Last week in Colorado!

Hello, my lovelies!

 

This is going to be a shorter email because the library is crazy busy with people wanting to waste their lives away playing Farmvile and watching Youtube videos  and we're getting kicked off the computers every few minutes..... Oh Colorado.

I had an amazing week just full of miracles! This week I have really noticed a change in myself. I have always noticed just that "something" in RM sister that I have always wanted. I feel like this week, I'm finally getting some of whatever it is.

I have completely found the joy in being a missionary. I love it. There aren't even words for me to express how much I love being a missionary but I'm going to try to give you a snapshot of how incredible it is. 

On Sunday I fasted that we could find some new investigators. I prayed and told the Lord that I had been doing my very best to be exactly obedient and that because of that I knew we could expect miracles from Him. Before noon that day we had 2 new and unrelated investigators.

I love being a missionary!

 

I have this deep, strange and inexplicable love for our investigators and the people in the Tallyn's Reach ward. This week I also had the opportunity to witness the first uttered prayers of some of these people who I love so much. It's such a powerful and beautiful thing to teach someone how to pray, kneel down together and hear them open their hearts and mouths to God for the first time.

I love being a missionary!

 

This week I have learned the principle in a very profound way that as missionaries we don't have to convince people or force them into the font. We can't. All we can do and all that we've been asked to do is invite. How simple! We do our very, very best to help them understand this special part of our soul and then we just ask them to have some for themselves. If they don't want it then that's fine. We do our best and when we do, we know we were successful regardless of how they use their agency.

I love being a missionary!

 

We have a 65 year old investigator named Barbara who I just love, love, love. She has been meeting with the missionaries for 3 years. That's a long time. She's never been able to commit to baptism and she's never been to church. We met with her on Saturday and gave her a tour of the church house and ended up in the chapel where we talked about the priesthood. We've been teaching her with this enthusiastic family that just moved into the ward from South Jordan. Barbara has been going through some really hard family stuff and I recommended that Brother Cawley give her a blessing at the end of the lesson. It was her first one and the spirit was so strong! After, we asked her if she'd thought and prayed more about baptism.

She smiled and said:

"Yes. I decided that I want to do it before you go to Brazil so you can be there."

We were floored and didn't even know what to do! We told her that before she could be baptized she needed to start coming to church. She just smiled and said

"Ok. I'll go tomorrow."

She came!!!

I wish you could understand what a big deal this is. Three years. Three years of trying to get this woman to church and she volunteered the idea and asked to be baptized in the next week!

Unfortunately, she has to be to church 3 times before she can be baptized but she is on date to be baptized September 7 (the same day as our 11 year old investigator) and I made Sister Hunter swear to take SO many pictures!

I LOVE being a missionary! I love being Barbara's missionary!

 

This week, we woke up at 4:30 IN THE MORNING to go to a service project for our investigator Beatrice. She was putting on this HUGE fundraising walk for Food Allergy awareness. ALSO, guess who I met!! Elder Smith, Easton's cousin! We'd been looking for each other all transfer and it was so a tender mercy since he's going home next week and I leave for Brazil. The event was great but we have been completely exhausted ever since. We felt like zombies by bed time that night.

Even still, I love being a missionary.

 

Sister Hunter is the greatest companion of all time ever. I don't even know how we got so lucky to be companions! This week has really been beyond fantastic. We've had hard things come up but we've still stayed so happy! Having studies with her is so much fun! We are just constantly learning by the spirit and so excited to share what we learn with each other.  This morning we both just hugged our Book of Mormons after we finished reading a chapter together and learning so much as we went. It's the best book ever! It's so happy. It's so of God. It's SO true!

I love being a missionary!!

 

I can't believe this is my last week in Colorado! It truly is heart breaking just thinking about all these people that I love so much and am leaving behind. I know that Brazil is where I'm supposed to go but it's not making it much easier. Thank you all so much for your support. I wish I could take time to thank and reply to everyone individually but just know that you are all extremely appreciated! I love being a missionary and I love all of you!

 

Com muito amor,

 

Sister Brown