Conferences Galore!

Well this week was weird and fun.

Service activity

We went as a zone to paint a member house in some other areas this Tuesday. The elders dug a large pit in the front yard (which I still don't know what the purpose was of) and the Hermanas sanded down the walls. the sound of the sandpaper was Very loud and we got COVERED with paint dust. It definitely was not good for our lungs. I'm pretty sure the inside of my lungs are now a nice shade of that pale yellow paint. We wore newspaper on our heads to try and keep some of it off, it didn't really work ha ha. but the Member lady was very nice and brought us all empanadas and her dog liked to play soccer. So we kicked the ball around with the elders and the dog. It was hilarious. It also was rainy that day.

World wide Broadcast Conference

This was on Wednesday and it changed missionaries lives around the world. they made lots of changes to our schedules: like not having normal studies on p days, and having the flexibility and agency of organizing our days on our own more. Also, having planning time in the mornings instead of at night. Also, only 4 key indicators now. I love all the changes but its been a bit loco and weird getting used to them this week! We now do our studies in the middle of the day during siesta time and during those hottest hours... it's awesome.  I got to see all my Bolivia CCM peeps at the conference too! That was really awesome.

Relief Society Activity.

We went to a relief society activity Thursday night. Our investigator didn't show up but we got food before we left to rush to be home in time. We ate an empanada and Torte (cake) as we walked fast.

This Thursday was also my ONE MONTH IN BOLIVIA MARK! I feel like I cant believe its already been a month in my mission, but I also feel like I cant believe its ONLY been a month. Its been a LOOONG month ha ha.

Quinton L. Cook

We had a conference with an apostle this Saturday. It was really amazing. The spirit was incredibly strong before he even came in. Because just being in a room full of missionaries was amazing. and when we sang the hymns it was very powerful. He gave an amazing talk and testimony and we had a q and a session which was also amazing. He left us with a blessing and talked about our families which made a lot of people cry. One of those people was me. Also, before he had all of us come and shake hands with him and the other leaders there. That was really cool too. That's the 2nd time I've met him, he came to a stake conference at home many years ago too. It was a beautiful conference. here are some pictures below of CCM pals and my companion.

Stake Conference

This was a special conference with a quorum of the Seventy member! It was also really great although that was all in Spanish and I didn't understand everything. but I felt the spirit. It was a very full room as well, and me and my companion were squished on one of the benches.

Last night we also had a great lesson with the familia Limachi. and when I bore my testimony, the spirit was with me very strongly and somehow I was able to say all these things that I didn't realize I could say. I'm so grateful to have been able to help the Lord do his Work. the Gift of Tongues is very real.

see y'all next week!

-Hermana Brown

Calle Independencia #610 Esq. Lemoine
Zona Central Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz
Bolivia

It's been rough because it s really hard to get lessons. We do lots of walking. I've been praying for a lot of patience. Also its really hard to get people in our area to come to church. I haven't figured out how to download songs quite yet but I'm sure they will help a lot once I do. Thank you. Wow!  That's crazy about the rain!!!!!! That's seriously insane! I cant even fully comprehend it!. Wow!   I can't believe I'm missing the craziest rain in forever in California. Jealous!

Couldn't write so here's photos:

Sister Cluff and Me 

view from our window

locals 

beautiful skyline

more locals

Sister Cluff

Bolivians like their trees and bushes shaped like animals

Sister Cluff and me again

Hola!

¡Hola!

this week has been great I'm learning more and understanding much more in lessons and in conversations!

I finished the BOM this week and its awesome! I am now starting to read it in Spanish! Ive also started reading Jesus the Christ which I really am enjoying.

Its hard to get lessons recently because people are always busy and its hard to get them to come to church. So we've been doing a lot of walking!

  It rained on us again but not as hard as last time! The weather has actually been slightly less scorching hot recently!

Sister Cluff, Me and Mayer

We had cake at our district meeting for an Elder's birthday and we had Papa Johns last p day! I love food that's not Chicken and rice for once!

I actually really really like yogurt and cereal now. What will I do when I go home and the yogurt isn't drinkable yogurt??

