Christ's Hands

Vesel Božič!

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year! It's even better when there's snow, but it's great without snow as well.

Lots of wonderful things have happened recently. I think that the Lord works in small ways to bring about good things. For example, last night we were leaving a Christmas treat and a document called The Living Christ for a friend of ours. They weren't home, so we stood at the door to write a quick note. It probably looked a little funny because I was trying to balance a plate of cookies and a few bags while dictating a note in broken Slovene to Sister Squires, and waving my arm around my head like a crazy person every thrity seconds or so to keep the light on. In the dim light of a streetlight as we walked away, we saw a man puting a tennis racket into his car. So we stopped to chat with him about tennis. We talked with him just a few minutes and it felt like a little tender mercy to me, because I have learned to really love tennis. About 800 meters down the road was the miracle.

We walked away and down another street and just as we wre crossing a busy intersection, another man was shuffling by. We had Christmas treats in our hands, so we offered them to him only to learn that he was partially blind and trying to find his way back to the city center, hence the slow shuffling walk. The series of events - writing a note, talking about tennis, and then walking down the street enabled us to be at that intersection at precisely the same time as this kind man who needed help and to walk with him to center. It was really neat! I believe that the Lord was literally guiding our footsteps so that we could be in the right place at the right time. I believe that God will guide each of us as we seek to be led and he will give us opportunities to be Christ's hands.

As I've asked people on the streets about what Christmas means to them, I've often heard the response that "it's just another day and we should have Christ in our hearts all year round." I love Christmas and all that it represents and I hope that we can all carry the spirit of Christmas, which is the spirit of Christ, in our hearts all year long.

I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe that He lives and I know that He loves us. I know that He loves you. Shine His light everywhere you go!

Z ljubeznijo,

Sestra Brown

Grateful for Jesus Christ!

Hey mom! We basically have no snow. It's really disappointing. I would GLADLY be shoveling snow with you if I could, but good job! 

The Christmas program was....well, it's over haha. I had such bad stage fright. But people were saying that they loved it and felt the spirit, so that's what matters. It was good! I'm just glad it's over. 

I am staying in maribor! And training a new missionary again! Sister Crosby is staying in Kranj and training there as well, so that leaves Sister Kanell and Jennings to serve together in Ljubljana. So I'm happy to be staying in Maribor!

Ask Cory the name of his grandmother who lives in Slovenia! I really want to know! 

Aunt Sabrina looks really cute in that hat! Good job with that. Tell them I love them and give them big hugs from me! I love you, mom!

I love you! I love the Lord! I believe that the Lord has given us commandments so that He can bless us and help us to reach our divine potential and I know that His blessings and promises are sure and certain. I feel especially grateful for Jesus Christ. He understands and knows what we experience. He is the true way to light and happiness and He invites us to come to him. Choose to come to him and experience the joy he has offered. 

I love you! 

Love, Steph

Make the Better Choice

Hi mom!

This week in a nutshell was FANTASTIC. A really good week and a really good time. I don't think I have ever been happier on my mission than I am right now here in Maribor.

I have two miracles to share this week. On Tuesday, a cute thirty year old woman just randomly walked into our English class. We were ecstatic because we'd just been sitting there, whistling a jolly tune, and twiddling our thumbs while we waited (and hoped) that people would come. She told us that she had been walking past the church Monday evening and heard singing coming from inside. She had really wanted to come inside because she loves to sing, but had been afraid. Then she noticed the poster in the window, advertising free English lessons and decided to come back on Tuesday. She told us that she has searched through lots of different churches and religions, trying to find something that felt right. What a miracle! What a sincere, open-hearted, and honest person! We were able to teach her about the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ on Saturday and the spirit was so strong. The Lord is preparing people to hear the message of the restoration all around us and he will place them in our paths if we are willing to have courage, take action, and invite! Invite people to experience the joy that you have experienced in living the gospel!

We began our LightTheWorld campaign on December 1 and Sister Jennings and I were on a mission to give away a copy of the Book of Mormon. We were tracting and it was around 7:30 pm. It was pitch black (it gets completely dark at like 4:30 these days). We came to what seemed to be the last house on the road and then it continued on into foresty land.

But for some reason, we kept walking along the road a ways. We stumbled upon a driveway to the right and a house hidden way back against the hill and very dark. I'm totally afraid of the dark, so I was incredibly grateful for Sister Jenning's flashlight. We knocked on this door to find a sweet family who invited us in, allowed us to sing Sveta Noč for them and then asked us questions until we had taught them all about the restoration of Christ's gospel to the earth and The Book of Mormon, which testifies of Jesus Christ and teaches his gospel. He was SO excited to read!

It was so neat to see the Lord bless us in our desire to help light the world. I have such a testimony that Jesus Christ lives and that we can have our hearts changed through the power of His atonement. I have felt the relief and unburdening that come as we desire to change and turn to Him, and repent. I've learned that we won't just automatically be changed just because we want to, but that when we show the Lord our sincere desire, He will place opportunities in our path where we can choose "the better part." He will give us opportunities to either be selfish or to be selfless, mean or kind, judgmental or filled with love. And He will encourage us to make the better choice. The more often we make the better choice, the easier it is to make it the next time, and the more our hearts change. I love you! Don't forget to light someone's world today!

Actively Resist Evil

Hello from Maribor!

