December 26th

Christmas here is a little weird. I asked a youth what Christmas meant for him and he said, "It's just another day." Christmas doesn't mean much here. Very strange. Today we are having a district activity. But Zone and Mission, we don't get together ever. Our rules are really strict.

We got to the cyber a lot later than planned, so I'll write to President and that will probably take me all the way up to the skype call time, but I did read the emails and will write more next week. Talk to you in a minute!

Love,
Elder Brown

December 19th

We are working like crazy here. We are having trouble finding investigators, but we will get them. I'm really glad for the opportunity that I have to work with and serve such great missionaries as are in my district. We are teaching more than before but we still need a little more to reach the goal, but we will get there.

The office has a new method of doing things. When a package comes they send us a notice and then we have to pay them so that they can send it to us. So last week I got 1 notice which asked for 20,000 guaraniis which is a ton for a package. It usually tops 10,000 so I guess it must be either really big or really heavy one of the two. I think its gonna be heavy, so I'm guessing the books I asked for. But when it gets here I'm gonna open it. Don't worry I'll film it as is Christmas tradition. I am going to get it today because I have to go out to Encarnacion 3rd branch to do a baptismal interview. So I'm going to pick it up from the Sister Missionaries in the 1st branch and then head out to the 3rd branch do the interview, and then hang out with the elders.

We will be doing the calls at noon our time. (8 I think your time.) So I will still do email first. So 11-12 email 12 til who knows when calls.

Yeah everything is going super well. One of our investigators, Geronimo is going to be baptized Wednesday. Then I give a talk in church Sunday about Christmas. We are still having trouble finding investigators, but last week we saw a miracle. We were walking down the street when an old pair drove up along side us in their moto and the woman said "hey where are you guys going?" and I said "we are heading for the Vivienda" so she answered "hey I live close to the Vivienda, come over to my house right now I want to hear your message." She then gave us her direction and we went by and shared with her and she wants to be baptized. Problem, her boyfriend isn't sure, and they aren't married and he is separated but not divorced to another woman. So those are the problems but they just take time to solve. But yeah that's the crazy experience of the week.

I'm glad that everything is going well in the classroom. I'm glad that the kids are still loving it as always. I look forward to being able to study stuff with you and help you prepare your class. I always loved Moroni 10:5 and by the power of the Holy Ghost you may know the truth of all things. Many times as members of the church we think that revelation is only for religious stuff, but anything that is important to us is important to God and he will guide us in all that we do. All of our labors can be consecrated to God. A sports game, a music performance, even teaching a class, or cooking food. Every single one of these things we can be guided by God. I love revelation. It's so awesome.

But yeah I got to go, but i love ya tons, and I look forward to talking to you next week. Miss you and love you. Ciao.

Love,
Elder Brown

December 12th

It's going by way too quick, and I still have so much more to offer, but yeah time goes as it goes. I just hope to do the best I can and not waste a single minute. With the district everything is working out fine. We are all working like crazy. The zone leaders called me this morning to thank us for all my district is doing. They told me they were a little frustrated because in the zone the numbers weren't very good but then they got my districts numbers and they felt better. So they called me again to thank us for our work and for all my district is doing, and told us to keep it up. But yeah I know my district can get more. So I'm just gonna be pushing them a little bit harder with love.

Everything is going well with my comp here. We worked hard this week, but December 8th is a holiday here in Paraguay, it's where they all travel to Caa Cupe and worship the Virgin Mary. But we are going crazy working here. Not finding much, but we are tearing it up.

I'm so excited for this last bit of my mission. Really I now have no problems expressing myself. I know how to teach and how to follow the spirit. Really if there is a time when I am at my prime as a missionary I think its now. We don't have much right now. My area is huge but I know that the Lord will bless us in direct proportion to our obedience and our diligence. I'm excited for what this last time will bring.

Thank you for all you do for me. I really love you so much and am so grateful for all you have done for me. I miss you tons. i look forward for all the good times to come. "the best is yet to be." I miss Christmas, and most especially Christmas music, but it will be there when I get back. I miss you guys too, especially in the holiday season, but lucky for me it's warm here so it doesn't feel like Christmas. People talk about Christmas and inside I say why are they talking about Christmas? It's summer. I love ya and miss ya and look forward to your email next week.

Love, Elder Brown

December 5th

Yay for the package. I'm glad it will be here by Christmas. Can you send me a list of what all was in the cosa. I forgot all of what I asked for, or is it just gonna be like Christmas again?

Yep things are going great here, my companion was replaced by Sargent Worker. I'm excited. I'm now with Elder Anderson. I'll send you a picture of him next week. He´s great, he works hard so we are going to get lots done. I'm grateful, it will be a good 6 weeks. I'm super glad.

In my district: Elder Mower (Utah) and Elder Shelly (Arizona) are still together. Sister Quartino (Uruguay) died in battle and went to valhalla (finished her mission honorably and working hard so she went home) to replace her came Sister Lefler (don't know where from) to be with Sister Hubbard (Idaho). I'm excited to be working hard.

Yeah hurricanes aren't fun, but Dad told me that our house basically got skipped, but as always Dad is on the front line of helping everyone else get their things straight. I don't know why but every time there is a disaster it always seems to just hop over our house and destroy everyone else's so we have to be there to fix it all up. It's great we are such a service oriented family.

About Spanish, it's sometimes really weird to think back to when I didn't speak Spanish. I feel like I just always knew how to speak Spanish, but I know that a year and a half ago I had no idea, it's just weird to think back.

Well, I don't really have much else to say. Workin hard finding new investigators. It's always fun. But yeah I'm glad that everything is going well at home. I'm excited to be involved in the work, and looking forward to getting lots done here, but I miss you tons and always look forward to your emails. I absolutely love hearing from you and am so happy that you write me every week. I love ya tons and I look forward to your email next week.

Love, Elder Brown

Things are alright I guess, my comp is sick so we stayed in house for 3 days this week and our numbers reflect it in a very big way. I realize now the real worth of the time as a missionary.

I almost forgot about Thanksgiving until one of the elders in my district called and asked if we could do Thanksgiving dinner. We are getting super close to the 2nd to last call. It scares me. I don't want to come home, not cause I don't love you or miss you but because I love the mission. Nothing in my life has meant as much to me as this. You know all the stuff I've done, scored a goal in a varsity and a JV game in hockey, been in madrigals, been in a few musicals, been in YASE as a lead, been in Cadence at Snow College. I've been involved in a lot of "big time" stuff, but nothing has or I think will mean as much to me as this last year and a half has meant to me. I don't want it to end. All good things come to an end, but I just don't want it to.

Don't worry about the backpack, I have already arranged to have a new one by Wednesday. Sister Quartino has a really cool bag and said that she would give it to me, so I'll send a picture of my new bag next week. It's a super cool backpack.

