Chat with mom January 26, 2015

Yo mommy Neicia is on!! Talk to me! I misses your face! I hear you are just doing great on my blog mommy!!! Keep it up!

There isn’t much to do now because everybody has to wait until the rainy season is over to rebuild!! Water has been a real issue!! We are not allowed to drink in the area at peoples houses because of cholera! And we have had no running water!!! Pipes are all broken in all of Blantyre! Bottled water is very expensive so we don’t ever buy!!! I have been very dehydrated and got quite sick!! But it is really all good!! The zone leaders have been getting us clean water in our 2 liter bottles They’re out every night at the well because they have to do it for the whole zone and senior couples!! There are 24 people so they are busy!! The water turned on yesterday (which we still can’t drink)!! I have a filter in my flat that I use!! I got to take a shower mom!! Be grateful I know how much you like to be clean!! I got a shower!! I think I was in there for about 45 mins!!! I just sat there because I was sick but it was one of the happiest things ever!!! I got to shower!! I will tonight too if, hopefully, the water is on! But if not, oh well dirty is good too! I have a bucket! 😉
​I told you I was very sick this week! I didn’t get to work or go out much!! I feel almost all the way better!! My tummy is still hurt a little but I walked here so I am obviously doing better! Two days ago I couldn’t walk across the room without taking a break! I probably had bad water or something!! I ate some nasty chips that were probably soaked in gross water. Chips are french fries-kinda!! I like them!! I eat them every day! It’s just water is low so all the food places are closed. We were starving and found that place and I don’t think it was sanitary!!
People don’t like to talk about the flood too much! They just think happy thoughts and move on with their lives and I don’t want to pry and ask people to relive their trauma!  Agogo is safe! She lived in a strong house!! She’s as happy as can be! Not that I can speak to her but hey she is sweet!!
A little piece of our chat when I got off for about 2 minutes.
Neicia: You said you’d be back.
Me: Umm…I am. We’re chatting.
Neicia: Sorry, I was impatient! I’ll repent!
Me: I think you’re okay.
Neicia: Heavenly Father doesn’t allow ANY imperfection in his kingdom!
Me: Then DO repent, lol. Better now than saving it for later when you may forget. And I forgive you. I was just confused. No harm done…does that make you feel better?
Neicia: I don’t need your forgiveness! The Lord’s will suffice and God’s mercy!! But hey, yours doesn’t do harm! So I acknowledge your forgiveness and I thank you for it!
Me: LOL!
Neicia: No seriously, Mommy!

Then after she sent out the group email we had another little chat session:
Me: Awesome story. Just like your stories of perfect obedience. Loves that story from the MTC.
Neicia: Ha ha! Except this one was a joke!
Me: As in a joke like it didn’t really happen?
Neicia: Of course it happened!! As in nothing!! Just my mind humor!!! I’m on my mission. My jokes aren’t entitled to be funny to mere civilians mother!!! 😉
Me: ‘Tis true, Neicia. I just needed a little clarification after you confused me. 😉
Neicia: Sorry, I’ll repent again!!!
I’m going to Ndriandre tomorrow on exchanges. I’ve been there one other time. I have no idea how big everything is because I just stay in my area. Look it up! My area itself is pretty big! I still have yet to get everywhere!! Not that it’s humongous though!! There are many houses very close together! Sometimes I’m talking like 1 1/2 feet from one another!! So it’s lots of people to see! I already have too many people to get to in a week!
No, but honestly we are fine! Life is going like it normally does!! It’s sunny today!! Pipes are being fixed and all the people have been relocated!! We even just had a party in the branch! We are happy! Things are good! 🙂

     

Group Email January 26, 2015

WELL THIS WEEK, BIT TOUGH! BUT HEY IT’S A MISSION!! SO I AM GOING TO TELL YOU A STORY OF HUMILITY!

REMEMBER LAST WEEK, I SAID WE WERE THE ONLY ONES WITH WATER IN MY FLAT!! KK SO BECAUSE OF THAT LAST WEEK ON WEDNESDAY THE SISTERS IN THE ZONE AND THE ZONE LEADERS ASKED IF WE WOULD MAKE THEM DINNER! THEY ALSO HAD NO ELECTRICITY! SO THE SISTERS SAID IF WE DID THEN THEY WOULD BUT US HOT DOGS ON MONDAY! SO WE SAID DEAL!! WE MADE A TON OF FOOD!!! IT WAS FOR 7 PEOPLE!! I’M USED TO COOKING FOR 2! WE USED UP A LOT OF GROCERIES AND TIME! BUT WE MAKE THEM A REALLY GOOD MEAL!!! RAPE, VEGGIES WITH MEAT AND RICE!!! IT REALLY WAS GOOD!!!

