Week 52 but really written on August 28th

Hello everyone!!

Yes transfers happened!!! Sister Delucchi is going back home and I am staying at Hogwarts. And I am getting the beautiful Sister Berakdar!!! She is from Germany and is an epic convert to the church. You need to know a little bit about her. I am follow up training her so I'm kinda her step mom :)

She comes from a home that absolutley despise that she is here. Her whole family disowned her because she joined the church so she has no one. No family, no support, no post, no packages, no love, nothing. SO you get to adopt a missionary!!!!!!!!! :D Luck you! I'm going to get her email and you're going to adopt her (sorry you don't really have a choice. :) ) She needs love, packages, and post and lots of support. KEITH: If you read this you have to adopt her too! She's from Germany, write her a letter in German! She's having a hard time cause she gets no support, but oh don't you worry she's getting a lot of sunshine from this Sister!! :) I'm really excited, we're going to tear Hogwarts up!!! Her email address is: yvonne.berakdar@myldsmail.net (Just do like get to know you questions. Ask her about her life, her conversion story, her week, how she likes Alnwick.) And can you just keep email her until I get home???? Like truly adopt her??? Is that going to be ok? I know if you do you'll get more blessing then you'll know what to do with!!! Just remember Charity is the pure love of Christ! ANYONE WITHIN THE SOUND OF MY EMAIL!! WRITE MY COMPANION!!! Everyone needs a pen pal right?!

Sister Berakdar

England Leeds Mission

Lister House, Lister Hill

Horsforth, Leeds LS18 5AZ

This week was epic! We had a wonderful week full of new investigator and teaching!! Norman is doing to great! He's still looking good to being baptized on the 22 September.

I want to center my email on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I know it is real because I have lived it. We all make mistakes. Hello!!!! Anyone who hasn't made a mistake please raise their hand...that's what I thought. NO ONE!!!! I have such a HUGE testimony of the Atonement because I used it before my mission and I'm using it now and I'LL USE IT FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!! The atonement isn't just a one time thing. It should be an everyday thing!!! Jesus Christ came to this earth because we make mistakes. We CANNOT save ourselves. The Debt has already been paid. We just got to use it, THEN LEARN FROM OUR MISTAKES AND NEVER GO BACK!!!!!!!! As long as we're learning from every mistake then we're growing, we're progressing, we're moving forward. No mistake done (minus murder and denying the Holy Ghost) can't be fixed. As long as we're using the Atonement when we make mistakes we're never taking a step backwards. Yes for that moment when we continue to sin...yes we go backwards. But when we repent we're always stepping forwards. "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, what do we do we swim, swim, swim." (thank you Dori ha)

I know God lives, Jesus is the Christ and through him all is made right. All is made clean. All is sunshine, unicorns, and rainbows :)

I love you all to the moon and back!! Cheers til next week!

Love, Sister Brown

Week 51

Dear Family!

Hahah ok so I love my family and my life. So I got a pretty funny phone call this week from the mission office. This is how it went (First of all keep in mind that I didn't get an email so I assume you'all are dead) Sister Barren says (one of our wonderful office senior couple missionaries): "Sister Brown...I got a phone call from your mother today." Then my heart goes in my stomach and I think "Oh no...I was right...they're all DEAD!" and then she says, "Your Mom left a message on our machine, she says stop worrying. She sent the email to your other account, everyone at home is fine" HAHA! I love my Mum. She knows me so well, she knows that I would have been freaking out all week. Thank you Mum for calling the office (Thanks Joe for making her). I didn't even know you had the number to the mission office! Well if anything does happen, that's the number you would call :)

 

So on this weeks episode of: "Sister Brown at Hogwarts"

So how do you know when you've been out for a year?.....

You start having day-shaw-voo (hahaha I have NO IDEA how to even begin spelling that!)

For example....the spiders are back...

Yes you heard it, the spiders are back. When I first got here the very first thing I noticed was that ALL AROUND THE DOORS HERE IN THIS COUNTRY ARE MASSIVE SPIDERS!!!!!!! Every door I knock is my biggest fear staring me in the face. And I think..."Not again...it can't be that time of year....oh dear...it's spider season again" From September to about Halloween is spider season, where the spiders come out and just chill at peoples doors. So....gross.

 

More day-shaw-voo:

It feels like Halloween.

Autumn is in the AIR! Leafs are changing colors and falling off the trees. Sister Berakdar must think I'm a coock (short of cooky) because (as I always do each autumn) when I see a dead leaf on the ground OF COURSE I run over and step on it so I can hear the wonderful crunching sound. (I suggest everyone does this...it's actually a lof of fun...go appreciate the little things!) It's funny though cause here in England, because it's so humid and wet, If you see a leaf that is brown and dead...it doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be crunchy, chances are it will be wet and soft. Ha but when you do get one that is crunchy...man, it just makes my heart sing!

 

But back to the missionary work:

We had a great week this week. We're finding people, teaching, and progressing the work forward. Norman our little pirate is doing well, he's still struggling with the Word of Wisdom. He's struggling with that last cigarette, so keep him in your prayers. We moved his baptismal date to the 5th of October. We pray that he'll ditch the tabs and go for the water :) I love being a missionary. There is nothing like being directed by the spirit 24-7 (Well of course we always have the choice whether we're going to listen to the spirit or not). I love it when you pick a street that you feel really good about, knock on all the doors, and then find the reason why you felt good about going there. You find that person. That is one thing I have a testimony of is that God loves us individually. We could feel good about going to an area with over 200 hundred door and knock all of them and only be let in by 1 person. God loves that one person so much that he gives us the opportunity to knock all those doors to just find the one. That's what this work is about, is the one. God loves us, knows us by name, knows us so deeply-better than we even know ourselves. He wants to help the one. You. Me. Our friends and neighbours. I love being able to be his instrument and to be sent to wherever he needs me cause I too am invested in finding the one :)

 

I love you all to the moon and back!! Have a wonderful week! Read your scriptures, pray, and all your worries will go away (you like that little rhyme...yep I just made it up ;) ha! ) Cheers from England til next week!!

Love, Sister Brown

Week 50

Hello....is anyone there...hello...? Papa? Are you here" (Beauty and the Beast: Belle trying to find her Pops in the castle ha)

 

So....

I hope everything is ok? I think this is the first time I haven't gotten an email from you mom...so I hope everything is ok....it better be ok....right?

 

So this week was so magical. We had Sister Specialized Training and it rocked!! It was so good to see all my best friends. Sisters Freeman, Sorensen, Stout, and Hall!! These girls are going to be my bestest friends FOREVER!!! My singing went ok, but my talk went really well I think. We learned so much from each other and it was so good to be uplifted by everyones testimonies. It was so good to spend some time with President and Sister Lindley too. They are just so wonderful! They take such good care of us here in England.

