Elder Caiden Brown New York New York North Mission: The End of the MTC‏

HOLA!! QUE PASA!

Wow, another week has already flown by!! It’s insane, really, that in like three days I am on a plane flying to New York City!! That’s so crazy! I’m so stoked! So yeah, about the travel plans... We leave Monday night or you could even call it Tuesday morning at 3! We drive to the airport and our flight leaves at like 7 I think. I would love to talk to you guys so Mom be ready to answer the phone, and Dad, if you don’t mind will you send me your number so I can call you at work? Can’t wait to talk and chat it up for a few minutes con ustedes. I’m doing more amazing and I am so grateful for all your support while I have been at the MTC! I want to give a shout out to Sister Webb for the amazing package she sent me. The cake thingy that she sent was gone within 4 minutes. SOOO delicious! Also, LACEE YOU ARE THE BEST!!! Those were cinnamon rolls sent from heaven! When I got it I literally screamed with joy!! And Mom, you too! I loved the package you sent me! I can also count on you for some good rhyme things or whatever you call them! Seriously, it means a lot! Love you!! Mom, I am surprised you didn’t have that many questions this week! ;) My leg is doing great! All healed up, just got some knarly scars back there!

That so awesome to hear about the BYU game though! That is kind of like the hot topic around here! Everyone is talking about it! In two years that is going to be me making that Hail Mary catch for the touchdown, mark my words!! Hehe Lacee, that’s cool you got a new car. You will have to send a pic so I can approve. And maybe I will give it a detail when I get home! Ha-ha Britt, that is sick that you are running in a relay type thing! I always knew you were the most athletic in the family! hahahahaha (but really you are, now that I am fat) Thank you for letting me know about everything that goes on back at home! I really wish I could address every little thing but then I would be here for days, but keep keeping me filled in!!

Entonces... About my week. I had my first fast Sunday on the mission. Didn’t even seem close to as hard as the fast Sundays back home. Probably because I am just so full on the gospel and the spirit. That Sunday I had a meeting with the branch president, President Price. I don’t know if I have told you guys about him that much, but he is seriously the best!! He is exactly like me in every way and we really connect. And, he is like a 100 millionaire which is pretty cool! Anyways, in the meeting he told me something that applied to him and something that he thought would help me. He said we want to be so good and do everything perfect and be perfect at everything, but when we don’t we get mad at ourselves. He has a name for it and I think it is hilarious, "We ‘should’ on ourselves" (yeah when you say that out loud it kind of sounds bad) “Shoulding” on ourselves is a problem that I think everyone has. "Ahh, I should have done this I should have done that, I should have been better". Often times I think we get down on ourselves for things that we didn’t accomplish or things that should have gone better. THIS FEELING DOES NOT COME FROM THE SPIRIT. It comes from the adversary. He wants us to feel inadequate, or that we can’t seem to do everything perfect. His job is to make us feel like we aren’t good enough. When in fact, we can literally do anything, and when I say literally I mean with the Lord there is not a single thing that we cannot do. I know you all know that, and I know I am preaching to the choir here because you all are perfect ;) But seriously, think about that.... ANYTHING. Don’t take this as just another ole missionary who is talking about Philippians 4:13 again, but take this as a challenge. Join the Savior’s team. YOU WILL NOT LOSE. It’s a fact. Every time you will come out a winner. Yeah, there will be times where you are down a couple points and the clock is ticking down, but there is always another quarter. You are a winner every time. Sorry for this rant, but I feel so strongly about this and that is why I picked that scripture to be on my plague.

So, yesterday we had a thing called “in-field training”. Which basically is 9 hours of people telling you what to do when you leave the MTC. I felt like I was drinking from the fire hose again. But really, it was such an inspiring day and I learned so much on how to be a better missionary. Something that we talked about for about six hours was the impact members have on missionary work. You guys are sooooooooo important! Seriously, I passed over that way too much before I came on the mission, but members are pretty much the bomb! We as missionaries NEED you as members. The work doesn’t happen without either part. I want to make one more challenge to whoever is reading this. Find one way to progress the work. If it be sharing your testimony with someone or talking to someone on the street about the gospel or getting a referral to the missionaries around you, whatever it may be, always be looking for a way to help the church grow. This should be one of our single most important things we do in the day. Take that happiness that the gospel brings you and show somebody else the happiness, because I know that they will want it too! I love you guys so much and I know you are all being great member missionaries. Keep it up por favor!!

Man, I wish I could share every spiritual experience that I have or everything thing I do throughout the day, but then I would never leave the computer! I hope you guys can feel the love I have for this gospel and for the Savior through my letters. It’s hard to put your feelings on a document, but I try my best! This is the true church and I know that without a doubt. There is no way that the Book of Mormon could not be true... it’s so true it make me want to jump with joy, which sometimes I can’t restrain myself from doing. But much love for you all!! Be safe!!

Love, Elder Brown

Oh PS, if you have anything to tell me before I leave for New York just send an email. I am pretty sure I will get to check this before I peace out!