happenings in Redlands

HELLOOOOOO

First things first:

Shoutout to my MOM whose BIRTHDAY was last week on July 13th!!! Happy b-day mom, youda best. really though, literally wouldn't be here without you.

Its been another great week! We have a looooooot to do now that the elders are gone. We took over all their people and are now teaching a lot more which is really nice! Things are going really well and Sister Vest and are having a lot of fun. Lately we have been focusing on having open and honest communication with each other so we can always be united and resolve problems right when they come up. If I've learned anything on my mission, its the importance of proper communication. It makes our companionship so much better when things are just out in the open so we can know how to help each other! Things are going great.

Heyyyy guess what! I had a hard time yesterday! I feel like I never talk about the hard times, mostly because I just love the mission and there are just so many good things that happen that the hard times seem so small and insignificant in perspective. But yesterday I was feeling somewhat overwhelmed because I felt that I wasn't being trusted as a missionary by certain ward leaders, and that led to me thinking that maybe Sister Vest didn't trust me as her trainer either, so I just felt a little overwhelmed and sad. But it only lasted for a short time. Sometimes you just have to have a good cry, you know? And that's not the mission, that's just life. We all cry, in all walks of life. Life is hard, not the gospel.

Anyway, last week on p-day we played LASER TAG with the other sister missionaries in yucaipa!!! We got creamed by some kids we were playing against. But we had a LOT of fun and got some good pictures out of it, so. Love that.

Also on Saturday we did service for a recent convert in the ward named Leslie Sewall (have I talked about her at all??) and she is just AMAZING. I have plans to go to the Getty (spelling?) with her after my mission. Its really happening. But yes, we cleared out her backyard with some other members, including the dixons (yay), and it was a lot of fun. Missionary work is all so mental, so its nice to get out and do something physical every once in a while. And wear pants.

Also funny story: we meet with this girl named Levantia in the ward every Friday, and she has mild autism so she is just so cute and fun to teach. We usually show her some sort of video every time we meet with her, and we have been showing her some of the youth Mormon messages (which, some of them are WAY good! Look up "Choose the Light"). Anyway, we realized that lately all the videos we have been showing her have used outdoor analogies, and so the other day Sister Vest goes: "I'm afraid Levantia thinks we are trying to teach her wilderness survival techniques rather than the gospel...." hahaha it was SO FUNNY because seriously all the videos we have shown her relate to wilderness survival in some sort of way. Not intentional. Whats up with the church and making outdoor survival Mormon messages for youth?? I actually love it though. Anyways, she is great and that was just really funny.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about my relationship with my companion and the people around me, and I'm really trying to become more Christlike so that I am a different and better person when I get home from my mission. I came across this quote in my studies this past week, and you can relate it to any relationship that you have with anyone:

Read the following statement by Sister Marjorie P. Hinckley, wife of President Gordon B. Hinckley, about her first year of marriage: “We loved each other; there was no doubt about that, but we also had to get used to each other. I think every couple has to get used to each other. Early on I realized it would be better if we worked harder to get used to each other than constantly try to change each other.”

That quote just really changed my perspective on relationships! I think I have a problem with trying to change people to fit into a mold that I create, but that's not how it should be. We should love each other for who we are, even if that means we are way different and that we have faults and weaknesses and that we do weird things. Love people anyway! We are all children of God, and we are all different for a REASON. So embrace it! Love it! I invite you each to be a little more loving and tolerant when it comes to your relationships with people this week. I know you will be happier and that people will be able to come closer to Christ through you!

There you have it folks, relationship advice from Sister Brown.

Well I hope you all have an amazing week!!! Remember to read the Book of Mormon EVERY SINGLE DAY OK??? LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Love,

Sister Carina Brown