The "Legendary" Companionship is Over!

Family and Friends,

Well, this week has been memorable. I was able to help an old man cross the street. We tracted into a Bible Study. Joe wants Elder Knight to Baptize him and wants me to confirm him a member of the church when he moves out. Omar, a gangster in the hood, who has been in prison has a baptismal date. Elder Alshangetti from Saudi Arabia is my new companion. Elder Knight and I are splitting. The "legendary companionship" is coming to a end in the Acacia Park Ward of Fullerton.

I will start off with the old man. Elder Knight and I just got out of an appointment and we get into our car. We look up and we see an old Asian man in a wheel chair scooting himself along a busy intersection. Elder Knight and I look at each other and say Yess!!!!!!!! an opportunity to serve. So we go and say, "hey sir you need some help crossing the street?" He puts up his legs and points us forward. So I push him along and we get to the curb. This was the tough part. haha. I pushed him hard into the lip of the curb and the wheel didn't get over and I was like jerking him him around in his seat. I was like sorry sorry! I had to lift him back and I was able to get him over the curb. We asked him if he needed anymore assistance but he said, "I am good". He started to scoot himself with one leg. So it was a cool experience helping an old person cross the street.

So we are tracting and we knock on this door. This guy says come on in. We are like yesssss!!!!!!! We walk in and we go NOOOOO! There are ten people all around with their coffee and tea. So they said that we could share our message and we placed the Book of Mormon in their heart. After we are done, they start pulling out books on how we are a cult and worship the Devil and that we demote Jesus Christ. I felt the Spirit withdraw so fast. Elder Knight and I got to the point where we did not say anything and let them talk the whole time until they were finished. They were waiting to hear what we were going to say back trying to plead our case. All we said was read the Book of Mormon and pray about and left. Man, my testimony builds every time that happens. I know that true Christians would not attack someone like that. I am learning patience and discerning the true thoughts of those that I come in contact with who truly are seeking the truth and have faith they can get an answer from God.

We taught Omar who is 26. I met him with a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other. He has a desire to change and wants to be a better person. He has been in prison for drugs and he just had a baby and he knows now that he is a father and wants to follow Jesus Christ. We shared the Book of Mormon with him and invited him to be baptized on March 5. He accepted and is going to work on learning the Gospel. I am really excited because I know how much the Savior can change his life and bring him true happiness. Elder Knight is bummed that he has to leave.
So Elder Knight is getting transferred to Placentia and we went and said bye to the people we visit. We Saw Joe, who is our investigator, and he was really bummed that Elder Knight was leaving. He told Elder Knight that when he moves out and is able to get baptized that he wants Elder Knight to come back where ever he is at and baptize him. It was really cool to witness that. Elder Knight has been struggling because he hasn't baptized anybody. I told him that he is changing people lives out here and you won't always see the fruit of your labors but you are producing good things. So having Joe say that for Elder Knight I think gave him the confidence for his next area. Elder Knight and I have gone through a lot here. I have never been attacked by the adversary so much. But we have grown so much. My Testimony is so strong. Elder Knight is one of my favorite companions and I am going to miss him a ton.

Elder Alshengetti is my new Companion. I went on exchanges with him while I was in Irvine and he is a stud! He was born in Saudi Arabia and is half Saudi Arabian. His Conversion story is amazing and in the next emails I will tell you it. He is an amazing Elder that has been out twice as long as me and I am really excited. Elder Schwenke, who I was in the MTC with, was his last companion. So I am excited to continue to improve my skills as a representative of the Lord and continue to rely on Him.

Elder Knight and I are going our separate ways. The Ward is so sad, they called us the "LEGENDARY COMPANIONSHIP" ha ha. So this chapter is coming to an end but a new one is in progress in the book of the ANAHEIM MISSION.

I Love you all and I love Letters!!!!!

