The worth of a soul is great

My perception got changed drastically as far as that phrase goes. On Saturday morning, we had a sweet lesson with a recent convert, María Rosa Ramírez. She is a single mother of 5 children. She has almost no work. Lives in a... brick hut basically, and almost all of her possesions where given to her by the church. And, her family HATES the LDS Church.

She told us that the night before (Friday night), she got into a super big fight with her family about the whole deal, in the which, in her words "We almost got to blows." She said she has made a ton of changes in her life (because of the gospel), and now has less things and more problems. However, she is happier, and would trade anything for that. She also told us that she feels like she is slipping back to her old self, and doesn´t like that. So, I told her of some stories of some of my pioneer ancestors that got kicked out of their houses, were imprisoned, and persecuted for being Mormon. I explained how grateful her descendents would be to her if she keeps going, and I realized how grateful I am for my great great great great great grandparents that got baptized in Europe and then moved to the States to follow the counsel of the prophets.

Then we started explaining temples and family history work, and my mind thought of Doctrine and Covenants 18:15-16, and I realized just how much that scripture applies to family history work. If we do all we can to do temple work for as many of our deceased family members as we can, our joy will be immensely great with them in the kingdom of heaven.

Elder Brown

Moses 1:39
 39 For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

It's Official

I have now officially been emergency transferred. It´s not as exciting as I´ve always thought it would be. At least I got to end my time in Centro 2C with a baptism. I am now officially in Centro 2B. Elder Cook is my new comp.

Sebastian Medina got baptized! Normally, we don´t go to baptism´s of people from other areas, but, he asked that Elder Sousa and I attend, so, we went. He bore his testimony at the end, and it was powerful. It was an awesome baptism.

Another lady Elder Sousa and I contacted is now taking the discussions. We were walking in the street, on our way to visit an investigator, when we saw a lady who´s car had broken down, and we started to push it, in hopes to help her jumpstart it. We pushed (at running speed) for about 500 or 600 meters when she said to stop and she would just tow it. She was really appreciative though, and the missionaries that visit her said she is really receptive. They said her husband is too, so half the battle is already won.

Satan has been attacking super hard, on all fronts. On front, is Tomás. Tomás goes to a super expensive agrotechnical school. One where nothing every happens. On Thursday, one of his friends killed himself one school campus. Tomás already has some psychological issues, and this really messed him up. So, we decided to get together with the branch pres and his wife and eat with them and Tomás. Long story short, the Lord is much more powerful than Satan, and Tomás now is super pumped to push forwardl

I´m somehow out of time. Don´t know how it flies so fast. Love you all!

Elder Brown

Alma 39:9

 9 Now my son, I would that ye should repent and forsake your sins, and go no more after the lusts of your eyes, but cross yourself in all these things; for except ye do this ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. Oh, remember, and take it upon you, and cross yourself in these things.

Emergency transfers......?

I think I might have gotten transferred, not too sure though. For the week or so, I have been with Elder Cook. Elder Cook might be my new comp. He was just an Elder in my district last transfer. At the beginning of this transfer, he started to train an Elder from Brazil, who got really, really homesick. So, the new Elder and I switched. He is now with my Brazilian comp, and I am with his trainor and may have gotten transferred to another area within the same branch, Centro 2.

Elder Cook´s from California, and started the mission one transfer after I did, and, he started in Casilda. I met him on his first day in the mission field. He hit his year mark on Friday. We didn´t have any investigators that gave us asado, so, we called and ordered some food. Customer service is terrible here in Argentina. I would explain, but, my time is limited. Yes, Mom, even worse than that time when we went to the drive-thru in Krispy Kreme in Orem, Utah when it was 1 degree outside the last winter when I was home.

This was an awesome week. SO many miracles.

Little children truly do have words given to them that confound the wise and the learned, and that soften hardened hearts.

We had 3 AMAZING lessons this week, all three were AMAZING and not just sweet or amazing because of something a little kid said.

Martina

Belén, Agostina, Francesco, and Martina caption

In one, we were teaching a lady named Belén, her sister Agostina (that looks just like Whitney... Hansen? I think is her new last name), and her nephew named Francesco. We taught them the Plan of Salvation. They had a TON of deep doctrine questions about the kingdoms of glory and resurrection that were hard to answer in a simple and direct way. After about 10 or 15 minutes of unsuccessful attempts to answer their questions, Belén´s 4 year-old whispered something to her. Belén told us all to be quiet, and told her daughter, Martina, to repeat what she said, just louder. She said "I want to go to heaven."... That moment was SUPER powerful. We all felt the spirit really strongly and we told them that what Martina said was the most important thing and is what they should focus on: wanting to go to heaven.

In two distinct lessons with distinct members of the same less- active family, little girls (who are active) said things that left all of us in tears.

