Letter #41

What up everyone!! We had an awesome week here in Laredo. I don't think I've sweat more in my life than i have this past week. I love showing up to people's doors looking like i just got out of a swimming pool. I'm sure they do too. ;)

To start off, Brian got baptized yesterday!! It was an awesome experience and definitely one of my more spiritual baptisms. Brian started tearing up and everything and the spirit was real strong. It just helped me grow even a stronger testimony of the Lord's work.

Earlier I was reading over a talk by Elder Ballard from the October 2013 Conference called "Put Your Trust In The Lord" I'm sure you guys have all read it, or at least heard it. If not, I'd get on that. Its a killer talk.  I love how he talks about 2 things that keep most people from sharing the gospel. 1 is fear and 2 is misunderstanding of the work. And that can all be solved by prayer. Pray for those missionary opportunities and you will be blessed with them. (Matt 7: 7-11) I know it works!!

Thanks for all the prayers an support! They are definitely felt out here in the mission field. I know i say this every week but i can't say it enough, i am so grateful to be out here in the field serving our Lord. For sure it is hard at times and there are times when i don't want anything to do with the mission but i know that those times make us who we are. Like they always say "Whatever doesnt kill you, makes you stronger"

Love

E. Brian

Letter #40

Hey everyone! First off, I've never eaten more meat in my life than i have this last week. I love it! Easter is a pretty big holiday down here especially for the Catholics. Its one of the times they all head to church for the year. And then after they all go throw big parties and cook all the meat they can.

This week was good! Our investigator Brian is doing well. He's still looking good for his baptism this weekend. Pray that everything goes well!! The week right before the baptism is when the devil tries the hardest :) So we are going to need all the prayers we can get.

Sorry its a little short today but thanks for everything! I hope you all had a good Easter and always remember the sacrifice that our Savior made for us.

Con Amor
Elder Brian

Letter #37

Word from Laredo!

This place is awesome. I might as well be living in Mexico cause thats what its like here. I can actually see Mexico from our apartment haha. I love it. The people are great. We're still trying to get to know the area and members but its a lot of fun. We are constantly running into people who we think are members and 5 minutes into the conversation we find out they aren't haha. Its a pretty good way to find people and get them to sit down and listen if you dont know if they are a member or not. My new comp is awesome! He's from Nashville, Tennessee. He's been out on the mish for one transfer longer than i have. He's really cool. Our apartment is nice. Its actually a lot nicer than the other apartment in Harlingen which was pretty surprising. Laredo, to explain what its like, its a bunch of Tire shops, Taquerias, and Flea markets. And a lot of Palm trees too. I thought Texas was just flat everywhere, but here in Laredo there are actually some pretty gnarly hills. Our zone is the smallest zone in the mission and the only zone without Sisters. Its kind of a sketchy area for Sisters to be in haha.

Right now we are working with a younger kid named Jorge. He's doing really well. He's been to church 3 times and his baptism is coming up really soon. We are working with his Mom too. She's doing great. And me and Elder Christiansen just found a young couple the other day while we were out working. They are awesome. Their names are Mundo and Cristina. We had a really good first lesson and set a good baptismal date with them for the 27 of April.

Thats whats going on here in Laredo! I love it. Thanks you guys for the support and the love! Have a killer week! And remember who you are!

Love

Elder Brian

Letter #36

Peace out Raymondville! Transfers are in and I'm going to Laredo! It was definitely a blindside transfer and I didn't see that coming at all. Only staying 1 transfer in an area is pretty rare here. My comp Elder Nichols is moving too. Apparently they are shutting down the area we just opened up and he is moving to Laredo also. And the funny thing is, we are going to be living together haha! Just not comps anymore. President Maluenda must just like me opening areas or something, because in Laredo I'm going to be white washing again. I'm stoked though. White washing is awesome, even though it can be pretty tough sometimes.

 

So from what I've heard about my area in Laredo is that its like Mexico again. Which I'm pumped for, I love the little border towns. And I'll be able to use my Spanish skills :) My area borders the boarder of Mexico. Supposedly the Rio Grande is in my area. We'll see. I'm hoping it is. And there is a huge conch (Cement soccer field) that all the zone plays soccer at every P day. So that's gonna be rad. Finally get to play some soccer. My new comp's name is Elder Christiansen. I know nothing about him and haven't heard anything either. But that will change real quick.

