Best Ribs in the Valley, A Test in Patience

Hi Everyone,

This week was another busy one, and to be totally honest, was kind of tough.  We had a couple people tell us they no longer wanted to meet, didn't have time, or just flat out refused to keep their commitments.  We did a lot of good though, and it was a good test of our patience.  One of my favorite definitions of patience is found in Preach My Gospel: "Patience is the capacity to endure delay, trouble, opposition, or suffering without becoming angry, frustrated, or anxious. It is the ability to do God’s will and accept His timing."  This is His work, not mine.  I am merely called to assist, I just need to work my hardest and follow the spirit, acting on every prompting. 

This week was set up to get several new investigators, but some of the appointments fell through, and so we only got 2.  We had a good district meeting, and saw some exchange miracles on Tuesday night when the zone leaders blitzed our area with us.  Friday was a good day as well.  We blitzed Staunton's area and found a solid potential investigator for them, after which we had dinner with a less active, who took us to the best rib place in the valley.  I had to try all of them so I got an assortment platter with beef ribs, baby back ribs, and st Louis ribs.  They were all really good, though it was far more food than I expected it to be!  I definitely took home leftovers!  

We helped a new family move into the ward this week, and they are really cool.  We also found a really cool Spanish referral, and got chips & salsa and cookies in priesthood on Sunday as a belated father's day celebration!  I hope you all have a fabulous week!

Elder Brown

Sworn at, Praised, Counseled, and Everything in Between!

Hi Everyone!

Wow, this week has been such a roller coaster!  First of all, I just want to say that the power of prayer is real! 

We are counseled to keep deep spiritual experiences sacred and private, so I won't share much, but I wish I could, because everyone needs to feel what I have felt!  The relationship with God and the savior I have gained on my mission is the most dependable, rewarding, uplifting, and motivating thing you could ever have!  In other words, it is everything! 

We met our finding goals this week, but it took a lot of work.  There were times I felt pretty down, and just laid out my feelings, desires, and struggles to God.  I don't know that he actually answered any specific questions I asked, but I definitely felt a lot of comfort, strength, and found answers in stake conference.  Some of the speakers comments really seemed tailored specifically to me.  We had stake conference this week, and Elder Paul H Sinclair of the seventy presided.  That was really neat.  We saw some major miracles this week, but also faced some major rejection!  Basically, everything that could happen did happen. 

Monday night was pretty weird, no one answered their doors, not a single one!  Then we had interviews on Tuesday with President Smith, in which I received some great counsel, as always.  I also thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with Sister Smith.  We also had lunch with the Raineys, and dinner with the Hoys.  It was Brother Hoy's birthday, so they had like 35 people there (not all of them were members)!  What a massive dinner, we got to talk to Brother Matley a good bit, and he is super cool!  He is visiting for the summer from Salt Lake, and absolutely loves missionary work and wants to come out with us a lot!  He is also friends with some general authorities, and said last conference was just the tip of the iceberg.  Lots of changes coming in the next couple years, especially in the missionary department, so be looking out for that! 

We had a Pseudo-zone meeting on Wednesday.  We met as districts and Skyped between the two and had some amazing training's on the promised blessings of baptism and solutions to common problems with Member fellowship.  We also had our first correlation meeting with representatives from the relief society and elders quorum present, it went really well!  

We ate Chick Fil A with the Millers on Thursday, and went out to visit some less actives that night on splits with Brother Sweeney.  He also gave us a lot of good information on many people we knew nothing about!  Members are super key to the work, and super great!  

We did a lot of walking around downtown on Friday and also got to pet some adorable kittens in our finding!  We also got to pet another adorable kitten yesterday!  We also visited some less actives up in Crimora with the ward mission leader, and saw lots of success!  Also, he is hilarious!  I just need to serve here for the rest of my mission!  The members are too great here! 

We talked to a guy briefly downtown, but didn't have much of a conversation, and felt we should go back, so we did on Saturday.  He wasn't home, but his wife was, though she was on the phone.  We also helped with the bishops storehouse on Saturday morning, and gave a blessing to a guy who had a seizure in the parking lot!  

Stake Conference was Saturday and Sunday, but I already told you about that.  Today was zone p day, and we hiked up to Humpback Rock!  It was a great time.  Sorry for the long email, I will talk to all of you next week!

