Miracles

Angels still sing "peace on Earth."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrLoWt2tfqg

The season of the Saviour's birth is a time to rejoice.

The Christmas season is truly a time of joy and good will.  It's amazing to see how family and friends come together, how people are kinder, and how our countenances change because of an event that happened so many years ago.  The Spirit that accompanied the birth of our Saviour still rings in the hearts of those willing to hear it.

"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
--- Luke 2:13-14

This week was really good. We had a lot of cool miracles and have had great success from our efforts, especially with some of our investigators.

 I brought Elder Kroch to my area for exchange from Monday evening to Tuesday evening. We had a great exchange, full of miracles and good finding opportunities as well as 3 member present lessons. On Tuesday we wrapped up a Book of Mormon at lunch and prayed for a miracle to be able to give it to someone who would be interested in learning of the gospel. We then went out to work. We knocked a close, which is like a cul-de-sac, and spoke to everyone about Christmas and told them that we were looking for someone who would accept a special Christmas gift from us. We had a few good conversations, but no one was interested for the first few doors, but as we came up to the next door, a car pulled up and so we decided to speak to the young mother when she stepped out of the car. Her name was Julie. As we spoke about the true meaning of Christmas, you could see that she was appreciative of the work we do. We asked her if we could come back and arranged to see her the next evening. We gave her the wrapped Book of Mormon, and her eyes lit up as she said thank-you to us. Then at the end of the day we asked our ward mission leader if he could come with us as, she is recently divorced and we would be unable to come into her home on our own. Although he had very little advanced warning, he accepted and the teach on Wednesday night went very well. She expressed that she has had a goal of helping others more. She talked about the things she wished she could do more, and began to list off all the things the Relief Society does. Brother Jubb (our Ward Mission leader) Myself and Elder Simpson all just look at each other gave a little chuckle and turned back to her and explained about the relief society! It was so cool.  It was one of the most powerful lessons I have had in a while. She couldn't come to church and had to cancel our appointment on Friday night because her son is sick, but I think she is still interested and wants to continue meeting with us.

The rest of the week was good as well. We had our temple trip on Thursday, which I thoroughly enjoyed! President Millar said something really cool about Christmas day and how we as missionaries should not use it as a day off. He said that "if they are out, they need us." That really hit home for all of us. My district and I are planning to all spend some time on Christmas morning, first thing going out and helping, serving, and comforting those who don't have anyone to be with at Christmas. We plan on bringing a thermos of hot chocolate and paper cups as well as wrapped Book of Mormons and a few other little homemade gifts from members if they decide to help.

I am excited to work next week. We are going to do the right and left game as part of district meeting on Tuesday! and we have really good plans for the days up until boxing day. We have nothing arranged for boxing day at all, but we will be seeking for revelation on what to do to be most productive. Hopefully all works out!

Love you all!

Have a wonderful Christmas week! I will speak to you Christmas morning (3 Pm 

my time) LOVE YOU!!! BYE

Elder Brown

Pictures taken on Friday when we made and delivered doughnuts!

Share the Gift of Christ!

This week has been pretty good. It absolutely flew by! We met a few really cool people early on in the week, but they dropped us last minute at the end of the week. Although we have had quite a few people fall through on us we got back in contact with others and we continued to find new people. This week should be really good hopefully. 

Christmas Lights.

We went finding together as a district using whiteboards again which was a lot of fun. The district is becoming more unified, and we have had a lot of opportunities to work together this week as we had an exchange, had a service project that we got to do together for our Ward Mission Leader, in addition to district meeting and the district finding. It was great to be strengthened by their friendship and hard work!

The Exchange was with Elder Hafen in his own area. It was a very good exchange and we both learned a lot. We had quite a few miracles, and it was well balanced with finding and teaching. Elder Hafen is a good missionary, and is working hard. 

I have to wear sweaters and a coat nearly everyday, thermals help a lot! I am keeping warm thanks to all that. It didn't snow last year, but people are saying it will this time. We Shall SEE!

We go to the temple on the 18th,  Thursday this week.

I don't know if you remember from last week how I asked all of you to share the "He is the Gift" video to facebook, but I want to take it a bit further. If you could all choose one special thing to do this Christmas to share the love of Christ, write it on one of these signs: http://edge.mormoncdn.org/bc/static/pdf/eng/ShareTheGiftSign.pdf, record a video of yourselves nominating a friend to also #sharethegift that would be great. We want to make this huge. Remember small and simple things can do a lot Alma 37:6-7! 

 "You have been nominated to #share the gift! Elder Brown nominated Brandon Fuher, Spencer Hale, Jon Jacobs, Caleb Henrod, Nichole Davidson, Natalie Christiansen, Tyler Beagly, Travis Beagley, Karissa Garner, Trenna McMullin, Mike McMullin, Tina Ince, Melissa Green, Josh Barton, and Samuel Stevenson and every other person that reads this.to share the gift of life, love, and peace. 

