Sprinting!

Patricia, her mom, Sis Garcia, Karee, and 2 other sister missionaries

Boston Park

April 28, 2014
Last night we had a meeting called a charge meeting. I definitely feel "charged" in more ways than one. I am ready to Sprint. Heavenly Father really is hastening His work, but He is waiting for us to do the work so that He can hasten the work in us.

Throughout my mission I have tried to Sprint, but I feel like I was helplessly flailing my arms as my legs wildly criss-crossed. I feel like a lot of the time I was trying, but didn't quite know how to run. I was given challenges of training, opening areas, learning cultures, overcoming fears and trying a new language. One thing I have learned is Heavenly Father truly does qualify whom He calls. The truth is that we are each here now because Heavenly Father choose us to be here now.  I alone would never be able to do what is asked of me to do, but Christ makes the difference and some how He is able to work through me to get things done.

 I have worried about receiving revelation as to where to go and when. But looking back, there have been so many instances that I have been guided by the Spirit. I have gone through a series of these instances this past week. Starting on Friday of last week. We had just finished weekly planning and didn't have anything planned. I had the idea to go look for a few former investigators. We went and had no success with the first. After we arrived at the address of the second we found that we had been given an address but no apartment number. I for some reason felt like knocking on doors... an urgency to find her. So I told Sister Garcia that we were going to knock on doors until we found her. The first door was slightly depressing. We didn't get anywhere. There are four doors on every floor and three floors. Instead of knocking on another door on the first floor I felt like we should go upstairs. When we knocked we were surprised to find a woman who knew us (I think I told this story last week don't worry there is more!)

She asked us for a Bible and we happened to have one in our apartment. I marked Proverbs 31:10, which talks about the worth of a virtuous woman. When she read the verse she laughed and then said "well that's you two." Then we moved on to another topic. But she came back and asked why I had chosen the passage. I opened my mouth and words came out. Out of the mouth that has been struggling to speak Spanish. Words that were not my own because they were what she needed to hear.

Karee, Emilia, and Sis Garcia

Karee and Emilia

To make the story a little quicker, she went to church and the lessons were written specifically for her. She wants this in her life. She feels the power of the message. And so do I.

 Not only is He guiding my steps, or giving me the words to say, but He is also giving me a glimpse of how He sees His children. He loves them!

Camela is a cute little girl in our branch. I have wanted to get a picture with her for a while. She is just the cutest! Every time she sees me she casually says "hey Brown". I finally got a picture with her.

Boston Park

Little car.... I was super excited to see this car and HAD to get a picture with it... remember Mr. Beans?!?!?!

The 3rd of May!

April 22, 2014

May 3rd is the date Patricia chose to be baptized!

Karee and Sis Garcia

Can you believe the weather here? It snowed and was freezing cold and not even a week later it was perfect temperatures. I even got a little bit of a sunburn.

So exciting news! Patricia wants to get baptized!! We had been working with Patricia almost as long as we have been here. Starting of course with the inspiration to bake chocolate chip cookies with her. Since then she has really made progress and changed her attitude about a lot of things. She now spends more time downstairs with her mom and siblings. She is happier and smiles! She was talking with Sister Benitez one day and told her that she wanted to get baptized but didn't know what she needed to do. Sister Benitez said that she should talk to us... so she did! She choose the 3rd of May! (3 just happens to be my favorite number!) Since then she has been to church, met the branch president, started her personal progress (it just so happens that personal progress lines up well with the lessons), and met a few of the members.

Karee and Patricia

One day we were looking for someone that had previously visited the church and had even met with the missionaries. The record said that the woman had given them her address, but not the apartment number. We were determined to find her. So we started by knocking on a random door. No luck and the woman who answered was not interested, but suggested we knock on her neighbor's door. We went up the stairs and knocked on the first door. The woman who answered the door was a little surprised at first, but smiled and said, "sisters!" We weren't sure if she was a less-active member or had just had contact with missionaries before. We soon found that it was the latter. She is currently going through a hard time because her mom just passed away not too long ago. She invited us to come back to teach her son a lesson about the Savior. We weren't able to find the original woman that we were looking for, but Heavenly Father put someone in our way.

Easter Sunday just so happened to be stake conference. There were lovely musical preformances!

Painting Easter eggs

Daniella proud of her painted egg

There was a sense of excitement in Boston, as people from around the world gathered to show their support to the 37,000 (maybe more) runners. There were a few people that said that they were too afraid to go back to the finish line, but there were much more that were wanting to show their support. It was so much fun!

Fire hydrant that we saw along the way to the marathon.

Sister Garcia and I at the end of the whole thing. It is so amazing how these runners can last over 26 miles. I can't wait to do it!

Patricia and I standing in front of an empty road... the runners were going to run down the road, but we were at that part a little too early.