This week we had some epic miracles. We found this amazing young couple who are looking pretty promising. They both have been looking for the truth. Their names are Jack and Isla. Jack especially has been looking everywhere for the right church. He's been to so many different churches and said himself, "Non of them feeled right.." So we were able to teach them the first lesson and they LOVED IT!!! The spirit was so strong, testifying to all of us that what was being said was true. (Man I love being a missionary :D) We are looking forward to teaching them more on Tuesday and seeing how things progress. They are living together so they would need to be married before they could be baptized (Wedding and Baptism...YES!!) Thats one thing that is pretty normal in England is the "living together before marriage" thing. Yuck. Ha everyone is just living in ignorance, but we will educate them so they can have lasting bliss ;)

A huge lesson I learned this week was Ether 12:6. This promise is so true. Sometimes the blessings don't come til after the trial of our faith. Sometimes we feel like, "Man, is this ever going to get easier...I'm doing my best...why don't I see results" I know that in these moments we need to push through it and keep working and doing our best. Because that's when the miracles happen. When we push though it there is always light at the other end..and it's THE BEST!! I felt this with Jack and Isla this week. We have been working so hard, week after week, TRYING SO HARD to find the prepared. And right at the breaking point, we found them. We found a little family. I know that if we consistantly do our best, and if we don't give up that miralces happen. I know it works here and I know it will work at home too!

I love you all so much and hope that everything is ok at home...it better be...do I need to be worried? You know me...I just to conclusions ha!

I love you to the moon and back! Cheers from England til next week!

Love, Sister Brown :)

Week 49

FAMILY!!!

Holy Guac how are you?!

I'm doing SOOO good! Things here in Alnwick are just super! Me and Sister Barakdar are taking on the world. (In the world of Dragonball Z: Me and Sister Berakdar fusion everyday and take on the world, supersayan style... ;) ) It's the best! We're finding, teaching, and preparing Norman for baptism. Give that 72 year old pirate a huge prayer for us. He's still stuggling with the word of wisdom, but I have no doubt that he will over come...(he better!!) This upcoming week some wonderful things are happening. We're having Sister Specialized Training! (Can you believe it's already been close to a year since the last one!) The last on i was just a little greeny! This time I'm one of the olderst Sisters here!! Weird... President is having me speak on "Keeping the faith and having a positive attitude in our missionary work." and Sister Lindley also asked me to sing (Yes!) I'm singing that version of "I know that my Redeemer lives" that me mal and Jill sang at grandma and grandpa T's anniversary :) So pray that it all goes well. Also....umm I dont' know where the time went but...I turn 1 year old this week. WHAT?!?!?!? Does it feel like it's been a year to you?! Cause for me it's FLOWN BY!!!!!! Next thing you know it will be Christmas....CHRISTMAS!!!

So since it is my year mark I want to tell you just a few things that I've learned since I've been a missionary so far. Have I perfected these things...ha not a chance. But I do feel like this year I have made LEAPS AND BOUNDS!!

 

1. I have learned that obedience is a good thing.

Yep you heard it. You're daughter, Sister Taylor Jean Brown said obedience is a good thing. I really feel I've gained a testimony of obedience on my mission. Obedience is the first law of heaven for a reason, cause that the first and only way that God can bless us..which in turn makes us happy. I know that sticking to the rules can be hard, but when you sacrifice you're will to what God or your parents, or your leaders, ect..when you put their will for you over what you want for you...you will always be happy. Obey the rules peeps...it'll put a smile on your face and a smile on your heart :)

 

2. Work, Work, Work!

 Yes...you heard it again. And I know you'll have a hard time with this one. But your daughter...likes to work. Well at least the missionary kind of work ha! I have seen in my missionary life that nothing beats a good hard day at work. You just feel so good, it's like you conquered the world that day. And you can go to bed know that, "yes, i contributed to Gods kingodom today!" And I know this work skill is going to carry over into the real world...well at least I hope so ;)

 

3. "Any excuse for nonperformance no matter how valid only weakens the charecter."/ Do what you said you would do. (DWYSYWD)

This is one of the more valueable things I've learned. You know me, I'm really good at people pleasing and in that regaurd I get in A LOT of trouble because I tell people what they want to hear and I don't follow through with what I said I would do... I feel like I've made leaps and bounds with this one. I feel like I'm more reliable, less flacky, and not prone to tell people what they want to hear. Hello....I'm a missionary...I talk with people about God all day long...of course I tell people what they DON'T want to hear...everyday! I know how important it is to "do what you said you would do". That is Integrity. Everytime I think of "Do what you said you would do" I think of Grandpa Taylor. He is the dictionary definition of Integrity. (I'm pretty sure his picture is right next to the definition of Integrity) My goal is to be like my dear Grandpa Taylor and strive each and everyday to work on my own personal Integrity. (Love you Grandpa!!)

 

4. I know the gospel is true. And I love God enough to keep to it!

I think this is the most valuable of all. I love God, I love my Saviour. I love this gospel and I know it's true! No matter what anyone tells me I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day saints is true. I know that the windows of heaven are open and we hear the will of God for us through a LIVING prophet. I know this "church thing" isn't just a passive thing. It's a life style. It's not something we only do on Sunday. It's an everyday thing!

 

And SOOOO MUCH MORE! That is just only a FEW of the many things I've learned on my mission. I will forever charish my mission. Next to the temple it is one of my most sacred experiences of my life. I love my mission. I love YOU!! (To the moon and back as you well know ;) ) I hope each of you have a wonderful week! Keep helping the missionaries!! I know that nothing but AMAZING blessings come from helping the missionaries!!! Cheers from England til next week!

Love, Sister Brown

Pictures!!!

Sister Barakdar and Sister Brown

Week 48

Hiya all!

Well from the sounds of it you'all are partying it up in Pine Valley :) Have fun! (just don't be too sad that I'm not there ok ;) )

Things here at Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry are magical!!! Things are just great with Sister Berakdar, we're tearing it up!! This week I learned a very valueable lesson from her. When you think you've got it bad...there is someone who always has it worse. So last week she got an email (the first email she'd recieved since she's been here...ya she's been here for 5 months..) and it was her brother telling her that he Mom has liver cancer and that it's termanal...basically that her mom is dying. So of course President Lindley is the bee's knees and let her call home to talk to her mom. So she is just so so so sad. I mean who woudln't be right if you heard your mom was dying. So she calls her mom...and come to find out...SHE DOESN'T HAVE CANCER!!! Her brother lied to her!!! Her mom is just fine and was only in the hospital because she has a hard time walking and was getting her legs checked...

How horrible right?! It just SOOO made me appreciate the little things I have. It was a huge slap in the face as well. My problems are just SO small in comparison to others. I think sometimes we get so caught up in our little lives and our little problems that we miss the big picture. The whole thing made me SOOOOO grateful for ya'all. You love me, support me, and are healthy and happy. What else could a missionary ask for?!

