2014

Hey yall!

Can you believe it's the end of another year? I don't even understand time anymore. It doesnt make any sense to me. haha. Sometimes the minutes drag and yet the years fly by. So confusing.

 

So the stolen car was found! It's pretty beat up though. Doesn't look too bad at first but both bumpers need to be replaced, the wheel is rubbing on something metal (sounds like the axle is rubbing), the brakes sound horrid, the plastic undercarriage is trashed, and they smoked weed in the car so it totally reeks. What a mess. Part of me wishes he would've wrecked the car and we could've just totaled it. I probably will be gone before it's completely fixed.

So guess what happened sunday? Another freakin car got towed! But luckily it was the apartment management's fault so it got released for free. Still it cost us our whole Sunday morning getting it out. Poor Elder Rosa is stuck in this job for one more transfer. Brother Miller, our ward mission leader's dad, is taking on the vehicle coordinator position and will start in a week or two.

 

We had a last minute mission wide conference today with Elder Richards of the 2nd quorum of the seventy. He was coming to Palm Springs to visit family and asked President on Thursday if we could meet on Monday. So we did! I find it hard to apply some of the stuff that gets talked about now since it's more long-term mission centered and I only have 3 weeks left. But there's a lot of universal things that were talked about that I really liked. His wife talked about how our future kids and family can be motivation to be obedient and choose the right. I had kind of thought about that but not really. Motivation from wanting an eternal family I've thought about but not motivation from actually thinking about my kids. So that was interesting. We had a discussion about truth as well. Elder Richards said "even though words may be true, if they are not spoken by the spirit, they are not truth." It made me think of times when we joke with others and are sarcastic in a cutting way. Like the phrase "the truth hurts." And I realized that just because it is a true statement doesn't mean it is truth. Truth, in a gospel sense, is always edifying. Just because it's factual doesn't mean it's truth. It's not viewing the situation or the individual as they really are. So I thought that was interesting.

 

As far as the 2nd Christmas goes, it's really not that necessary. My views of what it was going to be like was entirely selfish with it being a "Nelson" christmas instead of a "Browning" christmas. So just a party is fine especially if that's easier. The stuff I'll need, and not all of it right away but by the start of school, are a phone, a laptop, a car (yikes), and clothes. Video games can wait but an ipod is right on the border of that "need" list. haha. I've taken care of my dress shirts and they're whiter than any other departing missionary's I've ever seen so I wont need new ones for a little while.

And the rooms... it sounds like taking the murphy bed room would work best. I'd like to take megan's room but it's girly and by all the girls and the bathroom trek is not a plus. As long as that small extra bed isn't in the murphy bed room and I can stick a small desk by the window I think I'll be good.

I was voted the least trunky of all the departing missionaries. So don't worry about me losing focus. haha

 

Speaking of serving the missionaries in the mission, I feel like that's my job on more than one level. Or not necessarily my job but my role. Today at the mission conference during lunch I went around talking to everyone I knew and gave them a hug or put my arm around them or (with sisters) shook their hand. I've noticed the influence I have now with the missionaries so I'm trying to make it as positive and uplifting as possible for as many people as I can before I leave. One guy in my zone was sitting by himself so I spent a little more time talking and joking with him. He's a good guy and has really started to come out of his shell in the time he's been out.

Administration is not so great but ministering is super great. Haha.

 

Anywho. That's about it for now. Only 2 more full length emails left to send on my mission... guess I'd better make them good! haha.

Love,

Elder Nelson Browning

Christmas Adam

Hello hello!

Well what a fun week this is, huh? Christmas is great :) I think it has the ability to put just about everyone in good spirits.

Megan told me she got to speak! Cool :) cuz I got to speak too! We had dinner with the 1st counselor in the bishopric on Saturday and before we left he asked us to speak the next day since one of their speakers was going to be missing. I spoke for about 10 minutes without any notes about the spirit of Christmas and the spirit of Christ. I talked about the gift of the atonement and how using it, following Jesus Christ, and sharing it with others is the best way we can express our gratitude for that priceless gift.

I just read back through my "sermon" paragraph from last weeks email. I don't remember saying all that. But it sounds cool :) haha.

 

So remember how a car got stolen? That same car got stolen AGAIN on Thursday. Different sister missionary, same car. Poor girls. The police still haven't found the car so we brought the sisters another on Friday.

 

We've been super duper busy and have had like no time to visit people. There haven't been accidents with any vehicles but there have been 3 or so flat tires, 2 dead batteries, and a bunch of other repairs needed this week. We've had to switch the car we're driving 4 times now. We took our truck in to get the bumper repaired since a member backed into us when it was parked, got a headlight replaced, got an estimate on the car that was in the hit and run, took a cruze in to get the side skirt fixed, a truck with higher mileage that feels like it's misfiring, and we swapped out 2 more cars from indio on Saturday. Whew!