I'm loving the work and the opportunity to serve the Lord every day. Me and my companion are getting along really well. She loves Star wars and lots of the other same things I like too! Although she wont let me get a good picture of her (example attached).

We have been finishing our planning every night by writing down the miracles we saw that day. Its amazing how much my eyes have been opened to see the daily blessings Heavenly Father gives us every day.

We met a few new investigators this week that I think are going to be really great! There's the Familia Flores and the lesson with them was amazing they all listened with rapt attention and the son who's about our age was very interested in the Joseph Smith story and asked a lot of questions. It would be such an honor to baptize such a wonderful family.

Our mission president recently allowed Disney movies on p day!! As long as we don't ask for them every week or super often but I think were gonna watch Spirit today! Which Ive never seen. I'm excited for that!

I'm attaching some pictures of our house and a bush that looks like a bird and my agenda, which we decorate it}}with pictures cut out of the Liahona. I really like the cover of mine!

Sorry this weeks email was short! I love you all! Miss you all!

Remember to make Christ the center of your life and homes. I cannot express how greatly it can help and bless you in all affictions and trails.

Thank you mom and dad, for everything.

love and luck from Bolivia,

Hermana Brown

Settling In

Not much time this week so sorry it short this time!

Here are some things that happened:

Our investigators the Familia Limachi came to church this week! and they paid their tithing! They have a date for may because they don't have much money to get married but we hope we can get them a date to be sooner. I'm excited for them to become an eternal family.

Rainstorm

We got caught in the rain ! We were soaked and it was very cold! There was a drive by egg throwing at my companion while we were sheltering from the rain. that was rude! But we kept working anyways!

Transportation

Lots and lot and lots of walking I feel like a pioneer. When we're not walking we take the Micro(which is like riding the Night Bus from Harry Potter) or a Taxi(which is like Mr Toad's wild ride) Oh, and seat belts aren't a thing. There was one taxi that only qualified as a car because it had for wheels and an engine.

Animals.

Dogs and chickens EVERYWHERE. and black cats crossing your path a much more common.

Hna Orozco

Our sister training leader lost her mini missionary companion and has been staying with us. She is great and from Columbia. Hopefully,  she will get her new companion soon but we are unsure.

BOM 

I have almost finished the Book of Mormon ! It has been such an amazing experience and I have learned so much! I encourage everyone to read it through cover to cover its great! I know it is true with all my heart.

Food

Is there any other way to drink milk than out of a bag? I had cereal with milk (not yogurt) the other day and it was so weird! haha We eat so many BANANAS we've gone through about 2 dozen this week. (its mostly my companion) they are called waleyley here which is the Ketchewah word.

I am learning top really love the work and the people. I am so happy to be serving the Lord and to be a disciple of Christ. I listen to a conference talk almost every morning and they always give me hope and strength that I need for that day and are answers to my prayers.This is the Mission of Miracles.

I'm still learning the language but I have been talking more in lessons. I cant wait to learn more so that I can share the truth and beauty that is this Gospel with these people.
Bolivia

Bolivia is interesting. I'm in an area where it is very very hot most of the time, and there are lots of mosquitos but we got caught in a rainstorm the other day too. There is a mix of Orange County rich people here but also many very very poor people. All the houses have their front yard gated so we knock at the gate (usually banging the lock against the gate) It's interesting. The houses are usually very small and very humble. EVERYONE litters--and dogs and cats roam the streets all the time. Also, they don't really believe in training dogs, so we get barked at at pretty much every house--because for some reason people have barley a toilet but also like 4 dogs each. At first all I could see were these things. But now I've started to notice how beautiful the sunsets are and because of the wind there is a saying that "in Santa Cruz the clouds are always racing" and its true! I love to look at the sky, and there are so many stars at night. Sometimes I can't remember what it was like to not drink milk out of a bag or to expect anything other than chicken or beef at lunch. The people are very kind most of the time. They always greet with touching cheeks and a kiss. (not with the men of course) they always offer you drink or food or both when you visit and its very bad manners to not eat everything they give you. We live on the third floor of a house building place. Not really sure what to call it but there are to dogs that are very mild mannered and quiet. one is Bruno and the other is Perla and Perla is about as long as my hand. I don't ever want her to get any bigger. The members are very kind. We had a family come to church this Sunday! People are very understand about me learning the language and helpful when I struggle with words. We walk so much!