 

The biggest highlight of the week was....THE ROBSONS!!! Ok so the wonderful Stanley ward all pitched in and sent them on a holiday....TO MY AREA! HAHA! It's the best! They showed up on Sunday and I just about cried...(ok let's be honest...I did cry ha) I was able to see the whole family and Debbie and Gordon both bore their testimonies. Man I am the luckiest girl in the world!! I am so greatful for each of them and their examples and strength. They are just rockstarts, full of faith and hope for the future. I'll probably see more of them this week :)

Things are going really well here in Alnwick. I'm so looking forward to the miracles, hard work, finding, teaching, and baptizing that me and Sister Berakdar will have while we're here together! It really hit me when Sister Delucchi left how precious our time is as a missionary. I then realized that I'll be hitting my year mark in a little less than 2 weeks (sick). I've only got 6 precious months to continue to work my heart, might, mind and strength off!! :D It's gonna be great!! 

I love you all so much! To the moon and back I do!!! Thank you for all of your love and support and prayers. I feel them everyday!! Have fun!! Cheers til next week!

Love, Sister Brown 

Week 47

Dear Family,

Wow, I think I had the best week of my mission at Hogwarts this week!!

As you know my family, serving in Hogwarts has been hard but this week we finally got in the groove that I had in Bridlington!! We found 5 new investigators last week and 4 the one before!!! We scheduled a sweet man named Norman for baptism this week as well!!! Things are just wonderful here! I started out my week with a wonderful birthday surprise from the Robsons (Oh how I love them so!...and yes I cried....in front of my whole zone...embarrassing!) I dont have a whole lot of time this week because.....star wars episode 4 (you know the one my I used to watch with my wonderful Dad on VHS) it just got on the Presidents approved movie list so as a district WE'RE WATCHING IT!!! I'M WATCHIN STAR WARS :) :D!!! As you can see this little star wars (only the original trilogy though) nerd is excited! I love you all so so much! I feel your love and prayers everyday!! Thank you for making my birthday so special. I got all the packages and cards! They were so lovely and fab!! I love all the new clothes!!! I actually look like a women and not an 87 year old grandma for a change ;) Love you all to the moon and back!!

Love, Sister Brown

Week 46

Hello Family!

Yes I am one year older and wiser too ;) 24...yuck. But I think I have come to peace with it in this way...I have decided I'm going to be 21 for the rest of my life. Yep, problem solved. ;)

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for all the wonderful birthday cards, packages, all of it!!! Wow it was amazing!! I truly felt your love and prayers this week!! I finally got the allergy package this week and I got the package you sent to the flat mum! I'll probably get the other things this Tuesday cause It's zone conference down in Billingham. Which....I'm singing at :S Gaaaa!!! It's moments like this that I really need my mum and my sisters to tell me I'm singing the right thing and that I sound ok!!!! I decided to sing, "Hold on, the light will come" the only real reason why I'm singing it (cause let's be honest, it's kinda a downer) is because the spirit told me to sing it. One thing that I've really been trying to develop is listening to the spirit and not doing what Sister Brown wants to do....we all know that gets me into trouble when I don't listen to the spirit. So I just listened to the spirit and now I'm so nervous. But I trust that God knows better. Someone at zone conference needs that song....ha I hope it helps.

My birthday in England was great!!! Sister Delucchi took good care of me on my birthday that is for sure! I got 2 birthday cakes!!!...and Mum you'll be happy to hear that I had Pringles for tea hahahaha!! But that shrimp stuff sounds DIVINE!! Good for you! My mum is a proper chef! I got all my FAB CLOTHES!!!! AHH! Thank you so much for those. I have been SO SICK of the clothes that I brought with me. I wear the same things everyday pretty much so it was nice to have something new :) I'm wearing one of the dresses at zone conference tomorrow! AND THANK YOU FOR THE FRUIT SNACKS!!!!! Holy guacamole I freaked out when I saw them!!! They don't have fruit snacks like we do back home here, so I was over joyed to see them in that wonderful box!

Man, I have the best family EVER!! Thank you so much for making my birthday so special! I just feel your love all around me that is for sure!! We had a great week this week!! We're finding more people to teach! Which is fab! I just love being a missionary! And Mckay said it exactly right, there is nothing like working your hardest all day long and then crashing on your pillow at night. It's just the best feeling in the world when you accomplish something big, something hard, something worth fighting all day for. I think everyone should have days like that. Where you work so hard, you do something outside of your comfort zone, and then you can say "Yes, look I did it! Look at what I did!!" It's the best feeling ever! I have truly gained a testimony of work since I've been on my mission. I used to think that work was a necessary evil (ok let's be honest I still have moments where I do still think this ;) ) But how are we going to accomplish anything without work? And it's those moments where you've worked so hard and you get done...and it feels SO GOOD! Cause you've worked so hard at it! Now does everything go perfectly when your working at something...it rarely does. Lots of times things get put in our way, things don't go according to plan, and yes...100% of the time, work is hard! But push through it, keep at it, GO FOR THE GOLD (USA! USA! USA!....Rumor has it that USA won the Olympics!! Yes...I'm still trying to convert Michael Phelps...it's difficult because he only wants me...not the gospel. I keep telling him he can have both, but he's got to have his own testimony...not just convert so I can be Mrs. Phellps (bahahaha!!! I wish!!) ) I know that those things that we work the hardest for bring us the most joy. (thank you Mr. Saxton) They really do! I'm so grateful that I get the opportunity to work hard everyday and it truly does bring me the most joy!!!

I love you all to the moon and back!! Cheers til next week!

Love, Sister Brown

Week 45

MY BROTHER IN ENGAGED TO THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PERSON IN THE WORLD!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH....AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my gash I have another little sister!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D Soooo happy, Soooo excited, SOOO much smiling!!!

Story time:

Once upon a time in September 2011 to siblings went on a double date. The brother chose a beautiful princess and the sister went with the brothers best friend (haha ahhw good times). During the course of the date the older sister heard the spirit say, "You're just gonna have to deal with them getting married while you're gone cause they are meant to be."

Yep. TRUE STORY! Joey and Tiffany I knew you two would end up together from the world GO! You guys are just so good for each other! I'm so happy for you two!! Congratulations! Tiffany welcome to the craziest family of your life ;) I love ya little sis!!

Holy cow my little brother is gettin hitched October 20th. I expect LOTS OF UPDATES and LOTS OF PICTURES!!! Engagement, Wedding, etc. AND I have only one request....I request that mine, Macs, and Tiffs little brother, all our faces great people at the door and say, "We welcome you from England, Columbia, and South Korea! Welcome to the biggest love fest of your life!" Yep that's what I want ;) (Ok maybe not those exact words...but something like unto it ;) ) Man I'm seriously so excited for you two!!!

So some items of business:

Malory, Oh my gash! I just about died of laughter at the title of the subject you sent me! Dad you're disgusting!!! BAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! And yes that one is definitely going in my planner (it's like a missionaries cell phone. It's where I keep all my funny missionary times haha yes I'm still keeping track of the funny moments in my life.)

