GO MISSIONARIES!

Missions are just so awesome and so happy sometimes but I truly love it here and especially loved General conference and felt every talk was for me I learned something from every one of the speakers but overall the most important thing I felt was the love of the lord in my life his love and gratitude to me and that made me feel like I did something good which I know that I have.  This whole past week has been a great spiritual experience for me.  We had Leadership training for two days in Irmo and so we went and listened to all the leaders in our mission I loved President Holm every time he spoke I just cried (I cry a lot nowadays) any time he speaks you just feel the love of our father in heaven and his desire for us to serve more and work harder he really pushed us to do better so that we can become better people.  I got to live a dream and work with my MTC companion I stayed the night with her and got to be her companion for a few hours it was a dream come true. 

The book of Mormon is true and one of the most powerful books in the world.  This past week we had a return appointment with a struggling investigator Judy and when we showed up she just had this different countenance about her she was so happy  and looked like a completely different person and she said I read the book and felt good and felt the power to shoo Satan away and not to bother me I have no doubt about it that it was the book of Mormon that gave her that power to act and overcome Satan he is a real being and he is set to make us doubt but we will not falter  he will not win.  Judy is not on date for the 2nd of November to be baptized so many great things are happening here that I can start to see how the lord has prepared this area it was a little weedy but now the seeds are starting to sprout.  I love you all and thank you for your love and prayers and support I do feel it and hope you have a great week and day and I hope you continue to be blessed by the lord and feel his love.

Love Sister Browning

Hello from Camden!

Hey ya’ll from Camden things are great as usual so this past week we have had like no miles and we cannot walk anywhere here because it is too spread out so let me tell you of our new ward missionary Katie Peebles you know everywhere I serve I always find that one person who I have a special connection to and she is the one in this area she is so sweet a true southern bell and has been so willing to take us to visit and teach with us it has been a true tender mercy. So on Thursday we had a lesson with the Taylor Family and we taught about temples and they loved it and had the greatest desire to go and they all said except the dad that they want to be baptized but they want to do it as a family and the dad is waiting for his church to go capoot so that he will have no need to stay there but hopefully this week in conference he will snap out of it and realize that he does not need to be paid by his church anymore and can be more happier. Pray for them they are so awesome and so close I feel it.  On Saturday we went to find some former investigators and we met Robert Taylor who is flat out creepy he was asking my companion of how he would be able to ask her out and then talked about how the church would feel about them being married with him being black and it was funny afterward and he was with the former we were looking for and the former was telling us to leave because he knew Robert was not good and so he told us to go and talk to his wife. It is funny now annoying then but poor sister Havens held up really well the start of many attempts for her.  We were able to have an awesome lesson with the wife named Judy and she is so sweet and she quit investigating because she was antied but she allowed us to teach her and clear up a lot of misconceptions so she is now going to pray and really read the book of Mormon. We had to go to the hospital this past week twice for a couple of people Katie’s Son was sick and was in the er so we went and got her a Pepsi to feel better and also a returning member had a stroke so we went to see him pretty crazy but they are both doing better and well so that is good power of prayer. Camden is a tough Cookie but I do love it and love tough things never really in the moment but from past experience I always come to love them.  Gen Conference is this weekend and we have great plans to watch it we are teaching a part member family the Coles and Nick is not a member but wants to be and now that he has quit smoking he is now ready and so we are now teaching him the gospel again and to strengthen his testimony great family we are having dinner with them this weekend so we are going to start working with them. I cannot believe it has been six months since the last conference time has just flown but I am excited and it has also been one year since the historic announcement and as I reflect the change it is a beautiful thing. I love you all and thank you for your love and supports and prayers I love you so much and could not ask for better family and friends have a great week and day.

Helamen 12:1

Fall is in the Air!

Hey ya’ll so man it is fall here nice and cool and not humid very much sounds like a perfect combination for missionary work. This week has been a roller coaster of diligence and obedience and still searching for those who are ready to accept the gospel.

This last Tuesday was my last zone conference as a missionary in this mission it was great it was awesome all about how not to stress and we got this new booklet that I wish would have come earlier on my mission but at least I have it and can use it now it is really fun to do and motivating.  Then on Tuesday we met with the Taylors and had a great lesson on Baptism and why they needed to be baptized and they are praying for October 12th for the date so we committed them to pray specifically for that day.  We have a new ward sister missionary Katie Peeples she is the best she is so willing to take us and help us she wants to use her testimony and grow stronger so it has been cool to have her.  On wed we went to find a less active to bring him to the book of Mormon class and he came Tyrone he is so sweet and when we got there everyone already knew him and loved him and he just went around like he knew what to do and it was funny and a happy site he felt at home again I do not know why he stopped coming but he is coming back.  Thursday was fun we went to the North Country and just walked everywhere and down the dusty roads knocking visiting fewer actives it was fun and an adventure.  Friday we went on an exchange with our Sister training leaders and I stayed here in Camden with Sister Titus who was my roommate when I served in Hopkins so that was fun to get a chance to be with her. We were able to be where we needed to be and it was comforting to know that the spirit was guiding us and that we were the instruments.  On Saturday I was tired and exhausted all we did was knock and walk and by 6 pm I was done and we did not have success and so we continued to work diligently and my companion felt inspired to knock on one more door and we met Lynn who is a spiritual man and let us talk and teach him about the  book of Mormon it was just what I needed to have to be able to finish the night it was so worth it and awesome I learned something cool this week I was thinking and doubting myself as a missionary and the thought came to me that Heavenly Father does not doubt he know we can accomplish anything he does not doubt but Satan does and Satan uses that to pull us down and to fail but we need to always remember that Heavenly Father never doubts he only sees who we truly are and he is so understanding when we don’t reach that potential and so encouraging I know it is true and that this gospel is true and it is the happiness of the world.  I love being a missionary and love my calling me love wearing Christ name every day and love pondering him and his love and his encouragement. I love you all and hope you have a great week and day I love you and pray for you keep safe and happy.