SO LAST MONDAY WE WERE ALL HUNGARY RIGHT!! SO SISTER GRIFFUS SAYS “LETS GO GET HOT DOGS!!!” THE SISTERS JUST WERE RELUCTANT AND DIDNT WANT TO!! WELL, WE WERE LIKE WHAT THE CRAP!! AND THEY ALL STARTED TO LEAVE!! LEAVING US ALONE WITH EMPTY STOMACHS!! WE WERE ALL PLAY BICKERING AND LAUGHING THEY WERE LIKE “OH SISTERS COME ON!!! WE WILL GIVE WHEN WE WANT TO GIVE!!!”  AND SO I YELLED “HAVE FUN GOING BACK TO NO WATER!”

WELL, WE WALKED HOME TO A FLAT WITH NO WATER!! THE NEXT DAY NO WATER!! ALL OF BLANTYRE NOW HAS NO WATER!! THE ZONE LEADERS ARE RUNNING AROUND FILLING EVERY BODIES WATER JUGS AT THE FILLING WELL!! STILL NO WATER!! WEDNESDAY MY COMP WENT TO THE HOSPITAL FOR SOMETHING SMALL SO IT WASNT A BIG DEAL BUT WE HAD TO STAY HOME THE REST OF THE DAY! AND GUESS WHAT NO WATER!!! THURSDAY CAME ALONG AND BOOM WE GET TEXTS THAT SAY THERE IS GOING TO BE WATER IN THE AREA!! WE WERE SO EXCITED!! WE CONTINUED TO READ “DO NOT DRINK THIS WATER BECAUSE THERE IS CHOLORA IN IT…” NO WATER!! I STARTED TO FEEL ILL THAT NIGHT! FRIDAY ROLLED AROUND AND THE ALARM WENT OFF AT THE STANDARD 6:30! I PUSH IT OFF AND WENT BACK TO SLEEP! I AM SICK!! AT 8 MY COMP IS LIKE MAN WHY ARE WE STILL SLEEPING AND SHE JUMPS UP CONFUSED! I JUST SAY “SICK I WANT NYQUIL!” SO SHE GOT ME SOME AND I WENT TO SLEEP!!! THEN I THREW UP MY NYQUIL! JOY!!! WHY AM I SICK YOU MIGHT WONDER!! MY GUESS A MIXTURE BETWEEN DEHYDRATION AND POSSIBLY THE LITTLE WATER I GOT BEING BAD! SO I AM ILL!! MY COMP MADE ME GO OUT!! THAT’S FINE IT WAS A PARTY AND WE WERE CHARGED! BUT STILL ILL! I JUST SAT IN A CORNER AND WATCHED PRINCE OF EGYPT!! MAN THAT IS A SWEET MOVIE!!! PLUS I’M WAS ALLOWED TO SEE TWO MOVIES NOW ON MY MISSION! BOOM! SUNDAY THOUGH! BACK TO BED!! TOO ILL!!! NOT MONDAY! I AM FEELING A LOT BETTER!! WHY YOU MIGHT ASK!! WELL MY FRIENDS ITS BECAUSE MY WATER CAME ON LAST NIGHT!!! GUESS WHO GOT TO TAKE A SHOWER!! OH YEAH!!! SHOWER MAN! THAT WAS THE BEST!

BUT THE MORAL TO THIS EMAIL IS DON’T EVER BRAG ABOUT THE BLESSINGS THE LORD HAS GRANTED YOU! IF YOU DO HE WILL MAKE SURE YOU REGRET IT!! 🙂

LOVE YOU ALL!

SISTER NEICIA MARIE BROWNING!

