September 29, 14

Dear Mom and Dad,

Well it has been a pretty good week for me. I am still really enjoying things. I am glad that you are getting some rain and it is cooling things off there. It is weird to think that the seasons are different there. It just seems like you should have the same seasons and weather as here. Well it is starting to warm up here quite a bit. This last week we were probably in the 80's most days. I am surviving though because it hasn't got hot really fast, but has eased into it. I carry a huge thing of water with me, so that keeps me nice and cool. It was nice as I got here last year because the weather was about the same, and that is how it will be when I get home. It is weird to think I wont have another summer for 20 months after. It is not too bad without air conditioning, it is just something I am used to now. It would be super weird to have air conditioning in someone’s house here in South Africa.   

You asked about the township of Vosloorus I am now living in.   I guess it is just a normal average township. So most townships don't really have many shacks, but they are mostly homes. In South Africa, under Apartheid , the term Township came to mean a residential development that confined non-whites living near or working in white-only communities. The streets are all paved, the only dirt roads we take are like shortcuts between roads. Everywhere has plumping and electricity.  They all have like water heaters and that stuff. The only places you see shacks are like in people's backyards, and it is like other family just living in there backyard, but the shacks are still pretty nice. It is township, so it is pretty dirty. Like everyone litters, so there is trash everywhere. I guess it is like the street aren't super clean because there is like dirt that blows on them, and they don't have street sweepers that come through township. Where I am we don't see any fields really even though I am away from Johannesburg.   It is just all like houses or communities. 

I am still getting along with Elder Zebe great. We just keep becoming better friends, and having so much fun. We work great together. I am sure it will be sad when he leaves. 

 I am sure we get to watch general conference, I am just not sure when. Normally because we are ahead on time we watch it recorded the next week. At least that is what I did in Secunda. In Hospital View we watched it live for 2 sessions, and the other 2 just delayed. It is weird to think this will be my third General Conference on mission!! I only have one more after this. I guess I will let you know what I find out at church. I didn't hear announcements as church this week because one of our investigators was lost trying to get to church, so we were standing on the street.

I miss just going to movies and relaxing. I miss just normal life. I hate how strict everything is. I guess it is for a reason, but it s just hard sometimes. The movie “The Giver” sounds good.  I don't remember reading that book. I am sure it was a good movie. 

I have not received my package yet. The mail is still on strike. I don't know if they burned my package, or if it is just sitting at the post office. All the post offices are just closed, and they won't open until the strike ends. It has been about a month. I will keep you updated if I receive it or not, and the letters. I hope the strike will end soon because it is getting pretty annoying. I can't send any letter either. 

That would be great to have you send me some stuff. But I will let you know when the strike ends, and then you can send the package. I don't think it will last much longer, but who knows. The best thing for you to do is lie on the customs form. You can just write missionary supplies, and then lie on the value of stuff. Because if you write really what is in there and the price they will open the box and steal stuff.  My shoes are good as well. I am pretty sure I will still be here in Vosloorus, for Christmas but either way I will get the package. 

Good to hear Evan and Carol are finally getting some things moved in. I am sure they are excited, and ready to be settled in. You are good sports to help them carry things in. 

It is good to hear everyone is doing well. I hope that it continues that way. 

Well I am doing great here. I feel very comfortable with what I am doing. It is just normal life now. It is weird to think about life back home. It doesn't even seem real. It seems like this has always been my life, and I am very comfortable. I am not anxious or homesick. I hope that you are feeling more comfort as well as time goes on. 

This week has gone great. We didn't teach as many lessons, but we still taught a lot. It was still a pretty productive week. On Wednesday it was Heritage Day here, so people were dressed up in Traditional Clothes. We went to a really cool members house and had a Braai(barbecue). Her name is Sister(Mama) Decobe. She is really cool, and we are helping her put together a preschool in her garage. 

We have some great investigators right now. We have like 7 people on date to be baptized in the next 2 months. I hope that they will all stay on date and continues to progress. WE are having pretty good success finding new people to teach. We talk to people on the streets as we walk around a lot. Everyone is pretty interested in what we are doing in township as white people, so  that makes it super easy to talk to people. I am still really enjoying the work. 

Sorry I didn't get any pictures again this week. I am getting in a bad habit of not taking pictures, so I will try to fix that. Well I love you and I am glad to hear all about what you are doing. It is fun to just see how everyone is doing, and to hear what is going on. Have a good week, and continue to be cheerful and happy!! :)

I hope that the Lord will continue to watch over and protect you. I am so grateful for your example to me. I always think of our family as I am teaching lessons, and just the way you were examples of the gospel to me always. I love you and miss you. 

