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Sister Crosby and I tried to go to mass early this morning, but the church wasn't open and then it got all smoky. Bummer :/Don't know why.

Anyway, but lots of good things have happened this week! 

At the beginning of the transfer SIster Crosby and I experienced a miracle where we met a woman  from Iran. She is Muslim, but has very strong faith in Jesus Christ because of the help and strength and comfort He gave her during her very difficult time. Immediately after meeting we ordered a Book of Mormon from the office in Farsi. Well, we had planned to meet up with her, but have only briefly seen her on the sidewalk a couple times since then. 

The other day a man stopped us and said (in English) "I want to tell you that you are beautiful both inside and outside. You are always smiling. What are you doing?" Well, he was actually from Iran as well. We met with him in the church on Saturday and miraculously had a Book of Mormon to give him in his own language! He was thrilled and amazed and touched that it was in his own language. When we prayed together he was touched that we prayed for him. He texted and asked us to continue to pray for him. So sweet. So that was miraculous! 

A little earlier in the week we also miraculously found the woman from Iran again! We were leaving the church and had some extra time so we decided to go towards the lake. Then we decided to change our course halfway. Then we were walking past our favorite ice cream stand, so we decided to grab some ice cream. And then we went along our merry way. 

Because of our indecision and ice cream, we came to an intersection of sidewalks just in time to see her down another path. We were able to share with her about the way that we pray and how we can each have an individual relationship with our Heavenly Father. She was so touched and loved it. We are trying to get another Book of Mormon from the office and the miracle we are hoping for this week is to find her again while we have the Book of Mormon  (Farsi) on hand. 

The Lord is in the his work and laboring with his laborers. We are all his laborers and he will labor with us if we show him that we want to be used.

Love you very much! 

Sestra Steph Brown

So Happy!

I gave my final talk in Slovene yesterday, so that was a little crazy. I still have two sundays left, but the last one is branch concference. I felt like I did not a very good job, but everyone says it was great so hopefully I was led by the spirit. Satan really likes to make me second guess myself. He's mean. 

We had a fun zone conference this week. I have to say I am happy that it is the last zone conference where I have to train. I have mixed feelings about it being the last one, but I do not like to train at all haha. 

I did go to Maribor and spend a few days with Sister Squires which was awesome. I loved being in Maribor again and just kind of felt like home. I love Maribor. I saw some people who I know and love, so that was good.

We haven't heard from P in awhile, but hopefully this week we will be able to meet. We will see though! She needs the gospel very badly! 

The reunion sounds wonderful. I loved the pictures of Andrew's wedding reception. How great is that! 

I love you mom! Can't wait to see you soon! 

It was cute because Monika (from Celje) was randomly there. She's actually Ljubljanan, so she comes through every once in a while. Anyway, we were chatting after church and she very kindly told me that my Slovene is reallygood and that if I don't teach at the MTC it will be a sin. So that was cute  and sweet haha. I was grateful for the little confidence booster! I think she is probably just being nice, but it still makes you feel good anyway. 

Yesterday we had a couple people who we invited at church, so that was happy! 

We had a miracle on saturday. So about three or four months ago we met a man and his son from Mozambique. A month of two before that I had met a woman and her daughter from Mozambique. And I REALLY wanted to teach them. I just felt kind of connected to them. I have run into the woman a few times since then, but always at the wrong moment so there is only time for "hello goodbye." When we met the man, we just very briefly invited him and his young son to church. Well...the other day Sister Crosby and I were weekly planning and I was like "let's go outside." Looking back I know the spirit was leading us, but I really only said that because I don't like weekly planning and I was trying to get out of it haha. Either way, the spirit worked through us because as we were walking our way toward the  church we saw this man on his bike. BUT his bike was NOT MOVING! He was just standing :) So we went to talk with him and he told us that his young son had asked if they could come to church after we invited them, but it just hadn't worked. So he promised us that he would come the next day, which he did! And he stayed for all three hours. And we told him a little about the Book of Mormon and we are going to meet up later this week to teach him. 

Pretty neat thing! Loved it. It's neat to look back and realize that the spirit is leading you. Oftimes you don't really know in the moment that the spirit is prompting you (and you don't need to know), but as we walk in faith the Lord IS guiding our footsteps. I have seen that over and over again here. 

Watching seeds Grow

WEEKLY THINGS

Things were good here this week. I went on exchange with Sister Jennings in Celje this week! It was really interesting to walk the streets and see so many people that I recognize and know. Unbelievable. We had a really neat lesson and a miracle along with it! A young woman walked into the church for a lesson and when she saw me she turned to sister Jennigs and said "Is this the sister you were telling me about?" Then she turns to me and says, "I think you know my mother!" She went on to tell me her mother's name and that she used to meet with sisters about a year ago! Well, of course I know her mother! What a neat thing. I met this woman on the river in Celje over a year ago with SIster Kanell. We sat down on a bench to talk with her and she said that she had seen the missionaries many times and wanted to talk with them, but they had never stopped to talk with her until that moment! I would see her periodically over the next 6 months living in Celje and she always just lit up when she saw us. She would come over and give a big hug and tell us how she wants to meet. Well, the sisters in Celje found her daughter and are teaching her about the restored gospel and she invited them to come to her home so they can teach her mother as well. What a neat thing to see the Lord's influence within this family spread across more than a year and lots of different missionaries to be able to help this family!