SORRY NO PICS AGAIN!!! MY CHIP HAS A VIRUS AND I CANT DOWNLOAD ANYTHING…

Group Email January 19, 2015

SO THIS WEEK STARTED OFF ROUGH!! LIKE VERY ROUGH!!! SO, REMEMBER HOW I SAID THERE WAS A STORM THAT WIPED OUT THE ELECTRICITY LAST WEEK? WELL IT DIDNT STOP RAINING! NOT FOR DAYS!!! IT WAS SO BAD THAT IT FLOODED AND DESTROYED EVERYTHING. HALF OF MY AREA HAS BEEN DESTROYED!! ALL THE HOUSES ARE GONE… THERE ARE 160 DEAD SO FAR, DONT KNOW HOW MANY MISSING AND 200,000 PEOPLE HAD TO MOVE DUE TO THEIR HOMES ARE GONE OR PARTLY GONE. IT IS ALL VERY SAD!!! LOTS OF PEOPLE IN MY WARD HAVE MOVED BUT LUCKLY NOBODY DIED! THEY HAD FAMILY MEMBERS DIE THOUGH AND THAT WAS VERY SAD!  SO WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO HELP OUT! AND WE CALLED ALL OVER AND TRIED MAKING SURE PEOPLE WERE ALRIGHT!! I AM SO SURPRISED MORE PEOPLE DIDN’T DIE!! MANY ARE INJURED THOUGH AND IN THE HOSPITAL.  SO IT HAS STILL BEEN RAINING AND WE JUST PRAY THAT THE FLOOD DOESN’T COME AGAIN!!

BUT, KEEP ALL THIS IN MIND!! HOMES DESTROYED, PEOPLE MISSING OR DEAD, AND THEN, LISTEN TO THIS:  THE AFRICANS ARE HAPPY. I CAN’T EXPLAIN IT. IT IS SO AMAZING TO ME. THE DAY IT ALL HAPPENED I DIDN’T SEE ANYBODY CRYING. SOME WERE LAUGHING EVEN. PLAYING IN THE WATER. IT’S NOT LIKE THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME, THEY JUST ARE SO MUCH MORE HUMBLE. THEY KNOW THAT THEY’RE LOVED ONES ARE WITH GOD AND IN A BETTER PLACE THAN THEY WERE ON EARTH! THEY ARE JUST HAPPY AND LOVING. THEY WERE JUST TO THANKFUL THAT THEY’RE ALIVE, EVEN THOUGH SOME LITERALLY JUST HAVE THE CLOTHES ON THEIR BACKS WE WERE ALL JOKING THAT GOD WAS CONFUSED. FIRST ALL THE MALAWIANS WERE PRAYING FOR RAIN AND WHEN HE GAVE IT TO THEM THEY PRAYED FOR IT TO STOP. PEOPLE HERE ARE FUNNY! I LEARN FROM THEM EVERYDAY BUT I REALLY LEARNED FROM THEM THIS WEEK. I LOVE THESE PEOPLE.

SO I MADE FUN OF THE ELDERS FOR KEEPING BUCKETS OUTSIDE TO COLLECT RAIN WATER RECENTLY BUT I HAVE FOUND THAT IT IS KIND OF A SURVIVAL THING RIGHT NOW. SO NOBODY HAS HAD WATER FOR DAYS EXCEPT FOR MY APARTMENT. WEIRD. LOTS OF MISSIONARIES ARE THERE EVERY NIGHT FILLING UP WATER JUGS. THE ONLY THING KEEPING PEOPLE FROM DEHYDRATION IS THE RAIN WATER. SAD THAT ALL OF BLANTYRE HAS NO WATER. CHURCH WAS CANCELLED THIS WEEK BESIDES SACRAMENT BECAUSE OF IT ALL!!

SO NOW FOR A LIGHTER MOOD:

I WAS ASKED OUT BY A 1/2 WHITE 1/2 INDIAN MAN THIS WEEK. WEIRD THING IS HE ASKED MY COMP OUT TOO!! WANTED TO TAKE US OUT TO EAT AND THEN SALSA DANCE. HE ASKED IF WE WERE ALLOWED TO GET MARRIED! HAHA THAT MAN! OH, HE IS ALSO MY LAND LORD!!! I DON’T KNOW HIS NAME! FLIRTATIOUS LITTLE INDIAN MAN! HAHA!

I GOT TO STUDY MY CANDLELIGHT!! THAT WAS FUN!!! I FELT LIKE JOSEPH SMITH!! I DON’T KNOW WHY BUT I DID!!!

WE GOT LOCKED OUT OF OUR APARTMENT BECAUSE I LEFT THE KEYS IN THE BEALS CAR AND IT WAS RAINING BUT WE HAD FUN! EVEN THOUGH IT WAS PITCH BLACK AND RAINING WE JUST DANCED!! SAW A NASTY BIG SPIDER CHASING US AND WE RAN FOR IT! OUR GUARD WAS JUST LIKE “AMERICANS.” OH, THEN THE BEALS CAME HOME AND THE KEYS WEREN’T THERE! SO I CHECKED MY BAG AND REALIZED I HAD THEM ALL ALONG!! BUT HEY WE HAD FUN! 🙂

SO I CANT REALLY THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE!! IT WAS A SLOW, SAD WEEK BUT ALSO HAPPY!! HARD TO BE SAD WHEN EVERYBODY IS HAPPY! I AM SAFE THOUGH AND FEEL SO BLESSED.

