Dos Intercambios "Two Exhanges" (April 22-29)

No hymn this week...

Hey all!

This week went fast! On Monday I got a pretty short preparation day, because we did service for a part member family instead! We trimmed down their tree and threw away a truck load of branches, sticks, and leaves at the dump. After that we had Family Home Evening with some members and they invited some nonmembers and less active members too. We got to know M_____ who I will call Mike. He is a new person we will be teaching, who is just now starting to be curious about religion. He really likes Family Home Evening because of the short, simple, and sweet gospel messages. It is always really cool to see, true curiosity being answered by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Tuesday we were down in Alexandria for the day on Exchanges. There is a lot of Spanish speaking people that live there, and I just smiled and nodded a lot. Unlike my brother, I am not good at picking up Spanish, all of a sudden. Lol. We found two really cool things while we were down there though! We got a picture next to Ole, and a picture of this really cool Vietnam war memorial. We also helped out at a food shelf in Alexandria, and they gave a whole bunch of free food. We wouldn't have taken it, but they literally just stacked food on us and told us to take it. They gave us a Full Turkey! What the heck am I supposed to do with that! So we ended up giving it to a member here. 

Wednesday we helped some members in Brainerd move out. We started at 10 in the morning and finished at 4:30! It took a long while but, we were glad we came to help, otherwise it would not have gotten done. Then we were going to teach mission prep, but they were having a pizza party instead. The youth here won a stake wide seminary competition, so they got to have pizza and other food, and play games. So we left and talked with the elders in our district instead.

On Thursday and Friday it was hard to talk or set up anything with people, because Avengers: Endgame had just came out. It doesn't surprise me though because that movie is like a milestone marker in the film industry, of course everyone wants to watch it. We had district Council on Thursday, and then we served at the food shelf.  Then we tried contacting people all night, but it wasn't to successful, for the aforementioned reason. Friday we were able to have lunch and a lesson with another new person B____ whom I will call Bob. Bob has gone through a lot in his life, and is striving to be the best he can, and really likes us missionaries. He wants us over whenever we can, and he is just so ready for change, its awesome!

Saturday we had an Exchange with our Zone Leaders and I was in Brainerd with Elder Roundy. We tracted a bit, but we really didn't get to have any lessons until after 5:30 at night. We ended up skipping our dinner, because we finally had some people wanting to talk with us. We talked to some really cool members for an hour about how we all gained our testimonies. It was really good, to hear there experiences. Then we went over to a couple that has been taught off and on by missionaries, but they really only wanted to be our friends, and don't really want to hear about the gospel. So we probably won't go over there again for a long while. Sometimes it takes a while for people to become ready and we have to be patient with them. 

Sunday we spent the day in the Crosby area again. We went to church in Atkin (about an hour away) and then spent the day getting to know more members in the Crosby area. Crosby is about 20 minutes out of Brainerd and Atkin. There are some really crazy rednecks with a thick Minnasotin accent. There is this 75 year old that drives his truck and four by four around drunk, 24/7. The stories are just hilarious. Then the members were talking about eating Rabbits and going coon huntin'. I thought some of the people in Brainerd were interesting, but comparatively they are about as normal as you could get, to the people in Crosby. 

To end on a happy note, Linnie came to church on Sunday, and she really enjoyed it! She wants to come every week and a member has agreed to drive every week too! We taught her in person Friday night  and will see her in person again tomorrow (Tuesday). When we talked with her, she said she heard the spirit literally talk to her, and told she needed to go to church! She is stronger with the spirit than most people I have met, it is really cool! Anyways, love you all, and I hope you all have a fantastic week!

-Elder Brown

Ole the Giant Viking

Cool Vietnam memorial

Camp Ripley Sunset

Elder Roundy Exchange

The Ox Grind (April 15-21)

Hymn of the week "Battle Hymn of the Republic" (Elder Coombs Favorite)

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;

This week has been really good. Our area book has been a mess and most of the stuff in it hasn't been updated in years. So we have been going to every single contact in it. We go and visit all the members to get to know them, see if they are active and who needs our help. Then we visit all the people who have seen the missionaries in the past 3 to 4 years and see who is interested and who is not. We have visited almost all of the out lying towns near Brainerd already.

