Baptismal Font at the Manga LDS Chapel

Hey, thanks for all the news and everything that you write each week. I really enjoy getting the news. Everyone always asks me what’s going on because all of their parents are sick of writing it they say. So everyone listens while I just shout stuff out. Everyone cheered when I said that the gas prices went down, then booed when I said Obama was going to win. ha ha I'm glad you guys liked the pictures, I'll try and send more but I don’t know if I will have time. I'm sending 2 gigs of them home with this guy who will mail it to you for me when he gets back to the states. Also I'm sending home some X-mas presents for you guys today. About Gorongosa Park. I've heard the names before and stuff but I don’t know where it is or anything. Just ouvi falar. ha ha I just realized I did that sorry. Whenever I speak English now it’s about 10 percent Portuguese and 5 percent Massena. Everything is going good here, we have transfer meeting this Saturday and rumor has it that I'll be transferred so we'll see. The transfer is already over! I feel like it just started! We are also baptizing Isaias a 16 year old kid who is progressing really well. Anyways I'm kinda short on time this week so it’s kinda short sorry. But thanks for everything, I love you!
Love Elder Brown
1. Did you get your package from Maputo? Which one was it? Did you get more pouch letters?
No not yet, maybe today I'm not sure. I got the sheet music as well thanks.
2. How is the language?
The language is going very well. I'm just working on speaking more correctly now
3. How's your companion? Do you get along OK?
Ya he's good. Elder Naylor is a great guy.
4. Is Inhamizua in your area? Adjoining area? Are there 4 of you in your house/apt?
It’s a different area but its in our district. Ya there are 4 of us in the same house.
5. Who are you sending pictures home with?
A guy who works for Care for Life a charity thing. He's a member and lives in Utah.
6. Sami wanted me to ask if you really shaved with a machete like in the picture.
Of course it’s true! I shave with it daily.


Hey Kaylee, actually I named my chameleon Darrel. Big D for short

MOZAMSPIDER!!!!!!!!

We had our Zone Conference yesterday so p-day was moved to today. Zone Conference was amazing! We had Elder Watson from the 70 come. He was just called to our Area Presidency from being the Secretary to the First Presidency and the Quorum of the 12 for 38 years! 38 years working with the Prophets and Apostles is amazing! He is a super spiritual guy and it was really awesome to hear him speak to us. He talked a lot about inactive members and how we need to leave the 99 and find the one. But here it’s more like leaving the 1 to find the 99 but all the more reason to start finding them.

I also had a pretty cool experience a few days ago. We were teaching a lesson to Isaque that was baptized on Saturday and 2 of his friends wanted to sit with us. So we talked about the restoration. At the end of the lesson, one of them asked: "Does God really exist?" When he asked me that, I thought to myself. "What would Heavenly Father want me to say to him?" I told him that God not only existed, but that he knew him, he knew him as an individual, and that he loved him. It was really cool to say what I thought the Lord would want me to say for him. Then I realized that that's what we as missionaries do every day. We are here teaching these people what they need to hear and what God wants them to understand. It was a great experience for me.

I'll be home before we know it. I'm coming up on 9 months already! It’s crazy how fast time is passing by! I've been thinking a lot about you the last little while. Just how I miss sitting down and talking to you guys. We'll have a lot to talk about when I get home though. I miss you guys, but I don’t want to come home! I'm so involved in the work and I love it! Ya I think about home and my family and friends but the thoughts don’t make me home sick. I can’t get home sick! I don’t know how missionaries get "trunky." I'm loving the work and the mission! I cant wait to get home but right now I'm just loving what I'm doing. You guys are amazing parents and I'm so grateful to be part of your family. I love you guys and I will talk to you next week! Thanks for everything! I love you!
Love Elder Brown

Questions:
1. Have you gotten any packages (dear elder or flat rate box) or pouch letters?
Yes I got a ton of letters yesterday and a package in Maputo (maybe 2) but I won’t get those for a few more days.
2. Did you have baptisms Saturday???
Ya we had 2 Isaque and Ari
3. Have you seen animals???
Really big birds, bats, monkeys, huge bugs nothing too interesting.

