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