Love

Elder Brown

Looking cool with companion Elder Zebe

Week 53 - September 21, 14

Dear Mom and Dad

Well again it is very good to hear from you. I am so glad that you finally felt at peace for me this past week. That makes me feel good. I hope that you can continue to stay at peace because I am very content with where I am, and what I am doing. I am very happy and well. I am so excited to finally be over the hump! It doesn't feel any different, but it is just nice to say that I am over a year now. We didn't do anything too fun for my year mark on Wednesday, but on Saturday we went out to eat. We had a meeting on Saturday night with two of the Seventies, and they addressed a lot about African culture and the church. There are a lot of cultural things that people do that aren't in line with church standards, so Elder Bednar who is over this area had them do a meeting to address these things. After this meeting we went out and had a nice steak, and it is crazy it was only like 15 dollars, but I guess 150 rand which is expensive here. So that was really fun.

 Elder Zebe is awesome. He is one of my favorite companions. It is so nice to have a companion you like, and someone you can easily get a long with. We just talk and laugh all the time, whether it is on the street walking or in the flat. Elder Zebe has one transfer left after this one. He will be going home on November 25th, so like 2 days before thanksgiving. I am pretty sure I will be his companion until then. I also hope that he can keep working hard, but we will do fun last things on his bucket list before he goes home, which I am excited for.

Like today we are going to get him an African gown that he wants before he goes home.

The area is great. It is just a normal township. I guess it is more like Tembisa rather than Secunda. We are full time in township just like I was in Hospital View(Tembisa). We are walking every other day, so on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. It is a lot of walking sometimes, but walking in township is fun. There is just a lot going on, so it is pretty fun. The chapel is in the township, so it is easier I guess for people to get to church. The chapel is in Vosloorus 1's area, because I am Vosloorus 2. So the township is split in 2. I feel pretty safe here in township. I would much rather serve in township that in town.

 We aren't really worried about people getting to church like I was in Secunda.

It is awesome to see people's progress. That is probably one of the most satisfying things in missionary work. We have these two guys in there twenties that are pretty sweet that we are teaching. Their names are Kgagelo, and Manthole. They are progressing well, and they will be baptized the 12th of next month. We just call them the boys because we teach them outside of one of their friend’s house, and everyone hangs out there. We have made pretty good friends with a lot of the guys there, so it is way fun to go and see them.

We are also teaching an old man named Herbert. I told you that we go see him in the old folks home. He will also be baptized next month. He is just old and funny. He always tells us the same things when we go. He complains about he old folks home, but that place is pretty bad.

We have a couple other cool investigators, but not really worth telling you about.

We have some great members that we visit each week. One family we go see like everyday just to hang out. The Tesse family. The mom is like a mom to us, but we laugh and have a lot of fun.

That is cool that you saw some of the zone pictures. I am in the Bedfordview zone, not the Vaal. Yes all the missionaries that live in my complex are in my zone. We don't really ever see them though. It is a huge complex, with like 20 apartment buildings at least, so it is really spread out.

I am glad you are still able to find time to go up the mountain and enjoy the green. I hope that Carson is still enjoying football.

You asked about getting groceries and shopping.  So in all my area's I have shopped at Pic n Pay. It is like a chain grocery store, and they are everywhere, so that is where we shop. We don't go to the gym, but Elder Zebe basically has a gym in the flat. We work out really hard, harder than I was at the gym. We are also dieting really well, and I have already noticed I am getting more cut. It is really nice.

We do email at an Internet cafe now, and it seems safe.  

I am sorry that you had to come back to the hot weather. It is still getting hotter here. On Saturday night it rained, so that was nice for a change, and it kept it cool for Sunday. I hope that it will cool down a bit as it is getting into fall time. That is weird the old dental office is now gone! Hopefully Evan can get moved in soon. That is great that his house is now done. I hope that him and Carol are excited. Is Carol doing any better?

I have not yet got your package. Postal workers are still on strike. I hope it will come this week or next week. I will let you know when it gets here.

It has been a great week for me. It has really flown by. The time here has gone so fast. i have already been in Vosloorus for 3 weeks now. I can't believe it!!

I hope that this next week will be better for you. I hope you can catch up on your sleep, and that you will be able to readjust your clock. I love you and I am always thinking about you.