I love ya tons and I miss you. Talk to you soon.

Love, Elder Brown

November 21st

We're on the southern border of the country, it's about 7-8 hours in bus to Cuidad de Este which is North East of here. There's a bridge that people come over from Argentina, not in my area but in my district. They have a big black market in Encarnacion so yeah argentinos come to buy stuff.

We spend like 2-3 hours a day walking. My shoes are getting pretty well destroyed. I have to take the low top boots to get them re-soled, 'cause well they are just too far gone. The boots are still ok, but it's only a matter of time on those as well. We walk a lot more in this area than in Villa Elisa. As far as investigators..... they are alright. The only real investigators we have are those that have been coming to church every week for a long time but for one reason or another haven't been able to get baptized. One of them is set for this week. It's a little kid named Geronimo. He is 10 years old but his parents just haven't wanted to give him permission to be baptized but they finally did so in the water he goes! Then we have a family that are waiting on documents so they can get married, but other than that not much.

I love ya tons and I miss you now more than ever, I wish I could just call you and talk it out with you, but it is forbidden, so I guess I just have to talk it out in email, but I love ya and miss you. I will be missing you this Christmas but we will have the phone call. We will probably do skype again. I love ya tons, talk to you soon.

Love Elder Brown

More pictures! The first few are the service we had a few weeks ago. There's one that is everyone that was there, then one with all the missionaries, then my stewardship (district).

With the mantle thing. I received a little inspiration about the mantles. I was praying when out of nowhere I started thinking about what we talked about about the mantle being armor, and then I thought, "The mantle is already perfectly formed. I was just trying to stick my head through the arm hole and my leg through the head hole and just trying to put it on in all sorts of wrong ways." The callings we have, the mantle is already perfectly formed. We just have to put it on the right way. A lot of the time we try to put it on screwy, but that just doesn't work. When I became comp mayor I was trying to act like a comp menor and depend a hundred percent on my companion, but that's not how it has to be. I needed to be the one who was being leaned on, so it was difficult. When I became district leader I didn't have as much difficulty, because I leaned on the Lord and he showed me how to put on the mantle. Really we just need someone to show us how to put on the mantle. It's all ready. We just need to know how to put it on, and the Lord always wants to show us.

Earlier in my mission I was pretty prideful, but I'm learning to overcome that, and really the answer to overcoming pride is charity. If you have charity you won't have problems serving the people or loving them. Pride isn't a problem if you have charity. If we have pride then we can't accept correction and we get super upset with people super easy because they see things differently.

Well I've really got to go because I've been writing you for too long. Too many distractions, but I love ya tons and look forward to talking to you next week.

Love Elder Brown

Everything is going well here we are working a fool. We had 9 people with baptismal dates on Saturday, but none of them came to church so now we have 0. Back to the drawing board, so we will just have to, but 15 with baptismal dates this week and maybe a couple of them will stay, but we will see how it goes.

Yeah it's all good. I did that thing you always told me, "when you go through problems don't ask why me ask what do I need to learn," and apparently our Father in Heaven has big things in store for me in the last bit of my mission. So we will see what I can do. Thanks for your advice. The mission is just filled with challenges, but yeah all is well.

I tried to attach some pictures, I hope it works, but we will see. I'm sorry that this letter ended up kinda short. I felt like I was writing a really long letter because I was taking so much time, but I guess that I didn't write that much, but yeah it looks like its gonna send the three pictures that you need to send to Ex-Elder Fernelius. He's been home for 3 weeks. I love ya tons and I look forward to hearing from you next week. I hope that everything is going well at home even though 2 of your children aren't living there right now. I love ya tons!

Love Elder Brown

October 31st

Yay Bishop Page. He will do great as the new Bishop. He's such a good guy. Tell him I look forward to working under him when I get back, and that he had better have a wicked awesome calling for me when I get back. I dont know what...... young single adult teacher or something. U just want to teach after the mission I love to teach. I don't really want to be district leader, I mean I want to serve everyone and I love everyone in my district, but I don't like titles very much, but I'm happy that I will get to teach in district meeting everyweek. that I do love, but I'll do what he wants me to do. I remember you telling me about Christ-like love in the mtc. That was just last year right? Something like that, but yeah that's what I'm trying to do.

But yeah I'm excited to be district leader, to try and help these missionaries. But I don't like titles at all. I just want to teach that's all, but I'll do what the boss commands. Thanks for the suggestion on studying leaders in the scriptures, and I will look for the way that Christ leads and try and follow his example. We´ll see how I do I guess. Sorry if I sound a little scatter brained, but this computer monitor is making my eyes wig-out. I don't remember those old school not led computer monitors being so weird looking, but I guess it's been a while since I used one. But anywho I sent a flash drive home with all the pictures from San Antonio to Villa Elisa. I sent it with an elder that's leaving this transfer.

Really I don't have much time, but I did have one question. Who is in the bishopric? I know Bishop Page but who are his counselors? That's all I got, but I got to go write president. But I love ya tons and I always look forward to your emails. I love ya tons and look forward to talking to you soon.

Love, Elder Brown

October 24th

El Colectivo (The Bus....6hrs to my new home)

So I got changed down to Encarnacion (a 6 hour bus ride) to be a district leader with a missionary that just got out of training, Elder Porter. It's hard having new missionaries as comps but it's alright. Here in Encarnacion branch 5 we have a huge area that takes forever to walk across, so the elders that were here before me have just said "ok so Monday we´ll work here Tuesday here Wednesday here......etc," however, the direction from the area presidency is "daily contact with every investigator." So they haven't really been seeing very much success lately. I'll be changing that here quick. We'll be doing lots of walking.

I miss Elder Kartchner and our little apartment, which is weird cause this apartment is much bigger but whatever, and I do miss the members, but it's alright I'll get used to this area soon enough. Yeah I really don't worry about changes anymore, because well...... it doesn't matter. "I´ll go where the Lord wants me to go and I´ll be what He wants me to be."

Yeah I miss singing for the fam. as much as you miss hearing it, but all good things are eternal, so I'll be there singing again before you know it. After all in 8ish months I'll be back, so 2/3rds of the way done right. Unfortunately I don't get opportunities to sing in church. The church here doesn't usually have special numbers here and in zone conference they usually just put together a choir 10 minutes before. I'll see if I can't just get a chance this conference.

