Pancakes and Pernikahan Kekal

Hello my dear family and friends!!

First off, I hope you all had a love-filled Valentine's Day (what a wonderful opportunity for us all to ponder and recognize those we love!) and also a fortune-filled Chinese New Year! Both of these were pretty hype over here in Jakarta, Indonesia!!

Also shout to the amazing one-and-only Stephanie Brown, as she has this week completed one year as a missionary in Slovenia. Also 20+ years as an amazing older sister :)

So yeah this week was great - many wonderful things to remember and ponder :)

One great thing that happened is our friend M was baptized - wahoo!! It was great. He is definitely a special son of Father in Heaven. In fact church was just all around great today, even though a couple of our investigators slept in a little too late, so they didn't make it.

Funny story: someone told one of the members that I was good at making pancakes. So last week, I told them that I would make pancakes and they said they would bring ingredients. Little did I know that they actually meant business and they brought all the ingredients. Turns out what I actually signed up for was a pancake making competition between myself and Sister Kentjana (a long-term member of the ward). She and her husband are so funny! As I was making my batter, there were like 6 or 7 sisters in the ward surrounding me and calling out directions and crying out in distress when they thought I made a fatal error. And man, Sister Kentjana's were pretty delicious but I think mine might take the (pan)cake ;) Not to be prideful haha.

Haha lots of fun! We also got to video call two investigators in Bali today. We even invited one to be baptized and he accepted :)

Honestly this week has been pretty rough in some ways, with things just not working out and not being able to meet our investigators. But it's all a lesson in humility - to remember that this is the Lord's work and not our own. He certainly did it when we weren't able. It's good to remember that as we try our best, the Lord will do the rest. He will mencukupi which is a great Indonesian work meaning "to make enough". But we do have to be really truly trying :)

Let's see - what else happened this week...?

Oh yeah - I got a smartphone ;) That's pretty cool - Elder Johnson and I are testing them (though he's already had his for a month) and let me tell you WhatsApp is like the best thing ever for contacting investigators! :)

I taught Asas-Asas Injil (Gospel Principles) at church today and I taught about Pernikahan Kekal (Eternal Marriage). And I was thinking a lot about that (not that I'm getting trunky!) and how just absolutely amazing it is that we can be with our families for FOREVER. Thats is one of the most amazing gifts that we receive from the Restoration of the Gospel. Think about it. I know how much it has  effected my life! How different would we look at our father, mother, brothers, sisters, spouses, children when we realize that we are family forever :) How much kinder could we be? How much more considerate as we see our family's eternal value and importance? I was just thinking about that and how much I love my family and how grateful I am that I CAN be with them forever because of the Savior Jesus Christ and His restored Gospel. I do testify that He loves us and desires all of us to come unto Him and return to the Father.

I love you all!! Have an amazing week and take a little more time and a little more thought to show our family how much you love them.

Love Elder Brown