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