Last Week's Post by Shannon That Didn't Come Thru Til Now

Hola! so this week has gone by SO FAST! and it was awesome

So, last p day we had a zone activity and we went to the SAND DUNES! which was cool. I didn’t want to go when we were planning it. but it ended up being a really cold day so actually a perfect day to go and it was fun. we had foot long sandwiches (like a loaf of French bread for every person it was crazy) and we had to cram our entire zone into one van which was fun. we drove for like 40 min and there was a bunch of small lakes on the road on the path to the dunes that the car almost got stuck in a couple times. then there was a river and the van got STUCK! like the back tire was more than halfway sunk into the sand it was bad. but with some logs and teamwork we got it out. so that was exciting. We had fun jumping of the steep ledge of the dune into the sand and racing to the bottom and back up (I beat one elder so at least I wasn’t last) and a long jump competition. one elder ran to jump then right as her jumped off the ledge he screamed, “I’m afraid of heights" because it seems steep. that was our zone leader Elder Lozano. He’s from Texas but is brown so the Latinos don’t believe him when he says he’s from the states.

The we hiked back to the van and had to race to so our shopping. and in the evening, we found a family to teach which was great! There are some vids of us getting the car stuck and unstuck. and pics in the crowded van and sand dunes.

Investigators!

We seriously have some amazing investigaotres right now. and we have 6 people with baptismal dates. AND we have a family being baptized this Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the Familia Ampuero. Me and Hna Cluff found them when we lost of phone in the dad’s taxi and he returned it to us! they are great. 

We had an awesome FHE with them and the bishop at a member family’s house.

one investigator is an older guy and he accepted a baptism date this week but we talked to his granddaughter and she told us that his whole family are member but they were baptized in Spain and are inactive and he doesn’t know!

Also, news from the president investigators only need 2 times in the sacrament meeting to be baptized instead of 3 now!!

Bible Bashed

SO, we had a lesson with one of our amazing investigatores who’s boyfriend is a member and we watched the restoration video and were going to teach the plan of salvation. but her mom (who is supportive of us coming over for her daughter but is very evangelical herself) joined us and had a lot of questions. Then when my companion was explaining the pre-eternal life she interrupted with "sorry, but where in the bible is this?" and then she went OFF. now this lady has about 20 different bibles. I’m sure every version of bible there is she has. (she even has the bible for women?) and she started telling us all about genesis and pulled out her newest bible (bible chronologically) and we left their house AT 9:30 with is super bad cuz that is our latest curfew D: but one good thing is that our investigator stepped in to answer one of her mom’s questions and it was exactly what we would have said. Which was super cool.

Sunday

So, church this Sunday was CRAZY. We were literally running everywhere up and down stairs and everything. because our family needed to get their interviews for baptism done and we had to go to all the different third hours to invite people to come to the baptism and hand our assignments to put the baptism together. the only time I sat down for more than 20 min was during the sacrament. then after church we went to a member house for lunch and had PicuMachu for the 3rd time this week but that’s okay cuz its good and my companions favorite. It’s a bed of French fries with carne and pollo and juevo and mayo, tomatoes and cheese and it can be Spicy.

I ate a slice of chili whole and teared up at the table.

ALSO, NOW WE HAVE 2 HOURS FOR INTERNET!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

and those two hours are now up so ciao!!!

Love and Luck from Bolivia

Hermana Brown​

Mom's Post because Shannon Didn't Tell Me These Things!!

So, my sweet Shannon didn't give me very much info this week, but a beautiful girl named Sarai (she is the bishop's daughter according to Shannon) sent me these pictures.

From what I'm seeing, there was a baptism of a family (The Ampuero's) and from the looks of it, the sisters are giving English lessons!  Nice to know, Miss Shannon, hmmm?

Anyway, she looks very happy and I'm so glad that she and her companion love each other.  Maybe I can get more out of her on Monday.

According to the countdown marker at the bottom of the blog, Shannon comes home in 365 day!  Exactly a year!

Maybe a baby shower?

Teaching something (nothing on the board yet)

The Ampuera Family

The Mission President Rodriguez and his wife, the sisters and the Ampuera family

Now it looks like an English class

The whole group at the baptism.  Sarai Moldanado is squatting down in the front with the red jacket on

"Let's see how long I can beat the Sister's leg with a stick..." 

Shannon and her companion, Sister Mannan (I think I spelled it wrong).  She is from Argentina

Friiooo!

Alright so this week been COOL.

Investigators

So, we have found some awesome investigators recently who are very prepared. it’s been cool and I’ve seen a lot of miracles this week with finding and teaching people.

Dentista

We had to go to the dentist for my companion and it was 30 min long and cost 300 bolivianos!! but the dentist told me about Syria and Trump and shoot I’m not gonna have a country to come back to if this is just the beginning!

