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