He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored.

This week is called the Ox Grind, as kind of a code name. Elder Coombs and I have noticed that there are quite a few Oxen statues around the Brainerd area. It is very symbolic to us going out and seeing all of the inactive members and literally gathering Israel. Just like the Oxen under the temple baptismal font, we too are trying to gather all of gods children and bring them to one place. The temple. We are trying to get all to become worthy to visit the temple so that they too can make promises with God, so that they can progress. Nothing will stop the progress of the Lord, and certainly not stupid reasons, that keep people from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 

He hath loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible, swift sword;

His truth is marching on.

Tuesday we went over to the Pillager area. We visited all of the members, and found that some had moved. We have had the attitude that we are doing all of the boring work, so that missionaries in the future will not waste there time trying to visit someone who doesn't live there anymore. We met a guy named Ken, and he is retired now. He has a really cool wood style house, with all sorts of Big Game trophies and Fish racks. He goes fishing everyday between the months of May to October, and he told us that on our P-Day (or any day) we are more than welcome to go fishing with him. We might go fishing later in May with him, on one of our P-Days. He is a really good guy and we know that we can get him to come back to church. He honestly just has gotten in a habit of not going to church.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;

After talking with Ken, it got me thinking. It is really easy to degrade your testimony. It starts with the little things, and when you stop doing those little things then it becomes, easier and easier to keep doing other things. It may start out with us stopping our prayers. After that becomes a normalized we start dropping everything else. When watching Conference, you will notice that they asked us to continue doing the simple things and to take them seriously many times. We like to share a message with all the less actives to see if they are ready to come back to the truth.

He is sifting out the hearts of men before his judgment seat.

On Wednesday, we got to meet the others In my current district! We have a whole bunch more really solid missionaries. We only got to meet over Skype but that's better than nothing. Than we got to do service for 3 hours! We first helped Sister Bench move a couch out of her apartment, and then when we finished that we headed over to the food bank. It was a busy day there, it must of been because they were handing out candy for Easter. Oh, and then we got to teach mission preparation. Honestly teaching missionary preparation is one of my highlights each week. We teach it so that it is fun and it makes them actually interested. To be honest, I wasn't a big fan of mission prep at home. I think having missionaries teach it, gives the students a much more accurate understanding of what missionary work is. Also we ask them what they want to learn. We gave them each a Book of Mormon to give out to one of their friends too. We made sure they understood that it doesn't have to be awkward and that it shouldn't be fake. A really simple and short testimony and an offer to have them own a copy will do so much. If they don't read now or care right now, you never know if they will pick it up later.

Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer him; be jubilant my feet!

Thursday, we spent the whole day in Pine River, which is about an hour north of Brainerd. We visited a few less active and active members. One of the members we visited are the Hunt's who own three companies currently and they have a really cool science shop (like straight out of Big Hero Six) and another shop that they hired an artist to go crazy there. The artist turned one of the bathrooms into this sweet Egyptian Throne Room. You feel like a King in there. And, all of the symbols on the walls have meaning! They went through and actually wrote stuff in Egyptian hieroglyphics! There was a bunch of other stuff there that was cool too. We also found out why there are so many Oxen around the Brainerd area. There was a fundraiser that sold these ox units for a couple thousand dollars, and you could buy one and then customize it yourself. There was 22 sold, but we have only found a few.

Our God is marching on.

