December 23 - Week 14

12/23/13

Merry Christmas from Africa!

I am really looking forward to talking to family on Christmas. This week has been an ok one. A bit of a rough week, but it was expected. The week right before Christmas is pretty slow around here. Everyone is gone so there is no one to teach, and the appointments we did have mostly cancelled. We normally only have 2 lessons a day. I am having a good time with my new companion Elder Robins. He is a really great kid, and we have really been getting along. We have really similar personalities so it works out well. He is still quiet in lessons, but that is really normal for new missionaries. It has been great for me because I have had to start teaching everything in lessons. I have been relying a lot on the spirit to speak through me. It has been really awesome to do this.

I am doing great, and am really enjoying the work i am doing. I know that even when there is no one to teach we are out planting seeds for the next missionaries that will serve here. I will hear from you on Wednesday. We have mostly just been walking around and wishing people a merry Christmas. It is very weird doing this because we are sweating as we walk around in about 90-degree weather. It doesn't even seem like Christmas here, but I think it is a good thing. If it seemed like a normal Christmas I would miss home a lot more.

Training has been really fun. It has been fun to take elder Robins to all these new places, and to teach him new things about the culture. It is fun just to see his reactions about different things that I forgot were different about home. He is an awesome kid, and he has a great desire to serve. He is 19 years old. He is from Burley, Idaho; it is a small place like Cedar. He went to one year of College before he came. I really have been enjoying working with him.

Well it was a National Holiday last Monday: Reconciliation Day. Everyone I asked didn't even know what the holiday was. All they knew is it was a Holiday and they could have fun. About Mandela stuff has been everywhere. Everyone is still celebrating his life and things. Whenever we would walk into anyone's home the TV would be on with a program about Mandela. It is getting a bit annoying. Even the people here are getting annoyed by it.

I have been getting a whole bunch of ornaments this past week. My tree is overflowing, and I have been sticking them on the wall around it now. I have gotten them from cousins on the Jones side mostly. I will try to make a list of everyone, and send a picture. Thank you for all the wonderful letters, and notes.

So our Christmas schedule is pretty relaxed. We have a Christmas Devotional in the morning at 11, and then we are eating with all the other missionaries. We then have the rest of the day to do whatever we want. I think it will just be companion and myself, so we have all the time we need. I am planning on us being on around 8 am your time.

I am really enjoying this time of year here. It doesn't seem like Christmas at all here, but it is to the people. It makes it easy to just walk up to people’s doors and say "can we share the Christmas story with you." We then share with them in Luke 2 about Christ’s birth. It has been really nice to spread Christmas cheer and to somewhat feel of the Christmas spirit. I really look forward to hearing from you on Christmas. Today I am going to get myself a present. I am going to finally buy the black shoes I asked about. I love you and I'll hear from you on Wednesday.

Love

Your Son

Elder Mitchell York Brown