March 9th - Open area in Camalig, goodbye Donsol

I actually have 7 months left mom...I think. But anyways this past week was our last together because I am getting transferred after being just one transfer here in Donsol. I'm sad of course to be leaving my family and friends here but I've always learned that you always get transferred that you will love just as much or even more.

We will both be training. I get to open area in Camalig with my trainee because the 2 missionaries there got pulled out. That's 3 pull-outs in a row for Camalig. Camalig is very close to 3rd area. We'll be having district meetings in the chapel where I used to attend church so it's like I'm going home! I'm excited to be training again. This is my fourth son in the mission and I've heard that he's a filipino that sang at a five-star hotel in Manila. I don't know if that's true but if it is maybe I'll take some lessons from him so I can go on the tv show "I Love OPM" (old pilipino music). A lot of members have been telling us to go on it when we go home cause a lot of RMs have done awesome on there.

This past week was stake conference. There was a lot of great talks given about tithing and sustaining church leaders. The faith of the stake leaders here are steadfast and immovable. They have such strong testimonies of tithing. It's always a good time being in Legazpi because I'm actually not Elder Brown over there. I become "JORDAN CLARKSON"!!! wherever there are YM/YSA men that love basketball there. A fun experience for me happened after conference. I was looking for one family from my second area, Batan Island. I finally found them and they were surprised and so happy. Not because they saw me but because they saw me and we could actually have a conversation! My tagalog when I was assigned there made them giggle a lot. What a blessing it was for both of us haha. I also saw one of my recent converts from Guinobatan. She was so happy and I definitely noticed the difference that the gospel has made in her life. She's no longer that hurt, shy, and sad little girl that I once knew. She has tasted of God's love and felt of it through her listening to our discussions and applying them in her life. That is very vital for lasting conversion.

I will miss this area so much because the members are awesome here and the investigators we have. Last week we taught a 22 year old woman who was baptized as a convert with her family at age 8 but became Iglesia Ni Cristo at age 17. We quickly discovered why that happened and it just goes to show how true the Book of Mormon is. She fell away because she did not hold on to the iron rod continually. Actually she never did at all from what she said. She also never prayed often. She doesn't like to. She believes that there was a restoration but she doesn't believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet. She never liked how members are allowed to talk at church. She says it's bad for visitors and that they won't want to be members because of them. And thus we see the importance of the primary basics: Search, ponder, and pray. Actively attending church while being active in the gospel. And thus we see the modern day apostate zoramite ways in action. We bore powerful witness of our own conversion to the gospel through The Book of Mormon and how she can experience the same thing. She said that if she ever has time she'll read because she's because with the church choir.

On the brighter side we have a super progressing investigator that has come to know that The Book of Mormon is true. He was reading and came across 1 Nephi 2:9. The verse where Lehi tells Laman to be like unto a certain river that continually runs into the fountain of all righteousness. He loved it so much and couldn't stop smiling as he read and explained it to us. He even posted it on facebook in hope that people will apply it. He also included it in the letter that he wrote me yesterday.

I have learned so much from just 6 weeks in Donsol and it's hard to say goodbye. Elder Ivins and his trainee should have be having a baptism this week. I hope to one day come back as an RM and visit all my family out here. Please donate to the Brother L. Brown Return Trip Fund. Thank you. Any amount is appreciated and will not be wasted.

I love you all and I'm excited to be a father again. May we all strive to be like the river continually running into the fountain of all righteousness.

Love,

Elder Brown