Favorite Scripture: 3 Nephi 5:13

Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life.

Tough Week!

Monday, April 25, 2011

Family and Friends,

Well, another tough week! We figured out that Elder Lamb had to stay in the apartment with his leg up for a whole week. YES, that means I sat in the apartment for a week. The only thing that kept me from not going insane was reading Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage. I thought it would be the best time to read that whole book, the week leading up to the Easter Holiday. It was Good! I have grown to appreciate my Savior's earthly ministry and how amazing of a teacher he was. I felt the spirit and have not felt so close to him before. We are going to the hospital to see what the next step is for Elder Lamb. It was suppose to heal this week but it didn't so the next step is to scope it or surgery. So I might be getting a new companion. But we hope that there can be another way. I just want to go out and find people, teach, and help them make covenants with the Lord. So hopefully this week I will be able to go out and work. Lets just say that the area book looks professionally done (I've had a lot of time on my hands). Ha ha. My holidays out on my mission have been the best. Easter was the Bomb! I was able to have Easter dinner with the coolest member family, "The Hanagans". We had a great time and really enjoyed the Easter Spirit. The members here are the so amazing. So grateful for all of your prayers. Pray for the people here in Yorba Linda because my teaching skills are going down because I got no one to teach. haha. I know the Lord will provide away for this work to go on. Love you all

Elder Brown

Learning To Have Charity

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Family and Friends,

These two weeks in this transfer has gone by so fast!!!! My mission is flying by! My companion and I are learning how to have Charity and it is going great. We were able to find one person to teach a lesson through our tracting efforts and it was awesome!!!!. We placed the Book of Mormon in Chip's heart and he really enjoyed it. He asked if the Book of Mormon goes against the Bible and we told him that it supports it and you can see for yourself. He is retired and is a biker dude and he is so smooth. Really excited to follow up with him and see his experience reading The Book of Mormon. We made one of our weekly goals of teaching 2 lessons this week. We reached it through our faith and relying one the Lord. It was great! I am learning to have gratitude and I am being blessed along with my companion. Elder Lamb's knee has been bugging him lately and he hurt it more when we were playing basketball last p-day. So we went to the doctor at St. Judes Hospital (which was in my last area) and he got his prognosis. The doctor told him that he has to stay off it for 3 days. So I was like, great!! (I'm being sarcastic) I get to sit inside for three days. At least I will catch up on my reading right. ha ha. I was kind of bummed because we were going to go to the Temple tour with Ronnie a less-active but we had to stay in. After the first day I was like I need to get out of here. So Elder Johnson and Elder Rock, stellar missionaries rotated in and out of the house covering two areas. It was really cool because I was able to teach a lot and work on my teaching skills. So this week has gone by fast. We have one really good potential investigator and I am so excited. Probably the next highlight of the week was Church. I love Church so much to be able to take the Sacrament and to be able to hear all the member's missionary experiences. It is just the best. I love the Bishop, his counselors, and the Ward Auxilary leaders. They spoil Elder Lamb and I and it is very nice. Ha ha. It is Spring Break this upcoming week so it has been a ghost town. Everyone is gone. So I am just learning to enjoy the weather and just love talking to every one I see if they like it or not! ha ha. So all in all a slow working week but missionary work is in progress and the Lord has people prepared in this area. So excited to find them. Love you all!!!

Elder Brown

I believe in Christ!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Family and Friends,

Well, this week I have a learned a lot. ha ha. I am striving to get this ward up and going. Also, loving and serving my companion. I am dealing with a lot of adversity. But I knew where I was getting called to and that there was going to be a lot. ha ha. I Know when there is a lot of opposition from the adversary soon there is going to be many miracles. In the last week, my testimony has been Upper Cut, Jabbed, Shocked, Chinese kicked, and Missled at. ha ha. But guess what! It still stands!!!! oh ya. My foundation of my testimony is on my Savior Jesus Christ. Just Like in Helaman 5:12, When the Devil shall send all his moves at you, He will have no power on you, If you have a foundation in Jesus Christ. I have never felt so close to my Savior and my loving Heavenly Father. I have never prayed so much vocally and in my heart as I have this week. My Testimony of the Book of Mormon, the Keystone of our religion, stands tall with my foundation of Jesus Christ. I have had to step up leadership wise. Working on my Christlike attributes and developing my Spiritual Gifts to help and serve my companion, the members of the Yorba Linda 4th Ward, and every one in those boundaries. I am learning to love my enemies. They attack me and want to tear me apart. I am learning how to teach people how Christ taught. I had the blessing to teach 4 lessons this last week and improving with faith and diligence to teach more lessons. There is a certain church that I am not going to name out here that teach their members during class each Sunday how to oppose and rip a part full time missionaries of the CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST of Latter Day Saints. I am praying for them. My heart is sorrowful like how Alma was sorrowful for the people of Ammonihah. But I am going to serve diligently, faithfully, and obediently and be the hands of Christ doing good to all people. Thank you for all your prayers. Please pray for my companion, his name is Elder Lamb, the Ward members of Yorba Linda 4th Ward and the people in this area. I am learning a lot and Heavenly Father is molding me the way he wants me to be and going through just a spec of what our Savior, the ultimate Missionary went through. Through his Atonement we can get through and do anything. I know that to be TRUE. Love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elder J. Brown

Moving on!

Monday, April 4, 2011

Friends and Family,

Well, this week has been crazy!!! I have been teaching a lot and I am being transferred. I got booted out of Acacia Park ha ha. I'm on my way to the Yorba Linda area (4th Ward). I am senior companion with an elder who has only been out for a transfer and is struggling to stay in the field. I have a lot more responsibility now and I am ready with the Lord's help. Yorba Linda is where most missionarries go home from because its one of the richest areas in California and in the United States. A lot of hard core Born Again Christians who have classes in church on how to attack LDS missionarries. I have heard a lot of bad things! I am really ready for the Challenge. I am going to learn and grow and have to show a lot of Faith. It was so hard to leave Acacia Park, Fullerton. People there are so humble and I am going to miss Yuki's scheduled baptism. I know that I did all I could do and that she will have the blessings of the restored gospel and make covenants with God. I am going to need your prayers in my new area. I am grateful that I will have the Holy ghost to guide me to those that are ready to become humble without being compelled to be humble. I am excited! I love you all.

Elder Brown