another week bites the dust....

Hey Guys!

Wow where do I even start this week? First things first the heat has been cranking up like 10 notches... I don’t know if I’ll be able to survive one last Piura summer... blehh. Also, yes it was Hermana Glunts last week! It was good but really sad. She loves it here and has mixed feelings about going home but I know she will do so great! I haven’t said my last goodbye because I am seeing my 3 companions that I have had here (Thomas, Sandi and Glunt ) off. That probably will be hard.. I don’t know we will see. 

This week we had our Christmas party at the Presidente’s house! Ha ha man that guy always knows how to deliver! It was super fun and chill day. I ate pizza... took pictures.. played some games and watched movies and got to hang out with people I have served with! We got new holders for our temple recommends and they are sweeeeet. Man I love those mission presidents of mine!

Well as you know I had transfers this week! I am staying in Capullanas but here’s that curve ball President always seem to throw... I also have an area called Enace that we are over! What.... oh also my companion is Hermana Tinini from Bolivia and she will be going home the day after Christmas..... hahaha so that’s my awkward mission life right now. I’m nervous but I know I will see miracles!!  It will be an interesting 2 weeks to say the least but I am SOOOO excited to see you guys on skype on Christmas day. It has been too long!

Missionary work is incredible ... hard, but incredible. It is incredible the things you learn about yourself in such a short time. Definitely I am my first convert.

Love you all!!! Trust in your Heavenly Father … He loves you all so much!

Stay true and be good!!!

Xoxo Hermana Brown

Hermana Brown and Hermana Glunt...it's hard to say goodbye.

Aushlynn's new companion is Hermana Tinini. She is in the red shirt and the black and white skirt.

Aushlynn's and her companion with the mission president.

Puppy...can I keep him mama????

This is our laundry lady.

Recreating a picture at the Christmas party.

Christmas with the Rasmussen's.

it's just my luck....

I am not going to lie to you......I am coming off one of the worst nights of my life. I have a very difficult time sleeping. It is not uncommon for me to take 2 or 3 hours to fall asleep. I do get a lot of thinking done....and a lot of planning for things that just don't matter. I have decorated other siblings house and many other ridclious  things in my brain during those hours. I listen to countless hours of snoring and pratice patience of not hitting someone and making them turn over. I usually knock out some time in the 1 am hour.

So...last night I was so rudely awaken at 2:17 am by this jerk pictured. It is not the first time that he has cried wolf in the middle of the night either....this is probably the 7th or so time since living here....always in the wee hours of the morning.....I am sure it is evil and plans it.  I was woken from a deep sleep to the alarms in the whole house going off...could there be a worse feeling? Oh my gosh...the house is on fire and we are all going to die! It is comforting to me to know that my kids will just sleep thru the smoke alarms going off.....if there really was a fire they are going to die...but I guess since this system has cried wolf so many time they simply do not believe it and try to ignore it. It went off for about 20 minutes before stopping. What the heck....we could not figure out which alarm was causing the problem...deep in my heart I knew which one it was...the one that is on the 18 foot vaulted ceiling!

We had a 10 minute break from the alarms before they started again. I stood under the culprit that was now flashing red continuously....yep I was right...the one that we can NEVER reach. To make matters worse I did not have any batteries to replace it with. Why in the world would the builder of the house put the alarm there anyway...it was a mean and cruel joke. They probably put it in and stood back and had a good chuckle over it...hey...look where I put the alarm....haha....how are they gonna reach that??? I wish I could be a fly on the wall when it goes off!!! I am pretty sure that was the conversation. A few years back I put 10 year batteries in all the alarms...what a joke they are....haha on us!

So......This is how we reached the alarm to disarm it. Kitchen table...ladder and Kendall on the second highest rung...a picture of safely for sure...but whatyagonnado? I was pretty sure the Bullocks would frown on us borrowing their ladder at 3 am. Why do I have to be so cheap? I just need to suck it up and buy a ladder. Kendall disconnected the alarm from the wire and it shut the house one's off...but this little sucker kept squawking until we ripped his little battery out!

I was pretty sure the dog was going to have a heart attack...he is a old man at 16 and he can't take such stress. I am confidant he shed half his fur last night from anxiety.  It took him a good 3 hours after the incident to calm down.

Let this be a lesson to you all and change your alarm batteries to avoid a similar situation.

Anyway.....I am hoping for a better nights sleep tonight.

We have been streaking......

