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
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