To share the gift:

1. Visit christmas.mormon.org

2. Watch and share the video to facebook, twitter, google+, etc

3. Choose something special to do this chrsitmas to share love, life, and peace with others

4. Write it on a sign (you can print it from here: http://edge.mormoncdn.org/bc/static/pdf/eng/ShareTheGiftSign.pdf)

5. Upload a video of yourself to facebook or another network in which you nominate at least 1 other friend to also share the gift.

Elder Brown sends his love for you all, and wishes you a Happy Christmas season!

P.S: If anyone wishes to contact Elder Dailen Brown, they can email him at dailen.brown@myldsmail.net"

Thanks so much for all you do! I love you!!!

Elder Brown

  

The food picture was taken at a dinner appointment on exchange in which the members made Cambodian food for Elder Kroch, who was in my area at the time and I ate it on his behalf!!! LOL it was so yummy! 

These are of us trekking through the muddiest area I have ever been in. We walked to Eccles to contact a referral who wasn't even home! 

The cheapest possible advert for a fried chicken place that isn't KFC, but looks like it (pretty sure this is illegal!)

3 new investigators this week!

This week was pretty good. I had a few rough days when I was feeling stressed early on in the week, but thanks to the adjusting to missionary life manual and prayer I was able to get back to normal pretty quick. We had some good success with some of the investigators who haven't been progressing much (R_ and the N_). We have been bold with inviting them to commitments, they have had really good experiences and their understanding has increased. They still have a long way to go, but I feel that they are closer to progressing than ever before. They finally are building a desire to keep the commitments they make, so hopefully that desire will work in them.

We found 3 new investigators through a part-member family that has been worked with in the past, and they seem to really be interested again in the church as Christmas has come along. They loved the "He is the Gift" video. Everyone we have showed the video to has loved it and many have shared it. R_ was so excited about it that when someone liked the video on facebook after he shared it he texted us to let us know and was very enthusiastic about sharing the gift with everyone. We committed him to upload an "ice-bucket challenge" style video to nominate a friend to also share the gift. We did this using the printable sign on christmas.mormon.org. We have a lot of members that are going to do it as well, and we will keep doing it to help spread the He is the Gift Initiative, and hopefully find some people through it. I think it would be a great idea for each of you to upload a video to facebook of you sharing how you have shared the gift and then nominate a friend to do so as well (members or non-members). Try to get other members to do it too, so we can make this really big!

I am doing well, and am excited for this upcoming week. The rest of the district seems to be doing well also. Elder Kroch is beginning to understand people a little bit more, and is quite a bit more confident. 

No snow yet, and it probably won't happen at all this year (again) so I guess I might not see snow in England. 

As far as my weight is concerned, I am settled at about 155 lbs or so. I just lost a ton of fat that I didn't realize I had. You have to remember I gained about 10 lbs in the MTC. I am eating the same amount as when I was home, and on some occasions a bit more. We had 9 dinner appointments this week, so I think we are doing pretty good! Don't worry, I feel better than ever, you just won't recognize me when I get home! (just kidding, that doesn't work when I keep sending pictures!)

Thanks for everything you do! I love you guys!!! Sorry I don't have any pictures for you, I forgot to bring my card reader. Hope you all have a great week.
Elder Brown

A Different Thanksgiving!

This thanksgiving we had District Leader Conference, which is where the district and zone leaders in Maidstone meet together and talk about our goals and what we want to achieve this transfer. We ended up making some serious commitments, and promising Heavenly father that we would work harder than ever before this transfer. We came up with some really good goals and focuses for the zone. I am excited to work this transfer.  After that we taught a less-active family, the Knells, and had curry with a member for dinner. The last thing we did was correlate the work with our new ward mission leader. So no fancy dinners, but we did get a Pumpkin pie from our neighbor and they put an american flag on it!




This week was pretty good! We had a Mission Conference in London where Elder Cook of the 12 apostles spoke to us and we all shook his hand. I got a lot of insight, and learned quite a bit. 

We had a good week of work also. We found some cool people to meet with soon, and finally managed to meet with some of our potential investigators that we have been trying to contact for a while.

Saturday was really great as well. We met as a district at the high street, and worked for an hour or so together with whiteboards, talking with everyone about "He is the Gift" and the true meaning of Christmas. I don't know if you have seen the "He is the Gift" video yet, it is on christmas.mormon.org and on youtube. It was a lot of fun, and was successful too.

Elder Simpson and I are getting along well. No lego temple just yet, we still have to talk to Warren about it. The baptismal dates are J_ and M_ her daughter. We are seeing them tonight if everything works out.

I got a new belt and new shoes last week. I also got some new trousers as well, my others don't fit me they are too big, I am 40 lbs lighter right now than when I left!

A musical Exchange!