Love,

Elder Mitchell Brown

Zone Conference - See if you can spot Mitchell

Eating Dinner at Zone Conference - glad to see him eating his vegetables

Mitchell's Zone - He is in the very back just peeking out.  

Mitchell sitting in back of the row with blue tie
Bottom Left Corner

Eating lunch at the zone conference.  Mitchell bottom photo sitting with Mission President Dunn

Mitchell back left corner 

New Area - Gauteng/Vosloorus - Elder Zebe

Elder Zebe - new area - Vosloorus

Bedroom - made a fort

Eating Healthy 

Pictures from Secunda (members and Elder Johnson) Old Area

Elder Johnson - Mitchell Companion

Packing up - Leaving Secunda 

Week 52 - September 15, 14 ONE YEAR OUT!!

Dear Mom and Dad

It is wonderful to hear you are home safe. It sounds like it was a very fun trip, but I am sure you are super tired from all the traveling. I know you don't sleep too well on planes, so I am sure you are exhausted. I hope that you and dad will be able to recover in just one day from your sleep loss. I am sure it will take a couple days though. Just as you said as your returned home. The place we live is a very beautiful place. I just miss the beauty and the cleanliness of it. The fresh mountain air, and just the clear beautiful sky. I am so grateful for where I come from, and I know I am truly blessed. . It seems like you always get back from trips and are right back to work. You are still hard at work with the church, and you are still giving all your time. I am so glad to have you in my life. I am grateful for all you have done for me. It means a lot that you are proud of me, and I hope I can keep working hard and making you proud. What I am doing is not easy, I see that everyday, but I know i am growing and learning in ways I couldn't anywhere else.

 The new area is awesome. I really love it. I love the ward, and the members. It is really just a great area too. We are teaching some great people. I have adjusted pretty well, I am just having a hard time learning peoples names. The names are always different in every area, so I have to learn how to say them, and spell them. Most of them speak sotho, and zulu. So there are a lot of different sotho names. Elder Zebe has been very patient with me to help me learn the names and the area's. I have adjusted very well to Elder Zebe. He is probably one of my favorite companions so far. We have so much fun together. We are working out a lot, and dieting very well, so I hope I can get back in shape. The members here in Vosloorus are awesome. I am really loving working with them, and it is nice to have reliable members again. I am still adjusting to Elder Zebe teaching style, but it will work out.

We have some really cool investigators. There are a group of guys we are teaching that is like in there 20's, and they are great. There is Kgagelo, Manthole, and sometimes Linda. They come to church, and meet with us like twice a week. They will probably be baptized next month. We also have this old guy we are teaching. We go to the like old folks home and teach him twice a week. His name is Brother Herbert. He is also working towards being baptized next month. A big problem a lot of our investigators have is smoking.  A lot of people smoke here, and the cigarettes are cheap, so that doesn't help. We are working with a lot of them to help them quite. As long as we keep working with our investigators and helping them to progress. I hope this isn't just the same old news you hear every week from me. It seems like my emails are all very similar. I seem to do the same thing every week, so that is probably why. I am grateful for the new things I experience every day though.

Well my new flat(apartment) is super small. Like the kitchen is a third of the size of my last flat. It is really crammed. But we are able to get around and do things either way. We built a sweet fort in our bedroom; I will have to send you a picture of that. It is pretty sweet!! haha.. But the flat is kind of dirty, and I have been trying to slowly clean and straighten things up. Our flat complex is huge though; it is like a small city. There are like 8 companionships that live in the same complex, but you have to like drive to get to their places. Of course as it is getting really hot there is no AC in this flat either.

It has really started to heat up this last week. Like from 11-3 it is really hot, but then it cools down a bit so it is bearable.

As you said we are so lucky to have all we have. I guess I have adjusted to the lifestyle here, but I am sure if you saw it it would be crazy. Like When I think about how things were back home it is really weird to think about it.

Sorry I didn't take many pictures this week, but I will try to take more this week.

I am building my testimony every single day. It is crazy the experiences that I go through every day make my testimony to grow. Just seeing the experiences that others go through makes me see the whole purpose of the gospel in our lives. I am so grateful for the comfort of the gospel in my life, and all the peace it brings me.

