Week 74: God's Plan is in Place!

Wow, I can't believe that Christmas has come and gone so fast.  I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas.  We had a great Christmas here with a lot of really great appointments.

On Christmas day we came to the church for Sister Bray to Skype her family, and nobody was in the church, so when she went into a quiet room to Skype, I was left alone in the church by myself ... PARTY (haha ... jk).  I just played piano the whole time.  But, it was really weird being alone for so long I decided (haha) I guess that's what a year an a half of being always by someone will do to ya.  After Sister Bray was done Skyping, we went to a member's house and had an awesome dinner and then I finally got to Skype my family.  That was really fun.  It was hilarious because their Wifi in the house was not so good, so I found a corner that sometimes would get two full bars.  I tucked myself in there and hoped our Skype wouldn't cut out.  But, don't worry ... we survived :)  After we were done, they drove us home in a ... wait for it ... PORSCHE!  That was awesome!

I am so lucky to have Sister Bray as a companion.  She is so beyond fantastic!  She totally surprised me with a Nutcracker and a flash T-Shirt and a few other things that she didn't need to buy, but did. She is such a sweetheart.  We did our own present exchange Christmas morning, as well, so that was really fun :)  I didn't even peak at the gifts until Christmas ... sorta! (haha)  But, holding them and shaking them is totally justified, I think!

At the beginning of the week we had a really cool appointment that a member had set up and they wanted us to go and sing carols with them to their friends again.  It was so cool because not only were we able to sing songs about Christ, but we were even able to show them the Christmas video and have a really great conversation of the real meaning of Christmas.  The Spirit was so strong in there testifying of what we were saying.  That was such a great experience. :)

I really like Christmas time with members because they are celebrating with their nonmember family and friends.  When the missionaries come they always ask a bunch of questions of what we do as missionaries, and it is really cool to be in a relaxed environment and testify of Christ to them.

Lastly I will close with a quote I read from last General Conference given by Elder M. Russel Ballard.  He said, "God's plan is in place.  He is at the helm, and His great and powerful ship flows toward salvation and exaltation.  Remember that we cannot get there by jumping out of the boat and trying to swim there by ourselves.  Exaltation is the goal of this mortal journey, and no one gets there without the means of the gospel of Jesus Christ; His Atonement, the ordinances, and the guiding doctrine and principles that are found in the Church."

I hope you all have a Happy New Year!  Enjoy setting some new goals for this next year and let's make it awesome!  Take care and have a great week!

Love,

Sister Jordan Brown

Week 73: Don't Forget Why We Really Have Christmas ...

Hey Everyone!

Man, this week was insane!  On Monday was Zone Conference and Tuesday was our preparation day, so our week was shortened, so that makes sense.  We had a really fun appointment set up with a member to "go by" a friend of hers to sing carols and to give her a Book of Mormon.  It was such a cool appointment.  The member was able to bear her testimony of the book and how much it meant to her.  It was just really cool to have her backing us up on what we said.  I really hope she reads the book and then calls us back to come teach her.

Over the weekend Sister Bray and I were able to go down to Siegen to perform for their Christmas party on Saturday evening.  It was a two hour drive and we went down with a member; that was way fun.  The performance went great.  Sister Bray is such an amazing singer and she did such a fabulous job!  It was fun to see all the old people admire her, and one even asked for her autograph (haha).  It was adorable.

That evening we stayed in a hotel there with a missionary couple because it was too late to travel all the way home, and we were also going to perform the next morning for sacrament meeting.  It was funny because we didn't really practice, and Elder Jones didn't tell us what or when we were playing until 5 seconds before we were doing it (haha).  So, that was stress that I didn't really want (haha).  After that we headed back to Dortmund for their Christmas concert that evening.  We did A LOT of performing this weekend!  That concert was better organized, but Sister Bray and I were going to be singing Oh Holy Night and we had not practiced it yet (haha).  I don't think I have been that nervous in a really long time ... knees shaking, deep breathing we got through it, but I don't want to do that again! (hahah)

Well anyways, it was a fantastic week.  But, I am super super excited for this next week!  We have so many awesome member appointments that we will go to and it will be a party.

Lastly I will close with a quick scripture in Psalms 18:1-3  "1. I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. 2. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. 3. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies."  I read that this week and just thought it was way powerful.  Call upon God; He is stronger than anyone.  With the disasters in the world, that is all the proof we need in the world that God truly is in control.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas.  Have fun with your families and don't forget why we really have Christmas :)  I love you all!

Frohe Weihnachten

Sister Jordan Brown

Week 72: He Knows EXACTLY How to Help Us

Well, the time has come for yet another email ;)  I hope you all had a great week!  I can't believe that Christmas is NEXT WEEK!!

Man, Sister Brey and I had such an amazing week!  It was one of the busiest weeks we've had in a while!  It was awesome just running from appointment to appointment.  The members are getting so excited for Christmas, too, and are doing lots of missionary work, so it's super great!