We had some really funny experiences this week as well as some really amazing ones! I'll start with the funny. My family will could all tell you that I have a very small bladder and a habit of basically needing to stop at every single reststop on the drive from Spokane to Provo.

Well, because of this problem, I find myself wandering to and from the bathroom a few times per night. Sorry, too much information. Well, the other night I was trying to get back to my bed in the dark. I thought I was on it, but it turns out that only my left leg was on the bed and my right was in middair. So when I tried to put weight on the right leg, my leg and my whole body with it went crashing to the floor! My back crashed into our closet door which rattled as loud as Darth Vader's breathing and I think I woke up the entire blok (apartment building). The next morning, I found it terribly difficult to kneel while I prayed because of the nasty goose egg on my knee. How's that for some good sound sleep :) We had a great time going to a classical concert in Ljubljana with one of our investigators as well!

I've learned a lot about the power of prayer to help us withstand temptation and trials which are before us. In the Book of Mormon, in 3 Nephi, Jesus Christ teaches us about prayer. he teaches us that Satan wants to tempt us so that he can "sift us as wheat" which means throwing us in the air and letting us be blown away and lost in the wind. Satan doesn't want us to succeed in returning to our Father in Heaven. Lucky for us, our Father in Heaven loves us and has provided help for us to resist Satan. It doesn't mean that we just have to pray and sit back and relax - no, it's going to take work and constant effort. But with Jesus Christ's help it is more than possible! I know that there is power in prayer and that we an receive the strength and help which we need as we turn to our Father in Heaven in sincere, earnest, and FAITHFUL prayer. Let's put our trust in God and actively resist evil (Alma 61:13-14) today! We have a good friend who is trying to stop smoking and he has found that when he turns to God in prayer and in the Book of Mormon, he has greater strength to withstand the temptation to smoke, strength that is greater than his own. That's what happens when we turn to and trust in God. We receive strength greater than our own.

And don't forget to spread the light of Jesus Christ this Christmas season by finding opportunities to serve those around you! Help others to understand how much God loves them. 

#SvetuPrinasajteLuc

also known as 

Light the World

Winter Coats and Prayers

About church - we had more than 7 yesterday. We had eleven members for part of sacrament meeting. 

So I translate during sacrament and then I translate during relief society so church is kind of rough for me. Translating is so hard because you have to listen in Slovene, then speak in English while your trying to continue listening to something different in Slovene. And in Slovene you can get ideas across MUCH quicker that in Slovene. And believe me, they do. President Fidler speaks about a million miles an hour. He spoke yesterday.

Sister Jennings and I finally pulled out our puffy winter coats to put up a little more of a fight against the wind! I put mine on only to realize that it fits a little more snug than it did when I wore it last year :) Just adding a little extra to keep me warm during the winter, I guess.

We had lunch with our branch president's family yesterday and their sweet three-yr old son grabbed hold of my ankle and had me drag him around on the floor. I told his mom that we were just mopping up the leftovers from the meal. It caused me some serious deja vu because I remember doing that to the elders who served in my home ward years and years ago!

I've had more people try to pay me this week than ever before on the mission. Sister Jennings and I have been knocking on doors and asking if we can sing for people and if they say yes, without fail, they will try to pay us afterward. I know that I am not a good singer, so I attribute it to Sister Jenning's INCREDIBLE voice as well as the kindness of the Slovene people. Needless to say, we refuse their money and ask them if we can teach them about Jesus Christ instead. We've actually had a lot of success with what we call 'sing-tracting'!

We had a miracle last week. It has started to get full dark around 4 or 5 in the evening, which is not so great for two young girls who are walking around trying to talk to people. We were walking along a pathway at about 6 pm and there was no one around. As we kept walking we came in sight of a man coming towards us, so we stopped under a streetlight and began to talk with him. We learned that he had never prayed in his life with his own words, just from memorized prayers which he had been taught. We learned that he had never felt that he had received an answer to prayer. So we read with him in the Book of Mormon when Jesus Christ teaches us how to pray and WHY we pray. For him, it was kind of like a new world being opened up. 

We CAN pray with our own words and we CAN receive answers from heaven. 

He was so intrigued as Sister Jennings and I told him that we had both received answers to prayer in a very personal way from God, our loving Father in heaven. The Lord will work miracles before us even when it's completely dark outside, it seems like no one is around, and it maybe seems a little sketchy.. :) 

I just want to say that I know God answers prayers because He loves us. He loves his children and He wants us to find truth. There is so much power in our sincere prayers! I know that God lives and I know that He loves us. And I know that we can each know that for ourselves through sincere prayer. Don't be afraid to ask!

Love, Sestra Brown

Tripping and Testifying

Hello!

We had a wonderful week here in Maribor filled with a trip to the cemetery, a trip to Zagreb, a trip back to middle school, and a little girl nearly tripping out of her father's arms. Okay, that last one was kind of a stretch - 'falling' would be a better word.

The cemetery. People really respect and honor their family who have passed on in this country. It's a beautiful part of the culture. At this time of year, everyone goes to the cemeteries and lights white candles in red plastic coverings to place at the graves of their families. When you see the cemetery at night, it looks as if the whole thing is glowing. It's amazing. We were able to go with a member of our branch to visit her parents and uncle in the cemetery.

Zagreb. We had a special zone conference in Zagreb this week with the missionaries in Croatia as well as Elder De Feo. Sister Melonakos talked with us about our divine nature as sons and daughters of God.

