Halloween Casi...

This week was the trunk or treat in the stake here in Harlingen! Basically what happened is there was a big party on Wednesday here at the church!  There was a ton of activities here and lots of people in costumes! It was a lot of fun and super great to hang out with the people and get to know them more.  They had a bunch of games as well and everyone there wanted all the missionaries to do them as a competition so we did!! The first one was bobbing for donuts and of course that tasted great!  But as we went on the members decided to make things harder so pretty soon we were doing everything blind folded! 

The missionaries in the stake here

A picture of all the youth!

More from la fiesta!

La familia Garcia aka the Incredibles!

Well there is a story behind this picture.  So one day this week after district meeting we went to the other missionaries apartment in our ward to eat lunch with them.  There was a really weird smell in the apartment and after looking around we found out it was the dishwasher.  Needless to say there was mold or something growing inside the dishwasher.  they had never used the dishwasher so the best way to clean it is run it right??! nope we got that one wrong! Anyways it basically started leaking everywhere and filled up completely with bubbles!

Minudo y Mordita

This week we had a meal appointment and it was the first time I have had minudo.  Unfortunately I do not have any pictures of the food because my phone has been broken this week but so you all know what it is it's basically zombie food.  It is intestines in soup.  The soup was really good good don't get me wrong with that it was just nasty that it had guts in it.  The way you eat it is you dish out the meat and put it on tortillas and eat it like a taco.  All the tacos and the soup looked like something you would see in the movies when a zombie is eating something.  Lucky I wasn't the only person that didn't like it though so it was all good.  This week we were also invited over to a member's house and they had a little birthday party for me and my companion.  And involved in it was a mordita! Let's just say that I can still smell cake in my nose.. 😂😂  Mordita is the tradition where you go to take a bite of the cake and everybody smashes it in your face!  

This week has also been a grinding week we have been going super hard on talking to everyone we see outside.  Yesterday we stopped to talk to some people as we were biking around and as we were talking the husband asked if we wanted water.  He then went inside and came back to the door and invited us inside.  He gave us juice, cookies, and fruit! And we were also able to share a really good message with him and his wife.  Something I have learned this week is to always open your mouth!  You never know if someone will accept the gospel or not if you do not try at first.  And it is the same with everything in life.  If we do not try we can not know for ourselves!

My birthday party with the Ortiz family

Un Poco Loco

It seems like a ton has happened this week and it's been crazy!  Yesterday we got a call and the ward wanted us to help with an 8 year old's baptism.  We said we would gladly help and they said they would let us know what we needed to do.  We showed up to the baptism 10 minutes before it was supposed to start and all the lights were off and nobody there.  Apparently they wanted us to do literally everything!! So we hurried and set up the room, started filling the font, and creating a program.  They had not even called people to speak so we just started asking people that were there if they could help us and speak or say a prayer. 😂😂 For as rushed as it was, it went really well!  

When we plan everyday we decide what we want our goals to be and what we want to accomplish in the day.  We decided that we were going to talk to two people who wanted us to come back and teach them.   Then we left and went on with our day.  In a few blocks we realized that my companion did not have his backpack and it was in the other Elder's car.  the problem was that his phone was also in his bag so we had no way to contact them and get it back or get a ride home in the evening.  Then we looked up and saw some members walking down the street.  We went over and asked if we could use their phone.  After we got the phone back we went on our way.  On the way we saw someone outside and started to talk with them.  We talked with them for an hour and shared a really good message with them.  They were all super down to have us come back and teach them but unfortunately they do not live in our area so we had to send them as a referral.  We went on with our day and then as the day was about to end we went to Walmart to wait for the other Elders to come pick us up. As we were waiting we decided to talk to this guy outside.  I went up to him and asked him how his day was.  We continued to talk for a few minutes and he asked us if we could help him because he has really been struggling.  Unfortunately he also does not live in our area so we had to send him as a referral also but that's okay.  I learned that when we make goals to the Lord He provides a way for them to be accomplished. 1 Nephi 3:7

We also had a youth activity this week that we went to and helped with.  Our goal has also been to get to know the people in our ward here better so this was a great opportunity for that!  We got there and there was a bonfire going.  The person's house it was at had a bunch of tress he had cut down that he wanted to burn.  He decided to light them up in the empty lot he owned next to his house under a tree next to another tree next to his house... Long story short we started using a hose pretty soon so that the tree didn't burn more then it was 😂.  We had a super awesome time with the youth in the ward!