ANYWAYS I LOVE YOU ALL!! COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS, YOU HAVE MANY!!!

LOVE SISTER BROWNING!

P.S.  I TAUGHT A MALAWIAN WOMAN HOW TO MAKE AMERICAN SALAD THIS WEEK! SHE WAS JUST LIKE “WOOOOW.”

Email 12/22/2014

This week was great!! I don’t really know why though because a ton of bad things happened but it was still like a really good week!!! So, I wont go into detail about the bad things because that would be negative!! Negative is bad ;).

I learned that the Lord really wants me to pray about EVERYTHING I am thankful for!! I forgot to thank him for running water so he turned it off!  It was off in our whole complex for a day, then just my apartment for the next! It came on when I went on exchanges and turned off again when I returned!! Finally, after four days God had pity and gave me cold water! But I was grateful, and SOOOOO  happy!!!  The day I had exchanges the water was running so I got to take a shower there but as I was shampooing my hair it turned off… leaving shampoo in my hair! Man I was mad!!! Let’s just say I had some greasy hair for a while! Just glad people here can’t really tell! My hair is so different they just think it’s supposed to be that way! 🙂 I did have a bucket to rinse my hair!! But still it was bad man!!! 😉 Oh well, fun story!

Let’s see what else, oh so exchanges were fun!! I was in a different area with an American sister so it was fun to have her to talk to! And It was fun to meet new people!! During exchanges in my area (Zingwangwa) drama broke out and some bad things happened! I am really glad It happened the day I was gone! Just something with our recent convert who is awesome! She just made some mistakes in life and we got caught up in it! But It is all good! Hopefully, all will be well! We got out of the drama because we didnt feel like it was our place to be!!

So this week I learned a new word!! I love it! its chikhuluiliro it means faith!! Don’t try to sound it out because you cant!! It is said like (chi-kulu-pi-lee-lilo) it is the chichewa word for faith!  Man it is fun to say! I have been making a break through in the language! I still can’t speak it but I can understand others a bit!! The ones I am around a lot I can understand a bit! Church is still interesting though! For some reason I dont have a translator anymore?! OH, church man! Ha! So talk about boring!! Like the people here speak REALLY soft and REALLY slow!! Like I am not kidding it’s crazy how slow and soft they speak! So I was trying not to fall alseep all Sunday! But the last sacrement meeting we had was fun! Evidently, no body showed up to give talks so it was all missionaries who had to speak! Thank goodness I didn’t! But it was fun to understand people! Then president Erickson came in (he lives in Zambia so it wasnt expected) and talked! So sacrament went for like 1 1/2 hours but it ended with a bang!! This man got up to say the prayer, right? Well, we all tuck our hair behind our ears and lean forward so we can hear him, but instead of a quiet voice the man just starts going off!!  He was saying the most funny things!! And man, he was loud! He prayed for at least 5 mins!! I was literally trying not to laugh!!  It was good!!! That guy was feeling it!!  Haha, holy ghost fire!! That’s also a big thing here!! People chant that! “Holy ghost fire!!” Man even when we teach kids we ask simple questions like “How does heavenly father anwser our prayers?” “Holy ghost fire!” I laugh every time!! 

Well, I can’t really think of anything else but it’s been real!! A good week!! Today it rained so hard people couldn’t drive and we all were stranded in a store!! It even was hailing! That hurt!  I was outside!! The wind was blowing so hard! It was fun! I wanted to leave the little shelter and go play in it but my comp said there was no way she would follow me!!

Anyways, I love you all! And just so you all know, packages are allowed! Ha, some people were under the impression that they aren’t but they are 🙂 Hint-hint! Don’t go broke over me though! 🙂

Love Sister Neicia Marie Browning!

P.S. Christmas party!!! Yay!!! 😉 T minus 45 mins! All the missionaries from Lilongwe (a city in malawi) are traveling over here!! We get to share our flat! That’ll be fun! Sorry, no pictures! No time! Next time!

Elder baugh you’re a punk for not emiling me! As are you Kalten! 🙂

Pictures, chat and testimony 12/14/2014

Sister Browning and Sister Hubert at the MTC.

First attempt at Nishima. The hard part for her was the capenta (little whole fish including eyes and bones) and mathumbo (sheep intestines).

Up close look at capenta and mathumbo.

This is what happens when you fall asleep on the couch and not under your mosquito net. She counted 72!

These 8 legged creatures can sure cause drama for a girl…or two.