 

Sister Crosby and I were waiting in the church the other evening for someone who we were planning to teach and we heard the door open and close. Assuming that it would be the man we were waiting for, we stepped out into the hallway to find someone else! A father with his two children walking into the church. He told us that he had been a pretty regular participant in our English conversation group years ago, and he was walking by with his children and felt like he wanted to come inside. What a miracle that we were there and the church was open so that he could come in! He told us that his children really wanted to see inside as well :) 

One of our investigators had a great baptismal interview and is getting baptized on saturday! 

Another decided on a baptismal date for August 

Trying to find some new people to teach, but it's been tough. Any ideas??

Our Heavenly Father is aware of each one of his beloved children and that means that He is very aware of YOU. He is listening to us as we sincerely pray to him. I believe in God. I believe and know that He lives and He loves us. I believe in the power of the Book of Mormon, words of prophets and our savior to bring us closer and closer to Jesus Christ and to protect us from the darkness around us and the darkness that sometimes comes into our hearts and minds. When it's hard for you, have courage and faith to turn to God and trust in him and he will bring you through. 

Lep pozdrav,

Sestra Brown

Staying in Ljubljana for last 9 weeks

Hello my beloved family! 

I haven't much time today and big things are happening around this country and the entire mission, but I will enlighten you all as to the land where I will live out my dying days and with whom...Lujubljana, Šiška WITH.....SISTER CROSBY :) I am thrilled. Completely. So happy! 

Our investigators are doing well! We had 4 at church yesterday and they all stayed for all three hours which is honestly miraculous. One is getting baptized towards the end of this month and we are really excited for all the others.A few are difficult to teach because all Balkans loves to talk. But it's okay! One mentioned to the Elders on Sunday that he already feels like a member of the branch . So that is wonderful! One chose to fast and said that she could really feel the Lord strengthening her and that she was more in tune to the spirit. So awesome! 

This has certainly been a week of little miracles and seing the Lord's hand and we have loved it! We had a really great experience last night teaching a younger woman who we had found on the street a few weeks back. We were able to take her on a quick tour of the church here in Ljubljana and when we went into the chapel, the spirit was so so strong. She explained her feelings to us as just "very very peaceful." So neat! As we sat together downstairs and shared with her the beautiful message of the restoration of the Jesus Christ's gospel the spirit was once again very very strong. We focused on our divine identity and nature as daughters of Heavenly Father. It was so beautiful. It was so neat to see the spirit touch her and testify to her spirit of the love that God has for her as his beloved daughter. 

It was also a tough week in some ways and I often had the scripture from the New Testament running through my head which says, "And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his (Jesus Christ) name." But I know that as we choose to be faithful through the fire as well as the calm, the Lord is able to work miracles before us. We definitely saw miracles before us this week. 

I know that God lives and that he truly is our father. I know that he loves us and he wants us to feel his love. I know that Jesus Christ is my savior and to me he is the greatest sign of God's love for us. My initial reaction may not be to "rejoice that I am counted worthy to suffer shame," but I am working on it! I truly do rejoice in the great opportunity to serve God and Jesus Christ and to see God's children come to know him. Let the knowledge of your true identity as a son or daughter of God change you. I promise that it can and will if you will let Him show you the great love which he has for you. 

Love, Sestra Brown

A week of Miracles

It has certainly been a week of miracles. We had a few times this week where we got completely lost, but by the time we were headed home we knew that although we may have thought we were lost, we were exactly where the Lord needed us to be. We were not lost to our Father in Heaven. That's a neat thing! We were able to find people who we never would have found if we had stayed on our own schedule and plan, but who were prepared to hear a message of love from God who loves them more than they will ever understand. I loved it. 

It's kind of like that in life. We may be a little uncertain, but we can know with certainty that when we are living the commandments of God and loving His children with all our hearts then we are right where He needs us to be. Whether we can see the reason for it or not. He can see the reason.

Church was also a miracle yesterday! We had a few visiting families from various cities in Slovenija and it was such a treat to hear lots of children during the meeting. One of the speakers asked "Does that bother you?" referring to noise of the children. She then went on to talk about how if we are bothered then we should take a good look at ourselves and our priorities, because we need our children. They are the reason. They are precious to the Lord and He wouldn't have them anywhere else besides right there in sacrament meeting. What a neat perspective! A perspective filled with God's love.

