Helloooo family!

Wow it was another great week. Meliza and Vida C_____ got confirmed on Sunday. We took Meliza to a lesson with a lady we met and it was spectacular. The lady came to church and loved it. Actually, if you all go back to my email that I sent on May 14, I talked about the lady that we met while riding our bikes and then did some service. After that day of service, we went back as an entire zone and spent two hours and cleaned up the ENTIRE yard. It was awesome. Afterwards, we attempted to talk about the gospel a little but she didn't seem too accepting and we didn't want to offend or push too much so we just told her that we were always willing to come back by and serve.
During the next couple weeks, Elder Covington and I thought about stopping by or giving her a call but we kept telling ourselves that she would give us a call when she was ready. We wanted to teach her so bad though! After such an awesome day of service, we both thought for sure that something good would come out of it.
Well, just this past week, she called us. She said she felt terrible but she needed some help in her yard again and didn't know what to do. We were on exchanges so Elder Call and I went to her house at noon and spent an hour and a half helping her out, and then we finally sat down and taught her the gospel! The next day, Elder Covington and I went by with Meliza and had one of the most amazing lessons ever. Yesterday, she came to church and loved it.
We are praying that she continues to learn and progress towards baptism and full conversion into the church. I'll keep you updated.

Hmm, other than that, things are going...absolutely amazing. Guess what? I'm eating pretty healthy. Have I mentioned that I've only eaten wheat bread on the mission? Hey dad, tell Grandma that I like nuts now. When she sent the caramel for Christmas, I was the one that ate the ones with nuts in them; although, I still prefer without nuts in caramel and brownies! But I love the turtle chocolates with cashews and I love trail mix with almonds and peanuts. I'm one of the few missionaries in the apartment who eats fruits and vegetables. It's more expensive but I feel healthy. I'm thinking about buying some protein though because I'm getting kind of skinny and I want to bulk up. I can't come home skinner than when I left. Isn't it a rule that you're supposed to gain weight on the mission? We have a bench press in the apartment but it's kind of crappy and I don't really like using it too much. It doesn't have a lot of weight and it's outside, and you wouldn't believe how hot and humid it gets, even at 6:30 in the morning. I'm really big into jump roping now. Maybe I can start getting rid of my little chicken legs. Man, I remember when I was with Elder Diamond in Rio Grande and he had 6 months left so he started his "Six months to Sexy" program (which he gave up on after a few weeks). Well, I think it's time for me to start the program for myself. Jump roping, bench press, maybe a few sit-ups here and there. We'll see :)

Haha well I gotta run. I need to write to president real quick, go shopping, and then get our gear so we can play some basketball. Last week was soooo fun! Some of the best basketball I've played on the mission.  

Hasta Luego!

Elder Bret

June 4, 2012

To start off, Meliza and Vida C____ were baptized yesterday. It was awesome. I feel like there are many more baptisms to come from this family.

Things in Edinburg are amazing as always. We have some fresh blood in the zone and it has kind of spiced things up a little. It's been fun :)

I found an ipod nano the other day while proselyting. It was smashed into the ground pretty bad but I took it home and cleaned it up as best as I could. A muchacha from the Spanish ward got me a wristband made specially for the ipod so now I can use it as a watch, by using the watch setting on the ipod. It's pretty cool. The screen is cracked pretty bad so it doesn't look that great, but oh well. It was an exciting find. I'm not sure how I saw it, but I happened to glance down and see a faint apple symbol and then I dug it up. Pretty cool huh? Definitely one of my better tracting treasures...
We're playing basketball today with some missionaries and a bunch of the older youth from church. Also, Amador (baptized two weeks ago) and Arturo (Didn't get baptized yesterday with his sister and niece, but will hopefully get baptized soon) are coming. It's gonna be fun.

It's hot. 'Nuff said :)

I'm excited for another week. The weeks go by too fast. I'm glad it's the summer though. School is out so we can contact more families, and it means we can bring the youth to play sports with us on P-days. I feel like the summer is going to go by real fast though. Uh-oh.