This week went by very quickly! On Tuesday we had district meeting and then exchanged with the Zone Leaders. I worked with Elder Herrod in Welling for the day, and a lot of Wednesday as well. It was a good exchange, but ended up being quite a weird one. We were asked by the bishop to help out a group of people set up and take down stuff for their presentation that they were doing for those with special needs. It was great to be able to help them, and to watch Elder Herrod touch others hearts by playing the piano after the activity as they had the lunch. One of the songs he played is one that he wrote in his dream.....Literally in his dream!! He dreamed of a girl (of course) and in his dream, he told her he wrote a song for her. He sat down and played it for her, and then when he woke up in the morning, he was like that sounded so good! He was playing piano later on in the day, and his hands just kinda started playing something he didn't know, and he began to recognize the tune. It was the song from his dream! Crazy right. It sounds super good to! I took a video, and although it doesn't sound too great on there, I will try and upload it if I can. Anyway, the group was very grateful to us, and it was a good experience for us as well. But as it took much of our time, it was a bit out of the ordinary for an exchange. I still learned a lot though, and am thankful for the experiences we had.

Then Thursday I went on exchange with Elder Hafen in our area, and we had a very good day. Elder Hafen is a hard worker, and knows why he is out here. It was great to learn from him, and to be able to discuss and establish goals together at the end of the exchange. 

Elder Hafen, Elder Alambra, Elder Brown, Elder Kroch

Then,  I got sick,  food poisoning or something and threw up 6 times on Friday night, got virtually no sleep and was really achy all day Saturday. Don't remember what I was laughing at, but it hurt.   I am still not feeling 100%, but should be able to work today without a problem. We stayed in nearly all of Saturday and took it a bit easy Sunday..

I am excited for the upcoming transfer, I am sure it will be full of experiences. We, as a mission (with London Mission) are having a visit by Elder Cook on the 25 of November! Don't know anything of moves yet, unsure why.

I love you all so much! Hope you have a glorious week, full of excitement, earthquakes and other signs of the 2nd coming! You guys are great! Not many pictures this time, just a funny key ring, and some cool Halloween starbursts.

New Companion from Scotland!

Elder Alambra moved to welling! I am still in Maidstone serving with elder Simpson now. He is from Scotland and is sometimes hard to understand, but that just makes it more fun! Sort of. Thanksgiving dinner sounds so good! We have a member who is planning to have us the day before to have thanksgiving dinner, she is British, but loves holidays, and her husband is down for any excuse for good food! So hopefully that goes well. 

This week was pretty good, We got 2 baptismal dates on Elder Alambra's last day in the area! Other than that, we had an average week, doing hard work as usual. We thought of another crazy finding Idea. One of the Young Single Adults in the ward has a lot of legos, and we are going to ask him to come with us and others and we will have a temple and family history booth in the street and will build a lego temple! Pretty crazy right!  Because of tanners mention of revelation 12:7, my district began discussing topics all over the board, and at one point we spoke about Revelation13:16-18. It resulted in a 30 min discussion with the 4 missionaries here. 

Elder Brown

 Elder Simpson my new companion from Scotland and me Elder Brown

 The last companion photo with Elder Alambra, 

A picture of the sky this morning, thought it looked cool.

 My new 2013 pocket sized scriptures and the case I made for them.

Elder Alambras B-day at Jean Meakins home.

Put yourself in someone elses shoes!

We had a wonderful   Sunday yesterday. It was fast and testimony meeting, Toni's Confirmation, a baby blessing, and Remembrance day! The spirit was strong, and the people there felt it! We had an investigator there from the other area, and he went up and bore his "testimony." It was very interesting. 

This week, we were able to get some promising potentials, and a few referrals as well! We have appointments set up for next week with some of them, and were able to give a chapel tour Sunday evening to E__, a former investigator who Elder Smith and I taught once in the past. He enjoyed the tour a lot, and committed to come next week with his whole family!


We did chess one last time this week, but as the weather is becoming worse and worse, we will not be doing it any more for a while. There are not enough people in the park and it doesn't work in the rain or the wind. We will be working on some winter finding approaches this week, and hopefully we can get them going! 

We also had a Book of Mormon study class with a less-active member, V_ last Monday. Last week we taught her how to liken the Book of Mormon to her own life and she enjoyed it so much that she asked us to hold a study class in her home as a Family Home Evening. It went well, and we should be doing it in the future as well!

The district is doing well, I had an exchange with Elder Kroch in his area, and we had a good day. He is struggling mainly with the British accent. He told me that he only understands maybe 10-20% of what most British people say. He can speak pretty well, and is a good teacher, but he doesn't know when to say what because he can't understand what the investigator is saying. I encouraged him as much as I could, and gave him some ideas on how to improve. I also asked Elder Hafen to find ways to help him know when to teach certain principles and when to testify, even though it is difficult for him to tell.

Elder Brown and Elder Kroch

Elder Kroch

Elder Brown

Leeds castle was a blast last Monday, and we got loads more pics! 

Elder Brown and Elder Kroch

 

Elder Kroch, Elder Brown,Elder Hafen

The glasses were bought at Leeds castle, and are the 

coolest disguise glasses I have ever seen!

Elder Alambra

 Elder Kroch, Elder Hafen,Elder Brown, Elder Alambra

We had a fun district meeting this week as well. I altered some old missionary shoes that I found in the flat (including the ones I destroyed in my first year) and had the district go through an obstacle course with the shoes on. Then I taught them about putting themselves in their investigators shoes when they study and receiving revelation for them. It was really fun! 

Elder Alambra at district meeting