Speaking of sacrament meeting we had four friends who came. 

I pray that as we go throughout this week, we might see the people around us through the eyes of our Father in Heaven. What does He see in that person? Becuase He sees His son or daughter who He loves dearly. And He sees the same when He looks at you. 

I love you! I know that God loves you. And I know that He wants us to love one another and if that's tough, He wants to help us with it. Pray and ask Him to be filled with his love for those around you. 

It's all about love. 

Love, 

The Lord Wants to Work Miracles in our Lives

Hello

I loved fasting yesterday. I can always feel the Lord giving extra strength and faith when I fast. Especially at the end of a fast. We had planned dinner for 6 pm and we went out to talk to people at 5 after a couple of studies. We were totally physically exhausted and, but I could just feel the Lord lifting me. He was helping me to love. He was helping me to feel joy. He was helping me to have faith. I don't think we saw any neat miracles. We didn't find anyone who wanted to talk to us, but I could feel the Lord strengthening me and that is a miracle in my eyes. I have really gained a testimony of the law of the fast here on the mission. It is powerful. The Lord wants to work miracles in our lives. He wants us to know and feel that He is supporting us. And when we act in faith, He can and will lift us and strengthen us. I loved that. 

That is crazy that you ran into Larry and that he lives in Kendra's complex! How fun! I am glad that he seems happy. I was grateful for the rescue when I broke my arm. That was certainly a traumatic experience for me haha. 

Good job avoiding the alcohol. Did I tell you about the only two times (at least as far as I'm aware) that I've had alcohol? Both happened in Celje here on the mission haha. I think I wrote about them long ago. I guess that's what happens when you don't really speak Slovene so you don't know what dessert you've ordered! 

Yeah, it was so fun to have Sister Beus here yesterday. She is awesome! Lots of the sisters who I have served with are either already married or getting married this summer, which is a little crazy. 

Sister Rogers is doing well. She is slowly getting adjusted to life in the field and the different stresses that come with that, but she is doing well. I love her!  This week we got to go to the home of some of our English students to help in their garden. In reality they wanted to feed us way too much food but they eventually let us do some planting of flowers and herbs! I love them. They are honestly like the sunshine here. I have found in each city that there are some people who just fill you. You feel so much love for them and you don't even know why and it just comes so easily. For me in Ljubljana, it is these two.  It was such a pleasure to be in their home and to talk with them. They actually have a 98 year old cousin who lives in Utah! I keep telling them they should come to Utah and visit her and call me when they come! I hope they will :) 

So that was neat! 

We had an amazing lesson with one of our investigators and the spirit was so strong as we taught about the law of chastity. It was amazing. 

We did some chalk contacting in Tivoli park with the other Ljubljana sisters, so that was great! 

Sorry, I feel like I never tell you that much about what we actually did during the week, so I thought I would fill you in. We spent the first part of the week in Zagreb, so it just kind of feels like everything has been a whirr. 

God loves all of us!

Hey mom and dad! 

Well, I cut my hair and I get to stay here in Šiška Ljubljana and train a new sister! So I'm pretty thrilled about that. Lots of changes for the sisters of Slovenija. So..Sister Jennings will go to Kranj and train a new sister. Sister Crosby will come to Ljubljana Center area and train a new sister. And sisters Squires and Baker will go together to Maribor to be a second set of missionaries in the beautiful city! Everyone is pretty thrilled! Elders Mercer and Zimmerman are staying here together. Elder Penrod is going to work with Elder Jensen in Maribor and Elder Loyens is moving to Celje to be with Elder Love. And that's all of us :) 

Good things! I think this next transfer is going to move pretty quickly because I will going to Zagreb three times throughout it. Potentially four if we have summer conference this transfer....that's a lot haha.

I love the picture of the yam! I love them! He is so cute. 

The shepherding is going well! It is just really hard to help people find desire and motivation within themselves. I love the Slovene people and the culture, don't get me wrong, but it is a slow culture. So it's a work in progress. 

We were having a lesson on the lawn of the church Saturday evening because we didn't have anyyone able to come on the lesson with us. And then President Mitja and Sestra Sara Lakner pulled up with their daughter Berry! So we all went inside and they were there to clean the church. We sat down for our lesson. And then I was like..what are we doing? That exhausted couple is cleaning the church with a 7 month old baby and we are sitting here. So we put the gospel into action and helped clean the church. And I think our friend loved it. President Mitja thanked him over the pulpit yesterday in sacrament meeting :)  

Pray that those we are teaching will receive and recognize a witness from the Holy Ghost that the Book of Mormon is true because that is what they need in order to have the faith to live the commandments.

We have one friend who is doing well.  She loves the gospel. She loves learning. She loves reading in the Book of Mormon and she loves praying. It's been really neat to be able to teach her and help her and I'm excited to continue with that! 

