10 MONTHS?!?!?!?!?

Hey guys, I'd like to start this email with an inspirational quote of the week:

"If God had a bedroom, you would be in a photo on his nightstand."

Alright so I guess I'll start with the story that goes with that quote.

So we were knocking doors and one door we knocked an old man answered but when he opened the door and saw us he jumped back and yelled in shock!

We literally gave him a good scare? Then he asked us if we spoke English or Spanish and we said both and then he started talking to us in perfect English??? It was really weird. He lives in both Santa Monica, California and Tarija, Bolivia and he is half Jew half Mexican but was converted to a Protestant church when he had a vision of Jesus and used to be a prophet apparently. He had an earring. And he had read an anti Mormon biography on Joseph Smith. But apart from that he was quite nice and pretty funny. He had some interesting views but he listened to our testimonies of the Book of Mormon and reasonably accepted our invitation to read it and ask God if its true. It was cool, but weird cuz we spoke in English and it was kinda hard for me and my comp to remember how to teach in English ha ha.

On other news: 10 MONNNNNNNTTTHHHSS!! WHAAAATATTT?!?!?!?! It was cool to have my comp and I complete 10 months on the same day. We had french toast to celebrate. It was weird.

We also taught the relief society how to make peanut butter this week. It was really great.

We had a lot of awesome work this week and me and hna Gardner are having a great time together! At one point Pimienta followed us again but with 4 OTHER FRIENDS we were being followed by a gang of 5 dogs at one point, what is happening.

Last p day

We went to the paleantioligical museum (I'm not gonna try to spell it right I'm sorry)

This last p day! It was super cool! Apparently Tarija is actually a hot spot with a LOT of the worlds dinosaur bones! The one of the big skeleton (pic attached) was found in the park right next to our bishops house!! and we also saw some cool minerals and some stuff from ancient Americans (Lamanites!!) one pic I've attached is a pretty sick picture of a really well preserved baby mummy. also some human skulls (one looks like he died from getting his head bashed in). It was some pretty legit stuff. Hna Gardner did ceramics a lot so she was excited about all the ceramic jars. We also passed by "la casa dorada" which is on the back of the twenty boliviano bill. It's very dorado. We're going to tour the inside another day. we also bought our own mate pors! It was a really fun day! I'm glad my comp likes to go out and sight see on p days! We're going to "la copa" today.

Well I love you all so much! Thank you for all your prayers they give me strength and hope! Please pray for those caught in the natural disasters too! I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of god and I know that I am doing his great and marvelous work in Tarija Bolivia! I know that God loves us and wants our eternal happiness and that the plan of salvation is true! I know that families can be together forever and it is all possible because Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. I am so eternally grateful for these things. I am happy.

I hope you all have a wonderful week and I hope you ll all do your personal scripture study and prayer and also go to church this week! You can do it! (that's an invitation to everyone with whatever beliefs or religion)

love you guys!

besos

Tariiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiijaaaaaaaaaaaa, Bolivia

Hermana Brown

You Learn All Sorts of New Skills in The Mission

SHOOT! sorry this email is from LAST week! i guess i forgot to press send :C soryyyyyy.

OK guys! so I got some new news and some old news that I forgot to write hahaha.

First of the old news: a number of weeks ago I completed HALF MY MISSION!!!!! WAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTT?!?!?! How'd that happen? todo es locura.

9 months and almost at 10 WHATTTTTTIi need to get WORKINGGGG hahaha.

On other newer news, WE HAD CAMBIOS! Hermana Herrera went to ward Paraiso which is close by, and guess who is my new companion who came from Santa Cruz only NOW just leaving her first area?!?!? HERMANA GARDNER!!! woo! She was in my CCM group! and actually we were comps for a bout half a day in  our first day in the CCM. this cambio's gonna be awesome because were gonna work SUPER HARD! woo!

English class

We had our first English class this last Friday and even though the relief society president and the bishop and his three little sons showed up, it went SUPER well! They were all actually pretty awesome and great at learning. and my comp told me that I was a good teacher afterward (better than her teacher from high school  jaja) which is nice to hear because I don't actually have any idea what I'm doing. We learned the alphabet and a basic get to know you conversation. It was cool! 

I think were going to have a lot more people in our next class!

