Til Kingdom Come

Week six of this transfer came and went really fast. I can't believe my short time with Sister Whitlock is over. Sister Whitlock will be training next transfer (we're dividing the Elder's area), so lots of work was involved getting an apartment in Himmash. We did SO much work for the Himmash apartment this week. Tuesday we had to go find out how much stuff was there, Friday we went and bought the stuff, and Saturday evening we went and cleaned out the apartment a ton so that Sister Whitlock and Sister Miller don't have to stress about doing that. 

My companion next transfer is Sister Smith! Flashback to the MTC days. Secretly we always planned on being Sister Trainers at the end of our missions together. 

Tuesday we went and did splits in Chelyabinsk. I got to be with Sister Blau, and we had so much fun! Going back to Chelyabinsk was surreal, and this time I felt like I was the one in training because she's now been there quadruple the time I was!

We had a meeting Thursday with our new investigator. She's a wonderful lady who is interested in learning how our church is different from the Russian Orthodox church and asked so many wonderful questions (all of which were answered by us teaching the Restoration lesson). She is wonderful and even prayed at the end of our lesson! It's really neat to meet people that are willing to keep all commitments and pray in lessons.

I have always been good (I thought) about speaking Russian on the street but after analyzing myself, I have made a new goal for myself to not ever, ever, ever speak a word of English on the street (unless it's an emergency phone call or something else like that). I'm excited for it. I love Russian, and the only way to get better is to keep speaking it! I have made some pretty lofty Russian goals for myself this transfer. My problem is vocabulary -- I just run out of ways to keep learning vocabulary (I get bored easily, I guess). Well, on splits a couple weeks ago, I had the thought pop into my head that I should tape lists of words to the inside of the bathroom door to learn. I have learned so many words that way! I know that's probably too much information, but I think it's hilarious. I'm also painstakingly going through every exercise in the back of the chapters of Modern Russian-- they're killers. Most of the words that are tested are words I haven't actually learned (I know 100% Gospel vocabulary...) but it's really showing me where the weaknesses are in my language. Always lots to keep learning!

This last weekend was the branch picnic-- so fun! We had a former investigator come with her son. It was such a fun picnic. Lots of games, great food, and more members than I have ever seen at the 2nd branch! Lots of people invited their friends too. I even gave out a Book of Mormon to a member of the Unification Church who was there (watch out...). 

Sunday was... kind of a rough day because I was sick in bed literally all day. We're not entirely sure why, but probably food poisoning. Other than the occasional trips to the bathroom, I literally slept from 7am - 5:30 pm. It was crazy. It was sad to not go to church even, but there is no way I would have lasted that long. I'm feeling better today.

I hope you all have wonderful lives, and I always pray for you. Thanks to everyone who has written me so diligently my whole mission-- it feels good to not be forgotten.

Love!
Sister Brown

August 11, 2014

Dear Family,

What a great week! We had the opportunity to go on splits with two sets of sisters (from Kurgan and Ekat 1st branch). It's crazy how fast the weeks fly by, and this one was one of them! I'm kind of expecting every week to fly by from now to December 9th. 

My week from the beginning:

Monday was a really good day for our companionship because we were able to set a baptismal date with one of our investigators. She's been investigating several months and is one of the most diligent readers of the Book of Mormon that I've ever seen. She should have finished the war chapters this last week. We had a meeting with her and decided to have a deep review of the Restoration lesson. She learns a lot through reading, and so we made copies of Preach My Gospel to read with her and our member and went around in turns reading from the first lesson. It was wonderful! She had really good questions (that were answered in later paragraphs of the reading), and we were able to answer and discuss all the questions that she's had. We got to the end of the lesson and asked her how she felt about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, and she bore her testimony that she knew it's all true. We then extended her the baptismal commitment boldly. She balked a little at first (she's had one baptismal date before and church attendance is a problem with her because of her garden) but as we talked with her and discussed when she really could and would be ready to enter the waters of baptism, she realized that she was more ready than she had thought earlier. She picked her date out herself, and now we're all working towards it with her. It's wonderful! 

Going to Kurgan was quite the adventure (six hours in a rickety, hot bus and my chair didn't recline) but it was worth it! We had SUCH a miracle. To ride a bus here (a long distance one), you just show up at the bus depot about 15 minutes early and pay for a ticket. The buses are usually empty because everyone flies or takes trains (they're faster), but we couldn't get tickets for the times we wanted, so we were stuck with a bus. We showed up at the station 30 minutes early and all the tickets were sold out to Kurgan. That was BAD NEWS because we had splits planned already, and we couldn't just cancel on the sisters-- we were kind of freaking out (I miss cars). We were freaking out in the bus station and trying to figure out how much it would cost to take a taxi from Ekat to Kurgan, when the lady at the ticket window started yelling for us to come up. Somehow, MIRACULOUSLY, there were two seats on the bus that had just opened up, and she was able to jump on them and grab them for us. It was SUCH a miracle. I wasn't even too bummed that my seat didn't recline and there was no leg room or anything-- I had never been so happy to be on a bus in my life. Kurgan is a really neat city, and I loved being there on splits for one day and meeting tons of people. The only thing that I didn't like about Kurgan was the mosquitoes EVERYWHERE. I got bitten to death.

We returned from Kurgan early Thursday morning and "slept in" (it's not actually sleeping in because we didn't get in until 2 am...) Then we had English group, and it was a really good one. One of the assistants gave the spiritual thought (the subject of English group was making decisions), and everyone really loved it and wanted to keep talking about making choices and hear about our church more. Several of the attendees had some really good questions for us, and we gave them some Book of Mormon assignments to read!

Friday and Saturday we were on splits with the sisters in the first branch. Sister Hellewell and I had a lesson fall through, so we went street contacting with a member and were able to get lots of people's information to follow up on later. I'm really proud of Sister Hellewell because she's SO good at talking to people on transport. For her, it has never been a problem. Contacting on a street was good practice for both of us (it's been a long time since I've done that), and we both learned a lot. We were able to casually start conversations with people and talk about the Gospel. It was wonderful! At the end of the split, Sister Hellewell told me that she had always wondered how to casually start conversations with people while walking and now we both know!

This has been somewhat of a "boring" week (it wasn't really boring, it just seems boring to read/write about it now), but it was a happy one. I think that I'm at one of the happiest places in my mission right now-- physically, mentally, spiritually, etc. It's wonderful. I'm honestly so happy where I am right now, and I'm excited for the months ahead.

Being a missionary is the best decision that I have ever made. Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Russia sounds super crazy, but it's actually 100% possible. My mission is having amazing amounts of success right now, and we're all reaching for the same goals. We're all super united with each other, and it's wonderful. I love everyone here. 

I hope you all have a wonderful week. Thank you so much for your emails- I really love reading them. I pray for you all daily, so don't forget to pray for me.

Have a wonderful week!

Love,
Sister Brown

July 14 2014

Hello!

Well transfers are over, and I'm still trying to settle into my new area here in Ekaterinburg. It's funny receiving a transfer within the city because I knew my old area decently well for one transfer having been there, but I feel like a lost puppy in this area because it's on the total opposite side of the city and a whole new branch. I'm now the branch pianist and the primary pianist! Wahoo.

We had some great meetings this week and even got two new investigators! There's a less-active family in the branch, and the sisters just started working with them this week. On Saturday we went over to their house for a scheduled appointment and the mom wasn't super excited to see us and explained she didn't have time for us today and maybe another time we could come over-- but she didn't seem too excited about it. We did a really quick version of our lesson for her and her two unbaptized children (our new investigators) and were on the way out the door when I felt like I should play my flute for them. The mom was soooo excited. I asked what her favorite hymn was (I was not expecting a reply because she's been less-active a long time), but she unexpectedly started singing "I am a Child of God." I played the song while she, her children, and my companion sang along, and we sang another couple of primary songs too. It was wonderful.  At the end of all of this her whole demeanor had changed, and she seemed much more interested in us coming back. I promised to bring my flute next time too! It was wonderful to visibly see her heart soften and her willingness to hear the Gospel again increase because of the Spirit brought into the meeting because of music.

