Monday, July 2, 2012

HURRICANE SEASON IN BROWNSVILLE


Hello family! 
You all sound soo good and I’m so glad that you guys got to go visit Chan, Mom and Dad. Looks like a lot of fun. I hope you didn’t get too burnt, you all look super red, haha. Down here my skin has gotten super used to it and I never burn and never get any tanner. Just stays the same. It seems like but we have had some pretty hot days. But I’m so glad you had a fun week together and it was so good to see those pictures. I hope everyone gets home safe and I hope you all can get prepped for the 4th! Not a better day than the 4th of July! Chan, I hope you are doing all right and don’t feel too bad about missing the fourth! Keep working hard! And Alex and Addi, I hope you’re doing well. I’ve got a letter on the way for Alex!

So this week was a super crazy week. It’s hurricane season here, hence all the charges on my card to buy my emergency kit. So this last week we have had the most insane storms. Throughout Brownsville there are Rasacas, which are like big winding rivers/canals that are super, super pretty, and they have like gators and big turtles and all sorts of cool stuff in them! But the last 2 days we have had insane rain. Like inches and inches of rain and all the Rasacas and streets flooded and most people couldn’t come to church because their whole street was under about a foot of water. We were working on Saturday and it was just coming down for like 5 hours, nonstop and we were just soaking wet and running all over the place through big puddles and stuff. It kinda slowed us down, but not much. We had a wonderful week this week, and saw soooo many miracles.

We started working with a part member family. Joe and Anna Laura aren’t married and Joe is a member, but has been in really bad stuff. His Dad is the Elders Quorum Pres. in Casa Linda and they are all praying that Joe can straighten out. But we started teaching them and Joe is so ready to be back to church and Ana Laura is so ready to be baptized. We had them both to church as well as their little girl Mia. They are such a great family and have plans to move out so Laura can get baptized and they are going to live the law of chastity for about a month until they can afford the marriage license. I love this family sooo much. 
As well, Andrea’s interview got moved to Tuesday and so PLEASE KEEP HER IN YOUR PRAYERS. She has been such a miracle and when she passes she will be baptized next Sunday!!!!  Also we have been working with Aurora still and her daughters lost interest but one of the daughter’s husband came back and kinda pulled things back together and the WHOLE family was at church! Like 6 people, and so we are working again to set some dates, but he is super golden and we are praying that things fall into place with them. And on top of all of that, two of the members we’ve been working with brought people to church and they are great as well! We don’t know what to do with all these people haha! The Lord really blessed us with miracles this week.
So to finish up the week, I got a text this week from President and he confirmed that I will be training this next transfer. I am SUPER excited!!! I hope my new greeny is ready to roll because we’ve got a plate full here! So pray that I can get an “Elder Calhoun”!! But I can’t even believe the blessings that I have received here and the many miracles I’ve seen. I am soooo grateful to be here in Brownsville. It is THE BEST! And the people here are just tooo good. And I love ‘em to death. 
I Love all of you so much and I pray you have a great week. Take care and enjoy your 4th. I will be at the Casa Linda building with the branch to celebrate. And they said that we can speak because we are the only "Real Americans" in the branch, haha, so they say. But take care. I love you all and I’ll talk to you soon.

Until next week, Love

Elder Smith