June 29, 2015

Dear Mom,

I hope you haven't been to overwhelmed or anxious to know where I am. I am doing great, and the work is going well. 

 I am now serving in Kwa-Thema. It is a township outside of Springs. It was two area's, and we are now covering both of them. We have a lot of work to do. We had two baptism's on Sunday, and so that was nice. We are sharing a car with the Selcourt missionaries. We are walking every other day. We have the car for 4 days, and walk for 3 days. It is nice, but hate getting back into the walking mode.  Springs in located to the west of Johannesburg.   I am living in Brakpan. The complex we stay in has about 10 missionaries staying there, so that is cool! 

Something exciting is Secunda is in my district, so I will go out there on Exchanges. I will get to visit some people before I come home. I will try to visit my other old area's as well. 

The split of our mission didn't effect me at all. I was pretty surprised to hear about the split! We only heard yesterday through a text we received, and then got a detailed email today. You knew more details on it than I did. That is exciting to think our mission is growing that fast that the church thought it needed to be split. 

My companion is Elder Bua. He is from Uganda. He is 23 year old, and has been on his mission for 15 months. He is my first black companion, and it has been challenging. He really isn't too bad, but just a lot of differences. . I think this first week I have just been getting used to it. He is a good guy, and we get a long. We just don't talk much because we don't have much in common to talk about. It is weird because I am the only white guy in township!! I have been cleaning our flat all week, because most black missionaries don't care about cleaning! I will try to find out more about him this week. 

Our transfer day was good. I got to see a bunch of missionaries, which is always fun. It was weird to see a lot of my past companions and missionaries I have served around going home! It is weird to think the next transfer meeting it will be me! The transition was smooth, and I got my things from the one car to the next pretty well. I have a lot of stuff I need to try and sell this transfer. 

 I think I told you most of the stuff about this new area. it is a good area. We area teaching a lot of people, but it is a typical township. The people just accept what you say instead of studying it out. We walk like I said, and that isn't fun. I have been driving everyday for 9 months. I guess I will get used to it. It is nice to get out and walk though. The ward is ok, but it seemed small yesterday. I am not too worried about learning the area, or getting to know the people. We have one 19 year old that comes with us everyday!! he is pretty much the third missionary. His name is Thulani, and he is preparing to serve a mission. 

You asked about the flat.  Like I said it was dirty. It is a nice place though. We have had a problem with our water heater the last few days, so no hot water. I have been showering at the other missionaries that live right next to us.  It is a bath tub with a hand held shower head, and no shower curtain! I am going to try and rig up a rope with a shower curtain! 

 I am handling the change pretty well. I guess if anything is hard I just tell myself I only have to endure for 5 more weeks ha! I am really trying to just be positive and enjoy everything! It has been a hard transition from town to township, and from Elder Asay to Bua. I have been a bit down someday, but I guess I have been able to overcome. I am pretty used to constant change now. 

 If Jackie stays on date and is baptized before I come home I will be able to attend. I will make sure I am there. I think she is doing well, and hopefully make it to her date! 

 I guess there isn't too many people to tell you about. The only one I can think of is the two that were baptized. The girl Dimpho was pretty powerful. She was pretty prepared. I still don't know the other people well enough. I miss the more stable investigators we had that really challenge what you teach. Here in the township they just believe. I like it when people actually question and search it out and pray and gain a testimony of their own.

Thanks for telling me about your week. It is always great to get the weekly update. I have not gotten a written letter in a few weeks, so hopefully I will get one this week. 

I am only a District Leader, but have not done much with that responsibility. 

Well I love you and hope you have an amazing week. 

Love 

Your son

Elder Brown leaving Randburg -transfers tomorrow

Johannesburg Temple at night with Elder Asay

Happy to get a package - 6 weeks ago (Elder Jackson - companion) Did some goofing off along with missionary work

Talking on a radio show with Elder Jackson 

More Pictures of TRIP on P-day to Sterkfontein Caves - May 28, 2015

Discovered this big hills on our way to visit the Sterkontein Caves.  Big ant hills but must be like termites 

Stopped where this big hill was and climb up to take some neat pictures of the valley below. North East of Johannesburg.  Looking to the East toward city.

June 22, 2015 − 6 WEEKS TO GO, LAST TRANSFER

Dear Mom

 I guess the biggest news of this week is the transfer. 

I am getting transferred to a different area for my last transfer. I have also been called as a district leader for my last transfer, which really exciting but not sure I want that for my last 6 weeks.   I am sad to leave this area, and it was hard to say goodbye to everyone. I know that it is all in the Lords plan though. I guess I have coped with it more as the week has gone on. I got the news on Thursday. I am sad to leave Elder Asay, because he was an awesome companion. The thing that has me down and discouraged the most is packing!! I really don't like packing. 