Today is a big day...it mean it is a huge milestone. I never thought that a moment like this would happen in my life. I guess you can say one thing about me...when I chose to make a commitment I keep it. So......today me and Madison hit a 200 day streak on snapchat! When I downloaded the app I never dreamed that this would happen. It was not easy......do you know how many time I had to keep those streaks alive for her? Girls camp...Youth Conference??? Not only did I keep our streak alive but I kept all her others alive.....I am super cool like that! I wonder how long that I am cool enough that she will want to keep this streak thing up....we shall carry on.....until we reach our next milestone.....

 Proof that we have 200 straight days....by the way...Madison put her name in my phone a few years back and that is the name she chose. I have no idea how to change it...but who would want too??

 This is the photo that she sent me....kinda lame for the 200 streak...but whatyagonnado???

 Here is what I sent her...I was trying to spice things up with my 200 effort.

 Throw back to some of my favorite snaps...this is my all-time favorite filter.

 Looking good honey....

 Chubbie cheeks.....

 Oh Jimmers....

Baby Jojo.....

 She really opened up a can of worms with this shot!

 Old lady Jimmers....

Shyler....

Currently looking for a snowcone shack......

So....about 14 years back I placed a ban on all my children to attend the Festival of Trees. They were absolutely terrible at the event and we always ended the event with them crying and me super mad because I did not get to see everything that was there. This year I lifted the ban and invited the kids. I figured they were old enough to behave and not complain. Aushlynn is a little miffed that the ban was lifted while she was on her mission....she says it was an apostasy.....haha. Well, the ban is back in place because kids and husbands kept skipping trees and going to fast. They made me look at the gingerbread houses thru two layers of people. Also they made me skip the quilts entirely and marathon race thru the little trees, table toppers and the wreaths....and to top it all off...nobody would wait in line for me to get a scone...Aushlynn promised to go with me next year and that we would look at everything and have the full Festival of Trees experience. I love that girl...not sure I believe her...but I love her! Here is what's happening in her little world.

Hey Family! 

How’s everybody in the 801? Here in the 073 is HOT HOT HOT! I’m Literally sweating my buns off out here. I know back home you guys are all bundling up by the fire and roasting chestnuts and well I’m out here just looking for a snow cone shack which by the way doesn’t exist here :) 

This last week was my companions second to last week in the mission! It has been so crazy! We are trying to get every bit of Peru in before she leaves! This means we are running around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to get everything we need to get done, done! We are packing her things... saying goodbye to her other areas... getting goodbye notes off to everybody she has ever came in contact with.... and also trying to get her ready to go back into the real world! Man if i didn’t love this girl some of these things would be really annoying ha ha! 

As for something about the gospel. This week I have been reading and studying the story of Abraham in Genesis and I came across something that I really liked. In Genesis chapter 18 it is talking about when the 3 holy men go to Abraham and tell him that his wife Sara would give birth to Isaac. Well during this time Sara was about 100 years old so she didn't believe it. So she went in the tent and started to laugh because she thought that they were crazy (verse 12) but in the next verse is the teaching that I really liked. Verse 14 says, "Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son." That question got to me. Sara was 100 years old basically and it was impossible for her to have a son but there is nothing too hard for the Lord!! If there is anything that we can realize in this life is that nothing is too hard for the Lord and that through our faith and our obedience to his laws and commandments all things are possible. Not only did Sara give birth but she gave birth to a son who would be a huge part in completing the promise that Christ made with Abraham. Nothing is too hard for the Lord and if we look to Him in all things he will direct us and guide us back to our Heavenly home. He will not allow us to fall because He loves us. 

7 Yea, verily, verily, I say unto you, that the field is white already to harvest; wherefore, thrust in your sickles, and reap with all your might, mind, and strength.

8 Open your mouths and they shall be filled, and you shall become even as Nephi of old, who journeyed from Jerusalem in the wilderness.

 9 Yea, open your mouths and spare not, and you shall be laden with sheaves upon your backs, for lo, I am with you.

 10 Yea, open your mouths and they shall be filled, saying: Repent, repent, and prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand; 

D&C 33: 7-10

Well that is just about how I want to explain this week. We as missionaries don't have control of how many people accept this message, we don't have control of how many people go to church and we sure don't have control of how many people accept being baptized but we sure as heck do have control over one thing and that is how many people will hear this message. There are many responsibilities that we must complete to be true representatives of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ but if we have any sort of desire to complete with His will we must be willing to share what we know with everyone. Young or Old, Male or Female, from whatever religion or background they may come from we must present every soul with the opportunity to accept this message in their lives so that they too can reach this fullness of joy that we have experienced through the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. 