About teaching, it's interesting how it works. When someone really feels strongly about what they are teaching it makes those that are learning have greater interest. They taught me that in the mtc. So if you want others to have interest in the gospel, you have to love the gospel. It's really cool how it works like that. Really we have to love what we teach or they don't feel like it's something important, that's part of why I loved college. Because a lot of the professors teach that subject because they love it, so I feel that love and I grow to love that subject too. There was a quote in one of the talks from Elder Holland (one of the talks on my i pod) where he was talking about Botany (the plant stuff (i don't know how you spell it)) he said some thing like this "teach me that in mitosis there's something something something (i didn't really understand it cause i don't know botany) teach me all this so I can pass the test and never have to know about botany" then everyone started to laugh and he said "that's only the first verse...... teach me to marvel that all the text books of man cannot describe what happens in a single blade of grass. (more stuff about botany like unto this) teach me to love botany and nothing will ever quench the thirst for knowledge you have placed in me." I love that. Many times knowledge we look for just so we don't have to learn it anymore. But here in the mission I have learned to love knowledge, and I can never quench the thirst that has been placed within me. I want to strike it rich young so I can spend the rest of my life studying in college and learning everything there is to learn.

Well, that's all I got for this week. I got to go write president, but I look forward to hearing from you next week. I love hearing from you. Thanks for always supporting me and always helping me to be better. I'm always saying to the members "mi papa siempre me enseño....." or "mi mama siempre me enseño...." (my dad always taught me, my mom always taught me) really you taught me well and always gave me applications of the principles of the gospel in my life, and it now isn't just helping me but it's helping the members as well. Thank you for all you do for me I love ya tons

Love Elder Brown

October 17th

Elder Kartchner

Everything went well this week. Our average number of lessons has dropped to 30 but we will get it back up. Everything is going super well, and changes are Wednesday. No idea what it will bring but we will see. We are working on the new investigators. For some reason we have trouble finding the investigators we have and the new investigators are coming slowly but we are working on it. We will see more baptisms before the end of the year here. It's great to see the fire that Marcos has. It's the fire that comes with true conversion. When we are really converted we see the worth of the gospel in our lives and we have an insatiable desire to take that to the others that are near us. It make me happy to see that in Marcos. It tells me that i am doing my job.

It is a little weird. I normally am looking to changes with a mix of fear and anxiety but for some reason I don't have that anymore. I think it is that I am coming to trust more in God. I have the faith that what happens in the changes will be His will and all I want to do is what He wants me to do. It's funny what happens when you come to trust God.

I love ya tons and thanks for writing as always. I look forward always to your emails and hearing from you and all that's going on back home. Happy birthday Papi and I'll talk to you next week.

Love Elder Brown

Everything is going well here. The members are starting to see the importance of the work and I think they are going to start helping here pretty quick. We will see what happens. We are having trouble finding new investigators still, but Marcos now has a super great desire to help in the work. He gave us 5 references yesterday and wants to go out and work with us next Sunday. During the week he is busy working (a little weird cause hes only 16 (he works till past 9 o´clock a lot of times))) but he really has a strong testimony and wants others to "share in his joy". He's a great kid and we are excited for him. i feel old..... a little random but true. I never thought I would look at teenagers and find myself calling them kids. but here I am all old and not a teenager.

You should dowload the audio to Elder Holland's talk or better yet watch it on video. That would be awesome. You could really see in his face and hear in his voice how much all of it meant to him. He really speaks from his heart.

Well now I better go, but I love ya, and thanks again for all that you do for me. I look forward to your email next week as always. Oh, and 2 other things I need at Christmas time 1.) 4 more short sleeve shirts. (the way we have to do laundry here makes 8 shirts insufficient. and 2.) a football. i get tired of playing Latin football (soccer) and I want to play American football, but you just can't find a ball. (oh suggestion. Deflate it and put in a pump. Then you can send more stuff without having more boxes.))) But thanks again and I love ya tons. Talk to you next week. Thanks!

love Elder Brown

Yay more pictures. Surprise we had another baptism. We weren't planning on it, we were thinking next week, but he said "I want to get baptized Saturday." He's a great kid his name is Marcos, and well he is just super ready to be member, he is 16 years old and just a great kid. 3 in 4 weeks, now we have the problem of uh oh no more investigators. Now we just got to go hunting. But yeah, Elder Holland's talk was great. It was all about the importance of missionary work. He said "everything we do in this church depends upon people hearing the message of the gospel." It made me feel important, but yeah it was great. Alright conference! I like the plan of going to see a session live in October 2012. I was watching it and I said to myself, man I wish I was there, but I wasn't.

Well, sorry the email is kinda short this week, but I'm here, happy, and healthy, and working in the Lords work, doin what he asks me. Thanks for your letters and your prayers and all your sacrifices for me. I love ya tons and look forward to hearing from you day after tomorrow (hahaha) love ya tons.

Love Elder Brown

Yeah, everything is going great here. We have another investigator with a baptismal date not this Saturday but next. I'm sure he will get baptized, we will see what happens. Really things are turning around here. I'm super excited, we are really seeing the success. We got a baptism this last week. We were clapping houses and we found her. The first thing she said to us was "hey what do I need to do to get baptized?" We were excited to say the least. Yeah workin' hard.

Next I want to thank you guys for your support. I don't know what else to say but thank you. Thank you for raising me and helping me to be the person that I am. Thank you for being my parents and loving me. I love you and I look forward to hanging out again after the mission. but that will come in its own time and I know it will. I love ya tons.

Elder Brown

Everything is going super well. Saturday we have the baptism of Carlos. He's a great kid and he's super ready. It will be awesome. Right now it looks like we will be going on an average of a baptism every 2 weeks, which is good but it's not perfect. We thought we were gonna have 3 weeks in a row with baptisms, but it doesn't look like that will be happening, but it's ok. A baptism every 2 weeks is really good. That's the goal of the mission, 2 baptisms a month, so we are excited. For my comp the language is coming little by little. There are still the usual grammatical errors but it's to be expected with his time in the mission. He is able to help me teach but he just needs to pipe up more. He's a quiet kid, but he's great.

I want to make sure that the pictures get there so I am attaching them now. Yeah moving always sucks, which is why I don't like changes. Packing everything up, getting to the new area unpacking everything. Really that's the only reason I don't like changes.

Well I have some news that you might get mad about, but don't get mad. I think I might want to extend my mission. I wrote president about it and he said that after the 1st of the year I should ask him about it again because he will know what the numbers of coming in and going out will look like. I really just feel like I owe the lord more. He has given me so much, he has changed me into a better person, I feel like I owe it to him to give a little bit more of my time. It's not set in stone yet, but I feel that I would like to. What do you think about that? I want to hear your opinion, so that I know how you feel as well.

But yeah my time is already up but I love ya tons. and I thank you again for being so faithful in writing me every week. I love talking with you and look forward to hanging out after the mission. I love ya and miss you, and look forward to Christmas "when we´ll be together again" (through skype) man sometimes my own mind bothers me when I remember random songs out of nowhere, but I love ya and look forward to your email next week. Love you.

