Los Banos

Hi friends!!!

I got transferred from Lindsay to Los Banos (literally I'm in the Baths). Actually it's called that because there are a bunch of lakes or something around. 

It is a little bigger than little 'ol Lindsay, but I know I am going to love it. 

The ward here is super diverse! It is my first time serving in a ward that is not puro Español! The service is in English and there Latinos and lots of Tongans!!!! The Spanish side of the area has been struggling because there needs to be translation (and yours truly has had the privilege of translating the meeting from English to Spanish haha. Fun stuff.) and the headsets are not that great so many Spanish people have not been coming. But this upcoming Sunday, we will start having a Spanish Group! So the Spanish members will have their own Sacrament Meeting. I am thrilled!!!! And not just because that means I won't have to translate anymore ;). 

One of the members who uses the translators, Benjamin, is my favorite!!! He's this sweet little old Mexican man who is so patient. Every time I looked back he would just smile and give me a little thumbs up. 

We found this new family who is my favorite ever (I say a lot of people are my favorite because I just love them all!!). We have slowly started teaching the whole family because ever time we go over we have a lesson with a new person haha. And they are all so prepared. One of the sons is so sweet. He said he doesn't know why but he feels so comfortable with us and he feels so comfortable sharing all his thoughts with us. But we know, it's because he feels the Spirit! He also wants peace with him always and I know that it is through the Gospel of Jesus Christ that we can find that peace! Not just when we are at church, but in every moment! 

The icing on the cake was our lesson yesterday with Jessica. She is the wife of a member. A lot of people just assumed she was a member because she has been coming to church so much. But she hasn't been baptized yet!!! She wants to be baptized, and I am so excited to keep teaching her, she already has such a strong testimony of the gospel and wants to be sealed to her husband in the temple. Needless to say, shes amazing. 

I'm so grateful for all the miracles I've seen this week!!! 

Love yall and thanks for being the best!! 

Cuídense.

Ya me voy (I am leaving)

Queridos amigos.
Sentí que era tiempo de escribir otra vez en español por mis amigos que lo entienden así mejor. Los quiero. Ya me puedo comunicar con ustedes poco más fácil ;)
He estado muy bien. Esta última semana, vi tantos milagros. Como siempre, no? Pero esta semana, vi que tan importante es el conocimiento del evangelio en nuestras vidas. No puedo imaginar dónde estaría sin la guía y dirrecion del Espíritu Santo. Tampoco sin las palabras inspiradas del Libro de Mormón.
Aunque tuve una semana buena, estoy un poco triste. Se me cambian esta semana a otro lugar. Voy a extrañar este área y barrio bastante. En unos pocos meses crecí unas relaciones muy especiales. Y deseo pasar más tiempo con ellos. Pero como dice Jesucristo sobre la voluntad de Nuesto Padre Celestial "pero no se haga mi voluntad, sino la tuya." Ya que esto es la obra de Dios, haré lo que Él me pida.
Nunca voy a olvidar las salidas semanales a Strathmore, andando en bikas por muchas millas y sudando todo el camino jajaja. Tampoco nuestros amigos que los he visto crecer en conocimiento de Jesucristo. La lista sigue.
Sé que este evangelio verdadero bendice a las vidas de cada uno de nosotros.
Sé que esta caridad, el amor puro de Cristo es algo especial. La oportunidad de servir una misión por mi Salvador es una oportunidad de ver los hijos de Dios como nuestro Padre Celestial nos ve.
Estoy agradecida por todo lo que tengo en mi vida.
Gracuas por su apoyo. Los quiero mucho. Se cuiden y que pasen buena semana.
Hermana Brown

Fotos:
Muchas despedidas. Bien triste.

Google translated:
Dear friends,

I felt it was time to write again in Spanish for my friends who understand it better. I love. I can communicate with you a little easier;)

I have been very good. This last week, I saw so many miracles. As always, right? But this week, I saw how important the knowledge of the gospel is in our lives. I can not imagine where I would be without the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit. Nor without the inspired words of the Book of Mormon.

