Date Day

HEYYYYYYYYY HELLOOOOOOO

guess what we are doing today, we are going to the International Date Festival! held right here in Coachella valley (in the same exact place where the Coachella music festival happens). Apparently people come here from all over to buy and sell dates. It is essentially a county fair with fatty fair food and rides and crazy people, so I’m excited! maybe I will send some pictures of it later. Haven’t had a date in a while so this will be fun we are going with the Griffins!

It has been a fun week! This week we had interviews with President which is always amazing. I loooove President Dixon soooooooo so much. He told me some things that I really needed to hear and it was just very uplifting. Seriously I am just obsessed with the Dixon’s.

Also this week we did service at the Braille Institute! It was SO fun! We basically helped blind people, one on one, with their ceramic projects. It is a great service opportunity because we could just talk to people individually and help them with whatever project they were working on. I loved it, we will be doing that probably once a week! It is just so fun to help people.

OH YEAH we had a wonderful Valentine’s Day! That was the day we had interviews. Also yes mom I got the card, thank you soooo much. Sister Griffin fed us dinner on Valentine’s Day and it was just wonderful. Her husband was there (non member) and her mom and Sister were also there (both non members) and they were all just so sweet. Also, Sister griffin got Sister Tomisin and I valentines presents! Seriously it was the sweetest. She gave me a cute apron and a heart shaped cast iron skillet, and a Panera gift card I love Panera! And dinner was so good, wow we got so full. Sister Griffin is an amazing cook and always gives us like a seventeen course meal, so if you see me rolling off the plane in a couple months you can know it was Sister Griffins fault seriously though I LOVE HER.

Also on Saturday we had two mini missionaries from Yucaipa spend the day with us! Or was fun! Their names were Liz and Emily. They are so sweet and it was fun to have them with us.

Also our investigator Ashley came to church yesterday! She hasn’t been to church in weeks! And her sister Pauline (recent convert) got engaged last week! So exciting! Also yesterday we had a great lesson with Marius and he told us his feelings on baptism and said he wants to be completely sure that this is what he wants before he dives in. We are being patient and praying for him all the time. If you could include him and Ashley in your prayers, that would be great! Thank you!

This past week I have been thinking a lot about charity. Sometimes I don’t know how to respond to people as the Savior would, and the scripture that always comes to mind is Moroni 7:45. That is our guideline to act exactly how the savior would! I came across a wonderful quote by Thomas S. Monson the other day:

“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.”

The thing is, we are all imperfect. That is the one thing that you can expect from everyone, is that we all make mistakes. But that doesn’t mean that we should condemn others for those mistakes! Yes, people are going to hurt you. Yes, people will say mean things. People will cut you off on the road. People will make decisions that you can’t understand. Once we understand that these things WILL happen, we can choose to respond in a charitable way. Charity is not something that comes quickly or easily, but if you really want it, it will come. I invite you all to pray fervently for charity this week and to think before you speak, to assume the best in other people, and to see them the way god sees them. Assume the good and doubt the bad. I know that Jesus Christ is the essence of charity and that if you follow his actions, you will become like him.

Whoa this was kind of a long email. But just know I appreciate all of you and hope you have a GREAT week! LOVE YOU!

Sister Carina Brown

California Redlands Mission

Discover.mormon.org