This past Friday I got to go to the temple again. It is nice to go more often. I am so grateful for the temple, and the feelings of peace I receive as I am there.  Also this week I had a zone Conference. It was so grate to be instructed by the Dunn's. They are great people. They have a great fire, and they have brought a lot of new things to the mission that I really like. The Zone conference was a lot different than the past ones I had with President Omer. They were a lot more relaxed, and it felt more like a classroom, not a formal meeting. We learned a lot about working with members, so I hope we can implement that in our area.

I hope that I am able to get your package with the mail on strike. I hit my year mark this Wednesday the 17th, at least that is the day I left home. I think September 19 was my MTC entry day.  Also that is Randall's birthday, so you will have to tell him I said happy birthday.

Well I love you and I hope you have a great week. Tell everyone hello, and that I love them.

Love

Your son

Elder Brown

Sept. 7 - New Area and companion

Dear Mom,

Well it is good to hear from you. Another week down!! That is so cool to hear you and dad are having your 30th anniversary. I am sure you are both super happy. I hope that it is a good day, and I hope you can enjoy each others company, and I hope the Lambert's and Knight's do something cool for you.

My new area is Vosloorus 2. It is a township in Gauteng. It is a pretty cool place. I really enjoy the township life. We are here full time. We share a car with the Vosloorus 1 Elders. So we walk every other day.

My new companion is Elder Zebe. He has been on mission for 21 months. He has 2 transfers left. I will most likely be killing him( his last companion). He is a great guy. I kind of knew him before. I have already adjusted to him well. We have so much fun together already. I am so glad that he is my companion. I always get so nervous about getting a new companion. Elder Zebe is from Vegas. He gradudated in 2012. He is really into excercising, and he is pretty jacked or big. It is nice because I am working out with him, and will hopfully get back in shape and loose my fat.

Transfer day went very well actually. I wasn't really nervous at all. Before the transfer meeting another missionary came up to me and told me that he was pretty sure that Elder Zebe would be my next companion. That made me pretty excited. In the transfer meeting they show you new companion and your picture up on the screen. It is pretty cool. We only had to drive like 30 minutes after eating. We are really only like a 20 minute drive from Roodeport and the mission home.

 The area is actually going very well. There are some great investigators there. We have a couple on date. We will probably not have a baptism until next week. It is a great area though. It has a lot of potential to grow. Vosloorus has a ward, so that is great. There are a lot of awesome members here. Just in our area there are some great members. I am excited to work again with more members. We have already been fed a couple times this past week. That is a treat for me coming from Secunda only being fed like once every two weeks.

 I am feeling pretty good. I have adjusted pretty well actually. This has probably been one of the easiest adjustments I have made. It is always hard though to adjust to a new area. I am trying really hard to learn peoples names and the area. I know it will take a couple weeks though. It is just about getting a feel for people. I enjoye getting to know new people though. Elder Zebe and I get a long realy well. I am so glad he is my companion. WE are already really good friends. I guess I am still adjusting though, but I think in a couple days I will be ferly comfortable here.

I guess I have come to see that change is really hard, but it is good. Like on mission it means I am progressing and getting closer to the end. the more change I have the closer I am getting to being done. I know that I cannot get better without change. I hope that I will get your letters because the post office is on strike again. It is pretty annoying. You said you sent a package also. I hope that I get both of them.

I did put some more pictures on. Last week the internet was being stupid, so I couldn't put pictures on. I still need to find wifi somewhere so I can send the pictures that i took on my ipod. I only put on the ones that are on my camera.

It sounds like the trip has gone really great so far. I hope that it will continue to be good. I look forward to seeing the pictures in a couple weeks. I am glad that you and dad area able to get away and have fun with good friends. That is pretty cool that you are on the same time zone right now. That is a bit weird to think about. I guess it gives you an idea of the time of day here.

That is cool that Ashley made the boys go up to comic con. I hope that they enjoyed it.

Well I hope my email gave you some information. Back at the internet cafe there isn't a lot of time to email anymore. It really sucks. Well have a good week.

Love

Your son

Elder Brown

Week 49 - September 1, 14

Dear Mom, 

Well I guess first off I am relieved to get a shorter email this week haha. After I leave here I won't be able to have as much time as I need. I will most likely be back to internet cafe's where I only have an hour.

I guess this was a pretty short email because you are at the lake. 

That is awesome you are at the lake. I am so glad that Randall and Katrina where able to come over.

 So I received transfer news on Saturday. I will be leaving Secunda. I have been here for 4 transfers, so almost 6 months. I am a bit sad to leave here. I really love the area. I like being an outcast, and far away from other missionaries. All I know is I will be leaving tomorrow. I don't know yet who my new companion will be, or where I am going. I am a bit nervous, but I have been comforted a lot by the spirit.

