BAPTISM!

I'm feeling a lot better this week! And don't worry mom. I'm a germ-a-phobe. My comps know it, I'm always using hand sanitizer. Which reminds me I'm running low!!

Ivonne got baptized Saturday! And she was confirmed yesterday. I got the opportunity to confirm her a member of the church, in Spanish. It was pretty nerve wrecking... first time haha. But it was a cool experience. I also spoke at the baptism. In Spanish, which was funny because when I got up to talk I looked out and I was like,"well everyone here speaks English and my talk is in Spanish oh well" haha. Our branch combines young women and young men primary, etc with the English ward so there was a lot of English members there haha. And a lot of people from the branch speak English really well haha. We don't have anyone else really solid to teach right now. We have one family that has potential but only have met them twice, taught the dad once. We will see how it goes.

Thanksgiving was great! Spent it at the Keffers. We had all the goodies just like home! Turkey, mashed potatoes, rolls, sweet potato casserole, etc. it was good. There was about 30 people there because it was Graciela's side of the family and Brother Keffers side. Plus Francisco, Arely, Ivonne,etc. Oh btw, Ivonne, Francisco and Arely are Graciela's nephew and nieces they live with the Keffers. Elder Johnson made a pumpkin pie and we sat down and ate it all with Francisco and Ivonne haha. Kept it to ourselves haha. I had like 7 pieces of pie within 13 hours of Thanksgiving and the next day haha. Love pumpkin pie. Did dad make his pie? I missed his pumpkin pie this year. Nothing beats it.

I already miss snow haha. After being here, only for a little bit, I already realized how much I like Utah and miss it haha. Utah is the best.

This week was really fun. Me and Elder Johnson got along the moment we got together. He is such a goof! He is from Idaho and loves fishing, hunting, and all sorts of that stuff. He's funny! We snagged a nice rocking chair, leather and everything for our apartment yesterday! We were biking around and saw it on the side of the road, so we asked the guy that lived there if we could take it and he said of course! We ended up teaching him too haha. Hopefully he gets an answer that what we shared was true and calls us back haha. We put the chair in the apartment it fits nicely. Nice and comfy. Our mission apartment is getting better! We were biking around one time and Johnson stopped and said,"woahhh look at that sweet jump." We found a jump off a sidewalk and he went off it and landed on a sharp part and his tired popped. It was funny.

It kind of stinks that I will be killing Johnson too. Two in a row. It's a little hard because they get trunks and then I start missing home.. but oh well I'll be okay. Miss my siblings, and parents , so much! Realized how much I'm close with them! Haha

That's all this week! Love you mom!

Happy Thanksgiving!

This week has been pretty good actually. My companion is Elder Johnson. He is from Idaho, and he's pretty funny! He goes home after this transfer so I'm killing him too so that's a bummer. Killing both my dads. 

Yeah I've been pretty sick. Not going to lie that part of the week has been miserable. I am and have been sick since Wednesday. 

Ivonne is solid. She's so cool! She is getting baptized this Saturday. There really isn't anyone else that's solid that we are teaching right now. This week hopefully we will get another though. Cross them fingers. 

Speaking of cold, it's getting cold here right now it is 45 degrees. This is a problem because I have literally no winter clothes at all. Not prepared for the cold. So I will need to buy some out here. There's a Kohls and a JCPenny out here and some other stores, so that gives you some ideas of what prices will be. But I'll need sweaters and a coat, etc. so I will need some money to go do some shopping! oooh also you should send over an extra blanket, like the brown one I used back home! To keep me warm! 

For thanksgiving we are going to the Keffers! Our home away from home! It's funny, their family is just like family! Love them. Hermana Keffer is so funny, reminds me a bit of you Mom. I'm close with em all really. Francisco is like a brother to me haha. 

Nothing's new here in Beaumont! Just the same old same old. Have a good week back home. Have a good thanksgiving and eat a lot of Dads home made pumpkin pie for me... cuz that's my favorite! Love y'all

-Fray

New Investigator

Hey mom!
I'm doing good. Bummed that today is the last day with TukuAfu. I loved having him as my comp. he was the perfect trainer for me. Hopefully I get someone cool so I don't go crazy.

Yeah I heard about Trump. Pretty interesting

Well that's pretty cool to see Eli growing up so quick! Seems like he was born yesterday. 

Got a new investigator, her name is Ivonne, she is Francisco and Arely's sister. She is 14 and is a solid investigator. At first she didn't want anything to do with us, but she warmed up and she is taking the lessons after I asked her. She's on date for baptism the 19th, but with conflicts with the church it might be the 18th or the following week.