Trish Ganowsky my LOVE!!! Congratulations you beautiful thing!! You're about to enter the best 18 months of your life!!! It is the best decision you have ever made so far! It will be the hardest, most refiners fireing, best most rewarding time of your life!! Watch out Taiwan here comes Patrisha Ganowsky!!!!!!! Congratulations Girl!!! You are going to be a stellar missionary!! So so happy for you!!

This week I learned a huge lesson that is going to effect the rest of my life and eternity. Communication. You would think that I Sister Brown would have no problems communicating. (Some things don't changed I'm still just as chatty as I was before...maybe even more haha) BUT I learned that there are times where you MUST communicate. I have always had this fear of "I don't want to offend, I don't want to be a burden, I don't want to ask for help, I can do it...if I don't say anything maybe they'll figure out why I'm so annoyed." Wow...that's so passive!! I learned this week of the importance of step 13 of Weekly Planning. (Joey and Raymond know exactly what I'm talking about but for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about go to Preach My Gospel to the Weekly Planning Session and look at step 13) In life we have people who we may not get along with, or there are people that you do get along with but you disagree. Hello we all come from different walks of life and a different way of doing things. So this is when step 13 comes in handy. You communicate. And I did this on Friday and WHOA the difference that communication makes. Never procrastinate communication. I learned that you can tell people who you're honestly feeling and they don't get mad. They don't take offence. They don't hate you for it. When you talk things through in a positive way and pray like you've never prayed before for the words to say...all goes well. It's in those sweet moments of communication where all the problems get fixed. You tell each other how you're feeling and then you work it out. IT'S SO GREAT! This jewel of learning is one I'm going to use everyday for the rest of my life. Don't be afraid to tell people how you feel, who would have thought right?!

And this is why missions are amazing! I'm learning SOOOO much!! Even in the tough moments...you learn so much!!!

Thank you my wonderful family for your love and support!! I couldn't do it without you!!! I love you to the moon and back! Have a wonderful week! Cheers!

Love, Sister Brown :P

Week 44

Hello Everyone!

I live in the land of magic, olympics, and toy story clouds!!!!

Things are crazy in England right now with the Olympics going on!!! It's so funny how people here my American accent and then fill me in on what's going on with the Americans teams haha (I secretly love it cause you know how much I'm obsessed with the Olympics!) From what I hear America is doing well but China is beating us in Gold Metals...China...I laugh at you, you're going down!!

Here in England it's either you LOVE the Olympics or you are just so sick of hearing about it. Theres been a big hype about them for the past year and they're all sick of hearing about it ha. It's so fun to actually be here while it's all going on. All of England (Even us in the North East) is Olympic decorated! There is Olympic stuff everywhere! It's such a small country so I guess it's easy to decorate!

Today we had an EPIC PDAY!! A couple that we see quite often decided to take me and Sister Delucchi all over Northumberland! We went to Berwick-Upon-Tweed (yes that's it's name), The GIANT Bamburgh Castle, and....drum roll please....THE SCOTLAND BORDER!!!!!!!!!! Yes my friends...I Sister Taylor Jean Brown have accomplished being in 2 places at once :) I was in England and Scotland today at the same time :D!! How great is that?!?! Don't worry I documented the whole thing! Basically what I'm telling you is I live in everyones fairytale. Yep...be jealous ;) We saw A LOT of really old stuff today, a TON of history! I would say that the majoritiy of the stuff was older than the home land (USA...ya England is old...). We had so so so much fun! At least I did!

This week in my missionary land of Hogwarts was a good week. Things are getting better. We're finding people and teaching them the best thing they could ever learn in their WHOLE eternity, and that is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I love how Mckay in his email said, "I encourage you all to be obsessed with Jesus" :) Ha I loved that, it's so true! Through him and only him EVERYTHING is possible. I mean the list could go ON AND ON AND ON of what things are made possible because of our Saviour. I am forever grateful for the things he's made possible for me. Here on my mission my wildest "spiritual" ha and temporal dreams are coming true and that's because of my Savior. I'm turning into this person that God needs me to be and I never thought I would!! It's the best!! And i just so happen to be living in England, during the Olympics, right next door to Hogwarts and Scotland...what a dream come true.

I love my life. I love my Savior. I love you ALL SO MUCH!!!! I am SO EXCITED TO SPEND ETERNITY WITH YA'LL!!! I know with all my heart that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Gods kingom once again restored to it's fullest! Have a wonderful week my family! Cheers til next week!

Love you to the moon and back!

Love, Sister Brown

Week 43

Hiya Family!

:( Polly is dead. Did someone say "Polly's a dog!" for me before she left this world?! Oh man, something inside me told me that she died this week. She just kept popping in my head. :( I'm not gonna lie I'm a little sad, but I'm glad she's not suffering anymore. It's gonna be weird coming home someday and her not being there....

RIP Polly P. Puppers

You always had a song to sing

And you always pooped in my closet...

You will always be a dog...

May you and (Grants dog...for the life of me I can't remember his name!!) be friends forever in heaven

God be with you til we meet again

Well in better news things here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry are just brilliant. You should know....I made the quidditch team!!! It was tough, but me and my Nimbus 2012 made it onto the team. What a dream come true ;)

Well Mum you're right...it's my birthday in a couple of weeks and yes...i am NOT looking forward to it. Yuck, Mom I'm getting old! Can we just skip this one this year, just pretend like it's not my birthday...please? Please? Ugh.

I don't need a thing! I've got my wand, my Nimbus 2012, my wonderful family, I get to share the restored gospel with everyone! What else could a missionary need? ins I really am good though :) I'm just going to pretend like it's any other day. I plan on staying 23 for the rest of my life!

This week was about the same as last week. Just keep trying to find the prepared :) I know they're there somewhere...we just gotta find them! The amazing thing about missions is that when you go out you expect to be changing lives. (And yes you do!) But I never expected to be learning so much about myself and learning all these life lessons. It's true when they say that 2 years of your mission adds up to 40 years of life experience. It's SO true!! As a missionary you are thrown into SO MANY different situations. Different members, investigators, problems, companions (good and bad), homes, lifestyles, everything! These moments are going to shape the rest of my life and eternity. I am so grateful everyday for my mission. I'm also grateful for the hard times I've had, for the refiners fire. It's in those precious moments of heat and pressure where God mold us from coal to diamonds. Yes, the heat and pressure are sure uncomfortable at times and sometimes it's more than you can bare. But, if we keep enduring, keep trying, be believing, God will mold us into the person he has always seen in us. Someone that is better than we ever could have imagined being. Ha I've still got a lot of heat and pressure to go. I've got so many weaknesses but I know that through God I can be my best :) Ahh isn't the gospel great! Thats one part that I love about the things we believe is that we can always be better. Each day is a brand new day and we can make each day better than the one before.

 

I love you all so much! Thank you for your love and CONSTANT support. I could not do it without you that is for sure!! I love you all to the moon and back! Cheers from Hogwarts!

