Week 50: December 19

Dear family,

This week was very crazy, since transfers and driving down to Vacaville it was an adventure. Monday we had pday and we just went to the church and said goodbye to people and just hung out, after we went back to our apartment and got all of my stuff and packed and said goodbye to out companions and we went down and spent the night in eureka that night and got up at 4:30 am and left at 5 Tuesday morning to Santa Rosa. I was the driver and it was a struggle haha. Got really tired about 2 hours into it and had to switch drivers we made it to Santa Rosa and unpacked and said hi to a lot of people which was awesome to see them especially elder southwick it was good to see him again. I said hi to sister jay as well haha.

After that we packed our car up and talked to the sisters a little about our area cause we are whitewashing 2 areas, Brownsvalley 5 the ward and the YSA. Which is crazy haha. But we got all our stuff and drove over there and unpacked all of our stuff into the apartment the apartment is pretty big, we both get our own showers and bathrooms, and it has a walk in closet which is sick! 👍 but yeah we received a call from with guy that we had a lesson with right then so that was a huge suprise, he didn't even unpack and the sisters didn't tell us we had a lesson that day so that was interesting we were running all over the place. And we had correlation with our ward mission leader so that was good. We had dinnner that night with this family from Brazil and there house is so big! It was crazy.

But Wednesday was us trying to get all the area Book set up and trying to figure out who is our investigators and people that we could go teach. We were supposed to have splits that night but I guess the ward was confused so they didn't happen.

Thursday was cool we went to the opportunity house it's a thrift store a huge one and we did service there and it was fun, after that we went finding still trying to get our area down we both don't know where anything is so that's fun. But that night we had institute it was really good president wrights councilor teaches that and we got to meet most of the YSA it was really good it was about coming unto Christ and pulling all the roots out meaning sin instead of just mowing them and leaving them to regrow so that was cool.

Friday was weekly planning that was good we also went to the opportunity house to do a booth and try to find investigators so that was cool.

Saturday was good we had zone meeting and we went to the opportunity house again cause they really need help cause of Christmas, zone meeting was good everyone is getting sick though so that's sad. But we learned about finding and learning to better use the holiday initiative.

Sunday was good we went to the YSA church ward Council that was good we met a lot of the people and leaders, pretty cool leader it's kinda weird working with leaders around my age, after that we went to sacrament there was about 30 YSA that showed up, that's actually pretty good, a ton are leaving though after Christmas break for  back to school which is sad. But really fun people a lot are return missionaries that Sunday night we had a meet and greet with the stake presidency and they gave a talk on how 50% of missionaries go less active when they get home, which is really sad... but on how we can better our ward missionaries and how we can help members become more better and member lessons and supporting cause a lot of them are scared going to lessons and what to say and that sort of thing so we learned about helping them which was good. But yeah that was my week pretty crazy haha. Only going to get more crazy when we start teaching and helping more people.

Christmas is this week!!! I get to see you guys!! I love you guys!! I hope all is well! Hit a year on Friday ! Was boss ! 

Elder Devin Brown 

brown.devin@myldsmail.net

100 Summerfield Drive #215

Vacaville, CA 95687

Week 49: December 12

Hey family! 

So I will start with the important news. I am being transferred. My new area is Vacaville down by napa and Fairfield. My new companion is elder Davis my MTC companion, so we will see how this goes. We are whitewashing the area, so send me your prayers I am gonna need them ;) I will send my address as soon as possible (note from Shauna: his new address is below). This week was good, the last week of the transfer its crazy haha. Time flies, But I will go to my week. 

So on Monday we had pday, it was good cause the whole zone was together and we played ball cause it was elder adamson last pday cause he is going home so that's sad, but it's good. After that we had a lesson with the Owens finally we got to meet with them and we had dinner and then we finished the plan of salvation which them they are moving a long I am super sad that I am not going to be able to see them baptized.

Tuesday we had zone meeting it was really good we talked about a lot, a lot was on baptism and how important it is and that we need to know it in the heart and after on doing our best and trying our very best. After that we went to round table pizza and had the buffet haha, of course. After that we had finding and then that night we went and we blessed our investigators house cause she was having bad experiences there. 

Wednesday was good we went to blue lakes and visited sister warvi and brother freiday it was good to see them, we went finding after that and that night we went and met with out investigator Diana and we had a really good lesson with her and we set a baptism date with her !!! For the last day of the month.. but I won't be here for it 😢☹️️ it's okay, I am happy for her. We had a awesome lesson with her, she is super ready for making the next step. Super happy for that.

Thursday we worked a little in Arcata and drove up to willow creek we had to be careful because it was snowing!! And the roads were crazy on the drive up there. We got to willowcreek and we saw 2 less actives and that was good, we went and bought  a sister some food from rays at was awesome haha. But after that we went and had an early dinner with the kimballs and we had some super good Mexican food. And took a Christmas photo that was awesome haha. I will miss that family a lot.