Friday on our way back down from Pine River we found a large statue of Paul Bunyan and also a really cool Smoreas Bench. They were just to cool, so we had to stop to take a photo next to them. We then traveled all the way down to Princeton for exchanges. We spent until Saturday afternoon there and traveled back. On our way back we stopped by many of the members and nonmembers on our map. We were able to hand out two copies of the Book of Mormon and the Bible to some referrals too. One of them self referred from 2010! So we figured we would find out if they still wanted one, and they did. Some of the stuff you find is just crazy. But missionary life is so crazy, it doesn't really surprise me that the referral could be buried. We also got to visit the largest lake in Minnesota (or one of them) and the view was beautiful. It was about 65 degrees so I pulled out my short sleeve shirts.

In the beauty of the lilies, Christ was born across the sea,

On Easter day we got to have dinner with the Haslams which was good. I was so happy to have a good meal on Easter. They gave us Easter baskets too! I already loved this family a lot, and now this! Cool miracle just happened too! Sister Haslam asked us to go see one of her ministering sisters and we might just have 3 new people to teach! This is exactly why members are really the key to an effective area. Without member support were stranded out here. I challenge all who read this to think of someone, and refer them to the missionaries. They will seriously be so grateful for it! I have heard and seen many miracles happen from referrals, and to be honest almost all baptisms out in our mission come from a referral of some sort. 

With a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me.

I think the main thing I have learned this week, is that every member is very important. It is up to all of us to bring forth great and marvelous works. Missionaries just do the "dirty work" and teach the specifics, and help serve all. I love you all and remember to send a referral to those missionaries, they will be glad to have it!

As he died to make men holy, let US live to make men free,

While God is marching on.

-Elder Brown

lookin' like a snack (smores bench)

The biggest lake in Minnesota

Elder Coombs and I finding our first Ox (My new companion)

A really cool home and outer buildings of a member. 

Me next to my boy Paul Bunyan

Easter Baskets from the Haslams (super cool family)

Surviving the Storm (April 7-14)

Hymn of the week, "Sweet is the Peace the Gospel Brings"

Sweet is the peace the gospel brings

To seeking minds and true.

Hey Guys! This week has been wack! I have been hanging out with the Buffalo elders all week! We were going to have transfers on Thursday but we had a blizzard come through. We delayed transfers until Friday and then I didn't even get back to my own area till the afternoon of Friday. I had to cancel all appointments that I had, but miraculously all of them wouldn't have worked anyways. The lord knew that we would be unavailable so he allowed certain things to happen so that we didn't have to really have to cancel anything. 

With light refulgent on its wings,

It clears the human view.

On Monday I headed up to Buffalo and Elder Harris left to go to Bloomington. I stayed with Buffalo elders but the Hutchinson Elders spent the day with us too. We went thrift store shopping and I found some cool stuff but didn't buy anything. All those who know me know I hate buying stuff. I almost bought a nice pair of shoes there, but I didn't because my other shoes are still in really good condition. I only need one pair of nice tracting shoes. We actually had just had a lesson at church about saving money. I made a goal to spend less on groceries, (since that is the only thing I do spend money on) so I am no longer buying the needless things. Also it was nice to spend time with Elder Black and Elder Marchant, because they go out to eat every day! It made me realize just how fast money goes when you constantly eat out. That's why you must discipline yourself or allow others to do so.

Its laws and precepts are divine

And show a Father’s care.

On Tuesday we blitzed the Princeton area. We went tracting for a bit and then we went to give someone a blessing. I love giving blessings. That's why I really liked President Eyring's talk on sustaining your church leaders. He stated that part of your sustaining vote is allowing them to help you. If you think about it, there is no better way to show trust in someone except allowing them to serve you. So please allow your leaders and others to help you. Don't feel afraid to ask for a blessing or for other help. It is a great thing to have the privilege to help others and exercise that divine power which has placed in me to help Gods children. I hear to many times about others feeling afraid or to proud to ask for help. Please don't! God loves you and wants to bestow his immediate goodness upon you!

Transcendent love and mercy shine

In each injunction there.

