Here is Danielle's letter for the week, May 6, 2013

Well I shall let you know about my week.... where to begin. Let us start with a scripture that sums up my week. I will replace a few words to make it my own.

"for ye receive no [SUCCESS] until after the trial of your faith" -Ether 12:6. It reads no Witness, but for me this week the word success fits much better. This week was trial after trial. Many appointments feel through, people decided they did not want to meet with us, others moved with out letting us know and have no way to contact missionaries. Things like that. It was trial after trial. I am not going to lie and say it was easy because it was not. It was HARD! I even grew a zit on my chin from the stress! (its okay because it is already gone so not to worry). Trial after trial sprang up and we just had to keep trudging our way through the muck that was associated. 

I read a scripture Saturday night and I know it has changed my mind about myself as a missionary! 

Heleman 15:6 "Yea, I say unto you, that the more part of them are doing this, and they are striving with unwearied diligence that they may bring the remainder of their bretheren to the knowledge of the truth; therefore there are many who do add to their numbers daily"

K. Here were a few of my thoughts in a nut shell - - These people know truth, and they are proclaiming it. I know truth and that is what I am doing.... Yet they are working with UNWEARIED DILIGENCE... am I doing that? If I were I would have people added to the numbers daily. I need to be better.... Yet I realized that it is not MY numbers that these people are added to, it is the Lords numbers. Some people may take longer to be added, but eventually they will be. Those who rejected us this week, or moved away will come to the knowledge and light eventually. This scripture just gave me the boost to get back on my feet after all these trials and push forward. 

The next day was fast Sunday... or should I say miracle Sunday! I KNOW the lord is so aware of us! There are so many times on my mission I have seen simple acts that have truly been from Him. Yesterday was one of those days. 

This man who we have been meeting with on and off came to church and that was really exciting. What was even more exciting was after class his member friend asked us to come over more often and teach him because, as she said, "he decided he wants to do it".

"DO what?" I asked. "Have lessons or be baptized"

"Both!" She responded with a big smile. "He said he is ready to join the church."

I couldn't believe it. I shot this man a look (he is really shy and wouldn't tell us himself these things) and he just had the biggest smile on his face. Talking with him he confirmed what the lady had let us known. It was so wonderful to just see him so happy after so many times seeing him so depressed and sad. I pray he will continue having this desire and not let Satan get into his way as he makes these changes in his life for the better. 

A few hours later we went to a lesson with this young woman Lima. She has been going to church for a while and knows much about the gospel. Her mother is recently started coming back to church and Lima needs to be baptized! She is actually not in my ward, but we received an OK from President Ellsworth to teach her. This was the spiritual highlight of my week! During our first lesson we discussed the importance of the restoration of the gospel. Her testimony of Joseph Smith was so simple, yet powerful. She already knows the truth of this gospel and has accepted to be baptized! We have a date set and will continue to work with this wonderful young woman. 

Something amazing about her is the reason she realized she needed to do this. She expressed, with tears in her eyes, that she needs to so that she can go serve her mission. :) She already wants to be a missionary!!!! I was balling by now, of course, and felt such a strong spirit. I honestly could see her smiling face in a few years receiving her mission call and wearing this special black name tag that is so important to me on her own chest. 

Being a missionary is so amazing because we honestly can feel a portion of Heavenly Fathers love for these people. I love Lima sooooo much! I only met her once and have no idea how to even attempt to say her last name! (its a way long Tongan one).

Well I should get going. Know I love you very much! Being a missionary is the best feeling in the world. Declaring to others the importance of having a loving Father in Heaven and the unique message of the restoration fills me with so much joy! Keep doing all you can for own personal missionary experiences. I love you a lot!

Love, Sister Brownell

Picture taken during the Easter Pageant.  March 2013

Hello from your favorite Lady Missionary! (lots of old men call us 'lady missionaries'. It makes me giggle every time)

Transfer news- I am staying in this area finishing Sister Knights full field training! I am so excited to be able to work with her more. This means that I will have been in the "field" more than I have been at the "VC". I see many many blessings that will come from this! For example this means during the summer the chance of me being full field is way less which means half my days I will be in the VC with some AC ;) Blessing? I think so. We also have some new investigators that we have found the last few days who I am very excited to begin working with. I can see great potential from these few folks we have met. Being in this area will be fantastic because our hard work is starting to pay off. Sacrifice brings those blessings!

Soooo let me tell you a bit about my week of miracles! Where to begin is the question.

Earlier this week we had a lesson with this man in these apartments in our area. The lesson went well, we actually had 2 different members join us which was really good for the lesson! After our lesson this little boy in the ward came up and asked us to come over and have a lesson with him and his mom. This kid is returning to activity in hopes of being baptized soon so Bishop has asked us to teach him a little so we gladly went over to have a lesson with him. He opens his door and there was another man there, Chris. This man we have ran into a few times in the complex and told him about how this message can make him happy and such. He accepted a Book of Mormon about a week earlier, but we had not seen him. Well he was hanging out with the family we went to see so we were able to teach him as well about the importance of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Something struck a chord with him and he opened up about how he feels negative about many things he has done. I know the power of the atonement can and will help this man! He just needs to turn to the Savior. We all need to turn to the savior! It is amazing what can happen when we let ourselves go and rely on him. I know as we work with this man he will start feeling the power and the love of Christ in his life. For many people in the world they have never felt pure love in their life. That saddens me. Love can and does come from our Savior IF and WHEN we allow him to take our hearts! It is a beautiful thing this gospel does!

