More Missionary Work...Still Love It!! ........ August 25, 2014

8-25-2014

Hello again. Not much has changed from last time we met! At least, I don't think so....

Brandon needs surgery, so we are trying to figure all that out with his baptism, so nothing is definite there yet. Except that he will be baptized! Even his mom said that was certain. But he is in pain and is sick until they will do the surgery, and they want to make him wait for two weeks. Please pray for him! and for his mom! This is a lot of stress on both of them. But I have faith that everything will work out. :)

We met with Judy again, and she received a Priesthood blessing on Sunday to help her with all her trials. She felt the Spirit so strongly she cried. We will continue to help her and teach her, and pray that she will be able to make it to church soon!

We also started teaching a less active member and her children, and she and two oldest came to church! They are 11 and 7, turning 8. We have been meeting with them almost every day! They are great.

Justin and Julia came to church, we talked to them briefly and hopefully we will meet with them this week! They are super busy. But coming to church is one of the hardest parts, and they've got it down!

I'm still working that bicycle!! We walk a lot, but we ride pretty often as well. And it's still warm down here! But I LOVE the monsoon season, and the pounding rain and flash flood warnings and dust storm warnings.... so exciting! One of the best parts of Arizona :)

And, we got to go to the temple this week. I love the temple! We are so blessed to have them all over the world.

I love you guys! Be safe and Trust in the Lord!!

Love,

Sister Hailey Brown

Special Temple Trip with Special Permission! ......... August 18, 2014

8-18-2014

Hello again. I feel like I was just here. Do I have anything to add?

We got special permission to go to the temple this week and do baptisms and confirmations and initiatory work for family names, in preparation for our Zone going to the temple to do a session this week. Sister Tucker and I went Saturday morning to the Mesa Temple and did three names each. It was wonderful! Best part of the week! We are so excited to keep doing family history, and to keep doing temple work!

We also taught a great lesson to Judy, a woman we met a few weeks ago and helped clean. She has such a strong faith in Christ! We are so excited to continue to teach her.

Don't have much of an update on Brandon, or Justin and Julia. Justin and Julia came to church though! We set up a time to meet this week.

Yes, it is still hot. It is surprising, though, how well I've adjusted..... "Oh, it's only 102 outside, we'll be okay." This is Arizona!

I love you all! If you are wondering why this is so short, I'm a bit distracted by family search. Love it!!!

I love this gospel, and we are so blessed to be born in this time when it has been restored to the earth. I am so thankful for the power of the priesthood which blesses us each day! And I am so thankful for all of you, and the love and support you give. :)

Love you!!

Sister Hailey Brown

Another Week- and a Baptism Date!!.........August 11, 2014

8-11-2014

Hi Friends! and Family. Mostly family, I bet :)

Yesterday was my 13 month mark. But I decided I'm still going to tell people I've been out a year, or a little more than a year. I'll probably say that until I head home. Sounds like a plan to me!

So, pretty much the best news ever! Brandon has moved his baptism date to September 6th! His Mom had concert tickets the night of the 20th so it wouldn't work out :) He chose the date himself! We are so excited. Even his mom agrees, he is so ready. We bought him a Triple Combination and a True to the Faith book, and his face just lit up when we gave them to him! Unfortunately, the next day his mother got sick, and we haven't been able to meet since. And he didn't make it to church, he had to take care of his mom. We aren't terribly worried that this will effect his baptism, but we do wonder what the adversary is up to. 

Justin and Julia brought their little 4 year old to church for the first time yesterday, and she behaved so well! Her mom just took her off to Primary without any prompting from us, and they know where their classes are and feel comfortable going there without us. When a member asked Justin if he was member, he said, "Going to be!" Now...... we just need to figure out when they want to get married, so they can be baptized!

So, overall it's been a pretty good week! Still hot, but it's coming into monsoon season! In my opinion, the monsoons are one of the best reasons to live down here!

I love you all! Thanks for all your love and support, and especially for your emails and letters! You are the best!

Love, Sister Brown

PS: Finally got some pictures of the car from the wreck! Here it is in the junkyard- still hoping to get pictures on the car upside down in the street! Reminder- I was sitting behind the passenger. And yes, I did roll down my window to extract myself and Sister Tucker from the car.

Miracle.

Another Transfer Successfully Avoided.......August 6, 2014

8-6-2014

So, yes! I am still serving here in the Mesa 5th Ward in the Maricopa North Stake with Sister Tucker. Thank goodness! We have a lot of good things going on!

Brandon set a date to be baptized!! He chose September 20th. Except, that's all the way after the NEXT transfer, so we may try to move it up a week or two. We are so excited for him! He is already integrated into the ward and the Young Men, we are so happy!

Justin and Julia made it to all three hours of church last Sunday! And the ward has really just taken them under-wing :) They already seem like members! They still have so much to learn, but they both have said that what we have taught them seems right- it just clicks. And it does! The Gospel of Jesus Christ makes so much sense. Historically and through the power of the Holy Ghost, it feels like a no-brainer. But so often, past thoughts and influences confuse the pure and simple truth of the Gospel. If we are open to the quiet and gentle tugs of the Spirit, we will know the truth. I've found that we must be humble, and have faith in our Savior and our Eternal Father, to find the truth.

I am so thankful that I have been blessed to know the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have been so blessed to be raised by a mother and a father who love the Lord, and have taught me and my sisters from when we were small to love Him as well. Our family has been blessed by their example and faithfulness. Over the last year, and even before the mission, I have seen so many families torn apart by the ways of the world, and even families who are faithful and true, yet lack the love that I knew while growing up. I know that it is through the Gospel of Jesus Christ and by following our prophets that our families are blessed. So, thanks Mom and Dad. Your example means the world to me.