We were really sad when another friend texted yesterday morning telling us that they weren't going to be able to make it to church. We had planned to go knock on the door and walk together to church :( We are planning to give an invitation to be baptized this week. Pray our friend will recognize the importance of the restoration and receive greater peace in life by living along this path than anything else. Because our Father in Heaven knows better than anyone or anything how to give peace to His children.

We have a friend who tells us that there is not just one path that is correct, but that God loves all of us. Those two statements are actually kind of opposite. Because God loves all of us, He has prepared a way for ALL OF US. And He has given us each the ability to choose for ourselves. 

The elders went out for a visit yesterday to one of my favorite people. We haven't been able to go over there, but maybe this week. 

I'm glad to hear that Joelle's surgery went well this week and that she is in less pain! Tell them I love them the next time you talk with them! 

I am also happy to hear that Sabrina is feeling a little better and that she was at the track meet. How old is Maren? Is she driving?? What is she doing in track? 

Love you! More later probably :)

Steph

The Lord Prepares Us

Hello Liberty Lake

I hope that your spring will come! That it can break through the winter. Our summer is fast approaching which is sad....

I really do love the people of Slovenija. I love them. I don't know that any of them will remember me, but I hope they feel things that they will always remember and that their testimonies and faith are strengthened while I am here. 

We had a pretty neat experience Saturday morning. We went to visit a member. We were all three sitting around her table with just enough room to rest a few things on it. And she was sitting there telling us about how she just wants to do missionary work. She brought a man to church last week and I asked her how she knew him. Guess what she said?? She had met him ON THE BUS 3 years ago. She is amazing and I just felt privileged to be in her home. She waved her hand around her home and told us "it's really not much. I don't need much though. All I want is to make a little more money so that I can go on a mission in a few years." I just wanted to cry. The spirit was so strong as she talked about her strong strong desire to help someone to find the joy that she has felt from living the gospel. It has changed her life in ways she can't explain and she is filled with joy because of it. I am so grateful to know her. 

In other great news, S finally came to church! And really enjoyed it! She was only able to stay for sacrament meeting, but she had a really good experience and was able to feel the spirit very strong. 

Shout out to the stake young women's leaders from when I was in young women's and we did the temple walk from the stake center to the temple. In preparation for the walk, we had spent months memorizing The Living Christ document. Well, I was translating in sacrament meeting yesterday morning and the microphone was broken, so I was having a difficult time hearing the speaker, but I could hear enough to know that he was reading the entire document The Living Christ. So I pulled upon my memory from long ago and with the help of what I could hear, I did an OK job reciting it for the English speakers in the room haha. The Lord prepares us at  young ages to do the things He has in store for us later in life, ne? :) 

In other news, I got attacked by a spider. Sister Jennings and I took a trip down a scary dirt road covered in pot holes through a dark forest...for the second time on our missions and in a different city. Don't ask me how that happened again, because I really don't even know. We had an Easter concert Saturday evening and lots of people came, so that was neat! I sang higher notes than I have ever hit in my life only possible with the help of the spirit, I'm sure :) 

Love, Steph

Change is always good!

Change is always good!  Yes! 3 Slovene SISTERS coming to the mission in a couple weeks. There will be lots of changes up here. That means 3 of the 5 of us will be training and the other two will likely be here in Šiška. Good things! Exciting things! It will be really good to have transfers. Change is always good and helps you find another burst of energy to keep moving forward with enthusiasm. 

That sounds amazing at the baptism with the children singing! If it's possible, you should send me the video of them! I would love to hear it. I would love to go to a baptism. I actually still haven't heard the last session of conference. Well, I have heard part of it. There is nothing organized for us to watch together, so we need to do it today maybe. Unless the elders are in the church, in which case we couldn't be in here, so it would have to wait. It's hard to work out use of computers here in the church and also obey the gender rules and everything. We both just always need to be in the church haha. 

We show the Lord that we want to be used by taking action, even when we're not entirely sure the best action to take. If you continue to show the Lord that you are willing, then He will help and guide you and use you. That's what Nephi did. Even though he couldn't see any solution and his brothers were being the worst, he still showed faith and desire and he acted and the Lord was able to use him for good.  

I am glad that Drew will go to Hungary. I want to go as well. I wish y'all could visit Slovenija. It's beautiful. I actually recommend it. If you are going to be in Hungary, you may as well step your feet into the country. You could visit Ptuj or Maribor or Murska Sobota - a region of the country with a dialect SO different that most Slovenes can't even understand it. 

I really love Sister Melonakos. She has a gift for really seeing people and knowing them and loving them. She is an amazing listener and an amazing question asker. I am so so grateful for her.

In a lesson this week, I just prayed with all my soul that Heavenly Father would help me to have the spirit. I felt more guided by the spirit in that lesson than I ever have before on the mission. I think the difference was that I had laser like focus on our friend and what he was saying. The Lord just helped me to focus on him and respond to him.  We invited him to be baptized when he knows that the Book of Mormon is true and he said he would. 