We had a really cool experience with a guy from Ukraine this week.  On Wednesday or Thursday we were headed home from an appointment on a train.  I was sitting across from this guy; he was staring at my companion and I so I told him that we were missionaries from the Church.  He just smiled and said, "Okay," but I wasn't finished (haha).  I asked him if he was religious and he said he was Greek Orthodox.  It was then that I noticed his none-German accent.  I found out that he was from Ukraine.  He started asking about why were were here and what we were doing here.  It was a very loud train and hard to hear because it was underground, and we both had to get off at the same stop to catch other trains.  I told him we would love to talk to him about what we believe.  I gave him our card, invited him to the Christmas devotional that Sunday and we went on our way(s).  Never thought I'd see him again because normally that's how it happens ...  But, then two days later I get a call from a man who I didn't recognize the name or number, but he wanted to come to the Christmas devotional!  So, Sister Brey and I headed back to the church that Sunday night.  I honestly was lacking faith thinking he wouldn't show, but we called him to see where he was ... and low and behold he was in the Church!  We hustled a little faster and got into the chapel, and it was this man I talked to only two days earlier!!  I'm still kinda shocked.  But, he had such a great experience in the devotional and really enjoyed it.  After, we all were walking back to our bus and he asked all sorts of questions and then listened to what we said, but also shared his thoughts.  It was super nice that he didn't try to shoot us down and say we were wrong.  Then he had to catch his train, but told us to call him because he wanted to learn more.  Man, it is so cool when you just run into amazing mission experiences that make you realize exactly why you were here that day.

This week we also had Zone Conference and it was fantastic.  They focused a lot on Christlike attributes.  They talked about a few other things, and we were having s sort of discussion and repentance was brought up.  One missionary explained something about repentance that I really liked. It's super simple but he said, "Repentance SHOULDN'T be easy!"  How true is that phrase.  If it was easy then we would sin on purpose, knowing we could always fix it later.  But, when you have to fix something that was super difficult to fix, you probably won't want to make that mistake again, if you truly fixed it.

This email is kinda random and all over the place (kinda like my brain today), but I also wanted to share a quote that I found when I was studying 1 Peter, because a great friend of mine recommended it.  The quote was about difficulties and it says:

“Peter later encouraged others:  ‘Think it not strange,’ he said, ‘concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you’ [1 Peter 4:12; italics added].  “These fiery trials are designed to make you stronger, but they have the potential to diminish or even destroy your trust in the Son of God and to weaken your resolve to keep your promises to Him ...  “How do you remain ‘steadfast and immovable’ [Alma 1:25] during a trial of faith?  You immerse yourself in the very things that helped build your core of faith:  you exercise faith in Christ, you pray, you ponder the scriptures, you repent, you keep the commandments, and you serve others.  “When faced with a trial of faith--whatever you do, you don’t step away from the Church!  Distancing yourself from the kingdom of God during a trial of faith is like leaving the safety of a secure storm cellar just as the tornado comes into view.”  -- Found in the Liahona

I will let that be the close to this entry, but I just want to say how much I know that God is there for each of us.  He knows EXACTLY how to help us.  I know that with all my heart.  I know that He loves us.  I hope you all have an amazing week!  Stay safe!

Liebe

Sister Jordan Brown

Week 71: Last Transfer Here I Come!

Man, it is crazy how fast the time fly's on the mission!  When you first get into the MTC you feel like the mission will never end; it is this giant gap until when you are finished.  I am so grateful that I am not done yet, and still have some time to find people prepared to hear the gospel and introduce them to the greatest blessing of their lives! :)

So, Sister Bray and I will be staying in Dortmund together for the next six weeks and I am so happy about that.  We will get to spend Christmas and New Years together.  She is such a fantastic missionary and you can just feel the genuine loves she has for everyone.  I am a lucky companion!

This week was a little bit of an adventure ... I got a little bit of food poisoning, but survived! (haha)  I think Sister Bray thought I was gonna die though ...  Don't worry, all is well!

We ran into a really cool man and his wife on the bus last Monday.  We were headed out to go Christmas shopping and we had an appointment that night, so I was flipping through the German Book of Mormon I was carrying around that day.  I was looking for a scripture and I felt eyes on me from the lady sitting next to me and the man sitting across from me.  Sister Bray later told me the woman was reading along.  As a looked up I was expecting them to look away quickly so I wouldn't talk to them, but they were still staring.  So, I asked them if they had seen the Book of Mormon before, and then we were able to strike up a conversation for a while!  It was so cool.  They even stayed on the bus and missed their stop so they could listen to what Sister Bray and I had to say about it.  We were able to give them the Book and our number, and he said he would call.   I am not so sure he will call, but I know he felt something from what we said.  It is so cool how you can just see in the people's eyes, the gears clicking in their heads and the spirit beginning to break it.  This Gospel is SO TRUE!

