Sunday, August 31, 2014

The Boss

Hey~

Can I just tell to you thank you too much for your help this week with my schooling! Thank you BIG WAN!!! Sorry too much that I am half way around the world and can't do anything to help you. But honesty, thank you too much! No worry! When we need to do this same thing for Mike, the Boss will be home to do it so you can relax! In case you have forgotten, the Boss=me! :)


It looks like you all had fullup fun up at the cabin! Oh man do I remember Bear River Lodge...you little convict..escaping out of the windows and such..bahaha Did I read that right mother? Riding motorcycles? I think my eyes are getting old or something because I have never once seen my mother get on a motorcycle! Awesome! Hell's angles baby! I hope you all pick me up from the airport with your motorcycles and leather jackets with bandanas..anything less and I will be super disappointed. I can not belief how grown up everyone is...man I am so old. But it looks like everyone is doing well!! haha.

This week was...taff tumas! Awesome! I am living the dream out here..honesty!! :) So this week we have completely shifted our focus from finding investigators to strengthening the members and establishing a center of strength.  Here in Malekula every single member is a recent convert basically.  The church is still in its infancy here in the islands so we are just working hard to build a secure foundation.  So this week we visited every member of our branch! And it was awesome! This week I also had a great experience with one inactive member of our branch.  This mama is our mama relief president in our branch.  She was active for a few years and then a few months ago she got into a fight with a few others and it caused her to stop coming to church.  The past 3 months she has been attending a different church and recently went with a prayer group from that church to Santo.  Well we planned to go visit her and I had no idea what we were going to share with her..or what to say.  I
prayed and prayed for days before we went to see her and no distinct answer came.  So we took a leap of faith and just went.  When we first got there she was really cold...like ice cold! After the opening prayer I honestly did not know what to say so I just began asking her "small talk" questions about how she felt about her life now etc.  She was like, "oh everything is fine etc" But I knew she was lying. I had no idea what to say so I just sat there quiet for a minute.  I then just opened my mouth and told her "We love you.  The Savior loves you. He needs you.  It does not matter what mistakes you have made or how many times you have failed.  His arms are open all time inviting you to come back.  Mama, come back.  You are important, He has called you to lead and He needs you to be strong.  He knows you can be strong."
As I continued to talk words that were not my own she began to cry. After a few minutes she broke down and told us what was on her mind and in her heart.  I testify in the power of the spirit.  The promise in D&C 84:85 that he will provide what we need to say is true.  He knows the hearts of His children.  I had no idea what to tell her, but He knew what He wanted to tell her.  I know that the words I said that day were not my own, but His.  I feel so blessed to have the privilege to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord of the Vineyard.  I love my mission.  It's moments like these that make all the sweat, boils, and tears worth it.

Work in the mission field is not easy! It can be super tiring! But sometimes Papa God tries really hard to test our faith! Spiritually and Physically!  We had a really funny experience this past week.  So it has been REALLY hot this past week and so walking to and from our area is really really draining.  We had spent hours and hours working at the church house in the hot sun (shoveling ground again) and we were exhausted. We went and taught until dark and started our trek home. My cute companion gets tired super easy so she was close up dead by the time we started walking home.  I held her backpack and we started walking.  She kept saying..."Sister Brown...I am not going to make it home!" I laughed and laughed and told her we had to keep walking or sleep on the dirt road.  Well we had walked about...3 miles when we saw the lights of a truck coming behind us.  My companion
suddenly just came to life..(she had been walking like a zombie). S
he was said, "Sister Brown, I have faith this truck is going to pick us up!" I knew it wasn't going to, and so I started teasing her and said, "Sister Wamura, maybe that truck will pick you up if you act like you are injured!" haha I continued walking but a few seconds later I looked behind me and Sister Wamura was dragging her leg along the dirt road acting like her leg was broken.  bahaha I could not believe it! The truck lights got closer and she continued "limping" so bad and faking a painful face.  I could not stop laughing! She kept telling me, "Sister Brown, stop laughing or hide your face! They won't believe me if they see you laughing!" I turned my face to the side and continued strolling along.. Well the truck came closer and she said, "You'll see Sister Brown!" Two seconds later the truck slowly passed us.  And after that another 2 sped by.  No one stopped.  Hahaha My companion limped a whole mile or so for nothing! haha.  We walked the whole way home! And I laughed the entire way! :) Love the work! :)

I love every single one of you! :) Pray hard! And Work harder! :)
Love,
Sister Brown
aka "Da Boss" ;) haha

3 comments:

  1. Hello Sister Brown,
    My name is Sister VaLynne Stoddard. My husband, Elder Lee Stoddard, and I have been called to the Vanuatu Port Villa Mission. When we received our call Thursday Aug 28, we had no idea where Vanuatu was. I am very excited to be going to the South Pacific. It just says Vanuatu Port Vila mission so we don't know if we will be there or New Caledonia, or where we will be. It did not say what language we will be speaking so assume it is English. In learning abut Vanuatu we have read that their are 3 main languages.
    Did President Brewer send you a letter before you arrived on your mission? What tips can you give us as we prepare to come?
    We will not enter the Provo MTC until January 19th and our primary assignment is to labor as an education specialist and member and leader support missionary.
    How long did it take you to get your visa? Is getting a visa a problem. It was for your youngest son when he went on his mission to Brazil but not for us as tourists, when we went there to pick up our son from his mission.
    Do not waste time answering this if you do not have much time! But if you do have a few minutes to tell us what to expect, we would appreciate it.
    Thank you,
    VaLynne Stoddard

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  2. Sister Stoddard, Please send me your email address and I'd be happy to share with you some insights in serving in the Vanuatu Port Vila Mission. If you prefer, you can email me at cbrown1460@gmail.com. My daughter loves her mission. You are in for a real treat!

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  3. Oops I did mean to leave my email address. It is lvstoddard@bvea.net. I am very excited about the call!

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