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The weather is great here. I don't really feel the humidity unless there's a storm brewing or I've walked around a lot. Then I feel it! :) That's one of the lovely things about Virginia. Also....the mosqitos are fun. :) Let's just say, "What do they eat when they can't get hermana?!" :) It's fine!

 

I continue to improve on my skills as a missionary, including rapidly writing a talk to give it in sacrament meeting two hours later. In Spanish. That was fun. The ward council called us and said, "Hey, we need someone to talk in sacrament meeting. Can you do it, Hna. Brown?" "Sure!" I said, quite astonished at what just happened. The interesting thing was, that morning, just before the call, I was pouring out my soul in prayer because I was down--I didn't want to do anything, I was sad and frustrated and I didn't know why, which made me more down and frustrated--and I prayed, "I need help. Please help me to do better, to feel better" etc,etc. Then the call came, I got to work, and felt better! With the help of my companion's editing skills, I did better in my talk too than I would have if she hadn't. So, prayers are answered! Just not always in the way we want them to be.

 

I don't want to say this next part, but I should, so I'm gong to say it really fast-----Ihaveafacebookpage!..............If you didn't get it, go back and read it again. :) If you did, you need to know some rules: I can be friends with you, but I can't follow you while I'm a missionary. I'll post stuff Tues-Fri, if I can think of anything, and I only have one post..so far! :) That will change. Feel free to share my stuff and comment on it. I'm under "Hermana Naomi Brown." Born in Rexburg, ID, living in McLean, VA. 

 

We had a goal this week, as a district, to teach 60 lessons, 15 lessons per companionship, and we made the goal! So, with the permission of our mission president, we're having a barbeque today! That's where we're off to next! Just remember I love you all.

Transfer to McLean, VA

We got a message from one of the assistants to the president on Tuesday saying "Hey, this is Elder Day. Please call me when you have a minute." We all look at each other in excitement and panic. We found this message on our phone after we got out of a dinner appointment, and there was a fierce storm--Driving wind, booming thunder, and pouring rain. Hma. Woodbury's behind the wheel, Hma. Wilcox's in the back, and they're panicking about the storm and also about the transfer: "It's me, guys, I'm getting transferred." "No, I'm being transferred." "They can't split this up! It just got good!"

 

I'm just amused about the whole situation--as amused as I can be with adrenaline in my blood and while keeping my eyes glued to the road so I can help Hma. Woodbury drive. We call him back, and I barely hear my name over the blowing of the wind, the booming of the thunder, the pounding of the rain, and the rolling of the car, even though the call is on speaker-phone. Hma. Wilcox says, "What?" We still ourselves, and we hear clearly, though softly: "Hma. Brown is being transferred." 

 

Immediately, I felt that it was good, that it was what needed to happen, and I was perfectly fine with it. My companions stared at me in shock and it was so funny that I laughed. The car was suddenly filled with confusion. "Why are you laughing?" Hma. Woodbury asked me while Hma. Wilcox was talking to Elder Day and the other assistant to the president, trying to not have the trio split up. After that had settled--we're still driving in the driving wind and pouring rain, hydroplaning at some points--Questions bounce around. "You're being transferred!?!" "Why is it you?" "Why are you OK with this?" "Can we now say that this is not OK?"

 

I replied, with my eyes glued on the road, "No. It's OK. It's gonna be OK."  

 

"What about this situation is OK!?!" Hma. Woodbury shouted. The car hydroplaned, and she said, "Guys, what if we crash and die?" 

 

"We're not," I said. "It's going to be OK. We're gonna make it."

 

"Why are you not panicked about being transferred?" Hma. Wilcox yelled at me.

 

"Because I'm too busy trying to keep us alive right now!" I yelled back.

 

We made it to our next appointment frazzled, but in one piece, and the storm calmed down shortly after we got into it. I packed my bags that night and got up the next morning at 4 to transfer at 6....Yup. That is the exciting story of emergency transfer calls.

 

Now I'm with Hma. Standford. Her companion, Hma. Felt, had to go home early because of medical issues, so that's why we had to have the emergency transfer. Here is a picture of her. She is Canadian, one of three in the entire mission, and the only Canadian hermana in the entire mission. So, I'm pretty special. She loves gummy candy (like me) and music with a beat. She was a trucker before she came on her mission, and she has helped me appreciate them a lot more. Now I don't think trucking is a boring job! :)

 

 

 

The end of the week has been filled with finding people to teach. The work has really slowed because Hma. Felt couldn't do much while she was sick, so we've been picking it back up. I'm in a Spanish ward now, which is HUGE compared to the tiny Spanish group I was in. Yesterday I gave the closing prayer in sacrament meeting and played the piano in Primary--twice! I played for the Spanish primary and then for the English primary in the ward after us. So, my talents are still being used. 

 

We have one person on date (having a baptismal date)! Lesly R. is going to be baptized September 6. Maybe sooner. We also have two people waiting to go on date, but Marisabel is fighting to get permission from her mom to be baptized--she asks every Wednesday, the "peak of the week"--and Brenda is waiting for some paperwork to be done, and then they can make a date! 

 

Today the big goal is clean the apartment! We have cleaning checks on Friday, so we're going to work toward that. 

 

Had a sister's only meeting on Friday and we were told to be nice to our companions, to not compare or criticize, common spiritual sense that everyone should know. 

 

Had a scary experience yesterday evening. We went to an apartment plaza and there were Hispanics EVERYWHERE! It was like an anthill! And most of them were men! My companion doesn't like men. Anyway, we park and the person we're trying to find is in the middle of the plaza--about two blocks away. We hid the GPS and the mount and determined not to take out our I-pads. We said a prayer of protection, and then walked, looking straight and going fast. We didn't find our person, but we did find a nice El Salvadoranian and we weren't mugged or kidnapped or anything. It was terrifying! But we made it!

 

The ups and downs of missionary life continue. Join us next week for the next segment of Missionary Life in the D.C. South.

 

Love ya'll!

Hma. Brown

Hermana Brown

Compañera: Hermana Stanford

Current Address: Hermana Naomi E. Brown

7400 Colshire Dr. apt #3

McLean, VA 22102

Next possible transfer: 24 Julio

7 July 2014

This week has been...really interesting. Canada Day was last Tuesday, and I only know that because one of the hermanas in our mission is Canadian, so she was pretty excited about that. 

We had interviews with President Riggs on Wednesday. It was really good.

 

We got to see fireworks on Friday for Independence Day. Our curfew, for that day, was 10:30 instead of 9, so that was exciting. We went with Sister Gisseman and ate fruit while we waited for them to start. My favorite fireworks were the smiley-face fireworks. That was really cool. I tried to get a picture, but it didn't turn out very good. Fireworks were done at 10, we didn't get home until 11 because traffic was so packed. That was fun.

 

For studies, we usually jump around in Preach My Gospel, depending on who and what we're teaching.

Love you!

Hermana Brown

 

 

Coordinated outfits

 

Me and my companions. You can see a nice bit of our apartment, too. Yes, we do have a giant mirror in our living room and it was fun using it to take the picture. :) This was for district meeting; we coordinated our outfits. It was fun. Hermana Wilcox is on the right, Hermana Woodbury on the left.

The incredible American flag cake. A sister in our ward had us over for dinner and cake and that was the cake she made. Full of gluten, naturally, so I couldn't eat it. But I heard it was good. :)