Love, Elder Brown

So I had pictures I wanted to send but it won't let me so next week but surprise we got a baptism. I forgot last week when I was emailing. But now you know. So yeah, and ñokis are really good aren't they? (little potato pasta things in tomato sauce) I love them. I'm getting kind of sick of them because any time a lunch appointment falls we usually make ñokis, but yeah they're good. Oh by the way I'm staying here in El Alto one more change, but yeah I'm happy because we have a few baptisms planned before the change so it will be great.

Yeah so I gots to go to go write pres, but te amo demaciado, y te extraño tambien. y estoy orgulloso de mi mama tambien porque ella es una maestra profesional. y si eso. but just work on conjugation and your spanish will be mucho mejor. te quiero demaciado. Thanks for all you do for me. I love ya tons and look forward to hearing from you next week. Talk to you soon.

Love Elder Brown

The picture I have attached is of the 3 young men that we found and are teaching. Two of them are 17 and one is 15. They are great kids. So the story behind them is that Carlos, the one next to me in the picture is the brother of a less active member. We saw his sister's name on some teaching records in the house. So we went to find her. We found her and she wants to come back to church. She is the only member in their family, (her mom and her brother(the dad disappeared)) and she made some mistakes but now is repentant and wants to come back. So we were going by to visit her one day and we found Viktor (friend of Carlos(next to Carlos in the picture)) We had a 5 minute lesson with him and his cousin William (not in the picture) and then joked around for another 5 minutes while they waited for Carlos and we waited for Sara (less active member) the next day we sat down with Carlos and we were talking with him and Jesus (the third kid in the picture) was hiding from us. Later we taught Carlos with Sara and gave him a Book of Mormon. He loved it. The next time we went over he had invited Viktor and Jesus to come and listen to us without us prompting him to do so. Now the three are loving it and are anxious to share more with us. They are great kids and I'm sure they will be baptized. So that's them.

So yeah everything is going well. We have a few baptisms planned ....... finally. this ward hasn't seen a baptism in about a year. We don't have a single recent convert (someone who was baptized at most a year ago) so yeah finally we are gonna get it solved. So that's that.

But yeah I don't like to talk about time very much. It scares me that I have so little time left. I still have so much work I need to do but now there's so little time to do it. I just want to stay until I get it all done but I know that I can't. I really want to help these people. I was studying this morning in the last chapter of the gospel of John about the experience when Jesus asked Peter "lovest thou me more than these?" and I was thinking about that question. There is really so much behind it. I always thought that he was talking about the other apostles that Peter was with but when you put it in context it makes me think some thing else. I think he really was asking Peter do you love me more than your boat, more than your fish, more than your nets, and more than your work? Basically do you love me more than what you do? and of course everyone will say that yes I love you more than anything, but then his reply is "feed my sheep" I thought about that too. I thought a lot about it. Then I connected it in my mind with James where he teaches "faith without works is dead" and I said to myself changing it "love without works is dead." Christ's reply could be rewritten as "show me, you say you love me, you say you would give me all that you are and all that you hope to be. So do it. Take part in my work" in short "show me." I don't know why this struck me so strongly but it did. It made me ask myself "do I really love him enough?" do I love him enough to do what he asks me? do I love him enough to give away everything to know him?

So that's what I learned this morning. I have to go but I love ya and I look forward to your letter next week and for your support.

Love Elder Brown

Thanks for thinking about me and praying for me. I really appreciate it. Things are going better now. Now we are doing really well in the area. We taught 39 lessons this week. Almost twice what we normally get here, and we were able to find 16 new investigators. So yeah things are going well here.

Really the atonement is so important. It's what enables us to be better than our mistakes. Without that we couldn't change ever. There would be no purpose to life as the purpose is to learn and become better. President always tells us that the best way to fix someones problem is to ask them "what are you going to do to change that." If they give their own plans they will be more likely to put it in practice. It's really awesome how it happens. Help them to repent and become better.

Really goals are the road to change. If you want to become better you have to set goals and make plans, because the difference between a goal and a dream is that a goal has a foundation. A dream is just something you want. To put it into other words both dreams and goals are castles that you want to conquer (I love military analogies) but a dream is a castle on a cloud. There really is no way to get there. However a goal has a foundation of earth that you can walk up. But every dream can become a goal. You just have to raise up the earth till the dream has a foundation. So speaking metaphorically, the castle is what you want, and the earth are the plans you have to reach it. So a goal without plans is just a dream cause let's be honest a castle in the clouds is something you only see in dreams.

But yeah, thanks for writing but I really got to go. I still got to write pres. but I love ya tons.

Love Elder Brown

Ty's new Comp

Things are going good here. We were only able to find 8 lessons this week, but I'm sure that next week will be better. We are working on it. The language is still a huge struggle for my comp. It's a little interesting that you talk about the atonement in your email. Yesterday I taught about the atonement a lot. In church the speaker didn't show up so bishop came to me and asked me to give a talk. After 5 minutes of preparation I gave a 20 minute talk on the atonement and repentance and its importance in our lives. As a missionary I have learned to appreciate the atonement, and its importance in my life. And well I don't have much time now but next week I will write a rousing letter about repentance. I still have to write president, but I love you tons and look forward to your emails every week.

Love Elder Brown

I feel like it was yesterday I reached a year in the mission and I've almost got a year in Paraguay now. I don't know where the time is going but it scares me, but I guess that's one of the blessings God gives to the missionaries. 2 years doesn't feel like 2 years. I think it's more of a curse but ya whatever. I'm not gonna lie I miss my Chilean. I love that kid. There is a phrase I heard once from Elder Holland, he said "love is what you go through" it's not just with marriages but with every relationship. Elder Henriquez and I went through a heck-a-lot of stuff together, and now he's like one of my best friends. So when you go through problems you get more love for each other.

Everything is going great. This week we were able to find 11 new investigators. We have high hopes for a few of them, especially a girl named Adriana. She is now a single mother, her boyfriend left her, which she told us was the best thing that happened to her all year. He was abusive and didn't care about her or their daughter (2 years of age), so in the end it was a good thing. She is 25 years old and we are visiting her with an unmarried return missionary (27) so best case scenario we have a baptism and a marriage. We are 99% sure she is going to get baptized. She told us that she felt that we were sent of God to bring peace into her life, which is absolutely 100% true. So we are sure shes gonna get baptized.

We are excited for the progress that we are now seeing here in El Alto. I'm super excited. Things are finally turning around after weeks of struggle, the area is finally ready to "bear fruit" again.

Well, that's really all I got so I look forward to hearing from you next week. I love ya tons and I'm praying for you, and will talk to you next week.

