Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Miracles


Angels still sing "peace on Earth."

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!






Tuesday, December 16, 2014

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:
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!)


Monday, December 8, 2014

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

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

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!