Karee has managed to teach all her companions how to fix their scarves this way. She saw a lady on the bus one time wearing like this.

My Heart is in Boston!

April 14, 2014

Karee's heart in Boston!

This morning when we were driving beside the Charles river I looked across to see Boston. I love that the people here are so active. There are always people running along the river and people rowing in the river. I started to sketch out the skyline and forgot to take a picture to share. I love this city!

Karee's drawing of the Charles River

Something amazing is happening here. We have been getting referrals from the members! This really hasn't ever happened on my mission. So this past week we have gotten at least three referrals and have had contact with previous investigators. Four of them are named Maria. One the member got in contact with her by mistake over the phone. She went back to Peru because her son's burn treatment was over, but we had a good lesson with her. The other Maria didn't seem quite as interested but agreed to meet with us. Then there is Maria the previous investigator. We went through our phone calling all the numbers that we didn't know and got a hold of her. She is a sweet woman from El Salvador. We ended up going back to her house to teach a cute Easter lesson to her six year old son. She really loves Jesus and is excited for all the activities that the church has. Hopefully, she will be coming to Family home evening tonight.

Also, our branch hosted an international dinner where there were loads of members, less-active, non-members and investigators all celebrating the cultures of their native lands. One really extra ordinary story was of a semi-active woman who we have been working with, who met a man on the street that day who is from her country. He was excited to meet her and she invited him to come with her. He came! She also brought two less-actives with three non-members. I was able to get their phone numbers as well as talk to them about what we do as missionaries, a little about our church, and their religious beliefs. The member was very excited and kept whispering to me that the field is white. We are going to have work to do with these members to help them with what is next and we have a bunch of potentials that are really interested. Things are going great. 

Mesa del Salvador

Hna. Rodriguez from Columbia

Mesa de la republica dominicana (mi mesa)

Mexican rice/ flag

Dominican biscocho YUM

Sister Garcia and I with the Dominican flags. These people really know how to party!

Guatemalan. This is Sister Diaz. She is the oldest child in her family of 13, but you would never guess. She participated in a traditional Guatemalan dance along with two other generations from her family.

Peruvian- This is our favorite little Daniella. She was so cute and did a little traditional dance as well.

Traditional Guatemalan dress.

Peru- Sister Garcia with Sister Benitez

Columbian- Sister Garcia with Christian and Sister

Mexican- Sister Garcia with the Lopez family

Dominican dolls- they do not have faces because the people of the Dominican Republic are all so diverse that they normally don't give the decorative dolls. I hope you know I am planning to go to the Dominican Republic after my mission.

The weather is really nice. We are headed to the beach.. don't worry, only to play soccer at a park. Have a wonderful week!

Love always,

Hermana Brown

Fun P-Day in Boston

April 7, 2014

These past two days we listened to the prophet and other leaders of the church in the General Conference. They have given us council of how we can better live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Here are a few things that really stuck out to me during the conference.

 * Be patient, submissive and valiant... it will come

 * Faith is manifested in many ways, seek for more ways to exercise your faith

 *The Atonement of Jesus Christ is real. He knows us and we just have to trust Him.

Heavenly Father has entrusted us with so much. Within our families, communities and church callings. There is so much that we can do and so many people that we can help. He sends us prophets not only in the times of the Bible, but also now, so that we can know how to best lead and serve those around us. Looking out at the city of Boston and thinking about the responsibility that I have to teach others is intimidating some times, but I know that Heavenly Father is preparing people and that angels are around me lifting me up. 

little Daniella in Karee's coat

Daniella watching conference with her marshmellows playing conference bingo

mom note:I love this picture!

This is Copley Library

Karee with a fellow

City of Boston

Karee and Sis Garcia at the harbor

Karee with another fellow, this one is much taller

Sharing the Gospel Blesses Lives

March 31, 2014

Sis Garcia and Karee (happened to be matching in skirts that day)

If there is anything I have learned it is that sharing the Gospel blesses lives.