Love Elder Brown

So changes. I'm still here with a nuevito companion from the states. He's got 3 months in Paraguay. his name is Elder Kartchner. A little complicated. We haven't found a Latin yet that can say it right. We are getting a lot more references from the members, and well it helps the work keep going. We are starting to see a little more success because of it. So we will keep on keepin on. I'm excited to see the success that comes. It's a little weird, at the end Elder Henriquez and I were like best friends. I wanted to stay for a 3rd change together. He's a great kid and I miss him but I will see him again and we will hang out later. As for winter, cold came back a little bit, but winter here doesn't deserve the name.

So email will be every Monday always every Monday, so Sunday night, hop on the email. I will find out the changes tonight or tomorrow, my district leader is my friend so he is gonna tell me early. I love that guy, so I'll let you know what's going on with that next week, but yeah it's been a good change. I wish I could have seen more success, but our numbers are on the way up. So next change we will see what happens.

As for Kaylee, I'm glad she had a good time at yase, the more I think about it, the more I miss music. I miss being in choirs and shows, to say the least that's what I look forward to when I get back. Kaylee and I will be chilling in the recording studio all the day long, but yeah. I don't see much opportunity to share the musical talent in Paraguay. All the songs I know are in English, and well it's hard to translate stuff, so I just don't have much opportunity to share what I know, and I'm too busy working to do it, so I don't have any music time which means I don't have fun performing, but what can you do. I'll just have to do it after.

I'm already seeing how fast the second year goes. It seems like just yesterday I was reading president's email counseling us to accept the changes. Man time goes to quick mama. I'm scared to come home. I got too much to do before I come home, but time goes as it goes. I'm excited for this change that's coming.

I love ya tons and I miss ya. Talk to ya next week.

CIAO!!!!!!!!!
Love Elder Brown

The jersey from one of the Paraguayan soccer teams

So everything is good here.

It's true, the key to the universe is sacrifice, Joseph Smith taught that, "any religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things will never have power sufficient unto salvation." Really we see that faith comes through sacrifice and sacrifice alone. We can ask how do we get faith and we see the answers of read the scriptures pray repent all of those good old primary answers, all of which require a sacrifice. A sacrifice of time energy or even the heart. I read this week that the only thing that we have that God doesn't already have is our heart and our mind. We sacrifice what he has given us to gain more faith but all in all what he wants is our heart and our mind, our will and our desires. I read also that "God does not want merely to frustrate the natural man, he wants to kill the natural man. In other words, he doesnt want us just to sacrifice our will for his, or our time. He wants us, in the end, to consecrate our selves, our time our talent, all that we are and hope to be. He wants it all, the good and the bad. It's something we covenant to do. And in return he takes all the good the bad the beautifull and the ugly and in return, he gives us all he is. We become like he is. He takes the bad and the ugly for the best and the most beautiful. He then takes the good and makes it better and the beautiful and makes it more so. In short he takes all that we are and makes us all that he is. So that's the lesson from Elder Brown this week.

About the sleep. Well I learned that when the Lord takes something from us (sleep for example) He always gives us at least what he takes if not double. So if he takes three hours of sleep from me he gives me energy as though I had slept for 6 extra hours. I love it when he takes away my sleep. It means that I have more energy after.

Well I feel that I have gone on long enough, but I really love ya, and I wish I could sit here and chat with you, but seeing as I can't I guess this will have to do. I love you, and I look forward to hearing from you next week.

Love Elder Brown

The view from the front door.
Hey,
Things are good. Yeah I guess you could call our house cozy. It's a good place, but as you said we aren't there very often. The truth is that I do have a dresser, but I find it a waste of time to unpack. I will only be here for a short amount of time so I just kind of always live out of my suitcase. That's my way of saving time.

We are still having trouble finding new investigators. We are working on that, but we have to fix the ward so that the people we baptize stay there so they can be saved in the last day. I am getting better at understanding the Lord and his ways, and all this because I don't sleep well at night anymore. God usually chooses the night time to teach me things. I usually write about a page of inspiration every night. The Lord is working very hard to prepare me.

There is a part in Doctrine and Covenants that is a mission call of someone. I don't remember who but it says in his mission call that "you will be a doctor to the church.... you will go unto the world, but the world will not receive you." I found this week that that is why my companion and I are here. My companion and I have talked a lot about it. We came to the end that we aren't only here to baptize. We analyzed the ward, the members here aren't moving in a positive direction. This ward is moving towards becoming a branch, and we have been place here to help the members of the ward. To be doctors to the church. We had come here looking for the world, but the world has not received us. We are here to heal the church. So that was this week. Francisco is still moving steadily but surely toward baptism. We just need to give him the last push.

So I'm happy for all the great things that are happening at home. I love ya tons and I'm grateful you write me every week. I look forward to your emails and by the way can you talk with Brady, I'm worried he might be dead, I haven't heard from him in like 4 weeks. Yeah that kid, probably too busy with girls or something. I love ya tons.

Love Elder Brown

¿todo bien como estas?

The first picture is me in my new winter coat with sunglasses and a nerf gun, then our stack of Books of Mormon (Book of Mormons?) the last is my companion and one half of our apartment. So there's pictures.

So I won't be coming home to the same bishop? I thought I would. Wow things are so different in Utah, here a bishop is bishop for about 8 years before they even think of changing him. Needless to say a lot of the bishops are pretty burned out by the end of their calling, but yeah so I thought (seeing the afore mentioned experience) that I would come home to the same bishop, but I guess not, and how do you know that Bishop is up for re-election(haha re-election) this fall?

The temple session felt normal. The veil was different in Spanish but really I like it in English more. In Spanish one word means a hundred different things. In Spanish for example the word malo means bad mean evil and pretty much any word that conveys a negative feeling. English is so much more descriptive. I love it. I'm so happy I was born speaking English.

That's my Sis, following the example of her brother, wearing the combat boots for trek. I love my combat boots. Mine are kinda dieing but still. Dad, I'm glad you had a great time on trek, I'm sure Kaylee had a great time, she always has been a trooper, and she knows how to have fun too, it kind of comes naturally when your a performer, our entertainment comes from the entertainment of others. Mom told me Kaylee kept her family laughing and singing show tunes all the way.

So in the area it's pretty much the same. We are starting to work in new areas, and I think we will see more success there. This area is pretty well squeezed dry, we almost can't find people who haven't talked to the missionaries before. But we will see what we can find as we begin to explore. So that's just about all I got.

The 4th of July...when you mentioned the water balloons it made me smile cause I remember one 4th party when i was holding the sling shot and Brady bee-lined one and pegged Tyson right in the chest and he fell like a sack of potatoes. It was funny. That memory made me smile. I miss fun times with the family but there are plenty of good times to come and don't worry. I have less than a year left. I'll be back before you know it. I only have like 2 major holidays more and then I'm back but yeah.