Nothing new this week. Just going along Day at a time. It's pretty good. Love Beaumont. I spoke in sacrament yesterday, all in Spanish. It went pretty good, I talked on the atonement.

Have a good week mom. Love ya
-Fray

Home Cookin'

Hello hello!

Yep I'm doing good! I found out that yes the Carolina reaper is in fact the hottest pepper in the world... our buddy Julian grows them, he's in the branch presidency. We have seven more dried peppers here at the apartment. I'll probably have another. Maybe I'll send a video haha.

Woah Christmas is coming quick! For ties you can get whatever brand just make em be super cool! Employ Aaron if needed haha;) for food down here we eat anything from McDonald's, Subway, Chick fil a, Wendy's, ooooh Whataburger. Whataburger is a Texan burger joint that's pretty good. Burgers are huge! But don't get me one for there I'd get fat haha. I have a DVD player so yeah I a cd would work here!

Cool to hear about Simon! Tell the Fresques fam I miss em! 

Woahh Eli is already turning one... its like it was just yesterday when I was driving down to the hospital and he was born! That went fast

Idk if I'll have anything going on Thanksgiving. Hopefully someone who will make turkey mashed potatoes and rolls... yum. Not likely though cuz I'm Spanish.. which reminds me last night we ate at brother Paul's house and we had roast on mashed potatoes and rolls and a yummy salad and then a caramel filled brownie after.. man it was so good. Reminded me of home! You were right I miss yours and dads home cooking!

Had another baptism Saturday! Francisco! He's super cool! Now we have nothing really. More finding now. My comp goes home the 15. So I'll get my training finished out with someone else, hopefully he's cool cuz I loved my comp.

That time again mom where I'm broke... haha. I talked to some other missionaries and asked how they deal with the money situation and they all suggested having like a weekly fund. Like every week have at least so and so much money in the account and just put enough in to refill to that amount each week. But idk just thought it was an interesting idea because here in Texas, they don't give us enough for the msf. Still have a bunch we need for the apartment especially.

I think that's all for this week. Not much going on with me other than workin. Keep me up on the details! Love y'all

-Fray

Carolina Reaper

Hey mom!

My week was great actually. Wednesday was new missionary training so I got the iPad, and met up with my friends from the MTC. Saturday was our trunk or treat too. Three wards were there and all the Beaumont missionaries came. I'll put pictures. Our recent convert got baptized on Friday, Arely. She's real cool. She's ten, Francisco's little sister. He was going to be baptized with her Friday, but conflicts came up so he'll be baptized this Saturday. Well anyway she was at the trunk or treat too.

For the question: People here will say all the time "I came because someone influenced me or I had a great example" which is true, but they really came because they had a change of heart. At first I thought I came out because of my seminary teacher, and Aaron's example but I've realized I really came out because of me. I changed and actually wanted to come. Wanted to be a missionary and serve.

I have some bad news about Christmas and Skype. So with this mission president, Skype-ing is only allowed on Christmas and not Mother's Day. On Mother's Day only a 30-45 minute call is allowed. And my companion told me that now not even the Christmas Skype is even allowed. So I don't think I will be able to. Only a phone call. I'm honestly so upset that I can't Skype and hope that it's not true and I will be able to. But I guess I won't know until later...

So not to end on bad news, two weeks ago I ate a Carolina reaper. It is a pepper. I was told it's the hottest in the world. A ghost pepper is ten times hotter than a habanero, and a Carolina reaper is twice as hot, or hotter depending on the pepper, than a ghost pepper. So dad I've got you beat on the heat scale cuz I know you've had ghost pepper stuff before. But to share the experience, I ate a whole pepper. Swallowed it whole and everything. At first it had no taste and I was fine, but in about thirty seconds my whole head was throbbing like someone was shaking it around as if it were a jar of candy. I started sweating non stop and crying all over. My whole body started to tingle and shake I was bright red. And my body felt like it was on fire thought I was going to die haha... but anyways that's what it's like to eat a Carolina reaper. Terrible experience...but I would do it again hahahaha.

Not much is new with me. No new investigators really. Just enjoying the families we teach. The Keffers are really cool. Hermana Keffer is so funny! Araceli is her sister and Francisco and Arelys mom. They all live together and are so cool! Love going here. Also love Nahum and Dulce. Always a fun time. They are so cool.

I think that's all for this week. Looking forward to the pictures!

Love you guys! Love you mom!