Letter #96

Hey Fam!

What a week!

I don't really even know where to start, so many great things happened this past week, it was crazy!

So the teaching process with Meranda was awesome! She accepted everything that the gospel had to offer. The only big struggle we had with her was getting permission from her Mom to be baptized. So we had a great lesson on fasting and we set up a time and date to fast for it, us the Cavazos family and Meranda. So we fasted and after a couple days nothing really happened, but while we were in McAllen at 3 day training we get a text from her saying her Mom told her that she could do what she wanted with religion and it was her choice. It was a huge miracle!! So her mom signed the record. I gained a great testimony of fasting that week. So the baptism happened yesterday. It was awesome! Its been a while since I've had a baptism, it feels good to see it again. On top of that we had 5 other baptisms in the zone, which is huge for the Sinton zone! We are looking really good to hit our monthly goal of 7 in the zone. 

3 day training was awesome! We went down Monday night and I was paired up with Elder Shumway and Elder Johnson. We pretty much just traveled around the mission and worked wherever haha. We were driving the AP van so we had no mile limit! It was rad. One night we worked in a little town called La Joya, another night we worked in Donna, McAllen and another night we worked in Edinburg. I spent my nights at the AP's house with a bunch of other dead missionaries. Man, was that ariot! At the end of the 3 day training, I left having the nickname of Steezus. I don't really know why but I am now known as Steezus and not Elder Brian. 

Presidente Maluenda gave some great trainings on faith and finding and for like 2 hours he went off on how important it is to read books, scriptures especially but other books too. He said you should always be reading a book of some sort other than the scriptures. He said that's where he got almost all of his knowledge and why he is so successful. I definitely want to do that when I get back. 

So Elder Green is gone! His exit interview was last night, so he will be down there until he leaves so I am just left here to do transfers all alone! I can't really believe that I have only 6 more weeks left of my mission. It has gone by too fast. I love my mission so much and am so grateful for everything I've learned and still will learn. I'm slowly getting excited to apply everything here to life back at home. I love being a missionary and have really come to learn and know my Savior personally. Words can't express my gratitude for His sacrifice for me. I know He lives. I've learned how important it is to have a good positive attitude through trials and hard times. If you have to go through them, you might as well go through them happy right? I love this gospel and I know its true. I know Joseph Smith was called to be a prophet to restore the same church Jesus Christ himself established. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God and we will get closer to our Savior if we read and follow its teachings. The mission is the good life.

Thanks for the support! I love you guys!

Elder Brian

Probably broke the Word of Wisdom on that one.... Ooops! Pretty good though.

The sweetest, most humble family ever.

Elder Steezus and Elder Casteez

Elder Christianson

Lunch at Godfather's Pizza.

*I'm only like 2 feet taller than them both. No biggie.

Letter #93

Heyyoooo

Best week here in Banquete!

This week our planning paid off and we found some great new investigators who are progressing towards baptism. It was pretty cool how we found them. So i was on an exchange in my area, which I knew almost nothing about at the time haha and i was with Elder Hutchinson, one of the Dl's in the zone. We were going to visit some of the few people I knew and a former that i had never met before, anyways somehow, i end up getting super lost and we find this house that we decide to ask and see if this was the house of the former. Turns out it wasnt at all, she had no clue who that was but that she would love to listen. We set up a return appointment and go back a couple days later. As we were going back Elder Green asked how in the world i made it to this part of our area, he had never even heard or been over there, but we sat down with the lady and her daughter and they accepted everything very easily and are "fixin" to be baptized on the 24th of May! It was a huge miracle. The spirit definitely led us, cause I have no clue how i ended up there!

This week we also had interviews with President Maluenda. They went great! I love that man. He's been a great influence to me out here in the mission field. He gave me some really good insight and he tells me to read to book of Jarom a lot. That book is full of leadership skills. I guess i still have a lot to learn from it.

We also found and are teaching some other new investigators that we have, they were all sweet stories of how we found them and I wish i had the time to explain them all but unfortunately I dont. Their names are Corey, Steven and Valentin. So now we are back up to a good decent teaching pool!