Well I got to go write president I love ya a ton, and I miss you. I look forward to (and at the same time dread) coming home. Look forward to because I can hang out with the family and I can sleep, dread because I want to do all that I can here, and going home means I can't be here anymore, but all good things must come to an end so that the better things can begin. I love ya tons and look forward to your email next week.

Love Elder Brown

Well winter finally came. I thought that it wasn't going to get cold, but man was I wrong. It sure did and it did quick. June 23rd(my year mark) was a warm day. It was very pleasant, and then June 24th came. It was pretty hot then the 25th and it was a little uncomfortable, but not anything unbearable. I still just had my short sleeve shirt. Then yesterday it was extremely cold, and now today my hands are just about frozen. It makes it.......less than comfortable typing this email. (Mom sure you still want to come to Paraguay? hahaha.) So my year mark just when winter decided to come, so thats the climate of Paraguay. Francisco our investigator is still on track with his baptismal date for this Saturday. He is excited to be baptized, so that will be great.

Transfers come when transfers come. All is following the will and knowlege of "Him that knoweth all things." I kinda want to go to the office. I want to be the secretary like my brother was, that would be awesome. I want to see president as Brother Callan. I want to know him as himself, but if it is not the will of God then so be it.

For my half-way celebration we ate macaroni and cheese. There's a supermarket in Asuncion that has American stuff. When an Elder gets an ingrown tonail removed they get to go to that supermarket. An Elder in my district did so he bought me mac and chesse.

Yeah so about the halfway home thing. I actually finish my mission one year from today because of how the changes work out but hey that's alright. So instead of a 2 year mission I will serve a 2 year and 4 day mission. So, it's the best 2 years and 4 days. haha. I love ya. I look forward to talking to you

Muchisimo cariño y amor

Elder Brown

So changes...I'm still here with Elder Henriquez, which is good. We still have work to do here together. We have 1 investigator with a baptismal date, and 1 who got called back to go to the military. He's a marine and is 18 years old, so yeah. we wont be hearing from him for a while. Ramon told us that he was done looking for God for now, but he thanked us profusely and said a little later I will try again. Francisco has a baptismal date for the 2nd of july.

Pictures, the first two are pictures of the district the day of changes. 3 of them left. 1 of the sisters and 2 elders. the second 2 are videos of my last district from Ciudad del Este. I got the package and I absolutely love it. The fourth missionary is a great talk. I have wanted to find a written copy of it forever. Thanks for finding it.

Funny thing about San Jorge he was a knight guy that killed dragons or thats what the Catholic church says. He's my favorite Saint.

Thanks for writing, sorry I didn't let you know that I would write wednesday, but they didn't let me know so I am innocent. It's the zone leaders fault, but I love ya tons and I love to hear from ya. Miss you lots but all is well.

Love
Elder Brown

Our Bishop has this banner thing that he put on me to take a picture.

Francisco is still moving towards baptism (slow and steady wins the race) but we haven't found Ramon in a while, so we will keep trying with him. We did find a really cool family of like 9 people. The dad doesn't know how to read but loves what we've taught him, and they all know that God sent us to them so that's super cool. We will see what happens. We've only taught them twice, so yeah.

We are almost at the 1 year mark, week after next, and there's the one year, so we aren't that far away right mama?

I love ya tons. I really have come to appreciate you. It's funny how things like that happen. Stay away from home long enough and you realize just what it was you had. It's like I heard once, "you don't know what you got til you don't got it no more," but luckily I only don't have my home for 2 years and after that I got home again. I'm such a mamas boy, but that's ok. The best people are. I love ya tons and I look forward to your email next week. Thanks for writing, I really appreciate it. You don't know how much it means to me to get letters every week. I hear about other people that their parents don't write them very often and it makes me grateful for what I have. Thank you so much for taking the time to write me. I really appreciate it. I love you tons and I'm glad that I was blessed to be in your family. You have always been huge examples to me. I appreciate it so much, and I know that Kaylee and Brady do to. Thanks for all you do and all you are. I love ya tons.

Love
Elder Brown

So first off, President didn't come to the area (dang!) but he wrote a letter with some great revelation. So I'm excited to use it. The men in our area normally work far far away from here. It's not cool, but I did have an idea to have a tri-ward talent competition. Bishop liked the idea so we are gonna do it. It's gonna be awesome. We´ll see what else comes. I´ll let you know as it comes. This week was good, we are starting to teach more lessons.

We are coming into winter here. It's not actually that cold, everyone has big winter coats but I go out with just my short sleeve shirt and I'm just fine. Everyone thinks it's freezing but it's nothin.

Well, I love ya tons. I miss ya tons too. But that's okay because I'll be back in a little bit. A little more than 1 año now. So yeah. I look forward to your email every week. I appreciate that so much. Thank you for taking the time to write. It makes the week easier, and you always give me such good advice. I can't imagine what the week would be like if I didn't hear from you, but thanks for writing. I got to go write president now but I love ya.

Love, Elder Brown

So this week, it was ok. Still can't find new investigators por nada. There literally are only women in the houses. It's not fun, but yeah we will keep pluggin along. I tried to think of a cool way to find investigators and I'm still working on it. I'll let you know when I figure something out.

So for our current investigators, we found 2 guys, one named Jose and another named Gabriel. We have only taught them once. Jose is 25 years old, has problems with his mom, and has a girlfriend and a daughter. He is a great guy and wants to be better but doesn't have much time because of work. When he's not at work he is at the house of his girlfriend with his daughter, so it's hard to find him. He already thinks our church is the true church but for some reason has trouble making the time to talk to us.

Gabriel we talked to him yesterday and he is 17 years old, and almost got baptized once a long time ago. We didn't even know he wasn't member until yesterday. So it should be easy, just stick him in the water.

After that we have Francisco who is the boyfriend of a member. The member was inactive for a long time but is coming back to church now. After that we have Ramon.........yeah.........he's an atheist that wants to believe in God but has trouble finding reasons to believe there is. We have been working with him since before I got here but we can't justify dropping him because he does everything we ask him and he wants to believe. But something is missing. I've thrown every "card" I have down. I've used everything I've learned as a missionary, but still nothing. But I have 1 more "card" President Callan. I have used the card once, only once. It's the card most powerful that I have. So the plan is send a letter to President Callan and ask for him to come to my area to solve the problemm, and best case scenario, he comes he gives Ramon a testimony and he gets baptized next week. Let's hope for the best right?

But yeah thats all we got. I love ya tons and I look forward to your email next week. Love ya!