I found a really cool quote from the Liahona this week.  "We cannot break the Ten Commandments.  We can only break ourselves against them."  How true is that saying.  God has given us commandments, and as much as we try to excuse ourselves of them, they are always there and will never change.  When we don't follow the commandments, we are hurting ourselves and the ones around us.

There is a scripture in the Bible in John 14:21 and it says:  "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."  To show God we love Him and will follow Him, we have promised to keep the commandments and love one another.  When we do this, we show God that we are on His side and He will support us.

I hope you all are having an amazing Christmas season.  Don't forget the real reason for Christmas :)  You are in my prayers.  Have a Great week!

Liebe Größe

Sister Jordan Brown

 Awesome sunset view from our apartment!

 We are staying together for my last 6 weeks!!

Week 70: DECEMBER IS HERE!!!!

Man, I cannot believe that November has already come and gone.  It went so dang fast!  I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving!  All the missionaries in Dortmund came together for a  big thanksgiving lunch, so that was a blast!  We had our mission couple and then 8 missionaries.  I will have to say, though, cooking in Germany with American recipes is really hard!  But, I managed to make my very first pumpkin pie from scratch, and Sister Brey made delicious rolls! :)  We were very proud of ourselves!

This week's miracle was so cool!  We made a game plan to go by less actives and potential investigators and members.  We wrote down where everyone lived so that when we were at a stop, we could see who else was there that we could 'go by' on, as well, and not miss anyone we needed to visit.  So, Saturday we had zero appointments, so we busted out this list and were able to go by 15 people in only a few hours.  Although we found that a lot of people had moved and some weren't home, we decided we would 'door out' the buildings, as well.  As we were at the first building 'dooring', I don't know how it happened, but we were able to find three families that were super interested and made appointments for two of them for this week to go back on them!  It was incredible.  We now call that building "the miracle building"!  We will just baptize the whole thing (haha).

Something I studied this week that I thought was cool was Faith.  I was reading in my personal studies to plan for an appointment, and as I studied faith the word "trust" came into mind and that made me think ...  How do we come to trust people ...?  How do you trust your friends and family so much?  You talk to them, get to know them, tell them things, hear about them, etc.  You are familiar with them.  So, if we trust people here, how do you think we can come to trust God?  We have to talk to Him, get to know Him, follow His advice and see how it goes, and have faith in Him.  I also found a Mormon Message that was amazing about a woman who lost her husband in the war.  At first she was so mad and didn't understand how that could happen.  But, she took it to God and He was able to comfort her; and she said in the end, "Now I know that God has my back."  I thought that was so cool.  I know for myself that God has my back, too, and I do trust Him with my life.  I hope you all can find trust in God because He will never let you down.  Life won't always be perfect, but He will always be there.

I hope you all are excited for the Christmas season that is here.  If you have the chance go to the Church website and find the new Christmas movie A Savior is Born, watch it and share it, and have an awesome week! :)

Sister Jordan Brown

Week 69: It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

It is crazy that it is already Christmas time again.  I know for you guys you still have Thanksgiving, but since they don't celebrate that here, they jump right to Christmas.  I am so excited to see the Christmas market here.  Apparently they have the third biggest Christmas tree in the world here.  I'll make sure to send pictures next week!

This week we did many "go bys" on people we didn't know, and we fought sickness like a boss!  And ... we made snowmen out of socks (haha).  I love Christmas time.  We, of course did many other things, but I'm assuming you don't want a play-by-play of my week, so I'll tell you the best parts.

We had a crazy day on Tuesday because we were teaching a new member German and while we were doing that, the Elders were teaching a man that we handed over to them to teach.  He brought his two sisters and they were having a difficulty teaching all of them, so they asked if we could teach the sisters and they would teach the man.  So, Sister Brey taught German, and I sat out in the hall and was able go through The Restoration with them.  Man, I have to say I've never missed my companion so much in my life.  I have a testimony now that there is a reason why we have companions.  The lesson went great, and I was able to share my testimony and answer their questions to the best of my
ability.  But, that second testimony really does make the difference ...  We were able to survive this crazy hour and it went surprisingly ok ;)

I'll close out with a short scripture today.  It is from Matthew 5:16:  "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."  Remember that you are a child of God.  Make God proud this week and go keep being awesome ;)

Have a great week ... and a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Liebe große

Sister Jordan Brown

Week 68: Awesome Miracles Happened This Week

Hey, Everyone!

I hope you all had an awesome Friday the 13th this last week (haha).  I hope nothing unlucky happened to you guys; I think it all fell my way that day (haha).

We had some awesome miracles happen this week that just reconfirmed how true this church is to me.  Last week we were 'dooring' random less-active members to try and get to know them, and one totally gave us her number and invited us to come back!  So we did, and we seriously had the best appointment like ever.  She has such a testimony that God is there and that she needs Him, and just needs help to jump back into the church.  It was such a cool lesson.  It was one where we had one lesson planned, and then the Spirit took us in a completely different direction.  It was amazing!