 

The week was great. Thanks for all the love! Have a good week and remember who you are!

 

And if you happen to send anything, just send it to the mission home until I find out the address of the new place. Thanks! Love you all

 

200 W. La Vista Ave.

McAllen, Texas 78501 

 

Elder Brian

Letter #35

Que tal!

 

To kick it off, we found some pretty sick new investigators this week and the Reyna family that we are teaching is still doing great! The new couple we found, their names are Carlos and Bobbie Joe. My comp and the District Leader actually found them while i was on an exchange with a sick (like ill, not like cool) elder.They are pretty sweet. And we found out that they are married! So that definately shows signs of prepared people ;) We are going by today to teach them again and hopefully set in stone a solid baptismal date for sometime in April.

 

So, because i was on exchanges with a sick Elder, i got to just chill all day at the appartment and do nothing really. A lot of studying and sleeping and working out haha. Its was cool for the first hour or two, then i really wished i was out working. And plus it felt really weird not being out.

 

I cant remember if i mentioned this last week, but we were in Lyford, working that part of our area and we passed by the skatepark and i asked my comp if we could go through for a little bit and talk to some skaters. So we did. I talked to some kids, asked if i could use the board and they said yes. So i skated! It was awesome. A lot of the kids were just staring at me the whole time, im pretty sure they were thinking who the heck i was. A missionary riding a skateboard, doing the minipipe. Hhaha. It was fun. We got to know a lot of the skaters and maybe we'll pass by them in the future ;) President says use your talents, so.... I did haha.

 

Right now im reading in the Book of Mormon in Alma 50's and 60's. I never knew how much of a man Captain Moroni was. He's a boss! I just thought id let you guys know. If you want to read about war and fighting and hero's. The book of Alma is definately the book to go to.

 

Life's great. The mission is awesome! Thanks for the support! i love you all! Hope you all have a killer week! And remember who you are!

 

Love

Elder Brian

Letter #34

What up everyone!!

 

Elder Nichols and I are out of the famine of finding people to teach finally!! We're stoked! It was a awesome experience and definately a testimony builder. So Elder Nichols and I were out tracking in Lyford and no joke, i think we went by every house in the entire town. By then, i was about to quit. I was so sick of knocking doors and no one wanting anything. So me and Nichols walk to our bikes, ready to head home and we decide to go knock one more house. It was a house that a member refered us to that we hadn't gone to yet. So we go by and a Mom answers, we tell her who we are, have a good quick conversation and she lets us in. The whole family is sitting down in the family room, ready to listen. It was awesome! It was already set up pretty much haha. We had a great first lesson on the restoration and invited the family to be baptized and they accepted! It was sick! So now we are teaching a family of 6. The Reyna family. They're awesome. It was definately a lesson learned. A trial of faith. God will put you to the very end, see how much you are willing to put out and he will come help. But first you have to show him youre willing to do it.

 

So that is whats up with the area here in Raymondville. Its great. The weather hasnt been the best lately but were getting through it haha. Spring Break is here! Lots and lots of people are coming through and heading out to South Padre. i cant even imagine how crazy that's going to be. haha.

 

Thanks everyone! Love you all!

 

Elder Brian

Letter #33

Well, Mom I can definately say I feel for you and your stomach problems this past week cause i've had the same problems this whole week too. Last Monday, some lady gave us some tacos and they were super sketchy looking tacos (but down here, the sketchier the tacos look the better they taste haha) so we ate them cause we didnt want to offend the lady. They did not taste good at all! And...... I ended up getting food poisoning which was not fun. Especially on a bike. 

 

Earlier this week the zl's and dl's had an emergency training and the top dawgs over the missionary work came down. They said it was awesome and our whole way of teaching as a mission has changed! We now do a totally different way of teaching. We now teach using a lot of pictures and pamphlets and the lessons are only going to be about 15 minutes tops each. I really like it.