We had a really cool taxi driver this week named Aleksei. He basically just wanted to date us but backed off when we told him that we both had "serious boyfriends" back home in America (sometimes being a sister missionary requires lots of exaggeration). He was decently interested in the Gospel, and we gifted him a Book of Mormon as well as receiving his number to give to the Elders!

We had sisters come stay at our apartment because there was a big visa trip on Friday. I haven't unpacked my suitcases because we're actually in the process of moving apartments, so it was crazy having two other sisters stay with us as well as having me brand new there without any kind of routine for myself yet. I hate feeling homeless as a missionary, but what can you do? Nothing!

Church on Sunday was not what I was expecting. The other branch in Ekaterinburg functions basically like a normal ward in Utah-- very self-sustaining, a decent amount of members, beautiful building,etc. But the 2nd branch here is not quite the same. There's a lot of strengthening to be done amongst the active and the less-active members. 

The weather here has been just miserable. One of the days this week the high was 7C. It's been rainy, windy, and cold. Yesterday I put on two pairs of tights, one of which was fleece-lined. Today the sun came out for the first time in about a week so that was wonderful.

Have a wonderful week!

Sister Brown

Many, many pictures

Times Are Changing!

Dear Family,

Well, hey! What a wonderful week in Ekaterinburg it was this week. It was either blazing hot or pouring rain. We had a wonderful zone conference (Ekat 1, Tyumen, and Kurgan missionaries), and I found out..... I'm going to be sister trainer next transfer! My companion is Sister Whitlock (we were in the MTC together but different zones), and we'll have a lot of work cut out for us. I go over to President's this afternoon for a rundown of my job description, and then I'm off to work Wednesday. I'm super excited and a little nervous. It's going to be a big load of stress, but it will be really good for me I think. The sisters travel to all the cities (one a week) to go on splits with the sisters there and assist in training, etc. I'll let you know how I feel next week!!

This last week in our area was incredible, especially totaling our counts in the end of it all. We have successfully doubled all of our numbers since the transfer before I came, and it made me really happy to see a visual representation of the improvement that has been done here. The work is progressing! I really believe that I have left this area "stronger than when [I] found it" (PMG chp. 8), so I feel satisfied with all of the work that has been done. Most importantly, I think that I have instilled a good work ethic and attitude of diligence with my companion. I, of course, have also learned a LOT from Sister Hellewell.

We had a miraculous family home evening with two actives, a potential, and one less active at the senior couple's apartment. It went amazingly! We had a dinner, ate dessert, then had a lesson about the restoration, and played Uno. It was wonderful because the two actives were able to bear strong testimony (one of them has recently returned from inactivity) and could bear testimony about how the Gospel has worked wonders in their family. The potential investigator's face just lit up during the whole thing, and when we told her that she could have the Book of Mormon, she was super interested and kept asking questions about it. She loves reading books, so I'm super excited for her to read this one! She's the single mother of two kids, and I know that the Gospel will bless her family a lot. The less active at the lesson was also able to bear her testimony, we met with her later that week, AND she came to church on Sunday. Uh...wow!

This week we were able to go help at the garden of a crippled little old lady. It was super fun! We weeded a bunch and helped her cook and did lots of fun things. We took an electric train out of the city (just a couple of stations) and when we got off the train, we had no idea where to go, so we went and asked one of the other passengers where the garden was, and luckily (miraculously!) it happened to be her neighbor. Such a miracle because we never would have found it without her.

We've befriended a 15-year-old girl in the branch that has been having some struggles recently. She really loves us and looks up to us, but the problem is is that she looks up to and has lots of other awful examples in her life. She's definitely hit her "15-year-old rebellion" stage, and I think her mom is just lost and doesn't know what to do with her! Luckily, this girl trusts us a lot and loves being with us. We've been able to take her on lessons with us to less-actives and investigators several times, and she's been such a help. She knows that Gospel so well (she was baptized at age 8), but she's hitting the Utah problem of "I've been in the church my whole life, how do I know that it's true?" kind of thing. We spent all day with her Saturday (went to a baptism, ate lunch at Subway, then went to do service at a less-active's house), and she had so much fun with us! As we walk around and do things, we always try to sneak a little bit of Gospel in there for her. She really just needed friends this last month, and I'm so glad that we could be those friends for her. 

This has been the best transfer of my mission so far, and I'm so excited for the 3.5 transfers ahead of me! Can you believe how fast times flies? My release date is Dec. 9th.

I love you all, and I pray for you all the time. Remember that I love you a lot!

Love,

Sister Brown

Long time, no see!

Well hello everyone! Long time, no see.... literally!

Updates from the life of Sister Brown:

• serving in my "namesake" city of Yekaterinburg and LOVING it. Even though there are two branches here, it still takes an hour and a half (one subway and one bus) to get to church every week!
  
• training my #4--- the first from Utah! She's a music therapy major from Utah State, so we have lots of things to chat about! I love her to death.
• there are mosquitos everywhere here, and I'm literally scratching myself to death
• the work is really picking up in this mission and we're up 38% on member-present lessons since last year and lots of other statistics that probably won't interest you :) but the work is progressing in Russia! 
• there are now three 3 stakes in Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Novosibirsk)-- we're doing our best to get the priesthood to establish a stake here
• yesterday I spoke in church for a good 15 minutes! The subject was "Our Heavenly Family"-- I was really proud of myself since I can't even speak that long in English!
• I get my travel plans HOME in just a couple of weeks-----what?!?!
• The summer solstice was this last week-- made me think of the Death Cab for Cutie song. Sometimes I just really miss popping in some tunes!
• Sister Christensen told me that I'm the best Russian-English translator in the mission! Wahoo!!!
• We had a really beautiful picnic as a branch at a scenic lake just outside of Yekaterinburg. Beautiful! But I got crazy attacked by stinging nettle while playing frisbee--- got some good tips from a Russian elder and slathered sour cream all over my legs.
• One of the Seventies in charge of our mission came and spoke during the third hour on Sunday and was really frank with the members. He said, "The Lord doesn't require statistics to have a temple... he requires your hearts. Evaluate yourselves... are you doing everything to show the Lord that you want to establish Zion here and build a temple in Russia?" It was a wonderful and riveting talk. 
• I bought a beautiful shirt at..... GAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They just built one here in Ekat and we went there last PDay. I got a Gap card in Russian! Cool, huh? Anyway, I love the shirt. So beautiful. I also love Gap....so :)
• We cleaned the walls at a potential investigator's apartment on Wednesday. I wish I had taken pictures, but I didn't even think about it. Just know, that Sister Hellowell and I are really good at cleaning walls.

That's about it-- just know that I love and care about all of you so much! You're the best. The church is true! Being a missionary is the best! I love being in Russia and serving all the people here. Sacrifice truly does bring forth the blessings of heaven.

Have a wonderful week!!!!

Sister Brown

Another letter

This week was hard because a sister in the mission got really sick, so I had her companion come this week (who is also in training). So basically that was hard. Livable but hard. She'll be with us through this week. It's wonderful being a trio but having this amount of responsibility kind of ruins your emotional capacity. We went out to Burger King to celebrate my year mark. I have some cute pictures I want to send but this computer is dumb so I'll try next week.

