Monday, June 24, 2013

Halfway Done


With Transfers.

Oi! Family and Friends!

Well I just finished up with my 8th transfer. And now I got 8 left to go, kind of weird, seems like a far ways away, but just got to keep going. Well this last week, not to be a debbie downer or anything, didn't go too hot. I was sick dying for like 3 days. Me, Elder Tingey and Elder Hobbs, stuck in the house Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Hated it, hate being sick. So that kind of sucked. 

Then on Friday, when I'm like ready to go out and baptize the world in my area, I have to do a division in Futungo because I had to give 5 baptisim interviews to this family. That was a marathon BTW. Then Saturday I had another division with Elder Harper because Elder Hobbs had to do an interview in our area for Scurina. Which she will get baptized this Saturday which is awesome and she picked me to baptize her. So I haven't worked in my area for awhile which is kind of frustrating but hopefully some things work out. 

Transfers, me and Elder Tingey stay together again for another transfer. The only change in our house that happened is that Elder Harper is going home and Elder Pimental is coming up to be Zone leader with him. So that will be a nice little change up. 

But overall, June kicked my butt. Hardest month of my life, but July should be a lot better. President Merrill gets here this Saturday so that should help out alot here, it will be way exciting to actually have him here and working with them. 

Its awesome that summer is going so well for everyone, croquet is a pro sport in the Brown home now, boys playing golf, etc. Everyone seems like there having a blast. And it really sucks that the Heat won, but oh well, hate Lebron. 

I really don't have much to write this week, I was mostly trying to overcome my sickness. I guess random experience on Sat. while we were studying in the morning, we get a knock at our door and it's Jehovah Witness Missionaries. Long story short we have a 20-30 min discussion about life after death, they believe there is nothing after death until the Ressurection, and about the Book of Mormon. They said they want to teach us so we shall see how that goes haha. 

But yeah, oh I got the package today as well as that 20 dollars that Grandma and Grandpa Brown sent me:) But yeah this transfer I hope it picks up in the area, we will work as hard as we can and hopefully the Lord will bless us here and find the person were supposed to find in this area. Sorry Mom, I know you hate short letters, but I Love You! I love all of you guys and thanks for all the support! Until next Monday!

Tchau,

Monday, June 17, 2013

Pictures Week #54


Cute Kid! 
Cassquel Font
Elder Brown and Arnaldo
Baptisms!
Elder Brown and Armareldo 
More Baptisms!

Better Days!


Oi Family and Friends!

This week was better than the last, thankfully. So beginning of the week we taught this new investigator named Ana Mira. She is a funny little old woman, haha I can't even describe her, I can only explain in person how she is like, but she is pretty funny. Sat with her twice this week. Gave her a Book of Mormon the first time and when we came back she had already read some, which here is a hard thing to do for investigators. That's one of the challenges here, getting people to read on their own and gain that testimony. But we shall what will happens with her. She is kind of crippled so I'm worried about her getting to church so we shall see. 

The next day I went on a division with Elder Hobbs, which was pretty fun. We did a lot of walking though, because in the middle of the day we helped out Amareldo paint his house, so that was good service. Friday was pretty good, we had a pretty spiritual lesson with Alvaro which I hope helps out his problems that he is having in his life. And then we were knocking doors earlier in the day, and we talked with this woman to come back at night and teach. So we go back, and it's like this perfect family. It would only be more perfect if they were actually married. But we had a good spiritual first kind of lesson. Hopefully we can stick with them and they will progress super well. 

Saturday was Amareldo and Arnaldo's baptisms. Super super cool, super super awesome. So happy for them and they were so excited too, it was so awesome. And then it was a pretty good Saturday, nothing too spectacular. Then yesterday Elder Hobbs and Elder Harper made a contact Saturday night, married man super cool, named Cadete. They invited him to church, and he came, only the last hour, but he came. And he lives in our area and we're sitting with him this Tuesday, so awesome. 

So that's a little run down of our week. That is so awsome that Ridgely graduated and now preparing for BYU, freaking crazy man. Everyone is just growing up. Thanks for the quotes mom, they really helped:) Summer is in full swing now and it's my last summer out here. Weird. Its going to go by fast, I know it. 

Also HAPPY FATHERS DAY Dad! I hope you had a good one, and Mom says you got the golf bug again, which is awesome. Can not wait to get back out there on the course with you. Also I spent some of my personal money on 2 CDs and some more things at the Praca, they are pretty cool. Well I'm trying to think what else I can say but there isn't anything coming to mind....Oh yeah next week is transfers so we will see what happens to me here in a week. Well I hope everyone has a good week and a great start to summer!

Tchau,

Monday, June 10, 2013

Pictures Week #53


Eating (creative caption huh?)
Restaurant (even better caption)
Elder Brown and Elder Mariquele
President Q's house
Fireside


Tough Week


Oi Family and Friends!

I hope everyone is doing well back at home. I won't lie, this week has been tough, like super tough. Not a lot worked out, not a lot of finding cool people happened, this weekend was the back breaker. Because we got these cool people to teach, but they said only the weekends they can sit. So during the week it was dragging a bit, just doing the best we could passing by people who could sit down, and trying to talk to people in the road or knocking on doors, but it was just slow. 


