tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41547069974999876062024-02-18T23:30:26.979-08:00Elder Ryan Carreon's Mission to Texas-McAllen (Spanish Speaking)Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger232125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154706997499987606.post-11105419836032844542009-11-23T17:09:00.000-08:002009-11-23T17:10:05.493-08:00Welcome Home<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzf6VfsMAG2XmhiAeA46ZonlfiKkR33E81fA4VkoKUGYuHuWGZR0R7zJGsQaVpXWyCvmcxLEr7VYapvunDKhWSrMqs-g8abP0pRihHeOYC68__Y4zYirPxnhqFLqCVf3gi_WLN9UvKbQ/s1600/IMG_0997.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzf6VfsMAG2XmhiAeA46ZonlfiKkR33E81fA4VkoKUGYuHuWGZR0R7zJGsQaVpXWyCvmcxLEr7VYapvunDKhWSrMqs-g8abP0pRihHeOYC68__Y4zYirPxnhqFLqCVf3gi_WLN9UvKbQ/s320/IMG_0997.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407471150979966834" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154706997499987606.post-85233907475005490932009-11-23T17:08:00.000-08:002009-11-23T17:09:01.715-08:00Greeting Mom<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgen3RTEgyZcTA4Jb3R7FW_PTr05IUr3ZF8M6nPCgJck4eGIfRyf4bbkpB_ui62abCMmz-8jBGjvT_7-anW3XPFn_NuNZd7_OdzrFLnu15mvJUr39wwW3i5kPhsBYGUFwF_7vAf7IZuXpI/s1600/IMG_0992.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgen3RTEgyZcTA4Jb3R7FW_PTr05IUr3ZF8M6nPCgJck4eGIfRyf4bbkpB_ui62abCMmz-8jBGjvT_7-anW3XPFn_NuNZd7_OdzrFLnu15mvJUr39wwW3i5kPhsBYGUFwF_7vAf7IZuXpI/s320/IMG_0992.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407470895213454626" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154706997499987606.post-88917236032541695812009-11-23T17:07:00.000-08:002009-11-23T17:08:03.103-08:00Jace & Jonathan celebrate Cousin Ryan's arrival<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0SVJohOAMHefqTbzoMIUuDzqYJqK549IFBPewJukM_xE_jerZA7mynb3LE-PmZQ5Cs5wMEQ4ZMHJgHN-6zUG-7U0I4vBVp3KixmoZTdnYQnKynbLfMXNO4E1vz1kIjplUQhLTEHwKRhY/s1600/IMG_0979.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0SVJohOAMHefqTbzoMIUuDzqYJqK549IFBPewJukM_xE_jerZA7mynb3LE-PmZQ5Cs5wMEQ4ZMHJgHN-6zUG-7U0I4vBVp3KixmoZTdnYQnKynbLfMXNO4E1vz1kIjplUQhLTEHwKRhY/s320/IMG_0979.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407470598054393170" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154706997499987606.post-11143438574522351142009-11-23T17:04:00.000-08:002009-11-23T17:13:06.219-08:00Loads of cousins and other family were on-hand to greet Elder Carreon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WdRkQBd9fOmjUPYRZ9lJHtchTLX318GsM2aFtCd_NiWuHi1KwNI_8hRl0kkO5meskicJDa-0NnxDDld9jtNLHmmz1EvRKxKMuCRIf6wfGyPGFekl-G5hPUfGktqOC0JkfhB_11GhKaM/s1600/IMG_1000.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 384px; height: 288px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WdRkQBd9fOmjUPYRZ9lJHtchTLX318GsM2aFtCd_NiWuHi1KwNI_8hRl0kkO5meskicJDa-0NnxDDld9jtNLHmmz1EvRKxKMuCRIf6wfGyPGFekl-G5hPUfGktqOC0JkfhB_11GhKaM/s320/IMG_1000.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407470267823239666" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154706997499987606.post-82425988989598787982009-11-23T16:59:00.000-08:002009-11-23T17:04:36.317-08:00Ryan returns homeDear Friends and Family:<br /><br />I returned home on Wednesday November 19th 2009. My mission was great! I was sad when I was released that night, but it was nice to be able to see my family again and to sleep in my own bed. When I arrived in the airport, my family was waiting at the wrong gate so I completely missed them. Luckily I found them when I was at the baggage claim. We drove home and I was released by my Uncle Matt, and we had some birthday cake. I can't believe how fast these past two years have gone by. I am excited to be home and to go back to school next year. Thanks to everyone who followed the Blog and supported me on my mission.<br /><br />Brother CarreonUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154706997499987606.post-54569993942101258432009-11-09T16:16:00.000-08:002009-11-09T16:18:34.077-08:00Another Baptism, Only One Blog LeftHello to all. I can’t believe this is my last full week. Honestly, it doesn’t feel like I’m about to end my mission I don’t really know why. I guess it’s a good thing, though. This week has been pretty good. We have a family of three that we are teaching that have committed to be baptized in on the 25th. We were also able to find some cool new people to teach. It’s weird that I only have one more Sunday and one more email home. Well, I don’t really know what else to write except that I am excited to see you all next week, and I will be sending a few more things home this week.