Eeek!

I wonder if this is why they say don’t drink the water?

Laundry time!

We have a laundry room!!! It isn’t in our flat.  It is right next to it but in our gate!!! So it is just ours! It hurts to wash with hands!! My comp taught me! All the Americans have scraped up wrists!!! Haha!

I am pretty good at it though!!! I wash lots!!! We went and found a lady washing outside on Friday and started helping her and man like 20 people gathered around and laughed at the azungu washing!!! Ha, It’s good for them to see!!!  They think we are better than them!!!  Like they get on their knees to shake our hands because we are “better than them.”  Sometimes it’s a sign of respect but it makes me sad!

So I was riding the taxi home on Thursday and somebody was behind me and kept plucking my hairs!!! I seriously just laughed!!! It doesn’t bug me because I know they are just amazed at my hair, its color and softness!!! It gets touched a lot!! People pretend to do it on accident!!! It’s funny!!! But man the person plucking my hairs! Ha, probably wanted to prove to people they saw me!

Ha two packages!!! Wow!!! Yay!!! everybody has gotten theirs and then there was me but I didnt care until the zone leaders called and told me I had one too!!! I waited anxiously for days like half a week only to find out it was my other suit case!!! Ha, my comp has a package though so I guess I don’t really need to buy her things for Christmas!! She has way more then me! Ha!! It’s all good though!! I really don’t care too much!! I bought a Crunch bar and put it my stocking the Coles gave me at my homecoming!! I am excited!!! I really would love some American food in my next package! Actually, I made a list I’ll tell you later!!!

You asked about my schedule.  I

get up at 6:30

8-9 personal study

9-10 comp study

leave by 10

be home by 6, but leave area by 5!

6-10:30 dinner and planning! Then we have a lot of time that we just sit and talk or cook! stuff like that!!! It’s because it is so dangerous here at night so we just don’t get to do as much work!!! Normally, we go to bed early though because we have really long days still as it is super hot and humid so we are very tired!

Sister Dlamini and I, we have fun! It’s a loud apartment!!!  We laugh and blast Motab for all the world to hear!  She knows Nianja which is very similar to Chichewa!!! But she is learning still too!!! She is definitely not fluent she just picks it up faster!!! Plus she speaks 9 languages so she is used to learning new languages! Most of the Africans here know lots of languages! There are 11 official languages in South Africa and that’s where she is from.

*After I talked to Neicia for a while she wanted to talk to one of her sisters.  I took my computer in to Jessica at 5:40 just before she had to wake up anyway.  Neicia wanted her to take a picture of her new phone and send it to her, which she did.  Her last email message made us laugh so hard.  I’m glad she always has her sense of humor.  This is what Neicia said in return.

Ha!  Wow!  I like it!!! The screen is intact!! For now!! We will see next week!!! Haha!! Not even joking either! How did you get it? Did you have to pay or is it an early Christmas gift? Good I will get the letters in a couple of months! 🙂

I will send kalten some! I just had to wait until I get paid! I didnt get 20% of my money last week so I have been a bit poor!!! Plus I didnt get paid today yet! Hopefully, I will later on today! Otherwise I won’t have any food! 🙂 Literally! Ha, and no way to pay to get home! 🙂 It’s all good fun!! Our neighbors take care of us!! The Beals, they made me brownies last night! 😀

*Then Jessica let her know it was time for prayer and scriptures.

I’ll write you a spiritual thought!!!  2 Nephi 22:2  Jesus Christ is our salvation! Only through him and his atonement can we be saved and gain that salvation. I will trust and be not afraid!!! I love that part!! Jesus Christ went through every thing we did plus more. He knows EXACTLY what we go through and so we can trust in him and fall on him because he will lift us up. I love the CD by Kenneth Cope (I brought it from home) about Jesus!!  It’s helping to build my testimony a lot!! I love Jesus Christ and am eternally thankful for his sacrifice for us! Jesus is your strength and your song as well!!! Let it shine Jaide!  Let it shine!

Pray and study your scriptures!!! Not read but study!! I love you little sister. Have fun at school! Write me emails weekly on your new phone!! You’re the best!!!  And you should do your hair cause you look nasty right now!!! I showed the sisters in my zone! We all laughed!! You need a shower!!! and a shirt!  But you were sleeping so it is ok!!!

Well little one,  I think my companion is almost done now so that means I get to go eat some lunch!!!  I am starving.  It’s 3:30 and I ate last at 7:30ish!  Oatmeal!  Best thing in the world now!!!  I can’t eat cereal because the milk here is SO gross!!!