Love Sister Browning

Little Miracles!

Hey ya’ll from Camden this place just gets cooler and cooler everyday these people are so diverse and funny I love them they are all great.  This week we finally got our map and could start working hard in our area so we started and have seen so many little miracles that they are just enough to tell me that I need to be here and there are people here I need to find. I just need to be more patient with myself and with the area and just trust.  I read in Alma 31:31 about a plea to find peace and comfort and then at the bottom there is a foot note to John which is a reply about how if we come unto Christ than we will find that peace because it is only in the world that we find tribulation which is so true it is only in Christ and his gospel that we can find the most peace.  Yesterday we were knocking and found an Atheist named Shane and he told his beliefs and it depressed me the thought that this is it there is nothing after and we become worm food forever I could not bear to think about it.  The elders met a family that live in a women’s homeless shelter and the elders are not allowed to be there so we got permission to go and teach them so we did and they are so awesome two months ago they lost their dad/husband and they are trying to overcome it and stay afloat and they need this gospel and so pray that they can have that desire I worry about anti the mom Stella brought up anti questions so that is a fear I have and I don’t want to lose them very sweet family and very cool. We are also working with the Taylor family who have been investigating the church for 17 years but they have a fear of change and the two boys and the mom love the church and know it is true but the dad is the one with the fear but we have a lesson with them tonight so we hope it goes well and we can help him more.  Things are great and I love being a missionary on the tough days when it is hard to work and be diligent I always ask myself do I love my mission and the answer is always the same yes I do with all my heart I love this time of my life and all the bad times that come with it. Thanks for your prayers and love they are felt and needed I love all ya’ll too and hope you have a great week and day and be safe and healthy.

Till next time Love Sister Browning

Hello from Camden, South Carolina!

Hello from Camden South Carolina the oldest inland city in South Carolina this is a unique little city it is old and lots of old things people building and all that good stuff. My new companion is Sister Allison Havens she is from St George Utah and is a pretty great girl I love her and am excited to be with here so she is 21 which is rare nowadays I was looking at old sister conferences pictures and to see the number of sisters is amazing by the end of November we will have reached over 100 sisters and we will have more sisters than elders in our mission that is a 1st in history and I am a part of it  pretty awesome.  So We are working on getting our map updated and getting it running it is a little stressful because I do not like staying in the apartment for days and not working I love out working and meeting members and so forth but  it is what is is and I will do my part in making this area the best and strongest area in the mission but sorry this is short I love ya'll and thanks for the many prayers I feel and need them I wish you the best of luck and pray for you always. Have a great week.

Love Sister Browning

The Lord Always Knows!

So I got a call on Saturday I have never prayed so hard to stay in an area before but I am leaving Hopkins and my heart aches right now but I have been good I know it is the lords will and it will be ok but you would think that after leaving two other areas it gets easier but it does not and now I am leaving and going to a new area for sisters and training a brand new sister from the MTC and sister Eames is staying here and also getting a brand new sister missionary from the MTC but I have full confidence in her and know that she will do great things in her mission yesterday was my last Sunday and the bishop stands up and asked me to  bear my testimony I am so grateful to have had the little time I did here I know that my whole mission before this has prepared me for this area I felt at home with all these wonderful people and to be by the temple was just the cherry on top. Enough about that though I am excited to go to a new area.

On the bright side VERN WAS BAPTIZED!!!!! It was so great she was so happy and had a glow on her and it makes me so happy to see her so happy.  Right before she was baptized we started in the relief society room and then when it was time for her to go into the water Brother Mitchell stood up and said "sister Eames Browning lead her to the font" and we walked with her to the font it was the best walk through the church ever to have vern in-between me and sister Eames walking to the font the rest of Vern’s life I was crying but hid it well I think but it was so special and powerful.  Now she is looking forward to the temple in one year.

One thing I learned on my mission very early was that Heavenly father did not send me here to help me he sent me here to help others it has never been about me but others who would have thought serving the lord for others and not yourself. But I learned that and it is important because I know that is my purpose I am his everything I do is for him and he is going to open the way for me to do what he needs me to do to help him and right now that is to go to a new area and help them. I love being a missionary and it is so hard to believe that I only have twelve weeks left it is so little of time compared to how long I have been out but enough about that I love ya’ll and can’t wait to tell you where I end up thanks for the prayers and love keep up the awesomeness.  I love all ya’ll.

Love sister Browning

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