HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!!

Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening/Night everyone - depending on where you are in the world!! :)

I hope everyone had a fantastic week. WE certainly had a good week here in Manado! The week started off really fun last P-day. We got to go play Futsal(small field indoor Soccer) with a lot of members. Then on the way back we were riding an angkot(onhe of those small van things for public transportation) and it was just pouring rain and flooding in the street some. And the traffic was really bad haha and as many of you know, on Mondays we are supposed to return to regular missionary activities at 6:00 in the evening and we were going to be late because of the traffic. So we had to jump out of the angkot in the torrential downpour and start running toward our house. We were already a little tired from Futsal and we became totally soaked within minutes as the rain came down and the floods came up. Needless to say, it was awesome!! WE felt like soldiers because we had backpacks on as we ran and everyone was looking at us like "Who are these two crazy white people??" Haha such fun. My only regret was that Drew and Kyle weren't there to run with me. And to top it all off, we make it back and ALL the electricity on our street is out. So we have like 5 minutes to change and get back out the door... without any lights! It was an adventure :)

So that was a good start to the week. We had some great experiences with the Lord guiding our paths. We were headed up to an area on day and we got a text from an investigator asking if we could meet in the place we had just left. We felt that we should go back, so we jumped out of the angkot and within 5 seconds we met some people on a motorbike who wanted to meet. Then when we met them that night, one of our friends who we have been trying to help walked by and the guy we were meeting with said "Oh this is my daughter." so we were able to meet with her parents. It was a miracle to us that the Lord is putting us where we need to be so we can help who he needs us to.

We had another situation like that, we were headed home and we took just one last opportunity to talk to someone and then we met with him and he came to church this Sunday and we feel like he has truly been prepared to receive the truths of the restored gospel. So we are excited to teach him more.

We also had a chance to go with President Novan, the president of the branch in Manado, to go visit a man who's leg was just amputated. Even though physical and worldly pursuits aren't our main focus as missionaries, I had the opportunity to share with him the things that Dad had taught me about how knowledge is very powerful and how gaining knowledge is so important. I told him that through this recovery process, he could read and search and practice to learn and gain new skills (like programming or writing) and could begin his new life with a good start. (Thank you Dad!) and we talked about 2 Nephi 2:27 - one of my favorite verses, and how even in the hard times we can choose the Savior. We can choose to get up when we fall. We can choose who we will become. And for anyone who is having a hard time, I know that God will help you make those choices that bring happiness in this life and the life to come.

A lot of our investigators didn't make it to church this week which is so sad, because the Spirit is always there and we learn so much and when they don't come, they are missing out on so much. I wish everyone would just take the step of faith to come and they would see how all the things we share with them are so true and can truly bless their lives. Please pray for all of them to have greater faith. I'm learning this week about my own faith and the power of prayer and the necessity of prayer. I know that this is truly the Lord's work not mine and that I need to focus more on what HE wants, not what I want.

Sorry if that was a little jumbled! My thoughts can be pretty crazy. I am loving Manado and excited for this next week. I love you all and I really hope and pray that you are all doing well and loving life. If you are not - change!! Ask God how you can and need to change. He will help you!! Because He loves you and He wants you to be happy. That is my testimony. :)

I love you all!

Elder Brown