Hey Ya'll From Florence!

Hello from Florence wasn't conference the best I hated for it to be over how crazy of the announcement of missionaries I was so happy and am so grateful to be able to see the effects of that in my time in the mission the lords work is moving forward without a doubt and the time is getting closer so missionary work should be a priority striving to bring as many into the fold of God as possible. But I was able to receive so much inspiration about what I need to do to be a better missionary in Florence and how I can better help our investigators.  On Saturday was Joyce's brother’s funeral and she asked us to be there to support her and since it was in between conferences we could go.  It was a southern Baptist funeral it was very nice and a neat experience and Joyce was very happy we were there to support her and she will be baptized she deserves and needs this gospel.  I realized this past week the role of baptism in most churches.  At the funeral the pastor was talking about how Willie (Joyce's brother) was baptized and that he would be saved.  Allot of churches believe that this life is the only chance one person has in order to receive salvation and that is a person is not baptized in this life then they will not receive salvation crazy right but we are lucky to have this gospel and know that Heavenly Father has provided a way for everyone to be saved even if they were not baptized in their mortal life.  He loves his children so much and he wants us to live with him in the celestial Kingdom. Yesterday we went to an area to find some old leads we were having no luck so we decided to go to plan b and go to another area as we were walking to our car two men came running to us trying to get our attention saying that there is a lady looking for us. I then heard a lady yelling at us the other way confused and quite frightened I started to walk to the lady.  The lady was Betty she was a less active whom we lost on the count that she moved.  I was so happy to see her and talk to her it turns out that she was in the hospital a couple days ago for arthritis or something but she was so grateful as so was I and it was a testimony that the lords will lead us to where we need to be at the exact point we need to be there and he does hear and answer prayers.  Thank you for your prayers and love they are felt and needed and well used I love y'all so much and wish you a happy and successful week.

Love Sister Browning

Crazy Week!

Man oh man what a crazy week all starting on Monday but things here in Florence are so great I cannot believe it has been four months since I left. Right?  Time sure is flying and I just hope to be able to accomplish everything Heavenly Father has prepared me for.  On Monday we met Joyce who met with missionaries one year ago she is so sincere and wants to change and this gospel is the one that she knows Heavenly father wants her to be in so she wants to be baptized on Oct 20th.  Sad news is that just the other night her youngest brother was killed.  I am so amazed and privileged to be an instrument in the lords hand and do his will in being that person to help her have an gain the hope that she can see her brother again I am excited for this opportunity and I strongly feel that she is why I am in Florence right now with Sister Garlick who is the best and is very patient with me and my craziness. We also have Marquita on date she also met the missionaries years ago but then her daughter got really sick and lost contact with them but she had been hoping for another chance to meet missionaries and lo and behold we show up she is very spiritual and has a lot of faith and is very sincere she is on date for the 27th of October.  The Moores are good their daughter Zoey turned nine and is no longer a child of record and so we have to teach her the gospel so she can be baptized but her parents are having difficulties because of Kelleys mom who is very anti Mormon and is riding Zoey pretty hard to go to church with her it will take a lot of patience which I am having to work on right now but I know that it will all work out and Heavenly Father will provide the way as always and I know it will be ok it may not be in my time in Florence but it will happen.  We were privileged to have two sisters Sister Allen and Sister Chai come for a night and it was like a spiritual sleep over which was the highlight of my day.  On Saturday our ward had a linger Longer in which everyone pawned off their food for us so we will be well fed for the week which I am not complaining at all and on Saturday night we watched the relief society broadcast at the church which was so fun we were able to get a less active to come and she loved it so it was great to see her smile.  On Sunday we spent most of the morning trying to gather up people to come to church and were able to get Ross Junior who is an investigator who love Jesus and church he started to read the Book of Mormon and loves it and is reading it always he is a sweet guy who deserves this gospel.  Everyone deserves this gospel no matter who or where they are but it is for everyone.  I hope everyone is doing great and is enjoying fall and the first full day of October.

I love you all and thank you so much for your prayers for me and the investigators truly they are felt and what give us success here.

Know I keep y'all in my prayers as well have a great week and till next week

Love Sister Browning

Hey Ya'll!

