Breathing some different air now........November 27, 2013

11-27-2013

So yes dear family and friends, transfers has again brought about a change for me. And this is the biggest change yet!

I am now serving in the Scottsdale North Stake, in the Chaparral Ward. Although I think I'm living in Phoenix. Everything is super nice and rich and big and busy! I'm senior companion to a visa waiter, Sister Fairbanks. She is from Modesto, CA, waiting for her visa to Bella Horizonte, Brazil. And the best part? We're white-washing. Twice in a row for me! The elders who were in the area before BOTH went home really sick about a week or so ago- so we got a little information from the elders who covered the area for that week- or basically we have the area book. and a lot of other junk. So.. this will be interesting!

I don't really know what else to say! I'll have Sister Knight update me on the investigators in Show Low whenever she can- we didn't get any of them to progressing yet. But I think in this area we have a baptism on the 7th! But we have no idea how to go about this.... so yep! This will be REALLY interesting!

Oh! last week I went on exchange and got to experience a little bit of the Linden area of Arizona. I like seeing other areas that are so different on exchange! But those rough dirt roads and crumbly double wide trailers are nothing like Scottsdale. Learned some more about family history- found out I'm related to John Whipple, back in the 1600s! And Whipple is a huge name around here! At least in the mountains it is. They pretty much founded all these places up north! so yeah, now I have a connection to the area! We're all related probably! haha

And I did push the car out of the mud this week when we were out at White Mountain Lakes near Show Low! Thanks for the good shoes, mom :)

So, rain and snow up in the mountains. maybe some rain and some sunshine down in the valley. Seems to be in the 70s as far as I can tell, maybe 60s. We live in a super nice place, and it even has a gym! so that's really weird. I now that all of this is going to take some getting used to!

so, lots of new pictures! from Show Low and Lakeside, transfers, and a few from this morning with Sister Fairbanks! We also live with Sister Crowther and Sister Kaufusi- Sis Crowther from Taylor!  She is so sweet. Her mom sent a "12 days of Christmas" gift for each of us! I took a picture this morning :) They will cover Desert Ridge Ward. And this is how you know the area is rich- Stephenie Meyer lives in our stake. Not either of those wards, but a different ward that other sisters cover. and her dad takes care of the phones for the mission office. So who knows who I will meet while I'm here!

So that's about everything for now... I'm terrified and excited to be here, in the valley, white washing! But I know that the Lord has placed me here for a reason. So I'll continue to learn and grow, down where it's warm! And I'll finally get to go to the Mesa temple this transfer!

Crazy times. But, I kind of love it :)

Love ALWAYS,

Sister Hailey Brown


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Not much new... but it's cold!......November 18, 2013

11-18-2013
Dear family and friends,

This week has been more of the same: knocking on doors and creeping down roads in the dark trying to see house numbers. We're cool like that.

No snow yet! But it's frosty each morning, and the other day we did get rain mixed with hail. That was fun.

We were able to meet with Courtney this week! I'm not sure if I've talked about her before- She is 15, and the Elders taught her a little bit before we got here. She grew up Christian, but never really active since she was really little. Her parents are fine with her learning about our church, and she wants to find out if what we are teaching her is true! She hasn't been able to come to church for the past two weeks, but hopefully this week she'll make it!

A newly married couple just moved into Show Low 1st ward, and the husband wants to reactivate himself and the wife wants to be baptized! They have both been in prison/jail before, and been addicted to some bad things, but it sounds like they want to turn over a new leaf! But the last two weeks church fell through for them, along with our appointments. They texted yesterday saying they were out of town, so we rescheduled again. We only met them once and taught the first half of the Restoration. We haven't seen the commitment from them yet- but they have promise and potential!

We have been visited with an older woman who has custody of her granddaughters. She has never really been active but is trying to be- but hasn't come to church since we've been here. But now she has her hair permed so that excuse won't hold up anymore! She has two granddaughters who are 14, one 12, and one 1. three are sisters, and the other 14 year old is actually going back to the valley to be with another cousin because it isn't working out. I'm come to really love these girls, even though they are going through so much and may not even believe in God. But the elders say that each of them had a baptism date at one point, so they must have once believed in something! I hope that, at the very least, we are a good influence on them. And I pray that we can get their Grandmother, Sister Tuetken, back into the gospel so baby Alisa can grow up with the blessings of Primary! She is so sweet! I should take pictures :)

We have met with a former, a few weeks ago, and I think I told you about him. Bob Williams... sound familiar? He has had family visiting so we haven't been able to go see him, but we have an appointment for later this week. He has learned about the church before, but may just be visiting with us for the company. Hopefully we find out one way or the other. We want every person to learn about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, but if they just won't progress or commit, we can't waste the Lord's time to keep going by. Which sound a little bit harsh, but there are people who are searching for the truth, and we need to find and teach them!