It sounds like fun week at home. I  probably won't respond to everything because my time is short.  

I am so grateful for my father being fathers day yesterday. I am also grateful for all the male influences in my life. It is great to hear your thought on your father. He was a great man, and I hope to uphold his great name that I have. 

I hope that the boys are not too tired after all they have been doing this week! It sounds like they had a good time at the lake, and I will have to read dads email to hear more about it. 

The week has been great. We have been teaching some good lessons. I guess the best news is Jackie is really improving. She has been coming to church every week, and she has been reading her scriptures and praying everyday. Like you said it really is the basic things. Just the simple primary answers of pray and read your scriptures. Those things really work, and I have seen on my mission the great impact they have had on investigators, but more especially on me. Also our investigator Precilla is really doing well. We put her on date for baptism this week, and she has been coming to church as well. Her and her son are on date for the first of August. I have been teaching her for a while, but we have got her to start doing the simple things, and she has started to progress. We also met a really cool part member family this week named the Brogden family. The wife is an inactive member, and the husband and daughter are not members, but she really wants them to join the church, so they are a great family we can start working with. I guess the only thing that is annoying about them, is she said "I know the church is true, but the members aren't." I hear people say this a lot, and it is a true statement, but people use it as an excuse to go less active. They get offended, and then they just don't come. If they truly knew the church was true they wouldn't let anyone else effect their salvation. Sister Masters is doing well, and she is sad that I am leaving. She is a tough lady, and has been through a lot. I am pretty short on time today, so I won't tell you much more about my week. 

You asked about us out on street corners handing out pass along cards.  I normally feel pretty safe. As we are handing out cards we are really safe and cautious. We even handed out some cards on the busy streets in Sandton Central, but we got kicked out. We are pretty safe in alex where we go. We are all in a big group as well, which helps. I will miss doing this service in Alex.

I really don't want to go to a township for my last transfer. But I guess if anything is hard about my last area I only have to endure for one transfer. I am so grateful for the gospel, and the ability to share it. I pray that you are all well, and that you are feeling of the spirit in your life. Well love you.

Love 

Your Son

Elder Brown

June 14, 2015

Dear Mom, 

Well the week has been great. I told dad that it just seems the weeks are becoming a blur. The time is really going by fast now! I think it is because we are staying busy, and I am comfortable in this area. I am really loving the work, and we have been meeting some great new people this last week. It is great to see the gospel touch someone new, and just see them light up, even if they don't see it. The gospel really just makes sense, and people can see that even before they pray and receive a testimony. One of my favorite things about being a missionary is sharing the restored gospel with those that are searching and lost. It is amazing to see them finally find their way, and I know it is not because of us as missionaries, but because our Heavenly Father is reaching out to them. 

I Understand what you are saying about how things do not always turn out the way we want.  I hope you know how grateful I am for all your sacrifices for me. You would always drop anything you were doing to help me and cater to my needs. I know not everything goes according to plan, but I have really seen on my mission that it is OK. Really everything will work out. Like when we have appointments cancel we find someone else that needed us more. Heavenly Father really has our best interest in mind, and he knows what he is doing. 

I know reading the scriptures daily helps us spiritually - It really does make a huge difference in our life. That is what we challenge our investigators and members to do, is to read everyday, even if it is just 15 minutes! Just that short amount of time will help us make it through the day, and bring the spirit into our lives.

You asked about my health.  I am not really running as much, but I am working out and doing some cardio work outs. We are really just trying to lift weights and stuff. We have been doing some sprints outside our flat to work on cardio, but not any long runs. I am just trying to eat healthy as well. I do notice a difference in attitude if I don't work out. I really just feel much better. 

That is sad to hear about tragic accidents! There was a sad accident here a few weeks back.  A member in our stake died with her child in an apartment fire. The husband survived, but is not a member. The brother and sister to the lady that died are in our ward, but we have not been able to visit them. We are still going to try and visit them and give them some comfort. 

I hope Calvin and Carson don't die at swim camp this week! I remember the years I wasn't in shape were not fun! But I guess the workouts aren't much more difficult than Blairs, so they will probably be able to survive. That is fun you will be able to go and see Randall and Ashley! I am sure they will appreciate you visit. I hope you aren't too upset about getting left behind on the Lake Powell trip! I know how much you love Lake Powell, but you will go soon I am sure!

