Elder Zachary Brandon Brown
England Leeds Mission
Lister House, Lister Hill
Horsforth
Leeds
England LS18 5AZ

Monday, June 15, 2015

A Standout Moment, Updates and Exchanges

Hi mom and dad :) .  

The definite standout moment of the week was walking off the elevator on Sunday into church and seeing a couple little daughters of a less-active couple who've not been to church in a year or so.  We've been trying to help them get back the whole time, and so far they hadn't made it until today.  Seeing the daughters, I knew that the parents had made it to church and I almost couldn't believe my eyes.  I had to have had the biggest smile on my face, which they saw and I think it was contagious.  That was definitely my happiest moment this week.

An update on the man I told you about last week who was in the hospital in Slovakia: he passed away this week.  His family members who'd gone to visit him found out while they were boarding the airplane back to England, so they just  turned around to return for a funeral.  It's a sad thing, and I'd just ask that you keep remembering them in your prayers.  These people have very close family relationships, so losing this family member is very difficult for many people.

The exchange we had going in the district this last week proved to be very successful, and all the missionaries involved really benefited from it.  We're doing the same setup again this week to continue where we left off.  E. Pohorelicky and I scheduled a bunch of people for baptism, and church attendance was pretty good as well.  I enjoy working with him--I've always had the best unity in teaching with Czech missionaries (Sindylek and Pohorelicky).  E. Bowen did a great job in Firth Park; he was with E. Fielding, so it was E. Bowen's first time running the area with an English-speaker, and he did fantastic.  E. Frahm got into Darnall with E. Rogers and worked proper hard, turning up a great miracle with some people we stopped teaching a long time ago who now seem ready to progress.  Sindylek is living at the branch president's house right now for the summer to work, so I got to see him a few times this week and that brought back happy memories.

Unfortunately, the appointment at the registrar for a wedding permit fell through again...ugh.  I'll just tell you when the wedding actually happens.       
                                                  
Next week is transfer calls, my very last one.  After that, I begin the final bit of my mission, a partial transfer to do as much good as I can before coming home.  I keep telling myself and others who ask that I have two months left (you know, June and July, never mind that June is half finished and I'm not staying for all of July)...I guess I'm in denial.

This week there are a couple good things happening.  There should be a baptism Friday from E. Frahm and Bowen, a man I interviewed yesterday.  He is more dedicated to scripture study than anyone I know; all day he reads the scriptures, the only other events in the day being taking his children to and from school, and praying.  His wife and children all have disabilities of some sort, and he does a great job caring for them as well.  He's at church every Sunday, and fasts about every week.  He's only been investigating for a month, but he's also completely given up smoking and coffee, and his wife has also quit smoking to help support him.  It's a miraculous path to baptism, isn't it?

I've got to get going, but I love you lots!

Elder Brown

Us with A, daughter of Z and A who visited for a couple weeks.  She's gone back to Slovakia, but she took her Book of Mormon with her and will be praying to know if the church is true, as well as living according to gospel standards.  One day she'll get a chance to continue investigating the church, I'm certain.

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