I went on exchange in Kranj this week with Sisters Crosby and Baker and that was so much fun.  I have not been sleeping well recently which has made everything kind of tough and I kind of hurt my arm exercising the other day.  I really need to serve. In relief society yesterday we discussed what things truly bring us joy and I thought that for me when I can truly turn myself outward away from myself, that is when I have found the most joy.  

 

We had a pretty miraculous Sunday yesterday. We've been working with members to help them do missionary work in whatever way they want to and feel that they can. Two of the women we've been working with brought friends to church yesterday! On top of that, one of our friends stood up in fast and testimony meeting, bore her testimony of the Book of Mormon and how she reads every day and notices a difference when she doesn't read, and then announced that she wants to be baptized. So...that happened haha. It was insane. We had a chapel full of nearly 50 people yesterday. It was UNREAL. Granted, we had two american families there, but still. We had lots of members we don't see very often who came as well as 7 investigators. It was pretty amazing! 

Love you! 

Steph

The SUN and the SON

Dober dan! 

It is certainly a dober dan here in the beautiful country of Slovenija. On average in Ljubljana, we see the sun once a month (that may be stretching things just a bit..), but it is a pretty grey and cloudy place. Today however, the sun is in full shine-mode and we see beautiful blue skies! A very very dober dan. 

A funny story. 

We had a meeting set with a member, so after having a very large lunch of tasty burgers, we headed to her house. We found ourselves lost and unable to find the address we were seeking. As is typical of Slovenija, we could find the address just before and the address just after, but NOT the address of the woman we were trying to visit. 

So we call her. And we hear her voice through the phone and then it seems as if we're hearing her voice from the heavens, so we look up and she is waving off the balcony 100 feet over heads :) At the end of our nice obisk with her, we were trying to leave. I made the very poor choice of mentioning the pull up bar in the door frame and joking with her about if she worked out on it. So she then begins yelling down the hallway to her 27 year old son and asking him to come out and show us how he can lift himself. His response to her pleas was a definite no. And this exchange went back and forth probably five times. So then she tells me to try it. I obliged her, but I'm sad to say I can only manage about 3/4 of 1 pullup these days. However, she was impressed. So then she storms back to her son's room and makes him come out. But this time she doesn't ask him to do a pull up and says "watch how Sister Brown can do it!" And she makes me get back up there and struggle through the saddest looking pullup any of us have ever witnessed. Sister Jennings didn't even try to save me from this great embarrassment haha. 

An exciting thing! 

We have been teaching a very sweet woman for the past few weeks and she decided this week that she wants to be baptized in May! We are really excited for her! I believe in the power of prayer and I ask y'all that you would pray for her that she can withstand the opposition that comes her way and have the faith to continue on this joyful and peaceful path!

I love spring because I feel like the world just comes back to life. I love to see the flowers blooming and to hear the birds singing. I love to celebrate the life and resurrection of our savior Jesus Christ. And I especially love the peace that His life has given me in my life. I know that He lives! I know that He has made it possible for us to find peace amidst the storms in our lives. He wants to give us peace and joy! 

I love you and I hope you have a happy week! 

Steph

Ride the Bus to the End of the Line

Things are good here. 

Well sacrament meeting started and it was very very empty. 8 members and 4 missionaries. But then things began to fill a little more and a little more...and then our friend walked in. The spirit was so so strong. It was amazing. 

We are teaching an amazing young woman. Pray for her that she will feel the spirit confirm to her that The Book of Mormon is the word of God.

Really neat experience this week. Sister Jennings and I were outside and we didn't have a lot of time before we needed to go home, but we wren't quite sure what to do. I had a thought, "why don't we just go get on a bus?" So we did. And we rode it to the end of the line and back :) The woman I sat next to told me she was very tired, but on her way to a party instead of able to go home. Most of the time when people ask me where I am from, they get all excited and say "Oh DC! Bela hiša! Do you know our Melania?" haha, but she knew WA state right off the bat. And she even knew Spokane because...drum roll please...she had been there! Twice! She has an aunt who lives there. She was asking me about Sacred Heart hospital! What!? No kidding. We had the most amazing conversation and by the time she got off the bus she was brimming with energy and excitement. The Lord was leading us and we didn't even know it and it was amazing.

 

SO lots of good things! 

I love you! 

Steph

Love the Mormonova Knjiga

It has been a crazy week! I feel like I have said that pretty much every week since coming to Ljubljana. Maybe it has something to do with the city,,,maybe something to with the companion...maybe something to do with the long'awaited arrival of pomlad...or maybe it’s a beautiful combination of all of these things. Whatever it is, we have been very busy!  

We are going to celebrate Sister Crosby's birthday which was yesterday by going to the sea. We are going to Piran, a cute little coastal town! 