This fact is so simple and so profound and it will change the way you see yourself and others. It can be easy to feel worthless in a world that tries to tell you your worth comes from the size of your bank account, the size of your body, or the size of your IQ. Here's what I know: your worth is independent of any of those things. Your worth does not change or fluctuate as the circumstances of your life change.

You are worth everything to God because you are his child. And our Heavenly Father doesn't lose sight of our worth even when we do. So when you question who you are, let Him remind you of His love. And then try to see others with his love!

Middle school. Sister Jennings and I were bullied yesterday by twelve year olds. It was one of the saddest things I have seen here - little boys who are twelve years old smoking, and then using what English profanity they knew as well as innapropriate Slovene to act towards us the way they did. It made me feel SO grateful to have been raised in a home where I was taught to follow Jesus Christ and to make good choices. I bet it is really hard to be a parent and it's probably especially tough when your kids don't want to listen. But don't give up! It is so worth it to keep trying, keep teaching, and keep loving!

I think that family scripture study and family prayer are key!

Little girl. Last week, Sister Jennings and I met a man on the side of the street who was holding his daughter in his arms. She had lots of energy and was not content to be held peacefully, nor was she content to be placed on the ground :) So while we were chatting with her dad, she was squirming and trying to escape. This has turned out to be the most incredible family! We were able to meet with them last night and talk with them about our Heavenly Father's great love for his children here. Pray for them that we can go back and continue to teach them and that they will recognize the Holy Ghost teaching them.

I would just like to add my witness to my baby brother's that I also know the Book of Mormon is from God and that it brings us closer to Him! I have noticed that so much this week. God wants to help us to find direction in our lives and as we search with sincerity and ask with faith, he will guide, direct, and answer us! I love The Book of Mormon because it helps me recognize God's love for me. I feel His love as I study and learn from it.

I love you!

Sestra Brown

Maribor Miracles

Maribor is a wonderful place and we have seen miracles this week!

I'll start with the not-so-wonderful miracle. Apparently the missionaries basically do a musical number every week here because the branch president likes it....And I am not a talented singer. BUT it was a miracle yesterday because no one threw tomatoes at me or told me to sit down. I'm sure that is mostly due to Sister Jennings singing next to me - she has a lovely voice!  Yes, I was the pianist, the first speaker, and the musical number in sacrament yesterday haha. Craziness. We had seven members, two missionaries, and one investigator. 

Another miracle. When I was taking the train from Maribor to Celje two weeks ago, I met a young man who studies in Maribor, but lives near Celje. Last week, when I moved to Maribor, I ran into him again! He joined us for family home evening, a tour of the church, a chance to learn about the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth, and church this week. Heavenly Father will place people in our paths WHEREVER we go if we are willing to open our mouths and hearts. Trust the Lord that if you have the DESIRE to help in His work and you are willing to ACT, He will lead you to be His hands.

Another miracle. We were headed home through the park last week and we saw a man sitting on a bench in the sunlight. He invited us to sit with him and we learned that he is from a different country and his daughter and wife are here as well. They are trying to learn Slovene (which is a really tough language, in my opinion) while going to school here. He was SO SO kind. He agreed to meet with us again to talk about how we can strengthen our families.  

We were shocked and amazed to walk into the park again later that week to meet him and see that he had brought his whole family with him! My jaw literally dropped. And I think they saw...

Another miracle is knowing who we are. One of my favorite things about sharing the gospel is helping people come to understand who they are in God's eyes. You are a child of God with divine heritage and divine potential. Don't let the standards of the world and the people around you define who you are. You are a son or daughter of God and He knows you. Let Him remind you of who you are. I love you! I love Jesus Christ and I'm so grateful that He came to earth so that He can help us to change, so we can prepare to receive all that our Father in Heaven has in store for us.

Have a happy week!

Sestra Brown

Go and Do

Dear friends and family!

This has been a wonderful week which climaxed with a fantastic sabbath yesterday! On Wednesday, Sister Crosby and I found ourselves slightly lost on the streets of Maribor with a church member named Konstancija.

We were trying to find the Maribor Arhiv to research Konstancija's family. We eventually found it and also found lots of ancestors and information about them! Being a missionary is awesome because the point is to help people come to know their heavenly father and feel his love for them and take the necessary steps to return to him.

What's neat is that this work doesn't stop at death. God wants all of his children to be with him and so missionary work continues through our family history work!

While we were headed back toward the train station, we received a phone call with transfer details where I learned that this would not be my last trip to Maribor, but that I'd be returning just the next week! So here I am, coming to you live from Maribor, Slovenija :) I'm excited to be here with Sister Jennings!

What great things happened in Celje before I left? We were chatting with a woman about the Book of Mormon when Zach, 9 yr old in our Celje branch walked up to say hello. So I asked Zach how he feels about the Book of Mormon and he proceeded to share with this woman that the Book of Mormon is "awesome" and has helped him to "learn to be kind." She said she could tell that he really had learned that because he was so polite and friendly. That was a cute little miracle!

About ten minutes into the meeting yesterday (church meeting), the door opened and our friend J  randomly walked in to join us. Sister Crosby, Elder Echols, and I each spoke. After the meeting J  said, "I want to buy one of those books." We don't sell copies of the Book of Mormon. We give them away for free because we want all people to have the chance to read it and to know that it is God's word. J was so grateful to have it and I am so excited for him. I believe that the Book of Mormon is inspired of God and that we bring the power of God into our lives as we study it.