Friday was transfers! I got to meet my new companion Elder Coombs. He has been out for 9 months and this is his 3rd area. He is from Paradise Utah! He grew up doing a lot of farming stuff. He is a really solid missionary that wants to do a lot of work here. I am so glad to have another really solid missionary to do some more work. There is few things that motivate me more than finding success in bringing others the gospel. When I was stuck in the storm, I was getting kind of stir crazy having to stay inside all day.

Faithless tradition flees its pow’r,

And unbelief gives way.

Speaking of my stir craziness I got stuck in a storm on Thursday! It snowed a foot in about 12 hours! Then it hailed and it hurt too! So Thursday we were told to stay in, and the Hutchinson elders were told to come to Buffalo on Wednesday, right before the storm. Our transfers got delayed a day and they wanted everyone within an hour from the cities before the storm hit. It was a long day stuck inside. We played some card games read plenty of scriptures, and talked. We did get to dig someone out of the snow. He had been driving and he just kind of slid into a section where the snow was a little taller. Luckily the storm calmed down, but it was still snowing when we left on Friday.

The gloomy clouds, which used to low’r,

Submit to reason’s sway.

Saturday we did a lot of planning. We made a whole bunch of plans for not only this week, but also for the entirety of our 7 week transfer. This next week we will be super busy. Also, almost our entire Zone got transferred out and changed. 4 of the 8 areas got whitewashed, and 3 of the areas have new missionaries. Only one place was left untouched. It is a good zone though. We have some really solid leaders here and it just feels like this zone is going to see a lot of success. 

May we who know the sacred Name

From every sin depart.

Sunday was a tiring day. After church we went over to the Crosby area. It is about 20 minutes out of town and it has about 2,000 residents. We went to every interested person and member in our area book. We walked around for 5 hours finding and updating our area book. We found a new person too! As we put in the work the lord blessed our efforts by placing yet another person into our lives to teach and bring closer to Christ. We got to meet a few of the members of the Atkin Branch and they were so happy to see us. They don't get Elders up there very much. 

Then will the Spirit’s constant flame

Preserve us pure in heart

That little town has so much cool stuff there! We found this really cool Viking Tavern with stained glass windows and a wooden carving of a viking. We also found a giant serpent statue! The thing was at least 15 ft tall. For such a small town there was a lot of little gimmicks there. Also on Sunday we brought an RLDS his version of the Doctrine and Covenants back to him. I just thought it was interesting to meet one of the RLDS. They are not very common anywhere.

So to sum up this week. Lots of traveling, staying inside the Buffalo apartment, and then ending it off with a couple very productive tiring days! Anyways I love all of you so much and am always glad to hear from you!

Me in front of the Viking statue

Elder Coombs  posing next to the viking statue

Giant Serpent statue

Me and the Buffalo and Hutchinson Elders stuck in the storm

The buffalo elders and I in Princeton

                  The Reorganized LDS D&C.

I Feel My Saviors Love

Hymn of the week, "I Feel My Savior’s Love"

I feel my Savior’s love

In all the world around me.

Tuesday was a weird day, in terms of weather. It started out sunny, then it hailed for 5 minutes. Then it rained and then it was sunny again. Then it was a windy cold snowy blizzard! Luckily we had a dinner that night with one of the members and we got to just chill there and talk with them till the storm passed on. I was glad because it was the worst day. I didn't think to bring a jacket due to the nice sunny morning.

His Spirit warms my soul

Through ev’rything I see.

On Wednesday we taught mission prep and we taught about planning and testimonies. We figured we would teach something practical and something spiritual. The youth here like us a lot and are super engaged when we teach them. We also helped an elderly woman move into her new room on Wednesday. Her son took us out to eat at the Barn. It was very redneck but the food was pretty good. Most of the people in there just looked at us funny. I don't think people with clean appearances eat there very often, lol.

He knows I will follow him,

Give all my life to him.

On Thursday, we did a lot of service! We cleaned the church with some of the members here and they took us to pizza hut for the buffet after. After that we went over to the salvation army and helped out there for several hours. Then we taught a couple member family's and that was our day. It was good to just be able to serve our ward for pretty much the whole day. 

