Don't Stop Me Now!‏

Sometimes I forget what a wide chasm our investigators have to cross. Living the gospel is very different from following the ways of the world.

I am realizing that I was really blessed to have been raised in the church and although I had to have a different type of conversion.... it was so much easier.

We have been talking in our gospel principles class each Sunday about the second coming - when the Savior comes again. And a scripture just kept reoccurring in my mind

"If we are prepared, we need not fear."

A fond memory came to my mind of when my Grandpa Mansfield was getting ready to pass into the next life. He kept saying that he wanted "his passport" and we didn't know what he meant. We finally realized he wanted his temple recommend and that he wanted to feel completely comfortable heading out of this world! The bishop came over and gave him his temple recommend, and he passed away a short while later.

The covenants we make in this life will GREATLY influence us in the next.

I never want to have the Savoir come and me not be ready. I don't want to see Him there and think of all the things I wish I could have changed, but now it's too late.

The best time to prepare for the second coming IS NOW.

The time to make changes is TODAY.

Then when He comes again.... we won't have to worry!

We can just be happy.

We don't need to worry if we are repenting every day.

It's been raining alot lately. But life is about learning to dance in the rain, right?
I woke up yesterday and realized that it was march. My eyes filled with tears! 2 short months... and I will be home! :( oh it just breaks my heart!

I would take a rainy missionary day ANYDAY because I love to put on this name tag every morning and know who I am.

That I represent Jesus Christ.

I am His hands here on earth!

I love knowing my purpose as a missionary... I know EVERY DAY what I should be doing and if I am making a wise use of my time or not.

I will miss that in the future when the line is a little more blurred and I won't have 24/7 to serve the Lord. I SO cherish my time here......

I know God expects a lot from me and I am giving him "all of me" for the sake of the Lord. I will keep pushing and going! I will not give up when times get hard.

The adversary would like NOTHING better.

I feel the southern cooking is taking its toll! I look back on the pictures of me from before I came out and I was looking great! ya'll will have to help me get back in shape when I get home but I will worry about the RM chub LATER -

right now I am just going to keep working.

one of my goals from coming home from my mission was to be fat and sassy. :)

Chocolate Tacos at Sister Cannon's house will be a favorite dessert forever, diet or not. :)

This week we had interviews with our mission president. I made muffins because it was his birthday. I told all the missionaries about the secret plan to sing to him and light one of the candles when we saw him coming. The code word was "TOWANDA" and when I yelled it, all the missionaries ran into the kitchen and we sang to President McDonough. I LOVE HIM and it was so fun. Your mission president and wife become your parents on your mission.

I had the shortest interview ever... usually this is the time we just pour out our hearts to president and he give us advice but I literally said

"I am doing great..... can we keep this short because i just want to get back to work!"

haha. He smiled and said yes so we talked for a few minutes and then left!

This week we met this totally crazy guy named Chester! He was bible bashing with us and telling me all these things about what I BELIEVE that aren't true... and I'm like.... you don't even know me; How can you tell me what I believe? He made me feel so dumb - telling me that I need to see a therapist! I shared my favorite scripture with him and he told me that God is not real and that we don't need Jesus Christ. A LOT MORE WAS SAID but thankfully Sister Nash held our ground and gave great answers. He just kinda aggravated me but when he asked for a Book of Mormon. I asked why he wanted to read it. He said that we made him really curious and I said "If you read this book with the intent of proving it wrong, you are not going to find what you are looking for."

So we gave him a Book of Mormon although for the first time in my life I DIDN'T want to because I felt like he was mocking me! But i couldn't deny giving him the book of mormon - who knows, maybe it will change his life..... haha.

Although sometimes I feel my testimony is up against a wall... I walk away from situations like that with greater assurance, and I KNOW that God is real. That we have a Father in heaven who loves us.

And He loves Chester just as much as He loves me..... so I will pray for him!

On Friday Sister Nash and I decided to shake things up and try "Family History Finding Friday." We talked to people about family history work all day and I got to tell some stories about my Italian ancestors that I know lots about thanks to my mom and Grammie doing lots of research and sharing with me.

We did have some success and I am SO grateful to know who I am and where I come from. If you are interested in learning more about your ancestors, you can for FREE at www.familysearch.org

One of the funnest parts of the week was getting to go on exchanges with Sister Borja! I got to go to Pass Christian and Bay St. Louis and it was fun to work there. I feel like we were able to see a lot of miracles! The best part of the day was giving a book of mormon to one of the members cousins. He said that he could see that we BELIEVED with all our hearts what we were telling him. And that he felt something spiritual as we were talking that he has never felt before. He wanted to know what made us so different. And I just want to tell people that YOU CAN HAVE THIS HAPPINESS TOO!

I know i'm making a difference! Thank you for all your love and support, I will do my best to make my time here count.

I love laying down at night and being satisfied... that I did my very best.

Love, Sister Brown