October 4, 14 - Week 55

Dear Mom,
Well it has been a great week. Time is such a weird thing to me as well. Time is going fast in some ways and in other ways it is moving very slow.  It is weird to think that September is over. I guess we all just keep getting older though. I still feel like I am 17, and that I should still be in school, but I'm not. I guess we just keep moving forward. There is a cool scripture about time in Alma 40:8. “Now whether there is more than one time appointed for men to rise it mattereth not; for all do not die at once, and this mattereth not; all is as one day with God, and time only is measured unto men.”
That is fun you watched some of conference up at the cabin, I hope that was a fun time for the family.  We didn't get to see any conference this weekend. We will not beviewing it until the 25th and 26th. I am looking forward to seeing it. They did watch it in some of the wards but our chapel did not have it.   We will watch it on a disc. It is crazy to think this is my 3rd conference on mission.
I will have to watch for Joseph in the priesthood session MTC choir, when I get to watch conference. I am sure all those missionaries in the MTC are just scared out of there mind. I am so glad I am way past that and comfortable with what I am doing now. I am sorry watching theMissionaries sing made you sad and think of me. Just know I am doing very well, and like I said I am not like those MTC missionaries anymore.
 I have not heard anything about this movie. “Meet the Mormons”  Is it put out by the church?? I wonder if we will get to see it sometime. I am sure it is not coming out in theaters here haha. That is pretty cool though. Youwill have to tell me more about it.
As a missionary it is really easy to live the gospel because I don't really have a choice. I do it 24/7. but normal life it is hard. I hope that my brothers can see how much they need the spirit in their life. Like the scriptures say the spirit can bring all things to your remembrance, so it would help so much with school and making daily choices.
This week has flown by. I am just starting the last week of thetransfer. It is weird to think I have already been here in Vosloorusfor 5 weeks. I am really enjoying it here. The area is really great.We are teaching some great investigators. The ward is also great. Themembers are very nice and hospitable to us. We are really trying toget the ward more missionary minded. The youth here are really aproblem. They come to church, but outside of church they are just likeevery other kid. They go out and party and just do bad stuff. And thebad thing is the parents don't parent there kids. They are expectingthe leaders to do it for them. So that is a big problem we are tryingto help sort out.That is weird to think it is already freezing, but I guess it is now October.  Sorry about your garden getting froze.  You asked what fruit and vegetables I can get at the store.
Well I can get basically get everything. Each week we buy fruits and vegetables to make our green shake. What we put in that is spinach, celery, apples, bananas, and lemon juice. then I also buy grapefruit. The mango's will be back in season soon as well. The only fruit they don't really have is strawberries. They have them, but they are really small and expensive. Other than that I can find everything for fairly cheap. We shop at a place called fruit and veg for that, and it is really inexpensive. Like I got a ton of stuff for 70 rand, so 7 dollars.
You asked about our new apartment and if we had washer and dryer.   All through my mission every apartments has a washing machine in it. We do not have a dryer.  We just hand dry our clothes. So there are like dryingracks in all the flats. I really miss having a dryer. But it is all good. The area is great. We are teaching some good people that are on date to be baptized. This next Sunday we will be baptizing Herbert, the old man that stays in the rest home. It will be an interesting baptismbecause he had a stroke a while back and half his body doesn't work. We will have two people in the water. I might have to use my goggles and get under the water!! hahaTwo other investigators we see like 3 times a week are Kgaugalo and Manthole. They are both like 25, and cool guys. We just hang out with them after we teach them. Their friend has a car wash in his frontyard, so that is where we teach them. It is like the hang out spot fora bunch of people. I took a picture with Kgaugalo and I will send that. On Wednesdays we drive out to a farther area called Dawn Park. We mostly just see a lot of members out there. It is a nicer area. We only go there on Wednesdays because it is farther away, and we have the car on Wednesdays.
 We don't do much on P-days. We do see the other missionaries in our zone. We normally go to the chapel and play like soccer or rugby. We also go to the grocery store, and mall and just walk around and stuff. That is about anormal P-day.
I think like you said I can find a lot of stuff here to just buy. I have been actually looking at a dark blue suit and might buy that for my Christmas. That would be a lot cheaper than you sending a big package. I will keep you updated on the strike though. It has been 6 weeks since mail has come.  I will keep looking for letters and package from you.  It is pretty ridiculous though. I have been waiting to send letters. I am glad as well that we can email and don't have to rely only on letters.
It is great to hear what you are doing. It doesn't make me sad really at all. It is just nice to know that life still is the same back home. I am also very happy to think this time next year I will be doing the same things with you. Speaking of the hunt you might have to put in for me in the spring, but I will remind you when that comes.
 I am very healthy and happy. I am really enjoying everything that is going on. I did start to get a cold yesterday, but I think I will get over it quick. I am still working out really hard with Elder Zebe, and we are on a strict diet, so I am feeling very healthy and well with that. There have been no threats of Ebola here.
Elder Zebe is great. He is probably my favorite companion. We have so much fun together. We are working really well with each other as well. He is giving his talk the 30th of November. His ward name is Canyon Gate Ward in Las Vegas.  That would be cool if you went to his homecoming. That is his family you saw on face book.  His sisters are adopted from China.
Well I hope you always know I am doing well. I am loving the work, and I know I am being watched over. I love hearing from you about what isgoing on back home. I hope you will keep updating me because it is fun to hear about the family and the new things going on back home. I hope that this week goes well, and tell everyone hello for me, and I love them. Marshall is doing great. I still email him every week.
LoveYour Son
Elder Brown