Youth Activity

Just a cool pic from the week

Video: It flooded again this week.

Spiritual Fire

Well as most of you know this week was General Conference!  It is always a good opportunity to hear from the prophets and apostles and hear what God has to say for us and to receive guidance in this life.  But before I talk about Conference I will give y'all a rundown for the week.  On the way to one of our meal appointments there was a train that was blocking the road.  We tried to go around and soon found out there was only one way and the train was blocking the path.  So we decided to wait for a little bit but to no success.  As time passed we decided that we didn't have all day to wait so we did the only thing we could.  We put the truck into four-wheel and went off road.  we followed the tracks to the end of the train and then crossed the tracks and found the road again.  And along the way we may have stopped to take some pictures by the train.  But anyways back to conference.  I feel like a lot of the messages this time around were centered on living the higher law.  It is time for us to decide what we want for ourselves in this life.  There were some amazing changes that make it so we need to do more of our part, like two hours of church and 12 new temples around the world.  With the new Come Follow Me program we are all needed to progress on our own as a family.  It's really hard to pick out a favorite talk but I do have to say I loved the one by Elder Rasband about fear.  I know for a fact that we have no reason to fear and that the Lord is all powerful and is always with us.  When we are baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost we always have that gift and ability to feel the Savior's love for us.  "they that be with us are more then they that be with them.  Let the earth and hell combine against you for if ye be built on my rock they cannot come against you."  With Christ we are the most powerful, over social media, fear, the adversary, and even Satan himself.  "Stand ye in holy places and be not moved."!!!

All of the pictures form this week are from the train adventure.  Hope y'all are doing well!! Tengan buena semana!!

UFO?? Fishing for Turtles?

Well we knocked on this door at about 8 and a guy came out and started talking to us.  At the end of the visit in mid sentence he asked if we believed in UFO's and at the same time pointed up to the sky and yelled, "Wow it's a UFO" and completely freaked out.  We had no idea what to say so we just kinda went along with it.  I'm positive it was just a satellite but in the moment it was super funny. 

This week we also went fishing, sort of.  We were walking down the river path and there was this guy and his kid fishing off the bridge.  We stopped to talk to them and find out what they were fishing for.  They said that in that part of the river it is mostly just catfish but further down there is a bunch more stuff and some gator gar which I have heard is a super good fish.  As we were talking to them they caught a nice catfish and they accidentally hooked two turtles 😂😂.  The turtles came up and ate the bait they were using to catch the catfish.  

We also had a service project this week.  We went and mowed someone's lawn this weekend.  It hadn't been done for a really long time so the grass was up to my waist.  The good thing was it was super thin so it wasn't hard to take a lawn mower to it.

Spiritual thought of the week came from church yesterday.  We had a super good fast and testimony meeting.  There were a ton of people that got up and shared their testimonies.  Almost all the youth went up also.  All the messages were short and to the point.  They all knew that the gospel was true and were willing to share it.  The purpose of the Holy Ghost is to testify of Christ.  When we testify and others testify the Holy Ghost also testifies and reaches into the souls of others.  So remember, share your testimony with power and that power comes form the Holy Ghost and simple stated words.

Here's a post from Elder Blackham's Facebook page this week:

Yo soy misionero de la iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Últimos días. Soy misionero porque quiero compartir este evangelio con todas personas. Yo se que este mensaje traer paz y consuelo en su vida. También este mensaje fortelezer familias. Nuestro mensaje le ayuda progresar más cerca de Dios. #whythebadge

The river where we meet the dudes fishing.  We also bike here a couple times a week when we are getting around.

If any of you want to know what we speak down here this is a prime example of Texmex.

service project

The countryside of Texas.  It turns out if you bike way out there (I have been told I am in the biggest bike area in the mission) this is what it looks like.  A bunch of fields with random neighborhoods and trailer parks next to it.