Also, as you can see from the pictures, we got to carve pumpkins!  It was a little past Halloween, but it was still great :)  If you can't tell what I carved it ... was supposed to be a minion (haha).

Something else that was really cool was that on Sunday, one of our more interesting investigators brought two of his sisters to church, and they are so legit :)  They were so sweet and wonderful.  There was also an investigator from the Elders that spoke Persian and very very little German and English, and they were able to translate for him.  It was a miracle that they were both at church for the first time on the exact same day.  I love seeing how God works miracles and we just get to see them.

Well, I will keep this short because I have a bit of a head cold ... again (haha).  Struggles of being a missionary (lol)  But, I found a great quote in my studies that I would like to share:

"When we are busy serving the church, we can expect God to bless us with miracles when we go and do the things He commands (see 1 Nephi 3:7).  In this equation God's role is constant, not a variable.  He always keeps His promises.  The only variable is whether we have the faith to commit, obey, and expect miracles." -Elder Clayton M. Christensen.

I hope you all have a fantastic week!  Take care! 

Sister Jordan Brown

Week 67: This Week Has Been An Adventure!

Hey ya'll!

This week has been an adventure!  We did a lot of 'finding' because our appointments kept falling out.  But, it wasn't too shabby.

We had a really fun service project on Wednesday for a member in the church.  We helped them paint a bit, and then I got to build a shelf all by myself because they couldn't figure out how to put it together (haha).  I felt pretty pro.  What was funny was that when we walked in, I guess Kevin (the husband) had taped up a line across the middle of the wall so that we could paint a solid brown line across the walls.  But, he used a small 10 inch ruler stick to measure out the lines so they were "a little off ..." (haha)  When I say a little, I actually mean ... a LOT.  It was hilarious.  So, we fixed that and then put the shelf together and had some pizza.  I love service projects.  They are way fun sometimes :)

 Service Project ...!

We had a really sketchy experience with week.  We got a call from a man who said we had contacted him on a train one day, and he wanted help moving because he got an apartment.  He spoke very pore German, and threw in a bit of English and some other language.  Well, he text us his address and I told him we would bring the Elders with us, because we weren't aloud to be alone with him.  Then he said, "Okay ... but it would be better if we came alone."  But, we still brought the Elders and I am sure grateful we did because this guy didn't actually need help moving.  He did have a new apartment, but turns out he was looking for a new wife (haha)  Awkward ...  So, he kept looking to me, telling me he was alone and lonely, and all I could say was, "Sorry ..."  We got out of there pretty quick, thanks to the Elders.  The craziest part is that I don't ever remember talking to this man, but somehow he had our card ... weird.  Well, we survived that and we will not be going back there (haha).

Well, now onto a more spiritual side of things ...  I read this scripture, which is a pretty popular scripture, but I really needed to hear it this week.  It was in Isaiah 41:10 ... "Fear though not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

I just love how in so many different scriptures, and in so many examples in the scriptures, God has promised us that He is with us and that we shouldn't fear.  I have seen so many times, God take away the fear and doubt in my life.  He doesn't want us to be afraid; He doesn't want us to feel alone; He wants to help us and strengthen us.  How amazing is this knowledge that we have to know that we can ask Him for help and He will be there for us.

Well, I will keep this entry shorter and end here.  But, I hope you all have a fabulous week!  Think Positive!  Look up! ... and be Happy :)

Liebe

Sister Jordan Brown

 The gang's all here!

 

Autumn in Germany ... "fall" is here!

Week 66: Sister Brey is Fantastic!

Man, what an awesome week we had here.  I have a new companion and her name is Sister Brey ... she is fantastic!  She is American, but has lived in Singapore for the last four years, which is super cool.  We are going have a great transfer here, I think.  We have only been together for five days, and already she has tried to  burn down the kitchen (hahaha jk jk)  So, the story behind that is that Sister Brey was cooking fish, and just put a frozen one on some cooking paper and put it in the oven.  While she was doing this, I was putting on my makeup, when I hear, "Fire!  Fire!"  So I run in, (lucky I didn't stab my eye with my mascara ... haha)  So ya, I run in and the baking paper is on fire, and she is blowing it and it is getting bigger!  (haha)  So I tell her to stop and I run and grab our fire blanket, and rip it out and put the fire out. (haha)  I haven't laughed so hard in a long time.  It was super funny.

We had some really great appointments this week, as well ...  It's all kinda a blur, though, so I'll do my best to remember some of it.  Sister Nielson got transferred, so we had a few farewell appointments and she packed lots, so that was fun. 

On Wednesday we had six sisters stay in our apartment because transfers were the next day.  Which meant we had to lug 6 suitcases up two flights of stairs ... (hah)  Good thing I'm buff .. Not! :)  But, we survived.

