Learn to Laugh (September 23, 2013)

Hello everyone!

First off, Happy birthday to my amazing and wonderful mother! I love you Mom and I hope that you are having a fantastic birthday!

This week has been a rather interesting one, and a lot is starting to change in Ohio. Fall is upon us here and the leaves are starting to change. We are getting many colors around us from dark reds to bright and brilliant yellows. I am loving it! The temperatures are also starting to drop, as well as the humidity! That is also making me a very happy camper. My favorite time of the year is finally here, and I am enjoying every minute of it that I possibly can.

Sadly, the weather has not been Elder Steele's best friend because he became very sick this week. We ended up having to stay inside for four days of the week so he could rest and start feeling better. It was not the best and most enjoyable thing, but we do what we have to do. After about his second day of being sick I managed to catch it as well so we spent the last two days sick together. That was not the best, but after much sleep and recovery we are all feeling much better, and are now doing very well. While we were sick I was able to listen to Christmas music, which always lifts my spirits. So that made things feel a little better.

Earlier this week I found a little friend in our cupboard under the sink. He is a little black mouse and Elder Steele has named him Montrose. Yes, we have mice! Lucky us. We went out and got traps to get rid of Montrose and we set them up all around the kitchen, but our little mouse friend will not be fooled. He managed to eat off of the traps many times without setting them off. He is one talented mouse, I will give him that. We spent a lot of time trying to catch Montrose. Finally one night we heard a slap sound and then the sound of a mouse squeaking. We all ran over to the kitchen and sure enough, our trap had gone off! Upon grabbing the trap we heard another one go off, and found a mouse on it as well. Turns out Montrose has friends, and we managed to kill them both.  However,  neither of these mice were him. We haven't caught Montrose yet, but we are determined to get that little black mouse!

This week we were able to have an amazing lesson with one of our investigators named Jill. We taught her the plan of salvation, and she loved it! She said, "This just makes sense, this is how God would have it". It was so cool to be able to see the spirit teach and confirm these things in her mind and to be able to tell her in her heart that our words are true! It is amazing how strong and powerful the spirit is and how it truly blesses all of our lives, and helps us come nearer to our Father in Heaven. Jill and her fiancé, Cory, also invited us over for dinner with them. We were able to have a great time eating with them, and to be able to get to know and to help them even more. Jill is really progressing and she is getting excited about reading the Book of Mormon and everything that we are teaching her.

This week we were all able to go to a famous diner called Tony Packo's. They have amazing chili and hotdogs, and some other really good stuff. They also have signed hotdog buns all over the walls by famous people that have been there. They even had Mitt Romney's signature up there! We had a good time there and enjoyed that little break and to be able to enjoy some of the cool and good things that come from the city of Toledo. I think Dad would love eating at that place. The whole time I just thought of him and how much he would love it there.

This week Elder Steele and I were also able to help our investigator, Belinda, with moving some boxes and selling her old house. She is doing well and is progressing as well. We had a great time providing service and being able to help all of those around us. I will continue to keep all of you posted on how our investigators are doing as more continues to happen.

My missionary tip of the week is to find ways to laugh. Many things happen to missionaries, and normal people as well, that can be frustrating, upsetting and just annoying. Instead of being annoyed and bothered by them, laugh at them instead. You will find joy in it and you will come to be much happier. We could have chosen to be mad about our mice problem, instead we laughed, named the mouse, and turned it into a game. So learn to laugh, to smile, and to enjoy every moment that comes your way. I encourage you all to watch the Mormon message called "Come what may, and love it." It is a great message and teaches of the same things that I am now, that we should love and enjoy every moment of our life, and learn to find happiness and laughter in it.

I love you all and wish you all the very best! Till next week,

Elder Brown

The Elders and their mouse friend.  (Still no sign of Monstrose).  

Future (September 16, 2013)

Hello everyone again,

This week has been a very busy and crazy one at the least. I have truly enjoyed being able to work so much and to be able to go to all of our meetings and to grow and learn from the spirit. We are always very busy and there never seems to be enough time to do it all. Who would have thought that two years wouldn't even be enough? It is all very crazy that is for sure!

The highlight of our week was mission conference and being able to hear from Elder Bowen of the Seventy. I loved being able to listen to him and I loved all of his words and encouragement. He told us to raise our standards and the bar, and to remember the Lord's promise to us all that Kirkland will be built up again! He then talked about who we are, children of God, and the importance of remembering our potential and how important we are to the Lord. We went on and learned about and reviewed our covenants and how they allow us to be able to attain salvation. He told us to always maintain faithful and to never become "normal" but to always stay focused on the Lord and his work. He then told us that when we go home that he wants us to get married as fast as possible.... I don't know how I feel about that one. He said that we can only receive true exaltation when we are married, so why wouldn't we want to get married soon? I guess he has a point (considering he is an apostle of the Lord). Good thing I don't have to worry about that for awhile!