Something purely miraculous happened yesterday that left me with a testimony of that if we do everything, and go a little further, God will pour out blessings upon us.

Sebastian and his fam

Saturday July 30th was tough day. Elder Sousa and I taught probably the two best lessons I have ever taught in my entire mission. SUPER strong spirit in both lessons, and yet, both people straight up rejected the message of the Restoration. The rest of the day was spent contacting, with ZERO success. We got the worst rejections that day than any other day of my mission. At 8:50, we were about 10 minutes from the pensh, and started heading home. At 8:55 more or less, we saw a family in the street, and I thought "What the heck? I´ll give it a shot." I gave it a shot, and the dad, named Sebastian, said he would go to church the next day. He showed up with half an hour left in the last hour of church. We found out that he lived in another area, and sent his address to our Zone Leader to send it to the corresponding Zone Leader or area or wherever it had to go, and I forgot about Sebastian.

We had a District Conference (there is no Stake in Venado Tuerto) this weekend, and, on Saturday I met a ton of members from other Branches in the District. On Sunday morning, a short man came up to me and asked me if I remembered him. I recognized him, but, did not remember him, and figured it was a member a I had met on Saturday. He told me he had gone to that church building about a month and a half before, but currently goes to another branch. I then remembered this man and where I had met him. I had met him about a month and a half before, after a long and very dissappointing Saturday in July, and I had not seen him since he showed up late to the church services on Sunday July 31st. I was talking to Sebastian. He informed me that he had been talking to the missionaries for the last several weeks, gone to church a few times, and on Saturday, he will be getting baptized. I was speechless. I felt soooooooooooooo happy and joyful and glad and grateful and excited. He thanked me for talking to him that day and told me he had had some doubts that week about his church and my talking to him led him to the church that has all the answers. He kept thanking me and saying "Thanks to you, this all started. Thank you so much." I am so grateful to have been a part of this man´s conversion process. I am so excited he will be getting baptized Saturday, and now my attitude towards street contacts has totally change. I used to just think of them almost as a chore, now, I view them as a priviledge to help out my bro´s and sisters. I testify that if we give it ALL we got, and then, a little more, that God will bless us with miracles. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

¡Los quiero a todos!

Elder Brown

2 Nephi 27:23

 For behold, I am God; and I am a God of ^amiracles; and I will show unto the ^bworld that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I ^cwork not among the children of men save it be ^daccording to their faith.

Ocupadísimo

More and more things are happening, and I am having less and less time to write. I don´t know how those two things relate so closely.

We helped the sister from the branch that makes me cakes move. I was both glad for the opportunity to serve and sad that I wouldn´t be getting cakes anymore. She moved to Buenos Aires to be a temple worker. She will be missed.

On Friday we had a "Show de talentos." I was enthralled. I have never been entertained by dancing before, but, I was blown away. It was amazing. Of course, Elder Sousa and I did something. We were planning on doing a mini-play with a member of the branch, but, a sister from the district dropped the cane on my comp about using slang (not bad words, just slang), and his character used lots of slang. So, he felt bad and dropped out. So, we put on the song "Hello" (originally by Adele but remixed by some RM´s), and did an improve of missionary life. Complete with a robbery, failed street/ door contacts, and a lesson. It was fun and the crowd was rolling with laughter. My favorite part of the night though, was when 5 or 6 little girls started dancing to "Libre Soy" (Let it Go). I´ll try to send a clip of it. Not sure if it´ll 

work though.

My favorite part though, was Tomas´s baptism. This guy progressed so fast. He basically memorized the pamphlets and 1 Nephi in two weeks and knew gospel principles that we didn´t even teach. He´s such a capo. I think the awesomest part about his conversion, however, was shown on Saturday. We made some sick invitations for him to give out to his family and friends, and he gave them out. On Saturday morning, he invited his grandma. She is "Catholic" (was baptized when she was a baby but hasn´t gone a day since), and flipped out on him. She told him "From this moment on, you won´t be my grandson." This lady basically raised him. pretty much his second mom. He told us that really got him down, but, he knew the church was true and wanted to recieve a forgiveness of his sins, keep the commandments, and serve a mission and help other people to come to know what he had come to know, and none would possible if he didn´t get baptized. He is a stud.

I feel like we worked less this week than any other week, but, we saw the biggest miracles that we have ever seen. We´ll try to work more, and get even MORE miracles.

Con amor,

Elder Brown

D&C 61: 36-37

 36 And now, verily I say unto you, and what I say unto one I say unto all, be of good cheer, little children; for I am in your midst, and I have not forsaken you;

Tomas, Elder Sousa and Elder Brown

 37 And inasmuch as you have humbled yourselves before me, the blessings of the kingdom are yours.

Talent Show Clips and Pictures