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Dear Everyone,

On Saturday we had three incredible friends of mine get baptized. Here is a picture. From left to right: Sister Yao, me, Sister Weng, Sister Zhou, Sister Lin, Sister Du, Elder Forbes.
They really are my friends. I don't like just calling them investigators because when I look at their faces I don't think about how many lessons I've had with them and how much scripture reading they've done this past week; I think about the time we went to visit Weng Jiemei at her house and laughed at her grandpa who had fallen asleep in the middle of the hallway, or about teaching Lin Jiemei English, and of Zhou Jiemei and all of us laughing so hard and getting excited about how cute her self-chosen baptismal clothes are. (She is the one in the middle.) I really love these girls and won't ever forget about them. They really are my friends. That being said, I feel we are friends because it started out as a missionary-investigator relationship. We teach the missionary lessons when we teach, of course, but teaching is also basically just an excuse to have really good, deep conversations with people. I have cried with all of these girls, and shared my troubles and my own process of faith with them, and they have shared theirs with me. I have gone out to eat with all of them, met a lot of their friends and family, talked about their interests and plans for their futures, made sure they had my facebook information so I can add them when I get back, etc.

One of the coolest epiphanies all missionaries hopefully wake up to at some point is the one about how they can be themselves and get the job done. They don't need to be an indifferent, formal, picture-perfect missionary. And our weaknesses totally find their way into helping people, as well. I have told people so many times about my companion who had depression. It prevented her from doing some aspects of the work (like finding) super well, but she had INCREDIBLE abilities to sympathize with and comfort people, in lessons. All weaknesses maybe shouldn't be called weaknesses and perhaps just should be called characteristics that have the potential to inspire or collapse the light of life within all of us, depending on how we use them.

I also have a new companion, Du Jiemei! We are Sister Training Leaders. (It's kind of like being a zone leader, a new position they made because now there are a million sisters in every mission.) She is really great. I will write more about her next week. She is also Taiwanese. (YES! CHINESE  IMMERSION!)

I am doing great! Sorry not a lot of time to write this week, I have to get going.
Love you all!

SIster Brown