in provo with rhen and one of his roommates, and then joe totally took a huge fall into that mucky water!!!?? that was super funny i remember!

Oh man, what to tell you about this week. Well, we have been in a companionship of three with sister dick. It has been lots of fun, and at the same time we have kept busy and worked hard. Sister G is with Olga from Voronezh, and it has been very fun to have her here and to see how much she has grown since I taught her as an investigator.

So i guess i will start off at the beginning of the week. So, last thursday after I wrote to y'all, we went up into the mountains as a district. And down here in the city it was super hot and sunny and we were like dying. And then, we got a taxi up pretty high, and then started hiking from there. It didn't seem like we were hiking up super high, but it was getting a little chilly. We found this beautiful waterfall and then we stopped to have a little lunch. And then, the fun started. It started raining a little bit, and then little tiny hail started to fall slowly. So we just hung out there and thought we could wait it out. NOPE!!!! the hail starting getting so big and fast and hard. And it hurt so dang bad!!!! we just started screaming and grabbed our stuff and started running down the mountain as fast a we could. It was so painful we literally thought something real bad was gonna happen. and it didn't let up. our arms and body were so red because we got pelted so hard by the hail. We finally found a little overhang and hung out there. It still didn't let up. But we just booked it and ran from little overhang to little overhang. It was pretty scary, but pretty funny too. I will send you some pictures if i can get them.

ps....mom, i just read your email, and loved it!!!! have fun out at dinner with the big married kids!

Friday was a good day too. The moore's took us out to our final "cleaning check lunch" with them. They took us to this beautiful uzbekistan restaurant, and it was very delicious!!!! I need to learn how to make some awesome traditional foods like that. Saturday as a district we went and sang hymns in a park and contacted. it was fun. But then people got upset with us being there and said that we are not allowed to be there. And the policemen came, twice, and tried to kick us out, but then after showing them our papers and documents, they realized that we have every right to be there and to proselyte. They are all just upset because so many muslims are here, and they don't like to hear from Christians. Sunday was another good sunday. I love meeting with the members and seeing them there! Other than those events, this week has pretty much been the same. We have met with a few new people, and that has been great. I hope things work out with them. Tomorrow we are having zone conference with president. So that will be great. And it is sister Dick's birthday, and we need to think of something awesome to do for her. We will probably do something today for p day with president, because he flew in this morning. So we will see!

Our investigators are doing well! I love working with them and continue to pray that we can help them to draw closer to Christ and resolve their concerns.

Welp, i love you all, and I love my mission. I pray that I can stay happy and positive and do all that I can do. I am really trying not to get trunky, but everyone else around me is!!!! Have a safe week and a wonderful time. Remember how much I love you!!!! Until next week!

Sister Brown

what up?! 8 June 2011

Hello!!!

Hey everyone! it is good to hear from you! wow, i didn't even know that Melissa was pregnant!!!!! and now she has another baby, that is crazy! but awesome. I am glad to hear that everyone is doing well. I hope things go well this week for ange at trek. have fun and be good!!! I always loved trek, at least i think : ) And boys, have fun at your little camping outing together, and be safe. I pray that you all have fun and are safe in all your travels. Dad, I told Sister Gorkavenko that you will clean out a room for her, and she laughed. She leaves her mission in 2 weeks, and I am actually super depressed about it. I will cry buckets that day! I try not to think about it too much, but she has honestly become like my best friend on the mission, like a 3rd sister to me. She is great. But yesterday I thought about it a lot, because she was telling me that for her it is just now starting to hit her, that her mission is ending. weird. This morning we got a mini sister missionary. From voronezh!!!! I know i told you about Olga in voronezh. The girl that sister gorkavenko and i were teaching for a really long time. And then i left, and eventually sister gorkavenko left, and then the elders kept teaching her. and she was baptized in december, and now she is on a mini mission with sister gorkavenko. awesome right! It is fun to see her. But it also makes it that me and sister cianflone and sister dick will be in a three-some for the next 2 weeks, until sister dick gets her real new companion when sister gorka and Olga leave. So, we will be the 3 of us awesome american sisters together. It should be pretty fun, but probably a little crazy too. We will try to work really hard. It is always awkward attacking a person on the street with three people though!

Lets see. Our investigators Ipara and Elmira are still doing well. We love them. I love the members here too. They are so great. Lately we have had some more lessons, and that has been really really nice. I hope we can keep that up and stay busy, so i don't have too much time to think and go crazy.

Ok, so i just had another really great haircut experience again this week. It is the same man that has been cutting my hair, and usually he does pretty well. So i told him again what I wanted, and he is like ok cool i understand. But then he didn't just give me a trim. He cut it like super short!!! shorter than i have ever had it. So i was pretty annoyed, and hate waking up the the morning and lookin in the mirror. i feel like a man! i know its not that bad. I just exaggerate. I just wish that hair cutting people would just listen to me!!

I am still working on reading Jesus the Christ. and it has been awesome. It is also a mission goal to read and ponder on the Pearl of Great Price. So i need to start that too. And I also have a personal goal to finish the Doctrine and Covenants before the end of my mission. I have so many things that I feel like I haven't completed on my mission, that when I think about them all I just get really frustrated with myself.

All in all, things are going pretty well. Even though there are hard days, and I get down on myself (it seems like more often than not these days,) I am trying my best to be happy and not let satan bring me down. The work is going well, and I still want to do great things.

Well family, i don't know what else to say. Letters seems so hard for me to write these days : ) Oh gma! thank you for the card! i just received it and read it. thank you!! I love you all! keep doin what is right and be happy! have a great week! Until next week!!

Love always!

Sister Brown