that's a wrap friends

As you all know, I will be coming home THIS WEEK!!!! Before I get too far into my thoughts from last week I just wanted to invite all of you to come see me speak a little about my mission at church this upcoming Sunday (January 26th). The service will start at 10:30am. I would really really really appreciate seeing you all there so that you can hear a little bit more about my mission experience, but also so that I can see you and hear how YOU are doing!!! 

Wow NINE months I spent here in Los Banos. There were a lot of goodbyes to be said.

This week I have had a lot of time to reflect on my mission and how it has helped me. I have LOVED the opportunity that my mission gave me to see how the gospel can shape other's lives, especially how it has shaped mine! 

A scripture that continues to come to mind as I think about how I feel about my mission is Alma 36:25 "Yea, and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors;" My mission has been challenging, but joy that I have experienced has been the biggest blessing of them all!!! Often the results are not immediate. It requires faith, trust and while pixie dust might help, diligence usually does the trick. There are often stressful moments, but it is in those times where I feel my Savior's love most. 

On a lighter, less reflective note, yesterday we went over to the house of one of the Sisters in the ward so that I could say bye to her and her grandkids (pictured below) She gave me a ton of dating advice lol it was the funniest thing ever. She is Tongan, so I received step by step instructions on how to get a Tongan husband when I go back to Utah. She even gave me traditional Tongan clothes to wear when I go to the ysa wards and told me to call her when I meet Tongan boys so that she can tell me if it is a good family to marry into. And she wants me to call her so that we can go to Tonga together! She said, "Don't get married too fast. You call me and we go to Tonga. All the boys will come running. Tongans marry fast. They dont like wait." I could not stop laughing. She told me that at Tongan weddings there is always someone from both sides of the family who says a little speech to represent the bride or groom respectively and she said "My husband will speak to represent. Your parents are there but he will give speech." Haha so sorry mom and dad apparently the Laulea family got me covered. Upside is that in Tongan culture the groom's family pays for everything. 

But then again, all the Latinos want me to marry a Mexican. So basically everyone is trying to get me married off. 

Peace out California it has been quite the adventure. On to the next one!!!

Les quiero mucho!!!! Cuídense y nos vemos pronto!

Hermana Brown

la historia familiar

Since this week was New Years (which makes missionary work a bit slow since everyone and their dog is either on vacation or with family) we took the opportunity to visit a lot of friends who need to work on Family History (Genealogy)!!! For those who have never heard of a Family Tree, it is when you look into your family's history and find out information like who your great great great grandparents were. People that we never would have met or known well. It gives us an opportunity to know a bit more of where we come from!

We helped Jayduse and Lee (the boys who just got baptized) to work on their family tree. Along with Gabriel (who also recently got baptized). Then Thursday night we went to the temple to do baptisms for those family members and other people who have passed away without that opportunity. To give you an example, Jayduse Lee and Lupe's father passed away just over a year ago. So when we went to the temple, Jayduse was able to be baptized and confirmed again but not for himself, rather for his father! Because his father never got baptized while he was alive!!! It was so amazing!!! The kids were so happy. After he got confirmed, he said "Now dad's baptized". It was so cool to see that Jayduse understood such an important simple truth. 

The apostle Peter of the New Testament taught us that the gospel is in fact taught to those who have passed away. In 1 Peter 4:6 he says, "For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit."

I am grateful to have the knowledge that in order for God to be perfectly just, he must give all of his children the opportunity to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ whether it be in this life or the next. What we do with that opportunity is up to us.

And those of us who have accepted the gospel have the responsibility to help them receive saving ordinances that they cannot do for themselves. 

That is why temples are so important!! 

Here's some more information temples: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/temples?lang=eng

Check it outttttt!!!!!!!

Love yall lots. 

Cuidense! 

Hermana Brown