Torticulies

I don’t know how to spell it but my companion woke me up in the middle of the night yelling my name because he couldn’t move her body. It was a bit scary and I wished I was an elder for a moment so could give her a blessing. We called the health secretary at 5 am and she said to try and rest. The next day she still couldn’t walk very well so we had to stay home for pretty much the whole day, our pencionista brought us lunch. We were able to leave, walking very slowly to go to our most important appointment of the day, but when we got there our investigator wasn’t there! but we were able to teach her mom who was fantastic! She made her own commitment to read and pray etc. it was really cool and she is very prepared by the Lord. Then we got to have a first lesson with a young couple who were great as well (they came to church too!) and it was so cool to see such miracles in only the last two hours of the day.

My comp is doing MUCH better now. It happens when your neck muscle gets tough and can’t loosen or something. Its working itself out in its own time though and she can move well now.

Frio

So today I am wearing a JACKET (which my comp gave me cuz I didn’t have one she’s the sweetest) AND A SCARF!!!!!!!!!! It’s cold today which is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. WINTEEEEEEEEEERRRRR yeah!!! I’m ready for it to be may! I’m seriously super happy its cold, is this even Santa Cruz???

Well, hope you guys have a fantastic and inspiring week this week! Love you all so much and your prayers and thoughts are very helpful and I’m very grateful for them!

Love and Luck from Bolivia

Hermana Brown
<3<3

pics of

Jackets and scarves!

I won a bowling game last p day!

we got ice cream too at a popular ice cream place

pics from conference

in the room with all the gringos for English session of conference

Miracles and Horrors

So, you know the Willy Wonka movie everything is awesome and stuff but in the middle, they have this horrific nightmare boat ride experience? Yeah that was this week.

Thursday I think?

So, we had to walk to get to one appointment very late and I thought about taking the micro but decided against it because I though we were a LOT closer than we were. so, because I ignored that prompting we ended up having to run through the rain at the last street to get to the new investigator’s house who

WAS waiting for us and we showed up all drenched it was funny. but this Nuevo was so amazing to teach she has real intention like I’ve never seen and her member boyfriend was there and super great in the lesson! she wants to learn more! and she came to church last week but couldn’t talk to us cuz we were running around with our other investigators.

It was bound to happen I was just hoping it wouldn’t:

on this trek to that appointment we passed a dead German shepherd on the side of the road. it was awful and I have been scarred for life. That was horrific,

other small horrors

almost stepped on a HUGE black horned beetle the other night and it was weird cuz I literally have NO idea why it was in the middle of the street when I’ve never seen them before here at all.

Miracles!

so, on Saturday I got to watch conference in English with the other gringo missionaries. we started by trying to get the livestream and audio to work on a tiny computer in a tiny room in the church building and it finally worked! band later they got a tv set up in another air-conditioned room which we moved to. It was amazing to be in a room where everyone was so invested into every single word of conference. we would talk excitedly during the hymns about what we heard but then rapt attention as soon as the next speaker got up.

Sunday

the only other gringa Hermana wasn’t at our capilla so I couldn’t go to English. My heart ached to hear the words of the prophet so I could understand them, and miraculously in answer to my prayers. English subtitles turned on in a big room where I was the only one who spoke ingles and it was an answer to my prayers. also at the last bit of second part the bishop’s daughter offered to come with me to the English room which was amazing.

so, lots of miracles this week with great new hopes in conclusion and I don’t have time to write

love you all thank you for your prayers!

We do have a blender, and my companion says she knows what liquados are we are going to make some. I think I remember you making them a lot growing up. Chocolate and ice and milk and banana was my favorite. I’ve been wanting to make that since I got here but I only just found an ice tray so I’m excited to make those now.  Tell mom I hope she’s feeling well soon.

Yes, she does say Che and speak with Vos and they do say macanudo and it is very hot it Corrientes. I also asked her about copycuas and she was confused how I knew the word at all, but yes those are still a thing she says. I guess I’ll have her teach me Vosear sounds cool. I’m still not very good at tu though.

Yes, they drink mate in Bolivia but it’s not as much of an everyone does it thing as Argentina. our pensionista does. We’ve had mate a couple of times in our apartment when we get home and sit outside where the air is cooler. It’s nice.  My comp taught me how to do mate con leche which I really like a lot.

Conference was over all super amazing and I especially loved Hollands talk and president Monson of course. I really liked the other talks I heard but I also haven’t listened to all of them in English yet so I’m gonna do that this week. I just downloaded them. I want to hear Uchdorfs talk in English., I could understand the points he was saying but it’s not the same listening in Spanish, so I was sitting there with my comp crying next to me so I’m excited to hear it in "the language of my heart" (read that in a liahona article, one of the reasons the lord promises every people will her the gospel in their native tongue).

As for an experience the spirit guides me every moment because if it wasn’t then I would not be able to walk so much and talk and understand so much. You don’t need the spirit to slap you in the face, to know that it’s there I mean. (Good Boys and Good Girls Davis a Bednar talk it’s a good one)

I know that I need the spirit in every moment and I try to stay worthy to have that. I’ve realized how important it is for investigators to understand what a blessing it is to have the gift of the holy ghost and to have that promise to have him with us ALWAYS. its super cool. I’ll try to think of a specific experience to write this week.

Love and Luck from Bolivia

Hermana Brown <3