Elder Conner Brown

Ohio Gozaimasu - Week 2

It's been a nice week getting used to things in Ohio, including getting used to driving. We started out the transfer pretty low on miles, so it's been fun trying to use them as efficiently as possible. 

 

As far as teaching goes, it's been a pretty good week as well. We've been able to meet with several members over the week and share messages with them. One investigator we started teaching used to meet with missionaries before, but we met with her and the senior couple, the P__'s, and a had a great lesson where she committed to come to church! She didn't quite make it this last Sunday, but we're still meeting with her. 

 

With another investigator, we spent the lesson going over the Restoration Proclamation announced last general conference. That document is an awesome resource to use in missionary work! It explains the Restoration so simply and completely and testifies of Jesus Christ's restored gospel. She was very engaged as she read and had lots of good questions. We committed her to read the Proclamation by herself and ponder and pray about it.

 

We will likely have a new investigator very soon, an awesome guy who came to church with a few member friends the last couple weeks. He really enjoyed the experience and is excited to learn more about the church. Working with members is definitely the most effective missionary method and it always will be. It leaves everyone edified and uplifted, the missionary, the member, and the investigator, whether they join the church or not.

 

One other fun thing this week was a ward picnic for pioneer day. There was a mic set up and we all had dinner while people shared stories about their ancestors and the pioneers. I got up and talked about my great x4 grandfather Ebenezer Brown, from the Mormon Battalion. The spirit of Elijah was so present as we talked about the past and those who went through so much to give us the freedoms and lives that we have now.

 

I had one of those moments this week where it just hits you, the reality of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost, what it means for us that they really exist. Because they live, there is a purpose for our lives. Because they live, there is a future for us after death. The knowledge that we have of our Heavenly Father's plan truly "maketh an anchor to the souls of men," (Ether 12:4). I testify that whoever truly ponders the message of Christ's Gospel and what it means for them will receive a witness from the Holy Ghost that it is true!

 

Have a great week!

愛しています!

 

Sincerely,

Elder Brown

 

Ohio Gozaimasu - Week 1

Ohayo Gozaimasu!

This means "good morning" - and a perfect word play because "ohayo" and "ohio" have identical pronunciations.  If you know Elder Brown, you know he loves puns.

 

So this week was a little crazy with transfers and everything. Usually, they have us go to our new areas on Tuesday, but a few delays made transfers happen on Thursday this time. That gave me a couple extra days in Mansfield to say goodbye and do a bit more work. 

 

Thursday, we took the 4-5 hour drive over to the Greentree chapel (in Pittsburgh). There I met Elder King, who is a super awesome and hardworking missionary from Utah. He gave me the keys to our car and we set on the road. Lol I haven't driven consistently since two years ago before my mission in Japan. It sure was fun getting back behind the wheel, though. 

 

We made it safely back to the Ohio apartment. This area is literally on the whole other side of the mission from my other area. (310 miles from Mansfield). The ward here actually covers parts of Ohio and West Virginia. So, we have 7 missionaries serving in this ward. There's Elder King and I who take the Ohio side, a trio of Elders who take the West Virginia side, and a senior couple which kinda takes both. Of course the church building happens to be on the Virginia side, so it takes us a bit to get over there.

 

The Ward is super nice and we have a few people we're meeting with. It's been a good few days to get settled in the area and familiar with all the people. I'm looking forward to my days serving here and seeing what the Lord has in store.

 

Oh! Also I'm the Japanese Virtual District leader. That means every week I hold a District Council with all the missionaries in the mission who are assigned Japanese speaking and we practice the language. We'll see how it goes! I'm excited to work with these other missionaries and help us all prepare for when the Lord needs us back in Japan.

 

The scripture I'd like to share today is 2 Nephi 2:8 -

"Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise."

 

The Savior has prepared the way and made the sacrifice necessary for us to return to him. He has done all the heavy lifting. All he requires is that we turn to him and apply his atonement and his gospel to our lives. Whenever we share the gospel with others, it is so they can have that chance to accept Christ, so we should do our best to help them know the importance of this message.

 

The gathering of Israel continues!

Hope you all have a great week!

 

Sincerely,

Elder Brown

 

Mansfield, PA - Week 6

The Mansfield District - lunch after District Leadership Conference

Hello there!

Man this week has been a rollercoaster. Lots of ups and downs but overall a good week.