This week Elder Steele and I were able to find another investigator. Her name is Jill and she is very amazing and super solid. She is the girlfriend to a less active member, and has been looking for a church to join for quite some time. We ended up going and meeting with her and she has already read ten chapters out of the Book of Mormon and is loving it so much! We were able to have a very amazing and spiritual lesson with her and bear testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel. She ended up crying and saying that this is what she has been looking for in her life, and what she truly feels that she needs. We have another appointment with her tomorrow, and I am looking forward to that and being able to help her draw nearer to our Lord and Savior.

This week we were able to provide lots of service as well. We were able to go and work on the farm again, which I always love, as well as go and paint a less active members house. That was also great! You know me and loving to paint things! The best service project though was this weekend. We were able to go and chop down some members trees. That was so much fun and we all had a great time. I was able to climb up and trim braches and also tie up ropes to make sure the trees fell the correct way. That was all great and very enjoyable. You truly are the happiest when you are serving and helping others!

I was able to go on exchanges this week as well with Elder Schmidt. He ended up coming to my area so I was put in charge of everything. At first I was a little worried, but I ended up doing really well and having a great time being able to work with him and lead my area. We ended up going and helping a less active who has some health problems. At the end of that she asked if we could walk her dog for her, since she isn't able to. So there Elder Schmidt and I were, walking a dog around the ghetto of Toledo. I'm very sure that that must have been a very interesting sight to see!

This week we also had some great success with our less active members! We have been working with a less active named Sister Mudgett. She hasn't been active for years, but loves the missionaries and has set up a tab for us at the local bakery (Dom will remember her I bet). Missionaries have been going by for years and no progress has been made, but this week something changed. We went in to teach our lesson and she stopped us right when we were about to start. She said that she decided to read the Book of Mormon and that she has some questions for us. We were able to answer those and then encourage her to continue to read. She is still reading and is loving it! I am so happy to be able to see her progress and to finally gain the desire to come nearer to God.

Elder Steele and I ended up having a rather awkward and interesting moment this past week as well that was at first scary, but ended up being okay. We got a call later in the night from a member in the Toledo first ward. She had told us that she had set up an appointment with a solid investigator and that she would love for us to be able to come with her and to teach the plan of salvation. Elder Steele and I quickly changed our plans and went out to meet her for this lesson. We met up and she told us a little bit about them and that they are her cousins. This got us very excited because it sounded like these people had great potential. Well upon getting to the house the husband freaks out! Apparently the member hadn't told them that she was going to bring missionaries and they were very mad about that. She also didn't tell us that these people were preachers for their church! So here we were getting yelled at by two mad preachers! Luckily we were led by the spirit and were able to calm the situation, and we ended up leaving with joy and laughter, but no potential. Just goes to show that when you invite missionaries, you should probably tell the people, and the missionaries, what truly is going on.

This week Elder Steele and I were also able to go to the baptism of Zack, Elders William and Langlois investigator. That was very cool and spiritual. It is always so great to be able to go to the baptisms and to be able to see of their joy as they enter into the Lord's true church. I was so happy for all of them, and Jill ended up coming and loved being able to be there as well. We had a great time and were all touched and guided by the spirit.

My missionary tip of the week is to remember who you are! You are God's child. He loves you and He know you. He wants you to be happy and to follow Him. Never forget your importance, never forget who you are, and never forget your amazing and glorious potential!

I love you all so very much and hope that all is going well!

Elder Brown

Have Hope and Look Up (September 9, 2013)

Hello again!

This week has again been very good, as most are out here. Serving a mission is the hardest thing that I have ever done in my life, and yet I am the happiest I have ever been. It is amazing how the Lord  helps us all and cares about all of us. He loves us all and cares for His missionaries. I enjoy every fleeting moment of my service and I love being able to put on my name tag each morning.  It shows that I truly am a representative of Christ.

I have pondered the significance of our names changing a lot lately. Why do I have to be called Elder Brown by everyone? Why not Jory? After all, that is the name that my parents gave me. To answer my question I turned to the scriptures. I decided to read out of the Bible about Jacob and his family. In the Bible we read about Jacob and how he was faithful and always strived to serve the Lord. Upon Jacob being called to a higher calling, the Lord changed his name to Israel, blessed him, and then expected a higher standard from him. As missionaries, we have been given new names because we too have been given a higher calling and the Lord expects more from us. That was a cool realization! I am so happy to be able to put on my new name and serve the Lord. As members of the church we all change our names. When we are baptized, we covenant to take upon ourselves the name of Christ. We stand as witnesses of Him at all times and in all places. May we remember the covenant that we have made, and strive every day to become more like our Savior and Redeemer.

