Elder Keegan Karsten Brown

Elder Keegan Karsten Brown

Monday, June 30, 2014

Buch in the Summer!
Elder Kennedy


Another transfer in Ploiesti!



We had transfers this week and went to Buch to meet our new comps.  That’s where I met my new companion and the missionary I’m training.  His name is Jacob Kennedy and he’s from Orem, Utah. He is my age and went to Orem High.  He is a sick kid and very optimistic.  We've been having fun and getting some sun.  

We are going to Peles Castle in Sinaia tomorrow!  It will be pretty fun and I think Kennedy is pretty excited.  I will be sure to take lots of pictures and share them next week.

Our new Mission President flew in yesterday afternoon and is now "presiding over the mission."  He’s scheduled to do exchanges with missionaries, each night from 5 till 9.  I've also heard that he speaks Romanian very well considering he went to Italy on his mission and the two languages are very similar. Anyway, I’ll let you guys know how it goes! 

It’s getting warmer here and I’m starting to have a pretty ugly shirt tan line. When I wear a normal shirt my neck looks pretty freaking ridiculous! 

Hope all is well and i love and miss you guys! 

Elder Brown

Monday, June 23, 2014

Elder Phelps - Coming Home!
How Europe Should Look - Brasov


District Leader, Trainer and Ploiesti



Well I’m sure you all know already, but transfer boards came out this week and I’m excited, stressed, frustrated and relieved. I’m going to be STAYING here in Ploiesti, yet again, for another transfer!  I do get another companion though and get to move to the other apartment across town.  It should be roomier, but slightly older. I will also be the District Leader in Ploiesti which comes with lots of responsibilities. I guess I needed a little more responsibility or maybe I'm being punished or something – haha!  I will be in Buchurest on Wednesday to pick up my new companion and say goodbye to President Hill. I have no idea who my comp is, but he’s new from the MTC. 

There is a missionary named Austin Phelps who should be coming home this week from our mission. I have no idea when or where he is speaking, but he is a cool kid and used to date Courtney Kimmell. 

This week we had a Romanian missionary come home from the northern part of England.  His mom is a member in the branch and has fed us a few times. She is a really nice lady and her son is pretty cool. 

Not much is going on here. We met with Tavi this week and he has been having some problems. Apparently, all the old women in his bloc are talking bad about him and he has had the cops called on him a few times. He is a pretty quiet/shy guy and is beaten-up over it. Everything they accused him of was false, but he still feels like he needs to convince us that he is innocent.  

Love and miss you guys! 

Monday, June 16, 2014

Elder Rose
Zone Conference Road Trip - Long Day


Ploua cu caine si pisicii - It's raining cats and dogs!



We had a good week here in Ploiesti.  I’m hoping that it is one of my last.  I requested that either a training assignment or the mission office to get a change of pace for a while.  And to be honest, I really want to drive a car. 

We had our last Zone Conference with President Hill this week and it went pretty well.  We talked about family history AGAIN for like the fifteenth time.  President had some nice things to say and I’m gonna miss the guy.  He leaves at the end of the month and I might run into him on transfer day if I end up going somewhere new. 

Funny story from transfer day. On our way back to the train station, we were all really tired and on edge. I was carrying a huge box of Books of Mormon and unhappy.  As I’m following Elder Rose on the street, he stepped on a manhole cover.  The cover wasn’t placed correctly and gave out under his weight.  His one leg fell in and he was up to his knee in water.  Watching him climb his way out of a sewer in a nice black suit could be the funniest thing I've seen in a while, trying to hold in my laughter knowing that he might be mad about his suit. Luckily he looked back, slightly annoyed but smiling.  I burst out into laughter and all the taxi drivers around joined in as well. 


We had a better week at church this week and I hope things start working out better for us. I love and miss you guys! 
Bran Castle
Brasov


Hey there!



Hey everyone, 

We had a quick week and visited a castle yesterday!  It was one of the many castles known as ‘Dracula's Castle.’  If you've read Bram Stokers Dracula, you'll know that he was into the real estate business and had a few summer and winter homes.  We had to travel quite a ways and got to see how Romania is supposed to look. You know, beautiful and not communist – Haha!

We have zone conference tomorrow and it will be President Hill’s last.  He will give his "dying testimony" and will be leaving in just 3 short weeks.  Pretty sad considering he is so cool and fairly laid back for a Mission President!   

Work is still going pretty slow and church this week didn’t go so hot!  Our Branch President pointed out the fact that the room is half empty and it feels like there is a lack of faith in everyone, including missionaries!  Trying to use it as motivation, but at the same time, I feel like it’s time to get out of Ploiesti and get a fresh start. 

I’m doing ok and excited for the summer, happy that everyone is doing alright.  I just have to go and try to get our water turned back on in our apartment – Haha!  Don’t worry mom, If worst comes to worst, we will stay with the other Elders and shower there! 

Love you guys and miss you all! 

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Peanut Butter Cookies
Weather Forecast


O Alta Zi Si O Alta Dolla – Another Day, Another Dollar



How’s it going everyone? 

Well it’s another week here in Ploiesti.  We currently feel like the local blessing givers here.  Between the sick members and the sisters, we have given a few blessings this week. It’s cool and it gives us work to actually do. President and Sora Hill were here in Ploiesti this week for a fireside/going-away speech.  It was pretty laid back and they talked about how much they enjoyed their stay here in Romania and showed a bunch of pictures. 

I've been getting kinda bored here after four months in the same city doing the same thing, but we are trying new things and doing new stuff.  The senior missionary couple that was in Ploiesti left this week, which in most cases would have been a bad thing but we no longer have to translate during church so there were a few perks. 

As I mentioned, it’s President and Sister Hill’s last month here in the mission.  Our new mission president comes the first of July which should be pretty exciting.  Everyone in the Mission is excited and starting to petition and campaign for the leadership positions which is slightly annoying but entertaining.  The new mission president will be pretty cool though.  He is the CEO of Ivory homes "Utah’s number one home builder" and on the Board of Trusties at the University of Utah.  "Kind of a big deal" - Ron Burgundy.  He served a mission in Italy and the rumor is that he is learning Romanian pretty quickly considering the similarities between the two languages. There are a ton of rumors going on here in the mission about him, but we are just gonna wait and see. 

Don’t have much to report today, but we are going to a castle here in a few weeks so we're looking forward to that. 

Love and miss you guys!