I guess that is my spiritual experience for the week. Last time when I thought I was getting transferred, six weeks ago,  I was so nervous about packing my things. I guess just actually really stressed to get all my things together. This last week I haven't been stressed or too nervous. I got my things packed just fine Saturday night and yesterday. I only have a few more small things to throw in. I have been praying for comfort as transfers where coming up. I have received the comfort I have been asking for. 

I  feel like I haven't got to know Elder Johnson very well. I have really liked him as a companion. He has been obedient, but very relaxed about it. He has worried about himself, and not overly concerned about me

.   I don't like when other missionaries worry about everyone else, and not themselves. He is a great kid, and I really don't want a new companion. I will really miss him. We had a lot of great laughs together. I will try to get a few more pictures before tomorrow. I have felt like I have made a good difference here in Secunda. I am sad to leave here. I am also happy though because it means I am moving on and progressing forward with my mission. 

It is very weird to me also to think I have been gone a full year. I still feel like a new missionary sometimes. I guess also like I have told you that time goes very slow at the same time. Time is such a weird concept, moving fast, but also very slow.  I am very happy though to think I will be home in about a year. I have 16 more days until I hit one year. September 17 is one year since I left home. 

I am actually hoping the time keeps flying. I am pretty ready to come home. I guess that is a bit of a bad attitude. I am loving what I am doing, but sometimes I just get tired of it. I guess my mission is teaching me to be persistent though even when I don't want to be. I have felt pretty productive about my last year as a missionary. I hope I can push it out hard this next year. I am sure I will be able to. 

This week again has been pretty normal. Just teaching some, walking a lot, and talking to a ton of new people. I have been saying goodbye to people all week, because I was guessing I was leaving. I have people sign a journal I have, then I take pictures with them. I have a lot of pictures I will try and send some home this week. They are mostly with people I have been teaching, and then some members. It is weird to think I am just surrounded by black people. When I look at the pictures it seems weird, but everyday it is just normal. I am getting better at Zulu, and I try and learn a new word everyday. 

The weather this week has been a bit like Utah spring weather, very bipolar. It was pretty hot on Tuesday and Wednesday, then Thursday it was really windy, and Friday it was really Windy and cold. On both Thursday and Friday I was in Emba the township. With all the wind the sky was full of dust and dirt. It was pretty cool. I got some cool pictures of the dirt in front of the sun. I will send those as well. I also took some pictures infront of Frans' place, the place you thought was a baseball dugout. 

This week we met again with Lindo. She is still struggling with Alcohol and smoking. We made a plan with her to overcome stuff. There was also coffee at her house, so we took it!! We just said we are taking it and we did. It was her grandfathers as well, and he is an inactive member, so we thought it would help him as well. It is super sad because we have been meeting the grandparents separately. They really lack faith. They both have a lot of problems. Both the grandparents smoke, and he drinks alcohol and coffee. I hope that there family can be helped. Lindo didn't make it to church this week. 

A great feat we had was finally getting Lorraine to church. Her grandmother and her are on date to be baptized. I have been teaching her since May. She is the one who hasn't been able to get transport to church. The senior couple that drives from Jo-burg every week volunteered to pick them up. They had a great time at church. I guess the bad thing though is the senior couples aren't supposed to pick people up, so they can't do it anymore, so we are back to the drawing board with that. I really hope that she will keep coming to church so she can be baptized. 

It sounds like you are having a great week. I will have to shoot Blake an email and try and encourage him in school.  Oh yeah so  you know I am receiving your written letters still. I got 2 last week from the first of August. In the bowl is a little deep dish chocolate chip cookie I learned how to make. It takes like 5 minutes, and it is one big cookie. I thought I would just show you that I made a cookie. Sorry I didn't explain that last week. 

I hope that you have a good week. Just know that I will be fine wherever I go, and whoever my companion is. I will be able to survive, so don't worry about me too much. As you leave on Thursday have fun. I hope that you  travel safely, and I hope you will have internet so you can get my email. I hope that you can always be positive with yourself, and know that everyone loves you, and don't be so hard on yourself. I love you, and I am so grateful for you in my life. I will hear from you next week. 

Love 

Your Son

Elder Mitchell Brown

Elder Brown with Members in Secunda South Africa - September 1, 14