Hello, and Happy New Year!!!
It's been a while since you've heard from me, but not a
lot has happened. Or it has, depending on how you look at it :)
First off, New Years! On the 1st we had a multi zone
activity, and 3 or 4 zones all met at a park near the mission home to play
board games and sports, and some people hung out at the mission home and just
have a good time! It was great because we can't play board games or cards or
anything regularly, so I had fun playing Star Wars Monopoly, until we got
bored. It was great to just be outside and get to see some people!
Unfortunately, most of the people I know and love are up in the mountains, or
in one of the zones we weren't with that day. So I didn't see a lot of friends,
but we still had a great time. And we got to watch It's A Wonderful Life that
evening with members! Just like at home :) So that made my holiday the best!
We went on a lot of weird splits this week, because one
of the sisters we live with was sick, and they had a few appointments they
needed to go to. So we got permission to mix it up! I went with her companion a
few times into their area, the ward just next to ours. It was a crazy week.
We were able to meet with Stephen again! He is still
trying to quit his coffee, and we were finally able to get him to an Addiction
Recovery Meeting in Mesa- and we got permission to go with him! It was an
amazing experience, and the Spirit was so strong there. It is people who
struggle with addiction and are trying to get and stay clean, using the
Atonement of Christ. I would gladly go back any chance I get! Stephen did say
he would be moving though, so we're trying to help him while he's still in
town.
We were also able to meet a former investigator who some
members in our ward are still working with. Brenda knows so much about the
church, and at one point was so close to getting baptized. It sounds like it is
hard for her to take that last step, because she has already been baptized in
other churches. She also has a hard time accepting that Joseph Smith is a true
prophet of God and that the Book of Mormon is truly God's words for us, and not
just a book written by a man who wanted to confuse a bunch of people or
something. I don't know why anyone would write a book like The Book of Mormon
unless they actually believed everything they were saying! So we are going to
keep meeting with her and try to help her gain a testimony of The Book of
Mormon. We invited her to a single sisters Family Home Evening on Monday night,
and we all went and she loved it! She had actually been before with her member
friend, and definitely wants to come next month. She has a small dog-sitting
business in her home, so teaching at her home is quite the experience! There
were just three small to medium dogs there when we went, but they were all
vying for our attention and running all over the place! I love them, but they
are so distracting.
What has really amazing is that we came over just when we
needed us. The Jehovah's Witnesses stopped by that morning (she says she very
politely just says no thanks) and she was having a lot of family trouble just
that day. I hope we were able to help her, and at least bring the Spirit into
her home to comfort her.
You know, I think I might be forgetting the most
important thing! No, I didn't get transferred, but I did get the biggest
challenge I've had to face on my mission yet- a greenie. Yep, President Sweeney
called on Thursday and asked me to train. He wanted to make sure I felt ready
before making the official phone call on Saturday. I am super nervous and
scared, but so excited too! And now that I have her, I feel a lot more excited
:)
Sister Carambelas (like, someone who rambles on forever
and never stops talking- Car- RAMBLE- us- it's Greek!) is 19 and from West
Jordan, UT. With the other companionship in our apartment switched- one stayed
and a new one came in- all four of us are from Utah. Makes life pretty boring
:) Anyway, she is awesome and so happy and excited to be here! She spent an
extra week in the MTC, because they didn't want anyone to come in on Christmas
Day, so I bet she is a way better teacher than me! But I love being able to
help her learn about the little things on the mission. I think we are going to
be AWESOME together :)
So! there you go. life is good.
I love you all so much! thanks for everything you do for
me and for all your love and support. Keep on going strong! The Lord wants each
one of us to succeed and be happy! So let's do it!
Love, Sister Hailey Brown
ps- did I ever tell you what Sister Hubmann sent me? A
picture of Eli, in Snowflake, with his baptismal record, filling it out! He got
baptized the Saturday after Christmas!!! I was so worried that he was going to
get lost when he gets deployed in a few months, but he contacted the Sisters
and committed to baptism that first meeting! Sister Hubmann gave me another
update yesterday at Transfers, and the Ballards came to church!! I don't know
if you remember these people, but I do and I love them! I had to keep myself
from screaming in the cultural hall :) Sis H is finally coming back down to the
valley, so I may see her a little more often!
So yep, update on Taylor and Snowflake :)
Eli and Sister
Hubmann
Sister Brown and Sister Carambelas
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