Walk with the Lord

Family and Friends,

Well I can't believe I have one more week of this transfer! These past five weeks have blown by as we have been finding those who are yearning to receive the restored Gospel. I am feeling like my mission is going by way too fast and I want it to slow down. I have never been happier serving the Lord by serving others! The people I meet are all different kinds of people and its amazing as you serve them, you love them more and more. That is how and why I think our Savior loves us all. He gave his life for us, because he loves us,and wants us to be happy. Through the Atonement we can have pains and sorrows become healed through him. In the Book of Mormon Alma 7:11-13..... It explains exactly that. He knows everything we have and will go through and he has took upon him every sin that we have and the worlds. He did all this for us because he Loves us. I am trying to walk with him in the work!
We followed up with Kirit who is the one from India and he was so excited to see us! He was having medical issues and work issues before we met him. He has read the Book of Mormon and it has changed his life. His health is getting better and work is picking back up and he knows its all because of him reading the Book of Mormon. He has gained faith in our lord Jesus Christ and has a solid testimony of the Book of Mormon. He told us that he is only going to read the Book of Mormon and that's it for the rest of his life. We laughed and said you should read the Bible too!!! But his testimony in Christ came through the Book of Mormon. I know that our faith can grow by reading The Book of Mormon in our Savior Jesus Christ. That it is physical proof in our hands that Christ's Church is again established on the earth and that he has called a prophet in this last dispensation. That is why The Book of Mormon is so important and why we emphasize people just to read, ponder, and pray about it.
We also have helped one of our less-active members Allen Lemus. He says that he has a tough time reading but he has a testimony of the Book of Mormon and its power. So I remembered in seminary how they told us just to read one verse of scripture a day. So I told Allen to do that. We called him to set up an appointment for our haircuts (HE is a sweet Barber). He tells us that him and his wife Shawn (who is not a member) have been reading the Book of Mormon everyday. Shawn has been reading a chapter and Allen a verse. The joy in Allen's voice was amazing. He said reading everyday has really helped him through his day. It was so cool to hear that. I have that same testimony that if we open our day with something spiritual and when we read God's words through his servants the Prophets, that we have amazing bright days.
One day we were tracting and we knocked on a door. A guy answered and we asked him if we could share a message. He said ya come on in. We walk in and there were three guys who were really cool who had a lot of questions and really wanted to hear this message. They were brewing some beer so they kind of made some jokes asking if we wanted some. We start our discussion and we taught them about the Book of Mormon. The Spirit was so strong and another person walked in the door. Then another and another. I guess they were having a party with all their friends. They are all like 28 years old and asking all these questions. It was like 12 verse 2 and I was getting overwhelmed. These people were very strong Christians asking how can you know for sure that the Book of Mormon is from God . I relied on the spirit and I turned the questions back on to them. I asked the question. Do you Believe in God? They said yes. I asked how did you come to know that! They said by the Bible. Then I asked how did you come to know the Bible was from God. They said by Prayer. I said Correct, do you believe that you can receive truth by asking God and they said yes. Then I said why can't you Read the Book of Mormon and pray and Ask God that it is true? They all paused. And they said that they were not even willing to read the Book of Mormon because they thought according to themselves that it cannot be true. So they relied on there own strength and not from God. So I invite you all to read the Book of Mormon and see for yourselves and ask our loving Heavenly Father if its true and by the power of the Holy Ghost if its true.
I want to invite all my family and friends member and non-members to go to Mormon.org. Its a new website for people not of our faith to see what we believe. Make a profile if you are a member. and all those that are not go and see how the Gospel has blessed so many peoples lives. I Love you all. Walk with the Lord.

Elder Brown

Forecast clear and 70 degrees, blue skies above, its beautiful!

This week has been good! It went by so fast I can't believe it is preparation day again!!!!! We have been following up with potential investigators and we have got 4 new ones!!!!!!!!! Yessssss!!!!!! 2 out of the 4 I can't understand half the words they say. ha ha. We have been looking for people that have been sincerely seeking the truth. We met a man named Edgar who we taught the first Lesson to. We invited him to be baptized and he said he already has been baptized. We explained the priesthood authority and told him tha the could come to know the things we say are true by reading and praying about the Book of Mormon. He is a very humble guy who found God when he was in jail and he is so sincere. I have so much faith that people can come to the knowledge of the truth by praying to our Father in Heaven. I know the Book of Mormon is true and that Edgar is going to come to that knowledge too. We have taught Mo who is from Burma and speaks Burmese. ha ha. He is a very smart man has read every book in every religion. He calls himself Budhist and has already read the Book of Mormon all the way through and is in Alma for the second time. He is seeking and he loves how the Book of Mormon testifies of one God. So its interesting. Then our next investigator, Named Kirit, has a baptismal date. He is from India and is Hindu. He was praying for truth and more knowledge in his life one day and we "knocked" into his life. He has read to Mosiah in one week and believes what we say is true. He is getting permission from his family to see if he could be baptized because he is scared that he will be an outcast with all his friends and family if he joins our church. They are all Hindu and I am praying really hard that they will soften their hearts because its a culture thing with having the blessing of the family. We are teaching him of the blessings of being baptized. Its really frustrating, I can only understand half the words Mo and Kirit say and I have to pray for the gift of tongues to understand them ha ha. But they are amazing humble people and so glad we have found them. We finally got investigators that are progressing. I am starting to forget everything at home about sports and myself. I notice when I do that, the work progresses and time flies by. I can't believe I've been out four months. I am starting to really enjoy Fullerton. We reached our goal of placing 5 Book of Mormons in the hearts of the people this week getting 7. I am really learning how to reach goals and relying on the Lord. My goals are high so I am praying and serving hard. I LOVE California. Forecast clear and 70 degrees blues skies above it's beautiful. Love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elder Brown

Happy B-day to my Sis Linsey, This T-shirt is for YOU!

It's amazing all the "stuff" we get from members.
My whole outfit was given to me! Sweet!