October 24th

El Colectivo (The Bus....6hrs to my new home)

So I got changed down to Encarnacion (a 6 hour bus ride) to be a district leader with a missionary that just got out of training, Elder Porter. It's hard having new missionaries as comps but it's alright. Here in Encarnacion branch 5 we have a huge area that takes forever to walk across, so the elders that were here before me have just said "ok so Monday we´ll work here Tuesday here Wednesday here......etc," however, the direction from the area presidency is "daily contact with every investigator." So they haven't really been seeing very much success lately. I'll be changing that here quick. We'll be doing lots of walking.

I miss Elder Kartchner and our little apartment, which is weird cause this apartment is much bigger but whatever, and I do miss the members, but it's alright I'll get used to this area soon enough. Yeah I really don't worry about changes anymore, because well...... it doesn't matter. "I´ll go where the Lord wants me to go and I´ll be what He wants me to be."

Yeah I miss singing for the fam. as much as you miss hearing it, but all good things are eternal, so I'll be there singing again before you know it. After all in 8ish months I'll be back, so 2/3rds of the way done right. Unfortunately I don't get opportunities to sing in church. The church here doesn't usually have special numbers here and in zone conference they usually just put together a choir 10 minutes before. I'll see if I can't just get a chance this conference.

About teaching, it's interesting how it works. When someone really feels strongly about what they are teaching it makes those that are learning have greater interest. They taught me that in the mtc. So if you want others to have interest in the gospel, you have to love the gospel. It's really cool how it works like that. Really we have to love what we teach or they don't feel like it's something important, that's part of why I loved college. Because a lot of the professors teach that subject because they love it, so I feel that love and I grow to love that subject too. There was a quote in one of the talks from Elder Holland (one of the talks on my i pod) where he was talking about Botany (the plant stuff (i don't know how you spell it)) he said some thing like this "teach me that in mitosis there's something something something (i didn't really understand it cause i don't know botany) teach me all this so I can pass the test and never have to know about botany" then everyone started to laugh and he said "that's only the first verse...... teach me to marvel that all the text books of man cannot describe what happens in a single blade of grass. (more stuff about botany like unto this) teach me to love botany and nothing will ever quench the thirst for knowledge you have placed in me." I love that. Many times knowledge we look for just so we don't have to learn it anymore. But here in the mission I have learned to love knowledge, and I can never quench the thirst that has been placed within me. I want to strike it rich young so I can spend the rest of my life studying in college and learning everything there is to learn.

Well, that's all I got for this week. I got to go write president, but I look forward to hearing from you next week. I love hearing from you. Thanks for always supporting me and always helping me to be better. I'm always saying to the members "mi papa siempre me enseño....." or "mi mama siempre me enseño...." (my dad always taught me, my mom always taught me) really you taught me well and always gave me applications of the principles of the gospel in my life, and it now isn't just helping me but it's helping the members as well. Thank you for all you do for me I love ya tons

Love Elder Brown