Familia Correa

Were teaching a wonderful family who now have a bautismal date and we had a super spiritual and awesome experience this last week with the single mom Janeth where we taught her "a proclamation to the world" and temples. After reading through it, I asked her if those things are something she wants to have and she said yes. I promised here she could find them in The Church of Christ. It was very special. I hope you all will read the proclamation this week its beautiful. #goals

Janeth also now has goals to go to the temple. She is a very special person. :)

We found some really friendly and wonderful new investigators this week that I'm really excited to teach!

You Learn All Sorts Of New Skills In The Mission

So Tarija doesn't have a big super market Hipermaxi like Santa Cruz where a simple gringa can go to find her favorite American sabores, for example: Peanut Butter.

They've got lots of peanuts here but mantaquilla de mani is just not a thing. 

So whats a choca like me to do??

Learn how to make her own obviously!!!

I'm actually pretty proud of myself for figuring out how to MAKE PEANUT BUTTER. 

That certainly was never something I thought I would be able to do. It's cool, we all have so much potential to do things that we never thought we could do, if we just get up and try to do it. 

My comp enjoyed the peanut butter. I'll attach a picture of my creation.

Things I've Learned

Well I have this prompting to talk about something I learned a lot about over these last 6 weeks. 

It's about those of us who feel, inadequate, unprepared, like we don't do much or anything, or that we don't make a deference, or that we aren't doing all that we could be doing.

These disappointing thoughts are not uncommon. As a missionary, I get them a lot. 

But somethings I've learned and am changing in myself are two Christlike attributes:

Diligence and Patience.

Here is what I've learned and has helped me and  the Spirit testifies to me that they are true-

Be diligent, keep working. if you know what you want, be diligent in doing the little and consistent things that will get you to that goal. It probably won't come as fast as you'd like, but if you keep working and stay diligent, it WILL undoubtedly come. don't give up. that is the only way it will NOT come. 

Be patient primarily, with YOURSELF. I feel like what is true for me could be common for others as well- whenever I lose patience with someone else, it's usually because I have first already lost patience with myself.

I have lost my self confidence or iIcompare my weaknesses to others strength. I'm not fair to myself.

To all of you who may have had these similar feelings, I'll quote elder Dieter F. Uchtedorf, 

"STOP IT."

YOU are a child of God! YOU have DIVINE POTENTIAL and you CAN DO IT. The only thing stopping you is you. Keep working. Things come in their own time, in gods time. have hope for that future that is as bright as your faith.

YOU are loved by He that is almighty, and he gives you challenges because he knows that you can handle them.

This is a phrase I'm going to work on remembering and that can help you guys to remember too:

Tell yourself, "I CAN DO HARD THINGS"

That's the truth. There's nothing stopping you. Keep working at it. You can do hard things. 

I love you guys and I believe in each and every one of you! 

Thank you for all you prayers. They give me the strength i need every day.

God always answers prayers. iIsee that every day.

When you feel like you cant do it, Ask for His help. and he will answer "immediately"

Ironic tile in our apartment haha

when life gives you mani, make montiquilla de mani!

Have a wonderful week everyone,

Love from Tarija, Bolivia <3

Hermana Brown

I NEVER HAVE ANY TIME AND I'M ALSO SNOW WHITE

HEY GUYS SORRY I HAVE LIKE TEN MIN LEFT SO THIS IS A SHORT ONE.

PIMIENTA

On Tuesday we were walking we didn't do ANYTHING but this little salt and pepper colored dog started tailing us!! He wouldn't leave us alone! he come to lunch with us and also a couple of lessons. People were like "is this your dog" and we were like "NO!" Finally we noticed he'd lost us hahahaha But then Friday we walked up to our investigators house and HE WAS THERE!!! AHHHHG He found us and followed us again but this time with a friiieennndd. We were like Snow White being followed by like all the neighborhood dogs. We named him Pimienta. It's against my nature to kick dogs, but I forcefully nudged this one a number of times.

Other than that my comp hna Gardner is the best and we've got some great plans for this cambio! Including music classes, a choir, English classes and were gonna teach the relief society how to make peanut butter this week! We've got some pretty great investigators too!

I know this is the work of the Lord! he Lives! and we are children of God!

I love you all and I hope you will all remember your divine potential and identity this week!

thank you for the prayers they help a lot!

love you guys!

love and luck from Tarija Bolivia,

Hermana Brown