February 24, 14 - Week 23

Dear Family and Friends

I am doing great. This week has been pretty good.  We have continued to stay busy. We are still teaching some great investigators. One is named Collin, and he is really promising. He will probably be baptized in a few weeks. I am really enjoying the work, even though it is very hard sometimes. I do get discouraged sometimes, but then I remember why I am here.

Thank you for your support. It really helps me get through the days. Thank you for your testimony. I know you have always had a strong testimony, and it has been a great strength to me. I am so grateful for your example of a testimony to me. I have already noticed things getting easier as time goes by. I will be at my 6 month mark on March 17th, so it is coming up really fast. The month of February is gone. time is very weird. It goes very fast and very slow at the same time. 

I hope that Stake conference went well. It sounds like it was a busy two days with a general authority. I hope that your talk went well, I am sure it did. I had to give a talk yesterday, and they told me on Saturday night. I stayed up preparing tell midnight, and I hope it went well. 

I did get the package finally. Everything inside was well. I got the books, and they were not damaged. I have not heard much about the postal strike.  I hope this was a good sign that I got your package and hope to get more of the mail I have not received for the past month.  You asked about transfers and transfers are on March 17th. I still have a few week here with Elder Robins. It will be hard to leave him, I really enjoy him as my companion.

 I am glad you liked the photos I sent. You asked who was in them, they were all just random kids mostly. The man in the picture is one of our members. Three of the little girls were his little sister, and niece. I told you I had been sick but I have been much better. I think it is just something I was eating. I am trying to eat much healthier. It was just a one day thing, I think from something a member had fed us. We are constantly trying to find new people. It is fun to just tract into homes, and just go in and teach. 

Wow that sounds like a very eventful week. That is exciting that Randall is Engaged. That seems a bit weird, but very exciting. You will have to let me know more about Katrina. That is exciting that Calvin continues to better his swim times. I remember swimming at senior state, and there were some really fast swimmers. I really miss swimming, and I can't wait again to race. 

I love you very much. Thank you for the emails. Sorry I was so short in responding today. I love you and I hope you have a great week. 

Love

Elder Mitchell Brown

Pictures - Elder Mitchell Feb. 17

February 17, 2014

Feb. 17, 2014
Dear Mom,

It sounds like it has been a super eventful week! That is super exciting about the Olympics. I have seen some Olympic flashes at member’s houses. I have not seen any of the interesting stuff like snowboarding though. That is sad that there is no snow coming to Cedar. I’m sorry there is no snow and that Brian Head isn't doing well. I guess that makes me not miss it though, and feel bad I am not up snowboarding, that is good. 

This week has been great here. We got 4 new investigators. 3 of them are really promising, and even 2 of them are already on date to be baptized. This will probably happen after I leave the area, but it is good we are teaching some solid people. I think I will be transferred in 4 weeks from tomorrow. It will be good, but I am nervous. I don’t really want a new companion because elder Robins and I get along well. Today is exactly 5 months, and it is awesome. It seems like the time has flown, and also like it has gone really slow. I just try not to focus on the time, even though it is really hard. Interesting things this week, I had to eat chicken feet, and chicken intestines. This was really nasty, but I guess not too bad. 

I am glad you are getting my letters. I have not sent one in a few weeks, so I will get on that. I know I say this every week, so sorry for my procrastination. I have not got a letter from you in a few weeks, so I hope they didn't get burned, because I normally get one every week. I will let you know what I get this week. That is very fun that the family wrote some letters, and I look forward to receiving them.

So my package arrived last week on Wednesday, and the zone leaders go to the office every Thursday morning. They had already left to the office Thursday morning, so they could not get my money to pay for the package. So I will get it this Friday. 

Well it sounds like Calvin has been working very hard this week. That is good that he did, and it sounds like it paid off. Sounds like state swim was very exciting. The team did really well. There were quit a few people to metal, and that is a lot better than last year. I’m proud and excited that Calvin did so well. His times are super fast for being a freshman. I am glad also that Nathan won the 50, and not Makie. That is cool that that both Nathan and Makie did so well in the 100. Is Makie a senior this year? Well you will have to tell the team good job for me. I really miss going to swim meets, and especially supporting Calvin. I also miss just swimming, and being in the water.  I think I will try to do some club swimming when I get back. 

