December 28th - 1st baptism

Good afternoon! Man that would've been great to hear more of their singing (referring to the Alapa family).  I miss their singing so much!! Oh and Australia?? (referring to Fifi Hosea). That's where Brother Reola's daughter is right now. I believe she just left the MTC. Im not sure but it was a 12 day stay in the NZ MTC. I believe the President and his wife are Tarawhiti's.atthe NZ MTC. 

Answers to your questions Mom:

1) Do you listen to your companion and get along well with him?  Of course! We've never argued over anything. We get along just great. He's a typical poly. That goofy, loud, always singing kind.

2) Struggle the most?  Only with the language.It's like Tonga. If you know the language you know the culture.

3) Alapas Christmas songs?  Its my new favorite Christmas song now!

Yeah it used to hold me back big time but now I use a lot of Taglish. I go as much Tagalog as I can with some English if necessary. I used to be afraid of using English but Elder Lee Lo did a great job with helping me get out of that mindset and letting me know how he started and the struggles he had. He's always very encouraging to me.  Something I learned a lot from Elder Lee Lo is his great love for all the people we teach. He treats them like family and is very comfortable and really wants them to understand the principles and doctrines we share. Despite our weaknesses I love the position I'm in. I know that it has helped me learned new important and beneficial things. I hope to one day become a trainer.

On Saturday the 27th I had my first baptism. It was for Sister Maualuga and Matthes' investigator. His name is Elominado Tatoy about in his late 60s. The baptism was a great lesson. The water was a beautiful brown color. Yes brown. It was just really dirty water that's it. It felt like water not mud or anything else so no worries. Though the water wasn't clear it doesn't change the purpose of baptism. We entered unclean water where a man was immersed and left his uncleanliness with the water. He came out a clean man. He was pure. It's a beautiful thing. Even though I had to immerse him twice cause it was hard for his body to be bent, it didn't change a thing.

It's a great feeling when you see someone make the decision on their own through the influence of the Holy Ghost, to follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To bring others to a knowledge of the greatest thing in the world will bring us great happiness. Now if our joy is full with one soul that we bring unto the Savior just imagine how much greater our joy will be if we are to bring many souls unto him. I find that joy incomprehensible because it's what God finds his happiness in. When we choose to follow him. God has given us this gospel and His plan. He is perfect and never changes. He is omniscient and omnipotent. Why not follow Him? He is our Master and our Creator. All things denote that he exists. How could we turn away from Him? He has given us everything and we owe him everything and we are unprofitable servants. Despite all of this all he asks of us is simple in comparison to what he could ask of us: If ye love me, keep my commandments. Love God and Love your neighbor as thyself. If you do these two, you'll follow the rest. If you love god, you'll love what he has for you. Many people in The Book of Mormon testify abundantly that "inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye shall not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence.

Let us all choose for ourselves whom we will serve. Will you serve God? Or will I serve the things of this world? If we remember and continually hold fast to the iron rod we will never go astray for the iron rod leads to God. And to God is life eternal. The greatest of all the gifts of God.

Thank you for everything family and friends. I hope life is treating you well.

Love

Elder Brown

Elominado Tatoy and his family.  2 sisters are Sis. Maualuga and Matthes

They are addicted to my camera lol

Here's our Christmas!

December 21st - Faith & Patience

Good afternoon family!

   
     Thats awesome to hear about Pita. It sounds like he's a changed man. From what you shared with me, he sounds like he has truly been "converted unto the Lord" When you shared about Bishop's talk I remember he gave one like that before and he shared that verse about how the sons "began to grow up unto the Lord" I always remembered that every time I came across that verse. There's some other verses I have marked in my scripture that Bishop shared. He is a great Bishop and I miss the counsel and wisdom he would give to us. Bountiful 6th is a very blessed ward. Please follow the counsel he has shared. It will make a tremendous difference in your life.

Here's a funny story that happened to me. I was on a jeepney and I sat next to and across from 2 men who are attracted to men. He was very nice and open and said some very uncomfortable things: "call me when you get home hehehehe" "are you gonna miss me Elder Brown? A lot? Cause Im gonna miss you a lot!" He also talked to me about his husband/boyfriend or something. He extended his hand to shake mine and we did but he was trying to gently keep me down so I dont leave haha. And he awkwardly and weirdly rubbed it too. I was glad to be up and out of there!

     Speaking of sickness I kind of am right now. The balut tasted just like a hard boiled egg. Its hard when you think about a duck. So this morning at 3 AM there was this float with Christmas lights all over it and had people on it dancing and Santa had his microphone. It was crazy loud! I thought it was apart of my dream. Its true when they say "its more fun in the Philippines!" haha but anyways I laid down and my stomach was killing me. I needed to throw up but I couldnt so three hours later I forced myself and now I feel a lot better. Still a little bit sick though. 

