Raw Fetus Rats

 Hola cómo están???

Weslaco is wild man. Send me some pictures from your lives. Fisher - I hope you're still watching the Suite Life of Zack and Cody.

GOOD:

- Last Preparation Day, we got to go to this awesome pulga. There were literally so many fun things. I ended up walking out of this place with a poncho. But like a poncho that makes me look like Bruno from Encanto. I wear it before bed and it is one of my favorite things. Really reminds me of my comfy back home so I am down for it. Also had to purchase a little box to add to my mom's collection but she probably won't be getting it until I come home because it sounds like a hassle to ship it back home. Anyways... mom I got you a little gift :) 

- WE GOT TO GO BACK TO MCALLEN ON FRIDAY. At this point, it is like I never left. I always love going back into my old area, it definitely has a special place in my heart. We went to McAllen to meet with President Larreal about some changes we want to make with the TMM's social media presence. We want to make some big changes, and guess what? President is so down. I LOVE THIS GUY. He has got so much energy and is so ready to elevate our mission to the next level. We spent a few hours discussing our plans with the president and he invited us to come back this week for a "business lunch" (said in his very thick accent) to continue getting things figured out. By the end of our time with President, we all felt like we had just sat through a Spanish Immersion Marketing class, pretty fun though. It is super cool to get to work so closely with the President and I am definitely down to make a few extra trips back home to McAllen! 

- Got completely roasted by a lady this week for my Spanish. Just when I thought I was getting the hang of it this woman hits me with "If you don't know Spanish, don't talk to me in Spanish." A good wake up call that Spanish study is super important and I have a lot of room to grow. Also, she is probably one of the first rude people I have come across here in the valley, everyone here is so nice. So, if you have learned a language, hit me up with some study tips.

BETTER:

- Started the week with some service helping a family in our ward move. We pulled up to their apartment complex and I said "Elder Ollie, I pray they don't live on the 3rd floor." Heavenly Father was definitely loling because not only did they live on the 3rd floor... but they had some big, awkward and heavy furniture to move down. This was pretty brutal but definitely the family needed our help so it was a blast. To make matters even better, their neighbors came over at the end and gave us some tamales! They were so incredible!

- This week we had success getting in contact with some cool part-member families we have been trying to teach. We got to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Leal Family, the Restoration to the Vela Family (literally a MIRACLE we finally got in contact with these homies, prayer is so cool) and a lesson on Baptism to the Meyer Family. It is always incredible to be in these homes because you get to teach both people who already have received the message and can help you bear testimony as well as people who are in their early stages of learning. We know that the family is ordained of God and that the home is the best place for the gospel to be taught. The spirit has confirmed this truth to me this week as I have had the pleasure to teach these families about Jesus Christ and God's plan for them. We saw some of these families in church this week and look forward to continuing to nurture them all. Heavenly Father loves families!

- Here is a cool little miracle to remind you that if something is important to you, it is important to God too. On Wednesday, while we were planning, I found an old record of a man named Al. Al had been getting taught by missionaries and according to our records nobody had tried to reach out to him in a few years. I felt that we needed to go see Al, even though he lives at the very top of our area and we needed to be cautious about using our miles (again the car area is not it). So, midday we made our way up to Al's house. We get there and guess what?! The address was for an old abandoned home and his phone number was disconnected. Immediately I was a little bothered about why I would've been led to this home if this is all we were going to find. But, just at that moment we noticed someone standing on the property next door to Al's old home. We went up to talk to him and met JESSIE. Jessie was standing in front of the single largest pile of trash I have ever seen. We started talking to him and finally offered to help him out... he looked at us and said "yeah, I actually really do need help." We proceeded to begin cleaning up this rotting potion of trash (I have never seen anything like this pile of trash before) and started talking to Jessie. He kept saying "How did you find me ALL the way up here?" and then he called his dad and said "You won't believe what happened, I needed help and then out of nowhere these two boys showed up!" We spent about 30 minutes helping Jessie and by the time we were done, he had already invited 2 friends over to meet us and given us his contact information. Jessie is now being taught by the missionaries in his area!!! How amazing is that? ALSO SIDE NOTE, you have to know that at the bottom of this pile of trash we found multiple pink, fun-sized, little newborn rats. One of the most disturbing things I have ever seen. Throw your trash away.

- Elder Ollie and I continue to be referral sending machines. Lots and lots of good Spanish contacts this week which is amazing and cool and awesome but still means we are looking to fill up our finding font. We know Heavenly Father has children prepared for us, just gotta keep working hard to find them.

BEST:

I read one of the best talks this week called "Ladder of Faith" by Elder Larry S. Kacher. My biggest take-away is that we cannot and should not expect ourselves to make it through life alone. Elder Kacher says "An over dependence on ourselves can impede our ability to access the powers of heaven." This is something I struggle with! I like to be self-sufficient and fully in control of my own life. But at times, we truly have to sit back, trust God and keep making the best decisions we can. He asks us to be patient and to trust in His timing.

Another quote I absolutely loved says "We recognize that obedience to God's commands enables us to be trusted of Him." Back when I was serving in McAllen we had a discussion about becoming someone God can trust, since then my motivation as a child of God has changed. My choices are made with the hope to show God that I am trustworthy and have integrity. When our biggest goal is to be trusted by our Heavenly Father, every other choice we are faced with, will become easy. 

"Work Hard, Keep the Commandments, Have a Positive Attitude and Show Gratitude.

I LOVE YOU GUYS

- Elder Stringcheese