Roadkill‏

Hello my cute familia !! How are y'all ? Your week sounded great and I am just so stoke to hear that the Utes are ranked #4 in the nation !!!! That's so cool that makes me really so happy :) blessings from serving a mission. Haha well this week was very adventurous and fun so y'all are in for a treat.

Okay so something funny that happened this week. We have been visiting this lady named Sagradio and her family. They are super cute and actually our investigators , Aida and Jose met them one day I think at the hospital ? Or something like that. And Aida invited them over for dinner and to meet with us. Our investigators are like solid referral givers and they are always sharing the gospel. It's incredible ! But it's also time for them to become members ! Anyway, so on Tuesday we went to go see Sagradio and her family. We had a great lesson and the whole time I am just thinking like "wow. Okay she is going to make an amazing member of the church !" Because seriously. She is awesome. Well the lesson was great and to end we asked if we could close with a prayer, she said of course. We then asked if one of them, her , her son or her daughter would like to say it. The daughter said she would. So I like bow my head, close my eyes, and fold my arms. Then the daughter is just like "I am thankful for.....and I ask for help with..." Then the son goes, and says like the same thing. So then I like open my eyes and they are all just like standing up looking at each other, like they are just looking at each other. Well then Hna Sagradio goes and I am just like "ah I am next. What do I do? They don't know how to pray but I don't want to offend them... Help!" So me being such a great companion, and not having any idea what to do or say, I just turn and look at Hna Dansie... And she didn't know what to do either. So we just sat there. Like everyone looking at Hna Dansie for like a solid minute. Hahaha I felt like a terrible companion but I didn't know what to do either !! And she looks like she is just gonna do what they did, I'm thinking like no she can't pray like that. We have to teach them ! so I am just praying that I know what to say and how to teach them how to pray correctly and to have the courage to do so haha so then finally after a totally UNCOMFORTABLE silence Hna Dansie says "so when you pray do you just say like a line ?" And they were like "yeah it's like a petition." And then out of no where I just start talking , and I'm like "that's nice. I think it's cool to learn how other people pray. Would it be okay if we showed you how we pray?" And then we went in and explained how we pray, and why we pray in the way we pray.  And it all turned out great ! I know that was totally the Holy Ghost filling my mouth with the words to say because I know those were not my words. I am so grateful for the Holy Ghost and for his role in the obra del Señor! I know he is the true teacher in this work :) - I also learned how to have courage in those uncomfortable situation, which was good for me because as a missionary you tend to be in pretty uncomfortable/weird situations than I think most normal people encounter usually.

Something that was really fun was we went on a double exchange this week. Hna Dansie stayed here in Buena Vista and held down the fort as I packed my bags and headed down to the southern country side of Tennessee for a couple of days. 

I first went to Shelbyville, which you actually don't say it like that, you say it more like "shovel"... I think the best way to explain it is Its basically like on the Simpsons, you know those southern people , I think his name is Linus and Becky ? or something i don't know Brandon might need to correct me on that one, but it's kind of like a town full of people like that.... Hahaha but it was really fun. There is a trio down there so one sister went up with Hna Dansie and I got to stay in a trio with Sister Crandall and Sister Thomas. They are both awesome sisters. Sister Crandall and i came into the mission together and i actually go home with sister Thomas. We had a lot of fun and we walked a ton ! But it was cool to be in a trio too. Also sister Thomas has a sister who served in e's mission ! She came home last November so maybe you know her, sister Thomas ? I think she is from Spanish fork. So that was pretty cool  and fun :) 

The next day I went to Lewisberg. Lewisberg is also like a really super small town. I went and was with sister Kline for the exchange. We had fun and we met a lot of old men, like in their late 80's. They were all just like sitting outside in their war uniforms drinking coffee and listening to Elvis Presley. It was so cute ! We also met this lady with this crazy name. Her name is Chong Shae-Shaw Pepper Thompson. She was black, and super nice. But like wow that name ! One of a kind. Something cool too is that the Lewisberg sister live in a house!! Like a legit house. It was fun but I also was kind of creeped out at the same time. I slept with my Book of Mormon in my hands the next day Lewisberg was having their annual Goat Festival and the church had a booth set up. So that was really neat to have people come to us and talk about the church. But it was also really hot. Then I came home :) I felt like I hadn't seen hna Dansie in like ages and it was good to be back home ! 

Sorry this email is so long ! But I just have one more story. We have this new family we are teaching. La familia Alday. They are so awesome. So it's the mom and dad, Ana and Jorge, and they have 2 daughters, Paola (11) and Mariana (6) and they are soooooo cute ! We had our first lesson with them on Saturday and it was awesome. At first Jorge started to seem skeptical but the spirit was so strong and by the end of the lesson his heart was total changed and both him and Ana were super excited to read the Book of Mormon!! I am so excited. :) God is good and we have been blessed to find so many prepared people. I also gained a strong testimony, yet again this week, of how important it is to have the spirit with us as we are teaching ! 

I think that is about it for week. This is the last week of the transfer. Crazy ! We get transfer information on Saturday. Pray I stay here, I love it ! I hope y'all have a great week. Thanks for all your love and support you send me. I am so lucky to have such an awesome family. I love y'all ! 

Go Utes ! 

XO 

Hermana Brown 

Our booth at the goat fest