Tender Mercies of the Lord!

Hey Y'all from the beautiful weather of South Carolina yesterday and today was in the 80's with no humidity when we walked out we were blown away with how easy it was to breath.

Well here is our week in a nutshell

Monday we went to the zoo in the rain and got soaked but it was great we went with Sister Bonni it is funny I did not know what smelled worst the wet animals or us hehehehehe.  Monday night we go to Family Home Evening and the previous week we joked about having it at our apartment well no one knew the rule that they could not come to our apartment and so they all took it serious thankfully we were able to tell everyone but one family who drove to our apartment and found out no one was there she eventually forgave us and now we owe them all cookies but the funniest part was the lesson it was on No Corrupt communication.

Tuesday we got pied in the face by the elders because we lost a bet and so we lost and got pied but it was pretty fun and we were all laughing. we had an appointment with Vern but she bailed on us and was not there but we studied with benny her husband we were both worried that we went the next morning and she was telling us of how she was with her daughter and mad because her daughter mad her  miss her study class with her angels.  We laughed in relief that she was still solid and very excited for this coming Saturday.

Wed we had no more strangers fireside and my 7th interview with president holm it was great I cried because I realized the little time I have left on my mission and it is a bitter sweet thing right now but Vern came to the fireside and met president and sister Holm and she loved it and felt the spirit she is so great I love her so much.

Thursday we have a part member family who has been through so many sets of missionaries but never sisters so we went and she told us she is not interested so we are going at her with a different approach and serving her and she is letting us and she really opened up to us and told us she loves us so that is awesome and so it is going to be slow but I feel like one day she will be baptized.

Friday WE had dinner with the clow family the highlight of my week and it was great they are so awesome and are great I love them they are my family and take great care of us it was just a beautiful thing than that night we had another lesson with vern who again was with her daughter but this time she told her husband to wait for us and to stall us and study while she arrived so we did it was fun. Also on Friday one of the senior missionaries had an emergency and had to go home and so on Friday president called some missionaries to go and hear her testimony and say good bye it could have been sad but it was happy and she was ready to take on what heavenly father had given her it was a bitter sweet moment but I love her and miss her so much already.

Saturday the elders in our ward Melissa she has made a great change and was so happy to be baptized you could see it on her face and she was thrilled.

Sunday Vern came and stayed for all three blocks and loved them all I sat by her in Sunday school and was so happy I just smiled as I watched her learn.  Sunday night we had some major confusion we accidentally had two dinners planned and what happened was we first had two on Saturday and then we moved on to Sunday but then the other one had to change to Sunday and it was too late to change them around again so we had two dinners on Sunday one was steak and big potatoes and the other one was sushi which made my companion sick poor girl I felt so bad but she is feeling better. But we learned a very great and important lesson from all this.

Today is Monday we are taking one the Colombia sisters to the mission office so she can go to her real mission in Australia for the last week of the transfer we are a three pack with Sister Titus and we will work in both Hopkins and Columbia it is going to be crazy busy but great because VERN is getting baptized on Saturday.

This transfer is over we have transfer calls this week and I could stay or leave sister Eames no longer needs me and that is a good thing she is solid and always has been and will do great things no matter what.  I will tell all ya’ll what happens next Monday but I love yam and hope you have a great week Wish me luck and pray for me and our areas.

Love Sister Browning

Missionary Work and Rain!

Well the rain is back again we had a couple wet days but I like it makes me feel like a tough missionary working in the rain and there is more rain coming this week so I hear. This week has been great as always we really are trying to work hard and be where we need to be and to help those we need to see and finding those the lord has prepared for us to find.  This week we taught Vern twice the plan of salvation and the Restoration she just sits there and agrees and accepts it and loves it she has already made that decision to be baptized and nothing is going to stop her.  This pas weekend we had stake conference and she came with benny they loved it they just smiled it was awesome the conference was all about families and how they are so special in the church and how we need to be one in our families and in our wards I loved and cried as usual.  This place is so special and close to my heart all these people have stolen my heart and every time  I visit people in their homes I am amazed because just when I thought I could not love them any more  I am proved wrong these people are humble and accepting and let us come in and listen to us  I only pray to  be able to help them get a little closer I feel like  I am gaining more by knowing them than they probably get by listening to us but they continue to invite us back.  