We had Christmas conference this last week and it was a lot of fun. Its where all the Legazpi missionaries meet at the Legazpi stake center for a huge conference and Christmas zone talent show. I met so many polynesians here and there are a lot of people here from Utah. 

     We had one investigator show up to church yesterday. Her name is Lianor. She's a very sweet and unselfish woman. There's a lot of these little stores by homes and stuff in my area and she has one. She always gives us a soda and some skyflakes crackers. She is our only progessing investigator. We lost 2 I believe. We also had 5 less-actives show up too. We teach a lot of less-actives here. It was also testimony meeting so I introduced myself and shared a lot about the Atonement and The Book of Mormon.

Good news. 2 Samoan sisters, Maualuga and Matthes, have a baptism for one of their investigators and need someone to baptize him. So I guess I'll be the one doing it is what my companion told me. He's about 60ish and is a changed man from where he once was.

     Well I finished The Book of Mormon this past week and I've started over again. I've already learned so much more. That just goes to show the power behind The Book of Mormon. Use it everyday of your life and for every situation. With my minor sickness I've found motivation and comfort in the scriptures. I think a lot about the Sons of Mosiah and Alma the Younger and how they suffered so much with PATIENCE in affliction. I've discovered that patience and faith is the secret to being strong in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When we have faith we subject ourselves to Heavenly Father's will for us. When we wish to receive blessings or answers it takes patience. When it doesnt come on our time, we can be led into the pride cycle as it occurred so many times in The Book of Mormon. We need FAITH and PATIENCE in everything. Everything takes time and it's on The Lord's time not ours. Which is where our faith needs to be strong and upon the Rock of Our Redeemer.

Listen and read the words to verse 3 in How Firm a Foundation. It runs in my head everyday:

Fear not I am with thee O be not dismayed

For I am thy God and will still give thee aid

I'll strengthen thee, help thee and cause thee to stand

Upheld by my righteous, upheld by my righteous

Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand

     I love you all so much and cant wait to hear from you all via skype! Let me know what time Alton will be skyping so I can see if I can make it possible for both of us to skype you all at home.

Answer to your question Mom:

Is mission hard?

     It's hard but the Lord makes it bearable. He makes it hard because he wants us to rely on him. From the Book of Mormon thats why a lot of the people were afflicted or destroyed in battle because of their pride. They were always slow to remember God. It's hard at a level that has been tailored made for me is what I truly believe. We are all different and struggle with different things. It's faith and patience. I cant remember who said this but he said the secret to missionary work is WORK when you work you forget everything else. Look it up its a great one.


Eld Lilo from Vavau, me, Eld. Raven (Samoan), Eld Tevaga, Eld Huahane from Vavau, Eld Lesatele (going to BYU and he looks like Tyrone huh?.  There's also an Eld Fua not in the picture, he's related to Alani Fua the BYU player.

 Cousin, Elder Walters from NZ.

 Elder Whitney, friends with the Uasilaa boys.  He attended Northridge High.

 One of our investigators has this big fat pig.

 These children come and Christmas caroling to us all the time, then they wait around for me to give out some candy.  They think I'm Santa Clause haha.

               

December 15th - Grateful for Papa

     Did he foreal?! Thats awesome!! There's a Samoan Elder From LA named Elder Lesatele who has a scholarship to BYU to play outside backer. I met him today. Im so proud of Pookie. Let me know more!  That's good for Mariota i had no doubt he was gonna take it this year. He's solid. They sell it i just use the wipes. My roommates go with the good ol bar of soap. haha.

Answers to your questions Mom:

1) Need toilet paper?  Yes please.

2) Need lotions? Nope i wont need it till im done with my mission. Theres no need for it with the humidity here.

3) Are you losing weight? Eh probably. I wish feasting on the words of christ helped me gain weight

4) Need a smaller belt?  yeah. Im gonna buy these cool belts that everyone has out here. It's made from carabou horn (water buffalo)

5) Need goodies?  Only m&ms, snickers, skittles and oreos from what ive seen. Yes i'd love some cause Im "the candy man" aka santa clause. The kids get so excited when I pass them out. Its priceless and always makes me feel good seeing the joy on their faces from one little piece of candy. Dont worry I only drink at the apartment so im good or from the store.

   
I dont know where to start with this week. Mostly cause i have a bad memory. The bagyo was nothing really.

   
     In lessons it's still difficult cause I have so much to say but dont know how to say some or most of it. I will say this though. Im very grateful for papa and when he shared with me about his professor Gordon Thomas and how he helped him with his english. I also remembered that he put that in his book. I read over it and it was just what I needed. I thought about how papa now has such an intricate, convoluted, and complex language. He had nothing to fear and nothing to lose with his fob talk. Send him my love and appreciation for his vicarious help. Same with any new thing we do in life. We've never had much experience with it so why not be fearless? Forget about the opinion of others. I've applied it to myself and i feel a lot more open and comfortable and my nerves go away because I chose this day to be fearless. If you fail just make sure you fail forward.

