No I haven't received any notice about a package. Man I'll miss seeing Bronco as head coach but he's moving on. Man that's gonna be a good bowl game! You have to update me on it! That's a good plan for Alton cause BYU is the best in all the land!! And also that's some great goals that you have set for the Relief Society. I have seen a lot how serving a mission will help in serving in other callings in the church. There are a lot of things one learns here in the field. And Congrats to Tana on becoming a trainer. It's always a lot of fun to train. But as a trainee, good luck!
This past week we had our Christmas conference. The whole mission got together, had a meeting, and then performed our zone musical numbers. I'll have to show you all the videos when I get home. Our zone won the most spirited award. Meaning the best of course haha. I remember last christmas con I was only 3 weeks in the mission. Now after my last one I am down to counting on 2 hands as you mentioned, I have 10 months left. Man where does all the time go?? Today we had a fun zone activity at a beach park. It's a cool place but very tempting because of the ocean!
We are still struggling in our area with achieving the goals that we have set. Although we have had investigators tell us not come back anymore, we have increased our teaching pool and added a few baptismal dates for January. Our mission is focusing now more on baptism and confirmation and investigators attending sacrament meeting. We have been visiting our investigators and inviting them a lot but they prefer to attend their afternoon church or they are too busy. My patience is still being tested and I know there is a great blessing behind this. I am very grateful for it because I have been studying and praying harder to increase my faith and testimony. A simple testimony combined with the spirit is what will truly convert those we teach. It's very interesting how God is making me strengthen Christlike attributes through something that I have thought of as unsuccessful--not having the desired results. Feeling the spirit in the lessons and giving a full 100% commitment to the Lord is what determines success.
Yesterday we taught 4 seventh-day adventists. One was a pastor and one was once a missionary but now a principal at their church school. They are very interesting and have strengthened my testimony in the true gospel of Jesus Christ. The principal has read The Book of Mormon and D&C. He says they are true good books but I still don't understand why he is where he is today. We didn't get to finish our lesson because they had to leave somewhere. It was my first time teaching a church leader of another faith.
Alam ko po na totoo po Ang Simbahan ni Jesucristo ng mga banal sa mga huling araw. Walang iba.
Love,
Elder Brown