Spring has finally arrived here and it was incredible. I went out the door in my black peacoat and as we were walking down the street, my coat came off then my scarf came off and I was just like a free bird. I loved it. I LOVE spring! This has always been my favorite time of year and it is no different now. I love it. I love that everything begins to come alive again and the earth is filled with green and light and life. It brings new life and energy to the city and the people. 

We went on exchange with the sisters in Kranj this week, which means that Sister Crosby came here to spend a few days with me! It was so good to be together again! Sister Crosby has had a mission-long desire to spot a wild jez ( hedgehog), so we continued the search that we began nearly EIGHT MONTHS AGO together  :) We did not succeed, but we did knock on the doors of some kind people in the jezica area of Ljubljana!

We finished off the week by bringing the whole zone into town for zone conference, which is always a party. Our conference was centered around The Book of Mormon, so I have had a lot of time to ponder about what The Book of Mormon means to me as a young lady far from home and family trying to share the gospel with the people of Slovenija in a completely foreign tongue and culture.

Why do I love The Book of Mormon? It fills my heart and mind with light. It causes me to look heavenward. I feel closer to Jesus Christ when I study it. It is a gateway to personal revelation directly from my Heavenly Father to His daughter, Stephanie Brown. I have felt His great love for me as I read. I am filled with greater love. It brings peace to my heart when all around seems like chaos. I walk onto the street and see life with more light and color because of THe Book of Mormon.  

What people really need to see is how the gospel and The Book of Mormon have blessed and changed our lives. We need to be full of light so that people will see it and want it and we need to be full of joy. Love it. Love you! Love the Mormonova Knjiga. And if you don't love The Book of Mormon yet or don't know what it is, find out! 

Love, Steph

Bloom where you're planted - even when you are replanted - Ljubljana

Pozdravljeni! 

The Ljubljana branch has around 200 listed members. On Sunday I think we had about nineteen members on Sunday. At ten o lock, when the meeting actually started, there were about three. And in a real church it feels pretty darn empty. So that's tough. But it was really good! I spoke which was poorly done, and then we taught Sunday school and it went really really well! Then I was the pianist and translator in primary, so that was fun. 

I will take my turn translating sacrament meeting every few weeks. There are now only two sets of missionaries in Ljubljana, so my turn will come quick every time.

It is really cold these days. The wind is intense and it is freezing my brain. I have been having terrible headaches when we are outside in the wind. Awful! But that's okay! 

It's been a great week and I have learned a number of things! First, you can bloom where you're planted and you can love it. You can also bloom when you've had yourself ripped out of the soil and put into a new pot, and you can still love it! Second, the Lord will sustain us and in some of our toughest times, if we will choose to turn to Him, he will use us as instruments in his loving hands.

We have been inviting people right and left to come into our church building and go on a tour of the church with us. We've only had one so far, but it was incredible and the spirit was so strong. As we stood together in the chapel and talked about Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for us, she hugged us and said that she was "just so happy!" It was a sweet sweet thing and I feel so grateful for Jesus Christ. I am grateful for his life which was an example of pure love and selflessness. I am grateful for his suffering in the garden and on the cross because he give me healing in my own pain and suffering. I am grateful for his resurrection and ministry among the Nephites because it fills me with hope for our future. 

So yesterday....we were headed out to visit a couple women on a list given to us from the Elders Quorum president. These are women who we have never met before and for whom we did not have phone numbers. They didnt' live in our area, so we had asked President for permission to visit them. We got in the car and put the first address in our GPS. It was about a 45 minute drive. We debated if we should still go because it was so far away. We prayed about it and both felt that we should go. So we went! We found ourselves in the cutest little Slovene vas on top of these beautiful snow-covered hills on a teeny tiny "two lane" road which barely had room for our little car. We passed 17 Tepe in search for 31 Tepe. Well....after driving away from 17, we suddenly found ourselves staring at 69! Unsure about how this had happened, but unsurprised because the numbering system in this country is a disaster, we just parked our car in the street and started knocking doors for help. Up walks an adorable Slovene couple, complete with hiking sticks :) They told us that we should keep going and then we'd hit a really steep down hill, take a sharp left and we would find it. They themselves lived at 30. 31 was nowhere near their house...As we drove away, he informed us that the people who live in 31 are Mormons, "just so ya know." :) It was so funny. Well, after much searching and more door knocking, we did finally find ourselves outside 31b. And there was a growling barking dog. Seriously? Well I was not to be stopped by a dog and luckily I have a dog-LOVING companion, so she distracted him while I made my way to the door and knocked. We were so excited to meet this woman who we had been searching for quite a while and was known by the people roundabouts as "a mormon." So the door opened and I was all ready to greet her....and out pops the head of our relief society president... huh? :) Yep. haha. 

Turns our we were looking for her daughter who had actually moved out about five years ago :) So we had kosilo with Dragica and Maja and it was a wonderful little surprise and blessing! And turned out to be a pretty hilarious story.