That is fun that you are able to spend time with Ashley when you go up to Salt Lake. That must be really nice having here close. I am glad that you had a good Valentines with the family. That is exciting about Randall, but kind of scary. I hope he is really sure about this. I am sure it will all work out just fine though. (serious with a girl and thinking engagement).  It sounds like you had a fun family gathering preparing for Lance to arrive. It is so weird to think he is home already because it seems like he just left. I still remember being in wood class with him, and it seems like that was just this last school year. 

It sounds like you will have a super busy week. I am sorry, but I am sure you will make it. I hope you don’t get to overwhelm with everything. Good luck and you will have to let me know how Calvin does at senior state this week end.  

I’m glad you got pictures of the animal reserve.  The animal reserve was super fun!! It was just elder Robins and I that went. We just drove our car around. You pay, and you can drive anywhere you want. It was super fun. So the pictures of me are taken by elder Robins. It was a fun day. 

That is fun to hear about Brock Englestead. Again that is weird Lance is home. I am sure that he has matured so much. He was pretty immature before he left, so I am sure he has grown up a whole lot. That is weird he has lost weight because he was already a rod. I have definitely gained weight. I hope I don’t get a mission belly. I have been trying to exercise, and my arms are bigger. I think it is great work to re-activate people because we have like almost 200 on record, and like less than 100 active. So we have a lot to work with trying to re-activate.

Well thank you so much for your support and love. I am doing great, and I have not been homesick for a while. I miss home a lot, and just old routine, but I think that is just part of change in life. Well I love you, and i hope your busy week goes great. 

Love 

Your son

Elder Brown

February 10, 2014 Week 21

Mom thank you so much for your advice and your support. I think it is very true that I need to have more hope. I will continue to desire a positive outcome and hope that things will turn out for the best. I am getting discouraged, but not too much. I still do have an eternal perspective, and I can see why I am here, and keeping my eyes on those goals.  It is just rough not to have more people to teach.

We as missionaries have been taught a lot exactly what dad taught. For the Holy Ghost to bring things to our remembrance we must first know them.  I know that is why our morning study is such an important time. I know the Lord has blessed me many times with remembrance but also directed me what to say.

The teaching has gone much better this week it seems. Our numbers were still about the same, but I felt much better about the week. We have been teaching Refiwe a lot. She is the one we just baptized. She has been learning so much, and she is eager to learn. She asks so many questions which is great. We have also been meeting this kid names Toni. He is an awesome kid. He is 18, and just a few months older than me. His mom is a less active member, and first we went to reactivate her, but we ended up teaching him. He has been learning a lot, but he is still struggling a bit with keeping commitments. When we go teach him we just hang out a bit and talk, then teach. I think this is great because we get to just be friends with him and have fun. I will keep you updated on him. 

 We have been able to take more time to email lately, so I have not been overwhelmed with trying to read and respond back to everyone.   I am able to respond to pretty much everyone that is emailing me.  I am sorry I have not written and mailed a letter for several weeks, but I will try to write one this week. I think that is a good idea to write a letter during the week because when I get here to email I don't remember many details from the week. 

That is crazy to think that Lance is already getting home. It seems like he just barely left. I am like you, it seems like just a few months ago that Justin and him were speaking together in church. That is sad that Justin just missed the funereal of his Grandma’s. 

Companion Elder Robins is doing awesome. He isn't too green anymore. He has been with me now for 9 weeks, and he has learned so much. We will be together for 5 more weeks. He is leading most of our lessons, and he is doing great at teaching. I think he has learned mostly everything. I also have learned so much. I have learned to deal with hard things. Even just walking around township. I think if you saw where I was walking you would be pretty scared. It is great though because I have also learned to rely on the Lord to watch over me. I think it is very true when I get home I think I will be able to handle trials and hardships, because I will  say “I have lived in Africa for 2 years, and I survived that”. 