Finally get to the weekend and I'm super excited. And then Friday, Saturday, and Sunday go by and we can't sit with one family, not one. We did sit with this one guy, who was kind of cool, but really nothing worked out. And I'm not going to lie, it depressed me, alot. This week, took something out of me. And right now it's super hard to get back up. But I'm going too, I could never give up. I know for some reason that this happening to me. Some trial of faith that God is putting me through to strengthen me and shape me for something, I don't know. 

I'm glad I have the Savior. So glad, without him, we would all be here without hope. Consigned to an endless state of misery and woe. But because of him, and the good news of the gospel, everything of Satan that is trying to drag us down, especially me right now, can be overcom, only if we truly desire to overcome it. I remember a scripture that was on a article about Ziggy, and how he had a scripture going into the draft. D&C 6:36. And that will be my scripture going into this week. Just please pray for me, I really need your guys prayers. 

Bright side this week on Saturday is Amareldo´s baptism as well as Arnaldo's. So thats going to be so awesome. It's so weird that Ridgely is graduating this week!  

I worry about the youth in general today. The gospel is the only way. THE Only Way. And we are fortunate to be born into the true church with the priesthood in our homes. We worked so hard and were tested before this life, and we earned where we are right now, of where we were born. I hope kids realize that. And as long as they have open hearts to their parents and to leaders they will change, because Christ and God loves them. 

I love you guys, and I miss you all a ton. But its alright, we will be together sooner than we know it. Sorry this is a short letter but thats just how some weeks are. I love you guys. Have a great week!

Tchau,

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Pictures Week #52


Beachfront Properties
Awesome Sunset
Crabs
Cleve being a stinker
Elder Brown and Elder Richter

Elder Brown and Elder Wilson
Elder Brown and Elder Chandler
Cahilo and Elder Brown
Luisa's Baptism
Cute Kids
LED Balloons from his "hump" day package
Elder Brown celebrating his one year mark with a bottle of sparkling apple cider







Picking Up, a Little Bit


***So like 10 minutes into emails yesterday the whole network here in Angola crashed, so thats why I'm doing them today! So no worries, I'm fine!

Oi Family and Friends!

How is everyone? We had a pretty good week, some cool stories that hopefully I can remember this time! So this one guy, while walking around, we ran into a dead end. Elder Tingey kind of walks into someones quintal but it's not super obvious that it's a portao. This guy inside got super mad and Elder Tingey said "Tudo Bem" to him and he got even madder. Just yelling that we had no respect just walking into peoples homes and that you can't use tudo bem, that the phrase is only for children, when in reality, everyone uses it, all while he is doing this girl´s hair. He was just on something. Got us mad but luckily we didn't do or say anything stupid, just walked away. 

Another thing that happened is we were walking past this Banco BIC and this lady pulls us over and wants cards or stuff. She then drags us into the bank, when the bank is already closed, and gives us a couple of minutes to preach our message to her employees inside. It was kind of cool, felt like a little bit how the early missionaries would do it, go in public places and just preach. So that was a pretty cool experience. 

For my Hump Day we blew up those LED balloons which were super cool, and had some bouncy balls that I got in a package from Uncle Scott and Aunt Valrie (thanks so much!) and just messed around. Weird that I'm on the downhill slide of my mission, but whatever just keep on working. I also bought a bottle of Martinelli's sparkling apple juice for myself to celebrate as well haha. 

Friday we had a zone conference that lasted all day with President Kretly, which was good. A little on the long side but it was good, learned some good stuff. Kretly leaves tomorrow so I will probably never see him again. Now we just wait until President Merrill gets here at the end of this month. 

Saturday we had baptisms, and Luisa and her Mom got baptized! I was so happy, finally after 8 months since I met Luisa, she got baptized! And Cahilo got to baptize his mom which was pretty cool as well. Just really cool baptisms. 

After we went to this Muslim place and got lunch which was really good. Then unfortunately, all of our lessons we had set up for the day fell through. So we just went contacting the rest of the day. When we left I had this feeling we needed to pass by Adi´s house, even though it really wasn't necessary but we went anyways. We get to his house and he isn't even there. So we were waiting around his house for a bit, and I don't know know why we were there, but I knew we were supposed to be there. Well we decided to say a prayer. Three words into the prayer we here this man yell "Che, como entao" Haha so we finished the prayer and then went over and talked to him. Got his contact and hopefully we will be able to teach him and his family this week. 

Then like just down the street we knock on this door, and it's a legit golden family. Married, check, kids, check, and they want to go back to church, double check. Hoepfully we will sit with them this weekend because I'm so excited for them. Made some more contacts and it was a faith building night for us. 

Sunday was good. Got in this member's car with fleas everywhere, got some flea bites, awesome. Pres. Kretly had this fireside for all the members of Luanda so we attended that and I got to see a lot of the Viana members which was so cool. Especially Amandio and Dionese, love them so much. Yesterday we went to the Reedy's for the last time ever since they're moving which was super cool. And then the Rede crashed, Tingey almost got run over, and we had a fun family night at a members house. 

Looks like everyone had a good fun week. The package was super great Mom! Thanks! Overall life just keeps on going. Were finding some cool people but they usually can only sit on the weekends, so during the week its a little rough, but were doing our best. Love you all! And I hope you have a great week! Read the Scriptures, Pray, Go to Church, Keep the Commandments!

Tchau,