I have 7 weeks left as of now. Our transfer is a week from Tuesday. Concerning transfers I really hope I stay here in Randburg. I have already been here for 4 transfers, and that is normally the maximum time in an area. I have requested from President Dunn to stay here to finish. I would love to see Jackie get baptized, and not have to move to another area. If I went to an area for only one transfer I would really care about getting to know the people or even working hard. I really hope I will stay here. I will find out on Friday the transfer news. 

 The week has been great. Our area has been picking up a lot. We still don't teach a lot of investigator lessons, but the ones we do have are great! Jackie has been doing great! She is still smoking, but like I said last week we are trying to focus on the bottom of the iceberg. We know she has other problems, like faith, and self doubt. We are really trying to help her sort this out! Lulamile and Odwa that we met last week we had a great lesson with. They told us they might have to stop meeting with us because they have to do a marriage class with there minister. We were super disappointing, but we had a really spiritual lesson about the restoration with them, and we hope they will change there minds. To keep busy this week we handed out about 300 pass a long cards at the robots(stop lights). That is actually pretty fulfilling! We finally got a guy to call us from one of the cards. His name is Sam, and we went and met him and his wife and friends. They are just over the border of our area, so we might have to refer them to the other missionaries, but we are going to teach them once first to see if they are going to progress. Our normal days we see about 3 people, and the rest of the time we are stuck in traffic, or handing out pass a long cards, or visiting members. We have a few investigators we didn't see this week, and so we hope to see them this next week. Like Abibi, Prescilla, and a few others. We have been getting some good referrals from our cards, and getting a lot of new people to teach. One of the coolest people we met this week was Phume. We have been trying to meet her for like 3 weeks, but our schedules just haven't been working out. Her mom is a member in Durban, and she has been pretty interested to learn. We are excited to start teaching her. she is really busy with work though. She leaves and is gone for a week at a time with work. We will just have to work around her schedule. 

We are still going singing twice a week, and it is great. 

We still did our soup kitchen with Sister Malpage on Friday Morning, and it is fun. She has been trying to give out clothes as well, but it has just been a mad frenzie. The people haven't been grateful either, so she is concerned  about giving other things out. We might just try to feed them. She is also trying to find out their skills and see how we can help them become self reliant. 

We have gone to some sweet members this week. I really love this ward, and I would love to come back and visit a lot of the people here! 

Well I hope you have a great week. I love you and miss you.

Love

Your son

Elder Brown  

Elder Mitchell Zone - Zone Conference

June 8, 2015

Dear Mom,

Another great week has come and gone. The weeks really flew by, and it seems like this week went really fast. I think every week just keeps gong faster, and at times I find myself hoping it slows down. I am glad that the time is going fast, but at the same time I will be sad to end my mission.

I am actually appreciating the cool weather that we have gotten this week. I started to cool off on about Wednesday, and it has been cool ever since. I am actually enjoying this winter weather. I am glad - I am not enduring the hot weather, and it is nice to be able to wear a sweater. I guess it isn't to cold, but worried that  I will die at home my first winter, because now I am a baby to the cold! 

That is pretty cool you got my flight itinerary! That is super exciting, and it doesn't seem real! I think that is cool I will be in Salt Lake for a few hours. I can go get lunch with Ashley and Randall and Katrina, then hop on the plane to fly home! I think that plan works out perfectly! I guess if there are any changes you will have to let me know. Excited to think home August 5.

I heard about that lady that got attacked at the Lion Park here ! That is a pretty crazy freak accident. The lion park it happened at is in my zone, only about 20 minutes from my area! Everytime I have gone to the lion park I always keep my windows up and doors locked. I will make sure I don't get eaten my a lion before I come home!! 

It sounds like you have been up to a lot this week. That is fun you had your siblings down for the funeral, and you got to visit with them. I am so grateful for the plan of salvation and the knowledge we have of being together forever. 

Hopefully the boys will do well at summer games. I am sure they will. Don't worry to much about getting them up, just tell them it will help them. I know the summers that I swam, my swim season went much better. They are going to die at swim camp not being in shape! 

I hope Blake had fun up at the cabin, and found all well up there. I hope he is doing well, and hope he is feeling the spirit in his life. 

Zone conference went great! I am glad that you saw some of the pictures. It was an early morning to be there. The night before Elder Robins(past companion) and Elder Pederson(MTC companion) came and stayed the night at our flat so they didn't have to drive so far. That was fun to just chat with them and mess around! 