Something cool that happened this week, we were on our way to stop by a potential investigator and give her a Book of Mormon, but she couldn't answer the door because she was sick. We also had waited around a good chunk of the afternoon for our landlord to come over, so we could give him rent. As we were walking home, it was later than we had originally scheduled, and we were waiting at an intersection as this guy walks by having walked across the other side of the street (he had a green light, we had a red light...make sense?) Well, he stops to read our name tags as we're waiting there, and I just let him read mine as my companions started to walk across the street (light had turned green at this point-- they noticed and came on back), he was surprisingly interested and asked for any literature that we had and gave us his number. We gave him the Book of Mormon we had planned to give the potential! It was really cool. 

I love little coincidences that aren't just coincidences. If our landlord hadn't been as late as he was, and if the potential hadn't been sick, we wouldn't have been at that intersection at the exacttime that the man walked by us. Crazy, huh? It's so nuts to think that missionary work is so much bigger than us. God really does have a plan!

We had a really good missionary musical number this week at church. We sang "Be Still my Soul" and I played the flute for a little of it while Sister Hellewell accompanied us. It was awesome.

That's basically it in the life of Sister Brown this week.

Have a great week!

Sister Brown

Letter

Dear Family,

Well, this has probably been one of the most exhausting but rewarding weeks of my life! Sister Hellewell and I have worked so hard in this area. We followed the guidance from President Laurence given last week as well as guidance from our dear President Christensen, and I know that we're going to turn this area (Yuralmash/Elmash) into the most successful area in the mission!  After just our first week together, we've already increased our numbers by 33% compared to what they've been in this area for a long time. And there are many more weeks ahead of us!! 

P-day last week was awesome, and we went to this store by our apartment named Metro. It has things from America there at a reasonable price! The problem is the store requires a membership card the store (like Costco but wayyy harder to get a membership) but our landlord is loaning us his, so that's so great! They sell Reese's big cups there (yummmmm) and lots of foreign food that's directly imported. All the food from America has the "Nutrition Facts" box just like in America! It's awesome. :) 

We cleaned our apartment like crazy as well and ended P-day early to make phone calls to try to get a member to come to our investigator meeting that night. Despite the fact that we called everyone that we could, we couldn't get a member. It ended up being for the best though, because our investigator (she's been to church off-and-on for a couple of years) expressed some concerns about reverence in the 1st branch, so we were able to talk through that with her. She's awesome.

 

Wednesday we had a really good lesson with an investigator. She's incredible. She has a very basic understanding of the Gospel and is a little forgetful (it's been a while since she's been taught), but we're really trying to establish a relationship of trust and love with her. She's been a little neglected, but we've stopped by a ton this week to drop off cute notes to her and such. She really wants to get baptized, and we're going to try to set a date for her soon! 

This particular investigator was going to come to church Sunday but she texted us before the meeting and said she was really sick and couldn't make it (we had a lesson planned with her after church). Sister Hellewell and I decided to stop by and drop off a note to her. We did that and were walking to our traimvai stop and waited there forever in the hot sun-- 45 min. Our tramvai didn't come. But-- the waiting enabled us to attempt conversations with people waiting for other tramvais and one of the conversations ended up being super successful. We met a lady named Alla (a more common name than you would expect) who wasn't interested in our message, but talked to us for a long time. I was super sad when she said "no" when I asked if we could teach her the Gospel of Christ, but then I asked the follow-up question "whom do you know that would be interested?" And she immediately gave us a name, number, and information about her friend and then begged us not to tell her friend that it was her who referred her. Her friend also knows English really well, so she said she'd tell him about our English Group! 

Saturday was a really cool day, and I'll try to explain that. We had a sports activity and were supposed to have a member-present meeting with an investigator that evening but the investigator cancelled about 45 minutes before (bummer), so we went home and made former investigator phone calls. We called everyone. Literally everyone. One former investigator that we called ended up coming to church on Sunday and agreed to start meeting with us again! So, even though we weren't able to meet with our new investigator on Saturday, we were able to get a new investigator on Sunday!

Another crazy thing happened Sunday (lots of miracles!):  we stopped by a former investigator who ended up not being there, but we did a lesson with her 78-year-old mother (who loved it!) and as we were walking away from the apartment building we passed some men drinking (not super uncommon). As we continued to walk, we heard a man chasing after us and shouting "girls! girls!" Sister Hellewell said "walk faster!" so we did, but he kept chasing us. I actually stopped and turned around to start talking to him which led into a very interesting conversation:

I'm not baptized!!!!

Alright. Well, our church has free baptism but you have to take lessons with missionaries like us, but they're boys, first. Do you want to do that?

Yes! I want to get baptized so bad. I'm not baptized!

Alright. Well, what's your name?

Mihail. 

Alright. What's your number?

(gives me his number)

Alright Mihail. How should you prepare for baptism?

Um....I don't know.

We need to follow the commandments, pray, and go to church. Are you willing to do that?

Yes! 

Alright. Do you usually drink?

No.... I don't.

Just on holidays?

Yeah.

Alright. Well, I'll give your number to missionaries just like us but they're boys, and they'll call you and start preparing you for baptism. Ok?

Alright! thanks so much.

It's just kind of a funny incident that I thought I'd share with you. We texted the elders his number, and they replied "We'll baptize him soon!" And we will! He was a really nice man; just a little too much beer on a Sunday afternoon. :)

I finished the Book of Mormon again this week (I've lost track of how many times I've read it on my mission already). And I'm always blown away that I read things that I've never seen before. I especially enjoyed Ether 12:18 "And neither at any time hath any wrought miracles until after their faith; wherefore they first believed in the Son of God." 

We had a training meeting with President Christensen this week, and he talked about how nothing will change in this mission unless we call down the powers of heaven for miracles. We talked about how FAITH is what leads to miracles, and we discussed how we can increase our faith. We read lots of scriptures and made a huge list on the board of attributes of people with a lot of faith (think sons of Mosiah). If we do everything that they did, we will increase our faith, and that will lead to miracles. I really believe in that, and I attribute that to all the miracles or "coincidences" (but really they were miracles) that happened this last week. I'm ready to call down the powers of heaven and be as consecrated as I can be. Sister Hellewell and I are both in it to win it. We are ready to work hard!

As I'm reading through the Book of Mormon this time, I'm marking attributes of the followers of Christ, and I've decided to number the times that the promised land is referenced. It's awesome that God always has promises and rewards for us if we keep the commandments and do what we're supposed to do. Even though Laman and Lemuel grumbled the whole way and thought that rules were restricting, in the end -- the rules made them free. They were able to go to a new world with new opportunities and govern themselves! That's what I would call freedom anyhow. :) 

I'm really excited to be here in this area at this time. I've had it confirmed to me so many times that this is exactly where I'm supposed to be right now. We really are working so hard and seeing miracles. People are receiving our message very well here, and people are actually interested in it. 

The church is true! The Atonement is real, and it's for everyone. The great thing is that God has given us free agency, and it's our choice to use the Atonement or not. Everyone can change. Situations can get better. 

There's a song by Cherie Call called "Believe" that has some really uplifting lyrics that we've been listening to:

Sometimes Christmases are white

Sometimes wedding days are clear

Sometimes rain falls right on time 

To wipe away your tears

You just have to have faith to believe that things will turn out all right in the end. I used to think that optimism was dumb, but then I actually started doing it. It works. God wants us to be positive no matter what. 

Have a wonderful week and know that I love you!!

Love,

Sister Brown

A Beautiful Day in Ekaterinburg

Well, I'm beating myself up today because I forgot the cord to connect my sd card to the computer, and I took a ton of pictures this last week!  Expect more photos soon.

  

As some of you may know already (Mom and Dad...haha), I got transferred! I'm serving in Ekaterinburg now in the 1st branch. Yes, it's the branch that President Christensen attends when he's not touring around, and I've joked that only the "problem" children get sent here, but in all reality it isn't so. 

