Temple!

Hi everyone,

We got to go to the temple today!!! It was awesome! We all got there at around 8:30 and we got to study the scriptures and be interviewed by President at the temple while waiting for the noon session. There wasn´t enough time for my comp. and I to be interviewed so we were interviewed afterwards. It was such a great spiritual recharge, and I received some great advice.
To answer a worried Mothers questions:

• Do you need toothpaste? Floss?

We´re good. It´s not too expensive here, and I try to brush my teeth at least twice a week. Just kidding. Three times.

• Anything else? Tylenol?

Um...my shoes are slowly dying because of all the rain and old age. I reeeeally don´t want to buy new ones, but...we´ll see. I´ll wear ´em to the road and use them for as long as I can.

• Tell me about your most spiritual experience of the week in your main letter

The interview with Maria. I think that was probably one of, if not the most spiritual experience of my entire life. She´s from the Ala Autódromo (my second area!) and she´s the Bishop´s mom! (the Bishop, José Antônio, has been a member for 3 years. He´s the man.). I came to do the interview, already knowing her a little bit. We started up the interview, everything normal. Then we started talking about Joseph Smith, the Restoration, etc. and she got a little indecisive in her wording. I had a hunch (Spirit) and asked if she had prayed to know. She said she had, but that she felt like something was stopping her from knowing. I explained, knowing full well that it was a little strange, about how Joseph Smith was almost not able to survive before the First Vision because of Satan, and she said she felt the same way. I retaught her how to pray and invited her to pray, right then, to know, using those exact words. She started praying, and she wasn´t able to say anything other than "não consigo...não consigo" (I can´t do it). I have never, ever prayed like I prayed then in my life. I was physically and spiritually working so that she could receive the courage and power to pray, to ask and receive and answer. I felt Satan battling with the Spirit, and I willed the Spirit to help her. There were several times, in about 20 minutes of praying, when I thought about stopping, just giving up (Satan), but we didn´t. She stopped and re-started about 5 times, and by then I was sweating and shaking from staying on my knees so long. BUT, she finally did it! She asked if it was true, and we waited for a few seconds. She cried. She sayed she finally felt peace. I testified of the SPirit and it´s role in our conversion. She´ll stay strong. That´s the spiritual experience of the week, other than the awesome temple, as always.

• Who did you teach this week?

People, mostly. Because of the lack of time, we taught Errolflinn (yeah, he´s a gay, drug-using, drinking, crazy, 70-year-old-woman-kissing guy that wants to be baptized. Yeah. The mission.), Élcio, Rosa and her family of 6, Jaime and Roseli, Manoel, Luis, Terezinha, Lurdes...and a lot of other first lessons. Great week!

• What did you learn/ pray for in the Temple?

I prayed to know how I could best forget myself and love my mission, really enjoy it and not just endure. I felt, again, the same answer that I have been receiving for a year and a half - Love one Another. It´s true. If I don´t change, I´ll keep getting the same answer. But I will change! I will forget myself and go to work! I don´t have to be the best, I just have to be me and do my best! I also prayed to know if the Lord was accepting my serving as a missionary. I know that He is, and that I can do even better. That is very comforting.

• When I pray for you, what can I pray for?

Pray that people that we teach, by the power of the Spirit, feel the desire to go to church, and that my comp. and I can teach effectively and a lot! And for Élcio especially - he´s getting married soon.

• Are you completely healthy? Do you have any issues with the food/ water etc?

I´m doing really well! I´m losing a lot of weight because we´re running in the morning and playing soccer, and I´m eating less at lunch. My pants don´t really fit anymore, but I´ll wait to get new ones until after the mission.

(thanks, Mom, for your love and concern)

Other things:
- Élcio fell and bruised his rear. He showed it to us, too. It´s black.
- there was a member that prayed to Joseph Smith. Great.
 - There was this REALLY crazy drunk  gay guy (not Errolflinn, another guy) that was hitting on us. After he saw that we weren´t, um, interested, he kissed my hand. Really hard and passionate. Ech.
- we made these plastic poncho things. Fun.

I know that He lives. I know that He loves us. This is the church of Jesus Christ.
Elder Brown

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.