Although I had a good week, I'm a little sad. They change me this week to another place. I will miss this area and neighborhood quite a lot. In a few months I grew very special relationships. And I want to spend more time with them. But as Jesus Christ says about the will of Our Heavenly Father "but not my will be done, but yours." Since this is the work of God, I will do what He asks of me.

I will never forget the weekly trips to Strathmore, riding on bikes for many miles and sweating all the way hahaha. Nor the friends who I have seen grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. The list goes on

I know that this true gospel blesses the lives of each one of us.

I know that this charity, the pure love of Christ is something special. The opportunity to serve a mission for my Savior is an opportunity to see the children of God as our Heavenly Father sees us.

I'm grateful for everything I have in my life.

Thank you for your support. I love you so much. Be careful and have a good week.

Sister Brown



Photos:

Many goodbyes. Very sad.

Japomexicana

One of my favorite memories from this week was talking about Family History with the cutest little family from Mexico. We met the dad about two weeks ago. He was really nice. When we talked with him the first time, we shared a Plan of Salvation pamphlet with him and asked if we could come back another day to talk with his whole family about how they can live together as a family forever. He said yes! So when we went back yesterday he answered the door and began to tell us how his wife goes to the Catholic Church and that she said she isn't planning on changing but maybe later on they would come visit our church. Nice try buddy, you dont even know what we have to offer!!! We started talked about how important family is and how our church has a huge Family History program. At this point his wife had walked up. I was bracing myself to get yelled at about how their family is Catholic and they appreciate what we are doing and know there is one God but that they don't want to hear what we have to say. Instead she just sat there listening to me explain how it is such a blessing to learn about our ancestors. She was finishing my sentences! And she agreed that through knowing all those stories we know where we came from. To explain a little more, I showed them my family tree on the "Family Tree" app and showed them the picture of my mom that I put in. They asked if she is Mexican haha I explained that she's not, but that she is Japanese. So I showed them pictures from the app of my great grandparents. It was so funny because they said they thought I was Mexican, but from Jalisco where there are a lot more fair skinned Mexicans. 

We kept chatting and they finally invited us in! (Boy this California heat is killer sometimes. And it's not even the heat of the summer.) The wife started downloading the app and I tried to do this thing where you can search for an ancestor to see if they are in the database. We didn't find him, but they said they are from a small small town outside of Michoacan, without technology, so that is proabbly why he wouldn't be there. They were really excited to share with us about their pueblito (little town) and we were able to connect with them in the sweetest way. 

One of the things they were telling us about us how there are a bunch of Japanese people in Mexico!! And I was really confused, and didn't really belive it. But they said that there are a bunch of fábricas (places where they make clothes) and the Japanese people are the bosses there. The dad keep saying to me "escríbelo para que vayas" hahaha he wanted me to write down the names of the cities in the state of Guanajuato where all the Japanese people are so that I could go. 

I loved that experience so much no only because the family is hilarious and super sweet. But because I was able to feel God's love for this family as I heard them talk about how precious their family is to them. 

I know that we are all sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father who has put us into families to give us a place where we can learn together, laugh together, and cry together. 

The more I feel God's love for His children the more I desire for them to have all the blessings that come from following Jesus Christ and His gospel! 

Les quiero. Cuídense. 

Fotos

1. Mexican ice cream bars are my absolute favorite. You can never go wrong with coconut and chocolate. Starting to glisten on a daily basis from the heat. 

2. Zone Conference! 

3. I made tortillas. On my own. 

4. Us four Sisters Missionaries that live together!

5. Just a cute little flower I saw the other day.

6. Sister Vollmer and I tearing up the kitchen with our preparation day tradition of cookie making. 

7. Wow. What a world we live in. So amazing.