Love, Sister Brown

Week 42

Alright I'm gonna have to make this one quick!

Yes I am still at Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with Sister Delucchi :D No changes for this girl and for that I am GREATFUL! I hate transfers, they're always so stressful. So I'll be here for another 12 weeks most likely cause this will be Sister D's last transfer (yes I'm killing her ha!) and then I'll take over the area. So it's lookin like I'll be here til October! (TIME IS FLYING!)

How are you fam?! Ahh! My Bro's a missionary! I can't beleive it still! I'm so happy for him though, there is no better place for him to be!

Things here in Hogwarts are picking up! We've got a little bit of a teaching pool so thats great! We had a little miracle on Sudnay as well. This week we had no one confirmed for church. no one. So we prayed are little hearts off that someone, ANYONE would come to church. And a former investigator named James turned up at church!!!! So we're teaching James again and we're hoping he'll be our baptism for this coming transfer. Woot woot!

No mom I haven't gotten the package yet but I'll hopefully get it on Wednesday! (cross your fingers!) Thank you SO much for sending it!! Ahh I'm hopin it will kick my allergies in the behind!

Polly is dying!! Poor thing, ya just keep me posted! Could you tell her, "Polly's a dog" for me (in Joey's voice...you know the one I'm talking about!) So Polly has Dimensia...I've seen SO many old people who have this...and some of them bark at nothing as well hahah! Only thing you would see on your mission! (Joey and Raymond will understand the crazy peeps you see on the misson hahaha!)

This week I am so grateful for the power of prayer! Prayer is the real deal! I have had so many experiences where my prayers have been answered. If we ask God for help and we do all we can then we will see the miracle of our prayers being answered.

Example: So once upon a time in my glory days of Bridlington....We were out talking with people and I see this man (Ian...remember Ian!) So all throughout my mission I have been praying for the gift of discernment. I wanted to be able to see the prepared from afar so that i can run over to them and invite them to come unto Christ. So it this situation I saw Ian from a distance and the spirit told me that he would get baptized! So me and Sister Hall ran over there and immediately started to teach him. We then righ then and there on the street invited him to be baptized....4 weeks later he was baptized. I TELL YOU THE CHURCH IS TRUE!!! Prayers are answered and miracles are still there. Don't be afraid to pray for miralces. If this is the same Church that Jesus Christ established on the earth then the miralces and angels are still here! We can heal the sick, raise the dead, cause the blind to see, we can be and see angels! If we pray for righteous things I know God will answer our prayers!!

I love you all so much!!!

Send this one to Mckay cause I won't be able to email him this week :(

I love you Mac!!! Work hard! Pray harder! And have fun!! You're like me, if your not having fun then you get discouraged. Make everything you do a game, pull prank on your comps as well! That always that funnest ;) Have a great week fam! I love you to the moon and back! Cheers

Love, Sister Brown

Week 41

Hello Family!!!

Mac is a missionary...Mckay is an ELDER!! Have you heard from him at all?!?! When is his PDAYs?? From the looks of it I'm gonna have to wait til next week to get his email :( But that is ok! How was he when you said goodbye? Probably better than me, man I was a WRECK! It was so hard saying goodbye to everyone! I'm sure he was such a pro about it! Hows my family doing with it all. Ya I'm sure things are A LOT quieter!! But yakcM is where he needs to be! He's going to be an amazing missionary! He's going to convert all of Columbia!!! (umm...can I PLEASE have his myldsmail.net address!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! please!!!) I just hope he has a great companion and is having wonderful experiences in the MTC!! Keep me posted on how he's doing!!

Can you believe how the time is flying! I'll hit my 10 mark on Sunday...ON SUNDAY!! Whew...time has no limits of a mission. Yay for Merrick!!! He'll be comin over to these parts soon enough! I meet people from New Zealand all the time and they are seriously the best! So nice, so chill. There a good mix of Australlian and English :) The best of both worlds ;)

This week was good! We found 3 new investigators! We pray that things will keep rolling here in Alnwick! We're still focusing on finding the prepared, getting our teaching pool up! Don't worry we're still teaching Hermoine and she actually reffered us to Ron!! Ron's got word of wisdom problems (he smokes... :S) but he knows its bad for him and is trying to quit ;)

Just so you know next week is the wierd transfer week. I won't be emailing this Monday but I'll be writing to ya on Tuesday. Chances are I'm staying here with Sister Delucchi and it will be her last transfer!!! Ahh! So crazy.

Well I wish there was more I could tell you. The work is moving forward and your lil missionary is doing well :)

Keep praying for the Robsons. I got the phone call this morning...Bro. Robson's cancer is back :( He has two tumors in his lung. Lung Cancer. Keep their family in your prayers. He's had cancer before I have NO DOUBT he will kick it's trash again ;) Also could you keep Jade Nixon in your prayers? Mom could you put her name in the temple too? I love you all so much! To the moon and back I do!!! Have a wonderful week ok!

Love, Sister Brown

Week 39

Hello my beautiful Momma and family!!

How are you all! MAC YOU LEAVE FOR THE MTC SOOOOOOOOOOO SOOOOOOOOOOON!! What is Mac's missinary address. Cause he's family I'll be able to email him each week :) Waaahhoooo!

Mac: I know your freakin out...at least I was. The MTC ROCKS!!! You'll love it! Just be yourself, work hard, pray hard and you'll be just fine I know it!

Well once again I am back in my greeny area!! I'm in STANLEY!! Cause I'm back in the Sunderland Zone I can come down for PDays if i want. I wish I was comin down for better reasons though...

I can't go into big details cause it's really not my story to tell but my missionary family...the Robsons...remember them at Christmas time. They're going through....everything. Basically they are Job (from the Bible). They're going through everything. Mom could you put their names in the temple for me? It's Gordon, Debbie and Shalina Robson. They need all the prayers they can get. Keep them in yours :)

But it's been so great being back and seeing them. Because of everything that is going on Sister Sorensen got special permission to come for the day so it was SO beyond good to see her too. We decided that we're best friends and that we're going to be neighbors for the rest of out lives and our future husbands are just going to have to deal with it :) It's just always good to be around people you love so much you know?

Well I wish I had more time :S but I don't. Just know that your missionary is doin just great! Mom you can send whatever you want to our flat. Chances are I'm going to be there for awhile. Don't worry about sending the medicine...well...ya send it ha! Don't worry about getting it in fast though. They have Clarityn here (yes they spell clarityn with a 'Y' here...) and it's working ok...I just take 2 a days instead of just one ha! But all is well in Zion. Just keep in your prayers that we find the prepared. Ugh, we still have no teaching pool...no investigators..nada...so we're just finding a lot. Just pray that I'll be able to do everything in my power to work my hardest all day long so I can find those who have been prepared for me and Sis Delucchi. I know they're here. I know we can get things rolling here. I know President sent me here for that purpose...to get things moving. :D Don't worry, "No matter you where you are, no matter the weather, always bring your own sunshine :)" I've still got my sunshine! :) Thank you all for all you do! I love you all SOOO much!!! To the moon and back!!

