Week 2 in Laredo

So to fill everyone in on Laredo... 

1. It is hot

2. It is dry hot

3. First question every single person has asked me since I've gotten here when they find out we aren't from Texas, "How do you like the heat?" 

4. My comp can play any instrument in the world - no lie.

5. I am in an English area but I get to use my Spanish more down here. 

6. The tacos here are bomb!

7.  I got to translate an entire meeting for one of our members at a stake leadership training meeting this week. Yep I'm just like my big sister Emily all grown up and translating for people now. 

8. We are on bikes but I ditched the back pack and have a canvas bag on my handlebars now which is like the most clever thing in the world ... I might humbly add ;) 

9. Our zone leaders are awesome and same with everyone else here.

10. I gave a talk in YSA this week and had about three hours to prepare it which was awesome! 

11. We head to the church here at 8am and leave around 4-5pm because of the different branches we cover.

12. Rosana is awesome! I dont remember if we told you about her last week but she is doing so well. She plans on making the dip in the water this week or the next, so pray for her please!  She is super cool. Last week she attended YSA but since she had a family member's birthday during it this Sunday so she woke up early and came to 1st branch with us this week. That's two different branches in two different weeks and she loved it both times. She is super great at 'doing'. We invite her to do something and she does it right away it's amazing!

13. Laredo is weird in the fact that no one stays here for longer than two days without leaving on some vacation for two months. 

14. The border here is like 20ft wide and a foot of shallow water. 

15. Our branch is full of border patrol. 

16. I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!! 

17. Don't forget to read and pray and go to church!!! 

Elder Enrique' & I at the water balloon fight.

The district having dinner with the Castillo family.

Our mode of transportation.

The Castillo fam on the Rio Grande.

Me and my awesome comp with Mexico in the background!

My comp's birthday dinner was the bomb.com!!!

Week 1 in Laredo

Laredo is amazing! We are working super hard here to bring a temple to the valley. Many members can't go to the temple because of the different borders and check points, so to thousands of souls having a temple is what they and all of their ancestors need and desire so desperately! When Laredo becomes a stake the valley will become eligible to become a temple and the Saints will be able to praise their God in the most high and sacred way available to us in these later days in this probationary state. 

Our first night here we had like one hour so we just started walking down the main road to the nearest member well we ended up meeting four members like this and the last member that saw us bought us Sonic, what a blessed way to start off the first day in Laredo. (the white wash is real) my comp Elder packer (yes he is related to him) and free snow cones another tender mercy 

Elder Enriquez and I live together now, I love this guy. He and I ran to the park this week to wrestle for morning work outs and we were wrestling in this grass and we got up and next thing I know fire ants were biting me... so I killed them as quick as possible.  Well that night with my leg and arm on fire I counted a good 60 separate bites... hate hate hate, loath fire ants entirely!

I am so excited to be here working in the Lords kingdom, we are here to establish Zion! I have the most loving companion in the world and the field is white and ready to harvest. Leaving Beeville was tough but I know the Lord has a perfect plan for each and every one of His children that we all play a part in. I love you all, please serve each other this week and invite all to come unto Christ. I love you all so much!

Car is stuffed with luggage as we head to transfers.

Ran into Elder Moss - my trainer.

Saying goodbye to true homies Sister Tupou and Rivera.

My new companion, Elder Packer.

The new district.

Our  dope mission leader Bro. Richards saves the day
when the elders' bikes broke down.

A crazy spider I saw!

Leaving some love for the sisters.

People here love their lions.

My Time is Up in Beeville :(

Well Beeville is truly the land of promise! Sapphire was baptized yesterday and it was awesome!:) She was so happy afterwards, she kept saying I want to do that again! So next week she will receive the Holy Ghost and the week after her sister Cynthia will be baptized! It has been so awesome working with them! Cynthia came up to us on Sunday and says to us, I did it! I gave up smoking for good! I'm going to be baptized in two weeks and then I'm going to the temple! They are amazing! This whole last week they kept making us the cutest drawings and paintings on plates to say thanks, they have been a huge blessing to my life and I know to so many others. They are all ready and praying and loving the gospel of Jesus Christ! I've seen it bring so much peace and solace into their lives over the past few weeks! it has been an awesome testimony builder! Because of their example all of their extended family are heavily interested in the gospel and have been coming to church and meeting with us and learning about the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ is has been amazing! No doubt in my mind the entire family will be going through the temple in the next year:)! 