Friday we had weekly planning and then that night we had the Christmas party! We had tri tip steak and potatoes and a ton of other food which was amazing met a lot of people had a good time with everyone in the ward, it gets harder and harder to leave an area cause you meet so many amazing people that you come to love and build relationships with and it's super sad that you gotta leave.

Saturday was good we did some finding around our apartment and then that night we went to the community orchestra it was super cool they did a bunch of Christmas songs and we talked to a lot of people after it was really amazing. Handed out a ton of cards and some other stuff too.

Sunday was church was sad to leave everyone i will miss the beauty of Arcata and eureka I am super blessed to be able to serve up here some missionaries don't get to serve up here at all. I will definitely miss it. They asked me to give my testimony at the end of sacrament and that was good, I taught gospel principles that was pretty good we talked about the fall of Adam and Eve and we continued with lesson seven the Holy Ghost it was really good, the spirit was there. I said goodbye to brother freiday after and he cried which was sad. But I will miss that old guy, after we went too elders and then we had a lesson with Diana after that which was really good i also said goodbye to everyone else. And after that we went to dinner down in freshwater with a huge family with 8 kids insane haha. But yeah that was my week.

I will be in my new area on Tuesday. Hope everything is well back home I love you guys!! Yes there was earthquakes no that big but cool.

Elder Devin Brown 

brown.devin@myldsmail.net

100 Summerfield Drive #215

Vacaville, CA 95687

Week 48: December 5

Dear family,

Hello family!! How are you guys I hope you guys are doing good. This week was better than last week, haha.

Monday was pday we went to the beach you guys already know cause I sent those pics to you. After that we just hung out at the church and really did nothing cause nobody came up to the church so that's was boring. But had a good time with elder Sears. He is better now so that's good!

Tuesday we had district meeting it was good we talked about knowledge it was cool to get everyone's opinions on knowledge it was cool, after that we went and went finding and then yeah that went super well ! We didn't find anybody ! Yeah what a surprise. We had dinner with the siedts it was good I love there family and there kids, they remind me of the younger ones.

Anyways Wednesday was good we went to blue lakes and saw brother freiday and read the Book of Mormon with him and saw how he was doing, we tried to go finding after but didn't really have any success we went and saw sister warvi, she told us all about her week and what crazy stuff happened, she has a lot of health issues which is super sad but it was good to visit it with her and see how she is doing and if there was anything that we could do for her. After that we went and drove through this forest and found this small town that I think so missionaries have ever been which is pretty sweet ! We actually knocked a few doors, pretty nice people just not interested at all, which is normal but we will find someone there! We then drove through this crazy road with these sick trees! It was wonderland. We went to the church after and did some work on the computer for the ward, we do all of the wards home teaching basically, so that's sad. But we are working on it. We went to the hamblins for dinner that was fun we ate with the zone leaders so that's was good. After that we went to see a less active and read the scriptures with him after that we went finding.

Thursday was hoopa willowcreek, we drove up there, the drive is always amazing so beautiful, I feel bad for a lot of people here because they don't see the beauty all around them they focus on the bad, you just got to stop and smell the roses sometimes, Heavenly Father created everything for us to enjoy it to have joy, and to get out and see how beautiful the world really is for us. But we got up there and decided to go finding on the opposite side of the valley and drive up this mountain and knock the doors on it haha, we got yelled at and threatened was pretty awesome! But we got some swag baby dope pics.!! And then we went down and met up with brother Kimble and we went around invited people to the Christmas party and handing ensigns to all the less active members, and we went a tried finding a couple people it was really cool, brother Kimble is a funny guy, but how spirit is super super strong, he gives amazing blessings. But after that we went and had dinner with the Kimballs we had enchilada casserole it was super good, we talked with them for a long time after that we drove home it was good.

Friday was weekly planning and that was cool. We went to eureka and did some service with brother Boone. And then we had dinner and went tracting always the fun part.

Saturday was awesome we went and did service at the church cleaning it and then after we went finding and we drove out to kneeland and tried to see some less actives which didn't work. But it was good. We went to the mickenyville Christmas ward party and ate dinner there ours is next week.

Next Saturday is transfers ! So we will find out what's going to happen, I could leave but we will see.

Sunday was really good we went to church and our investigator Diana was there and we met with her after church and it was super good lesson. She is ready to get baptized we are most likely going to set a date next week with her. But it is all up to her and the lord. After that we went finding and yeah! That was my week, I love you guys hope everything is going well!! 

That's great news a put the pipe line, I will definitely spread the word up here, a lot. I hope you get better mom!! Oh elder Sears is doing well, expect that he broke his tablet so thats not good. 

Elder Devin Brown 

brown.devin@myldsmail.net

3503 LK Wood Blvd.
Apartment B
Arcata, CA 95521