The Chapel in Chamba, Sofala North West of Manga

Hi mom, Well I've been in the internet place for more than a half hour and this is the first email I've read. The internet is bad today so sorry if this is short. I miss the temple alot I wish we had one here but oh well, we'll go alot when I get back. I'm glad I missed out on all that snow but I'd almost rather trade,ALMOST. It's getting hot here really, really hot. But the week went by pretty well. We are spending alot of time finding inactive members which is really cool. We've had alot of experiences that you just knew the spirit was involved when we found the inactive member. That's great that Tyler is doing so well with hockey, it's good to hear he's hitting people alot! Ya I did hear about the temple in Rome and also the one in Jackson county or whatever it was. I kinda bought alot of stuff so I spent a little more on stuff to send home to you guys. I got some cool stuff that you will like! I may need a little bit more money next week to send it home cuz I have to bribe the post office with candy to not open it and then the money for actually sending it, but it won't be that much more I don't think. I got some really good deals on that stuff and I'm really glad I did it. Anyways I'll be sending that stuff off next week. 2 flat rate boxes full of stuff! Anyways I better go but thanks mom for everything! I love you and I'll talk to you next week!

Hey dad! This week went by pretty well but the internet is terrible today so this will be a short one. First of all happy birthday this week! I wish I could be there for it! I'm sending you a nice carved hippo tooth in the box for you to put on your desk for your present as well as 2 kilos of ivory! No just kidding about the ivory but the tooth is way cool, I think you'll like it. This week we spent alot of time trying to find inactive members and we have been very successful. We've had alot of really cool experiences in finding them. These are frightening times with the stock market and economy turning bad. One thing I've learned here is that you really have no control over your life. You just kinda go through the motions and hope nothing happens. Anyways I hope you have a good birthday and that everything keeps going well for everyone! Thanks dad love you! Love Elder Brown

MOZAM-RAIN

Hey Tyler, Ya so it’s raining super hard right now, like ridiculously hard!!!!!!!!! Like..... ridiculously......hard..... like standing under the shower hard! Ya the jungle is pretty sweet. Missions rock man, you better go! But anyways the rain stopped. It was fast like someone turned off the shower. That’s how the rain works here it’s way weird it’s like someone turns off and on the shower. There is no small sprinkle that gradually turns into a.... it started again!

Hey Mom & Dad, Wow I didn't even realize that it was my 1/3 day ha ha that's great! I'm loving the new area a lot it’s really cool. It’s hard to find our way around but hopefully I'll get the hang of it soon. We have marked 3 baptisms this week so I'm excited for that, 2 on October 18 and one on the 1st of Nov. I love the new area, my comp is way cool and our branch is growing like crazy. I'll send that stuff home as well they have a lot of wood sculptures and masks and stuff but I hope you guys like them. Apparently packages are making it home a lot better now or something so I'm sure you guys will get it. I don’t think I am registered to vote so don’t worry about sending an absentee ballot. I don’t even think it would get here in time but thanks.

Ya we don’t get conference in Beira, they get it in Maputo but up here the satellite doesn't reach so we have to wait for a few weeks until we get it on DVD. Iron man!!!!!!!!! I wanted to see that so bad!!!! Ask dad if he'll let me watch movies on the way back on the plane! This week I had a pretty cool experience. We had a lesson fall through so we went to an inactive member’s house. Her name is Anga and she's 26. She stopped coming to church after her husband got sick because she had to take care of him. He was in the middle of being taught and he died. She stopped coming to church after that. We got there and we talked about temples and how she needed to get to the temple to have him be baptized and be sealed with him. I also told her that to do that she needs to start coming to church and do the necessary things to get there. She said she wouldn't miss another Sunday and she came this week. This is my favorite part of being a missionary. When stupid little things happen but it turns out to be something great and you look back and know that the spirit was definitely involved.

Anyways that's about all I have this week. I hope everyone is doing good, thanks for sending my emails to me! I love you! Thanks!!! Thanks for all the help you give me and support. I'm so grateful to have parents like you guys.
Love Elder Brown

1) Do you know your GPS Coordinates???
I don’t know them but I'll see if I can get them next time, its just north west of the city of Beira.
2) Did you get any pouch letters or packages??
Not for a while but I might get some today, I got the clipper thing about the hockey game that was pretty cool.
3) Are you teaching many people? Are you doing service projects?
Ya we are teaching a lot of people, none yet but I think we will have some soon.
4) Any requests for your X-mas package? I think we need to send it soon.
Just those sound tracks and maybe some candy. I'm not really sure what I want, I forgot what they have in the US ha ha.
Thanks!!!!! Love ya
PS Can you send me sheet music for Apologize by One Republic on the piano? (yes I am learning piano) just send it over email. Thanks!!!