Cheers!

Love, Sister Brown ;)

Week 40

Hello me familia!!!

Ok first things first...

1) One of my bestest friends....Emily Saxton..is having a baby...she's going to be a MOMMY!!! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! Tell her that I love her and that she's the prettiest pregnant women ever!!!! (besides you Jillie ;) ) I can't believe it...

2) It's July....IT'S JULY?!?!?!?! Where did June go?

3) My little bro leaves for the MTC this week....AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My heart it flooded with JOY!!! Mac you're going to be such an epic missionary! I'm so exctied to hear about all the miracles you'll be having! I still haven't been told Mac's mission email address or his mission address....could I get this por favor? Gracias! Hey if Joey will let you, take one of his badges with you!! Then the Brown Badge legacy will move on!! If Mal or Anita ever wants to serve a mission I'm TOTALLY giving them one of my badges to wear! Maco my heart is with ya this week!! You'll be on my mind til next week when I get an EMAIL FROM YOU!! Mac, when you send your emails you need to send one home and one to me!!!! Remember that ok?!

4) Of course Dad is a scoutmaster!!! How many times have you been scoutmaster Dad?? At least 12. ha! Hello Dad you're a SILVER BEAVER REMEMBER!!!! Just wear you little medal to every meeting and all the little kids will but open there mouth in pure amazement and say, "Wow...I hope someday I can be a silver beaver just like Bro. Brown". I know you'll do amazing!! I can just see ya in your little scout uniform right now! ha, ahw man....my dad's the best :)

5) Ha Mom I knew someday you would be so grateful to me that I packed my stuff weeks in advance ha! It's a big job! Maco help Momma pack your stuff, cause you're gonna need to know what's in there. ;)

Can you believe this week is already here!? I remember talking about it before I left that me and Mac's missions would over lap and now IT'S HAPPENING!!!!! Where has the time gone! Yes, my beautiful Mum the time is just going to FLY BY!!! Haha I actually had a dream the other night about me coming home into the St. Geezy airport. hahhahah it was actually a nightmare because I was so fat you could barely put your arms around me BAHAHAHA!!! Man...let's hope that doesn't happen...AND bahahah! I had another weird dream the other night that I was Will Smith in "I am Legend" and all my friends and family and human kind turned into animal zombies and all i had was Polly for a friend. BHAHAHAHAHAH!!! If you haven't seen this movie, watch it and then picture me as Will Smith. Hilarious.

So some pretty epic things happened this week! First and foremost...ALNWICK FLOODED!!!! HARRY POTTER AND HOGWARTS CASTLE FLOODED!! haha I'm going to try to upload the video i took (thank goodness for my waterproof camera!) We had a giant flash flood that me and Sis. Delucchi got caught in the middle of! It was hilarious!! It was like we had jumped in a pool with all of our England layers on!! I have never been so wet before in my life!!! SOO funny! You know how much I love the rain, imagine me in a flood! I was like a little kid in a candy store! It was so great! It did A LOT of damage though. Luckily our place and our car are safe and sound but a lot of homes were destroyed cause its so hilly here. So if you were living in a valley...man..you were toast...or should I say drowned. I took some photos so I'll for sure get you those and I PRAY the video works cause it's hilarious.

Epic moment number 2. WE GOT A NEW INVESTIGATOR!!! finally!!! Man things are finally moving here in Hogwarts for this I am ETERNALLY grateful. Thank you for your prayers! I feel them everyday! His name is Jordan, he's 16 and the boyfriend of a member. Ha he's not the most solid investigator, but an investigator non the less! We're looking forward to a week full of miracles where we can build a teaching pool here in Alnwick.

Lets see I'm trying to think if there is anything else I need to fill you in on...

Nope :) I don't think so! Just know that I love each of you so much!! I know this church is true. I know it with all of my heart and every fiber of my soul that it is. It's Gods kingdom once again restored through a prophet of God like in Old Testement times. I know that my mission is changing my life. Its shaping me into the person that God needs me to be here for him. It's making me a more useable instrument so I can play in this big orchestra called life. And i know the better we're tuned, the more prettier we'll sound, and the more he'll use us because we sound so nice ;) I love each of you so much. Thank you for your constant love and support! I love you to the moon and back!

Cheers til next week!

Love, Sister Brown

Pictures!

 Sister Hall and Sister Brown

 Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Week 38

Hello from Hogwarts all!

 

So my little brother (who I will always remember as a 12 year old) is going on a mission...he already had his farewell...WHAT?! Can you believe how fast time is flying!! I cannot believe it! I hit my "hump" day...aka...I'm half. YUCK! Where has the time gone...and these next 9 months are going to fly by even faster...so weird.

I loved all the pictures!! Everyone looks so so good!! I love you all! Mac I'm sure your farewell was amazing!!! You're going to be such an epic missionary!!

Well this week was a weird one ha. Me and Sister Delucchi were in for most of the week cause we've been sick. (Don't worry Mom I'm fine. The pollen in this country just attacked me with full force!) But I'm feeling better and ready to tear Alnwick apart!!

This week I learned a valuable lesson: "Wherever you are, no matter the weather always bring your own sunshine." I figured out this week that I left my sunshine in Bridlington. I was a little Bridlinton homesick this week and I was trying to figure out why i was so blue. But then it dawned on me..."Sister Brown..you need a change of attitude. You need to bring your own sunshine!" So this week I've got my sunshine on!! Life is full of choices, and sometimes you have to choose to be happy no matter where you are. A wise German once said, "You create your circumstances." (This wise German is my Zone Leader Elder Weitzel ha) And it's so true. We create our everyday lives and we have the choice to have them filled with sunshine or dark rainy clouds.

So I'm choosing to let the sunshine in. (face it with a grin ;) ) I know I've been sent here to Alnwick for a reason!! I've just gotta be able to find the reason ha cause the reason isn't going to find me :)

Man, I'm learning so many valuable lessons on my mission. Especially this one. (Well and all the other ones too ;) ) But this one especially. If I want good things to happen I can't just wait for them to happen. I've gotta go after them, I've gotta find them, make them, work hard for them!! And that's for anything, whether it be missionary work, jobs, school, family, church, anything!! Dreams do come true when you work for them!

 

I love you all so much! Thank you for your love and eternal support! This little Hogwarts missionary is using her firebolt (aka legs and car) to spread the good news of the gospel to all that will listen!! I love you all to the moon and back!! Cheers til next week!

Love, Sister Brown

Week 37

Hello my beautiful family!

Sorry about yesterday. It was zone PDay so we had NO time to email...and you know my thoughts on zone PDay...

Well...

It's your Sister Missionary living in Harry Potter. Yes Hermione is super smart and has excepted the fullness of the gospel and is getting baptized tomorrow ;) Ya....no big deal...

HA! I wish!

But seriously I live in Harry Potter land...don't worry I'm taking pictures Mom.