Love, Elder Brown

I was just thinking about it this morning. I've officially been in Paraguay 11 months. Time flies by. I still feel like I just got here, and now my year mark's just around the corner...... I feel old...... I don't like feeling old........ I remember looking at all the return missionaries and saying wow those guys are so fetchin old........... and now I'm almost one of them.......... ouch! But that's ok.

So the splits with the DL were great. I learned a little better my responsibilities. I think my big freak out was just because I don't know the area, I don't know many people and we started with next to no investigators. But little by little as I get to know the area I am becoming more comfortable, so I think everything will turn out great. Yeah the mantle of Senior Companion, it's settling. I thought the settling of mantles was super easy like just a piece of clothing. Little did I know that it was a solid chunk of iron that you need to warm up and then force to settle on your shoulders. But I guess when it settles it will make a nice piece of armor. A nice protective cushion. But now I'm scared...... 24 new missionaries are coming next month....... and 19 the month after. I'm afraid President is gonna make me a trainer....... so not ready for that. It's like "alright Elder Brown it looks like that lump of iron is starting to mold around your shoulders, let's throw a hunk of pure steel and a big old anvil on there and see if we can't fuse iron and steel. And if it doesn't start fusing quick enough we will just throw you in the oven to heat things up a little more!" haha no just kidding. but yeah I like the analogy.

They have a milk mixed with sugar concoction here that's called mate dulce. It's super good. They normally put it in something called a guampa filled with coconut shavings, stick a straw thing called a bombilla in it (it doesn't let the coconut go up the straw) and poor hot mate dulce in it. It's awesome.

I miss ya tons. I love ya like none other and think about you often. I hope everything goes well there. I love hearing from ya and I look forward to next week.

Love
Elder Brown

Questions of the week:
1. What kind of things are you drawing on p-day? What have you learned about drawing?
Qualquier cosa. My companion is teaching me little by little how to draw people, so that's what I'm working on.

2. How's the teaching pool?
Alright, we are getting there, we found one investigator who was a reference of the bishop. he will get baptized im sure of it.

3. Have you experience any unique Paraguayan Holidays?
Well the 15th of this month was independence day. there was a parade. but yeah thats about as unique as it gets.

Where does time go? It still feels like I just got to Paraguay and it's been 10 months. It's a little crazy like that. And about the whole senior companion thing........ yeah ............ we´re gettin there. It's weird. I really don't even know what my duties are, what I'm supposed to do. I honestly have no idea what I'm doing, but the district leader said he was going to do divisions with us and help me learn my duties, so that will be good. It's funny how when we just start to get comfortable the Lord throws something new at us to tell us we don't know as much as we think we know.

The dollar is still really low here. Normally it's 5 mil Guaranis, but right now it's a little less than 4. And I know how you feel about putting the important stuff first. Sometimes the world finds a way to get in the way, but as you said we are here to progress. That's what Christ died for, to give us the chance to change.

Everything is going wellish here. We still are unable to find new people to teach. The men don't get home till 6 and then they go play soccer. So it's women alone in house all day everyday. But we will find people to teach I am sure of that. In the Parable of the Vineyard in Jacob there is a part where the servant of the Lord asks "Why did you plant this tree here. It is a sterile piece of ground" but the Lord says "don't counsel me, I know what I'm doing. Go and water the trees over there", and it turned out that "the tree put forth much fruit." So yeah moral of the story.... lots of baptisms can be had everywhere. So we've just got to find them.

Well that really is just about all that's going on here. I love ya tons and I look forward to hearing from you next week. So I'm super grateful to hear from you and the advice you always give me. I love ya tons and I look forward to hearing from you next week.

Love, Elder Brown

Questions for the week:
1. What kinds of things do kids play with there?
Football (but not football football (soccer))
2. Do they have toys or do they make their own?
They have them.
3. What do they like to do in their spare time?
Play football.
4. Do most children go to school? Do they wear uniforms to school?
Yeah pretty much all of them, and yeah they do.
5. How are the ward members? Ward leaders?
They are great. Our Bishop is the best I've had yet.

All is well here in the city. So what happened Saturday that cut off our Skype session was actually that the power for the entire block got cut. I waited for about 10 minutes to see if it would come back but it didn't so I paid the lady and off we went to get home just in time for curfew. It was great to talk to you for that long though. And I recorded something for you. I hope you can open it. I know you'll love it.

I'm excited to have a Latin speaking comp. All of my other comps have been from Utah so this is new for me. I'm excited to work with him. I know it's going to help my language skills. Yeah and we are gonna work hard here. Baptize a ton! It's gonna be awesome. I'm really going to try my best to be the best senior comp ever. I hope I do a good job and don't let President down. So I'll let you know what's going on.

Yeah Sunday was good. I spoke in church and it went well so really not much more to talk about. Things are just about the same as every other area. I'll let you know more when I get to know the place. I love you tons, and I look forward to hearing from you next week. It was super good to talk to you guys.

Love ya tons,
Elder Brown

Questions of the week:

1. Tell us about your first week at church. Do they love you yet?
Yeah I gave a talk in church and it went well. They were all talking about it. Every class they alluded to my talk.

2. What do you have available in your area? Do you have restaurants, if so what kind, close grocery stores?
Pretty much everything but a place to develop photos.

3. What types of restaurants do they have there (besides McDonald's)? What kinds of foods do they serve in the restaurants.
A bunch of local restaurants nothing like in the states.

4. What is there to do there on P-day?
Learn to draw haha. My new comp is a really good artist.

5. Are you the only missionaries serving in your ward?
Yeah but our church building is with 3 wards.

Transfers. I´m close to Asuncion again. I'm with Elder Henriquez, yay for first comp not from Utah, he's from Chile. I'm senior comp (so not ready for that.) We have no one with fecha. We have very few investigators. I don't remember their names. when I met them it had been 36 hours since I'd last slept. Yay for traveling from Ciudad del Este to Asuncion!

Really, not to much different to talk about this week. Wake up every day at 6 and go to work at 10, come home at 8 30 plan make a hamburger sleep. Just kidding I love it. We have an investigator who is scheduled to get baptized Saturday, more than that its just work as usual, Monday won't be p day as changes are next Wednesday, so Thursday next will be p day. I hope to be able to stay here. but as the Lord wants it, so shall we do, but yeah, if I stay here with Elder Steren, it will be skype but if I get changed "ye have no promise" But I got to go now. I love you tons and look forward to reading your email on Thursday. Love ya ciao!

Love, Elder Brown

Questions of the week:

1.. What did they do to celebrate Easter in Paraguay?
A) Religious festivals?
Nobody worked Thursday or Friday so they could celebrate "Semana Santa" where the Catholics celebrate the saints and everybody makes some wierd food called chipa.

