Feb. 27, 2012

Hey y'all!

Sorry I didn't write last week. It was Presidents day and the biblioteca was closed. Anyway, everything is going great. Mercedes is wonderful. I'm especially fond with Progresso (the little pueblo close to the border). There are two awesome families that live down there and we have been taking them out to lessons with us. It's been wonderful teaching in Spanish again! There's just something about teaching in Spanish. It feels better. Elder Harris is still fairly new but his spanish is progressing. The Hispanic people are so patient and loving; it makes it easy. We just tell them, "no hablamos muy bien el espanol" and that if they have any questions to just ask us. They never make fun of us for our mistakes and always seem excited and willing to help us learn. I think it's because they have all experienced the struggle of trying to speak a new language since they are here in the United States.

It's always funny though when we make a silly mistake. Here's one for ya:

We were visiting Yazmin and her family and there was a mattress propped up in the hall and Yazmin was messing around with it and so her Grandma, Hermana G____ (one of the greatest people I have ever met, seriously) mentioned something about the mattress and used the word calchones with is the plural form of mattress in Spanish. Well Elder Harris, misinterpreting the word, asked what chones were. Yazmin BUSTED out laughing and said "ELDER! Do you know what chones are!? They are underpants!!" It was absolutely hilarious. Yazmin is probably the coolest 9 year old in the world.

Another story about Yazmin: This was a couple weeks ago when we were teaching her about baptism and we showed her a picture of John the Baptist baptizing Jesus and Sis. G____ mentioned to her that they were cousins. When Yazmin heard that, she had this intense look on her face as if she were contemplating something really important and you could see the gears turning in her brain. Then, after a few second pause, she exclaimed. "OOHHHHH. They're PRIMOS!!!!!" (Primos means cousins in Spanish) Elder Harris and I almost died laughing. Teaching Yazmin has probably been one of the most memorable experiences of my mission. Sis G___ has us over every sunday evening for dinner and she washes our laundry on Monday mornings. We then just take it to the laundromat to dry. She is probably the strongest member in the entire Spanish Ward and does so much to help everybody out. I don't know a whole lot about visiting teaching but she seems to be the picture-perfect example of what visiting teaching is all about. Many members have been brought back to activity and I'm sure many are currently active in the church because of her.

We are getting together as a district to play some jungle-uno later today. It's basically extreme uno. It's fun. We play it the the Grindstaff family on sundays after church. There are 8 of us in the district and it's probably the coolest district in the world. Did I tell you that I'm the district leader? It's been a fun transfer. And guess what, President texted me the other day and I'm training again next transfer!! I was hoping to be with Elder Harris for another transfer but oh well. It will be cool to get another verdecito! (greenie).

Thanks familia for everything! Los quiero muchisimo!

-Elder Brett

Feb. 13, 2012

Hey fam,

Things are going great here in Mercedes. I still love this place to death. There are some great members in both wards and we are teaching some great people in both as well. It's been a little rainy and cold this past week. I'm just trying to enjoy it while it lasts. Pretty soon I'll forget what rain is so why not enjoy tracting in it while I can, right?

Guess what? We won the futbol match last week! I scored the first goal and then my companion scored one, hermano Carrasco, the ward mission leader, scored one and then Leo, a recent convert, scored 2. It was maravilloso. We are playing again today at 2. I need to get back into shape though. After 30 seconds I was already beat. sheesh. Fortunately that's the case for most the missionaries. Too many tacos (and flautas, tostadas, gorditas, chili rellenos, taquitos, etc etc...)

Well, one day I am going to send some pictures. I promise.
I love you all! Thanks for todo lo que hacen para mi. Les quiero a ton!

Elder Mecham

Feb. 6, 2012

So I don't have a lotta time. The McAllen Zone (the one I'm in) and the Edinburg zone are getting together for a futbol match. It's gonna get ugly. Elder Harris and I need to go and get warmed up. 

Real quickly though, it was an amazing week. 5 people that are preparing for baptism came to church. We are working with the R_____ family and they are AWESOME. All are members except for the dad, who just came back a couple weeks ago from Monterrey. They are a poquito loco, but they are amazing.

I'm having too much fun and loving every minute. Yeah there are some difficult times now and then but a phrase I shared with my last couple companions is "Every day is a good day when you're a missionary for the Lord." And it's true! We're being too blessed. Thanks so much for all your prayers! And your updates! I'll write more next week! I hope...

Love,

Elder Brett

PS - I'll let you know how many goals I score in my next week's email. Good thing I can count real high in Spanish.

Jan. 30, 2012

Wow. I love Mercedes Texas. This place is awesome. I'm back to being on the border! After a 3 hour ride back down to the valley from Corpus, I got out of the transfer van and took a big whiff of Mexican air. It smelled wonderful.

Mercedes is a small town of about 12,000, which is about the size of Rio Grande, but there are hardly any businesses; just residential homes. We also cover a small city of a few thousand called Progreso and it goes right up to the border. We are teaching mostly in spanish and it is amazing being able to teach in Spanish again. I can already feel my spanish improving.