 

There was also an issue with one of the gas cards. Someone must have put a reader on the gas pump that these missionaries used and suddenly they had milked $800 worth of gas off that card. Luckily the cards have a limit on them so they weren't able to keep spend spend spending. haha. So I had to clear that up this week.

 

We really don't get to teach much which is a bummer. We got some more info that would help Cameron in his process towards baptism. I still haven't explained that situation to you fully. He's not really male or female. In a way he's both but at the same time neither. Anywho, it's been a long process trying to figure out what needs to be done in order for him to be baptized. Because he was born listed as a female and has a feminine disease, the 1st presidency said he could be baptized as a female, no problems. However, if he wanted to be baptized male, he would need to meet with several doctors and have some hormone treatments to more fully make that transition. He's prayed about it and feels like it would be wrong to decide to just go as a female and feels like his spirit is male. He won't be listed as transgender since he's not really either. So, he has to go through that medical process and will probably get baptized early this spring.

 

Whew again! haha. My wrist hurts with this typing. I showed someone a "flagpole" the other day (just think derek clement) and tweaked my wrist when they asked to see me do it again.

 

I kind of wish I wasn't spending the end of my mission in the office and was instead out teaching, but i guess this is where I'm needed. I really don't feel like I know much about cars. At least until recently. Most missionaries don't ever know what's going on with their car and ask me what's wrong. haha. They'll bring it to the office to have me look at it on occasion. So far I've been correct about every issue. We'll have to see if I was right about this misfiring truck. Oh! One of the managers at one of the auto body shops we go to asked if I wanted a job this morning. If it was in Rigby idaho I'd definitely take it!

 

So I might skype instead of just calling. The thought of just calling sounds much more boring. You lose a whole aspect of communication when it's just audio. Plus I think it helps get the whole family involved more with the visual aspect. And since time is limited, I thought that skyping would be better. President has budged to an hour tops so that gives a little more leeway too.

We're having our zone breakfast at 8:30 and we should be cleaned up around 10. I'm planning on skyping at 10:30 which would be 11:30 your time.

 

Love you guys :) Merry Christmas!

Elder Nelson Browning

'Tis the Week Before Christmas

Hi guys (:

So sorry if last week seemed negative. I have lots to rant about this week too! Haha but I won't. I'll try and just list some of those things that happened instead of going into details.

We had a car stolen on the morning of transfers. Yippee! We drove like 200 miles total that day. And another one got towed from some sisters' apartment 2 days later. haha. So it's definitely been interesting. Also on Saturday we needed to swap out some vehicles from the desert. So Elder Rosa and I drove separately all the way to and from Indio. I'm trying to get several vehicles prepared to sell before their license and registration expires, however, 2 have already expired and 5 more expire by january 28th. I'm a go nuts soon. haha :)

 

Most of our ward had finals this past week and are now going home for the holidays. We've really been struggling to teach just about anyone. We're always bushed when we leave the apartment. Suffice it to say I don't struggle to fall asleep at night. Haha :) We had one lesson with our ward mission leader and a friend of his on Wednesday. We read the nativity story with them and bore our testimonies.

 

You know what I miss? Home cooked meals. If we don't have a dinner appointment, we tend to eat out because it's quicker. And half the time, the members take us out to eat when they sign up. I've been working out and actually loosing a little weight but I miss healthier, normal food.

 

So we gave another blessing to the mom of a girl in our ward and she asked me to give the blessing. Afterward she asked if I had ever thought that I might become a patriarch someday. What? No I definitely haven't ever thought of that. But it was a very sincere compliment unlike any I've received before.

 

I feel like my letters are so boring now! Sorry :/ it's more mundane info than maybe what you're used to. I'll probably just call home on Christmas. Figure we can wait a few more weeks to see each other, right? :) I have not idea what time it'll be at. I might have more of an idea next week... hopefully. haha. President set a limit of 40 minutes on calls. Along with other things I disagree with. But I'm not going to rant! :) it doesn't do anyone any good anyways. How many times can you say "any" in a sentence?? Haha

 

Elder Rosa lost the hearing in one of his ears and it turned out it was just impacted with wax. He was told by the doctor that he is not allowed to use q-tips any more. haha.

