Battle of the Roach

We're doing quite well, actually. This week was a little rough by the numbers but we've been working hard. I had a very awsome exchange with a Spanish-speaking elder who is greener than I am. We worked hard and though our numbers weren't the best we still did our best, and we even got to sing together. :) That doesn't happen every day.

 

Most exciting thing to happen this week was the Battle of the Roach. Right before bedtime I went into the kitchen to get a drink and there was this big bug scuttling around on the kitchen floor. I called Elder Fronk and asked him what it was. Well, I didn't expect him to go pale. I guess it was the biggest roach he'd seen, and he wouldn't have anything to do with it. So Joshua fit de Battle ob de Roach this week (it was so cool that I'm sending pictures home. they might take a while to get there, though).

 

Still no new investigators. we have two solid ones that are going to take a while though. excited for them to get baptized... someday!

 

I love you all! thanks for your support!

Fogged up glasses

I took a most awesome spill on my bike last Monday. it was dark, and raining, so my glasses were fogged up and I couldn't see. I'm biking at a pretty good clip behind my companion, following his taillight (which was all of him I could see). The thought crossed my mind that there might be trash cans on the side of the road. 'Nah,' I said, 'it's not trash day, that's Wednesday." Well, guess who was wrong. :) I clipped the trash can with my handlebars and next thing I knew I was upside-down in the bushes (prickly bushes, of course) with the bike on top of me. The great thing was that Elder Fronk, my dear companion, knew that the trash can was there and didn't warn me. He told me he thought I'd notice it. I guess he's never worn glasses in the rain before.

We had a sweet new investigator in the last couple weeks. we tracted into Andrea, and she didn't seem all that interested until we bore our testimonies. She let us in and we taught her a very informal restoration lesson, gave her a Book of Mormon, and set a return appointment. We were way stoked when she asked in her prayer at the end of the lesson if this was a new chapter in her life. I say "had"; she called us this morning and dropped us. We don't know why. but it was nice while it lasted, and sad when it ended.

Drew and Jesse are our other two investigators right now. we got a referral from Mike (Mike Warner, most amazing member ever) and we went and saw him this last week. Drew had a friend come over just to hang out and we dropped off a pamphlet and set a return appointment (we would have taught them but they were fixing to have band practice). They read the pamphlet that night and had some good questions for us when we came back. we're not sure how serious they are, but they asked us for copies of the BOM, so we're waiting to see what happens...

Love y'all
Elder Brown

COVERED IN ICE!!!

"I write unto you again that ye may know that I am yet alive, but I write somewhat of that which is..." COVERED IN ICE!!!

This week we had a nasty snowstorm, which covered Charlotte in about three inches (that's pretty nasty down here). The storm lasted about 24 hours and then turned to freezing rain and we got a thick crust of ice all over everything (including, incidentally, the car, the parking lot, and our front steps). So... we didn't go to the library on Monday like usual. instead, we walked for an hour, knocked a few doors, got rejected, and had to trudge an hour home too. We were pretty torqued.

Thank you, mom, for teaching me how to sew and cook and clean. They have proved most invaluable skills in the seven weeks I've been here.

Highlights of the week:

We had interviews with President Thomas this week. It was nice to be inside during the cold day, and we got some pretty solid training from it as well. 

We have been teaching an investigator, Desmond, who's from Africa on a student visa. he wasn't progressing very well and we were thinking about dropping him. Elder Fronk invited him to dinner with The Barbarian and his family, and Desmond came (Bro. Vailahi is awesome, he's always saying "anything to help"). After we ate, sister Vailahi bore her testimony and the spirit was strong. On the way home, Desmond started asking about coming to church! He didn't make it to the meetings this week (he had to babysit his brother's kids) but we're way excited.

I haven't been asked to drive yet, so no, no driving. Elder Fronk is the designated driver for our companionship.

Elder Fox finally got his visa to Brazil; he leaves Thursday. I'll probably be with Elder Fronk five more weeks, though it might be eleven; the higher-ups are trying to keep missionaries in the same area for longer periods of time.

Elder Brown

Report of much length

These last two weeks were a blast. I have a lot of funny things that happened to me, nothing quite as exciting as being shot at this week, but here are some highlights.

 

Elder Fronk got a remote-control helicopter for Christmas. It was a lot of fun and we even managed to break it before the day was out. :) I fixed it, though. That stick-to-all glue that stinks to high heavens held it together.

 

Oh, I got my first case of food poisoning. :) I spent a day and a half being sick (I won't go into details; suffice it to say that we didn't go tracting). So that was fun. But the real fun happened the morning after I got feeling better. I had managed to keep toast in at dinner the night before, and I wanted an egg. So I made toast, and there was an egg in the fridge. Cracked it open and found out it was hard-boiled. Well, what good is a cold hard-boiled egg? Not for me, thanks. So I put it in the microwave. Imagine my surprise when there was a sudden "Thump" from inside the microwave. :) Yep. I blew up an egg in the microwave. it was fun, too. :) Don't worry, I cleaned it up.

 

I did manage to set my tie on fire last week. There's a missionary-tie-care technique called 'singeing'. Real simple: take a lighter, light it, and melt all the little fuzzies that stick off of your tie. easy, quick, and not too dangerous... unless you're me. :D I only set the loop that holds the short end on fire, though, so the tie is still good. Elder Fronk managed to set his sock on fire the same way. :D

 

Elder Fox, who's waiting for a visa to Brazil, is getting transferred out of our area tomorrow. I've only known him for six weeks but I'm still going to miss him, dangit.

 

Oh, and something else really cool: I got to eat dinner with THE BARBARIAN the last two Fridays. He's a great big Tongan guy with a thick thick accent. I guess THE BARBARIAN is a famous professional wrestler. THE BARBARIAN is really nice, though, and a member of the church. Brother Vilahi (THE BARBARIAN) is just a giant teddy bear. He's very soft spoken. He wears a hat to church because his hair is shaved in places (as part of his character for THE BARBARIAN). 

 

Love you guys. Don't forget. and no dying either. For any of you.

 

Elder Brown

Servant of the Lord