Have a great week! Love you! 

Sestra Brown

Captured by a Kurent in Ptuj

We went to Pust at Ptuj which is basically a huge celebration to chase away winter. There is a large group of Slovenes in Cleveland actually and they celebrated Pust there this year. We all went as a Slovenian zone for P Day to Ptuj to celebrate and that was really fun.

At PUST, these creatures, called Kurents, dance
 around to chase away winter. 
We need some in Spokane.

Well, the dreaded transfers have come and gone and I have left my beloved Maribor for Ljubljana to be with Sister Jennings. I am sad. I would be lying if I didn't acknowledge that. I think I'm a little heartbroken, in fact. I love the people of Maribor. 

But I have faith that the Lord wants me and needs me somewhere else right now and that He will take care of those people who I love in Maribor. Elder Jensen got to go to Maribor and I have great faith and trust that he will take care of the people who I love there. 

Not a lot of time, but I would just like to say that I believe in Jesus Christ and that I have felt him lifting and supporting me this last week. I have received strength beyond me own to bear up under the burdens I have felt. I know that He will do that for each of us who will sincerely turn to Him and ask. I am grateful for the peace that comes from living like Christ lived. We need peace and He will give it. I love you! 

Keep your chin up and find the joy in the life you're living right now. Someone said at church yesterday that problems are good things because they help us grow. I can't say I'm always grateful for trials in the moment they are happening, but I can say that when I have looked forward with faith through the storms of trial and turned to the Lord, relying on His strength, He has made me stronger and built me up. 

Sestra Stephanie Brown

Pozdravljeni!

Pozdravljeni!

This week has been great. We've seen miracles all around us and we've seen the Lord guiding our footsteps to be where we need to be at the time we need to be there.

The other day we were knocking on doors and asking if we could sing a song about Jesus Christ for people. We were planning to stop by the train station afterwards to buy train tickets we needed for a trip to Ljubljana the next day. 

While we had planned that morning, I had had a very specific thought that we should walk a certain path which we don't normally walk. Well, after leaving the area we were working, we headed toward the train station along this specific path.

Lo and behold, we ran into our friend in a completely different area of town than we had last found him. He told us that he had had a great experience at church the week before. He told us that he had felt something really special with the members in Maribor. He told us that he was searching for a good change in his life. He asked us why there were so many churches on the earth if God is only one. Wow. Does he sound prepared and sincere or what? So that was a neat miracle!

We had an early train to catch Sunday morning and we planned to leave our apartment by 6:30 in order to get there. Well, I set the alarm for 5:30...or so I thought. After laying in bed for a long time, I decided to get up and check what time it was because it seemed like the alarm should have already rung. Well, I walked into the kitchen to see that it was in fact 6:20! Incredibly, ten minutes later we found ourselves walking out the door, fully clothed and teeth brushed. No, I never did imagine that on my mission I would find myself doing my hair and makeup in a train station bathroom at 6:40 in the morning, but I guess it happens :) Have a great week! Choose to be happy and shine with love for God. He loves you and he wants you to know that. And I love you too!

Love, Sestra Brown

Miracles in Maribor again!

Miracles in Maribor again!

Lots of good things happened this week, but it all climaxed on Sunday.

Let me back up a few weeks. This all begins with Elder Draxler. he and his wife were living here in Maribor when I first moved here. Elder Draxler always encouraged me to avoid filling up the gas tank at a specific gas station because it was owned by the governent. So in honor with his wishes, I started a habit of using a particular gas station just outside of town. It was perfectly on my way every time I came home from Ljubljana or Zagreb. 

Over the last month, Sister Squires and I have made friends with a man who works in the gas station. It all began with a friendly hello and keeping our hair off our shoulders so he could see our nametags :) We told him who we were and invited him to come to sacrament meeting. After four or five exchanges like this over the period of 7 weeks, we saw a miracle in him walking into the chapel EARLY Sunday morning to join us for sacrament meeting and our 2nd hour. I think that he loved it and he loved what he felt while he was there.

I love the opportunity to take the sacrament and the strength that Jesus Christ can offer us as we humbly desire to change. I feel lighter and more full of love when I take the sacrament with a sincere desire to become more like my Savior and to live a little more like He lives.

Have a great week! Spread a little cheer and give someone a hug from Sister Brown who is far away in Slovenija.

Ping Pong, Parents, and Pho.

Ping Pong, Parents, and Pho.

Parents. I spent half my week in Ljubljana with my "mission mom" or my trainer, Sister Kanell and it was so good! Serving with Sister Kanell is definitely a highlight of my mission. I don't think I appreciated her while we were companions as much as I realize now that I should have. Shout out to a stellar missionary who the ANM will definitely miss when she heads home next month. We had a great exchange and she sent me home to Maribor with a little more energy and excitement to go at it and do the Lord's work.

