Hello everyone!!!!!
Wow, can i just say wow. it sounds like everyone had a pretty exciting week, and that everyone is still planning some more exciting things. Have fun and be safe in all your travels. I am so happy to hear that D-man got the job at Nuskin!! way to go man! that will be fun! And you will do great! it is always fun to talk to random people on the phones. at least in english! but dude, that is awesome. keep up the good work and do what is right and just have fun in your job. I hope you meet some great friends there too. Here for the fourth of july we had family night at the branch. 1 investigator came and a few members. For our "celebration" we had cookies and juice and red and blue napkins. Fun right?! nothing like your fireworks, but it was fun. I always love being around the members. They are great.
So, Ipara did get baptized on saturday!!!! I was so so so happy for her. Before the baptism I called her and talked to her for a little bit. She sounded great and was excited i called. I have talked with sis cianflone already too, and she said the baptism was also wonderful. I wish i could have been there, but my heart was there and I am glad I had the opportunity to call Ipara before the baptism. I pray she felt my support. Sis. cianflone said that at the baptism Ipara probably told her like 5 times "hey, did i tell you that sister brown called me? sister brown called me, cool right!" i was so excited.
tonight i get on the night train with two other elders in my mtc group, we all need to go to get new visas. you may be thinking "what?", you just got a visa and just came to russia. it is not a big deal but just a long logistics story of passports to tell, so i won't spend the time typing all the lame details. We will arrive in moscow early tomorrow morning, and then take a flight over to kiev to switch over our visas. I think sister kelly will be in our group too, but i am not sure yet. after the airport the elders are super excited and planning to go to the new wendy's in moscow that just opening up! so we might go there, and then we take another night train tomorrow night back to nizhney. and then get in early saturday morning, and then head to the zone conference with president and the ap's. I hope i will be able to stay awake!!! it should be great. I always love conferences and I love to see president woolley and talk to him.
Well, missionary work here has not been to hot lately. I hope it is not all bad luck that i brought with me. we have gotten a lot of no shows with not many lessons set up in the first place. We really don't have any progressing investigators, and contacting has not been super effective lately. It is so hot and humid outside that people don't seem to want to talk for too long. But, we are trying. Just gotta keep pressing forward. My problem is that I always worry to much about what others think about me, and I don't what people looking at our statistics and being like "wow, what is sister brown doing up there in nizhney??? does she think she can just sit back for her last transfer?""" I am sure they don;t do that. And I know it is not all about statistics. But when that is all you count and report all the time, sometimes it gets a little consuming. But, we are trying hard, and I just need to trust in the Lord and not worry about the numbers. I just want to know that I am doing all that the Lord would have me do and being the type of person and missionary the Lord would have me be.
The other day we had a lovely lesson with a member family. After the lesson the mother walked us home to our apt., and I was talking to her about her conversion story. It was an amazing miraculous story. I loved listening to her tell it. It is mind blowing the things that she has gone through, and how they all somehow led her to where she is now. How it led her to first believe in God, and then search for His true church. I was just thinking and looking at her as she was talking and I just thought "wow" to myself. It is amazing how some people are really just so prepared. Just so prepared to accept the message, and be strong strong members of faith who continue to bring people into the church for generations. She has blessed her entire extended family for the great decisions that she made. It was just awesome to listen to her. The spirit was just so strong and I was just getting goose bumps. I could not help but just smile to myself. It was just a few minutes of pure joy. It is amazing those moments on the mission. They honestly don't happen all the time (contrary to what i thought before I came to the mission field) But they do happen. And measured up to those disappointing and sometime monotonous events, those joyful moments just seem all the sweeter.
Well family. i love you. I love this work. I love these people. I love this place and this country. I love my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ. I love this gospel. I love how we are "all in this together" (lovely quote from a high school musical song i think, wow, i am such a nerd). I love how we have been given the opportunity, duty, means, and ability to share this gospel and the knowledge we have with the world around us. I know that we are all children of our Heavenly Father. And we all need to love all those around, no matter how different we may think they are from us. Thank you for writing. As always i love to hear. Thank you for your loves and support and prayers. I am doing my very best each and everyday to not give up or get trunky. At times it is a very real temptation, especially with all the missionaries reminding you that this is your last transfer. Reminding you that you will leave soon, etc etc. But all is good. I love you! Have a wonderful week. Do what is right! Until next week!
Hugs and kisses from afar!
the one and only sister Brown
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