Bolivia is VERY different from the United States. And it takes adjusting. but I am learning to love this work that we are doing and I am learning to love Bolivia. 

Here are some of my favorite scriptures this week.

DC 31:13

3 nefi 27:21

3 nefi 24:7

3 nefi 18:10

3 nefi 17

Nos Vamos!!! y Bueno Ano!!!

-Hermana Brown

Feliz Ano!!

Christmas

Christmas in the CCM was amazing I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to share the holiday with my family of missionaries. I will always cherish the memories. We did a lot of singing and took pictures and we had a lot of fun exchanging secret Santa gifts. Some people got really creative! I made a gleeking spider man doll for elder Nase. It was pretty impressive I'd say--and I made a stuffed poop emoji out of a sock for Hermana Heartline. That one was good too. There were fireworks across the whole horizon at midnight on Christmas eve. It sounded like World War III. I don't know how anyone was sleeping through it. It was amazing.

Sick and leaving

leaving the CCM was hard--I had many friends there. but I knew it was time to go. However, I threw up that morning and I got a blessing from the presidente and a couple elders form my district later so that I'd be able to get through travelling. It was hard to stand  going through the airport. One Hermana said I looked nearly green. It was not fun. But we had a sweet goodbye from all the avencados as we got on the bus to leave. They sang in a little impromptu choir God be With you till we Meet again. Lots of tearful goodbyes and lots of handshakes that I wish were hugs. How blessed am I to have people to miss.

Bolivia

We arrived and spent the first couple of nights in a hotel! We had a lot of meetings at the president's house the first day! President Rodriguez and his wife are very kind! They gave us Bolivian food for lunch and Pap Johns for dinner! It was great! Although I was still feeling sickish.

Then on Wednesday, we met our new companions and went of to work! My trainer is Hermana Cluff. She is from Utah and she is very patient with me she also loves Star Wars! It's been very hard work and I miss home more than ever, but the Lord is watching over me and Christ walks beside me. I'm grateful to be serving.

The people are great but they are in and out of their houses a lot so its hard to actually have a lesson although we have quite a few contacts. Right now were trying to get the Family Limachi to get married to they can be baptized--and another Girl who has agreed to be baptized and has a date but need to come to church. Mostly I have been pretty quite which gets lonely because I don't understand a lot but as far as I can tell that's pretty normal for the beginning. I talked more last night though at a lesson with another girl named Ana Belen.  She's a very philosophical thinker and has a lot of questions. She reminds me a lot of Kris. 

I think I did well answering some of her questions which I'm proud of! 

Our shower is in the same space as our toilet so that's interesting. Our apartment is pretty nice and pretty large for only two people I hear. I've been decorating to make it more like home. 

I'm very grateful for the sheet that my family and friends all wrote on. It has given me a lot of comfort after long hard days. 

Everything is very different here, and dogs follow you around and bark at you a lot. I'm working on adjusting. I'm proud to be a servant of the Lord.

I've been reading the Book of Mormon and this week I read 3 and 4 Nephi. I loved it. On my first day the scripture 3 Nephi 15:9 gave me a lot of comfort and hope. I'm just starting Mormon right now. I love the scriptures with all my heart and I know they are true. I've learned while reading the scriptures through in order that God has a perfect knowledge of things, and I've noticed if you read how something happens at one point in the scriptures that may be confusing or that raises questions then those questions are usually answered later on and the reason for why things happened makes sense! You just have to keep reading! He does answer our questions and concerns. The scriptures have been such a great resource for those answers and words of comfort I need so desperately. I testify if you read them they will give those same blessing to you as they have done for me. 

I love you all! I miss you all so much! Good luck in the new year! 

Feliz Ano!!

-Hermana Brown