Changes

Hello mom good to hear everything is going good out there in the big ol wonderful Utah. Texas is so flat... and boring! Can't stand how flat it is! You need to tell Aaron to send longer emails. He's not very descriptive. 

Wow Natalie is already one!? Where did that year go! Holy moly it went by really quick. Finally my siblings got some sense in them, and they seem to visit more often which is good. The weather has been fine here. Consistently 60 and 70 degree weather... not normal. Haven't had rain I don't think since the last big storm. I think we will get some next week though. This week is going to be warm. 

Transfers are next week. I will probably get transferred, but who knows I might stay we will see how that goes. I think I'll miss Beaumont, a lot, but I'm kinda ready for a change of scenery. Being able to go somewhere different will be nice. The only bad part is leaving all the friends I've made here! If you could send some more hair stuff in this box, awesome. If not it's okay though.

We had the worldwide missionary broadcast the other day. Our missionary schedule is changed. It is much more flexible. We choose throughout the day when to study and such so we can practice our agency as a companionship and see what's best for us. We plan in the morning now, and are offered an extra hour of sleep, now can go to bed at 9:30, if needed. Preparation days now are a bit different with the change of study times. P-Day can now technically start much earlier because shorter studies.Key indicators are now changed instead of having nine we have four that we report. We now only have to report who's baptized and confirmed, who's at sacrament, new investigators, and who has a baptismal date. It'll be interesting with the new schedule. I like the change though.

We are teaching a lady named Graciela and her daughter Alondra. They are really cool, and solid! She says she knows, and has known (cuz her sister is a member) that the BOM is true and that Joseph smith was a prophet and so on. She's just a little hesitant on getting baptized, but we are going to work with her further. Hopefully she gets excited about baptism and decides that's the path she wants to take. 

At District meeting Elder Kohler was in the utility closet, and he was behind this metal gate/door. The door led to a secluded room with no exit. He jokingly was saying he wondered if he could lock himself in there. I naturally was curious so I closed the door on him hahaha. It really did lock him in there and we had no key! It was so funny! He was stuck in there for quite a bit and then finally he got out. It was a good laugh. 

I've been playing a lot of tennis on pdays. I play with elder wood, he played in high school so I play with him. He went to hunter and lived in West Valley! I'm not very good yet, but getting better that's for sure! 

We ate at a members house this week, and had deer. They cooked it with these soggy enchilada type things. It wasn't very good, and far too chewy. Didn't like how they cooked it at all!! Food is always a struggle with me here haha. But yesterday we went to a members house out in lumberton, the Maldonados. We ate barbacoa and spaghetti. We made little tacos out of them with pico de gallo and sauce it was actually really good! And their sons can sure eat man... they ate so much! I'll insert a picture of them! 

This week was alright but anyways have a good week!

New Investigators

This week went by really fast as well. 

Didn't get my pants hopefully I'll get them today if I'm at my apartment. If not I'll pick it up at FedEx tomorrow.

Yeah I will probably get transferred I will have to let you know. President told me that I would most likely go. Which is sad cuz I love the families I've met here. Have lots of friends! But you can send a package to the mission office I would get it no matter what!

We have a two new investigators this week that are pretty solid. She is the sister of a member and we met with her and she has a ton of good questions and seems really interested. We meet with her again tomorrow. I bet she will be my next baptism she's super cool.


Sunday, president Rascon came to our ward. He is our mission presidents counselor, one of them. He's super cool and sat in our gospel principles class that we teach and shared some really cool insights. He is really knowledgeable and In tune with the spirit. He gave an investigator a blessing and they were really powerful. Gave us one too. Never will forget what he said in mine.

Spiritual thought: So on exchanges with my district leader Elder Kohler, we stopped by a young women's house to teach her that night. I had met her before so I knew who she was and was able to be friends with her. During the lesson and be fore the lesson, she expressed that she was experiencing thoughts and feelings, like she was not good enough
and people had told her she was ugly and etc. during the lesson I had the impression to interrupt and tell her that she was a daughter of god and that all that other people think don't matter because of his love for her and her potential. I finally did it and expressed those and some other things I was impressed to tell her that I will not mention. But anyway yesterday Kohler told me that she had said that night she stayed up till 4 crying because of the spirit she was able
to feel when I told her those things. I didn't think much of what I had said and didn't realize the impact. She said she never really understood where she came from and who she was. Now she does. I share that because we need to rely on the spirit and listen to those fleeting thoughts that we receive. You never know what kind of result or influence that may come out of it.

This week was good, but hopefully next week is better. Love you, have a good week.

Stories

Well this week was an interesting one for us missionaries. Including harassment from a crazy lady, Elder Nabos biking adventure, going to Vidor, etc. It was a good week for the most part just had its ups and downs. 

We were at Buffalo Wild Wings with the English Elders Tuesday for lunch. We were minding our own business, and eating our wings. A lady was seated next to us and she asked from what church we were from. Elder Hill exclaimed that we were from the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She rolls her eyes and said " oh mormons." She then goes on telling us we are stupid for believing the Book of Mormon. Saying we contradict ourselves and that we shouldn't be here in this kind of environment. She tried to tell us how our religion was. Elder Nabo and I kept our cool, said hello and kept eating, minding our own business. Elder Wood however wasn't too happy and in his ginger rage, went and talked to her. She then started raising her voice arguing with him, calling him gay and dumb. They then came back and sat down. She continued to harass and degrade us in public the rest of the time. Later when we were leaving she got up and called us all gay and said that we need Jesus in our lives. So there's an interesting story for you. And it's something I see all the time. People attacking us for no reason when we are minding our own business. But worry not for the work goes on. 