Yep Mom go ahead and put it in Google Earth and see the cute little place I live in...can you see a silver car...?? Yep that one...right there...yep that's the car I drive. Yep you guessed it, you're little missionary is in another driving area and I'm the driver ha! Don't worry, it's an automatic and I'm super pro at driving on the wrong side of the road now. You can start worrying when I get back home...cause I'll want to drive on the left side cause that's what I've been driving for my first 3 transfers and now these future ones :)

Things in Alnwick are beautiful, beautiful scenery and companion. Sister Delucchi is a gem! Such a sweetheart! She is from Las Vegas (Just around the riverbend!!) And she's planning on going to Gma and Gpa Taylor land at none other than BYU ID when she goes back to the land of the Muggles. (Cause we're going to Hogwarts right now...sorry...you'all are muggles....sorry.) I just adore her and I'm looking forward to our time together.

Here in Alnwick...there is alot of work to do. Let me explain the missionary lingo of "white-washing". This means that you and your companion open a new area where missionaries haven't been for awhile. Don't worry we've not doing that...but it is kinda like we're "gray-washing". Meaning....I got here and nothing is really going on. We have no investigators. None. So we have to go out and find some peeps to teach!! :) I'm not too worried about it cause that's how Brid was and look at it now, it's booming! So pray that me and Sister Delucchi may be able to find the people that God has prepared for us here and that their hearts will be softened to the message we bring.

From what I understand about Alnwick is that it's full of a few things...Harry Potter....old people, and chav's. (chavs = crazy rebellious teenagers...) But hey, that's what they said about Brid too. I'm thinkin President Lindley wants me to pull a Bridlington..ya no pressure. ha but truly all is well in Zion. I think Raymond might understand a little bit more than my Latino Land serving brothers when it comes to finding people. Ray, you know how I'm feelin??...ya I think you do ha. BUT the gospel is true. That's the beauty of it, we're sharing truth so we can't go wrong. We just have to find those that are prepared.

Another person to keep in your prayers: Sister Delucchi's Dad. So she had been here in this country for just a few months and her Dad was diagnosed with Cancer. He has a brain tumor that they don't know what to do with. I don't know how she stayed on her mission, but she did. She goes home and the end of August and from what she hears her Dad isn't doing too well...Pray that her Dad will be able to at least make it to September so she can see her Daddy. Fathers Day is coming up and she's having a hard time. Keep her and her family in your prayers ya?

Speaking of which I have a few important announcements:

HE'S EVERYTHING...TO OUR FAMILY...DO YOU KNOW WHO I'M THINKING OF???

HE WORKS FOR US...AND TEACHES US...AND FILLS ARE HOME WITH LOVE AND LAUGHTER

LEARNING...AND....learning....and praying...and playing...and praying....(ya don't remember this verse hahahaha!)

MR. EVERYTHING THAT'S MY DAD!!!

HAPPY FATHERS DAY DADDY!! Don't worry I put your card in the post today!

AND...I think someone needs there very first Brown Family Birthday Song...

I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD! (i dont know what I've been told!)

SOMEONE HERE TURNED ONE YEAR OLD (someone here turned one year old)

SOUND OFF (happy!!) SOUND OFF!! (birthday!!!)

SOUND OFF HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KATE!!!

HOLY COW MY LITTLE NIECE IS A YEAR OLD!!! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Ok it was just yesterday that I held her in the hospital and burst into tears!! (In front of Connie...embarrassing...) I can't believe it! Jillie give her the biggest kiss for me K!!!!???? Has she gotten her little outfits I sent yet???? When you do, you have to take pictures and send them to me!!!

I love you all sooooo much!!! The church is so true k? If you need reminding, get on your knees and let Heavenly Father tell you the truth!

I love you to the moon and back!!

Love, Sister Brown

PS...Dad...your not the Bishop anymore...how do you feel?! Thank you for the beautiful 5 years of service!! You are da best! :) I love you Daddy!

Week 36

Hello my beautiful family!!

It's your favourite missionary!!! And your missionary has been transferred....to....

ALNWICK!! (Pronounced: Anick...ya why it's spelled like that...i have no idea)

I am back in the north and back in the Sunderland Zone!! I was in the Sunderland Zone for the first 4.5 months of my mission and now I'm back!! :D And my companion is....

SISTER DELUCCHI!!! (pronounced: Del-oo-key)

She is from Vegas and has 2 months left of her mission :( So chances are I'm going to be her last companion!

So Alnwick is the farthest north that the mission goes. We are RIGHT ON THE SCOTLAND BORDER! Don't worry we have plans of getting pictures there :) It's GORGEOUS here!! I'm gonna send you a picture of the Alnwick Castles where non other than the Harry Potter Movies were filmed....ya I don't know if you've ever heard of Harry Potter...but ya I live where it was filmed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not gonna lie...leaving Brid was so hard! Having to say goodbye to all 9 of my converts was SUPER HARD! And not having to be at Ians baptism tomorrow (Oh ya....IAN PASSED HIS INTERVIEW AND IS GETTING BAPTIZED TOMORROW!!!!!!!! :D!!!!) was disappointing. But Bridlington is now in capable hands. Sister Sorensen is with Sister Hall now!!! ha their going to have so much fun together! It was super tough leaving Sister Hall too. We got SOOOO close!! But she's gotta spread her little Greenie wings and fly!!

I am so grateful for the time I had to be in Bridlington, and the miracles I was able to be apart of. Brid was my hardest area so far, but it was the most rewarding. I am so grateful for the people there, for the lessons i learned, for the person that God made me into while i was there. I'm going to miss it soooo much! The hardest part was saying goodbye to the Barrass Family! We had a testimony meeting the night before I left and that is something I'll never forget! Getting to here the sweet testimonies of the family i taught...priceless. Absolutely priceless.

I love being a missionary. I look forward to the miracles and the work I'll be doing here in Alnwick.

OH another example of why the church is true....so when I was a greeny in Stanley, Sister Freeman asked me one time, "Sister Brown, any feelings on where you're going to serve in the future?" And I told her that for some reason I feel like I'm going to serve in Alnwick someday. And looky now, I'M HERE! So I know there is a great work that God needs me to do here in Alnwick, there are people here prepared for me to teach here...we just gotta find them :)

Thank you Jillie for the package!! I got it yesterday!!!!!!!! You da best! I love you!! And thanks for the skirt too my beautiful Momma!

Thank you all for your love and support! I couldn't do this work without it!!

I love you all to the moon and back!!

Love, Sister Brown

Week 35

Hello Family!

