Adrenaline Week!

Friends and Family,

I have had a wonderful and adrenaline rushing week! ha ha. We taught Zack and Zane about the priesthood and about missionary work. We explained to them how they are going to get interviewed to receive the Aaronic Priesthood. They were all really excited for that. Then we committed them to prepare to go on a mission at the age of 19. They accepted this challenge, so Zack has three years and Zane six years before they can serve the Lord. So they have a few years to prepare. Well I want to tell you that I had a never forgetting New Year's Eve experience. ( I have had a couple in the past! ha ha). So we went and had dinner with Bishop Yost and his family and it was fun and the spirit was with us. We went and checked on some people and one of them is George Allen, a member from Utah. He is working here while his wife lives in Salt Lake, so we knew that he would be home alone this New Year's Eve. So we went to wish him a Happy New Year and we left with a prayer that Elder Bannister gave. It was ten minutes to nine and we were heading home. I got a thought that I needed to be careful on the ride home or I am going to get hit by a car. Then I thought to myself "man what is wrong with these bad thoughts of me getting hit by a car, I am not going to get hit by a car". So we start heading home and we cross the intersection on Paseo Westpark and Barranca. As I am going through the intersection the light is green. I had a feeling that I needed to slow down a little bit, because the thought that I was going to get hit came to my mind. I went from around 20 mph to 15 mph on my bike which is still pretty fast. Elder Bannister was 10 feet ahead of me and he got through. I almost got through until a huge black SUV rolls the red light going right and I slam on my brakes and got hit from the back on the right side and heard a "BOOM". My life flashed seriously before my eyes and I was waiting for massive pain. I cracked my sweet yellow helmet and I stood up really fast and I was dazed and I acted like I was fine. ha. I thought my bike was shredded. I yell, "are you serious, I just got hit by a car". Then I said, "is my bike okay"?!!! It happened so fast I started going through shock. My adrenaline was just pumping. This Oriental Lady runs up to me like she just killed me. She said, "are you okay, are you okay? and she barely spake English. I explained to her that I was okay and don't know how I am okay. I was really jittery and was kind of out of it when we were switching insurances. I looked at my bike and was surprised that nothing was wrong with it so I thought. So I just rode back home and parked my bike and just sat down in the garage. I was getting nauseous. Ten minutes after I get hit by a car, Bobi drives up. ha ha. Pulls out the Bubbly and the 7 layer dip and says "Happy New Year" ha ha. I explained to her what happened and why I felt like throwing up and she insisted that I still should get my picture taken and promised that she wouldn't tell my mom. So those pictures you got from Bobi (see the one below sitting with bubbly in my hand) I got hit like 15 minutes before that. We called President and I talked to a LA doctor and he said take Ibuprofen for my bruised up leg and my swollen wrists. Really I was just sick from the Shock. Ha Ha. So that is my near death experience again on New Years Night. Angels were really watching out for me on this one. I am so glad that I had the Holy Ghost prompting me to slow down or it could have been a lot worse. The fact that I am okay and that only my helmet is cracked and that my back wheel frame is bent is all the damage that happened. It is a Miracle! I felt like I got blindsided by Ray Lewis (one of the biggest, meanest linebackers in the NFL) who is going thirty miles an hour and I am going 15 it's ridiculous ha ha. So mom don't worry about me, I was able to work the next day. ha ha Just a little sore. So that was my crazy New Years and I was able to have some Sparkling apple cider after it. Cheers! ha ha. It was awesome. We are going to call the lady that hit me tomorrow and she will pay for my back tire and my helmet so its all good, no harm taken. I was then able to perform my first ordinance of Confirming, I was so nervous and I did pretty well I thought, didn't have to do it twice haha. So It was a good week. Its been cold and raining surprisingly this last couple weeks. So I feel like a hard core Missionary riding my bike in the rain with a wobbly tire and a cracked helmet ha ha. Love you all have a good and safe New Year ha ha.

Elder Brown