The Elders of San Antonio

Everything is going well here, we are really starting to see progress now. We have 3 with a baptismal date now (and that doesn't include Dario and Zunilda who we've been working with for a long long time.) So we are starting to see the fruits of our labors now, unfortunately I probably won't be here to see it, changes are next week which means that I might be leaving, which makes sense because I've been here the longest, so I'm probably gonna skidaddle.

I have gained a strong testimony of the love our Heavenly Father and the Savior have for us. There are times through out the day that I feel down trodden and uterly alone but I know that I can ask "Father are you there," and he hasn't left me without answer. He always sends His spirit, the comforter that Christ promised and he speaks comfort to my heart. I know that my Redeemer lives, what joy this sweet sentence gives. He is waiting to help you. He understands the difficulties we suffer, and He will answer. Simply ask "Father are you there?" and our Father in Heaven will help you feel the comfort the Savior provides.

I love you, I miss you and I look forward to talking with you again soon.

Love,
Elder Brown

Everything is good here, Dario and Zunilda, our pending pair is still pending, Satan really doesnt want them to get baptized, 5 Sundays in a row now that they have been trying to come but every time something comes up. First Sunday, Zunilda (the wife) was bleeding internally so they had to go to the hospital, Second Sunday, Dana (their daughter (2ish)) had a serious alergic reaction and they had to go get medicine, 3rd Sunday a random person dropped off their kid so they had to baby sit it, 4th Sunday Dana and Diana (their other daughter (less than 1)) got sick, and now 5th Sunday Dario (the husband) fell at work (he works in construction) from 4 or 5 feet and got hurt so they couldn't come. And we are here saying jeez these 2 are gonna be 70s or something gosh. Satan just doesn't want them to get baptized. So yeah that is what's going on with them. Other than that not much is going on here in San Antonio Texas (hehe).

Here I've really learned the value of the conference talks, there is so much to be learned by what they say. The prophet and Apostles don't waste their breath on messages that have no significance. I remember last conference and regret it horribly, I didn't pay attention for anything, i just sat in the corner playing my computer, there was so much I could have learned there but I didn´t see those lessons and thus wasn´t willing to sacrifice 8 hours of 2 days to listen to the messages of the prophets, but as a Holland talk I heard yesterday said, ¨Faith is in the future, forget the past and look to the future, don't you ever think that going back is the better choice.¨ The talk was talking about a scripture in the New Testament that says ¨Remember Lot´s wife¨ it was given at BYU around New Years and he encouraged the students to look with faith and hope to the future, faith is in the future. Lot´s wife´s sin wasn´t just looking back, it was wanting to go back, she didn´t have faith that what the Lord had for them in the future could be better than what they had in Sodom and Gommorah. Holland then said ¨remember your sins only enough to not do them again, other than that forget them, and then when you're reminded of them again forget them again.¨ I love Elder Holland.

I miss you tons, I miss being able to talk to you, being able to laugh with you and have fun, going to Cafe Rio for lunch and doin all sorts of goofy stuff so you have to plan out a huge list of fun stuff to do, This morning I put on my mommy tie (the tie you wrote on) and announced to the other elders today is a mommy tie day. Elder Taylor then turned to me and asked ¨Elder Brown are you a momma's boy?¨ and I said ¨You bet I am!¨

Ah darn, I have to go I have to write president. I love you and miss you tons, and I'll talk with you next week. Love ya!

Everything is good here. I'm sorry that this email isn't going to be as literally awesome as my past emails but I already passed the hour time limit by 10 minutes. The computer had a mental breakdown, internet went kaput. But I loved the package tons! I have no idea what my favorite things were, probably the sheet music.

Everything is going well here, there is something that I learned about faith this morning, we build faith through obedience. I've been a pretty obedient missionary thus far in my mission but that makes me want to be even more obedient. I'm starting to do an activity. Every Sunday as I sit in sacrament meeting I pull out my pen and a piece of paper and I pray asking our Father in Heaven to tell me what I need to do better, and every time I come out with a list of at least ten things. And so for that week I work on those things and next week I report and say what else do you want me to improve on and the process starts again. I've come to understand that sacrament meeting isn't just to take the sacrament. It's a time when we can learn what God wants from us. It's a time of revelation.

I feel super bad about how short this letter is, but next week I will talk till I'm blue in the face. You'll have like a ten page letter next week. but I love you tons and miss you more, but I know I'll see you soon enough. so forgive me for my short letter but I'm well passed the hour limit now.

Love you more than you know.

Elder Brown

I got the Christmas packages today and a lot of pouch mail last week. We went fishing today as a zone activity. It was fun. We haven't been able to add new investigators to the list this week. It's just been all the same people. Right now we aren't seeing much success, but it will come. The church is true and for that it takes a little work to make stuff happen. Sorry this is super short, p-day officially ended 40 minutes ago. We had problems with the internet today, someone ran into the power lines with their car and knocked out the power in the 4 or 5 cities around. Yeah problems. But know I love you tons and look forward to your email every week.

Te quiero muchisimo.
Elder Brown

Elder Brown and Elder Richards with their Paraguayan Family

Everything is going super good here. New Year's was pretty lame, mostly because it was hard to sleep. Paraguayans celebrate Christmas and New Year's the same way...... little bombs, little bombs that blow up and make a lot of noise. If I didn´t know better I would think that Paraguay was under attack. I tried to get a video of it but I just wasn't quick enough. I went in and got my camera and came out and the biggest wave of explosions was already over, but there's always next year right.
I'm glad you learned how to make Empanadas, I'm super excited for chicken alfredo and bbq meatball empanadas. Here they only have like ham and chesse, cow meat, chicken and that's just about it. They have the liberty to throw anything they want in and they don't. Paraguayans not a fan of change. And don't worry I´ll be sure to get a picture of abuela before I leave here. She might even come and chill in our house some week. (She wants to come visit her muchos nietos(grandchildren) and most of them live in Utah(because all missionaries are from La Fabrica Mormona(the Mormon factory)) and I offered our house considering how we have so much space and all.(hope your ok with that.(she doesn´t speak English(it will be pretty funny if she actually comes haha.

Know always that I love you super tons, I miss you a lot but like you said 2 years is a small time in the grand scheme of things.

Te quiero demasiado (I love you too much)

Elder Brown

Questions:
1. When are the mangos ripe?
Really a lot are ripe right now but a lot are not ripe to there are just a heck-a-lot of mangos
2. How's the new roommate?
He's great, he's a hilarious guy and it will be fun to live with him this month, I'll get a picture of us all and send it next week.
3. Is your house 2 floors? It looks like your balcony is on a second floor. What's on the first floor, what's on the second floor?
Well we live on the second floor and our abuela (grandma) lives on the bottom floor.
4. That food looked great in the picture your sent (noodles and some sort of deep fried meat) What sauce is on the noodles, what kind of meat is that, and was it good? Brady was jealous.
The deep fried meat thing is called millanesas, it's pretty much whatever kind of meat you want dipped in eggs with bread stuff on the outsied. I have no idea about the sauce but it was pretty good.
5. Do you get to go out to dinner very often?
Not really, pretty much Monday is all.