This week at church was amazing! The chapel was packed! it was wonderful to see so many good friends together feeling the spirit and partaking of the sacrament! God truly does care about His lost sheep and does all in His power to bring them back! The blessings of the gospel are tremendous! 

We had some pretty cool things happen this week with some peeps that we started teaching. 

Christina and Adam. Her mom turns out is Mormon! but lives in a different state! So we started teaching them and her son Adam is smart as a whip! he gets it! So they are coming to church and learning and its been great to see the light in their eyes as they've learned about everything so far! 

David and Victoria! They are awesome! We met them before and helped them move their buddy in, but at the time they were living in Corpus. Well they moved back here this week and just one building away from us! David wants to be baptized and they stayed their first time at church for all three hours and then another hour after to watch the baptism! they are awesome! Quote from David "I dont want to do it unless Im going to be all in, devote, really live what i so I believe and I really like what I see. I think its time for me to give my life to Jesus." "I am a man of my word, when I say it I do it" They are so dope!!!! 

And we started helping Grace's brother Mondo with coming to church and learning about Christ it has been awesome! The waters of Mormon are about to be over run here in Beeville its been sooo amazing!! The Lord really wants Beeville to be a stake! Im sad to leave it but I know the Lord has a perfect plan and I've done what He called me here to do:) Well the book is blue, the work is true, and Jesus is a Mormon! love you guys so much! 

Canadian treats with the district.

Happy Fourth!

So this week was amazing! We met our new presidente, Presidente Torres! He is AMAZING! So one thing that was super cool that we talked about in the meeting we had with him is this verse in Alma 26:22 "Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing—unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance." He talked about how he doesn't believe there are such things as bad missionaries, but there are those who are not fully converted to the gospel. These things he said are the things that we must to every single day to become truly converted to the gospel. For us to be true disciples of Christ. And if we are, this is what can become of it: 3 Nephi 8:1 "And now it came to pass that according to our record, and we know our record to be true, for behold, it was a just man who did keep the record—for he truly did many miracles in the name of Jesus; and there was not any man who could do a miracle in the name of Jesus save he were cleansed every whit from his iniquity—"

So this is what God has envisioned for each of us, His covenant people. For us to be true disciples of Christ and work many miracles in His name, but we have to be pure of heart, meaning not just repentant but with desires that are righteous and to do the will of the Father. Completely turn it over to Him. (Mosiah 3:19) There is about a whole book more I would love to write on this but to just share a crumb, this little bit has already changed my mission completely. President is so inspired. 

Quick miracle that happened this week. Cynthia has been doing really well ready and finding comfort and everything but has struggled to say a prayer out load. So her daughters in primary learned about writing prayers down and this whole last week they have been writing new prayers and saying them all the time. Well come Sunday we head over to teach them and at the very end of the lesson we invited her to say the prayer and she responded completely different this time. She said "actually I will", and precedes to pull out a notebook. She had written down a prayer that had taken a while to get out because of the difficulty from the passing of her husband. So we all bowed and heads and Cynthia offered the most beautiful heartfelt prayer I have maybe ever heard and the Spirit filled the room to the brim! After she closed we looked up with tears in everyone's eyes and asked her how she felt. Well she said it felt amazing but before she could respond her little sister blurts out throwing her arms in the air, "Now don't you feel like you could just do anything!!" It was a truly amazing moment! I know God loves His children and this week I have see the truthfulness of when He has said I will pour out blessings upon your head that you shall not have room enough to receive them. Prayer is the best, The Book or Mormon is true, and God loves all of His children! Have a great week everyone! I love you all! 

Levi teaching me the roping skills.

Greatest tie ever! (Thanks mom)

Tobias' family - love them!

Service opportunity