Something I've thought a lot about this week is the guidance of the Holy Ghost. Sometimes (often) inspiration from the spirit comes at times that seem very inconvenient to us. I remember once when I had just finished a 4 hour calculus exam, it was dark outside, and I was hungry, tired, and brain dead. All I wanted to do was think about myself. And it was at that point that I felt a prompting from the Holy Ghost to "go and do." Did I want to listen? No. I really wanted to go home and eat and fall asleep. I would say that most often in my life, I ignore and disregard these promptings because it's easier to give in to the natural man inside. In this instance, I listened and acted and I saw the Lord work through me to bless another life. The Lord asks us to put ourselves aside and when we choose to do that, He will work through us and allow us to be his hands and spread his love around us.

God is our loving Heavenly Father. He wants to bless you and he wants to bless those around you through you. And he will as you are willing to put yourself aside, listen, and act.

I've found myself in a new place with new people and a new companion.

My goal is to put myself aside this transfer. I'm not very good at that, so I'm asking for your prayers to help me accomplish this goal one day at a time! I love you! I pray for you and I hope that you are finding reasons to be happy and look up!

Love,

Sestra Brown

FEEL the Power of the Gospel

Hello everyone

We had a week filled with tender mercies and blessings. Yesterday we had a special meeting for all adults in the Europe area with Elder Ballard, Elder Clayton, Elder De Feo, and Elder Sabin. They were in Frankfurt, but we broadcast it to Celje and watched in Slovene. Elder Ballard reminded us about taking quiet moments to remember and FEEL the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives. I loved it and I 100% agree with him.

We are so blessed and the Lord will continue to bless us and lead us along as we turn to him. He also told us that the Lord is waiting to do miracles among the people of Europe, but miracles are dependent upon our faith which leads us to act. The greatest miracle we can experience is bringing people to know Jesus Christ, because Jesus Christ is the greatest miracle and tender mercy this world has ever been blessed with. Remember the miracle of Jesus Christ every day and happily tell other people and invite them to come and see! 

On Saturday, we were walking along the river and began speaking with a young woman sitting on a bench. She invited us to sit down with her and we told her about the love of a father in heaven which has motivated him to call prophets throughout all history to lead and guide his children and to bring them home. She then asked, "Well, who's the prophet today?" What a great question! As we shared with her about the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth, she simply said, "I didn't know that. I've never heard that before. You came all the way over here to tell us about this?" 

The message of the restoration is true and it is for all people! God restored his gospel, his church, and his authority to the Earth because he loves us and he wants us to return home to him. 

We are not the church of America, nor are we the church of Celje or Indonesia or Taiwan or France. We are Cerkev Jezusa Kristusa Svetih iz Poslednjih Dni. This is Jesus Christ's church and it is for all people to help them return home to their father in heaven. The message of the restoration is a beautiful message of God's love for His children! 

If you ever feel scared to open your mouth and share about the gospel, just remember that that God loves them and he wants them to come home. 

 

I love you! Hope you had a great week!

Sestra Brown

This evening we're going up to a place near Logarska Dolina, but on the other side, I think. The Monsons wanted to take us there and so we're going together with them and the Elders. Should be fun! 

I am so glad to hear about the water, aunt Sabrina, YOU, Drew, DAD, and family history! I love you! We'll be finding out about transfers on Thursday.

Faith is a Choice

This week was great and next week is going to be ever greater! I went on exchanges in Ljubljana and had some great experiences. First, I met a man named Zdravko who proceeded to tell me about how he used to throw discus for BYU. Wait what? It was the most random encounter! He was so neat and kind! If I'm ever back in Ljubljana, I'm determined to find him. He told me that maybe he would go to church on Sunday (he's not a member) wearing his BYU letterman's jacket :)

Sister Kanell and I visited a woman who hasn't been coming to church for a number of years and we had a wonderful discussion about God's love for us which motivated the restoration of the fulness of Christ's gospel and his church to the earth. As I talked with her about Joseph Smith, tears began to roll down her cheeks. And then she offered me a robček and I realized that I was crying too. I think it may have been the most powerful moment I've experienced in the last eight months. I know that our Heavenly Father loves us.

Sister Crosby and I had a neat little miracle the other day. We were walking back to our apartment in pants and t-shirts because we'd been helping in someone's garden and we passed a cafe only to see one of our former investigators sitting there! So he invited us over and we were able to have a great conversation with him. Tender mercies.

The best moment of my week happened while I was sitting at the piano Sunday morning. I was playing prelude music and I happened to look up over the piano to see a man and a woman come in and sit down. Once they sat down, I had a clear view of their faces and I realized that it was a member who hasn't come to church in a long long time as well as his girlfriend. We've been working with them for a while and hoped and prayed and prayed and hoped that they would come.

I'm learning more and more clearly that faith is a CHOICE. And the choice will be hard to make if our faith is not centered on Jesus Christ who is the source of light and hope in this crazy world. Jesus Christ is the light of our world and we will have light in our lives as we CHOOSE to turn to him, to trust him, and to follow him. 

Love you! Have a great week!

Sestra Brown

General Conference Slovenian Style

Dober dan! 

Celje is beautiful at this time of year. The river is a beautiful blus-green and the trees covering the hills are just beginning to change their colors. 

