Blessings and Miracles

This week was pretty great. Had another baptism. Alexia Avalos, the daughter of Lorena, got baptized on Saturday. The spirit was so dang strong. My comp had me conduct the meeting. I was pretty nervous, and forgot what all the abbreviations I wrote down meant. So I just kinda winged it. Which doesn´t work to well in a language you don´t know. Oh well, I didn´t kill the spirit, and she got baptized, which are what are important. My companion baptized her and I confirmed her the next day on Sunday. It was scary as heck. I messed up 4 times. But, as they say, the fifth time´s the charm. After conducting and the setting apart, both the Hermana´s and Elder Yaques told me that I sounded just like our mission pres. Idk if that´s good or bad. He is from Argentina, so it might mean I´m getting the accent down. But, he is from a part of Argentina where they speak really funny. So idk if I should be happy or try to change it.

Broke bricks for 2 hours this week as service. Our branch president is building a new house, and is gonna use the broken bricks to help fill in his foundation. Not the best construction method, but, it was pretty fun to just smash bricks with a hammer for two hours.

Elder Yaques and I hosted a talent show for the ward, well he hosted a talent show and I stood next to him and smiled. But it was cool to get a taste of the Argentine culture as people danced, sang, and acted.

Had prolly our best lesson so far this week. We went to talk with an investigator, who couldn´t at the time, and I felt like we should try knocking on the door of a family who kept saying "Come back later" and eventually just stopped answering the door, But, we tried anyways. And they let us in. I was kinda wary at first, cuz the whole house smelled like smoke, and there was still a cigarette burning in the ashtray. But, during the lesson, we couldn´t smell the smoke at all, and the spirit was just flowing. One thing the mother said that really stuck out to me, is that her son (who has some special needs and some sort of phobia complex), told her he feels something really special when he sees us, and we are the only people outside of his family and internet friends that he wants to talk to. They accepted a Book of Mormon and the mother commited to read it with her son and pray with her son and ask if it and our message are true. It was awesome.

The lady who we had tried to visit, turned out to be the shortest and strangest visit out of all others on my mission. She is a caretaker for an old lady, and asked us to meet her at the old lady´s house. So we met her there. The old lady has alzheimer´s and her voice sounds just like the voice of Kermit the Frog, except a bit higher. She told us the same story about moving into her house for about 5 min, starting over about every 1. Then, the caretaker told her to go get her harmonica. So the old lady said something to her dog, and went and found her harmonica. While she was looking, her daughter showed up, who hates religion. The caretaker tried to mouth to us to leave, but not before the old lady came back with her harmonica. She began to play it, and stopped about every 20 seconds or so to remind us she was playing for the "perrito", the "little dog". When the daughter left the room for a sec, the caretaker kinda pleaded with us to leave, and so we did. I don´t think we´re gonna be going back any time soon for a follow up visit.

Something I forgot to mention last week. Last week, on Sunday, a lady showed up last minute with her super sick granddaughter. She isn´t a member, nor anyone in her family, but, she heard that the Mormon´s can perform miracles. So she decided to try her luck. Her granddaughter had a really bad cold or something, and couldn´t breathe really well, and basically just spent all of her time crying because she feels so bad (ironically, her name, when translated, means "want miracles"). She asked us for a blessing, and we gave one to her granddaughter. Afterwards, she was fine. I don´t think I had ever felt so much purity in my life as when I placed my hands on her head to give her a blessing. It was so sweet to be a part of that.

Starting to finally feel charity. It is awesome. Charity really is awesome. Loving feels so much better than judging and teasing. I truly love the people here. The men are hilarious and literally always joking, even during super serious moments in meetings, they are still cracking jokes and trying to enjoy themselves. The women are super sweet. Not as funny as the men, but really nice and sweet. I am really grateful for the opportunity I have to serve them and learn to love everone, no matter what. Charity is awesome. I invite all of you to follow the advice of Moroni, and pray "with all the energies of the heart", for the gift of charity, and then work to get it, because it really is the greatest of all the gifts of God. It is truly amazing to feel nothing but love for everyone.

Moroni 7:45-48

Elder Brown

No time but lots of things to tell

Have the least amount of time so far, but the most to write.

Literally got smoked out of the guy´s house on Friday. We were teaching when one of his friends lit up a blunt of marijuana. Turns out, he has marijuana plants and sells it too. So we found the first opportunity to leave, and we bounced. Don´t think we´re going back.

Then, later on, we got stoned. Some people thought it would be fun to throw rocks at the missionaries. Others thought it would be fun to try to hit them. But we just kept going with smiles on our faces. And, miraculously, we found 5 new investigators later than night. In the whole rest of my time here, we´ve found 1. God blesses those who work hard and sacrifice in his service.

Accidently asked one of the sister´s in my district if she likes kissing. She and her companion were talking about one of their investigators who hits on them, and I asked "Le gusta besar?" Which, in my mind, meant "Does he like to kiss?" Which is a thing down here, people kiss instead of shaking hands sometimes. But what I really asked was "Does kissing please you?" Haha, I´ll get spanish down eventually.

