Hey Mom and Family and anyone else,
Mom, you can send this, edit it, blog it however you want.
This week has been so awesome and has actually gone really
fast - too fast! I don't want to let this time at the MTC go by without using
it to my best advantage! But I'm having a little bit of a hard time figuring
out exactly how to do that. It's hard to make the most of my study time but I'm
trying so hard to have Roh Kudus(the Holy Spirit) with me so I can have the
guidance and testimony I need from him. I really need the help of the Spirit
especially with the language, although as I look back, I realize that I have
learned so much of Indonesian in such a short time. I think I know more and
better Indonesian than I ever learned in French (nothing
against Madame H. of course!)!
It is really great here, my companions are awesome!! I got
put in a tripanionship because we have an odd number of Elders going to
Indonesia - 11 Elders and 1 sister. We sometimes call her Sister Sendiri
(Sister Alone), but luckily we've all become friends because I think it would
be hard to be without a companion. Elder Johnson is great, likes to talk and
loves to have fun with the other Elders! Elder Peterson also rocks- he is a
little more reserved but he is so faithful! He misses his four little siblings. I have been so impressed
with his progression. Not surprised, because he is being so faithful and
focusing and working so hard during study time, even though the rest of us
often have a hard time studying...
On a typical day, we are taught for three hours or so by our
teachers Brother Blaser and Brother Rawle and spend maybe six more hours in the
classroom learning from guest teachers or studying with our district. It can be
long and tiresome, but I'm grateful for that time. Olehraga(sports) are a lot
of fun, we have a great time. We played soccer with the little goals for our
first exercise time - I shot a goal almost all the way down the field (not
full-sized) and everyone was very impressed even though I really meant it as a
pass...
We met Pres. Rawley, he is GREAT!!! Super cool and very...
short. Haha we were quite surprised! But he is awesome, he has already taught
us a lot and given us big hugs :)
Mom, I have gotten to bear my testimony in Indonesian, quite
a few times! In fact, just right now we saw a man who we had kind of sort of
taught as a large group of new missionaries on Wednesday and we saw him today
and took the time to bear our testimonies in Indonesian, even though he didn't
exactly understand haha! But Testimony can bring truth to the heart through the
Spirit even though we can't necessarily understand.
I'm trying so hard to focus and praying everyday that the
Lord will bless me and help and I know he will!! It's been a little tough
because suddenly at the MTC, you are asked to testify of the things that you
know and you have that moment where you have to stop and think and say to
yourself "do I really know?".
But I want to testify as Nephi did in 1
Nephi 11 verse 17 - "I know that He(God) loveth his children, nevertheless
I do not know the meaning of all things."
If there is anything in this
world that I know it is that God lives and he loves me. He loves me and
every one of his children equally and unconditionally!! That is my testimony and
because I know that, I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is
his church on the Earth because I have felt God's love immeasurably in my
experiences in the Church throughout my life and in the Missionary Training Center.
The Gospel is true!
Elder Brown