My last week in Chelyabinsk was great. Sister Blau and I had some really successful lessons with investigators (several people even cried when I said I was getting transferred!) I found out about transfers on Wednesday...or was it Thursday? Well, regardless, I had more time than I expected to pack, so that ended up being a good thing. We woke up at 4:15 am on Sunday to take a huge bus to Ekaterinburg. 

I was sad to leave Chelyabinsk, but I wasn't sad to leave the mosquitoes that infest the city. I have bites all over! I was able to pick up some nifty souveniers before I left and I might try to mail them home so I don't have to carry them around for the rest of my mission.

 We had a big "stake conference"-type meeting yesterday where all the missionaries and members from all the cities had the opportunity to come to Ekaterinburg and hear President Laurence (the area president) and Gerald Causse (a seventy). After the main meeting, there was a separate meeting just for the missionaries, and it was super spiritual and amazing. I got a bloody nose in the middle of it, so that was a classic "Catie Brown" moment, but my "Sister Brown"-self handled it with class.

Thoughts about what I learned from the conference:

President Laurence talked about the three things that need to change in this mission specifically to improve productivity:

1. exact obedience

2. member present lessons

3. act in faith

*Firstly, I would like to say that I'm one hundred percent, totally obedient. It's funny to hear other missionaries talk about my reputation in the mission-- but that's one of the aspects of my service that they talk about. I am 100% obedient no matter the cost. I don't care if it can be annoying because guess what? My first priority (and the person that I'm accountable to first) is the Lord. When I honestly only care about what God thinks, things always fall into the right places behind it. 

*Secondly, I would like to say that I do understand the importance of member-present lessons. Sometimes it's a little bit hard to instigate it if you don't know the members. Right now that's a little bit of a problem for me (new transfer!) but I will do my best. Sister Hellewell and I had a lesson last night with a potential, and Sister Hellewell and her former companion hadn't called anyone to be on the lesson, so guess what I did? I called everyone that I could, and we were able to have a member-present lesson that turned out really well. The potential even asked to meet with us tonight, and so we have a new investigator! Member present lessons are important, and I will try not to let any excuse prevent us from having them.

In Chelyabinsk this last week, Sister Blau and I had an amazing member-present lesson with a couple that we've been meeting with. The wife is ready to be baptized but is not willing to do it without the husband. The husband's problem is that he likes to argue with us and is not willing to come to church. But-- we had an amazing lesson with them this week, and I definitely think things are on the uphill with them. We had the Elder's Quorum President on the lesson with us, and he and the husband really hit it off together. The EQP bore straight testimony of the power of the church to change and improve our lives and was able to quell any concerns that they had at all. I know that couple will be baptized. 

*Acting in faith was an interesting thing for President Laurence to talk about, but I especially liked it because it's definitely something that I struggle with at times. I believe in God, and I believe in His timing, so sometimes it's hard for me to have faith that things will happen (for example, if we plan for miracles, etc.) because I believe in the agency of others (not everyone will accept a baptismal date-- it's a fact of life). But I really liked how he specified and broke that down more. He said that we can increase our faith by:

setting a goalbe absolutely believingpray about it always!commit yourself fullybe creativedon't waste timeyou're ____ years in the making, so tap into your skills!expect trials and obstaclesexpect and know that the Lord will respond (Jacob 4:6-7)

I definitely know that I can increase my faith in missionary work and in other people. It requires trusting the Lord a lot, but I think I'm up for it. I have the desire to have more faith, so I think that's just the start of things. :)

I know that everything that has happened to me in my life has prepared me for my mission and that everything in my mission so far has prepared me for my time here in Ekaterinburg. I have the skills, the desire, and the work ethic. I'm so excited to get started here, and I know that this area will grow and blossom with me and Sister Hellewell here. 

Well, I hope this letter made sense to you all. I love you and I miss you. Can you believe that my year mark is coming up in just a week from Thursday? Time flies!

I love you all!!! Have an awesome, amazing week!

Loveeeeee,

Sister Brown

Happy Monday!

Dear everyone,

What a week! Sorry this letter is delayed/short but internet cafes don't always want to make myldsmail.net work apparently.... I'll do my best! :)

So, last week a returned missionary from this mission came to church (he was in Europe and "decided to visit Chelyabinsk"). He actually openedthis city, so that was pretty cool. Well, we were doing less active stop-bys on Monday night, and we went to this nice old lady's house (she's soooo wonderful) and she teared up when she saw us. Apparently it was "her" missionary that had come the day before, and he visited with her, and she was soooo happy that we also hadn't forgotten about her, too. He had asked her if missionaries still came, and she had answered yes, and he asked "Sister Brown and Sister Blau, right?" and she said yes. And the next day we happened to stop to see her, and she told us that experience and was tearing up and said, "I'm so grateful I'm not forgotten!" (Not sure if that story made much sense in writing, but it was really a cool experience.)

Tuesday, President Christensen came to town. He and some of the senior missionaries introduced us to the 12-step recovery program for addictions that LDS family services has developed (it's based of Alcoholics Anonymous' 12-step program) and incorporates Gospel principles and scriptures into the lessons. It's basically 12 guides on how to use the Atonement, and it's wonderful because it really applies to everything not just addictions. The program is in Russian now, so we're going to start implementing it here with people, and it really will be a blessing. We talked about the difference between just repenting from an addiction and recovering from an addiction. They're two completely different things. Our role as missionaries in all of this is just to function as the translators between the certified "counselors" (the senior couples) and the member with addiction problems. I've already been participating in this program for a couple of weeks because we've started it with some people, and it's been great! It's really a wonderful program, and if you can find it online (https://addictionrecovery.lds.org/?lang=eng), I would encourage you to read it. As a district, we talked about how it applies to problems with pride/ego, low self-esteem, anger problems, and pretty much any problem that could really take over your life and prevent you from reaching your full potential.

Wednesday at English group we had a cool experience. A lady showed up to English group that was wonderful (she speaks 100% perfect English) and all of us were kind of wondering who she was. Well! Turns out that she is a former investigator from about five years ago, and she's again interested in meeting with the missionaries! I was able to get her number and set an appointment up with her, so that was really awesome. 

Saturday we had a really fun sports activity. It's at this huge park here, and it was so great. There were these really cool jungle gym structures, and they weren't little kid ones either. There were adult-sized HUGE jungle gyms. It wasn't for fun either. All these really intense-looking guys were doing really incredible workouts on these things that basically were just metal bars. It was crazy. There was also a 15-foot climbing rope. I'll try to take pictures next time we go. If that place existed in America, I'm sure I would go all the time. It was also in a beautiful location (right in the middle of a grove of trees), and we saw some adult yoga classes going on, too. It was sweet. We played volleyball, and that was so fun. 

That's all that I really have time to say this week other than.... I love you!!! Have a wonderful week!

All the best, 

Sister Brown

Mother's Day

Dear Everyone,

Happy Mother's Day! :) It was great to Skype mom, dad, and Eric yesterday. Can you believe that that was my last Skype session on my mission? Crazy how fast time goes!

Well, I promised you a lot this week, and I will do my best to deliver. My letter today is going to be everything that I've learned on my mission so far (or as much as I can type about it!)

*Something that I've been studying/tracking in my scripture study is parallels between stories in the Book of Mormon and other books of scripture. examples: Joseph Smith couldn't immediately get the plates (JS-H 1:53-54) and neither could Mormon (Mormon 1:3-4). There's also a lot of parallels between the children of Israel and the Nephites being in the wilderness.

