Josh with his mission president in North Carolina

Portions of the letter from Elder Brown's mission president, President Thomas:

We are pleased to inform you that your son arrived in Charlotte and to the mission home safely and in good spirits. He was a little tired from arising early and a long flight. Sister Thomas fed him a nice warm meal which included Banana Pudding dessert, a southern favorite.  I had the privilege of interviewing him. He is full of potential! Our assistants did a little training and our office Senior Missionaries were able to join us for dinner and an introduction to the new missionaries.  We are so glad that he was assigned the this mission. He slept with his group overnight in the mission home.

He has been assigned a ‘trusted’ missionary to oversee his introduction and training into a proselyting area. Hopefully, when he arrived at his new apartment, they opened the door just far enough to push his luggage inside, and then went out to work! He will make a difference here as he puts his feet on the ground and yields his heart and will to the Lord and his sacred call.

Boy, will he love it here! The landscape is so beautiful and the people of North Carolina are wonderful. Southern Hospitality is alive and well. Members and leaders of the branches, wards, and stakes love the missionaries and we are working hard as a mission to assist them. 

We recognize that the first 3 months of his mission will be personally demanding and rewarding as he makes many adjustments. We will do all we can to help him get his feet, shoulders, and heart established here. We are extremely loyal as a mission which means he has many strong and loyal friends already. Supportive letters absent the affairs of home will help him cultivate a strong start.

We are laboring with our might, completely dependent on the merits and mercy of Jesus Christ, in a unified effort with the Stakes of Zion here; to help gather Israel and establish both Zion and a Zion people. Additionally, we will do all we can to help your son grow, change, and progress into a bold, humble, and charitable missionary who is “fit for the Master’s use.”  We love our missionaries!  We will love, watch over and care for him, as if he were our own. 

Thank you for helping him prepare. Thank you for the sacrifices you have made on his behalf.