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