There is going to be many changes in the mission after this year is done and all I can say is that I am ready to put gods will in front of mine and give my all to my lord and savior Jesus Christ to bring souls unto him and his gospel. I know the battle will be up hill but once I get to the top and look back I know I will be able to say I gave it my all and my savior is pleased with my work!

Love you all! 

Hermana Brown

 Hermana Brown and Hermana Glunt and a friend

This family had not had water for weeks. It had just turned on when we arrived...we proceeded to help them fill everything available to store water.

 She says that she is trying to quit....I am not sure it is working. She is just like her dad.

 Day of Service

 Primary Program

 #lighttheworld

 Grateful for the opportunities to serve

 Cute little family that she adores and loves!

 Killing flies at lunch...part of her lunch time routine....look at those razor sharp senses...I do think she will get it!

Her district in Capullanas....check out the matching skirts.

How about a scratch and sniff.....

It was good to hear from Hermana Brown. She will hit the 5 months left mark on Saturday...it will also be 150 days left on that day to....so if that does not satisfy any OCD issues you might have....I don't know what will!!! But it feels really good for me. 

We did not get any emailed pictures this week....but....we did get a letter in the mail...so I took some pictures of pictures for you.....your welcome...also please excuse quality of the pictures..I did my best!

Also a big thank you to Elder Abbott for carrying her letter to Montana and mailing it to us. 

Hey Guys! 

Hello! How is life on that side of the world? A weather update for you, it is officially burning hot where I am. The humidity ups the hottness amp to a 10, so I'm actually kind of dying here. This past week has been a roller coaster so I will just ask that you bear with me ha ha. 

Earlier this week Hermana Glunt and I started out any other Tuesday after p-day hangover and we went throughout our day... and I'm not sure exactly what came over me, but man I was just feeling down. I think it was something along the lines of "How in the world am I qualified to fulfill this assignment, let alone share the gospel, and do all these things.." I was feeling very, very, inadequate. I felt that here I was telling these sisters "You are worth so much to Heavenly Father! He loves you, I know he does. You are enough for him." And yet, I wasn’t listening or hearkening to anything that was coming out of my own mouth. #honestyhour 

The week went on & I was just having this internal battle I was really feeling that I am just Aushlynn Brown, a 20 yr old, from South Jordan Utah.. What qualifies me to help these people? What qualifies me to serve the person who atoned for all of my sins? I felt that I frankly had nothing to contribute to them. 

Sunday morning rolled around, and we sat down in Sacrament and I closed my eyes, and very silently told Heavenly Father that I was really in need of some reassurance that I was okay to be wearing his Begotten Son's name, and that I was capable of being a vessel for him. Moments after I ended my prayer, and opened my eyes. Our bishop came to the pulpit and said "Wow, and welcome to all our visitors who just came in!" My comp. looked behind us, and said "What the, who are all these people?" Slowly, I turned around to see my dear family from Paita filling the seats of the congregation in Capullanas. It was an immediate and exact assurance that Heavenly Father had been aware of me this whole week, that he loved me, and frankly I have no words to describe how grateful I am for my dear family traveling through where I was, and stopping to see me. It was a very real first hand experience - that God is so aware of us as we go through our struggles, and he doesn't want to rescue us until we have stretched as far as we can go. 

Later that day, we taught a lesson to a woman who very distinctly and uniquely voiced the same feelings I had earlier in the week. That she was feeling inadequate, and that she needed someone to love her. I was like PICK ME! I knew how she was feeling, because I had experienced the same thing just moments earlier. It was really special. In the long run, that's really all I can give, love! 

I have learned a lot this week about myself, and about the way that Heavenly Father works. He is so personally involved in the details of our lives, orchestrating and organizing the perfect combination of moments for us to come to him. And if we just love him, that is enough. I know that I have many weaknesses, that have become very apparent to me on my mission, but I also know that God loves us because we are his, and because of who he is, not because of anything we did or didn't do. Trials are no fun sometimes, but I am very very grateful for them. Because for just a few moments we get to feel just a glimpse of what our Savior felt in Gethsemane for us that day. 

I love you all! Thank you for all your love and support!

Hermana Brown

Name tag beach pic.....

Aush and one of her little friends....

A for reals letter from Peru....

In case you want to come over for a little scratch and sniff....

Her Zone in Capullanas