Pardon my interesting email. Bunch of just little random things. Thanks y'all for everything.
love,
Elder Brett

May 29, 2012

Elder Covington and I are staying together in Edinburg for one more transfer. It's his last transfer, which means that I'll stay for another one after he leaves. I'm stoked. Another family of three (relatives to the family of 8 from a week ago) is getting baptized this sunday. I think I mentioned it in a past email, but they are from Michigan! One of the guys is 16 years old and he has lived in Lansing all his life. He just came down a couple years ago to be with his relatives here in the valley, but he wants to go back to Michigan so bad. I promised him that he can stay with me when I'm back at school at UofM, and that I'll take him to a Michigan football game. He is super excited. He wants to go to either UofM or MSU and I'm trying to convince him to become a wolverine. We'll see...

Well, I gotta keep it short this week. We weren't able to email yesterday because it was memorial day so we had to do it quickly today. Yesterday we went to the Ward Mission Leader's house from the Spanish ward and he made us a huge barbecue since several of the missionaries in the zone are leaving. It was fun. He's an awesome WML; we have some of the greatest members here in Edinburg.

Well we gotta run. Just know that I'm healthy and happy and loving every single second of every single day :)

love y'all muchisimo!!

Elder Brett

May 21, 2012

It's days like yesterday that make me think "Oh crap, I only have 6 months left"

Remember that awesome family of 8 we were teaching? They all got baptized yesterday, including the father's sister that the other elders in our apartment were teaching. It was one of the coolest baptismal services ever. It looked like Michigan in the winter; white.

Today we are going over to have a family home evening at their house. We have been doing them every Monday for the past several weeks and they love it. We have had different members of the church come with us to help them learn how to hold an FHE and to make it more fun. I included a picture of the family's baptism and I'll send more (maybe in the mail) of the family when we're at the FHE. It's getting to know families like this that make me not want to ever leave.

We are teaching so many more great people. I'm excited for the month of June. My companion and I are having a blast together and we're praying that we both stay here in Edinburg for one more transfer. It will be Elder Covington's last transfer. We were saying that it would be totally unfair for one of us to leave and have somebody else come into this area and inherit such awesome families! We have worked so hard. Pero, ni modo. Whatever happens, happens. But I still hope I stay here in Edinburg!

We're going to play some basketball later today. One of the guys that got baptized yesterday, the 21 year old son, is hopefully going to come too. He was talking smack to us yesterday saying that he was going to school us on the court, so Elder Covington and I are going to show him what's up. :)

Well, love y'all bunches.

Elder Brett

May 14, 2012

It was so nice being able to speak to y'all on the phone yesterday! (Except for you mal, sorry) The time flew by so fast. The next time we speak, it will be thanksgiving! Crazy huh.

So I only have 6 more months left to write you emails as a missionary, and my goal is to answer all of the questions that you ask in your emails to me. I know, I tend to forget or rush to fast to be able to respond. I'll do better. Also, I'll make sure and send some more pictures. I haven't been taking as many as I did when I first got to the mission, and I need to repent for that. Pictures are way better than me just trying to describe what I'm doing, so I promise to send more pictures. Just not today, I forgot my cord...

On Saturday we were riding bikes (Side note: In Mercedes and here in Edinburg I am in a car area, but there is a mission-wide rule that Saturdays are bikes days, and all companionships must ride bikes from at least 11-4. But because Elder Covington and I have a bunch of little errands and meetings, we run out of our monthly allotment of miles so we ride bikes several times a week) and we were riding around all day stopping by people but it was getting a little frustrating because we didn't really encounter anyone outside that we could talk to as we rode from place to place. Finally it got to about 6:30 and we had an appointment at 7 with the C____ family and as we were riding to their house, we saw a lady outside a broken down trailer hacking away at the weeds near the side of the road. We pulled up, hopped off our bikes, and asked what we could do to help. She was hesitant to accept our help, claiming that she wouldn't want to see our white shirts get dirty. I told her that we had been riding on our bikes all day and I had been using my sleeve as a handkerchief, and that we probably couldn't get much dirtier than we already were. We then told her to give us the tools she was using and she could take a break.