*I've also made a chart in my study journal of every time the Lord gives the promise "keep my commandments and you'll be prospered in the land" and that occurs 15 separate times in the Book of Mormon with lots of subreferences under those with very similar but not exact wording:

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*I've also been keeping a list of all the adverbs in the Book of Mormon that describe the "how" (adverb) of how we should keep the commandments. Usually the words are "faithfully" "diligently" "always" "immovably" etc.

Sister Brown commentary: It's not enough just to keep the commandments, it's how you keep the commandments that determines your salvation and exaltation. You're not going to live with God if you whined your whole way to get there.

*I've recently started a chart of "Unfinished Plots/Lack of Information" in the Book of Mormon. This basically includes any reference to lost scriptures (Zenock, Neum, Zenos), things missing from the Bible (Joseph of Egypt's prophecy-- 2 Nephi 3:5-7; 14-15). This list also includes when people randomly go off with groups of people and vanish into the wilderness/ocean never to be seen/heard from again.

Sister Brown commentary: I can't wait until the Millennium (or whenever) when we'll be able to figure out what happened to all these records/people. It'll be so cool!

*Today during personal study I made a chart of the lineage of the prophets who wrote in the Book of Mormon from Nephi down until Mosiah (the son of king Benjamin). I'm also super excited to make a thorough note-taking of the people of Limhi which will be the subject of my personal study tomorrow. That story gets kind of confusing if you don't pay attention!

*I made a list of over 50 names of Christ listed in the Book of Mormon with the references listed. I wish I could type them all out here but it's kind of annoying to list the references by typing because grammar is complicated on computer keyboards to list references. Such as parentheses and whatnot. Some of my favorite names of Christ (without references--sorry!)
Well BelovedGod of miraclesSon of our great GodHoly Child, Jesusthe Eternal Judge of both quick and deadKing of all the earth

*I did a Preach My Gospel activity on April 30th where I listed all the truths, covenants, ordinances restored and revealed through Joseph Smith. That was fun, and I'm definitely still adding to that list! Some of the things that I appreciate the most are the truths not found in the Bible (such as those in the Pearl of Great Price) and of course all of the temple ordinances that were restored. Side note: it's super cool to look at the Bible and what the church consisted of and then compare that to the church in our day. Our church is so similar to the church in the Old Testament (excluding the following of the Law of Moses of course because we believe Christ fulfilled that Law). 

*I've also been taking time to mark "Golden One Liner" scriptures in neon yellow highlighter in the Book of Mormon this time through. I haven't really decided what qualifies as a "Golden One Liner" but I think the title in itself is pretty self-explanatory.

                          Golden One Liners (so far....)

1 Nephi 10:18 For he is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him.1 Nephi 17:50-51 And I said unto them: If God had commanded me to do all things I could do them. If he should command me that I should say unto this water, be thou earth, it should be earth; and if I should say it, it would be done. And now, if the Lord has such great power, and has wrought so many miracles among the children of men, how is it that he cannot instruct me, that I should build a ship?2 Nephi 27:23For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith.Jacob 3:1...Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions, and he will plead your cause, and send down justice upon those who seek your destruction.

"What does Sister Brown do during Personal Study? She obviously has too much time on her hands?" is what you may be asking to yourself. In this mission, our president has asked us to only study Preach My Gospel and the Book of Mormon. I really like this guideline because it really helps us focus on the foundational doctrine of this church-- this is the doctrine that we share with people on a daily basis whether it be on the street, in a bus, or in a lesson. The more you study, the more the Holy Ghost can bring to your remembrance later! I've read through the Book of Mormon more than a couple times on my mission, and I always get something new out of it. I've mentioned before my crayon color-coding system (it's always evolving):

red--Christ's name, personal insights

orange-- obedience,commandments,obedience to the commandmentsyellow-- missionary work, prophesying, Restorationlight green-- promises, blessings, rewards, covenantsdark green-- the Spirit

Depending on where I'm currently reading in the Book of Mormon/what we're teaching that day, I'll keep reading in the Book of Mormon and look for things to add to the lesson plan we develop during companionship study. If I think a subject needs more thorough study, I will deeply study that by using different sections in the Book of Mormon and cross-references listed in Preach My Gospel (and of course designated sections in Preach My Gospel where this subject matter is listed).

These are some lines that I love from Preach My Gospel:

You show your love for the Lord and gratitude for His Atonement by bringing souls unto Him-- pg. 11

You are successful when you are obedient, live righteously, and do your best in helping others live the Gospel-- pg. 11

The Holy Ghost testifies of Christ and helps us recognize the truth. He provides spiritual strength and helps us do what's right. He comforts us during times of trial or sorrow. He warns us of spiritual or physical danger. The Holy Ghost provides the power by which we teach learn... Through the power of the Holy Ghost we can feel God's love and directions for us-- pg. 65

You can learn the Gospel by study, faith, and the power of the Holy Ghost-- pg. 24

All the prophets since the world began have testified of Jesus Christ as our Redeemer-- pg. 51

Our purpose in this life is to have joy and prepare to return to God's presence-- pg. 50

Sister Brown commentary: Random thought-- it's also really cool that we have free agency, and God will never take that away. Even though Satan fell, God didn't take the agency away from him to tempt us and whatnot. We have free agency on this earth to either submit our will to God or to break his commandments. If we use our agency to do what God wants, then we will be able to live with him. God wants us to choose the right, but he's given us the option to choose to do that. 

Probably the biggest thing that I've learned on my mission is that God is the same yesterday, today and forever (see above mentioned references to all the charts that I've drawn up in my study journal). He is a God of patterns and of miracles. My testimony has really been strengthened by my studies on my mission-- especially by exploring the patterns in the scriptures. I know the church is true, and I love it!

I hope this email was informative, and I really hope that you take the time to look up these references yourself. Maybe you'll find some new ways to study the scriptures that you'd never thought of before. I love you!

Have a wonderful week!!

Love,

Sister Brown

Letter from Mission President

Dear Elders and Sisters,

When Sister Christensen and I landed in Ufa Thursday afternoon with Elder Henderson and Elder Ashjian, we ordered a taxi to take us from the airport to the church. An older, faded red Daiwoo taxi arrived about 15 minutes later, driven by a nice woman in her early thirties. Immediately after Elder Ashjian, Elder Henderson, Sister Christensen and I squeezed into the taxi and got underway, Elder Henderson, who was sitting in the front passenger seat with his long legs scrunched under the dashboard, began a pleasant, natural, comfortable conversation with the taxi driver. He asked about her family and her experiences as a taxi driver. She was a very open, smiling and conversational woman who commented on how much we were all smiling. Elder Ashjian and I joined the conversation from the back seat and asked her questions about her life in Ufa. She told us she had two sons, an eight year old and a four year old, but did not share any details about them or her husband. We kept a delightful conversation going with her on a number of topics that just came up normally and naturally. 

She ultimately asked why we were in Russia and what we were doing in Ufa. Elder Henderson explained our missionary work briefly. She asked a few questions about how long each of us had been in Russia and how we liked the country. She asked us about our experience with the language and complimented us for working so hard and successfully in learning to speak Russian so well (please be assured that I had not engaged in the conversation sufficiently to dispel her assumption that I could speak as well as Elder Henderson and Elder Ashjian). At the perfect moment, Elder Henderson asked her if she believed in God, which was the perfect, logical question to ask her as she was inquiring about what kind of church we represented. She responded very soberly that she did not believe in God and her countenance changed from the smiling, happy and engaged young woman who had been enjoying such a friendly conversation with us to a sad and troubled young mother who described how difficult it is for her to imagine a God who would allow her four year old son to be born with disfiguring birth defects. She talked openly of his struggles and the trial it was for her family to take care of him. It was obvious that she loved him dearly and was suffering because he was suffering. Elder Henderson was so kind, thoughtful and tender in his conversation with her. He asked about the little boy and showed such compassion and concern for her. She had tears in her eyes as she talked about her small son, how he struggled mentally and how difficult it was for him to deal with his physical challenges. She repeated her conclusion that no loving God would allow her son to suffer in this way and that she was convinced that there was, in fact, no God. 

