Same City, New Comp!

Hello World!

It has come to that time again! Transfers happened and I'm still in San Benito! However, Elder Thompson is not!

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I am now with Elder Hatfield!​ What is interesting is that Elder Hatfield and Elder Thompson started their missions together. They both passed 18 months on Saturday. Also, when I became comps with Elder Thompson, he had just been in Los Fresnos for 6 transfers. Elder Hatfield was just in Zapata for 6 transfers. It is possible that I may stay in San Benito for 6. 

Also, Elder Thompson is now a Zone Leader [ZL] in Corpus Christi!

It has been super great being with Elder Hatfield so far! He is a super awesome missionary so I'm probably going to learn a lot this transfer. He has already taken over the district really well and we seem to be having a lot of fun.

We aren't as similar as Thompson and I were, but we can certainly laugh together. So far so good. 

We had a little zone meeting on Saturday and we did a little "Building the Kingdom" activity (See pic below). Elder Battleson is our new ZL. He seems to be doing a good job so I hope for the best.

Can't say much more than that, bye! 

Elder Larkin Moss

Happy Birthday, Elder Moss!

This is my first time emailing as a real adult! I'm not a youth anymore! However I'm still a minor in some aspects, so I'm kind of a nobody. Yay. 

Lots of things have happened this week. First of all I am 20 now, it was a great time. I got cake on my face. 

On Tuesday we did a fun lights out activity for district meeting. We were each given a little flashlight and told to go find people hidden throughout the church. It represented us being the light of the world as missionaries, and how we are here to find people and help them to the light. 

On Wednesday we did some service as a district. In the picture below, we are seen "hanging out" with Branch President Lerma afterwards. That was a very warm morning of tree chopping fun.  <-- This tree actually isn't very accurate. These Texas trees are all brown and covered in spines. 

​For the rest of that day I went on an Exchange with Elder Hawkins! We biked all over San Benito and did some great missionary work.  That's right, we ate a lot. ​That is South Texas missionary work. Eat three big meals a day and look like it's your first every time. I love it. 

So then, Friday came and I got two packages. I set up all of the first package in the picture below.

Then that evening, the whole district met at one of our member's homes and the other missionaries who were there smashed my face in a cake. It tasted really good through all my orifices. Eyes especially.

On Saturday, us and one pair of the sisters met with the ZLs (Zone Leaders) for lunch because we won a zone competition a couple weeks ago. We arrived first and waited in the car, so Elder Ward pulled in right next to us, however we pointed out that he was in Reserved U.S. Veterans parking so he had to move. Suddenly another truck came to pass by behind him and with a little lack of attention, he backed into the side of the truck. Luckily it was low speed and everything, so with a nice accidentee and a nice cop it all smoothed over pretty well. It just made lunch a bit awkward.

That was the adventure of this week. We'll be back after the commercial break. Bye!

Elder Larkin Moss

We Were Already Halfway Through

OOPS!

I've got the wrong SD card in my camera. So I will catch up on pictures next week. Sorry.

This week we had zone conference! We got to see President and the APs! Elder Worley goes home soon. 

Brownsville zone came up to Harlingen and we also had Stake President Elkins talk to us. Pretty much a great day.

On Thursday, Elder Thompson and I saw the APs again! We happened to ride by while the APs (Assistant to the President) and STLs (Sister Training Leaders) were leaving the church. Apparently they had a meeting and we just happened to find them. That was fun. 

On Saturday, I went on an exchange with Elder Chamberlain and at one point we thought it would be a good idea to take our bikes through a road construction area as a shortcut. We didn't think about the fact that it had dumped rain the day before. The dirt had become very much muddy, but it didn't get too bad until we were already halfway through. At one point, while trudging through, I lifted my foot, but my shoe didn't come with it. There was just enough of the shoe showing that I could put two fingers in and pull. And then I dumped mud out of it. It was quite the adventure. 

I thought it was fun at least. But that also reminds me to tell you about the rain. There was a great rainstorm the other day that flooded the streets and left us out to dry. Get it? 

It was about on par with Oregon rain, maybe a little heavier than normal, but the streets here aren't really designed for it, so it floods.

That is the grand summary for this week, I hope something good happens this week, bye!

Elder Larkin Moss

 The aftermath of the mud adventure.

We washed a dog! 

Baptism!

We baptized this week! Just the physical ordinance this time. The sisters in the branch helped some kids to get baptized and we were asked to do it. 

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Ramiro​, Abby, and Angel are the grandchildren of a member in our branch (the lady in the Tetris-esque dress). The three youths in white got baptized!

​I physically baptized ​Abigail and Angel (the smaller boy). Elder Thompson baptized Ramiro (the bigger one). 

​I would say that everything went quite well with the baptism.​ There is nothing quite as special as helping others to get closer to Christ.

Other than that, the week was not the most special, however we did get to cut down a tree! 

As missionaries, we always ask if there is anything we can do to help, and one girl we talked to said yes. She handed us a machete and a saw and told us that her tree needed to be removed. We gladly took the sharp things and didn't hurt ourselves. We did get tree blood all over us but that is just a bonus. 

​I am still alive, so it's not over yet. Until next time, bye!

Elder Larkin Moss