<br /> <br />RyanUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154706997499987606.post-9172419612859501952009-11-02T12:53:00.001-08:002009-11-02T15:09:47.850-08:00Happy HalloweenDear Family & Friends:<br /> It sounds like you all had a fun Halloween. That night, we just went to the other Elders’ apartment and watched some DVDs. One was about DNA evidence supporting the Book of Mormon, and the other one was about Dr. Hugh Nibley and Egyptology. They were both pretty cool. I got a letter from the Lands the other day (did I tell you that they moved to Houston?) James and Amber want me to take part in their wedding. They don’t know when they are going to get married, and I told them I would love to attend and to tell me asap.<br /> We also had our interviews with President Miller this past week. I got my temple recommend renewed for 3 months. I can’t believe how fast time is going. I also bought a pair of black cowboy boots as a Texas souvenir! They look pretty cool. Everything else around here is pretty much the same. It has been cooling down a whole lot lately. We have had to wear our sweaters and stuff like that. It’s sad because it’s in the low 60s and I’m cold, and I have heard that it’s already snowing in Washington and other parts of the country. <br /> Well, I only have two more emails left to send. It’s weird to say that and I know in my head that I only have 2 1/2 weeks left, but it still doesn’t feel all that real to me. I guess that’s a good thing! Anyways tell everybody hi and tell me when and if I am going to give a talk!<br /> <br />RyanUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154706997499987606.post-12581486094645675682009-10-26T09:12:00.001-07:002009-10-26T09:12:43.939-07:00A Conference With Elder ZwickDear Friends & Family:<br /> This week was really good. We had Stake Conference and Elder Zwick from the Seventy was here. He even talked with one of our investigators! The conference was great, and I saw a lot of people I knew from when I was in Flour Bluff and Portland. They reorganized the Stake Presidency and released the Stake President. All in all it, was great. <br /> This week was also homecoming here in Sinton. We were driving the other day and noticed that a bunch of the roads were blocked off, and so we got out and it turns out they were having their homecoming parade. It was pretty neat seeing as how Sinton is such a small town, and everybody was there and stuff like that. You don’t get that in LA.<br /> I can’t believe it is almost November, these past few weeks have really gone by quickly. I know that it will all be over sooner than I can imagine. We keep having these missionaries from another church knock on our door. They have come by 3 times in the past 2 months of so. I don’t think they know that we are LDS missionaries, but I suspect that they keep coming back because were nice to them. I think they’ll be surprised one day when we knock on their door!<br /> Things are going great here. We have an awesome investigator (the one that met Elder Zwick) Please pray for him. I think he can be baptized before I leave, which would be awesome, but if not I know he will in the future. Take care!<br /> <br /> RyanUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154706997499987606.post-52536311644429841682009-10-19T17:53:00.000-07:002009-10-19T17:56:57.695-07:00Only 4 More Blogs LeftDear Family & Friends:<br /> This week was pretty good. We had Zone Conference on Wednesday. Sadly, it was my last Zone Confernce ever! It was one of the best that we have had though! We have Stake Confernce this upcoming weekend, and there will be some General Authorities there, although I'm not sure who. Somebody from the Seventy. We have been having a lot more success lately. We have found some amazing people that we are teaching. My companion, Elder Cardenas, is great We recently found out that somebody that Elder Bugg and I taught, Tiffany, was baptized over in New Mexico. She is one of Johnny's daughters and moved over there a few months ago. <br /> We had an amazing experience this past week. We decided to go over to a less- active members house at about 1 p.m. Even though I have been here so long, I have never met her before. It turns out that her mother had died a few days earlier, and she had just attended the funeral. She was grateful that we came by. Ig uess nobody had visited her in a long time, and we were able to share some scriptures with her and help her feel more a ease. There are so many times on a mission where you just happen to be at the right place at the right time. It is amazing how the Spirit will guide you to those people who need the gospel. <br /> I can't believe that I only have 1 month left. A few months ago somebody told me that the last 3 months of your mission are the slowest, and so far that has been the truth, but now it seems more real to me! Mom, the Mission Office is supposed to send you something this week. They called to verify our address, so look for something in the mail. I hope you all had a great week! Only 4 more letters to go! Love to all, RyanUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154706997499987606.post-78555389082064707122009-10-13T16:13:00.001-07:002009-10-13T16:17:23.096-07:00A New Investigator and a Departing TestimonyDear Family & Friends: <br /> This week was great! I didn’t get transferred. My companion, Elder Kocherhans, went to Laredo, and I got a new companion, Elder Cardenas. He is from San Francisco area. He has been out about 15 months or so. He was companions with Elder Kocherhans before, and we have lots in common. <br /> We found this new investigator, and when we talked to her, she said that she knows a member and even went to church a few years ago. She said that she felt great when she went. She was having some problems because her eye was swelling up really bad for no apparent reason, and she had to miss a lot of work, so we gave her a blessing. Two days later we came back and she was completely healed. She said that her eye swells up a lot and will usually last for a few weeks, but as soon as we gave her the blessing, she said the swelling went down!<br /> I can't believe how fast time is going here. It seems like just yesterday that I arrived here, and now I only have a month or so left. We have Zone conference tomorrow, and I get to say my departing testimony! Also they should be sending you (mom) a letter from President Miller about my departure. <br /> Well. I hope everything is well. Is it snowing up there yet? I am definitely acclimated to the heat. It got cold here for a few days; in the low 60s. I had to put on my sweater and turn on the heater and everything, so I am definitely not prepared for a cold winter. I don't even think I have any winter clothes. Love to all, RyanUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154706997499987606.post-25924840731422149762009-10-05T09:55:00.001-07:002009-10-05T09:55:38.017-07:00Ensign Magazine Features McAllen MissionThis week was great! General Conference is like Christmas for missionaries! Unfortunately the satellite gave out right before the Saturday afternoon session, and again before the Sunday afternoon session, but luckily we had a member who had the BYU channel and so we were able to watch it at their house, and didn't miss much. We have transfers on Wednesday. Please pray that I don’t leave Sinton! I really want to finish here, and this is my last possibility of getting transferred. I can’t believe that it’s already October. This week was pretty routine. We were really excited for conference, and so that was pretty much our whole focus this week. We recently had a sister move into the branch from Tijuana Mexico. She said that she went to the San Diego temple a lot, and we talked a lot about California. In this month’s Ensign there is a feature on member missionary work, and it features our mission. There are a lot of missionaries from the mission that were interviewed. I saw a copy that a member had and it looked really cool. I didn't even know that they had come and interviewed a bunch of people. Apparently they wrote the article about a year ago when I was in Brownsville. Things are going well here, and the weather is cooling off just a hair. Tell everybody that I say Hi.<br /> <br />RyanUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154706997499987606.post-51820008358369387252009-09-28T15:20:00.000-07:002009-09-28T15:30:26.240-07:00Elder Nielson's VisitDear Family & Friends: <br /> This past week was great. We had Brent Nielson from the Seventy come and do a tour of the mission. He gave a great Zone Conference, and even let us ask him any questions we wanted for 30 minutes. He said that the Prophet and the Apostles are greater than he ever imagined! He said that he is going to speak in General Conference next weekend, too. That would be scary. <br /> Since it has been raining a lot here lately, our grass has been growing super, super fast. We had neglected mowing it for a while and it was almost 3 feet tall. I tried to mow it last Monday and went to start the mower and broke off the rip cord! Our landlord came and fixed it and it took more than an hour to mow everything. It was super hard and there were mosquitos everywhere! <br /> The branch is doing great! We have had some