Well thing here in Brid are just super duper!! We had quite a miracle this week that I wanted to share with you. Of course as missionaries we are SO prayerful about the places that we go finding. So me and Sis. Hall felt prompted to go knock on St. Annes Road so we did. We knock...and knock....and knock some more....not a whole lot of success. But we knock at this door and it's this little old lady who look surpirsed to see us. She said she was really busy but wanted us to come back a few days later...so we did :) Her name is Ann and she is lovely! We get talking to her about how she's been looking for the right church her whole life but doesn't fully agree with all the Christian churches. She then goes on to say that she has a grandaughter who is just like her and believes in Jesus very strongly and just joined the Mormom church. She goes on to say that she used to go to Christ Church (ugh this AWFUL church that is THE GREAT AND ABOMINABLE CHURCH here in Brid...woof.) And I'm thinking to myself, "Wow...this is all sounding VERY familiar..." and I say, "Ann, is your grandaughter Nanci Smythe?" She then says, "Well yes! Do you know her?" AAAHHH!! :D WE FOUND NANCI'S GRANDMA!!! God sent us to her and she LOVED EVERY BIT of what we told her about the Restoration. We taught probably the best lesson 1 I've ever taught, filled to the rim with Bible and Book of Mormon truth (LOVE the Bible). She loved it! Then she came to church this Sunday and LOVED IT! It was like she was a member. She was filled with wonderful comments and was loved by all! I just know she's gonna get baptized...I just hope I'm here for it!! We also had Ian and Maurice at church and they also loved church! Ian is lookin pretty good for baptism too but he is bound and determinded that he wants to be baptized July 4 becuase it's Independence Day (British people love Independence Day...couldn't tell ya why...) and because it's his birthday ha.

Thing here in Brid are moving along nicely :) We've got a few solid investigators...some not so solid but hey that's the life of a missionary. It's been tough meeting these people cause chances are in a few weeks I'll be leaving Brid :( I just try not to think about it ha

I know I say this all the time but I LOVE MY MISSION!! It is the hardest, best thing ever!!!

I hope this week goes wonderful! Take lots of pictures at the graduation and send them to me!! I love you all so much! Thank you so much for all your love and support!! I love ya to the moon and back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers til next week! :)

Love, Sister Brown

Week 34

Family!

Long time no see ;) NOT!!!

IT WAS SO BEYOND GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are all SO BEAUTIFUL!!! Man I have quite a handsome family ;) But really everyone looks so good and happy!! Can you believe it's already over...Mother's Day is over...I talked with you all...next time I see you it will be Christmas and I'll only have 3 more months left of my beautiful mission...whoa. Mom you're right, skype is amazing!! Maco hopefully you'll be able to skype! It's so fun!!

Mac you leave in 2 months! You have to know how beyond excited I am for you! BEYOND EXCITED!! You will LOVE YOUR MISSION! You'll love the people and you'll love the work. Like I said the key to missionary happiness is WORK. Just work hard, be obediant to all the rules, listen to the spirit and you'll be successful! Nothing will hold you back ;)

Have I told you lately that I love you family? I LOVE YOU!! It was so good to see Matt and Kate too! Oh man I love those two SO MUCH!! They're both getting so BIG! I can't believe it!!! Give them HUGE hugs and kisses from their Aunt Tay-Tay. I just can't get over how fun that was! Did everyone have fun yesterday?? Cause I sure did! Thank you all so much for your wonderful words and constant support! I couldn't do it without you all!!

Mom you are beautiful. Absolutely stunning! I just kept thinking throughout talking to you I thought, "Wow, I've got the prettiest Momma in the whole world!!"

And my sisters!! Man don't even get me started on how AMAZING it was to see and hear your voices! And to get a snipit of Jillies angelic voice. Priceless. Made my day. :)

Daddy, Oh how I love you!! Thank you for your sense of humor, your wonderful words, and example. I love ya so much!!

Joe-Joe!!! Couldn't do this without ya. You paved the way of epic missionary work in our fam. Thank you for being an obediant hard working missionary! I just hope I'm half the missionary you were.

And Danny!! Keep ticklin that ivory!! You've gotten tons better from the last time I heard ya! Keep it up!!

I love each of you so so so much! To the moon and back I do!! I can't wait to spend forever with ya!!

Well...nothing really new to report ha! Just about the same from yesterday :) I hope you all have such a great week!

Cheers til next week!

Love, Sister Brown :)

 

Shout out to Kristen Syphus Winkle....oh my GOSH I LOVE YOU!!! Thank you so much for the package!!!! That was beyond sweet and loving and caring and considerate and all wonderful things of you!! Give your achievement day girls a huge hug for me! Thank you for all your love and support! Best babysitter award goes to....YOU! ;)

 

PS Mom, you are more than welcome to send anything to the flat! Just be warned that chances are I'll probably be getting transfered so my last day here will probably be June 6th. (maybe...it's not always a guarentee.) So feel free to send letters, packages, ect to the flat if that would be better for you. Either way works for me :) I love you so much Mom. I hope you had SUCH a wonderful Mothers Day and that you got spoiled wrotten! You doin ok? I can only imagine what you're feeling with 2 missionaries going to be out soon and especially Maco going to Columbia. Don't worry Momma, God protects his missionaries! And Mckay is going to turn into the man that God intends him to be, he'll grow so much!! I know this cause how my mission has changed me, and will continue to change me. I am so grateful for parents who encouraged me to go when it was the last thing in the world i wanted to do. Thank you Mom, Thank you forever for letting me serve a mission. I love you so much!! I'll be huggin you soon enough ;)

Love, your Teedle Tay

 

Week 33

HELLLOOOOOO FAMILY!

Sorry for the late email. You should just check and see when England has their bank holidays...if it's on a Monday, chances are you'll get an email on Tuesday :) Like the next bank holiday is June 4 and it's transfer week so that week you probably won't know where I've been transfered/who my new companion is until June 7.

This week was WONDERFUL!!! Why? BECAUSE WE HAD A BAPTISM...but not just a baptism...5 BAPTISMS!!!!! It was SUCH a wonderful service! The spirit was just SO strong! Danielle (who got baptized just a few weeks earlier) spoke on baptism for her wonderful family and she just cried through the whole thing. She just kept saying, "I'm so grateful my family excepted the truth. That my family can be together forever!" Everyone was in tears! It was just such an amazing thing to be apart of. Once again I am just so grateful to be here!!!!

Ok I will be calling between 9:30-10:00 your time :D I can't believe it, time is just flying! And I'm so glad you got my card Mum!! I was worried that you hadn't gotten it yet! I can't wait to see you all!

Things here in Bridlington are great though! We don't really have that "after baptism lul" We've got a pretty desent teaching pool and most are progressing just nicely! I love being a missionary! Time is just flying by too fast. Me and Sister Hall will probably only have just a few more weeks together. The transfer ends June 6th. I'm still weirded out that it's Mothers Day already!!

Well sorry this email is gonna be short but don't you worry we'll be having a long conversation soon :D

Talk to each of you soon!

Love you to the moon and back!!

Love, Sister Brown

PS. So me and Sister Hall had an epic Cinco De Mayo fiesta where we made mustaches and ate mexican foot for Tea. It was brilliant ha! Here are some goofy pictures of us being creepy Mexicans ;)