It is so amazing how Heavenly Father blesses us sometimes. There is a sister who is a widow of a stake president in Santa Domingo. She doesn't have a car so she often asks for a ride to church. A week or so ago, Sister Garcia and I went to her house early Sunday morning to ride to church with her on the train. I have often heard of missionaries going to pick up their investigators or less active members for church and never thought I would be able to do it. That day I felt like a missionary. This Sunday she did not come to church because it was raining but she called us and asked us to come to her house after church. We decided to stop by on the way to an appointment. While we were there I had a strong impression that I should ask her to come out with us to the appointments. So I did. She was so excited to come. We were going to teach an eight year old who speaks mostly English, and she only speaks Spanish, but she didn't care. The lesson went well, but she wasn't able to participate as much as I would have hoped. But it became clear why she had come when we stopped by a less active family after. She was straight forward with them and told them that she missed them. She told them that there are two empty chairs waiting for them at church, (which I thought was funny because she doesn't always go). Then she bore pure testimony about how we need to be ready because we don't know when we are going to leave this life. It all tied together really nicely. Then she went on to bare testimony about her baptismal covenants. At this point the lass active sister was crying. What our lovely sister didn't know was that the less active brother has an addiction that he is struggling with. Her testimony included a story about how she had been addicted to pills after the death of her brother. She had to have them with her all the time because she had such bad anxiety. She said that when she was baptized she didn't expect to stop taking the pills, but that is just happened. Such a wonderful testimony that the Gospel truly changes us. On the car ride home I couldn't help but ask the sister how she felt. She said she couldn't be happier.  She committed to come out with us whenever we need her. I know that this experience not only helped the less active family who is struggling, but it also helped her. This experience as well as the many other experiences such as when the young women's president went out with us on splits with one of her laurels because she knew that missionary work can solve any problem that you have. She noted afterwards that even though they weren't together physically, they were both working together to do the work of the Lord and He blessed them for that. Sharing the Gospel really does change lives.

Love always,

Sister K. Brown

Karee in a Peruvian hat

Karee, Sis Garcia(the Cambridge sister missionaries), Sister Sorensen and Sister Caceres(the Boston sister missionaries

Who is Martica?

March 26, 2014

Martica is the proud mother of Ashley, Julio and Yofrangi. They moved here a little over a year ago from the Dominican Republic. They were introduced to the church by their family who are members in the Boston area. Hermana Hildenbrand took me to see Martica and her family in the first few weeks of my mission. I remember the first lesson that we had with her. Hermana Hildenbrand was talking and then Martica would talk... and I didn't want to say anything. I could understand most of what I was hearing until one of them asked me a question.. At that point I would forget all that I knew about Spanish and would just smile. I remember listening to Hermana Hildenbrand lead up to the baptismal invitation and then she turned to me. I asked Martica if she would want to be baptized and she said yes. Later I asked her again and she wasn't sure. She needed her time and she needed to know for herself the truthfulness of the restored gospel.

Martica is the proud mother of Ashley, Julio and Yofrangi

The day after my birthday, October 27, Martica was baptized. Now she and her family are enjoying the blessings that come from being a member of the Church. She has her own apartment and a job. Her children are adjusting to living here and are learning English!

It was so good to see them all together enjoying a family home evening.We talked about families and why they are important and ordained of God.  There is something different about them. There is hope, there is peace and there is confidence that comes when one puts their trust fully in the Savior. Life isn't easier for them, they still have their struggles, but they are happy with where they are because they know that something better will come and that their faith can sustain them until it does get better.

 

Good news, I will be staying in Cambridge for another 6 weeks, I am not getting transferred. Which is such good news because this area is really starting to pick up. I feel like I saw so many miracles and tender mercies that I don't know where to even start. 

I feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity to go back to Boston. We were able to have a family home evening with a wonderful family and then a day full of visits. That area has really grown since I was there. It felt like I was home again.

Martica and her family now

Saturday we went to visit the Gomez family. We have been wanting to take their daughter out with us for some time now and we finally decided that the best way to get a hold of her would be to simply catch her at her house. It took a little while to get her ready to go. She had some seminary homework to do and had to finish getting ready for the day, but she was more that happy to go out with us. We decided to go visit some less active young women. At first the visit was a little awkward. The two girls were not very excited to see us, but told us that they were planning on coming to church the next day. It really helped to have Jennifer with us. She was open with the girls and helped them to realize that they really need to come to church. You don't know how happy I was to see those girls at church the next day. We met with their grandma just Monday and she started to tell us how happy she was and how much it meant to her that we would try to help her grandchildren. 

We have been visiting with Graciela, a recent convert, pretty consistently through out the week since we have gotten to the area. Her daughter Patricia is not a member of the church yet and we have been trying to think of ways to help her. She was the one that we made cookies with.I think that the faithful prayers of her mother have been answered and that her heart has been softened. Monday we went over to the house to watch the Testaments with the family. At first she was not in the room with us, but I kept praying that she would come. Not too far into the movie she came! She had a few questions about when and where they were but she was really excited to see Jesus come to the American continent. She left the room at one point to finish her homework but told us to tell her when Jesus was resurrected. A few minutes later she came running back in. After the movie she was full of questions about what we believe. We gave her a few reading assignments and then she asked, "when will I see you again?" I could not believe it! We went back the next day and she came to us with what she had read. She has really opened up to us and is interested about learning more.

We have found a few less active families that are really wanting to come back and have a few non-members that they want to start working with. It is crazy how much work we have to do. Heavenly Father is blessing the people of this area.