 We met this man named Rene he call himself our special friend because he is he is gay and yet he lives in the south where that is not accepted at all but he was impressed with us and what we did he is learning and it is going to be a slow process with him but time does not matter as long as he gets it he lives with his mom who loves to testify and teach us and it is friendly and she means well she loves us and accepts us her sister is a member but she loves teaching and when she feels the spirit man she goes off and it is funny to see especially sister Eames who does not know what to do but she is learning young. I love sister Eames she is one of the best companions I have had we laugh and cry together and I feel so lucky and privileged to be with her I have always wanted a companion like her and I have her and sadly our time is coming to a close we only have two more weeks in this transfer and it amazes me how fast time goes.  I pray for it to stand still just for a moment but it won’t and I know it can’t but I can pray and continue to work hard.  I love you all and hope you have a great week and day Thanks for the love and prayers they are awesome I love all ya’ll. Till next week love Sister Browning 3rd Nephi 9:13-14 his only plea is for us to come unto him so simple and plain as day COME UNTO HIM

Eventful Week!

Ok so this week has been pretty great we started off Monday at the grand ol Congaree national forest which is just swamp and lots of it but it was so cool it was like a little Yellowstone that you walk through except more trees I will never again complain of there being too many trees in Yellowstone ever again but we were up for the challenge to spot some animals at the park we started off good  with seeing two small lizards and knew it was going to be grand so we went on and saw all the trees and swamp and then all the mosquitos came and they were HUGE never in my life have I seen any that big but we saw at least 1 million of them so that was pretty good and thankfully for bug spray to protect us from looking like balloons than half way through the park it rained and it down poured on us we were soaking wet and sadly the animals do not like the rain so they hid and we were not able to see any alligators but we are going back on a nicer p day to see them I am determined  but overall it was a great time I did spot a turtle on the side of the road and it was running as fast as it could be. We have been working and striving to find new people and boy did he bless us.  Tuesday we had a potential investigator call us out of the blue asking us to pray for her we were so impressed and grateful for Heavenly Father leading her to us and then to have her led to us again so we are going to teach her and help her during her hard time her name is Pamela Sumter very sweet and kind. Wed was great we have a less active who is a honey bee farmer and so we offered to come and help him he agreed and let us so we both went and put on all the gear and helped him in his honey bees but I related everything in the Hives to the gospel I learned of how hard they work in their lives and only do so little but that little bit makes a big contribution I hope to be like a honey bee and work as hard as they do. That was a great day and this week we are going to go and give service and make soap with them while we are teaching them of course it is fun and spiritual it is great! Also on Tuesday we met a Laquisha Adams who is a young mother and very prepared for the gospel she is so sweet she let us right in and taught her the 1st lesson she is very smart and very cool we are very excited.  Thursday we met Shelia who is a former investigator who met with missionaries but stopped progressing we went and visited her and she was so happy that we came and was really interested in us coming back this week! We prayed with her and the spirit was so strong we have high hopes for her.  Friday we had a great lesson with Gloria Mccampable who is a less active she is struggling with coming to church she know she needs to but we cannot figure out why she won’t come on Sunday so pray that she comes this next Sunday but we taught her the plan of salvation and it was a great lesson I love teaching that lesson so much it is my favorite and one that I love to see people just get. Saturday we wend and knocked finding new people to teach and we were walking down this dirt road when we saw two men sitting on a porch they invited us to come over and asked if we wanted to go horseback riding we declined and asked if we could share a message of Christ Lucky Leon and Frank Leon was drunk so he was in and out but Frank was listening and as we taught you could see the spirit touch him and at the end He said I know it was no coincidence that you came today I needed this he is so awesome and humble and ready to accept the gospel but the only thing is that he lives in a different town not in our area so we are going to give him to those elders but we know that they will teach and take good care of him. Sunday we had a less active surprise us and come to church named Charity we lost contact and so we were so shocked and happy but she came and loved it and is coming next Sunday as well Sunday evening we were walking following up with some potentials we had a lesson with Willie who loved the book of Mormon and is excited to read it and then we saw an investigator was home and she is hardly home so we stopped and she was so grateful but when we got there she has a dog named carter and something to know Sister Eames strongly dislikes dogs and it is funny because everyone in  South Carolina has a dog but she grins and is always is nice to dogs, so this dog comes up to her and jumps on her as she is standing and she is saying oh cute doggy but I know she is lying but Sharon our investigator yells and the dog leaves into the house and I see that the dog piddled on the ground and after Sharon leaves to put the dog away sister Eames looks at me and says the dog peeled on my toe I just laughed but she played it very well and did not let it bother her and we taught an amazing lesson it was so great and funny because it would happen to her who dislikes dogs but I love her and could not asked for a better companion at this time for me she is so hard working and loves the work. I have learned a lot this past week I realized my purpose as a missionary and how it is so simple and you do not need to be this grand leader or rich or educated all you need to do is know that Christ lives and then you will invite everyone to come and follow him that is our missions theme this transfer come follow me ( the savior) that is what I do I invite and I know that I am weak and have flaws but I am so grateful to be able to be here and to serve and invite other to follow Christ it is a humble purpose and it has taken this long for me to realize it but better late than never. This week is going to be great and fabulous great things are planned we have so many people to see and invite and Follow Christ so he can lead them safely home.  I love all y'all and hope you have a great and safe week. Love Sister Browning