Elder Brown

Tracting in an aviation community with Elder Carman

On  top of Humpback Rock!

Went hiking up Humpback Rock

Double Weekly, Double Exchange!

Hi Everyone!

This was a good week, and I will include more details from last week too! 

Week May 28-June 4

Last week was pretty good, but definitely had its ups and downs.  We had a Zone Leader Conference (meeting with the district leaders, sister training leaders, and zone leaders in this zone) on Monday night where we discussed our zone goal for this transfer.  We will have every area baptize or have someone very close to baptism this transfer. 

Then on Tuesday, we got into a bash, which was no fun!  We weren't trying to bash, but they didn't accept any of our answers and were not willing to even pray about it.  Pretty ridiculous.  It also made us late for dinner!  Needless to say, I will try to be quick to observe so we don't get into another bash.  We also taught Justin.

On Wednesday, we visited sister Kelley and Rick and Rebecca with a fellow shipper, and it was super bomb!  Good member fellow shippers are key!  They are able to explain things in a way we just can't.  

Thursday was definitely the highlight of the week!  We had zone conference in Charlottesville with Elder and Sister Ringwood, who is the daughter of President Nelson!  I was also invited to attend an Mission Leader Conference they held beforehand with Elder Ringwood.  We received some awesome instruction regarding our generational impact, the doctrines of 2 Nephi 2, member work, ministering and revelation, as well as teaching with the spirit unto astonishment.  Super good!  Also, Elder & Sister Ringwood chose to sit at our table during lunch, so we were able to ask more questions!  

We headed up to Harrisonburg with the zone leaders after zone conference for an exchange and it was a lot of fun!  There has been a lot of flooding lately, especially in Charlottesville and Harrisonburg.  We were at a members house for dinner that night, and their backyard was becoming a pond, the spillway couldn't hold all the water! 

I was with Elder Nichols on Thursday, which was a lot of fun, and then I went with Elder Miller on Friday, and we did a bunch of street contacting in downtown and on JMU!  We found a couple new 'gators (investigators) on Saturday, and then we had a great Sabbath on Sunday!  Although, let's be honest, every Sunday on the mission is awesome!  It was fast Sunday, and we had dinner with the Swinson's, who are super cool!  They also made really good food, and I had to get the recipe for it (Korean beef bowls)!

Week of June 4-11

This week was also really good!  We found a new investigator on Monday night, and then had my first district meeting as a district leader on Tuesday afternoon after a blitz with Staunton.  I was with elder little for the blitz.  The Martin's gave an excellent training on baptism!  Look for 8 covenants and 4 promises in Mosiah 18:8-10! 

We also had dinner at the Hoys tonight, and there were like 20 people there!  There will be 35 this week.  On Wednesday, we did an exchange, and I was with elder Burdette this time.  It was a good exchange.  We found another new investigator on Thursday, and we were able to send some Spanish referrals on Friday.  We helped a member move in on Saturday morning and then cooled off with sonic slushies!  That was delicious, as was dinner with the Wayts.  They made bacon wrapped barbecue meatloaf!  Super good!  Sunday was good as usual, and we were fasting again, this time for the zone goal.  We also had to miss gospel principles, which was apparently super good this week!  Sydney was on fire spiritually and came the closest she has ever been to picking a baptismal date!  We are setting up an appointment to talk about it.  

Anyway, sorry for the super long letter this week!  Also, I bought the Oregon trail card game today, which is pretty fun.  Until next week,

Elder Brown

 The flooding in Harrisonburg

A less actives door (that's one way to do missionary work)

A small injured bird (poor thing)

My new companion Elder Carman

A cool factory in our area as seen from a nature path we were street contacting on,

A cool factory in our area as seen from a nature path we were street contacting on,

1 Year down 1 year to go

Hi Everyone!

Sorry for the short email this week, I don't have much time.  I hit my year mark this week, and had pretty good success in the area!  We have seen some major miracles from identifying and then involving member fellow shippers with our investigators, and did great with finding.  We also had a super spiritual zone conference with Elder and Sister Ringwood on Thursday, and I got to attend an mission leadership conference with them beforehand!  We also had an exchange up in Harrisonburg this week, where there is major flooding!  It has been great, and I will try to include more details next week!  Sorry!  Enjoy your week,

Elder Brown