I feel my Savior’s love,

The love he freely gives me.

We got to see P___ again! We had met him about a month ago and he must've forgotten about our return appointment. We were able to just answer some more of his questions. His dad walked in as we were talking and just kind of took over the conversation unfortunately. He is ok with us being their and teaching his 19 year old son, but I don't he like us. He doesn't want to restrict his son from choosing his own path, but if it were up to him he would not have us, I think. P____ has read a bit of the Book of Mormon and is going to read more!

I feel my Savior’s love;

Its gentleness enfolds me,

Saturday's conference was really good! I love how this Conference has really focused on bringing the spirit into our homes and allowing our homes to become like temples. The other topic was on growing our testimony and faith in Christ and the holy ghost. I love president Nelson's quote "we cannot survive without the constant companionship of the holy ghost in the last days." It was quoted or referenced 5 times! Five times! I think the lord is trying to tell us something. We cannot procrastinate the day of our repentance. We have to start the process now, so we already have the company of the spirit when we need it in these days. There is not much time left. Because we know the importance of the gospel, we must start appreciating our sacrament meetings more! How wonderful of a gift the Lord has provided us! We get to remember those special promises we made with our heavenly father every Sunday. I could talk for days about everything I loved about Conference but I will refrain right now.

And when I kneel to pray,

My heart is filled with peace.

Sunday was a great day! We got to watch General Conference with Linnie (that was L____ from last week). She is such a spiritual beast already. She is probably a better missionary than I am and she has had knowledge of the gospel for about 3 weeks. She has been sharing the gospel with her friends and now they want to take lessons too! She also really enjoyed Conference. She really loved President Nelson's talk on not delaying, and joining the gospel. We watched the Sunday morning Session with her at the Tropps. She is very comfortable around them now which is great! We are planning on having her be baptized in May when her fiance comes back from Ghana! He will be taking lessons when he gets back too! The lord has truly blessed us to have put Linnie in our lives.

I feel my Savior’s love

And know that he will bless me.

Sunday night we went over to a members house to give them a blessing. I was able to give her a blessing of comfort, and it was an amazing experience. As I began to pray all I could feel was the unspeakable amount of love our heavenly father had for her. While I held the priesthood power, it was only through spirit that I could give her an amazing blessing. I have to admit that I cried, for the love I felt was so great.

I found out Sunday night that elder Harris is leaving me to go AP! I will stay in Brainerd and finish my last 7 weeks of training with someone new. I don't know who yet but I know it is someone the lord has assigned to help me. I will miss my tall Tongan friend but I am happy he gets to finish his mission as an assistant to the president. He is a really great teacher and leader and I know he will do fantastic in his new role.

I offer him my heart;

My shepherd he will be.

In closing, I know the savior has an infinitely more perfect plan for all of us than we could ever have by ourselves. It would be wise for us to always remember God's immediate goodness. As we change we progress, let us always progress forward and upward to become ever increasingly heavenly. The lord will bless the efforts in which you give to him, if not now in the kingdoms of heaven. If you don't trust me trust the prophets of God. Love you all!

- Elder Brown

Linnie, President Tropp, Elder Harris, and myself

The snow from last Tuesday. It was a lot worse that what it looks.

Heavenly Father's Blessings (March 25-31)

Hymn of the week, "A Child's Prayer"

Heavenly Father, are you really there? 

And do you hear and answer ev’ry child’s prayer?

So I forgot to tell y'all last week that we are actually starting to teach L_____ now! She requested a bible online on comeuntochrist.org and she got talking with the sisters over Skype and accepted a Book of Mormon and has read some of it! The sisters taught her the restoration and part of the plan of salvation. They had us join the Skype call because we are her local missionaries. She didn't feel comfortable with us coming over at first so we hopped on Skype with the sisters. We co-taught her twice and then just me and Elder Harris taught a lesson too. She had three lessons with us in one week. She is seriously so ready for change and ready to hear the gospel. She has had a lot of hardship in her life recently but through the power of the gospel she has found hope and peace.