People are like Peaches!

So get this analogy people are like peaches when we first meet them they are hard and green and bitter but if you wait a few days they become soft and sweet to taste and desirable.  We meet lots of people who are bitter and hard but as time goes by they soften up and become sweet and ready to partake of the gospel.  Is not that great I thought about it all by myself. I love being a missionary I cannot say that enough!! This week has been great as always.  Monday we went to the Zoo and met so many people we were able to introduce to the gospel just a little bit but hey a seed is a seed.  Every Monday we go to Family Home evening at a members house and two other families come one of which is less active and we go and enjoy and share our testimonies so tonight we are going to the Whitfield’s to have family Home evening his wife is a less active and very sweet and funny.  Then on Tuesday we got to put on pants and go and paint and good news no paint on the car (dad) but it was so much fun took most of our morning we work in the morning because by ten the humidity is out in full blast and you start to drip in sweat. Than on Tuesday we got to go to  Irmo and visit all the new sisters and see some of my mission friends transfers were Wed and on Tuesday they have all the Trainers come for training so we went to get three sisters who would be staying with us that night and All the new missionaries looked so cute and young and fresh I remember my first day in South Carolina and being scared and I must have looked like a deer in the headlights some of the new sisters had that look and I loved to meet them and feel of their spirit with the age change I have been amazed to see how prepared and smart these younger sisters are. Then Wed we went out to the middle of corn fields and met Akil and Jeremy we were walking down a dirt road and came up to their house and they  were interested Jeremy is more interested spiritually and Akil is more interested to learn more than anything but both have great potential and we have high hopes for them.  Also on Wed we went and visited a less active Sister Godwin and brother Godwin they have honey bees so we took a tour of his honey bees and they make their own bee boxes where you can observe them and then they gave us soap to keep made from their bees wax it was the coolest thing I have ever seen and we set up another appointment to go back and to work and help one day and see how he runs his bees He is not that  interested in coming to church so we are taking interest in his hobbies and hopefully we can help him they both are quitting smoking and doing great they both love us and we love them and love visiting them.  Thursday was a day of searching for less actives we went and visited a less active / part member the Fengers Sister Fenger is not a member but wants to be but has to be overcome some things right now but they are special and sweet and spoil us this whole ward spoils us and want to serve us and help us. Friday we went with a member family the McClure’s who took us to meet some friends who are ready to hear the gospel The coup family there is a Larry and Marg who are married and Bill who is Larrys Brother They are so sweet and love Family History and so prepared to hear the gospel it will be a few weeks before we go and teach though because Bill has cancer and is in Charleston for treatment so please pray all goes well.  Saturday was special sister Fenger had a friend going to the temple to get married and so she asked if we would come and sit with her outside while she waited as we sat there you could see the deep desire to go in in her face she will get there we need to help her. Sunday was a great day relaxing we had dinner with a less active family the Clows who fed us a great southern dinner and then we watched a church movie than later at the end of the day we had a few minute to knock and as we were wondering what house to knock so we stood at the end of the street looking just then a car came toward us and we started walking to a house and we met Katie Williamson who is so sweet she is married and has a 4 year old son who is so funny she was telling us of how recently she prayed to know what church she needed to go to no other church came close to what she wanted but she wants to talk with her husband before she learns so we are waiting on her and praying like no other that she will call us wanting to learn.  That was our week it was great but every day and week is great and they only get greater and greater  I love it the testimony I have gained and the love I have for the church and the savior it is so great I love ya’ll and hope you have a great week and a successful one at that.