The weather down here this past week was pretty gnarly. It rained really hard for a couple days. It was so crazy that i thought about paddle boarding to visit a member haha. Water in the streets was up to the truck door. The elders on the bikes, it went up to their knees. If you wanted to get to the gas station you had to literally take a swim to get to the front door. It was legit! I wish I had my camera cord to send some pics. Next week ;)

Love you guys! Talk soon

Elder Brian

Letter #89

Hey guys!

Is everyone stoked for Conference?! There is nothing better than Spring General Conference. Its sad to say but this is my last conference in the mission field. I'd rather not think about it like that, cause I still have more than enough time to see miracles and make things happen out here in the field.

This week was interesting. I went on a couple exchanges. On Monday and Tuesday I was with Elder Peterson. He and I actually came out together. I specifically remember being scared out of my mind in the Salt Lake airport, just having said bye to the family and one of the first Elders I saw and talked with that was heading out also was Elder Peterson haha. Good times. We had a good time working together. We worked up here in Roma and we had some great member lessons. Because of that exchange we now have one more weekly member meal appointment! #miracles That makes 2 on the board for Roma. That's progress. On Friday and Saturday I was with Elder Madsen and we worked down in Rio Grande. Saturday morning we were heading out to do some service, so we left at around 1030 and not even half way to the lady's house, Elder Madsen's pedal busts off! So we found a sign and locked up and walked the rest of the way and the whole rest of the day. It was awesome! I've got some gnarly tan lines and sunburns but we were able to do a lot of service. I learned that it is pretty effective to pros in service clothes haha.

I cant believe another transfer has come and gone. We are on the last week of the transfer already! I'm hoping I stay. It will be interesting to see what happens. I'll let you guys in on the news next week.

A couple of days ago I was studying in John 15. Its now my favorite chapter in the New Testament. I love that chapter. Especially verse 13. I love that verse! I don't know, that verse just hit me super hard in personal study the other day and now I cant really get it out of my head. I've never really had a favorite scripture, but now I do! You guys should check it out.

Love you guys!

Elder Brian

- The wardrobe of a missionary. The good life.

Letter #88

Where do I begin? I cant even remember half of the things that happened this week.

Well, I've kinda been out of my area for the past week and a half. I went on a 4 day exchange with one of the Elders in my district, Elder Baldwin. He's doing great. he is training a little greenie. It was good to work with him and help him with his needs, and the needs of his area and comp. After that, I stayed one day up in Roma then I went back down to La Joya! Its a little city closer to McAllen. I stayed there and went on exchanges with Elders outside of my district. It was a little out of the ordinary but it was fun! Then I spent the weekend here with my comp Elder Herrin and we are splitting up again tonight and he will be going down to Alton, another little city outside of McAllen while Im here with Elder Peterson until Wednesday. Crazy couple weeks! I haven't really been with my actual comp for too long haha. But he's a trooper, he's been holding down the fort in Roma and keeping things in order, so im thankful for that.

Also this week the Relief Society had a little play and I played the role of Joseph Smith! It was fun. We just did a little skit on the organization of the Relief Society in 1842. Its cool to see the big changes that are coming about in the Rio Grande branch. One of the ladies that we reactivated got a calling to be the 2nd counselor in the Relief Society! It was awesome to see her come back and be involved in the branch again. I love less active work.

Sorry its short, its a crazy day. Love you guys!

Elder Brian

Letter #74

Feliz Navidad!

So just a couple days ago, we were driving in our area and all of a sudden about 10 or so people bolted out of the trees and bushes all soaking wet, running for their lives, holding their clothes. I'll let you be the one to draw conclusions to the story. Elder Hatfield and I couldn't help but chuckle. I love the people here, they are so great;)

This week I went on a little exchange and was working in another little town called Las Lomas with Elder Serra. He's awesome. Great guy. We went by a less active part member family and we had a great lesson on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and they accepted to come to church and be baptized at the end of the month! It was a sweet Christmas miracle!

Our area is doing great! We don't have too many progressing investigators as of now, but Leo and Abel are pullin' along. They weren't able to come to church on Sunday cause Leo was in the hospital with his daughter. But everything is alright with her and she's doing great now. So this week we are hoping to get back on track with them.

I just wanna say how thankful I am for the blessings that I have in my life especially during this Christmas season. For a loving family, shelter over my head and food to eat. I encourage you all to be thankful for what you have, cause there are so many out there who have so much less. Love you guys!

Elder Brian