This past week we were able to continue to work with Balinda. She is doing well and is really starting to progress. We had a little slow down for a while due to some little hiccups in her health, but she is much better now! She is reading the Book of Mormon and she loves it! I was so excited when I heard that she was reading! It is amazing to be able to watch people progress, change, and grow.  I am so happy for her, and I will be sure to keep you all posted on how she is doing. Sadly we were not able to see Dani this week because she is in Michigan right now. Hopefully we will be able to see her soon!

Elder Steele and I were able to provide tons of service this past week! We helped a potential investigator, Liz, with her farm. That was really fun and I had a great time!  It reminded me of all my little memories on the farms back home.  Grandma Cleo's, the Wollenzein's, Uncle Von's, and Grandpa Baadsgaard's farms are all great memories for me.  I loved every single minute over there! Liz also raises pigs, so fed and worked with them. Working with the pigs reminded me of when Dad wanted me to raise and show pigs, and it also reminded me of going to the county fair with him. Those were all great memories to revisit and I was happy to be able to enjoy doing that.

We were also able to go clean one of the member’s yards. It was really fun to do that as well. We got to mow the lawn, chop down trees and pull out bushes. Service is great and I love being able to help and reach out to those around me. We were also able to help another member in the ward move out and to their new home. With all eight of us missionaries working it ended up going by really quickly, and it was productive for us all. If we remember to serve others around us, and we will truly find joy and peace will enter our lives!

That is really all for this week. Not too much went on, but it was still very good. This upcoming week, however, should be very busy and fun to report on. We are having Elder Bowen, the apostle who has a Mormon Message called “Reclaimed,” come to our mission for a tour and to teach us all and to interview some of us. We are all very excited for that and to be able to learn from him. We will all be very busy driving to all of our meetings (two hour drives for each of them, yuck)!

My missionary tip of the week is to have hope! Strive every day to be hopeful and to look unto the Savior and His redeeming love. In the September Ensign there is a great article on page 63 that I think all of you should read. It truly is amazing and teaches all of us how to have hope and to apply it in our lives. We all need hope, and as we have it, life will become more enjoyable and easier to bare. If we apply what President Monson has taught and continue to look up and to have faith and everlasting hope in our Savior Jesus Christ, we will be happy.

I love you all so very much and thank you all for your support and care towards me!

Elder Brown

Laughter (September 3, 2013)

Hello everyone!

This week has been so much better than last week, and has truly been enjoyable! I have loved every moment and I am so happy to be able to be out here in Ohio serving the Lord. Ohio is now finally starting to cool down and the humidity isn't nearly as bad now. Fall is on its way! I can hardly believe how fast time is flying. I am almost done with training and in a short couple of weeks I will find out what happens to me next.

This past week Elder Steele and I had to go to a funeral of a less active member. The church is in charge of the funerals, and the missionaries often get called on to help with them due to our ability to teach and the fact that many non-members will be there. So Elder Steele and I went and were able to provide prayers and words of comfort for the family. That was rather interesting, though, because a preacher from another church was also asked to speak, so the family got hit up by lots of different religions. Elder Steele is also afraid of dead bodies, so we had to sit outside for as long as possible. I personally thought it was rather funny how afraid of them he is.

After the funeral, the rest of our week became a little more lively (pun may or may not be intended)! We were able to teach lots of lessons with less active members and to be able to help all of them. I love being able to reach out to people and to extend to them our help and our love. It is amazing to be able to see their faith grow and to be a support for them. There is one less active in particular that we have been trying to help. His name is Brother Schabel. He has been less active for over five years and has had many Word of Wisdom issues. We have been able to help him, and I was able to give him a blessing for comfort, support and strength. We then were able to follow up with him yesterday and he has quit all of his drugs, is reading the scriptures, and he got work off for church. It is so exciting to be able to see people's hearts change as they are touched and molded by the gospel.

Many members in the ward have been moving, so we have also been able to spend lots of time helping them move. We have grown so close to the members of this ward, so it is hard to see some of them go. This week we were able to have dinner with the Hayden family. They live off the shore of Lake Erie, so we were able to eat out by the lake and collect some seashells off the beach. The lake is so amazing and it is cool to know that we are at the border of the country!

My tip of the week is to learn to laugh and to smile. There are so many things to laugh at and to be able to enjoy. Look for them and you truly will be able to be happier. I have seen that in my life as I have just strived to smile and to count all the many blessings the Lord has given me. So smile and laugh and rejoice in the goodness of God.

Love,

Elder Brown

 Lake Erie

Remember the importance of laughter.  :)