Elder Henderson explained how our message was a message of understanding and hope, that she could find peace in knowing that God truly exists and is a loving heavenly father who cares about her. As we arrived at the church in Ufa, Elder Henderson offered her a Book of Mormon and told her that we had two wonderful sister missionaries who would be happy to share this message of hope with her. We told her a little about Sister Macbeth and Sister Williams and she agreed to give us her number so the sisters could call and set up an appointment. She refused to accept a Book of Mormon. As she left, we were confident that the Lord had placed her in our path. I was so proud of Elder Henderson and Elder Ashjian, who started a natural, friendly conversation with her immediately after we met her, and so effectively transitioned the conversation to the gospel when she expressed her curiosity about Americans coming to Russia with a religious message. We truly felt it was a tender mercy of the Lord, that Heavenly Father had picked her as the taxi driver who would pick us up at the airport. 

We gave the information to Sister Macbeth and Sister Williams, who contacted her the next day. Sadly, this young woman with whom we had had such a tender conversation, told the sisters that she regretted giving us her number and that she was not interested in meeting. She asked the sisters not to call her again. Sister Macbeth and Sister Williams kindly and thoughtfully texted her a sincere apology for any intrusion and offered to be available any time she felt an interest in talking. We were, of course, disappointed but each of us expressed that we knew the Lord had placed this woman in our path and hoped that someday the seeds we had planted in her heart would grow.

On Sunday afternoon, following church meetings and interviews with members and missionaries, Sister Christensen and I asked the Elders to order a taxi so we could go visit a part member family. To our great surprise, in a city of over a million people and thousands of taxis, the taxi that showed up to take me and Sister Christensen to our meeting was the same old faded red Daiwoo, driven by the same young mother who had expressed no belief in God and no desire to talk to the Sisters. The Elders greeted her and invited her in to the church. She was delighted to see us again and expressed how shocked she was to run into us twice in a weekend. The Elders did an amazing job of explaining the Book of Mormon again and trying to get her to accept a copy, but she again with strong resolve. As we left the church to get in her taxi, I quietly grabbed a Book of Mormon. Sister Christensen jumped in the taxi with her and took off. 

As we drove, I brought up the topic of her handicapped son and she was happy to talk more about him. She shared how wonderful her husband has been as the little boy’s loving father. We talked about our own family in America and how blessed we are to have the love of children and grandchildren. I complimented her on having such a kind and loving husband. At a stop light, I told her that is was no accident that she was with us again. She turned and looked at me intently as I spoke, while she waited for the light to change. I told her that God does exist, that He, like her husband, is a loving father who knows each one of His children and loves us dearly. I told her that the Book of Mormon that the Elders had spoken about is positive, compelling evidence that there is a God. As the light changed and we drove on, I continued to share how the Book of Mormon has blessed our family. 

As we stopped at the next light, she turned to me again and told me sincerely that she felt something very special as she talked with us and the Elders. She expressed how much she enjoyed the light she saw in our faces and the constant smiles of peace, friendship and kindness. She also expressed again how shocked she was and how completely unusual it was to see us again. Just before the light changed, as she was still looking back at me intently, I assured her that God knew her and her circumstances and had placed her in our path twice because we have the answers to her questions and can teach her how to find the peace that God alone can give her in her trials. As we drove on, I testified again that the Book of Mormon would change her life. I told her that it is the only reason Sister Christensen and I would leave 8 children and 25 grandchildren to come to Russia. I told her how much we love Russia and the Russian people. I told her that we were normal people like her, with many trials in life, and that the Book of Mormon was our foundation and the source of happiness and peace. She turned to me again, as we stopped at the next light, and said she would try to find it online. I then handed her the Book of Mormon I had brought from the church and opened it to the title page and asked her to begin there and continue through the whole book. She took the book and, with a big smile, promised me that she would read it. She told me that she felt a strong desire to do so and that she trusted my assurance that it would help her. We continued to talk about families and the fact that she can be with her family in the eternities. She loved the message. 

As we reached our destination, she thanked us and expressed her desire to see us again. I expressed our love for her and our sincere friendship. Just before we got out of the taxi, Sister Christensen bore a sweet and tender testimony to her, which I started to translate, but this sweet young woman immediately began shedding tears with Sister Christensen and informed me in very broken English that she understood everything Sister Christensen was saying. She promised that we would see each other again.

Elders and Sisters, there is no doubt that God, our Heavenly Father, placed this young mother in our path so that she and her kind husband, who are struggling to be good parents in difficult circumstances, will have the comfort and blessings of the gospel. I learned after this experience that Sister Macbeth and Sister Williams had been fasting and praying Sunday that they would somehow have the opportunity to teach this woman. Their prayers were answered. Sister Christensen and I saw the powerful change in her countenance and her disposition. 

I testify that this is truly the work of the Lord. When we are clean, obedient and dedicated missionaries, who open our mouths all day long and are filled with love for others and do everything in our power to find people to teach, God will and does, in fact, place them in our path. Please repent of every sin in your life. Be obedient with exactness to the standards written in Preach My Gospel and the Missionary Handbook. Love each other. Pray for each other. Speak with everyone and let your countenance be a witness to all that you are a chosen, pure and loving disciple of the Savior. I love missionary work!

And, I love each of you.

President Christensen

11 Months!

Well, hello!

The weather has warmed up a little bit here in Chelyabinsk.I'm a little short on time, but I'll do the best I can to write a decent amount.

It's crazy that I've been out for 11 months today! Sister Blau and I are celebrating by getting some sushi. I love sushi!

What a great week it has been! Seriously. My mood is great, and I'm just so excited to get out the door every day and do missionary work. Seriously. It's the best! I love talking to people and thinking "wow-- I just changed their life!" It's really true though. The conversations that we have with people daily really do change their lives.

A really cool experience this week happened yesterday. We were stopping by some less-active members, and at one of the apartments a man answered the door and said he was the member's friend-- who wasn't home. He was a really nice guy and even called up his friend on the phone (who was at work) to explain that "the sisters" had come by to see him and then handed me the phone to talk to the man. The member was super friendly on the phone (not at all like the notes that were written next to his name on the list) and gave us a time when we could call him back when he would know his work schedule. I asked for his number and he was super nice and said he'd send us a text message with it. Well, the phone conversation ends, and I hand back the phone to the man standing there. I figured it was a perfect time to talk to him about the Gospel! I started, well please give this magazine (March Liahona) to your friend-- it's our church's magazine. Have you ever heard about our church? His answer was "yeah, my friend's told me about it.....but I'm Muslim" And I go "wow! cool! I lived in Ufa for nine months, and I love Muslim people! They're all so great. Do you go to the mosque regularly?" and he goes "yes, every Friday!" I asked, "and you pray every day, right?" and he answered affirmatively. I figured that was the perfect opportunity to whip out the Book of Mormon and give him a little run down of it, so I did! He actually seemed genuinely interested and even kept trying to invite us inside so we could talk more. We kindly refused but took down his number and gave it to the Elders. I love cool experiences like this!