 

I don't want it sounding like my life sucks or anything like that. It really doesn't! I just don't feel like I have a whole bunch of cool stuff to talk about :) unless you want me to describe all the jobs I do as the vehicle coordinator. haha. How boring would that be? Pull your hair out boring? (: I went to the ford dealer on Wednesday to pick up 2 new Ford Fusions for the mission. So that was a new experience, signing in behalf of the mission and church in general. I also got a notarized power of attorney. Look out! I have way too much responsibility. haha.

 

I was asked to say the invocation for our ward Christmas program yesterday. During the prayer I ended up talking about the Christmas season and the spirit of Christ. Since then I've kind of been thinking about it. The greater portion of the world celebrates, every year, the birth of Jesus Christ, whether they believe in Him or not. There's a reason this season is so important. It's not for the marketing, money making or presents and packaging; it's because, over 2000 years ago, the great Jehovah descended from his royal throne on high to the most humble of circumstances and humble of lives, to experience more trials and hardships than any of us ever could or would. And did he have to do it? Nope. But he did. For each and every one of us, even those who won't accept it. And that love, that great love that none of us can truly comprehend, is really what this season is all about. There is no other one thing in life from which more joy can come than from Jesus Christ; from his life, his atonement, his gospel, the plan of Happiness; that's where the true joy of the Christmas season resonates.

 

I love you guys :) I might not be much of a proselyting missionary anymore at the end of my mission, but "my assignment may be adjusted according to the needs of the mission and mission president," and I can do my best in whatever that assignment may be.

 

Love,

Elder Nelson Browning

Last Transfer

Hey fam!

 

So dad totally stole my subject line. :P so there.

 

 Well this week was fairly crazy and is going to continue to be crazy for the next couple days. The system that the church used for all the vehicle info just switched to a new system on Wednesday. So I've been having fun trying to figure it out. Yuck. It was super stressful the first day. None of the maintenance logs (of which there are about 100) got moved over to the new system. And the church knew that was going to happen but did it anyway. Doesn't make sense to me. But whatever. the new system is supposed to be easier to use. Attempts to make it simple have made it moredifficult in my opinion. I guess I'm just too smart for it. haha.

 

With that and the upcoming transfers we've been plenty busy. It's been a hectic time in all aspects. Lot's of annoying announcements/changes/additional rules. Just stupid stuff. They're moving us in with the APs which I'm not happy about. They're cool as long as they're not telling everybody what they're doing wrong, which is most of the time. Honestly I just don't want to pack up and move, unpack, and then re pack again in a few weeks to go home.

 

Anywho. Not a lot otherwise is changing with transfers. Lots of car swaps but thats about it. We're supposed to be selling cars soon and unfortunately it's falling to me to figure all that out. haha. Dunno why I signed up for this job. And yet they're saying they wish they could just give me a full time job here. That opinion I'm sure will soon change. haha

 

So Melissa also dropped us. She got anti-ed. :( dumb. Satan sucks. We found that out yesterday.

 

I think a lot of our extra time this week was spent ministering to some of the other missionaries in the zone. Some of them are struggling a lot. I gave and participated in 5 or so blessings this week. I feel like a blessing auctioneer! Never mind. Thats sacrilegious. haha.

 

Can you believe I'm only emailing 5, maybe 6 more times? Man I'm going to be home before I know it. Crazy!

 

Well that's about it for now. Since I'm in the office I won't have to wait to get a package so don't worry about it being late or anything. You could send it Friday next week and I'd still get it in time.

 

Love you guys! :)

Elder Nelson Browning

Dec 2nd

Hi Mom and dad :)

So it's still unclear whether President would rather have us email on Monday or on Saturday. I haven't been able to talk to him about it but he told elder Rosa that emailing on Monday was fine. But then he didn't say anything about Saturday. So i'm just as confused. haha. We usually have a few appointments on Saturday so we might just stick with Monday unless it's too busy in the office.

 

Anyways! One of the things I forgot to ask you about on Saturday was if you could get me all the addresses for aunts/uncles/grandparents/etc. I counted that there should be about a dozen addresses or so. That'd be great :)

I thought I had one or two other small ideas for Christmas but I can't remember what they were. Nothing important just something to go off of. We don't get fed as often in the singles ward and I'm sick of eating out haha. I guess you can't really send dinners though can ya? I just don't have time to really cook anything - it just takes too long. Pasta is like the only thing that's fast enough.

 

Dad, are you sure you want to sell your tax practice? I'm sure it's way too busy trying to do both so I guess you don't have much of a choice. Would it make a difference if I worked part time helping you out? There's not much I can do besides the kind of stuff I already was doing I suppose. If it would make a difference I'd be more than willing to help. If not then definitely do what you need to.

 

Anywho. Just wanted to say hey and bring up those several things that I'd forgotten. I love you!

Elder Nelson Browning