I hope that you had a wonderful and fulfilling weekend! General Conference is one of my favorite weekends of the year. My other favorite happens in April... :) But I've got to say, it made me miss my family. The gospel of Jesus Christ strengthens and brings light to our families - traditional families, ward families, community families, the family of God - and our lives. I felt so much this weekend that God loves us and he wants us to CHOOSE to return to live with him. He has shown us how we can make that choice and that is through His Son, Jesus Christ. Trust in Him and choose to turn to Him! 

Yesterday morning, Sister Crosby and I were walking through the fog in Celje center to get to the church building for conference. It was about 7:30am and we saw just one woman on the street. We stopped to talk with her and tell her that God has a prophet on the Earth today and invited her to come with us to conference. And what's amazing? She did! And she loved it! She loved it because she could feel God's love for her.

For the last 6 months, we've been having a friend attend our English Group every week on Thursday who has never been comfortable praying there before (we always pray at the beginning and the end). It was SO NEAT last week when I asked someone to give the opening prayer, this friend volunteered to give the closing prayer. And prayed from the heart and it was beautiful. I believe that God is listening when we pray to him. 

A friend who has never accepted our invitation to come to church before, came to general conference this weekend and had an opportunity to feel the Holy Ghost and to feel God's love for her. 

I love you! I hope that you can feel your Father in Heaven's love for you! And I hope that you can help someone else to feel his love for them this week! 

Keep looking up! And come listen to a prophet's voice: https://www.lds.org/general-conference?lang=eng

Love,

Sestra Brown

Rainy Road Trip

Sister Crosby and I witnessed a miracle this morning and it strengthened my testimony that Heavenly Father is so aware of his children and that he works miracles in our lives through our faith. We have been trying to return to visit a friend we met for two or three weeks now. Well, this morning was going to be the day. I just knew it! So we walked up all the stairs and knocked on the door. We waited and waited. We knocked one more time and waited. Nothing. At the bottom of the stairs, slightly dejected, we prayed and asked Heavenly Father to guide us to where he needed us and we planned to head out down another street. Then we felt like we should knock on the neighbor's door. We'd already knocked there before, but we decided to do it anyway. Back up the stairs we went! Twenty second pause at the top of the staircase so we could catch our breath, then we knocked. Waited. Nothing. 2nd knock. Nothing. Why did we feel like we should go back up the stairs? Down the stairs and out of the building, then we thought that we should leave a note. So we sat down on the porch and began to write. And thirty seconds later a car drove up with our friend in it.  We were FINALLY able to set up a time to meet! Heavenly Father is so aware and he WANTS to guide us. Sometimes we don't fully understand his guidance. I didn't understand why we should knock on the neighbor's door. Especially when no one answered. But because we followed those promptings, we were in the right place at the right time. I believe that our faith in Jesus Christ has power and allows God to lead us to be his hands. 

Getting ourselves to Nova Gorica on Saturday was quite the challenge! It really shouldn't have been too difficult - it's just a two hour drive from Celje, but it was hard because we share a car. The Porters left the country two weeks ago, and the Monsons are moving up here from Ljubljana. But they're not moving up here yet, because they still have things to be doing down there. So...no car in Celje for a while haha. We were planning to take the train to Ljubljana Saturday morning and then grab the car and go onward, BUT the train schedule terribly tricky and we didn't read it correctly. SO the Monsons drove up Saturday morning, then we all drove back to Ljubljana together. Then Sister Crosby and I took the car on to Nova Gorica through the crayziest rain I have driven through in quite a while. I have experienced insane rain since coming here, but never while I was behind the wheel of a car! Only when I was walking through town, still half an hour from home typically :) But we made it there and Andrejka was so kind.  We got to share and answer questions, and she showed us all around Gorica, new and old.

Last week we were out contacting through the center of Celje. It was cold, rainy, and dark and there was basically no one outside, so everytime we saw a person we made a beeline straight for them, but to no avail. We'd been praying that day for opportunities to serve in small ways, but I didn't feel like I'd found very many. Maybe my eyes were closed all day or something. Anyway, We started beelining for a woman who was walking away from us about forty feet ahead. Just as we came within ten feet, she crossed the road. Škoda! But when we took our focus off of her, we realized that there was another woman about thirty feet ahead with no umbrella. We started after her, rounded the corner, and once we were within yelling distance, I decided to yell and ask if she needed an umbrella. She kind of turned her head, saw us, and kept going. I thought "great. She knows we're the missionaries and doesn't want to talk." But then I thought "what the heck, let's just chase her." So we did. And then we asked if she needed an umbrella. Turns out she's from Spain, didn't understand Slovene, didn't know we were missionaries, and really loved the idea of an umbrella! Heavenly Father will give us opportunities to serve if ask!I'm not going to talk about the people who told me I've "found the wrong Jesus." That's a story for another time :)I testify that Jesus Christ lives and loves us! I'm so grateful for a loving Father in heaven who knows us and cares for us. Turn to him every day, in rain and in sunshine!

Love Steph 

Short and Sweet

We had our primary program yesterday and though we only have two primary children and one young woman, it was wonderful and the spirit was so strong! Our theme was "I choose the right!" And I was inspired to do a better job of choosing the right in the coming days. 


We're leaving in two minutes, but I love you so so much!

Sestra Stephanie Brown

Facing your Fears - Start with Love

This week we were visiting a member of our branch. After we left her house, we decided to tract some of the nearby blocks. At the top floor of one of these, a young mom answered the door. She told us that she doesn't really believe in God, but that we were welcome to come back another day. So we went back! When we walked into her home, I was a little bit overwhelmed by how much love she obviously had for her family. The entire little home was centered around her children and her love was so evident. 