Some say that heaven is far away,

But I feel it close around me as I pray.

One of the really cool experiences we had with her was that she had a very distinct feeling from the spirit. She described her feeling and then we had her read Helaman 5:30 which reads, "And it came to pass when they heard this voice, and beheld that it was not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it did pierce even to the very soul" She was so surprised to see that it sounded just like her experience. She feels that the Book of Mormon was written for her. Which is true! She has a very strong testimony of the Book of Mormon. We were given the Book of Mormon to better understand Christs divine plan for us. We were able to give so much peace and comfort during her trials, and I know it is only because of her incredible faith.

Heavenly Father, I remember now

Something that Jesus told disciples long ago: 

Wednesday we served at the food shelf again, and that was good. We were also able to finally teach mission prep! It was really good and the kids enjoyed our lesson with them. We taught about how we can use the restoration to teach other principles of the gospel. You can easily shift the topic from the restoration to the godhead, for example. There is only five of them (four of which are girls) so it has definitely been interesting. I was thinking it would be more like the mission prep we had at home.

"Suffer the children to come to me.”

Father, in prayer I’m coming now to thee.

On Thursday we had Zone Conference and we got to see President Barney again! He is a good friend to many of us missionaries, because he truely loves us. Which I find is true in all of my favorite leaders and teachers. We must be someone's friend first, then a teacher. Zone Conference was good, we got to learn a few more things and we were able to make the day of a few mothers who's sons were serving a mission. They cooked us lunch and we thanked them and they told us that they loved to serve missionaries.

Pray, he is there;

Speak, he is list’ning.

Friday we had our weekly planning, and we called up a lot of members, and set up lessons with them. Some of them offered dinner to us as well, and we aren't ever going to refuse a dinner. On Friday night we were able to have dinner with the Tropps. They are an older couple here and they have given us a lot of advice and help for the area. They are so willing to help us with our missionary efforts. They had two pet salamanders and I got to hold them. They feel like slimy snakes with legs. Very weird.

You are his child;

His love now surrounds you.

We were able to have a lesson with L____ this week a couple times and she is just so ready for the gospel. She has gone through a lot recently and we have been able to help here understand the Plan of Salvation better. We taught her on Friday with just us and her over Skype, and that lesson went the best in my opinion. It has been a bit awkward teaching with the sisters because there is four of us. So when it was just elder Harris and I we were able to teach more cohesively.

He hears your prayer;

On Saturday we were able to go to a baptism in the cities. We went all that way because Elder Harris had taught her, and was asked to give the prayer. It is about a two hour drive, but it was worth it to see Elder Harris and the joy of the baptized. It makes me excited for the rest of my mission and to see the progression of the new people we are teaching. On Sunday we were able to visit J____ again! He had us come in and we were able to remind him of his heavenly father's love for him once more. He is pretty busy between work and family but he knows that he can fit in the Book of Mormon for a few minutes a day. The sad news is that he wants us to only swing by once a month. He knows it's the right thing in his life but he doesn't want it to take priority over everything else. I know that as he starts to read the Book of Mormon, and prays he will start to have a greater interest. I know that I must be patient with him, and allow the lord to reveal to him in his own timing. I'm glad to see and know that Jared is still interested, and seems to have a belief that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true. It's all in the lord's timing right? He has his agency and we have ours.

He loves the children.

Of such is the kingdom, the kingdom of heav’n.

One thing I have been thinking about a lot this week is just how much Heavenly Father loves us. He has given us the perfect way to return to his presence. He allows us to make the decision to live a higher law and then provides a way for us to do that. I know that as you consecrate everything to the lord he will return unto you tenfold. He wants to bless us to the point that we can't accept all the gifts and talents he gives to us. I love you all so much and I look forward to talking to you all next week.

-Elder Brown

Me by a tank (just in case ya didn't notice )

Some beautiful sky pictures

Elder Harris driving

A yummy breakfast I made