Another cool experience we had this week was a conversation with another lady. We had a huge meeting with an investigator fall through, so we were doing our backup plan, and our plan after that was to take the tramvai home (takes forever). We were debating just taking a normal bus (faster) or to go as planned and contact the whole way home on the tramvai. We chose to stick with the tramvai, and in my mind I thought-- how cool would it be that our meeting fell through so that we'd be on the tramvai earlier than planned and if there's someone there for us to talk to? Well, we finally get to the tramvai stop (it was a decent walk) and start waiting. I know the tramvai is somewhat rare, so I turn to the lady next to me and ask about it, and she starts on this huge rant of how the tramvai was built however long ago, etc. and now it rarely comes! And how she's on the pension and can't pay for ridiculous bus prices! It ended up being a really funny conversation and in the end, the tramvai came. The conversation with her continued on the tramvai and turned into a Gospel discussion. Her husband died when she was 30 and she was left to raise her two sons alone. She didn't want to remarry because she loved her husband so much, so she's been alone for 40 years. We talked about that and the Plan of Salvation a little bit, and I pulled out the Book of Mormon and told her all about it. It was such a wonderful conversation, and I was so grateful to have been on the tramvai at that time to talk to her. She was interested in meeting again but couldn't remember her new phone number, so she gave us her address instead, and we're going to go to her sometime this week. I love these experiences!

Be prepared for a really sweet email next week. I'm going to write a whole ton about what I've learned on my 11 months on a mission! It will be looooong. :)

I love you all so very much, and I keep you in my prayers. Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Sister Brown

Spring? Psych! Snow!

Dear Everyone,

Well, despite the fact that I have been walking around in flats and a light jacket lately, Friday we had a blizzard. A full out blizzard. Two and a half feet of snow in one day. It literally snowed all day long. We woke up and were getting ready to go outside to run when Sister Blau says "um....is that snow on the ground? Sister Brown, I love you, but not enough to go outside in this...." I was in shock that it snowed again. They closed down all the transportation in the city, so it was pretty crazy. I even had to pull out my gigantic sleeping-bag coat out of the space bag, so I've been wearing that the last couple of days. I feel bad for Sister Blau because she's from Hawaii and is definitely NOT used to this weather. Yay Russia! It's been gradually melting since Friday, so that's good at least. 

We had a family home evening at the senior couple's house this week and two of our investigators came to that! We watched the Restoration and Sister Blau and I taught the first lesson. It went really well and Sister Blau is really good at explaining things. We both bore some pretty powerful testimonies about the Restoration. It was so fun! We had Russian candy as the refreshments. :)

Tuesday we had a service project in a member's garden. We helped her clear up the debris from winter (ironic since winter returned later that week....). It was really fun and took a couple of hours. She's actually flying to Utah soon to visit her daughter in West Jordan, and she said that she'll pass along some stuff from me. I'll send you a fridge magnet probably. I love those things. :)

Wednesday we did weekly planning and then had our English group. English group is way different here than in Ufa (far fewer people come), but it's still great. Sister Blau and I were in charge of the advanced group, and we talked about surprises. It was really fun. Then....Wednesday after English the sister trainers came for splits!

We had splits on Thursday, and that was great. Both the sister trainers had served in Chelyabinsk and were able to set up some meetings with us to kind of do a "handover" (introduce their old investigators to us so that it's more comfortable for us to meet with the investigators). That was really fun, and I always enjoy splits with the sister trainers.

Friday was the (infamous) blizzard. I'm just trying to forget that it ever happened. Definitely the worst snow and wind that I've ever seen at one time in Russia. It was....awful. :)

Saturday we had some more meetings with investigators, and we had a really good lesson about the Plan of Salvation with this nice retired couple. The wife really believes the church is true but won't act on that if her husband won't because she believes that she needs to follow the head of the house. Complicated. :/

Sunday was church, and all the new missionaries in Chelyabinsk got to bear their testimonies (all the missionaries except our district leader are new here). Our church meets on the 4th and 5th floors of a huge office building. It's kind of an unusual set up for a church (I'm just used to Ufa's beautiful church building....), but I'm gradually getting used to it. 

We got an internet referral this week for a town outside of the city, but we couldn't find it on a map because it was outside of our map boundaries, so we called up the senior couple and asked about it. Well, we found out maybe a little too much about it. Over 20 times the radiation of Chernobyl and the city's existance was denied for a long time. It's a "closed city" meaning that there is too much nuclear contamination for anyone to go into it, but the 80,000 inhabitants still live there. During the cold war, that's where they produced plutonium for nuclear warheads. Also, according to mom's research, "No one there was told what was going on. It was an underground city and there was much death due to cancer; doctors were not allowed to mention radiation in their diagnoses or on death certificates. It is the most contaminated place on earth, all top secret for years." Kind of scary, but safe to say, we are not going to be going there. We have decided to mail the Book of Mormon to this lady instead. :) Sometimes it feels like I'm living in a strange post-apocalyptic world.

Well, that's all I have for you this week. I love you. The church is true, and I'm so glad to be out on a mission right now. It's crazy that I'm on the downhill, but I still have a lot of work ahead of me here. Keep praying for me, and I'll keep praying for you. I love you!

All the best,
Sister Brown

Spring, spring, spring!!

What a week it has been. After surviving a 16 hour train ride from 3:00 in the morning to 6:00 pm on Tuesday, I thought this week would never end. I didn't sleep too well on the train since we were right next to the room where everyone goes to smoke. We played UNO with the elders for several hours as well as some other good card games (one of the Elders had Star Wars cards, pretty cool, huh?) so that kept us entertained pretty well.

Training for trainers was fun..... I found out where I'll be serving-- a city called Chelyabinsk. My companion is Sister Blau from Hawaii. It's funny because when we met, I knew her face looked really familiar. Turns out we had a couple classes together at BYU! It's going to be quite a challenge to whitewash and train, but I really think it's doable. 

Mission conference in Ekat was awesome. All the missionaries in the mission were there (very unusual). President Christensen revealed some changes in the organization of the leadership in the mission. We had never had district leaders before (only zone leaders) but now we will be having both district leaders and zone leaders. We also talked about lots of changes that President would like us to support him in. He's very big on a "culture of consecration." They did lots of training on how to have unawkward conversations with people on transport and such. They also had a couple come in (both RMS and Russians) and talk about how we can be more respectful of members here and their culture. 

It was a really spiritual conference and right after, our whole district got on a bus (four hours) and drove to Chelyabinsk. I was really exhausted and kind of reeling from the events of the day. I was really missing one of my good Russian friends (and Ufa....) and just wishing I had someone to talk to on the bus.I even said a silent prayer about it. My whole district was talking super loudly in English, and I was pretty embarrassed by them. I turned to the lady across the aisle at one of the stops and apologized for our loudness. It led to a really good conversation with her. I learned she's from Ufa (from my old area, actually) and she was going from Ekat to Chely to pick up her daughter from being at grandma's. We talked a lot about families and religion, and I was able to talk to her about our church and what we believe. I taught her about the Restoration and the Plan of Salvation. I got her number and sent it to the sisters in Ufa later. It was a really tender mercy of the Lord that I was able to meet her. I consider it a miracle because we were really able to connect due to the fact that I knew Ufa so well and had been there for so long. If I had had a Book of Mormon with me in Russian, I would have given it to her. I explained what it was and shared some verses with her, and she said she'll go pick one up for herself in Ufa when she goes home. 

This week was kind of a struggle after we got to Chelyabinsk though. When we got to the apartment, a lot of things having to do with plumbing were broken, but they're being fixed as we speak-- such a relief. The apartment is wayyyyy worse than my one in Ufa, but my apartment in Ufa was super nice (we had a concierge...doesn't get nicer than that!)-- such a shame that I only was able to live there for one week. 

Other than that, Chelyabinsk seems super nice. It's way smaller geographically than Ufa, and it looks way more European. It's hard to describe the difference in architecture, but there is one. People here are also way more "white" than in Ufa, where the majority of the population is Muslim heritage and religion. I feel like I'm almost serving in a different country than "my" Russia!

