Things Picking Up

Well this week has been a lot better than the last.  My companion and I are getting along well...despite a little  bit of a rocky beginning.  Our numbers are still low...but I think we just have to deal with them being low for a couple more weeks, and things will pick up again   We're doing a lot of getting to know the members and those we teach, that we aren't teaching a lot, just setting appointments for the coming weeks.  It's a little bit of a mess still, but I can almost see the horizon!
This week we did a whole lot of walking around.  I've realized that a lot of people have a misconception about missionary work.  We only go tracting, like knocking on random doors, as an absolute last result.  It works, but there are a lot of better finding options out there.  So, I've only gone knocking probably twice.  But the members are fantastic!!  Very nice and hospitable, and give awesome referrals.  Member work is really where all the work comes from.  : )

As far as interesting things...I've had pizza 5 times in the last week and a half.  Never thought I could get tired of it haha. Oh, have I told y'all about the chili here?  Green chili is kind of the "thing"here.  NM is the only state that has a state question: Red or green  (referring to they type of chili).  I've found green to be more common and more liked, but I think it's kind of the area I'm in.  And if you mix them, it's called Christmas   It's way fun!  But green chili goes on EVERYTHING.  So far I have eaten it in breakfast burritos, pizza  and on a hamburger.  It sounds weird, but it's actually way good.  I'll try and send a jar home sooner or later.

On Thursday we fasted with Christi, and investigator (feel like our only investigator), to help her be able to talk to her mom, and get permission to be baptized.  Her mom hasn't been to keen on the idea.  Anyways, it went well, and we met with Christi on Friday.  Hopefully we'll see some progress with her mom soon, but Christi is doing so well!!  She has some really wonderful questions that we answered, and then we shared a Mormon Message with her on forgiveness (the one where the guy lost his family in a car accident.)  It was way good, and we had an awesome discussion on forgiveness and repentance   The spirit was SOOO strong. and we began to talk about her mom, and baptism.  I ended up committing her to baptism!!  It was the most amazing moment.  She said that she kind of wanted to wait for Mason to leave on his mission first, so she could know it was for her and not him, but she knows, and we can see it.  She said she would get baptized once she got permission...and finally she said that she had actually been thinking about April 26th!!  Funny thing...I hadn't looked at a calendar, and didn't want to say a specific date because I didn't want to rush or scare her, but I had been thinking about that exact day!!  The moment was incredible   Ben, another member friend, said that it felt like we had just won a soccer game.  It was exhausting, and absolutely incredible.  We teach her again on Tuesday, and I can't wait!  She is so awesome!

Another neat experience...that night we had gone through our entire schedule.  It was 8:00 and we had finished our plan all the way through 8:30 and back-ups.  We weren't done working, but we didn't know what to do.  Anyways, we decided to pray.  We sat in silence for a minute, and I felt like I should just put away the GPS and as we just drove, we would be guided to where we needed to go.  Soon, we turned onto a road and I caught the name.  It was one we had been searching for earlier, but the GPS couldn't find!!  We found the house, she answered, and we set a return appointment.  I couldn't believe it.

I know that this work is incredible   Prayer works, and when you are obeying exactly the spirit truly can be with you always to guide you.

Conference was amazing!! I really enjoyed the talks by President Monson, Sister Dalton, and the one about the tomatoes.  I hope y'all enjoyed it!  It goes a lot faster as a missionary for some reason.  I can't wait to get the Ensign and look back through all my notes.  : )

Anyways, have a fantastic week y'all!! I love you so much, and miss you tons!! You're the best, and keep working hard!

Love,
Sister Brown

P.S. if anyone is ever at a lack of something to send, pictures would be awesome!  I would love to have some candid pictures of friends and family to show the other member and missionaries how cool y'all are, and just for me to enjoy!  Kay thanks.  : )