Ping Pong. We had a wonderful branch activity this weekend where Sister Squires demolished the ping pong tournament. She even gave President Fidler a little taste of humility :) We had a blast and it was the most successful and enjoyable branch event I've yet seen out here. It is always good to bring people together and to have fun!

Sometimes we get so weighed down the heaviness of the things ahead of us that we don't smile and enjoy our lives. "men are that they might have joy." Our Father in Heaven is loving and He wants us to have joy.

It doesn't mean that circumstances will be easy, but we always have a choice to smile. I mean to be light hearted because I know that people experience very very trying and difficult things which I can't even begin to imagine, but I do think that God will help us to be happy even through the hard times if we will turn to and trust in him. He will strengthen us to be able to bear up our burdens and smile.

Pho. There is this great vietnamese restaurant. To be honest, I didn't eat Pho there. I can't actually even remember is Pho is Vietnamese or not, I just needed something that started with a P for the headline of the email. I digress. The food is really great there. As we were walking past the restaurant the other night, I looked through the window to see a man and a woman doing dishes. They looked like they were closing up. I had the thought that maybe we ought to go inside and my immediate reaction was to reject the idea. They look busy and I don't want to interrupt. They're anxious to get home. We're anxious to get home. It's late. Etc. Well, I mentioned it to Sister Squires and we headed in. We were able to meet with this couple later in the week and share with them about God's loving plan for us and the restoration of his gospel and authority to the earth. They werew so thrilled as we gave them each a copy of the Book of Mormon in their native language - Vietnamese and Slovene. I know the Lord will lead us as we desire to listen and have courage to act. I have seen my life changed and blessed and lightened as I study the word of God contained in the Book of Mormon and I really believe that God loves us and leads us through a living prophet, Russel Nelson.

I believe in Jesus Christ

My favorite moment of this week happened Tuesday evening. There is a friend here who graduated from music school and is a very talented pianist. I've lived in Maribor for three months and had never heard him play, but on Tuesday he had been researching his family history with Sister Crnich and afterwards he sat down at the piano and began to play. It was so beautiful. The music was incredible, but even more beautiful was to see him have the courage to do something he loved despite the fear which he felt. He faced his fear and overcame it and it brought light into the lives of those who were blessed to be there.

Sometimes our fears hold us back and keep us from reaching the limitless potential which resides in us as children of God, particularly in those who have made powerful covenants with God.

I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe that he has the power and ability to lift us and strengthen us and change us. I have felt his strength buoy me up this week at times when I couldn't find any strength within myself. I have felt him take the burdens from my soul and bring me peace. I testify that He lives. I testify that He knows us each as the individuals who we are and this enables him to lift us in the individual way that we need.

Have a great week! 

Give an extra smile, laugh, and lift somebody who needs lifting.

Sestra Stephanie Brown

Družina

Draga družina moja, 

I just have a few miracle stories to relate. The other day we had planned to do our companionship study just after personal study in the morning - with the new schedule we are able to decide for ourselves when in the day is the best time to do companionship study. Well we sat down and began our study when Sister Squires said that she felt we ought to go out into the park across the street for thirty minutes. So we went out to the park and began talking with people. No one really wanted to talk to people. We eventually saw a woman sittting on a bench, with earbuds in each ear. We headed over to talk with her and as we approached she looked us up and down and then decided to pull out her headphones. We came to learn that she was actually a member of the church from Ukraine. She now lives in Slovenija with her husband and daughter. It was pretty amazing to see that the Lord inspired Sister Squires to go out at that specific time to that specific park so that we could find this woman. We told her that it was a miracle that we had come and found her at that time and she agreed. She isn't actively participating in church right now, but she appreciates the standards we live by and told us that it is what she wants for her daughter. I believe that God inspires people today all throughout the world to be His hands and go where He would go. I believe that He can and will inspire you to be His hands if you will listen, just like He did Sister Squires.

Second story. There is a beautiful family here. Parents and a young son. They invited Sister Squires and myself along with Elder and Sister Crnich to join them for a little obisk in their home the other night. It was so obvious that their family meant the world to them and it was so beautiful to see. We weren't really able to teach during this visit, but we did learn some of what they believe. As we were getting ready to leave I asked them if it would be alright if we prayed with them. Being in their home had been such a blessing to us and we were able to feel the warmth and love of a family. They graciously agreed and, though we had been having our entire conversation in English so that the Crnichs could understand, I felt like I ought to pray in Slovene. At the close of the prayer, the spirit was so present and I looked up to see this beautiful mother in tears because she was feeling something she had never felt before. That was a miracle to me. I believe that when we pray from the sincerity of our hearts that our Father in Heaven hears and answers our prayers and He sends the Holy Ghost to comfort our hearts. 

I love the gospel of Jesus Christ because it brings my family closer together and helps us to have joy even when life is tough. 

I love you all and wish you a happy new year! 

Love, 

Sestra Brown