really good attendence lately and we have had a lot of less-active members start coming back. We also have a really good investigator. He is progressing very well. He was out of town this week, but he asked us for the addfress of the San Antonio Temple because he said he wanted to stop by on his way back. We are going to see him tomorrow. <br /> I am super excited for General Conference this weekend. It's pretty much like Christmas for missionaries (as I have said before)! It is so amazing to hear so many wonderful speakers and to feel the spirit. I can't believe this will be my fourth General Conference on my mission. <br /> Mom, I received a sheet that my dad sent me of some family history from his mother's side that I am going to copy and send to you. I'm pretty sure somebody on the other side is trying to give us a hint or something because I didn't even ask for it, my dad just sent it to me! <br /> We have transfers coming up next week. I really really really hope that I stay in Sinton for my last transfer, I've already put so much into this area. Things here are going very well. Tell everyone that I say hi and to write to me, I love receiving mail from friends and family.<br /> RyanUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154706997499987606.post-20422582580777882502009-09-21T10:41:00.000-07:002009-09-21T10:43:07.147-07:00Mosquitoes, Rain, & Lots of Great PeopleDear Family & Friends:<br />This week has been great. It has been raining a whole lot here lately. Since it has been raining, the mosquitoes have been coming out a lot lately. I thought we were going to avoid them this year because of the drought, but I guess not. The front of our car is black because we drive through swarms of them at night. At first I thought it was raining because we kept hearing this pitter patter on the windshield, but then we realized what it was! We have been having a lot of attendance at the branch lately. A few months ago we had been averaging 20-30 per week. Yesterday we had 47! We have been in the 40s for the past few weeks. We have seen a lot of less-active families come back and start to attend more regularly. We have also had some investigators who have been attending regularly as well. We have one investigator who just got out of the marines. He’s such a great guy. His aunt is a member and has been sharing the gospel with him and now we are teaching him, too. He’s got a lot of crazy stories from when he was in Iraq. We have been working this little town called Edroy recently and have found some really cool people over there, too. We have been teaching this guy who said that he has been praying for years to find the true church. It was pretty much a miracle when we found him. We knocked on his door and his mom answered and said they weren’t interested, so we went down the street and ended up teaching somebody else. As we were walking back, we passed by the house again and he just happened to come outside, and so we started talking to him and ended up teaching him a little bit. We have taught him a couple of times and we’re going back tonight. Things have really been going great around here! Say hi to everyone!<br />Love, Elder CarreonUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154706997499987606.post-82154923151174130212009-09-15T12:57:00.000-07:002009-09-15T12:58:22.093-07:00A New Investigator and a Few Tornado WarningsDear Family & Friends:<br /> We had a great week this week. We had a new investigator come to church this Sunday. He’s a super great guy. He has come to church before (his aunt in a member and brought him). He just got out of the Marines, and he is really interested in the gospel. He said he loves church, and will come again next week. <br /> We had our interviews with Mission President Miller this past week as well. Mine went well. I only have one more interview before I go home. That’s crazy to think that once I finish this transfer I will only have one more to go! <br /> I talked to this other missionary, Elder Hartner, who will be going to BYU in January also. He said that he could try and find us a place in Rexburg. He goes home this month, and Mom, I’ll give him your number and maybe you can figure stuff out before I get back. <br /> It has been raining here like crazy all week long. We got hit with a few thunderstorms and even a few tornado warnings. It’s supposed to be a little bit clearer this week though. We have been working in this small town named Edroy lately. There are only a few hundred people there, but we have found some really nice families. We have been trying to branch out where we work since we have such a huge area, and we are trying to go to some of the places that we haven't been all that much. <br /> Tell everybody hi for me and I appreciate hearing from them!