Drunk From The Sun

Dear Family,

Congrats to Liz on her driving test! I hope she is a more better driver than I was. I hope you don't have to go to court for her like you did for me!! It sounds like you all are doing great!

These past few weeks have been REALLY hot! Honesti, I have been roasting out here! I will even just been sitting doing my studies and I am soaking wet with sweat.  haha.  Even the people think it is hot! The other day we been go to go teach one older grandpa and his house  is ontop of this little hill.  We waited for him down underneath a tree and he started walking down but he was like staggering. My first thought was..oh great, reschedule he is drunk.  He came and plopped down and I said, "Papa, you alraet?" He replied, "Sista, I am drunk from the sun." hahaha I was laughing of ded...but he was ded serious. haha.  That just gives you a feel for how how it has been!

But the work has been pretty busy! Last week I been got my first baptaes in over a year.  Words cannot even describe the pure joy I felt that day.  I wish I could explain it.  The two mamas that I told you about before that just got married got baptized.  It was an experience I will never forget.  One of them has been waiting 9 years to be bapaes.  When she got up to give her testimony she said, "It has been taken me 9 years to be baptized.  Never think that your work is or nothing. It will happen in God's time."  It just made me think about all my past areas and how hard we worked to help people be baptaes. Maybe the timing was just not right, but that doesn't mean that all that hard work been for nothing.  I know that Papa God has a plan that is better than mine.  Mama Ruth and her husband are already planning their temple trip for next year.  How sweet this gospel really is.

We are teaching one papa Heteley and his famle. We started teaching them a few weeks ago but these past two weeks they have just progressed like crazy.  At first papa asked a lot of questions just to test us and just treated us like a joke.  But as we continued to come
back and teach him we saw something change in him.  After a few times he called his whole family to come and listen.  We taught them about Plan of Salvation.  We testified of how their family could live together forever.  This week we been teach about Word of Wisdom.  We
found out they were all drinking coffee and tea and Papa smoked and drank kava every day.  We committed them to begin living the word of waes and invited them to yusum faith and come to church.  Yesterday we came out of Relief Society class and we were shocked to see Papa Hetley come out of Prishud class.  Him and two of his pikini been come and stay for all 3 hours of church.  After church was finished we went over to their house to teach again and his wife mama mata was waiting for us.  We sat down and she said, "Sisters, I want you to know that I have been with Papa for 18 years.  18 years I have never ever seen him go to any kind of church.  I have begged him, but he never wanted to go.  18 years me and pikinini of me would walk to church by ourselves. But this morning I woke up and he was already changed for church and packing his buk of momon into his bag.  My daughter and I just stood
in the doorway and stared as he walked away to go to church.  I never thought it would happen.  But he's found truth. He's been looking for 18 years, but he has finally been found it." These are the moments you live for, sweat for, and pray for as a missionary.  When people gain a testimony of this gospel, no matter how small, it changes them.  They
will never be the same.  And that is what happens with each of us as well.  As we continually nourish testimony of us that we have, our testiomni will continue to change us. To mold us to become more like the Savior.  When we make the decision to become a disciple of Christ,
we can never be the same.

I know this gospel is true.  I know it is true because every time I been try best of me to live it, I see blessings.  Every time. Sometimes Papa God takes a little time to show us the blessings.  But when he does that he is proving us..Will we give up? Or will we continue?" I am glad too much for the chance I have to be a missionary.  I have full up more stories to share, but I am outta time! I love all of you!! :) Have a good week!

Love, Sista Brown

Last Zone Conference

Sister Brown did not send an official email this week.  However, I was able to communicate with her a little back and forth, so this information is from me:

My companion and I were trying to fly out to Ambae to train Sisters there.  The plane had too much cargo, so our flight got cancelled.  We will try to fly out next week.

Well, Santo is a little different than Malekula.  It is really nice, but the people aren't as friendly.  In the city there are stores, and roads.  We live outside the city, but the place we live is nice, it has lights.  We never cook, we eat with our neighbors.  We eat a lot of fresh pineapple, other fruits and vegetables.  We go to a family house at night and make laplap.

I went to my last Zone Conference.  We have them every 3 months, I will be returning in two.  It was sad to bear my testimony for the last time in Zone Conference.

Weird picture..but sometimes I get to be a nurse out here.  This is a

picture Sister Smith one couple missionary took.  This is Mickey.  He

cant talk or hear, we are teaching his mom. We came to teach his mom,

but he had fallen and a big bamboo had gone through his leg.  

 

Eternal Perspectives

Hello Family!!!

I can no belief that it is Monday bekegen! It sounds like things are great! Man I can no believe that Ash is back already...that is starting to make me nervous! Mom, I am glad that you are bossing for the time being..and that you are keeping in mind that I am coming back
and will take my chief seat backagan!  haha.  Kidding, I think I have been become less bossy? Maybe not, I guess it will just be a big surprise?

We have been busy busy busy this week. But it has been amazing! You know how I like to be busy!  Christie the girl I told you about her married last week is getting baptized this saturday!  I am glad gogo!!  We also been make another married this week of another
investigator of ours, Ruth, that has been waiting 9 years to be married! Timing of Papa God sometimes isn't ours! But she will also be baptized this Saturday! Love is the air I think? haha. Kidding! I am glad too much that Ruth with be baptized this week.  Her husband is
one returned missionary and they are already making plans to go to the temple next year! Talk about an eternal perspective!  