My companion is Elder Harris and he's from northern Alabama. It's good to be with someone who isn't from the west. I got pretty sick of teasing everybody from Utah, Idaho, and California. We're having a great time serving together. It looks like we have the same goals and desires and we're definitely going to get work done here.

Before leaving Corpus, I had some of the members and investigators that we were teaching sign one of my journals that I use for people I've met on the mission. The M____ family each wrote an individual note and Sister M_____'s cousin, Nellie, wrote that she will send me a picture of her baptism day. She is getting baptized this Sunday. I'm a little disappointed that I won't be there for it after teaching her everything but I'm really excited to be able to teach the people here. I've already met quite a few. One of our goals for these next couple weeks is to build up our teaching pool because we only have a few investigators. Things are looking really good though. I hope I'm here for a while. The members are great. We cover both an English and Spanish ward and I'm trying to learn all their names. There are a lot of people.

Well family, life is maravillosa. Can you believe it's February? Maybe one of my prayers will be answered and time will start to slow down. Or maybe it won't, who knows. I'm just excited to see what my time here in Mercedes will bring me. You are all in my prayers. Thanks for everything!

Que tenga un dia maravilloso!

Con mucho love,

Elder Brett

Jan. 23, 2012

Hey y'all. I'm being transferred back to the valley, down to Mercedes
Texas! I'm not exactly sure where that's at, but I do know it's pretty
close to McAllen. I'm so excited. It's been awesome up here in Corpus
Christi. I'm pretty sad to leave, especially having to say goodbye to
all the members, but it'll be cool to meet some more. I'll be covering
both a Spanish and English ward. It will be my first time working in a
Spanish ward, instead of just a tiny branch. Elder Davis and I have
been doing great at SYL, but it will be cool to be able to speak even
more Spanish now. My companion is going to be Elder Harris. I'll let
you know all about him next email I guess.
I need to send some pictures home soon. I haven't taken as many as I
should've here in Corpus. Yesterday, Tabby gave a talk in the YSA
branch so we went over there to hear her speak. It was amazing.
Afterwards, we got a picture of her, Manuel, Elder Davis, and I and
I'll make sure and send it home soon. It's an awesome picture with two
recent converts. Did I tell you that Tabby applied for BYU and now
she's waiting to hear back? If she gets in, she'll be there before I
even get home. Crazy huh?
We are meeting as a zone at a taco place called Taco Bueno pretty soon
for a zone lunch so we gotta head out. Thanks y'all for everything!
Love,
Elder Brett

Jan. 16, 2012

Hey familia,
It was an awesome week. The weather has been great. Not too hot, not
cold anymore. I'm soaking it all in until the summer comes again. I
kind of hope that I'm in a bike area during the summer. Once in a
lifetime experience right? Although I am really sick of buying new
tire tubes.
We are playing basketball soon with the other missionaries so we gotta
bounce! Did you all get my emails last week? I sent y'all personal
ones. Hopefully you all got them. Thanks mal for the dearelder. And
steph, I want to hear from you! I'll either write a letter or email
next week just to you.
I'm healthy and happy. Just trying to make time slow down. Elder Davis
and I are having a great time together. It's been fun training him.
Well, les quiero mucho.
-Elder Brett

Jan. 2, 2012

Life is so great right now. Things are amazing. Yesterday, the M___ family (we eat dinner there every sunday evening) brought sister M___'s cousin to church. She isn't a member and Sister M___ has been trying to teach her ever since she converted to the church twenty years ago. Her cousin, Nellie, never showed much interest until about a week ago. We introduced ourselves to Nellie and then later, Sister M___ told us that they were up to 4:30 in the morning a few nights ago talking about the gospel. We went to the M___'s early last night and had a beautiful lesson. We started off with "Reflections of Christ" which brought the Spirit so strongly into the lesson and then we taught her the gospel. She is now preparing to be baptized on the fifth of February. It's great because she has such amazing support from the family. That's what one of the most difficult parts about teaching people and helping them get baptized; getting them the support from the ward/branch. Fortunately, she already has that support.

Elder Davis and I are loving every minute of every day. He is doing a great job at taking upon himself more and more responsibilty. Although, I still have a hard time convinving him to start the door and street contacts. He gets pretty nervous doing that. But then I think about my first few months and I was pretty terrified too. I was doing them in Spanish though! But he's improving a lot. It's fun to see the progress. It reminds me so much of the beginning of my mission. It feels so recent and so far away at the same time. It's hard to believe that I was serving in St. George at one point. I'm so grateful I was able to do that. I love being here in Texas though. It's exciting to be able to start off a new year.

I hope y'all had a wonderful new years day. Again, it was so great being able to talk to you all on the phone on Christmas. Thanks also for the gifts you sent. I'll send some more pictures soon.

You are all in my prayers. Just know that I am happy, healthy, and having the greatest time in the world.

love,
Elder Brett