We have this lady who lives next to some members in the ward. We have stopped to say hello a few times when she was out in the yard. Well this last time something was different. All she wanted to do was talk about her LDS neighbors and how amazing they are and how they are always happy and such examples to her. Well as we talked it opened up the floor for us to ask her some questions about her belief and get to know her more. It turns out that she read the Book of Mormon a long time ago and felt that it spoke of truth, but she was sad because she no longer had the book. I got this big silly grin on my face and said "well today you are in luck. I just happen to have this book right here and I would love it if you would take it, read it, pray about it, and let us help you understand the importance of the message it contains." Her response was so wonderful. She took the book and kind of hugged it! She looked so happy to have it with her again. This all was able to happen because of such an amazing example that ward members were to her! Miracles happen. It takes time for peoples hearts to be ready to receive the message, but it is the Lords time and that is what is right!

We will be having a baptism this upcoming Saturday. We are quite excited for this! It is going to be a big turn out. This man has been attending for about 3 or 4 years and finally has decided he needs to take that leap of faith and enter into the waters of baptism. I love what Mosiah 18:8-10 says about how once we have the desire to do these things we are able to be baptized and the spirit comes more fully upon us. It will be an amazing day!

Another miracle we had was just a tender mercy of the lord. Sister Knight and I were at these apartments and the gate will only open and close with a car going in it. We got in behind a car and didn't even think about how we would get out at that moment. After we finished seeing the people we needed to see we hopped back on our little bicycles and started for the gate..... we realized a few feet away that we couldn't open it. We totally forgot it doesn't read two skinny sister missionaries on purple and green bikes! Then all the sudden it opened!!!! Nobody was coming or going but us! The gate usually wouldn't open for bikes and we were not even close enough to the motion detector to catch it. Who knows what happened! All we know is that we were able to be free and continue our work! Miracle :) 

Here is the scripture of the week! From Doctrine and Covenants Section 75:3-5, 10-11. He is with us, even to the end! What a blessing that is in our lives.

3 Behold, I say unto you that it is my will that you should go forth and not tarry, neither be ^aidle but ^blabor with your might—    4 Lifting up your voices as with the sound of a trump,^aproclaiming the ^btruth according to the revelations and commandments which I have given you.   

 10 Calling on the name of the Lord for the ^aComforter, which shall teach them all things that are expedient for them—   11 ^aPraying always that they ^bfaint not; and inasmuch as they do this, I will be with them even unto the end.

I love you all very much. Thank you for the wonderful love and support I always feel from you. I can not believe how quick time is flying by out here. Hope things are going well at home and with the family. Love you tons!!!!

-Sister Brownell

Bruce and I went to Mesa for our Spring Break.  Sister Brownell knew our schedule of when we would be going to the Easter Pageant, she assured us she wouldn't be there because her working schedule at the visitor center was during the day.  Well, her cousin spotted her on Friday night and of course my brother went over to say hello.  Danielle came to introduce us to her companion and said hello and returned to her investigator that they brought for the evening performance.

What a miracle it was to see her with only 10,000 people in the audience.  I believe it was fate that we see her there.  She is doing well, and sends her love to all her family and friends!

 The Sister's cleaning the visitor center before the Easter Pageant.

 This is the Visitor Center sister's  on the set of the Easter Pageant.

 This picture is located in the visitor center, it is an actual wooden sculpture made up of 23 different types of wood.  Their is no paint used, but a protective varnish.

 From the set of the Easter Pageant, where Christ teaches the Sermon on the Mount.

Mom and Dad,

Thank you for the letter and the picture! I am glad to see it. Even if my eyes are pretty much shut. Oh well. I am so glad to hear you enjoyed the Easter Pageant. I am a bit on the sad side that it is already over :( I want to share some experiences with you that I had the last night of the Pageant. 

Every night we have a  focus in the VC. The last night of the pageant it was Baptism. We were encouraged to bring it up in conversation or whenever we had the chance with those we talked to. It was probably one of the most spiritually uplifting nights I had at the Easter Pageant. In PMG there is a point that talks of how we begin our teaching as missionaries. This bullet says "•

 As you accept our message, you will learn how to make covenants, or promises, with God. You will learn how to make changes to bring your lives in closer harmony with His teachings. You will want to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and be baptized by proper authority (see John 3:5)." 