This week in my studies I found something I had put in my studies probably during institute or seminary way back when.  But, I wrote something in there that I really liked.  It was in 2 Nephi chapter 5 and it is the story when Nephi's brothers were really bad and wanted to kill him because of his obedience to follow God ...  So Nephi took his family to a different place for safety.  While there, it says they had:  #1 their family, #2 they kept the commandments, #3 read their scriptures and studied the gospel, #4 built a temple, #5 they did work and labored (not lazy), and #6 held the priesthood.  Then in verse 27 it says:  "And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness."  I thought that was really cool; the proof that if we can follow these 6 principles, we can find happiness in our lives.  And no, it won't be perfect ... there will still be "war" from time to time, but that is because we are living in an imperfect world.  But, you can still find reasons to be happy. So, think about what makes you happy in your lives and find reason to be grateful :)

I hope you all have a fabulous week!

Liebe,

Sister Jordan Brown

 Sister Brey is fantastic!!

Week 65: Happy Halloween!!

Hey, guys!  I don't know about you, but I cannot believe October has come and gone!  It went way too fast!  But, that's alright ... I'm so excited for Christmas to come again in Germany.

So, we had transfer calls this week and sadly Sister Nielson is leaving me and going down to Kaiserslautern on Thursday.  And, my new companion will be Sister Brey ... she is from Singapore/ America, so this should be fun! 

This Sunday was so beyond insane!  I'm so glad we survived.  There was an awesome miracle with an investigator that has been meeting with the sisters for two years now, but has never come to church.  While we were headed to church, she called and asked what time it started and when we were going to be there, and she totally came!!! :D  That was so cool!

Also, while waiting for a bus the other night, I said, "Hi!" to this man, and he asked why we were here.  We explained that we were from the church and speaking about what we believed, and asked if he wanted to know more ... and guess what?  He actually said, "Yes!"  Hah ... that rarely happens, if ever!  So, we met with him three times this week and he came to church!  He doesn't know it yet, but he is totally gonna get baptized (haha)!

Also, Monia, who was baptized in August, has been in Italy for the last little while and her car broke down.  She finally made it back to Germany and was at church! This week was also crazy because they waited till now to show the final session of conference (haha) ... so I took Monia out and we watched it in Italian. That was fun.  Oh, and LASTLY they asked me to play the organ for the first time in my life in sacrament meeting (hahaha)  Totally dominated ;)  But, all in all it was a really good Sunday.

This week went by so fast, I can honestly say I can't remember what awesome adventures we had this week (haha), but I'll close out with aspiritual thought.  Our mission memorizes a scripture every month in German and this month it was Doctrine and Covenants 59:9-10 ...

"9 - And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day;
10 - For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High."

It is so important that we remember why we have church and why we have the sacrament.  It is not just to fill up time or to talk with friends.  It is a time to take all your mistakes, or the past week's, to God and say, "I'm sorry, I'll try to do better," and then go and do.  It is a time to remember Christ and what He did for us.  It is a time to feel peace.  I encourage all of you to prepare a little more than you did last week before you go and partake of the sacrament, and I'll do the same ;)   Even if you are someone who hasn't gone to church for a while, for whatever reason.  Even if it's not the Mormon church.  Shake the dust off your suits and dresses, and go and show God you are grateful for Him and what He has given us.  That's my commitment.  I hope you all have a fantastic week!

Take care!

Sister Jordan Brown

Good luck, Sister Nielson, in Kaiserslautern!

 Fun pictures ...

Yummy homemade banana bread!

Week 64: Let it Snow!

Man, it actually snowed this week!  Summer is officially over and fall is fading quick!  I hope you all had a fantastic week.  We had a great one here.

So, I officially don't sound American (apparently)!  A lady from Michigan talked to us and I helped her with a luggage she was struggling with.  She said that my companion she could tell was from America, but then thought I wasn't American when I spoke to her in English! (haha)  I guess I have an accent!  Haha ... yea, baby!  I don't think I do, but I will take it!  (lol)

Yesterday, Sister Nielson and I attended church in a small branch in Siegen because we have a mission couple over there basically running it, and they asked if we could give talks.  Elder Jones
(mission couple) and I did a piano, clarinet, and violin musical number with a friend, Vicky, in sacrament.  That was so much fun.  It all went pretty well until after I had given my talk in German ...  Elder Jones leaned over to me and asked me if I could bear my testimony in English (haha)  Man, the struggle is real (lol).  That was so rough for me to suddenly switch back to English (haha), but I managed to get out words that were somewhat coherent ... (lol)  I love being a missionary in Germany (haha) ... it's an adventure.

My talk I gave on Sunday wasn't too long, but I figure I'd share with you what I talked about, as well. I was reading in Moses 2 this last week and that is where God is speaking to him in the high mountains, and He tells him about the creation of the earth.  A scripture that stood out to me was Moses 2:26-27, and it says:  "26 - And I, God, said unto mine Only Begotten, which was with me from the beginning:  Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and it was so.  And I, God, said:  Let them have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 - And I, God, created man in mine own image, in the image of mine Only Begotten created I him; male and female created I them."