In our short discussion, we learned that her babica had recently passed away and that she'd sometimes wondered where grandma is now. We learned that her kids are the center of her life and mean everything to her. 

God's plan for this woman and for her grandma and her children is a plan that began before mortal life here on earth and will last much longer than the end of our mortal lives. It's a plan which developed out of the pure love of God for his children. I know that her grandma still lives just like I know that my grandpa still lives! And because of Jesus Christ we will all live again.

I learned a couple of things this week. First, it's all about love. Second, sometimes the very best thing to do is just face your fear head on. Third, Jesus Christ will heal us.

Let's start with love. Shout out to my good friend Spencer, who told me this at the very beginning of my mission. And also to everyone everywhere who has learned anything from Jesus Christ. He did everything he did out of love - love for God, and love for the people around him. Sometimes I feel completely overwhelmed by the numerous rules, guidelines, suggestions, goals, reports, etc. that are part of a missionary's life. Often times I feel like I'm really not measuring up because I can't even REMEMBER all those things, let alone apply them all in my daily life. But I've realized that if everything I do is motivated by my love for my Father in Heaven and for my companion and for my mission president and for my family and for the people here in Celje, then I'm doing okay. And I just keep on striving for improvement in all those areas, but first and foremost is love. Because I wear the name of Jesus Christ on my tametag, and to represent him means to radiate love. Not very good at it, but working on it.

 

Facing your fears. Face it head on and charge at it or it will just follow you all your life. Just face it now and Heavenly Father will strengthen you through it and bless you for it, no matter how long it takes!

There are two things I really love about the following scripture:

9 And it came to pass that when he had thus spoken, all the multitude, with one accord, did go forth with their sick and their afflicted, and their lame, and with their blind, and with their dumb, and with all them that were afflicted in any manner; and he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him.

The first is that our Savior will heal, comfort, strengthen, bless, and give peace to each of us one by one. The second is that those who were afflicted were "brought forth unto him." I want to bring people unto Christ to experience the miracle of his healing and to know the miracle of his life, atonement, and resurrection! 

Miracles and Bobsleds

This week we saw some neat miracles as we were trying to find people to teach! 

 Sister Crosby and I stopped two women on the street, and began talking with them. One was super interested in knowing if we had received answers to our prayers before, so that was neat. Doesn't happen often! 

Sister Crosby began telling them about the first vision and as she was going I started to think something sounded funny and then she kind of eyed me while she was talking and I realized that she had completely skipped the first half. haha. So we laughed ourselves sore over that later :) I think the spirit knew what she was trying to say and still came and testified! Kind of funny though! 

We were headed out into town to deliver a copy of general conference to a woman we had met previously. We had a short discussion with her, but she had an obisk(visitor), so we couldn't talk for very long. Just got to share our testimonies that there is a living prophet on the Earth today! 

When we finished tracting that block, we still had about twenty minutes until we needed to start heading home. We didn't necessarily want to start an entire new block because we wouldn't be able to finish it, so we debated about tracting the houses on the street, contacting, or finding a new block. We stood on the side of this little street and prayed. We asked Heavenly Father for help and guidance that we could spend the next half hour doing what needed us to do and speaking with the people he needed us to speak with. Still unsure what to do, we started walking. And then a family turned the corner, so we thought "Great! A family! That's surely what Heavenly Father needs us to do right now." So we approached them and began to talk, only to be told that they really weren't interested at all. Škoda. 

So we knocked on the door of a house across the street, again to find that the people home weren't really interested. So we started walking again. As we crossed the train tracks on our way towards center, we saw a young man on the other side of the street. Being the bold missionaries we are trying to become, we crossed the street and intercepted this man. And we learned that this was exactly where Heavenly Father needed us to be at that point. We shared our testimonies of God's plan for us and his desire for us to come to know him through prayer. 

Heavenly Father will guide and direct us as we try to be his hands here on earth! 

I liked Trevvy Trev's email this week! It is never too late to be the person you want to be. It is never to late to choose to turn toward your Heavenly Father and let him help you to become who you want to become! 

Sestra Stephanie Brown

And we were at a branch activity with those helmets! It was bobsleds and a ropes course.

Don't be afraid to ask God

Sestra Crosby and I have had the craziest week, yet I can't even remember what happened! 

We had a neat experience with someone who we had met a few weeks ago on the streets. We had discussed about how we can come to know truth directly from God.  The other night, we randomly received a couple phone calls from the same person who actually would like to get together and chat! So we met in the church last week. They loved how everything was focused around Jesus Christ and the fact that He lives. and walked away with two copies of The Book of Mormon -for another family member! AND it wasn't until halfway through our conversation they got a funny look on their face and asked, "Are you Slovene?" To which we responded that we weren't, and we were still learning Slovene. So maybe we didn't make any horrendous mistakes until halfway through the conversation! That's improvement for us :) 

 

I'm so grateful for a Father in Heaven who wants to communicate with us directly. I know that when we pray, God hears us. I also know that He is ready and willing to answer our prayers and help us to find truth if we will do what he has asked of us. In a world where "truth" seems to be constantly changing, we can have faith and trust in a Heavenly Father whose truth doesn't change. When you are seeking to know what is true and what is not, turn to God and ask him. Better than anyone mortal being on earth who can write information on a website, God knows the eternal truth. And he will help you to know through prayer and study. One of the greatest truths I have come to know is that we are children of God and that Jesus Christ has made it possible for us to return to God. How amazing is that? God is our father. He loves us and listens to us when we pray. I know that is true. Don't be afraid to ask of God to know what is right and true. He wants you to know. 