   
     A lot of the time when we go out our investigators or less actives arent home. We taught 17 lessons this week. We teach a lot of the plan of salvation and faith in christ. Luckily I can say a lot about that with my beginner's tagalog. Im still very consistent with my Book of Mormon reading. Only a couple more pages and Im done.

   
     It's a really neat thing seeing investigators and less actives come closer to Christ. We have this one investigator, tatay Leonidas, and he's a great man. He's about in his 60s and he's very dilligent in reading the Book of Mormon. He has a notebook filled with notes. We always invite him to church and we've invited him to be baptized but he says once he knows its true, The Book of Mormon, then he will. I know with the way he studies and searches the scriptures he will one day.

   
     Something I wanna do when I get home is buy a bunch of handout Book of Mormons. David A  Bednar talked about how he has a book shelf filled with book of mormons that contain certain words or phrases marked. So each book is classified in this way. Ive started to do that in my notebook and it really helps me come closer to understand the underlying messages in the Book of Mormon. I challenge you all to do that. It will help you read more earnestly as Ive experienced.

   
     I hope your days get better and better each day. I hope you stop to think about Christ and his atoning sacrifice each day of your life. "Inasmuch ye shall keep His commandments ye shall prosper in the land" I love you all and Im excited for our Christmas conference this Wednesday. Its the only time we all gather as missionaries in the Legazpi mission!

Mahal Kita at Ingat po

Elder Brown

Ps...Oh and something we did on sunday was do a lot of what goes into providing a meeting house for members that live far away. In January a lot of our less actives should have a meeting house thats being rented.

Picture below:  Left to right:  Elder Simmons, Elder Nibarger, me, Bro. Spencer Calder (mtc teacher, was in the same mission as Pila Vea).  Two at the bottom right to left:  Sis. Hayden, served in Manila and got back 8 months ago, Sis. Quinn (formerly Sis. Flory) served in Cauayan mission same one where Elder Kaloni's (the older brother) brother served.  

Elder Tukumoe'atu, Sis. Etuale (glasses), sorry the other sister I forgot her name but she said she's from Laie.

18 inch hot dog and yes I finished it!

Behold, I ate balut (duck embryo/fetus) the one was 18 days old.  Just add some salt and a lot of vinegar and you're good.

December 8th - "I feel like Parley P. Pratt"

Magandang Gabi to you all in Utah! Well I know you're curious about the typhoon so here's how it went. It was a nophoon. Small kine. It was just super windy and rainy thats it. Definitely not a super typhoon. 

From last thursday to now we've spent a lot of our time indoors with no proselyting. I think we actually went out once. We had 6:00 at the residence curfew. We experienced a lot of brown outs aka blackouts. On sunday we had no power the whole day. Church was cancelled and we went over to the Sisters apartment and had sacrament. It was an 8 person meeting. 

With all this time indoors I spend the majority of my time "[seeking] first the kingdom of God" In 3 Nephi 13:33 the Savior promised that if we "seek first the kingdom of God, all these things shall be added unto you" I desire to "draw near unto him" so he can "draw near unto me" while he is still near. Being in the Philippines has done something to me. I love reading. Before I knew it 7 hours had passed by and we had to plan for tomorrow. I can search the Book of Mormon all day. Before my mission yeah I would read and then thats it. But I truly have learned to study the words out in my mind continually. The words contained in the Book of Mormon will tell you all things that you should do. They testify and witness of Christ, they contain the fullness of doctrine, it is the foundation of testimony, it is the most correct book on earth and that by abiding by its precepts we can grow closer to God than by any other book. I feel like Parley P. Pratt when he first read the Book of Mormon: "I read all day; eating was a burden, I had no desire for food; sleep was a burden when the night came, for I preferred reading than sleep."

With all this said, think about all the blessings God has in store for those who truly gain a testimony of this book. It is the most powerful resource in conversion. The lesson I'll always remember and be grateful for is this:

All the challenges I've faced and all the fears I've dealt with have all been felt by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He knows how I feel. And through The Book of Mormon I have grown closer to the Savior. I have a stronger desire to be like Him. I'm so grateful for the many weaknesses and challenges that I have been blessed with because it means the Lord knows that through them not only will we draw near to Him but we will become more like Him. I will forever be grateful and I know that I am an unprofitable servant to our Savior Jesus Christ. For I am nothing and I am weak without him. He has blessed me with weaknesses that I love or I would not seek Him. I am grateful for my imperfections for it is through Jesus Christ and His Atonement we can be perfected.