I also was reading in the seminary student manual to get more insights while reading, and it asked three really great questions ...

1. What does it mean that I am created in the image of God?
2. How can this truth affect my feelings about myself and others?
3. How can it influence my daily actions?

I mainly focused on the first question:  God is our Heavenly Father.  He is truly a God.  My absolute favorite feeling to know is that I am a Princess of a God; of a King!  When we can remember where we come from and where we are supposed to go, we can remember our divine potential; and with this knowledge we can be an example to others and let our light shine for all to see.  As missionaries we have to be on our best behavior 24/7.  People watch us every day and see what we do.  We have to follow strict rules so that we are true representative of Christ and don't represent his name badly. Likewise, all of you, as well, are representatives of Christ.  We promise to take his name upon us when we are baptized.  So, I encourage you to make sure you show people that you know who you are, and who you represent. :)

Well, I hope all is well for you all!  The gospel is true!  Have an awesome week!

Liebe große

Sister Jordan Brown

 Germany is AMAZING!

Week 63: SO Busy This Week!

Hey, everyone!  I hope you all had a fantastic week this week. Sister Nielson and I were so busy this week and now I am so exhausted today so, I hope this email all makes sense ...

I really enjoyed looking back on General Conference through the week.  I even got to listen to the priesthood session.  I really enjoyed the first talk that said something I really liked:  "Your faith is either getting stronger or getting weaker ..."  It made me think about which one is mine doing right now; and if it is by chance getting weaker, how can I exercise it to make it stronger?  It so important to remember that our faith is like a muscle:  if we don't loose it, it weakens.  I can testify that my muscles have weakened since being on a mission (haha).  I tried to do some push-ups this week and had some 'issues' doing so (haha).

This week I read a cool talk in the Ensign about fueling our torches.  It said:  "In Ancient Greece, runners competed in a relay race called a lampadedromia.  In the race, runners held a torch in their hand and passed it on to the next runner until the final member of the team crossed the finish line. The prize wasn't awarded to the team that ran fastest; it was awarded to the team to reach the finish line with the torch still lit ... 'While it is important to start the race, it is even more important that we finish with our touch still lit.'"

I really liked that.  Even better, it gives a commitment for everyone and I would like to give it to you.  If you make it, I'd love to hear about it!

Okay, so for a week, try to make a goal to:
1.  Say prayers both morning and night for a full week.
2.  Wake up 15 minutes early and read your scriptures.
3.  Read past General Conference talks through the week.
4.  Post a scripture from the Book of Mormon on a social media.
5.  Listen to hymns or church music instead of your regular music.

If you do this, I promise that you can strengthen your own torch, and draw nearer to God.

So, to give you guys a funny story for the week ...  The other night our carbon monoxide detector decided that it was tired and needed new batteries.  So through the night every half hour or so it would beep/scream at me, and me being a light sleeper, woke up every time it went off.  I would have just yanked the batteries out, but after hearing sad stories of other missionaries dying from carbon monoxide poisoning, I felt that if I yanked out the batteries Heavenly Father would be mad for me breaking rules of not having a working CO2 machine and we would die (haha).  This is my late night analyzing, might I remind you (haha).  So, I left the stupid beeping on ALL NIGHT ... by the time sister Nielson's alarm went off at 6:30am, I marched out of bed grabbed that stupid thing off the wall and slammed it down on the counter to make the batteries fall out, then climbed back in my bed.  Hah!  I think I scared sister Nieslon because she is a deep sleeper and didn't wake up at all (lol).  So I'm pretty exhausted from that night now.  I may or may not have also ran into a pole today, but that is a story for another time (lol) ...  Sister Brown needs some sleep, I think!

Well anyways, we did lots of service this week.  We got to help clean up a few grave stones for a member, and we helped another clean their house.  But the coolest was that we got to help the Elders help prepare a whole family they found to be baptized on Saturday.  They are from Romania and found the Elders 'dooming' into someone else, and it was just a miracle how fast they were able to grow.  Within about a month and a half they were baptized.  It was such a cool experience!  They are
incredible.  Guys, this gospel is true!  I know it with all my heart; and miracles are happening out here!

I hope you all have a fantastic week!  Go out and serve each other, and have fun!

Mit große liebe

Sister Jordan Brown

Week 62: I Love General Conference!

