Snow?? More like sunny and 75 ‏

Hello family !!! Wahhhhh I can't believe that it's only like less than two weeks until Christmas ! That's nuts!! But also so exciting :) thank you so much the pre Christmas package. When I saw the candy chains I almost started crying, thanks so much mom, that made me so happy :) How are y'all liking the snow ?! Haha it has been crazy this last week, it's been sunny and yesterday it got up to about 75 outside. Everyone is like wearing shorts and t shirts. Doesn't really feel too much like December, but I don't have any complaints ️

I am actually just shocked at how fast this week went by, it makes me nervous because I know these next few weeks are going to be flying by too.... Too many mixed emotions! 

To start off the week, Tuesday we had an all day zone Christmas meeting and it was really cool ! First off this guy from the mission department came and they installed these black boxes into our cars. They are called tiwi , and they are to monitor our driving and everything so that we are good safe drivers. We had some awesome trainings by the AP's and President and Sister Andersen. It was all centered on Jesus Christ and his birth. It was awesome ! After that we had a delicious lunch, which sister Andersen prepared for everyone ! It was ham, potatoes, salad, beans, roles, and dessert. Seriously so delicious. She is so sweet and the best ! After that we did a white elephant gift exchange with all the missionaries and then a scarf exchange with the sisters and the elders did a tie exchange. It was so fun ! I love my mission and my mission leaders, seriously the TNM is the best mission ever :) president and sister Andersen also had special temple recommend holders made for everyone that has the Nashville Temple on the outside and then on the inside our mission logo and mission theme. It was so sweet of them ! Now that is a good gift that I will have forever! We then had a Christmas talent show and it was fun, all the Hermanas sang a Spanish Christmas song but it was so incredibly awkward ! But really funny, I guess I don't really like performing in front of people, I was more red than a tomato.... But everyone seemed to like it, so I guess that is a good thing, right ?? Hahaha 

After that we went on exchanges and I went off to the great land of.... Shelbyville TN again haha it was fun like always. I went with a cute sister, Sister Brennan, she is amazing and such a good missionary ! She has been out for about 5 months and I am just in shock at how good of a missionary she is. I was like taking down notes of everything I learned from her, she is amazing. We had to bike, which I don't mind, but the only probably is, I am too tall for all the bikes ! And everyone in shelbyville has like HUGE dogs, but none of them are on leashes or anything. Like we almost got attacked by 2 pit bulls and a German Shepard. It was HORRRRRIBLE. The worst part is that I know dogs can smell fear and I have like fear of dogs oozing out of me... It was so scary.... So I rode my bike with rocks in my hand to throw at the dogs when they came near me, it was pretty good self defense.

As for the rest of the week I can't remember too much, it just consisted of a lot of driving and a lot of tracking, which I don't mind at all :) it's been awesome to share the new Christmas video with everyone. I love it ! Seriously the spirit it brings and how easy it is to relate back to the restoration of the gospel . I love love love it. I am so thankful that I have the chance to spend 2 Christmas on my mission, it truly is the best time of the year! I am so grateful for my savior Jesus Christ and that he came to earth to save me, and everyone of us. It truly is the best gift we could ever receive. if you haven't see the video A Savior is Born, you need too ! (Josh, watch it in Spanish... It's better... ) I think my favorite line in it is "The only one who could save us, from our sins, from our sadness." I LOVE IT! And it's soooo true, everything that is good, that is happy, and is joyful is because of Jesus Christ ! He truly is the light of the world! He is the light that shines in the darkness. 

Our investigators are doing really well ! We had a pretty big miracle this week ! It was with one investigator, Maggy. She had been taught and was coming to church and really started progressing, but then her husband said that they needed to go to the Catholic Church.... And put their kids in  catecismo classes (sorry I only know how to say it in Spanish...) to prepare them to be baptized in the Catholic Church... Well so we would occasionally stop and visit her, but nothing was really happening, which was pretty sad because her 9 and 7 year old sons Carols and Santi really love the gospel  and learning and reading from the Book of Mormon and everything. Well Monday night we got in and I was scrolling through the contacts on the phone and I saw maggy's name and so I was like "let's call Maggy!" So we called her and she seemed really surprised we called and said we could go over this week. So we went over and guess what ?! SO apparently carols and santi were about to get baptized and something had with the priest and they ended up not getting baptized () and I guess there were just some bad feelings there and such. So then Maggy is talking to her husband and is like "I think this is sign we aren't supposed to be baptizing our kids in the Catholic Church, and that they needed to go to the Church of Jesus Christ." AND THEN WE CALLED HER !!! I love how the sprit works. I have such a strong testimony of acting on the small promptings that we receive :) we have another lesson set for this week so we are praying all will keep going well :) 

Lupe is still doing good and progressing ! It was his birthday yesterday and so on Saturday the Burgos family took us all out to dinner, it was so fun ! Lupe is awesome but I am just like "come on! You know it's true , just get baptized already.." But I have been learning a lot of patience on my mission and I know that it's something I need to be patient with and trust in the lord and his timing. 

I think thats about it for this week, sorry my emails are always so long ! But I hope y'all are doing well and know that I am praying for y'all. I am seriously so blessed to have just the best family ever ! I am soooo excited to skype in just about 11 or so days :) have a great week !!! Be safe in the snow ️️

Les quiero muchiiiiiiiiiiisimo !!! 

XO

Hermana Brown

Sister Brennan and I , protecting ourselves with some piedras

Feliz cumpleaños Lupe

Clarks competition