Ponderizing is really awesome. I invite all of you to do it.

Anyways, I gotta go. Just wanna testify that the Lord truly does bless those who do his will with a cheerful heart.

Elder Brown

Alma 5:5

Zone Conference

More Pics!

Elder Brown's First Mission Companion

Buenos Aires Temple

Drive from Airport to Rosario

Minions are EVERYWHERE down here!

Casilda District

Great Conference and Terrible Food

So the food here, for the most part, is really, really good. For the most part. Some food, however, has made me wish that I was eating gluten free bread (which literally tastes like cardboard). Hígado, is a meat that my comp had me buy (cuz he bought the fruit and vegetables) that he said is really good and tastes amazing when fried. It wasn´t until he was cooking it that I learned what it was: liver. Liver is the grossest meat. I have no clue how my comp thought it was good. He had me spend 40 pesos on liver. We didn´t even eat half of it because it was so gross. So we threw it over the fence to the neighbor´s dogs, who didn´t like it too much either. They ate it though, prolly cuz they are super skinny and starving.

Another disgusting food: berenjena rellana. Lorena invited us to come over on Friday night to celebrate her birthday with asado. Asado here is amazing, so I was really pumped, especially cuz my liver lunch didn´t fill me up. When we got there, she was making pizza and empanadas. Which was fine by me, I just thought this would be served in addition to the asado. So we helped her make the empanadas (which I knew I wouldn´t be able to eat but wanted to be nice). Then her parents showed up and her mom told us to just take a seat and she would help cook. Lorena asked me if I like berenjena rellana, and I said "I´ve never tried it. Why?" (but in spanish). That´s when I found out there wouldn´t be any asado. To say I was bummed would be pretty accurate. I masked it well though and accepted the offer of berenjena rellana. So she turned around, and made something and put it in the oven. When she brought it out, I realized it was eggplant with a bunch of veggies on top. I had never tried eggplant, but I´d heard things about it, very negative things. It smelled really good though, so I tried it. It is worse than liver. I choked down the two she put on my plate with a smile. But that smile vanished when she put down 6 more. I smiled and politely told her I was full. When I got home that night, I was hungrier than when I had left. Luckily, we had some lettuce to give me another 15 calories.

At 8:45, we said we had to leave to make it home on time. Then her dad offered to drive us home at 8:55. It was cold and had been raining, so we accepted the offer. Then he disappeared for a little bit and returned with a box of wine (here, all liquids are in boxes, wine, milk. spaghetti sauce, you name it, it´s in a box). He had drunk all of it with coke by 8:55. If wasn´t a missionary, and my senior companion, trainor, and district leader didn´t climb in the truck before me, I would have walked home and been late. I have no idea how we didn´t crash. The windsheild was all fogged up from the cold and the rain, and he drunk a bunch of wine. He almost hit someone on a bike, three parked cars, and two cars pulling out of parking spots. I don´t think imma do that again, ever.

Conference was good. Everyone had been saying there is nothing like conference as a missionary, and they were right. We showed up at the stake center to watch conference (because people can´t afford internet nor BYUtv down here), and they said the English room was down the hall and to the right. I was so pumped that I would be able to understand what was going on, and to be surrounded by other missionaries who speak english for 10 hours in one weekend. Then conference started, and the guy with the amazing voice didn´t announce which conference it was. Some guy speaking spanish did. I got kinda nervous, but everyone said this was normal, and the speakers would be in english. So I calmed down. Then Pres. Eyering started to speak, and the first few words were in English. I was so excited, and then the voice over kicked in. I felt like a deflated balloon. The only thing in English was the choir. When Pres. Utchdorf started to speak, and the voiceover kicked in, I wondered whether it would be worth it to try to understand. I decided that it would be, so I started to try to understand. I understood every word. I have know idea how, but I did. I testify that the gift of tongues is real, and that God is aware of us, and wants us to gain knowledge and light. After Uchtdorf, the stake secretary came in and told us he had gotten English working in another room. I was so relieved. The rest of conference was amazing and really powerful.

We also had zone conference this week. I didn´t understand much. That made it kinda boring. But what I did understand was awesome and spiritual. My mission president really likes to focus on repentance and held a public repentance session. He put a chair in the middle of the room and invited us to come sit in it and repent out loud. I had no clue what was going on though until an Hermana from the states with a really "Yankee" accent that I could understand went up. There was only time for 3 people to go. But, the spirit was really strong and it was the first time I felt a positive spirit of humility. Usually it I get a humble feeling when a 4 year old makes fun of my spanish, but this was very spiritual and powerful. So that night, I repented, and did my best to feel that same spirit of humility. He is definitely on to something when he says "I have never found such great joy as repentance" (but in spanish). I´m pretty sure he was quoting a scripture but I´m not sure which one, nor have I remembered to when I have had study time. I testify that repentance truly does bring unimaginable joy. Jesus already suffered for our sins, and already died for us, so let´s take advantage of it! That´s what it´s there for! It is there for us to gain joy and to feel relieved and spiritually rejuvinated (idk if that´s spelled right, I don´t have English spellcheck here). I invite all of you to repent daily, with all the energies of your soul, and, to feel, as described by Alma, joy such that nothing is as exquisite as your joy. I testify that there is literal power in repentance, and it´s amazing. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Elder Brown

