Sister Brown in the Philippines: Love them like He does‏

Exchanges with Sister Hopkins

Kamusta na po kayo? Sana maayos ang week nyo. This week started out with a long-awaited exchange with none other than the wonderful Sister Hopkins herself! She is downright amazing. She has had kind of a rough transfer with sickness, a new companion, and a very close recent convert passing away. But you'd never know it. Because she just keeps going. She just keeps turning outward. I know that she lives what she believes because every time she speaks, the spirit seconds what she says. I absolutely LOVED teaching with her all day! It was a day full of the spirit and little miracles :) I am extremely grateful for the chance to learn about optimism, hope, and patience from her. I'm gonna need it.

Why? Because during this exchange, I got a call from President Mangum. And this is what he said, "Sister Brown, the Lord wants to use you as a trainer before you go home. Are you up for that?" And at first I considered declining the offer but then I thought, "I can't really fight with the Lord." So on Thursday I will be heading to the mission home to pick up my new trainee and then we will head off to our new area. I don't know where that will be. Because we are re-opening. I'll be honest. I'm a little nervous. I don't remember how to NOT be in Sta. Cruz and NOT be companions with Sister Burt, where everything is sunshine and butterflies. But I do know that there are people who need me elsewhere. And I know there are people that I need as well.

We had the chance to go to San Pablo twice this week, once for MLC and once for the trainers' meeting. We also got to watch the Women's General Session of conference. And one of the greatest things that I learned from all of these meetings was to love. No matter what, each and every person who has lived, is living, or will live is a child of our Heavenly Father and He loves them. They have divine potential. And while it's easy to look at others and find the fault in them, life is a lot better when you try to look at them the way that Heavenly Father and our Savior see them. Sometimes you meet people on missions that frustrate you, make you sad, or downright insult you. But as I've looked into their faces and thought, "Wow, the Savior really loves this person," my love for them has literally swelled up inside of me and I knew that it wasn't coming from me alone. Sometimes when we can't seem to find the love we need, the Savior lends us His.

I hope that as you go throughout this week you will look at those around you a little differently. Try to see them as the Savior does. I promise you, there will be a lot more butterflies and sunshine in your life too. Mahal ko po kayo!

XOXO, Sister Brown