Wow, I don't know about you all but man, I just absolutely loved Conference this weekend.  It was so inspiring and wonderful!  I loved it!  I think for once in my life I was grateful to be wearing a skirt and not pjs during conference, because it just helped me focus and remember where I was and who was speaking to us.  But, I did manage to find a nice comfy leather couch to relax in during conference, so that was luxury :)

 

Man, something that really stood out to me this General Conference was the talk about turning to Christ.  It was in the Saturday afternoon session I believe ...  I can't remember who spoke because I left all of my notes at home today .. my bad (haha).  But anyways, I was listening and it was talking about how Christ knows our pains and KNOWS how to succor his children.  For some reason I have heard that a lot, but this time it really sank in.  Sometimes I doubt my belief and question how Christ could know every pain ... He never lost a child, He's never been dumped, He's never failed a test, etc. BUT I KNOW that He felt the pain of it; and because He felt the pain of everything that happens to us, He knows EXACTLY how to help us and guide us back to Him.  I absolutely love that thought.  There was a quick quote that I found that I loved ...  "If you have been tempted to murmur, if you have had doubts that lead to unbelief, if trials seem more than you can bear, turn to Him.  If you are one who has turned away or rationalized your behavior, turn to Him.  Can you remember when He did 'speak peace to your mind ...?  What greater witness can you have than from God?' Ask yourself, 'Am I as close to living like Christ now as I was before?'  Please, TURN TO HIM." - Elder James B. Martino of the Seventy.

 

I feel like I could go on and on about every single talk, but then by the end I would just be quoting General Conference again (haha).  I seriously encourage every single one of you who didn't get to watch conference because of work, or you fell asleep :), or some other circumstance ... go and listen to the talks you missed, even if it is just one a day.  We have such a privilege to listen to such wise counsel to help us in our lives.

 

Well, on top of Conference, Sister Nielson and I had a fantastic week full of adventure.  One evening we were at a member's house and it took us two hours to travel out to her, and then she fed us an amazing Turkish pizza.  It was fantastic!  After we were done, we started to head out to the bus and she wanted to walk with us.  Well, the bus goes every hour and it was 7:30pm at night and we missed the bus ... (awkward, haha).  So the member headed home and we waited an hour for our next bus to come ...  It finally came and we headed to the train station.  We got there at 9:30pm after being on a bus for an hour and totally missed our train, too ... (haha).  So we had to wait at the train station till 10:27pm, and then we finally were able to get home a half hour past curfew (haha).  Oops ... but, we made it safely!  My one regret is not wearing a warmer jacket (haha).  Winter is upon us!

 

Sister Nielson opened our window the other day and there was a HUGE spider in the window seal, so I hear her scream for me to come kill it!  I came over with a vacuum and hairspray ... gotta be prepared (haha).  As I opened the window and noticed the spider, it was long past dead.  I told Sister Nielson it was dead and asked why she was freaking out?  Then she said, "No, there is another one that's alive, too!"  Uh oh ... I couldn't find it though.  Oh well, Sister Nielson probably ate it in her sleep or something (lol, jk)  That would be terrible (haha).

 

Well, there are a lot more adventures that we had this week, but my mind is a blank at the moment ... sorry.   I will sign off here, but I hope that you all have a fantastic week!  

Liebe Große

Sister Jordan Brown

"Remember, no one can reach upward for you. Only your faith and prayers will cause you to lift yourself and have the mighty change of heart. Only your resolve to be obedient can change your life."

Week 61: Therefore, Ask in Faith

Remember that without faith you can do nothing; therefore ask in faith. - D&C 8:10

Hey, everyone!  I hope your week was great.  Our week here was filled with a lot of meetings, so that was an adventure.  On Tuesday we had a Zone Conference for 8 hours.  On Thursday we had 2 hours of Ward Counsel.  On Saturday we had 2 hours of Stake Conference, and Sunday, as well.  So, I am meeting-ed out for the week (haha).

We had a really cool appointment this last week with a referral from some other sisters in a area close by.  We went by this girl and she is so dang awesome!  She found the church on an exchange program to Utah, where she stayed with a Mormon family.  Man, can I just say that I think all of Germany needs to come to a Mormon family on an exchange and maybe we could have more members (haha). But anyways, she is so amazing.  She shared how she felt so much at peace in our church, but how she doesn't know if God is there.  I am really excited to help teach her about the relationship she can have with her Heavenly Father if she really wants it.  I love these cool experiences.

I was reading in the Pearl of Great Price this week, and I came across a really cool quotation in a student manual for institute students.  It was when God talked to Moses and then shortly after God 'left him to himself', Satan came tempting Moses to worship him.  But, what is amazing is that God just taught Moses and Moses then said, "Who art thou?  For behold, I am a son of God ..."  Do we really realize who we come from?  I know I forget all the time.  But, just think about it ...  If you were the son or daughter of a king, how would you represent yourself?  I would think that we would try to be as perfect as possible to set a good example to others.  Well, we are sons and daughters of a God who loves us more than anything in the world.  He created us and He knows every little thing about you and I.  Having this knowledge just gives me the desire to be better.

The quote that I found in the student manual said:  Do not entertain even in the slightest to listen to falseness or the words of Satan.  'Christ did not so rationalize.  He positively and promptly closed the discussion and commanded:  'get thee hence Satan.'  Meaning likely, get out of my sight-get out of my presence-I will not listen."  Prevent sin ... don't let it in in the slightest; it makes everything harder.  I found that really interesting.  To not even hear Satan out; don't wait and let him persuade you to sin.  Kick him out; any all things evil.  When you do this, you will be fortified in your life and you won't fall.