Love, Sestra Brown

God's Peace

That's crazy about Janson! Sounds like he has a really great attitude though! I'm so proud of him.

Sometimes I sit down in front of the computer and my mind just feels blank. Like, "Excuse me, did somebody turn the lights off in here?" That's how I feel right now. I can't remember what happened this week! Čakaj, just give me a moment. I'm sure my memory will come back soon.

Okay, we're back in business! This week was crazy. Sestra Crosby and I feel like we were hardly even in Celje. We spent a day in Zagreb with some other missionaries from Sestra Crosby's MTC group. And we spent part of a day in Maribor putting on a musical fireside for the members there. I've got to say, they were not benefited musically by inviting me to join! But it was nice of them to invite us anyway :) 

Miracle of the week, hands down, goes to a beautiful French woman we met in Center. On Tuesday evening, we were walking around and talking with people, inviting them to learn more about Jesus Christ. At least, that's what we were trying to do. Even more than normal, it felt as if people didn't want to talk to us. Before we could even introduce ourselves as missionaries, we'd get the hand waving us away or the "Ne hvala" warding us off. 

We approached a woman who was rummaging through a large purse and really looked busy and distracted, only come to find out that she doesn't even speak Slovene because she's from Paris. We mentioned what we were doing (in English) and her eyes lit up and she said, "Really? I was just thinking about Jesus Christ and how I want him more in my life." She proceeded to walk straight over to the church with us, where we sat together and she had a chance to learn all about God's plan for us and for our families. It was incredible for me to see her light up each time she learned something new. 

She told us about how both of her parents had recently passed away and she wanted to know what happens after we die. We testified to her that her parents still live and that whe will be with them again. She looked up at us with wide open eyes and said, "Really? Will I really be with them again? That's so great!" It was so neat to see how Heavenly Father's plan for us brings lasting peace into our lives. It's the kind of peace that can't be replicated by anything on Earth, because it is peace that is not of this world. It's God's peace. It comes from him when we understand that we are his children and that he loves us. It was so neat to see this woman come to that knowledge and how it immediately changed her life. 

I know that God lives and that he loves us. I know that it is his goal for us that we return to his presence and live with him and with our families after life on Earth. I am so grateful for a Father in Heaven who wants us to know him and feel his love and who answers our prayers. And I'm so grateful for his son Jesus Christ who makes possible our return to our Father in Heaven.

Love, Sestra Brown

Spin Moves

Sometimes the weeks fly and at other times they drag. This one flew!

This was a hard week, but even when things are tough, we can always see God's hand in our lives when we choose to look for it. We just have to choose to open our eyes and let the light come in! But not the bugs.  See the photo below of me cleaning the bugs off the ceiling because we let the bugs come in.

We had a neat experience while tracting this week. Well, before we actually began to knock doors. We were headed out to some blocks on the north end of our area and we walked past a house where I had contacted a woman some two or three months ago. I had actually contacted her there twice and both times she told me that she doesn't really know what she believes or even if she believes. As we walked past we thought, "Well...why not knock?" So we did! A man answered the door and proceeded to tell us that he doesn't believe in God. If God really existed, why do so many people suffer so so much? We hear this question so often and I think it's a universal question in people's minds. Oftentimes when people tell us that they don't believe in God, they don't let us stay and talk to them for very long. But we ended up talking with this man on his doorstep for fifteen minutes. We briefly explained about our purpose on life and why we're here on earth. We explained that it's Heavenly Father's goal for us all that we return to his presence after life on earth. And that because of Jesus Christ, we CAN return to him. How cool is that? I'm so grateful for Jesus Christ. By the end of the conversation, the man agreed to have us come back and share with him a little more about our Father in Heaven's great plan for our successful return to him. So that was a neat little miracle that we almost walked past, but then decided to knock! 

 

Sestra Crosby and I are becoming expert basketball players! Not that either of us have set foot on a basketball court a single time in the last few months, but we are perfecting our spin moves. And every good basketball player knows that you need a solid spin. Here's how it goes. We're walking down the street and someone is coming towards us. We give them a solid "Dober dan!" from about ten feet away. They look at us with a question in their eyes and mumble, "dan." We then go for the "Oprostite" ali "Kako ste danes?" move. By this time we're about even with them and we start to turn towards them as they come even with us. They spot our nametags and give a solid "Nasvidenje" and keep walking. So by this time we have turned a complete 180 from where we bega. So we just keep spinning until we're facing forward again and can carry on our merry way. Spin move!

Sometimes life is hard. Everyone has their own struggles and trials which they experience. And oftimes, we really don't understand why things are so hard. For ourselves and for others. Sometimes the most difficult trial of all is watching someone you love suffer and wishing you could help. I was reading in John 15 this week and I loved what our Savior taught. He taught that through our struggles, we are being "purged" that we might bring forth more good fruit. I think that hard things are a part of the fallen world that we live in. But the way we react to our hard things is the test of life.