<br /> <br />RyanUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154706997499987606.post-54441561285876012892009-09-08T11:50:00.000-07:002009-09-08T11:57:20.118-07:00One Judge, New Investigators, & More RainDear Family & Friends:<br /> This week was great! We have been having lots and lots of rain here lately. The other day we were coming back from Mathis, and all of the sudden this huge storm came out of nowhere. I literally could not see more than 5 feet in front of the car. Luckily, we were close to home by that point. We're supposed to have rain all this next week. <br /> Earlier this week we decided to knock on this one door, and lo and behold, It was the judge who was at traffic court when I had to appear last month! She remembered me and we laughed about it. We also had an interesting experience. We had this guy we were teaching, but hadn't been able to see in a few weeks, and we decided that we should stop by. When we went to his house he said that he was having lots of problems lately and was hoping that we would come by. It was a great experience. He's got a lot of medical problems and was going to go in for some tests that next day. <br /> Church was also really good this week. We had a part-member family show up and we went to their house afterward and started teaching the husband. They are really great. They were both truck drivers and said they got stuck in Portland last year when that huge snow storm blew in! Things are going well here. I can't believe that I only have a couple of months left. It will be sad to leave. I hope everything is well with you guys. <br />Elder CarreonUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154706997499987606.post-70206643513456044252009-09-02T09:15:00.000-07:002009-09-02T09:27:50.084-07:00Elder Nielson Will Tour MissionDear Family & Friends:<br />We had transfers this week, and I and my companion, Elder Kocherhans, are staying! I am excited because I was hoping to finish my mission here and it looks like that will probably happen. We have been getting more information on the General Authority that is coming this month. It will be Elder Brett Nielson from the Seventy. He will be touring the mission and coming to Zone Conference, and he will also be going on exchanges with some missionaries. That's a scary thought! Although it would be a neat experience to do missionary work with a General Authority! We have this family in our Branch that reminds me a lot of the j boys (Ryan's cousins). They too have 5 boys and they have 1 girl who is the baby. They invited us over for dinner this past week, and it was really fun. They live on a farm just outside of Sinton in a small town called St. Paul. They have a big piece of property, and so while we were waiting for the food we played football with the oldest boys. They are pretty crazy also, and they really add life to our Branch! Last week we remembered that we had this watermelon that had been in our freezer for a really long time, and we needed the freezer space so we were trying to figure out what to do with it. When I was with Elder Bugg, we had an investigator give us a sword. We didn't have much else to use, so we decided to use it to slice the watermelon open in our back yard. It was pretty fun! Things have been going pretty good here. We were struggling a little bit to find new people to teach, but things are improving. The Branch is doing way better now than when I first got transfered here, which is good. You can really see the hand of the Lord and feel the spirit working in this area. Hopefully we will steer clear of hurricanes this year!<br /><br />Love to all, Elder Carreon<br />P.S. The letters and packages are great to receive! Thank you.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154706997499987606.post-66264750510097564342009-08-24T09:37:00.000-07:002009-08-25T01:55:34.895-07:00Exchanges and an engagementDear Friends and Family:<br /> We have transfers this Wednesday! It's anyone's guess as to what happens. I really don't want to be transferred again, but who knows, it might happen. Church yesterday was great. We had the nephew of a member attend, and he is really interested in the gospel. He's really smart and participated a lot in Sunday School. We are going to start teaching him this week. The Stake President came and reorganized some of the branch leaders. They called a new Elders Quorum President, and a new counselor in the Branch Presidency. <br /> We also helped one of the members of our Ward to paint