I thought a lot about this point as I talked to my brothers and sisters who entered the Visitors' Center that day. Nobody jumped up and down and begged to be baptized, but being able to testify that the message we have to share will ultimately lead one to have that desire to be baptized really strengthened my testimony of this work. The Savior has called all of us to be here on earth and invite people to learn of Christ. We do not need to be a full time missionary, but we do need to have a testimony of our own. I love the story in the Bible of how after Christ's death the apostles don't know what to do so they go back to fish. Finally when Christ comes to them again and tells them to "feed my sheep" they get it! We are all here to feed the people with the gospel. It can and does allow us to be full. [Maybe that is why I am staying so skinny ;) I am full all the time with the spirit that real food just does not seem to want to do anything..joke] 

Easter is about our Savior. I loved the chance to declare that to people. As a family growing up the whole bunny and candy thing was never that big of a deal for us, neither was the big Easter dinner. I thank you for that Mom and Dad. We were not focused on the silly things that people focus on, rather we were focused on our Savior and one another. You are such amazing examples to me. Thank you.

As for Jamesies letter thanks for sending it. Ill read it when I get home. I do have the chance to open pictures, so if you ever want to send them please do :) 

The investigator we came with on Friday to the Pageant has been coming to church for quite a while. He is waiting for that big answer to know if this is the correct church for him. He discussed how he may just end up taking the plunge and being baptized soon. He has wonderful support in the ward and amazing little grandkids who are the cutest things ever. I am pretty sure one of them has a pretty big crush on me. Its funny when we catch him watching me at church and following me around and such. Hopefully his answers to prayers will come, and he will be able to recognize them. That is one thing that is difficult for people to grasp is how these different answers come because they are so unique for each person. Personally I have felt the spirit answer my prayers in many different ways. When I prayed about the mission I never received a "do this or that" answer, rather I had to decide and then go in prayer and get that confirmation. I have also felt this tingling in my stomach regarding other answers to questions I have had while on the mission. Answers are different for each person, I just pray that he will be able to feel the answers as they come. 

I am so excited that this weekend coming up is conference weekend! I love conference!!! The spirit is always so strong when hearing the words of the prophets and apostles. I know that they are truly are men that receive revelation from God. You will have to watch and let me know what the favorite talks are and all the inspiration that was felt and such :) Yay for conference. 

Tell me about the work in the ward? Do you still have Elders? Sisters are going to be taking over the world soon if you haven't heard :) This next transfer (in 3 weeks) we are going to be getting 6VC sisters coming in!  That is going to be so amazing. I am not even sure how many other sisters we are will have but I am sure it will be a lot. This work is moving forward and it is so needed. 

Well family I love you all. I pray that you will have a fantastic week and ENJOY CONFERENCE! Try and invite somebody to come watch it with you :) Yay for member missionaries! Tell the extended family I love them as well. Update me with the new babies coming along soon when you get the chance. Hope all is well for Marissa and Tahnee.

Love you! and I am glad you enjoyed Bahama Bucks :)

Loves,

Sister Brownell

 Sister Brownell outside the visitor center.

Sister Javed and Sister Brownell testing out the fixed wagon wheel they fixed for a lady.

Danielle sent us this little poem that she received from her Mission President.  Also, some pictures she sent to show her smiling personality.

SO PRONE TO MISJUDGE

August 26, 2012

A woman was waiting at an airport one night

There were several long hours to wait for her flight.

She hunted for reading in the airport gift shop

Bought a big bag of cookies, found a place she could drop.

She was engrossed in her book but she happened to see

A man sat beside her as bold as could be

And grabbed up a cookie from the bag in between

She tried to ignore and not make a scene

She munched at her cookies and glanced at the clock

As the masculine cookie thief diminished her stock

She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by

Thinking, if I wasn’t a lady I’d blacken his eye

With each cookie she took he took one or two

With only one left she watched what he’d do

With a grin on his face and a nice nervous laugh

He took the last cookie and broke it in half

He offered her half, as he munched on the other

She snatched it from him and murmured O’brother

This guy has some nerve and he’s also quite rude

He never showed even polite gratitude

She had never known when she’d been quite so galled

She smiled with relief when her flight it was called

She gathered her stuff and marched to the gate

With not even a glance at the thieving ingrate

She boarded the plane and sank in her seat

And sought out her book which was almost complete

As she reached in her bag she gasped with surprise

Her bag of cookies was in front of her eyes

If mine are right here she moaned in despair

The others were his and he was trying to share

Too late to apologize she realized with grief

That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.

Isn't that a wonderful poem :) We all need to make sure we are not judging or being rude no matter where we are! I just love that.

I know that this work is so important. There are a lot of changes that have happened here in the Mission with the new crop of people coming in. I know that we are guided by the Lord in all things we do! I was reading about The brother of Jared in Ether this week. I LOVE HIM! so much faith! One thing I liked is how the Lord guides him to what he needs to do. There is one verse that the Lord asks "What will ye that I should do" (Ether 2:23) I thought about how it is true the Lord guides us, but he also wants us to make sure we go to him with what we want. We need to go to him with desires or solutions and he will help guide us. Once we think what we believe is right or true if we ask in Faith if it is right he will testify to us what is true! The borther of Jared goes back and tells the Lord what he would like to have him do, touch the rocks. The Lord did so because the Faith he had. It is just a beautiful story!