Story number two. On Wednesday, we were coming back from a meeting, biking on a street that had recently been under construction. There were these metal grates on the ground to cover holes. I was in front and dodged them, with ease because I am smaller and nimble. Elder Nabo however didn't see them. I was humming a song when all of a sudden I hear, "Oh shoot!" I looked back and Elder Nabo was rolling on the ground. He got pretty beat up. I tried not to laugh but couldn't help it... haha.

So that leads into the next story. Because of Elder Nabo's fall, we were able to go to the doctor over in Vidor. Beaumont is as Far East as Spanish missionaries go, the furthest East Spanish area, so going to Vidor was a real treat. But turns out Vidor had a heavy KKK population back in the day and still has people who don't like people such as my comp. poor guy. The whole day people were honking at him and yelling. It was interesting. He was probably the only black guy in Vidor haha. 

Had a meal this week that was super hard to eat... we were outside surrounded by a dog and there was hair everywhere. We were given tostadas and some sopa. The sopa had bugs floating around in it and the meal had hair everywhere. Hard for a germaphobe.... next was brought out a whole fish. It was extremely burnt and we had to eat it all. Next was some old cake. Idk how old it was but it was hard and slimy. It was a rough time for sure!

That pretty much sums it up for my week. Hope you all have a good one. Love you guys 

-Fray

The Ladder

This week was pretty good it went by very fast. Had some adventures this week!

To start off, probably the most exciting story this week. The ladder story. So us Spanish elders received a gift card for fifty bucks to outback steakhouse on Sunday. We took the English first ward elders out to eat with us. They drove and our bikes were on the bike rack. After a hardy meal and some good laughs we were on the road to do some service for a lady who was moving out. We were on the freeway cruising in heavy traffic when suddenly, out of nowhere, a ladder emerges. It was just laying on the road. Elder Wood tried to act fast! He looked from side to side but lo, we were trapped by cars! So Elder Wood in his quick thinking brilliance, lined the car up to go over the ladder just right so he wouldn't run it over with his tires (the ladder was facing long ways towards us). We ran over but when the ladder got to the back we heard a loud thud and we bounced about. I looked behind me and was terrified... for any sign of my bike being still attached to the rack was quickly dashed. My bike was nowhere to be seen. We pulled over and jumped right out. Our bike rack was bent and all deformed. My bike was hanging by the tire dragging along the freeway. The back axle had snapped and the wheel had been disconnected. With closer examination, some components on the back tire were bent and my tire was warped. Our hopes for a good day had just slumped into defeat. We awaited the zone leaders to pick us and our bikes up and we headed over to the nearest bike shop.

All in repairs I spent around 35$. I was lucky it wasn't more expensive because it seemed like some things were  not repairable. But now I am extremely low on money due to that. So if you could send some extra money for this month that would be Amazing!

We had exchanges this week, I went with Elder Jones. We had a good day. Met some... Interesting people.

We spent more time at Nahum and Dulce's house. It's always fun to go there. 

Elder Nabo is a good 6'6. He's super hilarious and this week was really good with him. We get along great and have lots of fun together. He moved to Maryland just out of DC four years ago. He played soccer and was rookie of the year. He has a really good shot of playing with the National team for the Ivory Coast. He's real good. He's just been out a couple months more than me so we are both still learning things. 

That's about it this week. We were able to give some blessings to people in the hospital this week that was cool. Played tennis last pday against Elder Wood. He's good and played in high school. He is from West Valley. 

Have a good week love yall  

-Fray

Happy New Years!

We were out of town last Monday so I'm just adding that email to this weeks email!   

12/22/16: Being able to see and talk with everyone was a little weird honestly, but it was great! I get my new companion on Tuesday. I hope he is cool too, fingers crossed. No really new people. Except a kid named Reuben that we taught during an exchange. We was really neat to talk to and had a lot of questions about what Mormons where and what we did. We thought we prayed to Satan haha. Things people hear these days.... 

Say hi again to Emily for me. That should be fun. Nice California trip! 

I miss the snow! It was a little depressing to have Christmas here be around 70 degrees... used to a colder Christmas! 

Hopefully this next week I will have more to write about, but until then everyone have some good times! 

Love you mom!

-Fray

1/2/17: Hellloooo mom!

Weird that it is already 2017. This last year went by so quick! Yep holidays are always really fast, wish they went slower and there were more of them.

My new companion is Elder Nabo. He has been out for six months so he is new too. He is 6'6! He's from The Ivory Coast, and speaks French, English (a little), Spanish (a little) and eight African dialects. He's really funny too. 

Didn't really do anything for New Years. Had to be in by 7:30. Wasn't exciting at all because I got sick from something I ate and let's just say it didn't not stay in my stomach. It came out through my mouth, if you're catching my drift. First time throwing up in so many years.

Week was fine. Not very fun and kinda slow. Hopefully this week will be better for me.

A girl from our branch is leaving for her mission in Provo Utah today. She's super cool. It would be neat for you to take her to lunch or something one of these days, she's a homie.

Nothing else really this week. Hung out at Dulce and Nahum's house a bit. They are way cool and I love going over there. Shoutout to Anahi. She's cool.

Well that's it for this week.-Fray