Week 2

Only been out here 2 weeks and already being told what I believe. We went tracting in these run down apartments, and at one of the final doors we knocked on, we were having a fantastic discussion with this guy, until his wife showed up. She started talking about how they are Evangelist and don´t want Mormonism because their family is Christian. So my comp told her that we are too. Then she started going off on how we don´t believe in the Bible, and just carry it around to trick people (or something I didn´t understand much) and how we believe different things about Jesus. Not sure where she learned more about my church than me, but we thanked them for their time and left. The husband seemed really dissapointed when his wife told us off. Hopefully we planted a good seed in him.

Anyways, missionaries are like crazy people magnents. So many drunk people talk to us. One lady on a moped, just stopped by us on the street and started warning us about how it is bad to eat the dogs because they drink bad water and go to the bathroom wherever they want. Then I think she related dogs to the devil. Not too sure though. I just remember hearing "diablo" at that part. Also, a lot of people like to talk politics with missionaries. I´m not sure how a nametag that says "JESUCRISTO" translates in peoples minds to "GOVERNMENT", but it somehow does.

Spanish is coming along. I´m finally starting to understand what people are saying. The Argentine accent is pretty weird, it´s like a lisp almost, so it´ll be a while before I really understand that, but it´s coming. But, everytime I think I am getting a handle on the language, I get pooped on. For example, every Friday the President of the Basic Unit (smallest unit possible in the church, smaller than a Branch and a Ward) has the missionaries over for lunch, us Elders and the Sisters. President talks super freaking fast and has a really thick Argentine accent, ie, he lisps a lot, so it´s to understand. Anyway, we were eating and talking about Hermana Bushman (a sister missionary in Casilda from Pennsylvania) and I teaching an English class. Then President said something really fast I didn´t understand. All I understood was "Tercer Domingo", "Third Sunday" and "Lo hará Élder", "Will you do it Elder". Of course, I said yes. I thought he was asking if we would teach a class the third sunday. So to make sure I understood, I asked Hermana Bushman what I signed us up to do. She said, "Oh, you´re giving a talk on Sunday on missionary work." When I asked how long "About 10-15 minutes." Haha I felt pretty dumb. I doesn´t stop there though. Saturday night, we got home and found out our lunch appointment for the next day was cancelled, and we had no food for lunch. So we went to buy some food (our mission president already approved going out after 9 to get food if we have none and are back by 9:30, don´t worry Bishop). We passed some lady in the street. So, out of habit, I greeted her and said "Hola! Buen día!" My companion died laughing, and said to me "Buen día?" For those who don´t know, that is used for "Good morning". I had told someone "Good morning" at 9:15 at night haha.

It goes on though. A lady showed up to the church building last week, saying she wants to learn more but only can on Sunday, and gave us her address. So, we went looking for her house yesterday. The address she gave us is in the ghetto part of town, and just about 0 out of 10 houses there have numbers on them. And almost no one knows their address number. So it´s just a guessing game. We never found her, but, we did a less active lady who hadn´t been to pretty much since she had been baptized at 8. She didn´t even know the churches full name, just as "Mormon´s" nor that we have missionaries in the church. She was really happy to see us though. And she seems really excited to meet again on Friday. This kind of thing happens quite a bit in that area of town. We´ll go look for someone, won´t find them, but will find a less active member who dropped of the church radar years ago is excited to see us and eargerly accepts the invitation to meet with the missionaries again. God definitely does not forget any of his sheep, no matter how astray they have gone. He remembers them all and wants them all back in his fold. I know that because I feel that desire to find the "ONE" who is lost, even when there are "ninety and nine" sheep in the fold still. We definitely are all loved and wanted by our father in heaven.

Something really strange here I forgot to mention last week, nobody knocks on doors. You just clap. Everyone has a gate a few feet out from there door, and instead of going in and knocking, you clap and someone comes out. Also, traffic laws are nonexistent. Obviously, there are laws, but no one follows them. For example, on my first day, we were driving to the mission home, and for whatever reason, traffic was way backed up. When we got there, there were cars heading towards us. Then our driver turned around and drove back into oncoming traffic, and up the on-ramp, just to get around the traffic. It was awesome and bizarre.

Apparently our pension is unfit for missionaries, so we have to look for a new one. It´s interesting. I didn´t think it was that bad, but I guess it is.

Love and miss you all.

Élder Brown

Ether 1:15

Pics

I received the sweetest note from Scottie's Mission Mom with these pictures.... (and everyone kept telling Scottie he would be eating A LOT of steak - check out the meal on the table she prepared for dinner!)