So! We are plugging along on our bikes in the heat! We haven't gotten caught in a rainstorm yet, but they are here and I love them! 

Ok.

I LOVE YOU!!!

Love, Sister Hailey Brown

Sometimes crazy things happen, again and again... July 28, 2014

7-28-2014

SO, hi guys. I actually don't feel like writing a lot today. Because guess what? I got sick.

It's the dumbest thing, actually. Adults don't usually get it. I just got this rash all over my body, so we went into a walk in clinic, and apparently I have the super contagious Hand Foot and Mouth Disease. It sounds gross, but mostly I'm fine, just super itchy. Who know how I got it, but I've been out of work for the last few days. But we were able to do splits so Sister Tucker could still go to our appointments! and I guess they went super well!

Earlier this week we were able to go to the Visitor's Center with Brandon and his mom, and they both seemed to really enjoy it! I think the family is super important to them, which is good because it's super important to us too! The Visitor's Center is the best.

We're all doing pretty okay from the car accident. Sister Tucker is working on getting into a chiropractor, and Sister Lopez is dealing with a concussion. Besides that we are getting by! Still so very lucky to be alive.

Justin and Julia came to church yesterday! Which we were going to leave early, but then ended up having to stay for them. But I think they enjoyed it! the ward did a good job of reaching out to them and getting to know them. Sister Tucker taught them the Plan of Salvation while I was home sick, and they took it all very well! They are struggling a lot financially so that is hard for them, but they are continuing to seek out the gospel truth!

That's about all for this week.... I love this church and I love the gospel we have been blessed with! NEVER LET IT GO. We don't see all the blessings that are coming, but I testify to you, they are coming.

I love you all!

Love, Sister Hailey Brown

Here's some cool pictures of a mild-moderate dust storm from our backyard.

Some miracles stick out more than others....​... July 21, 2014

7-21-2014

So hey everyone! I'm alive! Most of you probably didn't realize how important that statement is right now....

We got in a really bad car accident this week. My companion and I in the back seat, two other sisters in the front. We got hit from the back left, and none of us saw it coming. Somehow or another, our car ended up upside-down in the street. Yes, it was terrifying and traumatic. But we all got checked out at the ER, and besides some bumps and bruises and cuts from the glass shatter, we're all pretty fine. Our car was not salvageable in any way shape or form, but four sister missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were all able to walk away (or crawl away or were helped or carried to the curb or whatever) virtually unharmed. The man who helped me with Sister Tucker agreed with me as I consoled her and reminded her that we are daughters of God and that He loves us and protected us. He said he was of a different faith when I asked if he had ever met with the missionaries, but we both know that God loves all His children. (Yes, I've been a missionary so long that opportunities to share the gospel are grabbed even 90 seconds after running from a car we all think is going to blow up.) We may not know why the accident happened, or why it had to happen to us, but even running through the mess on the road collecting our belongings I thought to myself, "Everything happens for a reason." I can truly say that this experience has strengthened my faith. Plus, it was really exciting, and we got to chill at the mission home for the next day or two and watch movies and rest. But really, if you want to increase your faith, don't do it this way, okay? :)

Besides the crazy accident which basically put us out of commission, we had a great week! We have three new investigators, two of which are a couple who called the church last Sunday wanting to learn more. We are excited to teach them!

Our investigator Brandon is doing really well. He came to the Youth activity Wednesday night, a huge water party, and to the ward party Saturday night, and to church. Yay!

So that was our week. I am so thankful that we are all alive and functioning just fine, and that we are able to go back to work. Can anyone say this wasn't a miracle?

I love you!! Wear your seatbelts!!!!

Love, Sister Hailey Brown

Humidity. It Happens Here Too........ July 14, 2014

7-14-2014

So...

I remember stepping off the plane in Phoenix on July 22, 2013, and I felt the humidity and wondered if we had landed in Mexico instead. And now, I feel the humidity again. Only this time, it's here with a vengeance. Luckily, the worst of the humidity is INSIDE our apartment, not outside while we're walking or riding bikes. Not that those activities are super exciting right now either.

But we get by! Basically, it's only through the grace of God. There is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY I could or would do this if I didn't know at the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth and that people everywhere need to know! All we ask is for everyone to listen for 5 minutes, because they don't realize what they are saying no to! But we are just here to invite- it is the Holy Ghost that touches hearts and converts people to Christ and to the fullness of His Gospel on the earth today!

Whoo. Okay. So a pretty good week, saw some people, rode some bikes, didn't jump in the pool.

We met a new investigator this week! Her name is Nikki, and the Spanish Elders talked to her and told us to go see her. She knows a bit about our religion from a friend growing up. We taught her the Restoration last night, and she accepted the doctrine that we taught her. Because it all makes since!

We're going to go to the Visitor's Center at the Mesa Temple this week with Nikki to watch Jospeh Smith: Prophet of the Restoration. Yay! So excited!

Hmm. not much else to say.... Do you all have any questions? Basically we're trying to contact some people you have shown interest previously in learning about our religion. And we're working on helping the members do to their missionary work!

I love you all! If this email isn't long enough, go read "Our Search For Happiness" by M. Russell Ballard. It's so good!

Be happy!

Love, Sister Hailey Brown

pictures- 

Sister Tucker and I on my year mark, July 10th! 

And yes, I got a camelback . it is quite helpful!