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

So I have no time to write this week sorry! But the most interesting thing is I've got a new companion!!!

Her name is Hermana Mamán and she is from Argentina! Corientes, Argentina. But she was born in Buenos Aires. Super cool! She is the sweetest person ever and she has spent the first 6 months of her mission in Tarija. This is her first time in Santa Cruz! We have been getting along great and I think  this cambio is gonna be great.

I decorated my new agenda and its really cute!

hna Cluff is actually now with hna Maman's last companion in Tarija. We switched! I think hna Cluff is really liking her new area too. It sounds perfect for her.

Anyways, we've got some really great investigators.  I'm really excited for and the bishop and the ward have been incredibly helpful and awesome lately. We had a Relief Society activity this week and the General Women's Conference and its all been super fun.

That's all really have time right now

Love you all and hope you have a fantastic week!

Love and Luck from Bolivia

<3 Hermana Brown

(Hermana Café/Hermana Brownie)

Alright, so not much happened this week.

But here are a few short and interesting things:

Trial Witnesses:

So we were walking just to another appointment and I had taken the long way because I was guiding us (to practice knowing the area) and that was the way I knew, and in the street one of our investigators who we haven't seen him or his family in a while after we got a phone call saying they couldn't make it to one of our appointments, walks up to us he starts talking to us all serious and stuff (hes a bit hard to understand so I didn't understand everything immediately and confirmed what I understood with my companion later) that basically the wife left with the kids about crazy claims to him being an abusive husband,  but the guy, he is seriously always been super nice and really a spiritual guy. So he was asking us basically to be witnesses in a trial for him. But 1) we are definitely not allowed to do that and B) even if we could testify we would not hold any convincing testimony because we only visited with them like 3 times. Anyways, that was just something interesting that happened.

Decapitation:

So a few days ago we were leaving the house in the morning and discovered not one but TWO decapitated bird heads on our patio on our third floor apartment that no cat could have really gotten to. The bodies were nowhere to be seen, only one splat of blood as evidence. So that was a pretty horrifying start to our day. They are still there. I don't think either of us knows how to deal with them. But that's pretty exciting.

Completing My Training:

So Wednesday's the day, we've got INTER CAMBIOS. or transfers in English (I think?) I finish my training and most likely I'm going to stay here and Hermana Cluff will leave. I might also train who knows? I'm kinda nervous but I know whatever the Lord asks of me, He will provide a way for me to accomplish it. So we find out all that info tomorrow. I'm not sure if my Spanish is strong enough yet or if I can answer people's questions well enough yet, but I know I have seen a lot of miracles here already and I know that with the Lords help I can do it. Also last  week I hit 4 MONTHS in my mission! This next Sunday will be 3 months in Bolivia. So that's pretty crazy.

I've also been studying in Mosiah in my Book of Mormon and in Genesis in my Bible and the stories of King Benjamin and Zeniff and Joseph(and his techicolor dream coat) are all super great! I love the Scriptures!

I hope everyone will take this challenge to read their scriptures this week! I promise for each day you do, your day will be more successful and happy!

Good Luck!

Love and Luck from Bolivia

<3 Hermana Brown

P.S. Here are some photos from Starbucks and Johnny rockets a few weeks ago and also a pic of us trying to take a picture in a mor´tor taxi. A taxi that's a motorcycle driven and very small and exciting to ride in. Oh,

also horses just on the side of the street in the middle of town.​

6 Baptism Dates!!

Alright, so here's the last two weeks news since I didn't have time last week.

CARNAVAL EVENTS

We literally just stayed in the house all 3 days. BUT I got all my personal projects done! Which was great! Including hemming pants and shirts making a hymn number reference in my little hymnario and organizing all my stuff. We also deep cleaned the house till it was sparkling!" We watched a lot of church movies and MOANA which I think is tied with Tangled to be my favorite princess movie now. I also hung up the primary sign they sent me and I love it!!!  It was a fun time. Me and H Cluff made crepes and chocolate chip pancakes and stir fry and a member brought us pizza and soda which was so nice! It was fun but it was really great to get outside and working again too.

Baptisms

The other misieras in our ward baptized a beautiful young family this Friday and it was amazing. Also me and H Cluff have 6 PEOPLE WITH baptismal dates!! A family of a taxista who we had lost our phone in his taxi  but he miraculously brought it back to us and happened to be in our area and so we started teaching him and his wife and daughter and they have been to church 2 times now and have a baptism date and they are just pretty great so far. The wife actually bore her testimony on fast Sunday haaha. There have been a lot of miracles this week and last and me and hermana Cluff are really motivated to work super hard this last week before cambios where H Cluff will probably leave and I will finish my training!