At zone conference we received some great instruction. Sister Dunn used me and Elder Jackson in her lesson of a great example of responding well to questions, and using a 30 second approach. She talked about our radio show. She apparently has been promoting it on her blog a lot. One of the other great lessons was our AP's. They taught about testifying, and the importance of it. I am grateful I get to testify multiply times a day about the restored gospel! 

 Monday we met a new guy named Sanele. Tuesday we did some robot(stop light) contacting, and it is always fun. We handed out like 200 cards in like 40 minutes! it is cool to see people accept our cards. We also saw Welhemina and Esther, and they are doing great! Tuesday night we saw Sister Masters, and her Granddaughter was there. I have met her a lot, but we actually taught her, and it was cool. Sad thing is she called Sister masters and told her she does't want us to teach her anymore. Wednesday we went singing as usual. It was fun, and the old people loved it! We also saw Prescilla, and Jackie. Thursday was mostly taken up by zone conference, but we saw one new girl named Justine. Sadly she doesn't live in our area, so we have to refer her to our AP's. We were right by Jo-burg, so we went and took some cool pictures by the temple at night.  We also went and visited sister masters that night. 
Friday mornings we are now going to Alexandra the township and doing a soup kitchen with Sister malpage who is the bishops wife! It is super fun, and cool to help the homeless. WE were giving them more clothes and blankets, because it was super freezing that morning.  We had district meeting, and went out to eat at Subway. We then saw Luke who is a member, and then saw Precsilla again. Saturday was a great day. We went singing at a different old folks home, that is owned by the same member. We then saw Abibi and her sister Farida. We put them on date, and it was a great lesson. WE then finished the evening with Jackie. She was just really down on herself. Sunday we went to church, and then had a great lunch with the bishops family, the Malpages. They are a super fun family. 
We then got to see the family that lives in our complex. They are really cool, and just really prepared for the gospel. I know it was no coincidence that we ran into them. They are just boyfriend and girlfriend, and they have a little girl. So we will probably work to get them married. Sunday night we had an amazing lesson with Jackie. She finally came to church, so she has just had the spirit all day. She has just been renewed in faith. We set a new baptismal date of July 19th, and I am really praying she will make it. I think this is finally it. She has it in her mind she can do it. 

We only got jackie to attend church which is disappointing. Abibi and Farida said they would come to church, but they didn't. That is really how we can tell if our investigators are serious. We are excited about Sanele. He was a referral from the Randall family. We area seeing him this week, and it will be sweet. Our teaching pool just seems to be growing, and it is an awesome feeling. We also got to do some cool contacting in Sandton city on the street corner, but then we got kicked out! I guess we weren't aloud to hand out stuff without permission! We get kicked out of a lot places it seems like haha!! I am excited about Jackie. We just told her she has to choose to do it, and then she can. She just hasn't been doing the simple things like reading and praying, and coming to church! We are really just working with this, because if she does this her smoking will disappear easily! 

I love elder Asay! We just laugh together a lot, and make the work fun. He has been a great motivation to me to work hard and have fun. We have really been working on being effective missionaries, and not just working hard and not accomplishing anything! 

I am feeling pretty good about my attitude. I really feel motivated. I think I don't want to feel any regrets as I am getting to the end. I just want to work hard and finish strong. I know the end is coming, and it is coming fast, so I am just trying to give it all I got! You being excited for me to come home isn't making me trunkey or anything. I am excited to come home as well, and I know it will happen, I just know I need to work hard now. 

Thank you so much for your support and love. I really do rely on your love and support a lot. I really do love teaching the gospel, and especially about the Plan of Salvation. it is amazing to testify to people and know they are feeling the spirit. I know that we are each loved by a loving Heavenly Father, and especially I know that the Atonement has such great power. I have really had to rely on it so much, and I have received so much comfort and strength! I love you and hope you have a great week. 

Love 

Your son

Elder Mitchell Brown

June 1, 2015

Dear Mom,

Another week down! It is great to get your email, and to just have a relaxing P-day. I always love p-days because emailing, and just getting to relax! I am glad to hear you returned safely from California. It sounds like it was a long tiring drive, especially in traffic. I know what you mean when you talk about bad traffic, and fearing for your life! The traffic is so bad here! During rush hour it is bumper to bumper, an a lot of times the traffic lights go out thanks to load shedding, so it is even worse. I can't wait to just drive on small roads again without traffic. 

I am sorry to hear about your Cousin passing away. I did hear about Elder Perry. Our AP's text us yesterday morning. I went to visit sister masters this week, and her dogs made me think of Shasta, and made me miss her too. I hope you are doing alright with Lucy. 

That is exciting that Lena had a baby!! 

