Monday, August 17, 2015

Week 30

Hey Mom!
   This week has been pretty good. Yes, I have a new companion, but I'm in the same place. My new companion is Elder Johnson. This is his 15/16 transfer and his first as a district leader. This is my 3rd transfer as a district leader's companion. He's pretty cool, he knows literally everything, it's crazy. I'll ask him super random questions like, "how much does an elephant weigh?" and he's like, "African or Indian? He's great. Also another Elder that I lived with when I was in Alice was transferred to our apartment. So I have some pretty good friends in my apartment.
   Our investigator Jerry was baptized yesterday. He was super happy and it was great to see him finally able to join his family. Next week he'll be confirmed and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Their family has been doing super good. And in a year they can go and get sealed and I can go with them! That would be so cool to go through the temple with them. Also his dad past away a few months ago and he's already learned about baptisms for the dead, I hope he'll go and do that ordinance as well.
   So on Monday's we go tie digging. I think I told you about it. We go to a "bodega" like a big warehouse and dig through old used ties to try to find nice ones that are cheap. And today we decided to go to Burlington because sometimes they'll have ties on clearance for like 3 dollars that are usually like $80-$90. There is a brand called "Ted Baker" that everyone in this mission loves because they are super pretty. And we found two that were sister ties. They have the same pattern but different colors. And they were so pretty, but they were $25 and we almost bought them. But we decided not to. It seems really dumb but ties are a big deal on the mission haha. 
    These next few days Elder Johnson has three day training. He goes to a bunch of meetings all day for three days and learns how to be a leader. And so I will be working with a different elder for a few days.
    Aside from it being super hot this last week that's about it. 
             Thanks for keeping me updated! Have a great week! Love you


  (Sorry so blurry!)


Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Week 29


   This week was another great week. Our investigator who quit smoking is still doing great. He is so excited to be baptized, it is so funny. Everytime we bring it up he's like, "I'm gettin' wet!". He says it all the time and I always laugh super hard. He's pretty southern and he has a bunch of funny sayings that kill me. Really a testimony builder when you see someone like him change this much. I'm super happy to have been a part of it. 
    We had a service project at an old woman's house who is actually our new investigator. She has about an acre or so and her grass was overgrown a ton! We were picking up trash in her back yard and as I walked I could hear stuff crunching under my feet, so I pulled back a layer of dead grass and there was like an old suitcase, some wood pallets and a bunch of other stuff. We found so much trash in her back yard. I think we found like 8 pallets, 6 tires, a tricycle, some old metal buckets, and a bunch of other weird stuff. We found like this huge counter thing. Like a bar service counter. Super heavy and we pushed it out of her little patio deal and we tore it apart, it was fun. It took like 3 hours and we almost finished but we're coming back next Saturday to finish. It was pretty fun, but really hot too. 
    I've been reading that book "The Infinite Atonement" a little bit every night. It's super cool. I'm about 1/3 of the way through it because I only get like 30mins/day to read it. And I'm not a super reader like you, I'll get there one day. I've been learning a lot about the Atonement, mainly how much harder it was that I can even fathom. It talks about how he suffered for not only our world but all the other billions of worlds he has created. Blows my mind the love that he had for us. It gives me great comfort in knowing that anybody that I meet, no matter what they are going through, can be helped by Christ. I knew that before, but I don't know, having a deeper understanding of a principle strengthens my testimony of it.
    Transfers are tomorrow, and we wont know until late tonight if I need to pack or not. But no matter what happens, I know I'll love it. 
   Hope you continue to have fun at work, it wouldn't be fun if they didn't keep you on your toes would it?
         Love you! Have a great week!

Week 28

    I told Elder Lindsay that you said hi and he blew a kiss back. 
    I'll pray for you guys, lots of decisions to make. Isn't that so fun? Having so much stuff to consider and think about all the time? Haha its like being the junior companion. My senior comp has to make all the tough decisions. One day that'll be me, but I'm pretty convinced I'll be junior comp my whole mission. Haha just kidding I dont even think that happens. 
    This week was pretty cool. I kicked my first dog! This boxer ran up to me on my bike and tried to bite me and I kicked him in the face super hard. It was exhilarating? Boom, I remembered a decent English word. I figured out that the mission just makes you dumb. Like, never have I been so wise, yet so dumb. I dont remember like math or english or anything like that but I can feel the spirit and know a lot more doctrine. It's a weird swap.
    Also this week we confirmed Miguel and Juanita, the two that were baptized last week. Their dad is starting to quit smoking, yesterday was his first day out of 2 weeks where he cant smoke cigarettes. He is struggling a ton but we are buying him Big Red gum and we fasted and other stuff, he's doing really well! Tonight we are going over to a member's house who had to quit smoking too. I have high hopes. I told the dad, Jerry about Nathan and how he quit. He's a great example, super proud of him. 
    Not a crazy week, really flew by. This is the last week of this transfer. I'm already going to be my fifth transfer! That's 5/16. Yikes!
       Thank you for keeping me updated on everything. I love you so much, have a great week mom!
  
Also these are pictures of my future house.

Its a house here in southern texas. Pretty cool, heres my comp standing next to the door.