his auto body shop. We used this air brush paint gun, and I was covered in speckles of paint! It looked like I was covered in dust or something. <br /> I also went on exchanges with the Robstown Elders a few days ago. We found out that one of the missionaries in Elder Bugg's group is already engaged. He was writing this girl his whole mission and then came home and broke up with her and got engaged to somebody else! <br /> All in all, this week has been great. It is even hotter than it was a few weeks ago. I don't think it will cool down very much by the time I finish my mission! <br /> Love to all, Elder CarreonUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154706997499987606.post-67602614727674672802009-08-17T20:22:00.000-07:002009-08-17T21:25:39.333-07:00Transfers Coming SoonHello to all,<br />This week was pretty good. We had our interviews with President Miller on Thursday. Somebody decided to put a sign that said "It's Miller Time" on his door while he was doing the interviews. It lasted about 5 interviews before he noticed it! <br />We also had a random guy show up at our house one night. Turns out he was a missionary in Sinton about 20 years ago. He told us all of these stories and even had a picture directory. It was fun to see what a bunch of the members of the Branch looked like 20 years ago! He said that Sinton is pretty much the same and when he was here, the Branch had about 30 attending and no piano player, which is the same as it is now! He served back when it was the Texas Corpus Christi Mission. <br />We had an awesome lesson this week with a new investigator. He lives near our Relief Society President, and is going through a really tough divorce. We had the Branch President with us and we were able to teach him the other day. He's a really humble guy and is very receptive. <br />We keep hearing that there are some tropical storms and some hurricanes that are forming. There is a prediction that one will hit us within the next 3 weeks. I guess we'll see what happens. We have transfers next Wednesday. Hopefully I'll stay, but I don't really know! Have a great week!<br />Elder CarreonUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154706997499987606.post-81569984086583488742009-08-10T09:35:00.000-07:002009-08-10T09:43:14.849-07:00Flight Plans HomeDear Family and Friends:<br /> This week was pretty good. We found out yesterday that a General Authority is going to tour our mission next month. We don't know who it will be yet, but that's always exciting news I gave a talk yesterday in church. It went pretty well, but I was definitely nervous. You think I would be good at that seeing as all we do all day every day is talk to people! Friday was a crazy day. I got a letter from the Mission Office, and I was trying to figure out what it could be. It turned out to be my flight plans home! I wasn't expecting that! I guess they need 90 days notice if there are going to be any changes.<br /> Then, as we were driving away from our house, we noticed that we had a flat tire! All the tire patching places were closed for some reason, so we just filled the tire up at a gas station and patched it Saturday morning. Other than that, things have been going very well around here as we find people to teach and share the gospel with.<br /> This week we have our interviews with President Miller. I got the BYU form and I'll have him sign it and send it and everything. I promise that someday I'll send my memory card home, too!<br /> Elder Carreon<br /> P.S. I enjoy the packages and letters! Send more and say hello to everyone for me.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154706997499987606.post-22925453195190166642009-08-03T14:19:00.000-07:002009-08-03T14:22:03.384-07:00Frisbee and Hot WeatherDear Family & Friends:<br />This week was pretty good. Today (P-Day)we're going to get together with the whole Zone and play ultimate Frisbee or something. <br />We had an investigators come to church yesterday. He really, really liked it. He’s a super cool guy and wants to be baptized. He’s doing great and hopefully he will continue to progress. We had a member family move in from Utah the other week. He was the branch president here years ago and they decided to move back. He owns a mechanic shop in Odem, and so we helped him paint it. His son is a returned missionary, and they are going to be a huge strength to the branch. The weather here is still super hot. It has not been out of the 90s for at least a month. We haven’t seen any serious rain here in a long, long time. Luckily there are no hurricanes forming right now, but if any do start to form they will most likely come here because we have the hottest temperatures in Texas right now. Our Branch President wants to organize everything as fast as we can so we can all be prepared. Apparently last year a lot of people were caught off guard and had no idea what to do. Luckily for this area anyway, the hurricane turned and went to Houston. Not so great for Houston, where it hit hard and did a lot of damage. <br />Transfers aren't until the end of this month, so I still have a while here. Tell everyone Hi!<br /> <br />Elder CarreonUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154706997499987606.post-59936723659138051232009-07-27T14:00:00.001-07:002009-07-28T01:56:11.971-07:00Traffic Court and a Dead BatteryDear Family & Friends:<br /> Hello from Sinton, Texas! My traffic court appointment went well this week. I pleaded no contest and had to pay a fine. I had some emergency cash that I was able to use to pay it. I decided not to fight the ticket because I figured it would be a waste of time. The policeman was following me right before he pulled me over, and I supposedly didn't stop all the way for the stop sign, he then followed me 2 1/2 blocks and through another stop sign before he pulled me over and gave me the ticket. I thought that was kind of weird anyway. One of our members knows him and said that he was on probation with the police department for wrongfully placing somebody under arrest! Everything went fine though. There were a lot of people in court for a lot of funny things. One person was there for driving without a driver’s license twice. Luckily my court date was on P-day so we didn’t have to interrupt anything. <br /> We had Zone Conference this week. It was awesome! Apparently our Mission President knows a bunch of people who are very high up in the Catholic Church and he told us a story of how he went to the Vatican a few years ago and had the opportunity to talk with the 3rd highest person in the Catholic Church. That must have been such an unforgettable experience.<br /> On Tuesday our car battery died. Luckily, a member that just moved in is a mechanic and he saved us. We were able to get a new battery and he hooked it up for us and everything. <br /> We had another unusual experience this week as well. We made a deal with a guy that we would go to his church if he came to ours, so on Wednesday night we went to his church. It was a Pentecostal church, and we were the only caucasian people there. The preacher opened the service by saying a 25-minute-long prayer. It was a really interesting experience and the people there were super nice to us. <br /> All in all this week went pretty well and we continue to pray to find those who would hear His word. Please pray for us too! I hope all is well with you guys.<br /> Love, Elder CarreonUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154706997499987606.post-8960773694578950162009-07-20T12:18:00.001-07:002009-07-20T12:18:24.555-07:00Traffic Court & VandalismDear Family:<br /> Today is my court day for my “failure to stop” traffic situation. Hopefully I won’t get thrown in jail or something! I think everything will be fine. <br /> We had transfers this past week and both my companion and I will be staying another transfer. I seriously don't want to leave Sinton!<br /> I guess somebody broke into the chapel in Portland the other day. Some guy poured beer all over the carpet and into one of the pianos, tore up some hymnals and broke the microphone. He also left a bunch of chicken wings everywhere. The cops found him down the street with a brick in his hand and covered in blood. Apparently they think he killed one of the neighbor’s dogs! <br /> We are still bracing ourselves for a hurricane this season. Apparently there are supposed to be 12 names storms, 6 of which are supposed to be hurricanes. The prediction is that at the end of August early September is when it’s going to hit.<br /> Other than that, Sinton is still basically the same. It still continues to be in the high 90s every day and we have barely had any rain. Pretty much all of the crops are dried up and useless which is killing all of the farmers around here. Mom, I got your package and will try and send the memory card back asap<br /> Thanks to everyone for your prayers and letters.<br /> Elder CarreonUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154706997499987606.post-41895257506084240922009-07-15T19:53:00.000-07:002009-07-15T19:55:06.394-07:00Meet Ryan's newest cousin<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSqaU0sBYm2G-OiRYr6ooxeL3N2xdYDAaLPpJG9Nz0NL2Pae9umUnt9SD1jiByjSLMzCY06NEubPR3b61gEoZK7Tg_DPTrqV3lNCNOLj2hVtT74RkaMO67uvwVapLj2q5xrfBVdLfEnQ/s1600-h/Sarah+Kate+054.