Hey y'all from Florence South Carolina so this morning I woke up and we went outside to exercise and I about had to come in because it was so cold when I looked at the thermostat for outside it was on 60 degrees which is pretty cold and it is not as humid.  Things are definitely changing from the leaves to the people.  This past week went by so fast that it is unbelievable.  We focused on teaching our new investigators and even found a few in the process.  We contacted Quilteen Williams who was a referral from another member in a different ward we have been trying to find her and we managed to talk to her on the phone once but never got to meet her so we just accepted the fact that she was avoiding us and did not want to meet with us and also we heard that she was antied by the same person who referred her? I know it does not make sense but we were trying to find out what to do all of our appointments were cancelling and we would follow our plans and nothing would come so we decided to give Quilteen one last shot at trying to contact her since we were in the area even though we did not plan to contact her so we went and knocked and she opened the door and let us right in and said that she was hoping that we would come by she had lost our phone number and could not contact us in any other way. We went and taught her the first lesson and she loved it and was excited to read The Book of Mormon and know if the church is what she needs but the downside is that she works like crazy and is a very hard person to get into contact with but we will pray and let everything work out and do our part in helping her accept the gospel it seems like a no brainer to accept this church as the only true church with the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ but every day it amazes me when people look at us and just say "Oh you are just another church" but we are not we are the only true church and people have a hard time seeing it and even experimenting by reading the Book of Mormon.  Most people who grow up in the south believe that there is no set one true church but that there are many churches that are true it is a constant struggle but I love finding people like Quilteen who realize that they have not yet found that church because all the others are missing something. Last Monday for p day there is a park by our apartment called Jefferies park and it is by a creek and also it is in the woods and trees and looks really fun and cool well we went there and stayed for about five minutes all due to the fact of mosquitos which were a lot larger than the ones in Idaho I will tell you that and they were eating us like crazy you could see the teeth on them I tried to get a picture but they moved to fast and I am not aching to go back any time soon so sorry.  Prayer is becoming a big part of my mission I definitely am receiving blessings and answers to my prayers constantly.  Heavenly Father is using me here and I am doing my best to accomplish all that he wants me to.  Thanks for the prayers they are a big part of why I am so blessed. I love being a missionary!!!!!

Perfection is Nonexistent:

Time is going quicker and quicker but things are great as always in Florence South Carolina definitely cooler to the point where I exercise in a sweater in the morning crazy.  But this past week was so great it was full of challenges and joys and miracles and trials but each week I feel refined and feel like I am a better missionary.  One thing that I have most definitely struggled with is not being able to be perfect.  I love to do everything perfect and right the first time but this past week I learned that in everything I cannot be perfect there is something always to be improved on and in one week you may do better in one area but the next there is a new level to be reached.  This week I will explain the BRP now out of all the missions in the world my mission was chosen to pilot this program.  What BRP stands for is best relationship proselyting and the purpose is to strengthen the members and get more referrals from them to teach.  Referrals are the best especially from members because they know the people of Florence way better than I.  But any who what happens is we (missionaries) go to the members houses and show them this letter and the members send this letter to people they know and the letter is very simple and caring and just invites the person receiving the letter to read the book of Mormon.  After the letter gets sent out the missionaries will go and present the book of Mormon and try to teach and figure out their true interest level.  Miracles have happened and majority if not all of my investigators are from the BRP and also they are the ones that we have the best relationships with.  I love this program so much and am grateful to have it and to use it really allows me to get to know the members and do a lot more work. so a lot of our work consists of doing the Brp pretty cool right. 

Pretty experience with the BRP the elders in our ward with us called us asking if they could BRP a family the West family.  I felt very strongly that we needed to BRP them and not the elders but I pushed it aside and tried to tell them to do it but every time I tried I would choke and could not tell them (odd of God?) eventually I was able to tell them to BRP the west family (ignoring the spirit).  Well I felt bad but knew the elders would do a good job.  Couple days later at ward coordination the Elders set up an appointment with the West family on the only day that the west could do it but the elders could not so they ended up giving us the West family to BRP I did not hesitate accepting them again was it odd or was it God its God always God but I am excited to BRP them next week and find out why we needed to be the ones to do it.  I tell ya MIRACLES

This past week we had a fireside with our mission president and investigators we had one come Kevon who loved it but he did not come to church so we are not sure what is up but he should be ok hopefully.  Anti is getting stronger and stronger especially for our investigators and recent converts but it is amazing of how they all withstand it and are so solid and keep progressing but Satan is definitely working hard.