Priesthood Power

On Saturday we had 4 amazing lessons planned and everyone we went to dropped us! We were questioned whether everyone let the adversary got a hold of them and they decided to not listen to us anymore, but we were trying to not let it get us down so we were going trying our hardest to find out where we needed to be and where we were lacking the spirit. We could feel the adversary fighting us very hard preventing us from working and being successful, but we did our best and we were so confused as to why the adversary was fighting so hard well we found out why. On Sunday evening we went to see a part member family the husband was baptized a couple weeks ago and his wife has been in and out of learning well we found out Vern, the wife, is having surgery the next day and we offered to ask some men to come and give her a blessing and so we had our bishop and a less active member, and a patriarch come and give her a blessing. We were talking and the three just brought the spirit into the room and when they gave her the blessing it was so powerful and she was so peaceful and happy so after the blessing we talked about baptism and she said because of the way she felt she wants to be baptized after she recovers! The spirit was so thick. The face of the husband was so priceless he was so happy and after we all left we just felt happier, everyone did.  When we got to the car we just cried it was so intense after all the felling of darkness we found the light again and we knew right there and then that the adversary was preventing us from going there to help Vern but I learned the priesthood is so much more powerful and it is real it is the light and chases darkness away I know it is true I know Satan is real and he is seeking every day to destroy happiness but he will not win.  I am so grateful for this past week for the struggle and  I am grateful for the priesthood and the power to overcome the darkness and bring light and peace in light we find peace and happiness in darkness we find loneliness and fear.  I love being a missionary and refuse to admit any other way or think any other way.  This past year and some months have been worth every tear, smile, heartache and pain I never want it to ever end it is just too good.  I love you all and hope you have a great and safe week and till next week.

Love Sister Browning

Boy is it Rainy!

