It is crazy to think about how Derek, aka: Elder Brown, has been serving his mission for more than 9 months now, and will hit a year of service before we know it.

He loves being a service missionary and the blessings it brings to his life, and the lives of those around him. He loves his service assignments, especially when he works at Animal Care Services of San Antonio or any time her gets to serve at the San Antonio Temple. Whether he is there as an ordinance worker, there as a patron doing work for his ancestors, or taking his little brother to the 6am baptism appointment, he is happiest at the temple.

Speaking of the temple, a few weeks ago, a group of missionaries and their service leaders got together to do a session together, which was wonderful.

And although they usually do individual service assignments, sometimes they have times where they all get together and work on a big project. Like when they helped clean up debri and other things off a local walking trail in town.

They even stopped at Shake Shack for lunch afterwards. Derek always loves the social parts of being a missionary where he can get to know the other missionaries better.

Elder Brown has also been blessed to have some pretty awesome devotionals lately – some just with his fellow service missionaries, and one recently with all of the Institute students with Sister Andrea Munoz Spannaus, second counselor in the Young Women General Presidency. Pretty amazing the special opportunities he has been blessed with.

Derek also great about doing service for our family. Every day, he takes Arthur to and from school (except the one day he has a service assignment that conflicts). He has begun doing more with helping to make dinner, and is always up for big projects in the yard. This week, I have had him spreading mulch for me – too bad I keep not ordering enough, so the finished product will have to wait 😉.

Elder Brown really is amazing, and although it is often a struggle for him because there is not as much structure as there is for a teaching missionary, he is thriving in so many ways.

PS. If you don’t receive Elder Brown’s weekly mission emails and want to, send me your email address, because they are fabulous.