I always heard people say that a mission was the hardest thing they ever did, and I knew it would be. But knowing about something and experiencing something are two completely different things. If I wasn't as committed as I am to keep going, I would have thrown the towel in a long time ago, and head back home where I can sleep in and take a nap and not be stressed all the time! Although college is pretty stressful... but that's just a grade. This is my personal salvation on the line here! Mine, and I don't know who else I'm here to help! But I'm serving the Lord to the best of my ability. And, as the sweet Catholic man next to me just reminded me, God knows about tomorrow- what is there really to worry about? The devil makes us worry. So kick him in the butt! Lot's of good people out there :)

So, I'll keep plodding along. Be friendly and love everyone! Because God loves each of us!

and I love each of you too :)

Love, Sister Hailey Brown

About that baptism...​. :) ..........November 12, 2013

11-12-2013
Hello family and friends!

I'm so glad you figured out it was a holiday yesterday, so all the missionaries got a little thrown off course. So today we are just emailing and then back to work! But I like that it's 11/12/13- awesome!

A LOT happened this last week! We went on a hike, most of my district, although it was more of a nature walk. We loved it!

Tuesday morning we had Zone Conference, and then exchange time! I went with Sister Yates (who I was with in the MTC!!) over to Pinedale and Linden area. Her and the sister training leader Sister Jones cover 3 wards, Pinedale, Linden, and Clay Springs, and the Cibeque branch on the reservation. I was so excited, because Wednesday is the only day they can make it out to Cibeque! and I could go! An older couple takes them out there each week and drives them around- because it takes 45 minutes to an hour to get there! So now I've officially been on a reservation, and Gila County :) It was a really empty place, sad really. It's amazing they even have a little LDS building to meet in! It looks like a one room schoolhouse, with an optional divider. they say they have close to 50 members there on a good day- but there aren't a lot of those. The poor sisters are overloaded with all the work they have! They really need to split their area, and I think they're looking into it. Of course, our area needs to be split too, and the other sisters' area in Taylor...  there just aren't enough missionaries! 

We have over 80,000 missionaries out, which is 40,000 companionships. I heard there are 30,000 wards in the world. Each ward should have it's own set of missionaries! I hear wards in the valley each have their own set- which not nearly as much work as a ward up here has. President says we are getting 13 new missionaries right before Thanksgiving- not very many! I may not be training soon after all! And because we're white washing, Sister Knight thinks we'll be here for a few months. maybe they'll split our area and we'll each take a ward! That would be crazy :)

But let's get to the best part of the week- Sean's baptism! We started the day out in White Mountain Lakes, which we had only been to once before, briefly, with a member. Man this place is crazy! I was going to take pictures of us walking in the middle of nowhere that is actually inhabited, but we stopped to talk to a man outside his house. Nothing happened from it, he's moving and all, but he loves Mormons- and already has a Book of Mormon, of course! We gave him our number, so hopefully we at least got him thinking about it again! 

Anyway, baptism. Headed out to Taylor after a really early dinner at four (thankfully the members were willing to move up an hour!) we got there a bit early- which is good because they changed the time from 6:30 to 6, and someone's Zone Leaders dropped the ball and didn't get the message to me. But it was so great! He got baptized, and Tatiana was there, and all the kids being adorable and hilarious and messing with each other during the talks. I bawled and bawled- mostly because I missed everything so much. Sister Hubmann updated me on the area, and good or bad I just cried. The Sister dropped Eli, because he was too hard to meet with. I'm devestated, but they did what they needed to do. But now Sean is Baptized! My first baptism! And I taught him a little :) And I'm so excited that a year from now they can be sealed together for eternity to their children! I'll still be on my mission so I can't go :( oh well! As long as it happens :)

The work is going here... Slowly but surely. It's always hectic and crazy! I'll try to make my email next week about the people we are working with, but for now I'm out of time! Thanks for everything you all do for me! and thanks to the best family EVER for the best homemade cards I never expected! You are all awesome and I love you so much! Stay safe and warm and healthy! Keep me updated!!

Love, Sister Hailey Brown

Pictures:

Sean's Baptism!

 

Chanda!

 

 

Pinetop Lakeside:

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Missionary Hike:

  

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cibeque: