:)

 

This week hasn't been all that interesting - a lot of work, but not a lot of results. We've been really focusing on members, since the 1st ward needs a lot of help. We even fasted yesterday for the ward, and specifically that strong members can move here. I remember a few years ago there was a conference talk where a story was told about a Bishop who received a phone call from a family who asked where a strong family was needed (anyone else remember this? maybe I'm making this up..) and I didn't really understand why that was such a big deal. Like, okay, maybe this family was like super cool, but would one family really make a difference? Ever since being here, I understand. For some reason the Spanish wards are pretty strong, but the English ward is pretty stagnant. There are lots of really cool members, but they all are the only ones who get callings. Like, literally the entire primary presidency are the wives of the bishopbric, and the YM and YW both have semi-active members. It's crazy! But it's a really cool start, because lots of miracles can happen. So if anyone is looking for a place to move, Brownsville needs help ;)

 

We have been working with this girl, Gina, ever since I got on my mission. We met her at a baptism, and she's been a convert for a few years, and when we first met she told us she was thinking of going on a mission in about 18 months. She started coming out with us every week to teach and proselyte, and she's super cool. As she's been coming with us, she's been getting more and more excited about a mission, and she's been moving her date of availability. On Thursday we got a call from her, and she told us that she was going to the doctor and the dentist the next day so she could get her check-ups done, and then she wanted to come out with us. So Friday afternoon we called her and asked when she'd be available, and she said "right now! and I got my wisdom teeth out!" ?? She had literally walked to the dentist, waited outside for an hour and a half for them to open, and then had gotten a wisdom tooth removed, and then still wanted to come out with us! And then she told us that she moved her availability date to May 17th! So she'll probably get her mission call in the next couple of weeks, while Sister Pickett and I are both still here. It was a really big miracle to be able to see that, and to see how excited she is :) Missions are great.

 

Part of our area now is this little town called Los Fresnos. We only had a very small, not-very-helpful map of it, but we had some work we wanted to do there and people we wanted to see. So we ventured up there and stopped by a hotel and they had a much more helpful map. However, it still was a little deficient, so there was lots of venturing around and texting the Elders that work in that area for better directions. We went to a house of a less-active (that ended up not living there), and the door was answered by a teenage girl. We talked with her for a while, and the whole time something felt different about the situation. I was trying to figure out what, and then I realized what it was: She was Caucasian. Ha! We speak English super often (especially now that we're in the English ward), but still, everyone is Hispanic or part-Hispanic. Anyway, that was kind of funny.

 

 

I love you all!

Love, M

--

Hermana Reynolds

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