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSqaU0sBYm2G-OiRYr6ooxeL3N2xdYDAaLPpJG9Nz0NL2Pae9umUnt9SD1jiByjSLMzCY06NEubPR3b61gEoZK7Tg_DPTrqV3lNCNOLj2hVtT74RkaMO67uvwVapLj2q5xrfBVdLfEnQ/s320/Sarah+Kate+054.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358886042895005682" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154706997499987606.post-38127412829949637032009-07-13T13:22:00.000-07:002009-07-15T20:01:04.737-07:00A New Cousin, Transfers, & FiresDear Family & Friends:<br /> So I have a new cousin? Aunt Kami & Uncle Brent have a new daughter? Tell me the details. I was bombarded by like 500 emails from everyone about it and am not exactly sure what’s going on.<br /> We have transfers this Wednesday but I probably won’t be getting transfered seeing as how I have to appear in court next Monday for my ticket (wasn't that a crafty idea!) I don’t want to be transfered anyway; I love the Sinton people and area. At any rate, I’m going to politely “fight” the ticket for a bunch of reasons, so we'll see what happens. <br /> Recently, we met this lady whose house almost caught on fire. There was a huge fire on July 5th that burned a bunch of fields and a few houses. It almost got her house, but right as it was heading toward her house it made a Y and totally missed her house and her garden and burned everything around it! We took a bunch of pictures of the fire and stuff, and as of yesterday some of the debris was still smoldering! <br /> The other day we went on exchanges and ate at this hole-in-the-wall brisket place that claims to have the best brisket in the U.S. Apparently Regis and Kelly came and did a story on them and stuff. Of course, we had the brisket, and it was amazing! I think it actually is the best I've ever had! <br /> Things are still going good here we have had some really good things happen. We were able to get some investigators to agree to get married so they can get baptized. The girl is a member, but her boyfriend isn't and she agreed to have an interview with the Branch President. They are great people. Please pray for them and us, too. <br /> Life here in Texas is good, even though it’s really hot and the experts have predicted 12 storms this year and 6 hurricanes. So far we haven't gotten any, so that means we'll probably get some this next month. Everybody says it’s getting too hot too fast and so the big one is going to come!<br /> Write soon and thanks for the mail.<br /> Elder CarreonUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4154706997499987606.post-4548590889395101502009-07-06T13:42:00.000-07:002009-07-06T13:43:09.775-07:00Hurricanes and TicketsDear Friends & Family:<br /> Happy July 4th!<br /> This week was very interesting! We had our interviews with Mission President Miller on Thursday. Mom, he told me that BYU will send you a form for the ecclesiastical endorsement and that when you get it you should send it to me and I’ll have him sign it. <br /> Apparently we are in super hurricane weather right now. There are 12 predicted storms this year, and a bunch of the long-time residents are saying that whenever there is a drought like we’ve been having and whenever there is record heat like we’ve been having, we get a hurricane. Needless to say, we’re all bracing ourselves! <br /> The other day we were in Taft and this police officer was following us for quite a while and then pulled us over. He then gave me a ticket for not stopping all the way! I have to go to court and everything. How many missionaries can say they went to court on their missions! A member of the Branch Presidency is a sheriff and he gave me some advice and said he knows the guy who gave me the citation. Pray for me! <br /> We also had a great experience the other day. We have been working with a less-active member and her boyfriend for a little while and we finally were able to get her to meet with the Branch President! It was great and they are going to start coming to church and hopefully get married next month. He said that he wants to be baptized, too. Everything is going great with them. <br /> After church yesterday there was a huge column of smoke and so we decided to drive by it. Apparently some fireworks had caught some brush on fire and when we drove by, there was a full-out blaze. A bunch of houses were burned, but I don’t think anybody got hurt. The fire came really close to some members’ homes, but they were all okay. Other than that, our Fourth of July was pretty uneventful. Sounds like everyone had a fun time, and tell everybody that I say hi.<br /><br />Elder CarreonUnknownnoreply@blogger.com