Optimism and Progress

I feel I have grown a lot this week. There haven't been any huge miracles, but rather, I have had some simple prayers answered. I think back to how much I have changed since I first came here to the mission field... and I am just so blessed to have this opportunity.

I really feel it is preparing me for the rest of my life!!!

I now know how to make decisions... with God.

Well for a service project this week we got to wash puppies. Oh man, I love me some puppy therapy!!!!! They are boxer pups with a little pit bull mixed in I think.

We also got to go to a part of our area called Mansfield Louisiana.

This was awesome because my Mom's maiden name is Mansfield! And my Grandpa Mansfield was a big impact on my decision to serve a mission.

I remember him saying "I hope you don't get married yet and choose to serve a mission."

And him talking all about his mission in Argentina and how amazing it was to teach people the gospel... that's a lot of what he talked about the last time I got to see him before he passed away last summer.

Cassity - a recent convert who got baptized last year had her sweet little baby this week!

Sister Jenkins and I were out walking down a busy road and a car pulled over and yelled "hop in!"

then we realized that it was Cassity's husband and parent in laws! They said they wanted us to be the first people to meet their new sweet baby! It was a privilege!

Babies are just such miracles! They are so close to their Heavenly Father. I love looking at those little miracles and just knowing what they will be someday! I can't wait to have my own someday! Cassity is such a great little mother, and she is so grateful to be raising her precious baby in the gospel.

My friend Trail - who joined the church about a year ago... got his mission call to Philadelphia and is so excited. The church threw him a missionary-shower type of thing because his family doesn't have very much to send him with, and you need a lot of things to go on a mission! It was so great to be there for him and his family.

Since he's the first one in his family to join the church, he has been a great example to them. And now his sister Samantha is going to be getting baptized this upcoming weekend!

I made a couple new friends this week.... Jacob would be the cute little boy and Penelope would be the adorable miniature greyhound!

It's been an emotionally tiring week for Sister Jenkins and I.

Biking everywhere is hard... and it is so hot. Sometimes I just want to lay down in the middle of the road and take a break!

I also had to have some bike repairs done because my bike is not cooperating!!! The brakes and gear shifter broke along with my back tire popping!

This is me about to get really sweaty!!!!

We decided to make ourselves a nice dinner. The mixer shorted out and lit a fuse... and popped and started smoking. FAIL!

We failed with the cookies.... oh well. We ate the cookie dough anyways.

Sister Jenkins finishes her mission in a month, and I can't imagine feeling that way! There are so many emotions! Wanting to go home to see your family, but not wanting to leave this wonderful part of your life behind...

We are teaching lots of people right now, and seeing lots of progress happening.

Our most progressing investigator is the most wonderful woman, her name is Dyann.

We knocked on her door and no one answered, so a card on the door with a picture of Christ coming to the Americas. We walked past her house on our way back home again a while later.

She was sitting on her rocking chair on the front porch.... looking at the picture!!

The spirit said:

QUICKLY! GO TALK TO HER!

After talking, she noticed how sweaty and hot we were and asked if we would like a drink and invited us to have a tour of her house. Cutest house ever by the way! Her husband built it from scratch.

She said she knew a lot about our religion - she did some research when Mitt Romney was running for President and that she like a lot of the things that we believe!

She showed us her food storage, and said "look, i'm practically mormon!"

Eventually her brother came home. He had dated a mormon girl for a while and said that he really respected what we do and our standards!

They eventually stated talking about more famous people that are members of our church. Eventually some pizza arrived and the discussion became more of:

"So what REALLY is the Book of Mormon?"

and "what is a temple? What do you do there?"

We answered all their questions while eating pizza and they have invited us back a couple times since then! They have even come to church with us and are really enjoying learning more about what we believe - our message of joy, hope and love.

Well I have had a lot of prayers and questions answered this week. I am so grateful. I am especially grateful for all of ya'll that I know keep my in your prayers!

It is not easy to serve the Lord. But I will do it for him!

If he died for me... the least I can do is give up a year and a half of my time to serve him.

I will never be able to repay him, but I feel that this is an opportunity for me to give back, and thank him for what he has done for me.

I know the Lord lives. I know that God desires our happiness and joy!

Have a great week,

Sister Brown