Moving to Manado

Hello my good family and friends!!

I hope you all had a stupendous week full of happiness and heealthiness!

Exciting news of the week: President called to tell me that I am moving - I have been given a new assignment in . . . MANADO!! Which means that I am going off of Java! There are only two missionary areas that are off of Java -  Medan (on the island of Sumatra) and Manado (on the island of Sulawesi). So that's pretty cool! I don't know if you remember, Mom, but when i first recieved my mission call, we looked up all the crazy Indonesian food. Turns out that most of the crazy stuff we saw  is actually from Manado haha! It will certainly be an adventure to go off of Java and experience another side of the culture, though I will be very sad to leave Jakarta.

I told President Rowley last week that I wanted to stay in Jakarta until the end of my mission. Obviously President doesn't put too much weight in my advice haha. So no, he didn't listen to me, and i am sad to leave, but excited for a new adventure. Leaving everyone was really hard on Sunday. I took a lot of pictures after church. Goodbyes can always be rough.

 

But in other positive things - my new companion will be Elder McWhorter - who is a stud of a man. I will technically be finishing up his training, which in mission terms makes me a "step-dad", but he is way awesome so that will be great! I also have the chance to be in the same city as my old MTC companion Elder Bennet!! So that's cool and his companion Elder Wibowo is a super great guy too. I will be really sad to leave Elder Johnson - I have LOVED serving with him. He is a fantastic person, a great friend and a wonderful missionary. i'll miss him and the entire district a lot!! Jakarta really is amazing.

The week wasn't the most killer week we've ever had, but we still saw many miracles. One highlight of the week is that i was able to go on Exchanges with my good friend Elder Forston. We saw many miracles - we met so many cool people. we had the chance to give a new investigator a date for baptism, so Elder Johnson and his new companion Elder Hunt will help him progress towards that. Also we made an appointment with a contact and he brought four friends and we had a killer lesson in McDonalds! Even with the loud worldly music, I felt the Spirit strongly testify of the truths of the restoration.

One of our other progressive investigators came to church and he went in to the bathroom and was in there for a long time. When we eventually went in to check, we realized that he had just figured out how to put on his tie and he said "It's been a really long time since I've worn a tie" and we thought it was so cool that he wanted to wear his very best for the Lord. He also told us that he as stopped drinking tea and coffee and smoking (which are all parts of the the health code that we follow in our church) so that was great. We hope he can be baptized either this coming Sunday or the next!

 

SO yeah it was a really good week as always. It's really strange too be leaving Jakarta. I will certainly miss it. But on to another adventure!!

I love you all! I know the work I am doing here is truly the work of God, because I have seen so many changes in  my investigators, in my companions and in myself as we all have learned more about the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know it is true.

Love Elder Brown