 

We had to drop an investigator who we really liked talking with but he just wasn't progressing. Another person who we found and tried to set up a lesson with ended up not being interested. 

 

We had some great meetings with investigators and returning members, though. One was a very successful  meeting where we passed off someone to some Elders in another area. During the lesson, the investigator was very open and eager to learn more about our message, even willing to meet in person with the other Elders! It was such a relief to have that go so well.

 

We also met with some returning members who are very strong in the church and very faithful. They just needed to know that the mask mandate was gone and everything is opened up. A lot of people probably just need to know that and they'll be back to church, so we just need to reach out a lot.

 

The transfer boards came in! It's a lot of excitement in the mission over that stuff, though I don't worry too much about it until the news finally gets out. However, we really weren't expecting what happened next. Elder Taylor and Elder Rushton are staying, but I'm leaving. Lol - I got kicked out of my first area after one transfer in Japan as well. And I'm getting shipped over to that little section of Ohio that's included in the mission. We totally thought Elder Rushton was going away cause he's the longest one here, but nope.

 

 

Anyway, I'm super excited to see what the Lord has in store for me, because you learn very quickly in the field that the Lord sends you where he needs you and there's always something to learn from it. We just have to give the Lord our very best in every circumstance with best faith that we can muster.

Isaiah 55

8 ¶ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

 

It's always so much fun to look back at things and see how the Lord's hand has influenced our lives. I know that we can trust him and give our all to him, because the more we give him, the more he can make out of us.

 

Have a great week!

 

Sincerely,

Elder Brown

 

P.S. Though, tbh I'm not sure what the Lord is thinking making me the designated driver, lol. I only recently got behind the wheel after a 2 year break.

Mansfield, PA - Week 5

Hello there!

 

This has been a pretty fantastic week, though it started off pretty hot, literally. Our two poor swamp coolers had trouble keeping up. At night, Elder Rushton convinced Elder Taylor and I to try sleeping under a damp sheet. It was better than sleeping in sweat I guess.

 

Lol moving on, we've had a long list of awesome lessons this week, so I'll share some highlights. 

 

So we knew there was this outdoor jazz concert happening in the local park and we were planning to go talk to some people there, but when we arrived it was raining. We decided to walk around a bit in the rain when somebody called out to us as we were walking. We ran over and greeted a nice Elderly couple who both knew about the church and were looking for if that jazz concert had a backup location. Long story short, we shared a message about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and got their number! The Lord is in the details.

 

We also taught an in person lesson with some really nice parents of a member who seem to like the restored gospel. We left them with a Book of Mormon with the invitation to read and pray about it. Really hoping that they do, cause "by the power of the Holy Ghost, ye may know the truth of all things." (Moroni 10:5).

 

A wonderful lady we've been teaching had her baptism just this Saturday! She has come such a long way and it has been so nice teach her these past few weeks leading up to this special day. The spirit was so strong and she was so happy after the service.

 

 

Hope you all have a great rest of your week! The work moves forward and the gathering of Israel continues!

 

Sincerely,

Elder Brown

 

A hornet's nest that was found outside the entrance to the church on the day of the baptism.

Mansfield, PA - Week 4

Hello there!

 

It's been a pretty busy week, but filled with lots of good experiences. We made a couple videos about the gospel to post to the area instagram page. We've also kept meeting with the lady who has a baptismal date. She just passed her interview a couple days ago and the baptism time is set! 

 

Zone conference happened last Thursday and it was awesome. I had forgotten during my mission break just how powerful and energizing zone conferences are. President and Sister Wright get up and speak on improving our faith and the work. Our zone leaders give specific workshops. We get to talk with and rejoice with fellow missionaries. It's a blast!

 

 

The last couple days had some good lessons. We taught a less active couple that has been coming to church a lot recently. We also had a hand off lesson with someone we met online and the Elders who live closer to where he is. The spirit was so present during that meeting and the man agreed to a baptism date to shoot for.

 

One thing President Wright encouraged us to do at zone conference was build the light within us through faith in Jesus Christ and being motivated to do every good thing. That's something I definitely want to strive for by caring more about others and working my hardest in this calling the Lord has given me. And I know that invitation applies to everybody who wants to bring a little more light to the world.

 

Hope you all have a great week!

Sincerely,

Elder Brown

 

Photos from a District Activity last P-day (June 21)