November 26th - All good things take time!

Magandang Hapon Po Pamiliya Ko!

     Well the past few days have been great!  We teach our last lessons to our progressing investigators tonight.  The hard thing about learning a new language is that it feels like you'll hit a wall and get stuck.  It's very important to distinguish the difference between actually being stuck and enduring with faith and patience.  ALL GOOD THINGS TAKE TIME!  Rome was not built in a day as they say.

     In our last lesson with Julie Bastian, her husband was in a lesson for the first time.  Cardinal has been battling a stroke.  We taught the restoration to him.  We got to the Gospel Blesses Families and he asked a very serious and personal question.  Although he's a pretend investigator, but this felt very real and it's very easy to do that when you're at the MTC for long and you've taught so many times.  He asked if God is our Loving Father in Heaven, why does He allow bad things to happen?  Why do I have a stroke?  The Spirit immediately reminded me of a scripture found in Mosiah 23:21-22:  "Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.  Nevertheless--whosoever putteth his trust in Him the same shall be lifted up at the last day.  Yea, and thus it was with this people."

     It's definitely true that He does.  "and thus we see" that it is true that He will because  if we read in the next chapter v. 10-16 the Lord eased the burdens placed upon them due to their patience and faith in their trials, and for putting their trust in God.

I learned 2 things:

1.  The Spirit will bring things to your remembrance in the exact moment you need it if you continually treasure up the words of life.  That scripture was weighing heavily on my mind in the days and moments leading up to that lesson.

2.  Whatever burden we have or trial we are faced with, we can overcome them through our faith and patience in them and also by putting our trust in God.  It's very important to remember that it will be granted to you on the Lord's time and how He wants it.  Understand also that if you feel the problem hasn't left, have you ever thought or realized that God gave you strength to endure and overcome your challenge(s)?  I remember what Elder Brown1 shared the quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson:  "That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do -- not that the nature of the thing is changed, but that our power to do is increased."

     Well family I hope that you all have had a great week and continue to do so.  I know I have.  Next time you hear from me I will be where I am needed -- and that's the beautiful land of the Phillippines!  These 6 weeks have just absolutely flown by.

Alam ko po na nagbibigay po ang Diyos ng mga pagsubok sa atin upang nagpapalakas tayo.  Sa pangalan ni Jesucristo Amen.

Mahal kita pamilya!

Mahal,
Elder Brown2

P.s....Glad you like my letter Nana, that's what google translation is for and ask Nia and Will to translate when you don't understand my letters.

Answers to your questions Mom:

1.  Thanksgiving box?  Yes love it Mom.  The belt is a wee bit bigger than me but it works.  I'm so excited to read Grandpa Muti and Wolfgramm's books.  It's going to be hard to balance all of this but I'm excited.

2.  Sharing?  Yes, I gave Manoa 3 ties, shampoo/body wash and a pair of socks.  He loves it!

3.  Suitcases?  I have 10 lbs on each to spare.

I"m happy for Nia and Natalia, thank you for sharing their talks with me.  I didn't really recognize Nia on that picture.  She must have worked so hard to be able to almost forget the English language.  That brings me great comfort knowing that she struggled with English.  I strongly desire to reach that level of Tagalog.

Glad to hear Nana is helping Lyla with her BYU application.  That's good!  That's a great thing for all people to understand and realize that we should never set ourselves at a bar that we've already passed.  I struggled with that in my education but not when it came to applying for BYU.  It was the only school I wanted so I didn't bother to apply anywhere else.  I really hope Lyla can get accepted, but it's all according to God's will and what He wants for her .

I"m excited to call you guys on Wednesday morning.  I'll sharpen my Tagalog tonight to make sure it's perfecto!  Thank you so much for your words Mom.  It's too kind of you!