We only had 25 minutes but we obliterated as many weeds as we could. She said she had a hard time pulling the weeds in the ditch so pulled all the ones in the ditch that we could. It was a ton of fun. The neighbor next door was sitting outside and he started poking fun at the lady saying that she was so lucky for getting free help, and then the lady started telling us again how she felt bad and that her neighbors were going to think that she was using us for free labor. (She already tried offering to pay us) We told her not to worry, we'd stop by their houses next to offer free service. Before finishing up and getting on our bikes, we set up a time to come by tomorrow afternoon with the rest of the missionaries in the zone so we can finish cleaning up her yard and house. Turns out, her house was broken into and the doors and windows were smashed in just recently. Then before taking off, the next door neighbor came over with 3 ice cold water bottles for us. Finally, we got to the Celedons and had a magnificent lesson, as well as a miraculous experience, which I will have to share next week because my time is running out and I need to email president.

Love y'all mucho!

-Elder Brett

May 7, 2012

Yesterday was the best day ever. This time I mean it for real. Bro. and Sis. G____, who I knew when I first started my mission in Rio Grande, now live in Edinburg and they took me back to Mercedes/Weslaco so I could participate in the baptism of the Ochoa family. They are an awesome awesome family that I grew real close to but was forced to say goodbye to before their baptism when I left for Edinburg. I was able to baptize the daughter, Vanessa. I'm so glad that I am still close to my old area! It was sooo cool being able to walk back into the chapel and see everybody that I knew. Let me tell ya, it felt like my "welcome home". It was the largest baptismal service I had every seen, and two of my recent convert families were there. I got to see the missionaries that were in my old district, I got to see my hijo (the elder I trained) Elder Ferrel!!!, and I got to see Elder Duke again. I was in a trio with him and Elder Anderson when I first got to Texas. He took my spot as district leader, after having been my zone leader up on Corpus. Yesterday was the best day ever.

We're still pretty stoked for this gigantic family that we're teaching. I love having lessons with them. I have not taught a lot of people who have had such a strong desire to learn more and to keep the commitments that we leave them. They are such a sincere family. Hopefully all continues to go well. They really love the ward. The Spanish families here in Edinburg are amazing. There's a Spanish branch in michigan right? I need to check it out when I get back home.

I can barely believe that I'll be calling home this weekend. It feels like just yesterday that I was calling home on Mother's day when I was in Rio Grande City. How much has happened since then?! My goodness.

Les quiero muchisimo!

-Elder Brett

Yesterday was the best day ever. This time I mean it for real. Bro. and Sis. G____, who I knew when I first started my mission in Rio Grande, now live in Edinburg and they took me back to Mercedes/Weslaco so I could participate in the baptism of the Ochoa family. They are an awesome awesome family that I grew real close to but was forced to say goodbye to before their baptism when I left for Edinburg. I was able to baptize the daughter, Vanessa. I'm so glad that I am still close to my old area! It was sooo cool being able to walk back into the chapel and see everybody that I knew. Let me tell ya, it felt like my "welcome home". It was the largest baptismal service I had every seen, and two of my recent convert families were there. I got to see the missionaries that were in my old district, I got to see my hijo (the elder I trained) Elder Ferrel!!!, and I got to see Elder Duke again. I was in a trio with him and Elder Anderson when I first got to Texas. He took my spot as district leader, after having been my zone leader up on Corpus. Yesterday was the best day ever.
We're still pretty stoked for this gigantic family that we're teaching. I love having lessons with them. I have not taught a lot of people who have had such a strong desire to learn more and to keep the commitments that we leave them. They are such a sincere family. Hopefully all continues to go well. They really love the ward. The Spanish families here in Edinburg are amazing. There's a Spanish branch in michigan right? I need to check it out when I get back home.
I can barely believe that I'll be calling home this weekend. It feels like just yesterday that I was calling home on Mother's day when I was in Rio Grande City. How much has happened since then?! My goodness.
Les quiero muchisimo!
-Elder Brett