Yeah I have seen the article, but thanks for pasting it. I was interviewed by Collette last week Sunday, then the article was posted on Tuesday. Collette has been texting us telling us about it. It is really cool that it got put on the Church website. Sister Chater that is a member here in Randburg kind of set it up. She knows collette, and she thought it would be a cool story for the church website. She then lined up for collette to interview us. I am glad you enjoyed it, and it is just cool, it was on the Church website. 

It must be the Taim family that emailed dad. They are a great family, and I really enjoy their company. Sister Taim is the relief society president, so we have been doing a lot of less active work for them. They have given us a lot of names, and we have visited them. She has been really appreciative of us helping to clean up all the names. Most the people have moved, so it helps them to update there records. 

Well that is exciting about the church making flight plans. I guess you will just have to figure it out when they get you the itinerary. I am just happy to get home, I don't really care how it happens. I wouldn't like to stay in Salt Lake though. I would rather have you come get me if I have to wait for the morning flight. Just keep me updated I guess. 

That is cool you got to go and do a session in the New Port temple! I miss going to the temple. It has been about 2 month now! I can't wait to try and go like every other week. I don't know an Elder Samuel. There are I think two new missionaries that just came from the Marshall Islands. I guess I will try to find him. 

Don’t feel bad you aren't coming to pick me up. I am happy to be flying home with my group, and just to get home. I would love to come back sometime, but I am just happy to be coming home. Don't feel bad that you aren't coming to get me. We finally got to meet with Abibi this Saturday. We are also meeting her sister named Farida. Smart wasn't there, so that is disappointing. We had a cool lesson with them, and they more fully understand the restoration now. Something we have been trying lately with investigators, and even with people on the street is being bold. We have just been really bold with our claims, and it is really working. People are understanding our purpose, and it makes our work a lot easier. As we are bold we can really sort out the jokers! A lot of times we aren't bold, and we just teach people for a while, but they don't understand our purpose. 

Jackie is doing well. We did service for her at her tuck shop on Wednesday. I was on exchanges that day with Elder Gramm, so he was with me in Randburg for the day. He is really funny, and we laughed a lot. We also saw Jackie on Thursday night, and we just tried to focus our lesson more on her faith, and getting her to understand she knows enough to follow. It seems like everytime we teach her, we just talk about her smoking. We tried to just avoid talking about it, and it was a great lesson. 

The Van Schalkwyk's are members. We didn't see them this week. I guess we do see them at church, and Brother Van Shcalkwyk is super funny! I don't know if there is any relation, I will have to ask them. 

I guess we did a lot of service this week. We helped two different people move this week. One family was leaving the ward, and so we helped just move all the heavy stuff outside of there little town house for the moving truck. The other lady was moving into a bigger cottage, and so we had to help get all her furnachurd from her storage container. It was a super long drive, but it was fun. We were there with a lot of the Priesthood, so that was nice. 

We also did the soup kitchen with sister malpage again! That was super fun, and it is amazing to help these people. The people we are helping are homeless living under an overpass. Sister malpage has been helping them a lot. She is trying to help them help themselves. She has been making them clean up there living area to earn the food. It is great because they have really cleaned up, and they have been regaining hope. 

As I said again this week we didn't teach a lot, but we have stayed busy. We had a lot of appointments cancel on us. 

I guess we have been doing some good contacting and tracting as well. Elder Asay and I have been trying a new approach at tracting. We do a survey approach that is pretty effective. People have actually come out to there gates, or have talked to us through their buzzer. Normally if we say we are missionaries they hang up on us. 

I am glad that you are getting up the mountain, and enjoying it! That is exciting to hear about the little spring! Are you putting sheep back on the property this summer? 

 I still come to an internet cafe. The internet here is pretty fast though. I am able to look at everything. I can get on the dropbox, and I normally do. I just can't upload pictures because my ipod won't let me. 

 A cool miracle happened this week as elder asay and I were coming back to our flat to pick up a DVD. As we arrived there was a family in our complex that was carrying grocieries up to there flat. We asked if we could help, then we introduced the gospel. They were both really interested, and we got there number and stuff. This was just a great miracle. Firstly it is a father led family, then just looking at the timing. We could have missed them so easy. I guess that was a spiritual experience just knowing that god is involved in every little part of our work. 

 I don't know what to tell you about Elder Asay. He is just a fun guy. We laugh and joke together a lot. He is just a really funny guy. he is a really good teacher in lessons, so I can just relax and know it is all good. I will try to think of some funny experience this week to tell you. 

Well I hope your week goes well, especially adjusting back to a normal schedule. I am loving what I am doing, and know I love you. 

Love

Your son