I challenge you all to go to the Lord and the Book of Mormon for answers and guidance in your life. When you need peace, when you need to answer questions that have sunk deep into your heart and your mind I promise you and the Lord promises you that if you study and search The Book of Mormon you will know through the Spirit that the words are true and they will help you.

Here's some helpful tips:

Apply it to yourself. Liken them to yourself. Think about your own life and what you desire or need. Search, analyze and apply as Elder Brown 1 once told me.

Make connections and find patterns in the scriptures. Use the footnotes for help too.

Put yourself in their shoes. Think about what you would do.

Watch the way God works. Study his ways, watch for His hand in the lives of Nephi and his family, the wicked, Alma, Amaleki, The Sons of Mosiah, Gideon, and many more.

Pray for the Spirit and pour out your desires to God. Ask him about what you read. Let him know how you feel. 

Family I love you all so much and miss you all kind of. haha. I'm having a lot of fun here in Polangui. Mahal kita! Sorry I forgot to bring my camera so wala pics para ngayon!

Elder Brown 2

December 5th - Typhoon warning

Kumusta po pamilya! 

Where do I even begin? Im proud of our youth participating in the Ward Mini mission. It definitely was a great experience for me. The home looks beautiful and so does everyone else. 

So when I last emailed we were only allowed to email a short paragraph and that's it dahil walang oras para sa email. (because no time for email.)  We just had to to inform you that we were alive. Which is the purpose of this email too kinda. 

My stay in the Manila MTC was great. A lot of Filipinos and polynesians. We arrived here in Legazpi December 4th around 2. We had 2 delays at the airport in Manila. Legazpi is a very green and beautiful land. Many palm trees and green everywhere. The zone im in right now is the Ligao zone and my specific area is Oas and Polangui. My companion is from Samoa. Not American Samoa. Samoa. He's proud of that. His name is Elder Lee Lo. He's my trainer. He has 3 months left. We've taught about 4 lessons now. Many people are busy or push it off. Man i've never prayed more in my life. Meaningfully. It bugs me when personal study is over because I just wanna read the Book of Mormon all day. It's an amazing feeling. The spirit is so strong and you learn so much. 

Everyone is always telling me I will get the language and it will come. It's all a matter of patience. Not being able to share all that I want to say and also understand is very difficult. Being here has been the hardest thing I've ever loved. Which is exactly what a mission is. The Lord hasnt sent me here to fail. He has commanded me to "go amongst my brethren the [Filipinos] and bear with patience [mine] afflictions and [He} will give [me] success." (Alma 26:27) I challenge you all to liken this unto yourself. For that is how we can understand God better, the scriptures better, and gaining faith in our abilities.

My mind has continually pondered upon the words in the scriptures. I believe its in D&C 88 i cant remember. "draw near unto me and i will draw near unto you." I strongly desire to have the Lord's presence near me. Especially with this difficult challenge I am faced with. "There's no growth in a comfort zone and no comfort in a growth zone."

Well Mom I hope you stay calm when I tell you this but we are expecting a super baguio (super typhoon) to hit by our area. It's expected to come at anytime which is why im emailing today and not Monday. I know I will survive and I know that God's ways are just. If anything serious happens me it is just and His will. I am prepared to meet maker. But dont worry mom I really will be safe. We have to be in our apartment at 6 tonight. 

Although this time in my life has been the most challenging I wouldnt have it any other way. Had it been easy I wouldnt have been brought closer to our Heavenly Father. Who sees fit to test our faith and patience in Him. For His ways and his thoughts are higher than man's. Had it been easy I wouldnt have drawn closer to the Savior and his Atoning sacrifice in the Garden of Gethsemane. His purpose in being slain for sins of the world and being lifted up on the cross is to draw all men unto him. (3 Nephi 27 14) \

Nagpapasalamat po ako para kay Jesucristo at Pagbabayad-sala niya dahil alam ko po na sa pamamagitan ng Pagbabayad-sala  puwede tayong maging katulad kay Cristo at pagtanggap ng lakas. Alam ko po na totoo dito sa pangalan ni Jesucristo Amen.

(I am grateful for Jesus Christ and his Atonement because I know that through the Atonement we can become Christ-like and receive strength. I know this to be true in the name of Jesus Christ amen.)

Love,
Elder Brown2



November 27th - Elder Brown left on Thanksgiving day.  He called from the airport to say goodbye.  Probably 18 hours later, I received this short email:

"I've arrived sa Pilipinas! Im safe and Elder Lile is giving me a massage right now and it feels good. It's cause he's from Vava'u. Im alive and having fun here at the Manila MTC. Everything is beautiful and the rain is great. Mahal kita pamilya! We will go tracting/on splits with the missionaries here in a few hours."