The weather this last week has been really nice. We haven't been cooking at least with temperatures in the 90’s.  It has been overcast a lot of days, which has kept it a bit cooler, probably in the high 70's. We haven't got much rain, just a bit on and off. The wet season was in December and the first of January. This is the hot summer months right now. That is sad that Rachael in Wisconsin and Marshall in Illinois  is freezing. I don't even remember what it feels like to be cold. My coat that I have has been great. It hasn't been raining too much so I have been ok. I was thinking of buying another coat like a Columbia waterproof one for like winter when it gets colder.  Don’t send anything until I see what is available here. 

 I did not get my package yet. The mail service is still on strike.  I have heard rumors, just like you talked about that they will burn letters sometimes.   I don't think they burn them to catch up, but just to rebel when they are on strike. I hope they will not burn packages. I hope I can get it this coming week, maybe on Friday, which is Valentines Day.  Thanks for trying to get a Valentines to me and Happy Valentines.

That is awesome about Calvin’s times!!! He emailed me also and let me know his places and times. I forgot that Judge and Wasatch moved to 4A, so that is sweet. I got a letter from Cathy Wallace telling me about Nathan, and how Makai Smith is not swimming the 50, do you know why? It sounds like cedar might do pretty well. I really hope that they can, and like you said they could shake it up if everyone improves. Tell the team, or even Richard I am wishing them good luck, and cheering for them from this side of the world.  Go fast Calvin!

I heard about the new temple video from other missionaries that got to go, and they said that they loved it. I hope when I see it that it doesn't make me homesick. It will be fun to see aspen trees and think of the mountain.  I am glad that you are finding time to go to the temple. I know the temple has given me strength every time that I go. Thank you so much for your love and support. I don't think I could make it through without it. Hang in there, and know I love you.

Love 

Your son

Elder Brown

Animal Reserve - South Africa

February 3, 2014 - Week 20

Dear Family and Friends                                                                                    February 3, 2014

You asked about whom we were teaching and how we find investigators.  Well everyday we normally drive from each appointment. We do go tracking and walk up and down the streets. The streets between shacks are normally paved. It is kinda scary sometimes because there are a lot of drunk people.  I will try to write some things down this week to tell you as I email next week so you can know more about my lessons and things I am doing each day, and something about those we are teaching.  

You asked what I was eating; well my diet is basically the same as back home. I have been eating out a lot lately which isn't good. We eat breakfast(cereal, eggs, oats), lunch(frozen pizza, sausage rolls, and other stuff), and dinner we are fed by members some. They feed us rice and chicken a lot. We also eat peanut butter and jelly if we don't get fed because we are lazy when we get back at night.

I am glad to hear about the snow that is finally coming. Our weather is ok here. It hasn't been as hot here this past week. We have had a little bit of rain today, but it was nice. It has cooled it off a little bit. That is a bit of a bummer that dad wasn't able to fly up to Salt Lake. It is good that you got some snow. 

Well I am a bit sad that I missed region swimming. That is too bad to hear about Calvin's heal. I saw the picture on dropbox. Well that is really exciting that Calvin did so well. He probably could have done better if his heal wasn't throbbing, but oh well. Those times were way better than mine at the end of my freshman year, so let him know how proud I am. Thanks for keeping me up on what is going on in the family.

Sorry this letter is a bit of a short response. This week has been good I guess. We didn't have many lessons again, and it was a bit hard to be motivated this week. I have had a hard time getting motivated lately, and I know it's not good. I hope that I will receive your package soon. The Hillams at the mission office told us that the mail people are on strike, so I hope that I will get your letters and package. This week also we drove through an animal reserve, so I took some cool pictures. I saw some zebra's, lions, springboks, wildebeests, and hippos. It was pretty cool to finally see some animals. Well I hope you have a great week, and know I love you. Thank you for all your support and love.

Love

Elder Mitchell Brown