I sent random Pictures on is of my new companion Sister Garlick so enjoy them.  Life as a missionary is so fabulous I LOVE IT and would not want to be anywhere else I love y'all and thank you for your prayers

Love always 

Sister Erica Browning

"Be not afraid, only believe" Mark 5:26

Hello Hello hello I hope this email finds everyone well and happy.  I am doing great as always no surprise.  This past week has been so crazy and busy.  I did get a new companion her name is sister Garlick she is from Centerville Utah.  I am getting used to being a trainer and I learned that being stressed does not do anyone any good. I learned total reliance on the lord and how he will always help.  On wed after transfer I was a mess I did not know why I had to train there were so many better than I and I did not know enough and I realized how this would not be easy but probably the toughest things I would ever do.  After feeling sorry for myself I realized that the person I was acting like is not the missionary the lord needs and I needed to change my attitude and be the best example of a missionary that sister Garlick needs.  I did a lot of prayer and reading of the scriptures and things got better there are still times of doubt and stress but I know that the lord has a plan and goals for this time and I need to endure the stressful times and go on.  It took a few days but now we have a system down and are working hard finding and teaching people. In study I found the scripture Be not afraid only believe I believe the lord knows what he is doing and I do not so I put all my faith in him and I am going to work every day to be the perfect missionary during the rest of my mission.  The Moore is still solid they have had so many miracles since their baptisms it is crazy but they love this gospel and what it has done for their family.  Sorry this is short but I love y'all so much thanks for all the prayers truly they are felt. 

Love always and forever

Sister Erica Browning

I Love being a Missionary!

WOW what changes are coming and so many things are happening I cannot believe it at all.  First last Tuesday Kelley Moore was baptized by her recently converted Husband Jonathon Moore that was great and she was so happy and she felt the spirit and had a smile on the whole day even the whole week I love this family so much it hurts but so worth it.  The good news is that my twelve weeks are up of training and transfer are this coming week and I know that I will be in Florence for two more transfers but me staying in Florence for two more transfers means that I will be training a new sister missionary fresh from Provo so yes I just got done with twelve weeks and yes I get to start it all over again.  Our president called us on Saturday telling Sister Allen that she would be leaving and thanked her for her service in Florence and then asked if I would train next two transfers.  There are so many emotions and I ask for all your prayers to help me.  It is a scary thing to be a trainer only after finishing up my training but I know that I have been called and asked so I will do it and will love it I am excited to train and I know many miracles will happen just as they have happened for my training.  The bad news is that sadly Sister Allen is leaving me and Florence.  This area will not be the same without her it will not be worse but it will not be the same we have worked so hard and have had many miracles but I know that it is her time to leave and my time to take control and lead this area to the best of my ability.  Lately I have been thinking like crazy focusing on how I am going to train what I need to know and remember  I think of my fears that I have but then I pray and ask for help and I feel comfort and peace.  I know this is the Lords work and that he knows the whole plan and he has goals for the next two transfers that my new companion and I will accomplish.  I am so glad to be in Florence for three more months I love this area so much.  I love this gospel and I have seen first-hand how it can change lives especially families the joy and happiness the Moores have in their home is something they did not have before the gospel it has brought them closer together.  It is interesting being a missionary the feelings and experiences you have that are indescribable  that the only way to know it is to experience it there is nothing like it .  I love you all and thank you for your prayers and continue to ask for them I love you and pray for y'all as well.

Love Sister Browning

Hello from Florence, SC

Hello hello hello from Florence South Carolina!!! I love being a missionary!! People are always telling us how much they respect us for what we do but, it is so worth it and I will never have any regret.  My training is almost complete time is sure flying it does not feel like I have been here for twelve weeks but it has and now I am almost done training crazy. I am excited to see what happens for the rest of my mission and I cannot wait to see who I will become right now I feel like a completely different person but I love who I am becoming.  This past week nothing great happened just that Kelley Moore wants to be baptized by her recently baptized husband on Tuesday I am so happy and so is she loves this gospel so much and wants to be an official member of the family.  The Moors feel so at home when they are in church and the members are the best at making them feel at home.  So on Saturday we got permission to watch Pres. Monsoons Bday celebration at 9:00 p.m. so we went to the moores and watched with Kelley since Jonathon was at work but it was a blast and so much fun to get to be together.  I am amazed at how much fun it is be a missionary to be with people and to laugh with them and to talk with them about the gospel there is no greater fun than that. When we were teaching an investigator Wendy we were teaching her about the Restoration and she constantly would be telling us "oh that make sense “or "Yeah I understand" but yeah it’s funny how the gospel is true and makes sense and fills the holes that other churches and religions have.  I love all the other churches and I have grown to respect and love them and it is sad when they don't seem to think the same about us but we just go on and endure and it is fun everyday there is never a dull moment and there is never an easy moment either but it all is helping me become who I need to become not who I want but who I need to become. Thank y'all for everything letters and prayers I truly hope this letter finds you all well and happy I hope all is well I love you all and know y'all are in my prayers.

Love Sister Browning