Hello from Brownsville! I got transfered in on Wednesday to northern Brownsville (the southernmost city in Texas on the Mexican Border and Gulf of Mexico) with Elder Gish as my companion!
The last few days in Laredo were crazy. It seemed like all of the sudden everyone wanted to feed us (I don't know where they were the first four months I was in Laredo.) On Monday we tried to go to the Fun Zone, but it turned out to be a casino instead, so we just went to Burger King. Tuesday was the crazy day! Between Monday Night and Tuesday afternoon we had been fed 4 times by our members, and we were having trouble walking, because we were so stuffed full of food!
Tuesday night was when we got the phone call to see who was going to be transfered and who was going to stay. We also have this thing we call "Transferdamus" where we each predict who is going to leave and who is going to stay. I predicted that I was going to leave for Brownsville. At 10:30 p.m., we recieved the phone call that I was indeed being transfered to Brownsville, so I spent the rest of the night packing my stuff. Wednesday, we headed downtown for the last time, and then at about 2 p.m. or so, we went to the church for transfers.
It took us about 4 hours to get to Brownsville. When we got there, I met my companion, Elder Gish, and we went to our "apartment." It's not so much an apartment as it is a huge mansion house. We are staying with a member, Brother Hutchingson, who is the head of the FBI in this area of the U.S., and he's never home, so we have his huge mansion to ourselves almost all of the time. We also have our own private lake thing in the backyard! The only bad thing is we don't have a car, and it's super humid here, so we get really soaked out on the bikes.
Thursday was pretty crazy. One of the other companionships had a recent convert who was thrown in jail. He was driving and got into a car crash and doesn't have papers, so he's in jail as of right now and they don't know if he's going to get deported or what.
On Saturday, we were helping this lady with her lawn, but we didn't have a weed whacker or anything, so we went to a member to borrow one. We then realized that we didn't have anywhere to put it because we are on bikes, so I slung it over my back and biked down the street with a weed whacker! I got tons of really weird looks and stuff.
Sunday was my first day at church. my companion had to give a talk in English Ward. One of the other companionships has these investigators that they found that are from Africa, and speak French. They can speak a little English and a little Spanish, and they said they really enjoy church. The elders said its been interesting trying to teach them, and they have to go really slow and teach a combination of English and Spanish.
On P-day yesterday we went shopping and played soccer at the church. We couldn't email because the library was closed for Memorial Day. I really like Brownsville. It's not as ghetto as downtown Laredo, and most people (91%) speak Spanish. This is going to be a really fun transfer!
Ryan
For more information about the LDS Church, see
Elder Ryan Evan Carreon
Texas McAllen Mission
200 W. La Vista Ave.
McAllen, TX 78501-2131
(or email torrimc@hotmail.com if you have a question)
Texas McAllen Mission
200 W. La Vista Ave.
McAllen, TX 78501-2131
(or email torrimc@hotmail.com if you have a question)
Elder Carreon
Seattle, Washington
The Articles of Faith
The Articles of Faith outline 13 basic points of belief of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Prophet Joseph Smith first wrote them in a letter to John Wentworth, a newspaper editor, in response to Mr. Wentworth's request to know what members of the Church believed. They were subsequently published in Church periodicals. They are now regarded as scripture and included in the Pearl of Great Price.
THE ARTICLES OF FAITH
OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS
History of the Church, Vol. 4, pp. 535—541
1 We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
2 We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.
3 We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
4 We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
5 We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.
6 We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.
7 We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.
8 We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
9 We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
10 We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
11 We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
12 We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
13 We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
-Joseph Smith
DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS
If you would like an email sent to you whenever a new blog is posted, please email torrimc@hotmail.com
Write to Elder Carreon at the address at the top of this blog, or, he can also receive an e-mail letter if you write one using Dearelder.com. The service will charge you the price of a stamp and will print and mail the letter for you.
A third way to contact him is to send an e-mail to: eldercarreon@myldsmail.net
He can receive e-mail but can't reply back (he has very limited computer time only one day a week) but he can write to you via snail-mail, so be sure to send a home address in your e-mail or letter so he can send you a reply.
Ryan's grandparents, Sandra and Ron Bean, just recently returned from an Humanitarian Mission in Uganda, Africa (November, 2008). Read about their experiences on their blog and view some amazing pictures, at
Beanmission.blogspot.com or click directly on the link at the end of Elder Carreon's blog.
THE ARTICLES OF FAITH
OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS
History of the Church, Vol. 4, pp. 535—541
1 We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
2 We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.
3 We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
4 We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
5 We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.
6 We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.
7 We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.
8 We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
9 We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
10 We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
11 We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
12 We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
13 We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
-Joseph Smith
DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS
If you would like an email sent to you whenever a new blog is posted, please email torrimc@hotmail.com
Write to Elder Carreon at the address at the top of this blog, or, he can also receive an e-mail letter if you write one using Dearelder.com. The service will charge you the price of a stamp and will print and mail the letter for you.
A third way to contact him is to send an e-mail to: eldercarreon@myldsmail.net
He can receive e-mail but can't reply back (he has very limited computer time only one day a week) but he can write to you via snail-mail, so be sure to send a home address in your e-mail or letter so he can send you a reply.
Ryan's grandparents, Sandra and Ron Bean, just recently returned from an Humanitarian Mission in Uganda, Africa (November, 2008). Read about their experiences on their blog and view some amazing pictures, at
Beanmission.blogspot.com or click directly on the link at the end of Elder Carreon's blog.