1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

 And Jesus teaches us that the best way to react is to "abide in (him)." I don't know what hard things each person faces each day, but I do know taht each person faces hard things each day. I don't know what fears and struggles lay behind each person's eyes, but I have no doubt that they're there. What I do know is that I've found in my life that the best way to keep moving forward is by turning to Jesus Christ and abiding in his love. Truly, he has the power to strengthen us, to lift us, to help us, and to comfort us, and I know that he will. 

Love you all!

Sparrows and People are numbered and known to God

I'm SO STOKED that you found citrus truffles. That's the best thing I've heard in awhile :) 

This has been a great week in the city of Celje! We had a really busy day on Saturday with not very much time outside to talk to people and find new people. We had a little miracle because in the ten minutes that we were outside, Sestra Crosby and I found a young man from Belgium who is out traveling on his own and on a journey to rediscover his faith. We showed him where our church is and invited him to join us the next day for church services. And you'll never believe it - HE CAME! Who knows what will ever come of it. He's already gone from Celje, so we'll never be able to teach him or meet with him again, but I believe that Heavenly Father led us to be on the street at a time when he was there so that he could have an opportunity to come in contact with the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. 

 

I believe that God is aware of us. He is aware of each of us and we matter to him. I love these words from the Savior of the world:

6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?

7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

We truly are numbered and known to God. We are his work and his entire purpose. I testify that he loves us, he knows us, and he wants us to return home to him. And that is why Jesus Christ came to earth, to fulfill God's purpose to make it possible for each of us to return to His presence. It is so easy to feel down on ourselves and to feel that we're not good enough and that we don't measure up. The thing that helps me the most is to turn to God, my Father in Heaven and to open my heart to him in prayer. And through prayer to seek the help and relief that is available to us because of Jesus Christ - "My yoke is easy and my burden is light." I know that as we turn to our Father in Heaven and our Savior, Jesus Christ, we will find rest for our souls.

Sestra Crosby and I have been noticing a little phenomenon the past few days. We call it the Pudgy Fingers of Dehydration. Basically no matter how much water we drink and no matter how  many times I have to use the restroom throughout the day (which is like a million. ask Sis. Crosby!), we're still dehydrated. And when you're dehydrated, you're fingers begin to swell up. We'll knock on fifty doors and by the 30th, we start to notice that it gets harder and harder to clench our hands into a good enough fist to knock on the door because our fingers are too swollen:)

Yes, we've also been visiting members and inviting them to give away a copy of the Book of Mormon and invite someone to meet with us. It's something that Sister Kanell and I started last transfer and that we've all continued this transfer. We need to light some fire under them. I've definitely seen the gift of tongues with me as we visit though because I'm not understanding everything, but I understand enough to get us through.

There are no teenagers in the branch really. Quite a few in their late twenties though. But mostly inactive now and really difficult to get in touch with.  There are priesthood holders. Some are not native but married to natives. We still have a goal to find young people who will really want to listen and learn, as well as the goal to find a family. Pray that we can! We have had some good experiences this week with finding people!

Love,

Sestra Brown 

The Gift of Tongues is Real

Having a new companion is a big adventure! Sestra Crosby is wonderful! I'm so proud of her! She is out on the street every day talking to everyone and being a great missionary. She has such a strong desire to help people and to share with them about our Savior Jesus Christ. I love her!

When I was in Zagreb to pick up sister Crosby last week, I spent a P-Day with the sisters there! One of them misplaced their phones, so we went on a phone hunt all across Zagreb until we eventually ended up in the police station to report it missing. In the police station they questioned and then laughed at why all five of us came together to report one person's missing phone. Hah mission life. We told them we're always together :)

Sestra Crosby and I met someone the street this week who told us how family is really important to them and wanted to meet up with us. We met on Saturday night and taught about the restoration of the fullness of Jesus Christ's gospel to the earth. It was so awesome. I was so nervous because I don't feel very strong in this language still, but the spirit was certainly there and we didn't have perfect understanding, but we understood what Heavenly Father needed us to in order to meet the need. It was so great and I'm so grateful that we chose to stop on the street and talk! This week has really been a testimony to me that the Gift of Tongues is real. I don't understand everything still. In fact, I still don't understand much. But I am able to understand and convey what the Lord needs from me, which is really cool!

We had a really neat experience just this morning as well. We were contacting and we happened to be near the church. We started talking with a woman and ended up inviting her to come see the church. I think I caught her a little by surprise, but before we knew it, we were inside the church and showing her around. I bore my testimony to her of the blessings of the sacrament and my testimony of Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost. And then I just randomly asked her if she'd like to hear one of the hymns we sing before the sacrament. I played As Now We Take the Sacrament and then bore my testimony again of how I feel the Holy Ghost bring peace to my heart and strength each time I take the sacrament. And guess what she said?! She said, "Just like the Holy Ghost is testifying right now." It was so neat!

We had to change our outfits twice yesterday after getting caught in freak flash floods...twice :) The first one was just a little bit after church. We had been out contacting and we were headed home for some Kosilo when we passed by a cafe whose umbrellas had blown over. We stopped to try and help them get them put away, but then the rain started. And by rain, I basically mean that it was a flood. We ran home as fast as we could in our skirts and flats, but I bet we were quite the site to be seen. "Mormon Missionaries Lost in Great Slovenian Flood." :)

I love you all. It's been a good week here in Celje! I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love the chance that I have to repent each day and be changed! Repentance is such a beautiful gift from our Heavenly Father. Don't forget to smile at everyone you see. Everyone can use a smile.

Love,

Sestra Brown