 

This week, Nichols and I still havent found any solid investigators. Just a lot of biking around, still getting to know the area just a bit, but we did find some really good potentials that we are going to go by this week and hopefully with this new teaching we can find some people who will accept! Im stoked to try it out!

 

A pretty sweet experience we had just the other day, Elder Nichols and I were headed over to a potential investigators house, we got there, turns out he wasnt home. We were pretty bummed but a less active lived really close by, so we decided to go by and see if she needed some help. We get there, and she opens up the door with tears rolling down her face and she told us that she had just finished saying a prayer, asking for the missionarys to come and help. And BAM. We showed up. That was just a huge testimony builder not only to her, but to me. I know that God answers prayers and that he is always looking after each and everyone of us. I love it!

 

Thank you guys a ton for the prayers and the support! I love you all!

*Don't forget to pray ;)

 

Elder Brian

Letter #32

Pretty awesome week! We had two baptisms! Ilanie and Ilita Rodriguez! It was deffinately one of the better feeling baptisms that ive had. Everything went as planned and the water was actually somewhat warm haha. And it seemed like Ilanie and Ilita had an awesome experience.

 

Earlier this week we went out to the Gulf of Mexico! Kind of. Its a little area called the Laguna Madre. A town called Port Mansfield. Its about a 35 mintue drive from Raymondville but its 1 of the 10 best fishing towns in the U.S. Not a lot of people live out there but a lot of fishers just go rent houses and boat around and fish. We went and visited a less active family out there and they showed us around the whole town and took us out on the peir and we watched the sunset and had an awesome lesson on the Book of Mormon. It was sweet! And the town is awesome cause the deer out there just roam around and they are so used to people that they come up to you and you can pet them and feed them! I would have sent some pics but i forgot my sd card at the house, my bad.

 

Right now Elder Nichols and I arent really working with anyone. Its been pretty hard to find people to teach. But were hoping and praying this week is going to be a good one!

 

Thanks for everything! Have an awesome week!

 

Elder Brian

Letter #31

Hey!

Its been a pretty rad week to say the least. Raymondville is awesome! Its a super small town about 35 minutes outside of Harlingen of about 9,000 people and we cover half of it and one other town named Lyford which is a town of like 500. Haha. They are super small towns. It reminds me a ton of the Ranch and down in Loa. I love it. The people are really nice. Almost no one speaks spanish and everyone is cowboy. Now i actually feel like Im in Texas haha. i just hope i dont leave the area with a rich Texas accent saying y'all and howdy all the time haha. My comp is Elder Nichols. I love the kid to death already. He reminds me so much of Ford. Super nice and hilarious. He's been out for about a year or so. But he just got to the Texas McAllen mish this transfer cause he was medicaly transfered out of Nicaragua. He had a crazy crazy accident down there. Nicaragua is pretty dangerous and to put the story short, he was jumped. Had to do an emergency surgery in Nicaragua and then he flew home and recovered for about 3 months and then got recalled to here. He's awesome! He's from Colorado.

We are in a bike area, which im super stoked about. We dont have too many people we are working with as of now. But we are teaching a less-acitve and her two daughters who arent baptized and they are all set to be baptized next week! We're pretty excited about that.

One pretty funny experience we had this week. We were teaching one of our other investigators and his girlfriend about the Law of Chastity. ;) Those lessons are always fun. And the teaching in Nicaragua is totally different than here in Texas and Nichols isnt really too used to it at all. in Nicaragua he said they teach just super straight up to people and here, if you do that you can offend people pretty badly. So we started the lesson and Nichols just breaks out and pretty much tells them both that they were fornicating (thats the word he used) and they needed to stop. haha. They girlfriend just looks at us and is just like "you guys really think you can come in here and do that" It was hilarious. I couldnt help but just laugh. It was super funny. But in the end the lesson turned out pretty good and lets just hope they took our advice and are working on getting married ;)

Thats about it. Im loving the new area! Im loving the mission. Thank you guys for the support and everything! Hope y'allhave a good week ;) Love you guys!

Here is the new address to my appartment if you guys send anything ;)

401 E. Mccharen Ave.

Raymondville, Texas 78580 #5