It's been super interesting to whitewash. I have no preconceived misconceptions about people or my area, so I'm kind of on my own! It's been cool to figure things out for myself, but it's pretty hard. I'm hoping this week will be a little easier. 

We had a great lesson here with a less-active lady and her non-member daughter. The daughter was super interested on the lesson and even committed to read the Book of Mormon, so we gave her some concrete chapters to read. She became a new investigator because she agreed to have us over on Thursday. It's cool that we've only been here a couple of days, but we already have a new investigator. :) 

Don't think that I'm depressed or anything, it's just understandably been kind of a hard week. I'm excited for this week because I know a lot more will get accomplished since I'm already learning our area and working with people here. 

I hope Easter was great. We celebrated it by eating at the Huntsman's (a senior couple serving here). They made us some great chicken and rice-- but not quite as good as mom's. ;) It felt so nice to be in a "home" environment with people that love us. 

Have a wonderful week. I love you so much!!!

Love,

Sister Brown

Lots of Pictures!

Transfer

Well, that's it. I finally got a transfer call, but for some reason all transfers assignments are on wraps until Wednesday. All I know is that I'm leaving Ufa (after nine months), and that I'll also be training a new sister in the area where I am going.

I'm in shock that I'm leaving Ufa. I was told yesterday that I was leaving today, and it's crazy. Because we watched conference yesterday at the church and the English started slightly later than the Russian, I literally didn't get any time to say goodbye to anyone. What a crazy day. Everything is packed and ready to go, and I haven't quite gotten used to the idea. Especially because we moved apartments less than a week ago....

This week was great, and our investigator is set to be baptized this weekend. It's too bad that I'm leaving and won't be here for the baptism, but I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to teach her and get to know her. 

Like I said, this week we moved apartments, and our new apartment it beautiful. It's very modern (more modern than a traditional Russian apartment anyway) and kind of craftsman style. It's very big and spacious. I love it! Lots of daylight and we have a wonderful building. Kind of a shame that I won't be here, but it was nice to at least feel at home for a week!

Conference was great. In between the Saturday sessions, we did an American pancake breakfast for the ward members. It was so fun. I think my favorite talks were Lawrence Corbridge's on Joseph Smith and also L. Tom Perry's on Obedience. Of course Gary E. Stevenson's was really great, but I felt a little left out since I didn't see the Olympics this year. 

Conference is great, and it's especially great being a missionary and watching conference. I only have one more conference left on my mission-- how weird! I'm feeling a little old especially since this will now be my third time training.....crazy! Time flies when you're having fun. :)

I feel really at peace about leaving Ufa. I've done all that I can in my area, and I really feel that I did all I could to leave my area "stronger than [I] found it" (PMG 137). I've worked super hard here, and it's been nice to see the longer term results just nine months later. I'm so grateful that I've had the opportunity to serve here among these people. The members here are incredible examples of perseverance. They're all so strong here, and it's really inspirational. 

Well, I love Russia. I'm so glad to have been called here. I've learned so much from all the people and all the experiences that I've had. Being a missionary is dang hard, but it's so worth it. I've had the most spiritual experiences on my mission, and I really feel that I've been changed in so many ways. It's hard to explain all the changes, hardships, challenges, and struggles that I've experienced so far, but I'm so excited to continue on this adventure in a different city. Whitewashing is going to be so fun!

I know the Lord knows I can handle this but please keep me in your prayers this week a little more than usual. :)

I love you all!!!!!!!

Love,

Sister Brown

2 Nephi 5:10-11

"And we did observe to keep the judgments, and the statutes, and the commandments of the Lord in all things.... and the Lord was with us"

So close to spring!

Well, other than the blizzard that we woke up to today....it's been feeling almost like spring here in Ufa! Sunny enough that people have cranked out the sun glasses (but they're still tromping around in the fur coats).

The most dramatic part of our week this week: the electricity in our apartment exploded. I won't get into too much details, but we made a mid-transfer move...into the elder's apartment! (They obviously moved in with one of the other sets of elders-- we are not living with elders.) That was exciting but also really annoying because now it takes us about an hour/hour-and-a-half by bus to just GET to our area, not including traveling by bus around our area. (Remember-- our area is the biggest in the mission-- IT'S HUGE). That's made missionary work be more complicated than usual.

So, in short, we've been having lots of fun getting lost on unfamiliar forms of transportation and spending exorbitant amounts of money to fix those mistakes. Missionary struggles. Also, we're living out of carry-on suitcases for now until the problem either gets fixed or we can find a new apartment (I pray the solution comes to pass shortly....). I really miss my study materials. I have sooooo many books with me on my mission, but that's because I use them all! I've had to resort to my old form of studying, just straight memorizing vocabulary. It's probably a blessing because that's something that I've been avoiding doing for a really long time, and now that's the only way that I have to study! Wahoo!

Things are going really well with our new investigator. She's really receptive to the lessons and has a sincere desire to change her life. She's 100% in accordance with the Law of Chastity and the Word of Wisdom so that was a relief. We had to move her baptismal date back a few weeks because she couldn't get work off on Sunday and General Conference/Zone Conference are coming up, so we have to do it after those things. But she will be getting baptized this month if everything goes well! Keep praying for us over here. :)

We have done a LOT of work on the branch list this week such as calling people that don't have listed addresses or stopping by people that for some reason were not marked as being in our area. It's a lot of tedious work, but it's worth it. And we are improving our area 1000% for the next missionaries who will serve here. There's a sentence in PMG Chapter 8 that says "leave your area stronger than you found it" (kind of like the Boy Scout saying about leaving your camping place better than you found it...haha). President Christensen says that Chapter 8 is the guide to being a consecrated missionary, and he's totally right. How you spend your time is a huge indicator of if you're consecrated or not. We've done a lot of "consecrating" this week in that aspect. :)

Even though I've served in this area eight months, I am STILL meeting less-actives whom I have never met before. Isn't it cool how that keeps happening? This week we had a meeting with a lady who is in and out of hospitals in various parts of the world because she was severely hit by a car several years ago and has been recovering ever since. I finally got to meet her, and it was such a great meeting. Her 8 year old son and husband are not members....so we've got some work to do on that part, but I'm expecting them to get baptized sometime this year since they're both so wonderful and receptive. Miracles are seriously happening in this side of the world!

We had two less-actives come to church that we've been working with, so that was a really good day. Of course some of the other less actives whom we've been working with didn't come.... so that was too bad :(

This last week I've really gained a testimony about how Sister Williams and I are serving here, in this area, for a reason. We are supposed to be here, with these people, at this time. But on the flip side, the work we have to do is so overwhelming, and we can't do it alone. We're the only ones that can do it, but we can only do it with the Lord's help. 

That's what missionary work is. Some days you think "oh, I got this!" and the next day people are making fun of your Russian, your religion, your skirt, your shirt, your hair, your country, and basically everything that makes you, you. 

You have to stand up and say "No, this is correct. Yes, God does exist. Yes, He loves you even if you don't want Him to. Yes, Jesus was the Christ. Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon by the power of God. Read the Book of Mormon. Read the Bible. Change your life." It's those moments of pure testimony that really touch people. You have to be bold. 

I'm reading through the Book of Mormon (again) and marking:

yellow:missionary work/gathering of Israel/Restoration

green: promises/covenants

red: Christ's name, inspiration to me

orange: obedience

It's really cool to see the themes of the verses clearly laid out in front of me, and it's actually really helping me apply the scriptures and "liken" them unto myself since I'm looking for these themes more and more. The Book of Mormon is truly a great literary work. Seriously. I'm in Jacob right now (definitely my favorite writer, especially what he wrote in 2 Nephi). 

Have a great week at General Conference and send me the total missionary count. :)

I love you all!!! :)

Love,

Sister Brown