I hope you all are as excited as I am for General Conference this next week!  My companion sent me this funny picture, so I hope you all get a good laugh from it and remember that we get to hear from a living prophet.

Take care,

Sister Brown

Week 60: Happy first day of Fall!!!

I love Fall-time, especially over here in Germany because it is so green normally, and then the trees change colors and it is just beautiful!

 

I hope you all had a great week is week!  Our week here went fast and slow all at the same time! (haha)  I am trying to think back to everything that happened and my brain is tired, so I will do what I can to update you all on everything (haha).

 

So, we are meeting now with a really cool guy ... He ran into us on the streets and said he wanted to learn more about our religion.  He is a Jehovah's Witness and they are very strong in their religion, which I find admirable.  But, we asked him why he wanted to learn about our church and that if he were to find that this were the true church would he be baptized ...?  He then said, "ABSOLUTELY!" Man, that was such a blessing!  Now, it is Heavenly Father's turn to step in and help us help him discover he truth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ;)

 

Another really cool appointment we had was with another lady that really needs help in her life.  She wasn't able to meet for over 2 months, and I finally got to meet her, so that was a blessing.

 

Something I studied this week that I really liked was ... I am trying to read the Bible all the way through.  I was reading in Genesis and reading the story of Abraham and his brother Lot and how they were fighting over a land and Abraham didn't want war, so he let Lot choose the land he wanted.  Lot took the best land, but through time there was war in Lot's land and he was kidnapped and all his possessions were stolen.  So, Abraham saved him.  But, I just thought it was so interesting and a great example of how we shouldn't be greedy.

 

Well, everyone this email will be short, but I hope everything is going well and I hope you have a great week.  Take care! 

 

Sister Jordan Brown

 

Transfers!  Got to send Sister Taylor home (middle).  I will miss her!

 

Week 59: It's Raining, it's pouring ... the Old man is Snoring!

Man, it has been chilly and rainy this whole week here!  Hope the weather has been happier over where you are (haha).  But hey, it means its getting close to Christmas.  But more importantly, it is getting close to GENERAL CONFERENCE!  Man, I can't believe that is almost here again!  I am so beyond excited!  It is going to be fantastic.  To those of you who aren't members and are reading this, General Conference is when we get to listen to our wonderful Prophet and Apostles guide us in our lives and inspires us to do good.  I am so excited to hear guidance they have for us this time.  It is such an incredible blessing.

This week I found a "Daughters of our Kingdom" book in our apartment.  I remember receiving this a few years back, but I never read it.  But, I picked it up and started reading it, and man it is so great!  I basically read the whole book this week.  There was a really cool quote about Charity that I read in it that I really liked:  "Charity is having patience with someone who has let us down.  It is resisting the impulse to become offended easily.  It is accepting weaknesses and shortcomings.  It is accepting people as they truly are.  It is looking beyond physical appearances to attributes that will not dim through time.  It is resisting the impulse to categorize others ... Life is perfect for NONE of us ... Charity has been defined as 'the highest, noblest, strongest kind of love,' the 'pure love of Christ ...; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.'"

I think it is really important not to only help other people, but to see them as who they are and what they can become.  When we truly love those we serve and do it ungrudging, then it becomes the pure love of Christ.

We had a really great week here in Dortmund.  Sniffles and coughs were around, but we got through it (haha).  Heavenly Father helped us position ourselves in the right places and the right times to find people that we needed to talk to.  We found two new investigators this last week that are way excited to learn more about the church.  They were at the most random places, too.  I think it is inspired how Heavenly Father works, because five minutes later or ten minutes earlier we could have missed these ready people.

Transfer calls were on Saturday, as well, and it looks like Sister Nielson will get to put up with me for another 6 weeks (haha ... jk).  We have a lot of fun together, so I'm very excited that we are staying together another transfer.

Oh man, I almost forgot the best part!  There is a member in the ward who has a clarinet and wants to do a musical number with me for a ward party that they are having on Saturday (haha)!!!  He let me practice on the clarinet and man, I am very very rusty on it, but it was so much fun to play on it! :)  It's going to be a great week this week!

Well, lastly I wanted to give another quote I found from a Mormon Message about giving thanks daily.  It says:  "Because we see things so often, we see them less and less."  It is so easy to forget what we have around us.  I know being out here and away from everything, I realize how grateful I am for everything I had, and I am grateful for the things I have now.  So, look around and notice the things that you have now and give thanks to Heavenly Father.  Notice the mountains, the trees, the people ... everything; and see the beauty in the world.

I hope you all have a fantastic week!

Take Care!

Sister Jordan Brown

 Stuck in the Rain!!

 Winter is Coming!