 Hello from Rainy South Carolina Hopkins man I have never seen so much rain in my life but I love it can’t help but love it. This week has been oh so great and we will start with Wed we had an awesome sisters Conference in which I saw all my friends and companions.  Then Thursday was the fourth and you will read that day later.  Than on Saturday we went to visit Nima lee who came to church last week and yesterday and we were talking and she was talking about a program she watches on TV about Joseph smith worried it was anti I asked what station it was on and she showed us and it was the byu tv station apparently she watches it all the time. then she brought out all the information she found about us from the internet all lies and anti we sat there and went through it all and I was so grateful for the spirit because I know I would never to have been able to explain those questions for her to understand but she gave us the anti and we gave her Mormon.org to visit and we taught about Joseph Smith and she came to the conclusion that he was a missionary and not a prophet and so she decided to come to church which was testimony meeting and all the people who bore their testimonies bore testimony of Joseph smith as a prophet it was a prayer answered after Church Nima lee had to leave so we did not get to talk to her about it but we look forward to do so this week. Pray for her she needs this so bad and she does not realize it all the way yet. than yesterday after church we went to Eastover  to visit an investigator and when we got there she was in the field picking corn and we offered to help her and she gratefully accepted and she had a cousin there named Prophetess and she is a prophetess and we shook her hands and then she starts speaking in tongues and blessing us and telling us to wait seven days and we will be greatly blessed and right after that I was attacked by ants that bit my feet all over and that was a sign to leave but  I ignored it. So we are in this field picking corn ants everywhere on us biting us and mosquitos attacking us and  the corn cutting us Finally  I have had enough so  I tell sister Eames we are leaving and we are going to tell them we have an emergency and have to leave and as we are heading back prophetess yells we need to quit God says we need to stop so we gather all the corn and find out it is not her field even and we helped her steal the corn I should have listened to the first sign but anyway we talked and finally the prophetess left and that was good because we were able to have a great lesson with Janice our investigator who wants to read the book of Mormon and has not but we told her to read and pray Sister Eames was great with her lovingly bold.  I learned to never work on the Sabbath again not worth it and I have the bug bites to prove it.

          So the best thing ever happened to me this past week so on 4th of July we went to contact a referral and they were not home and so we decided to go and knock and find some new people and we met Adam and we were talking and teaching him when he came out and said he was Jesus Christ and he did not die on the Christ but he was reborn into a new body.  I tried not to laugh in his face and was worried for sister Eames and looked over and she seemed fine so we went on and he kept going on and on and on and as he was talking I kept saying to myself he is not Christ he is not Christ I know he is not Christ. so eventually we left and went home and we were on lockdown from six to the rest of the evening and I had some extra time so I read the book of Mormon and I read Moroni seven all about the pure love of Christ and as I read I felt so happy and knew that it was true and that Adam was not Christ I knew the book of Mormon was true it was reconfirmed to me that it was true and that night I felt really great and just happy and at peace because I knew the truth. I am so grateful to have had this week and all that I have learned and felt I love being a missionary and don't want to be anywhere else right now I love ya’ll and thank you for all you do and all your prayers have a great week and hope your 4th was fabulous.

Love sister Browning

Hopkins is Great!

Hey ya’ll it has been a warm and rainy week here in Hopkins but it is oh so great I love it everyday rumor has it is a little toasty there know I am praying for rain and for ya’ll every day.  This past week was great we worked hard and had a lot of success.  So a few weeks ago we met Nima lee who is 80 and she was outside and we went and talked with her and she wanted nothing to do with us but we talked about her mini chickens that she has and then we offered to help her weed her garden and she accepted and it took a few weeks but we finally got back to her and she had nothing for us to do so she offered to take us on a tour of her mini farm on her golf cart so we got on and went on a tour and then she gave us mini eggs from her chickens it was so great but the best part was that she was looking for another church and wanted to come on Sunday to church with us our jaws opened and then she did come but it was funny because everyone she talked to she told I am a Baptist and I am not changing  I am just visiting so we think it will take some time but she felt the spirit and became very interested in family history so we are going to try that approach.

We would be walking and finding and we would meet so many people who really needed us or we would find people who were searching and we would find them we definitely felt the lord leading us to find those who are prepared for us to teach and find so we have a pretty busy week planned with sifting and more finding.

The ward is so great they love us and see our hard work and love for us to come and they treated Nima lee so well she felt loved by them whether she wants to admit it or not.

I love being a missionary I am so grateful every day for this work and for a companion who is willing to work hard and to do the hard things we are learning every day I love seeing her eyes open and experience this great work and think of how much more she will gain in this t time.  I feel very humbled to be a part of this great work and gospel and everything that I have my family my friends and the church my heart is full.

Thanks for the love and support and prayers I love and feel them. Till next week.

Sister Erica Browning