B) Pagans? (beside's alcohol and soccer?)
Lots of both of the above

2. What types of fruits grow there?
Lots I don't know the names of half of them.

3. Is it harvest season? What do they harvest there?
It's always harvest season. There's always something growing.

4. Are there animals that wander the streets like there were in Africa (chickens, goats, monkeys)?
A lot of dogs and cats, and chickens and mules and the occasional monkey

So first off, Yay pictures. I sent them finally. Second off yay baptism. We baptized 2 people Saturday. I kinda forgot to mention that but yeah. go baptism. Yeah this week was a good week, not really though cuz we didn't teach hardly at all. We had problems in preparing for the baptism. At first the chapel didn't have water, so we stayed there and helped the repair man fix it. Then the hot water didn't work, so we stayed there to help fix that. Then the water came out dirty so we emptied the font and filled it again. In all we taught about 30 lessons this week, not cool. Wanted more. Didn't get it. So yeah but 2 baptized and 2 confirmed. Go team baptism. So yeah well i got to go so I want to tell you that I love you and I'm praying for you. I miss you a lot and I look forward to Mother's day next month yahoo.

Love
Elder Brown

Questions of the week:

1. Are you still walking everywhere now that you're in the big city? Do you ride the bus much or ever or anything else?
Walk everywhere, we don't believe in busses

2. What do you cook when you have to prepare your own meals?
i cook hamburgers a lot. That's dinner for me. we cook Monday Tuesday and Thursday.

3. Are the streets there mostly paved or are there still lots of dirt roads?
It's almost all rock streets. called empedrado

4. Is the dirt there red or really red?
It's pretty well red

Yeah conference is amazing. I never appreciated it before. It was always just kinda that thing that my parents turned on every once and a while and watched. I really have learned to appreciate it here. It's funny how a new perspective will do that to ya. haha.
Unfortunately my computer here isn't going to be able to do pictures, so next week. I hope. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures of my area. I really haven't taken any yet, and I'll work on that audio file thing too.

And I need to ask a favor. I was wondering. I have that nano up in my room right could you throw sacrament meeting appropriate (preferably a cappella) songs on it along with a bunch of instrumental stuff (including Paccabell's Cannon in D) and talks (that are preferrably more than 20 minutes including all Holland and Hugh B. Brown possible) and throw it in a little box (chicitito no mas(really little. This is just a little package. Really the candy and stuff (to be mentioned) is just filler and so you don't have to put i-pod on the box (put something tricky like emergency food & supplies intended to sustain life of poor American boy (something tricky like that.)))) with some candy and stuff like that and send it on down to Paraguay? That would be great and I would be super happy (my cd player doesn't work so I can't listen to any of the cds I brought.)

I love you tons and I miss you more than tons and I look forward to seeing and hanging with you again. Really I appreciate everything you do for me and I pray for you often. I look forward to hearing from you next week.

Love
Elder Brown

So yeah birthday was awesomeish, I still havent officially had it, so I'm still not 20. Besides I'm still 18 how could I possibly be turning 20. What heresy! Yeah it was good. Package was awesome. And now I have plenty of socks.

So report on investigators. We have the family Rivarola. I always smile a little bit when I say there name because it sounds like river roller. They are great. They are a family of 6, but they are slow to understand Spanish. They already know the church is true. They had a baptismal date for the 2nd of April but didn't come to church this week so it will be the 9th at the earliest. Next we have Christian (the nephew of some members) and Hermalinda (the mom of the same members.) They both know the church is true. Christian is excited to be baptized, but Hermalinda is just incredibly indecisive. She already knows its true, but for some reason she doesn't want to do it. But we will keep working with her. That's all of our investigators with baptismal dates, and really it would take too much time to list the others. I love ya tons and look forward to talking to you next week and actually talking to you in 6ish weeks (ish is my favorite number) for Mother's Day.

Love, Elder Brown

More than just this week went by fast for me. It's more like the past transfer (month and a half). I really feel like I just got here but changes are next week. Oh yeah by the way, email on Thursday next week. I figured out why as a missionary you feel bad when the people choose sin over righteousness. It came from a talk by Elder Eyring. He said that as priesthood holders our happiness is inextricably linked with that of those we serve. Much of the time we feel the pain that comes of their sin as much as they do. So I guess you just kind of feel that pain before they realize they will feel it. We did lose a lot of investigators but we had 2 people appear out of no where who want to get baptized so all is well. Really following the spirit is getting easier and easier. It's all a matter of learning to understand how it speaks. Really I look toward being able to be directed a hundred percent by the spirit. It all just takes obedience patience and time.

When I get back from my mission and when I give my homecoming talk I will be sure to let everyone of the youth know that it is quite literally the best experience of your life. No it isn't easy but anything worth doing isn't easy. I dont want anyone, ever to make that stupid mistake of deciding not to go on a mission because of any reason. They throw the term around "best 2 years". I cringe now when I hear that thrown around so lightly. IT IS quite literally the best 2 years. No other thing I have ever done has been as hard or as rewarding as this, and I've JUST started. I'm sorry I'm talking really strongly now but that's because this really is how I feel. Nothing I have ever done has meant as much to me as this 9 months I've been on my mission. I don't want anyone to miss it. 2 years is NOTHING, but what you get is sooooo much. I haven't done everything there is to do in this life but I don't think I'll be too far off if I say that nothing you can do in your life will be worth as much as a mission. I don't want anyone to lose that. That's why when I hear someone say "it's too hard," or "it's not what its supposed to be" I might just go ballistic. This mission means everything to me, and I know it will only mean more to me with each day that passes.

Well now that that's said and done (by the way I think this is actually the first week my email has been longer than yours.) I am well passed out of time. I love you, got to go!

Love, Elder Brown

Questions:
1. Give us a quick update on your investigators.
Bueno, we have 1 really promising investigator. We were passing by looking for another investigator and ran into him. He talked with the missionaries a long time ago and already knows that Joseph Smith was a prophet, so like any good missionaries we put a baptismal date with him for the 9th.

2. Now that you've been in your area for a while...
A. What do most people do for work?
Most people work either in construction or in Centro in that big market.

B. What is there to do for p-day that's fun?
Play ping pong and soccer in the chapel. Well soccer we play in the field behind the chapel but yeah.

C. Do the people there have different customs, habits, foods from where you were before?
It seems like every area has something they're crazy about. In Caa Guazuu there were a ton of motorcycles with underglow, in Obligado, well they were German, and in San Antonio there really wasn't anything, but here they all have huge theater speakers in their cars and blast music going down the road.

D. Are people there more educated?
I guess. Not much better than San Antonio but a lot more than Caa Guazu

E. Are there different nationalities? languages?
You´ll occasionally find a Brazilian who doesn't speak Spanish.