Quien Soy?

So to practice contacting people and to speak Spanish more conversationally me and H Cluff started doing this game while we walk where one person has to answer questions as a character and the other person has to figure out who they are. So QUIEN SOY? (who am i) and its been really fun and good practice!

I have improved a lot in my Spanish and that alone is a miracle in itself.

Chipiu

An honorary mention to my new favorite snack(they are like fried banana chips?) They are really good and a while back we had fresh ones made by a member mom and we were walking on a hot day past this house and this mom runs out brandishing a bag of her fresh chipiu triumphantly and gave it to us out of nowhere and then she was gone as quick as she came. It was a beautiful miracle and tender mercy. It was also delicious.

Also a pic of a house that reminds me of Indiana Jones.

okay here are some pics and stuff I hope everyone has a great week!

LOVE AND LUCK FROM BOLIVIA

-Hermana Brown

Good Shoes

We heard a lot of opinions and warnings about carnaval, and from our third floor apartment we heard a LOT of fiestas but the street was pretty calm mostly. We saw one car completely covered in mud though. People will do that to their car apparently so that the paint people throw will wash off.

All that we have to cook is a blender, a George Foreman panini thing (which we use as our toaster) a pot a pan a spatula and a stove top hot plates thing--oh and a water boiler thing.

We bought waterproofing spray and I used that on my new shoes so they will stay nice longer. They are good shoes.

Our district leader called us later that day and told us we were on the front page of lds.org! I'm glad you saw it cuz I wanted to tell you about it. That's embarrassing that it was up on the projector in Gospel Doctrine, the pics ...alright..,. but that's still cool- yes the other hermanas from the ccm are sitting behind us, I believe

South America's cool, but very different. My favorite things  I actually really like are yogurt and chocolate cereal (all the yogurt is drinkable kind like danimals?) and selling licenses aren't really a thing so people sell homeade food in the street or in front of their front gates all the time and me and my companion have our favorite Emapanda Lady that sells in front of the local school everyday and she is our friend now and the last two times shes given us a free extra emanada when we buy our usual two (with cheese and sugar which sounds weird but is really good). I  love our pencenista!  Her and her family are very kind and she makes the best food! I love how recently we've had a lot of rain.

Life sounds so exciting at home!!! You can do whatever you want any day really! I mean, its exciting here too but we basically know what everyday is gonna be like. ha ha. I'm TRYING to speak Spanish ha ha. At first it felt really really lonely but Ive gotten more accustomed since a couple moths ago and its really cool to be involved in a culture that's so different and its fun to learn how to make jokes in a different language. Me and this other hermana in the other area in our ward have this joke where we always ask each other "quiere luchar?" ("you want to fight?) es un chiste no mas. ha ha I miss Harvey and Trixie a lot too! 

Happy Carnaval!

HAPPY CARNIVAL!!

I'm writing this Saturday because we cant leave our house for 3 WHOLE DAYS! Sunday Monday and Tuesday for Carnival. It's dangerous for missionaries I guess (spiritually and otherwise). (MUCHO burrachos and paint and water being thrown at people randomly) so we are going to make pancakes for breakfast and order pizza and study A LOT and watch Moana on Monday! (hopefully if we can get it).

This week started super rainy and WAY HOT, but its been a good week!

On last Monday, we went ALL over trying to find me a good pair of shoes that fit! We ended up in Mission North where an actual MALL exists! It was really weird cuz it was WAY nice. Like a mall in America! Me and my companion were like "wait these things exist here, what?" but we found some great shoes in a shop where they greeted us with "Hermanas!" when we walked in. One of the workers was a returned missionary and we noticed later that they had taken 20 off of our bill! (still not sure if it was 20 dollars or bolivianos but really nice nonetheless) Then the member who were driving us around all day bought us hair clips, and we looked around Forever 21 (THAT was weird). and then she bought us STARBUCKS AND JOHNNY ROCKETS! It was awesome! I  almost  wanted to cry because I felt like home kinda in a way ha ha. But she was super nice and I'm so grateful for her charity!

Speaking of which, I've learned a lot about Charity this week!

Charity is the Pure Love of Christ. and it is basically the foundation of true faith. I realize that if I always act with charity in my heart than I will never ever regret it. I am striving to be more like Christ by learning from his perfect loving example of charity. I challenge everyone to do the same. Christ said, "the first Great commandment is to the love the Lord with all you might mid and strength, the second is like unto it, which is to love thy neighbor as thyself."

Love you all and have a great week!

Love and Luck from Bolivia

Hermana Brown