Yesterday we got a new branj presidency and the second counseler is Papa Cyriaq. Papa Cyriaq is a recent convert.  When they got the chance to bear their testimonies he got up and said, "I have not been a member even one year yet. I do not know anything about how the church works or runs.   I am not enough to hold this calling.  But with Papa God I am enough.  I accepted this calling because the calling came from Papa God, I know he will help me." The spirit of Papa's  testimony was unreal.  Watching that recent convert sit up on the stand like that just was a testimony to me that those who the Lord calls He qualifies. Papa Cyriaq knows where his true power lies-with the Lord.  

What an example of how to put full trust in Papa God. I know that this is true too much.  I know that with the help of Papa God we can do any something.  I know that when he asks us to do something-keep a commandment, fulfil a calling etc.  He will always provide a way that we can do it.  Always.  As we pray for direction he will never leave us to figure it out for ourselves.  Every something He asks us to do teaches us how to learn, grow, and become more like him.  I am grateful too much for the janis I have to be out here learning from these amazing people. The faith that they possess strengthens mine oltaem.  I could not be more happy! 

Thank you too much for all support of you evertime! I love you!  Keep on making family skripja studi! Liz and Ben: Do not sleep! haha.  I love you!!

Love,
Sista Brown

P.s.
Prime teaching experience this week: haha. So we been teaching Jebat one investigator about Plan Blo Savem Man. We had explained everything and made the comparison about the Celestial, terrestial and telestial kingdoms being like the sun, moon and stars.  haha.  Okay so after here is how our check up to see if he been understand been go: "Ale, Brata Jebat, so who goes to the Celestial Kingdom? What kind of people?" Jebat (all confident!) "No one!" me and my companion look at eachother...me: "And why do you think that?" Jebat: "Because it is so hot.  They would all burn.  The sun!" [Silence] Me: "Oh, okay, that is a really good thought Brata Jebat.  Let me try to explain this bekegen"....haha


P.S.
On Saturdei we walked to the church in the afternoon to make 3 baptize interviews with our investigators.  We had been walking around in the soft mud the full day so our legs were covered in thick mud.  We had just been walk inside the gate of the church and one of the couple missionaries Sister Smith came up, looked at our legs and said, "You two need a bath.  Do you go walking around in public like that?"bahahaha I was ded laughing....

some pikinini blo mi!

Santo

Dear Mother,

Hey mama, thank you too much for the trail mix and fruit snacks!!! We LOVE the pillowcases!!! They are beautiful! Thank you thank you thank you!!!
Thank you too much for sending all those photos of food....honesti..torture..but eh, that's okay! Blessing of you guys!!  It looks like you all had an amazing Halloween! And Mase is the cutest!!! He is HUGE!!! Everyone is getting old!!  It was great to see all the fall leaves, they are beautiful!!! You and skinny mom rock!  I will have to follow the two of you when I get back!!

This week has been...nothing short of amazing.  I have seen absolute miracles this week, I feel blessed too much.  These past few weeks we have been fasting and praying strong to find families to teach. On Friday we contacted one papa of one of our investigators.  At first when we would be come, he would run away and hide...it was kinda hilarious actually.  Like when we would "singout" he would open the door, peek his head, and then shut the door. Well Friday we went to see our investigator, but she wasn't there.  But when we walked up papa was just sitting out in front of the house…perfect! But something was different this time..he didn't even try to hide! He asked us where the church started and we ended up teaching about the Restoration.  He was blown away. At the end of the lesson he said, "You know, I have already decided that my family and I will be joining your church." Wow....blessing! We have taught him and his wife two different times now, I figure that this week we will invite them to be baptized.  Papa God heards and answer prea!

Ontop of that, we have been teaching Christie, a long time investigator.  Christie is just like a member, she reads Buk Blong Momon everi dei, comes to church, has a beautiful testimony, but she is not married.  Man of her has not agreed to get married, but they live together and have 2 kids... Well Thursday we went and saw her and I asked her again to ask her man if they could just get married in the church first and then do custom after.  Yesterdei Christie bin come to church and tell us "He said yes! We want to be married in President's office tomorrow!" So this morning Christie and her family, my companion and I and Branj President met at the church to perform a small marriage.  Christie didn't want anything big, she said, "that is for the world nomo" and that "none of that stuff matters to Papa God." What an amazing eternal attitude. The marriage almost didn't happen because we did not have a male to witness, and so I went to a bunch of men that were working at the church and said, "Raise your hand if you know your birthday!" Only one raised his hand and I said," Brata, you
come, you are going to witness a marriage!" hahaha.. he was a little shocked, but we gave him a lollie for his help haha.  The small, simple marriage was amazing.  They were so happy.  After the marriage was finished Collen (the husband) came and told us he wanted to be baptized as well.  Side note: before he was very against the church and against Christie getting baptized. We will be teaching him later this week so the two of them can be baptized together...as a family. Every samting happens in the time of Papa God.  His time is not always ours.  I love the work. I love the people.  I love the Lord.  He lives. He is very much alive.  I see His hand every single day.
I love you!!
Love,
Sista Brown

Santo (my new island/area)

Cooking

YW Value Naet in Litz Litz Branj!

So when someone they love leaves to go somewhere...they do this custom
thing called "changing" they take you into the house and put an island
dress on yu with a flower or something.  It is like a token of
gratitude and respect.  These are the kids of one famle I spent a lot
of time with.

This is a famle of mine...we cried and cried when we said goodbye!
They told me they would pay for my ticket to come back haha.