Week 10 Brownsville, Texas

Hey Mom,

This week was good. Today temps will be around 103 degrees, yay humidity. 

Yeah Port Aransas is up at Corpus Christi in the very North corner of our mission. That is pretty cool, Elder Griffeth actually told me that he heard about that Elder when he served up there. (Elder DeHart who is serving in our ward is originally from Port Aransas, Texas. I had told Jaden about the talk he gave in our ward. )

Yes, time is flying by, it is crazy. 

I have no idea when kids go back to school in Texas. I know they get out like 2 weeks earlier than you guys do so maybe late August. 

Not much goes on in Brownsville, we are just doing the same old same old. 

Honestly not much to say this week. The work continues to go on. 

Favorite thing I did this week? Hmmmm. On Saturday Elder Fusco wasn't feeling well so Elder Meza and I drove around to make some appointments.

Favorite meal? We had some carne asada for dinner this week, it was delicious, as carne asada always is. 

Most difficult thing was biking in the 100 degree weather. It isn't awful when there is a breeze but when the wind is hot it isn't a good time. 

Most interesting thing we did this week was sit in a sunday school class on Sunday of the 12-14 year olds since the teacher wanted us to help with something. 

Honestly this week was just really tiring, I am worn out, but the work goes on. 

Tell Sean I hope he enjoys scout camp and that I love him.

Hope all goes well for you guys this week.

Love,

Elder Goodbaudy 

Week 9 Brownsville, Texas

Hey Mom,

The week was good. We played soccer and basketball this morning for P-day. It was fun. 

Yeah this week went by really fast too. It is crazy to think that in a few months I will have been out for a year. 

No primary classes this week. Our empty week was last week, but every one is coming back from vacation now so all is well.

Yeah we are meeting a lot of people. We are just trying to talk to everyone we can. 

Yes it is very hot here. It has been in the high 90's with about 50% humidity every day.

There were coyotes in the field?! Really?! That is crazy. (The Saturday before this email to Jaden we woke up to find 2 coyotes in the big field across the street from our house. )

Most inspiring thing was zone conference this week where President Torres talked about consecration and how when we are consecrated and we give our all, we can align our will with God's and he can magnify our abilities. 

Most interesting was that we had this investigator who kept trying to tell us that she is saved by grace. So we had to explain to her that we are saved by grace upon the conditions of repentance. So that was interesting to talk about.

Another interesting thing is that I have been studying the Old Testament along with the Institute student manual. That has been super insightful and really interesting to read.

Best food this week was actually down carne that we had yesterday after church. It was delicious. We also had green spaghetti which was super good. 

Can't think of anything else I want for my birthday. Feel free to surprise me. 

Anyway this week was really good. We had some good lessons and some good times. 

It is good to hear that all continues to go well back home. 

Tell everyone I say hi.

Love

Elder Goodbaudy

There is a member in one of the Brownsville wards that gives all of the missionaries "Deeno-saur" names. Elder Goodbaudy is the "Salt-N-Pepasaurus" named such for the song "Body Beautiful" by Salt-N-Pepa. I am not sure what the missionaries did but Bro. Perez put them all in "Deeno-Detention". Below is Elder Goodbaudy's mugshot!

Week 8 Brownsville, Texas

Hey Mom,

Saturday and Sunday we ended up going on an exchange with the ZL's because one of them was sick. So I got to drive around in a Toyota Tacoma with Elder Meza,  that was fun. We had a good time talking to people. 

Yeah this week was pretty good. Yesterday in church we ended up teaching the sunbeams. There were only 2 girls and 1 boy but they were a handful. We had the 2 sisters serve in the ward along with us and the ZL's help us in sunbeams because they had nothing else to do. Since Elder Fusco still wasn't feeling well Elder Meza and I taught the sunbeams. 

The most inspirational thing I heard this week was that we each have our own potential and all God wants us to do is hit our potential. It isn't about being the best missionary, the best parent, the best child, the best whatever, it is about being the best you and reaching your potential. 

Lesson wise not much is new this week.

Yes everything in the ward are done in Spanish. Most members know varying amounts of English but they all know Spanish so everything is done in Spanish.

Not many meals this week. The members just give us gift cards to eat at various places. 

You and Matt ate at a Taqueria? How was It? Taquerias are everywhere down here and they are super good. 

Anyway that is about it for this week.

Hope this next week goes well

Love,

Elder Goodbaudy 

Week 7 Brownsville, Texas

Hey Mom,

Sounds like you have had a crazy week. That is a lot of driving to the airport. (3 trips in 4 days to pick up family.  Lots of trips, totally worth it! 😊)

Don't have much time this week so this will be short. 

Not any rain this week, it is back to hot and sunny weather for us. 

Yeah stake conference was super good. Also speaking of church stuff yesterday at church we had Elder Walter F. Gonzalez from the first quorum of the seventy in our sacrament meeting because his granddaughter lives in our ward and she was getting baptized. He bore a super awesome testimony about Christ. It was so good. 

There weren't many appointments this week, I can't think of a favorite. My favorite meal this week was with the Diaz family, it was the 11 year old daughters birthday so we had some chicken in a sauce which was delicious. 

I can't think of anything so far for 4th of July. I am curious to see what it will be like down on the border. 

Enjoy the shopping this week, I know you always look forward to it  

That is really it for this week, life has been pretty usual the past few weeks. 

Have a great week

Love,

Elder Goodbaudy 

Week 6 Brownsville, Texas

 Hey Mom,

Don't have a lot of time this week. Glad to hear all has gone well and that the trip was good.

The rain this week was quite much. We had some decent flooding, biking in a foot of water is pretty fun though. 

The stuff going on at the border hasn't really been that big of a deal down here. Nobody really talks about it. 

Stake Conference was super good. President Torres gave an amazing talk, about being the generation of change and that God loves us even though we aren't perfect. He told a story about his 7 year old son and how one day he came home with a 7th place medal. His son said he was super happy about being 7th place because he wasn't last, there were 8 places. He then related that to how God feels for us. It was super amazing. 

The stake President, President Elkins gave a really good talk about ministering and helping one another. Something he said that I really liked was 

"The Lord doesn't ask us to judge who we help, he just asks that we help."

Long story short stake conference was super good. 

We got transfer calls last night, Griffeth and I are staying together in Browsnville for another 6 weeks. I am super excited. 

This week it was a lot of service. We helped some people move out of apartments because they had flooded, so we spent most of the day on Friday doing that. 

Like I said not much time this week.

This week was a lot of rain and flooding but all went well.

Have a good week

Love,

Elder Goodbaudy