Corpus Christi, Texas

Hey Mom,

So we had transfer calls last night. Crazy news!! I am leaving San Benito and going up North to Corpus Christi, serving basically on North Padre island. I will also be District Leader so it should be interesting. I am super excited. I am sad I only got to spend 6 weeks in San Benito but it was a really good time. 

We thought we would be getting a hurricane but it looks like we won't. The weather has cooled down nicely. It has still been humid thanks to the rainshowers we have gotten but at least it has cooled down. 

The week was pretty good. Not much new happened. 

Church was good. There were only 75 people there though because Saturday was Mexico's  Independence Day. There was also a big boxing match between a Hispanic guy and a Filipino guy, the fight started at like 11:00 pm so everybody was up late partying. 

We helped out at church by teaching the young men during 3rd hour. I also helped out our Branch President with some stuff after church. 

Food was really good this week. It usually is, so no complaints. 

We had a good lesson with a lady who said she was Catholic and fine with where she was but she kept asking us questions and so we ended up having a good lesson with her. 

Most inspirational thing this week was a zone meeting we had reflecting on what we learned from the General Authorities. It was super good.

Most difficult was biking, as per usual. However up in Corpus we will have a car so no more of that for the foreseeable future.

Favorite scripture for this week isn't a scripture. They released the book Saints and it is available on Gospel library. It is so good. If you haven't started reading it then start. It is so good.

After having 2 companions that speak Spanish I feel pretty good about my abilities. I can understand pretty much everything people say. Speaking wise I'm not awful but practice always helps. 

That is pretty much all the news for the week. Hope all goes well at home and that you guys have a good week.

Sorry no pictures. Definitely will be some next week though. 

Love,

Elder Goodbaudy

Week 6 San Benito, Texas - One Last Time

Hey Mom,

This week was super good.

We don't know why Casillas was transferred, but we are told all is well.

I am glad that it seems like all is going well for the most part with the kids starting school. 

This week was super good. On Friday we had a branch activity called Noche en Blanco (Night in white) we talked about Temples and baptism. President Torres came and spoke, it was really good.

Yesterday we had Elder Pieper and Elder McKay from the 70 come and visit our mission. We had a really cool interactive question and answer session about agency and better meeting people's needs. It was super good.

Other than that this week was pretty normal. 

It has cooled down just slightly it has also started to rain a bit more. Rumor has it that a hurricane might be on the way, within the next few weeks, but we will see. 

Food has been delicious as usual, no complaints. 

In church we taught the young men about making our own choices as to whether or not we will do what we are commanded to do. We also talked about the Word of Wisdom because there is a lot of confusion down here as to what is against the Word of Wisdom and what isn't. 

Favorite scripture this week relates to something that Elder McKay said to us yesterday. He talked about faith as a principle of action. He talked about how in 1 Nephi 3:7 Nephi says he will go AND do. We have to go and do our part of the deal for the Lord go do the rest. 

Anyway, that is pretty much it for this week. Next week is transfers so we will see what happens. I am probably staying in San Benito so I am super excited. 

Can't think of anything for a hump day box as of yet. 

Hope you guys have a great week!

Love,

Elder Goodbaudy 

Week 5 San Benito, Texas

Hey Mom,

This week was pretty long. Not much time today so this email will be pretty short. 

All has been good. We did get some sad news when on Tuesday we found out Casillas was being emergency transferred to a different area. So Wednesday morning Casillas left and I got my new comp Elder Acosta. He is from Baja California, Mexico. He doesn't know very much English. We are still having a good time. 

It is still really hot outside, no end to our summer yet. 

Testimony meeting was good. Church started a little late so not many people had time to go up. It was still good though. 

In church we taught Sunday school to the youth about the commandments. We also taught the young men during 3rd hour about the importance of the Temple and paying tithing. 

Meals this week have been good. We get fed every day, the food is always super delicious. 

Best thing this week has been talking to people. Just the crazy things that happen when you find people outside to talk to. 

Favorite scripture for this week is....

Mormon 9:10-11

10 And now, if ye have imagined up unto yourselves a god who doth vary, and in whom there is shadow of changing, then have ye imagined up unto yourselves a god who is not a God of miracles.

11 But behold, I will show unto you a God of miracles, even the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and it is that same God who created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are.

Miracles still happen, so go out and look for them.

Got to go but I love you guys and I will talk to you next week. Have a great week!

Love

Elder Goodbaudy 

Week 4 San Benito, Texas

Hey Mom,

Man, it is crazy hearing about everyone leave on missions. (Our friend's daughter, Reagan leaves on 9/4 for San Jose, CA via the CCM. Reagan is 4 days younger than Jaden and because of my friendship with Reagan's mom Jaden and Reagan spent a fair amount of time together until Reagan's family moved when the kids were about 5.) Good to hear though, the mission does you a lot of good. 

The week wasn't too bad. Yes it is still hot. Luckily at around 6 it starts to cool down ever so slightly, so all we have to do is endure until the evening. 

Oh the end of summer. Everyone down here went back to school today, so the kids here are a little disappointed. 

It sounds like all continues to go well at home, that is good to hear. 

Yeah, there are definitely days when it is hot, and biking is tiring, but we do what we need to do. (Autumn, Sean and I were discussing the theme of Girls Camp Autumn had recently returned from; the theme was "Strength beyond my own". I told them I was sure the were many times as Jaden rode his bike through the streets of Southern Texas in 100+ degree heat he felt strength

Food was good as always. Yes we get fed every day, so that is nice. 

In church we taught Sunday school to the youth about the importance of marrying in the Temple. Then we taught aaronic priesthood about the restoration. 

A cool experience this week was that we went by this family and talked to the mom. We taught her about the restoration and then she told us this story of a time when she had a heart attack. She told us that she was pronounced dead and while she was dead she saw a vision. She saw a straight and narrow path, a great and spacious building and a bright tree. She heard a voice say to her that she wouldn't be taken from this earth yet because she has to return to this straight and narrow path. So we pulled out the Book of Mormon and opened up to Lehi's vision. We invited her to read it and told her that this explained what she saw. So we will go back to visit her and see how it went. 

So that was the cool miracle for the week. 

Favorite scripture for this week? Hmmm. Probably James 2:17 in the New Testament. Without works, our Faith is dead. We show our Faith and trust in God by our works. We must show our Faith by our works. 

Didn't have any service this week but we are constantly asking people if we can do anything to help. Eventually someone will say yes. 

Can't think of anything I need right now. But I will think about it during the week. (I had asked Jaden what he wanted/needed for his "Hump Day" package. Hard to believe we are already talking about that,  it seems like he just left. October 17th is his 1 year mark.)

That is all for this week. Hope this next week goes good for you guys and that you enjoy the cooler weather. 

Love,

Elder Goodbaudy

 Elder Goodbaudy in front of a mural in San Benito, Texas

Elder Casillas and Elder Goodbaudy in front of a mural in San Benito, Texas

Elder Goodbaudy in front of a mural in San Benito, Texas

sans suit coat.

Week 3 San Benito, Texas

Hey Mom,

The week was good. All is well.

So in the city of San Benito me, Elder Casillas and 2 sister missionaries cover the Spanish branch, but we live with 2 elders that cover the city of San Benito in English, but they meet up the road in Harlingen for church. 

Everything has been going good. We are still in the high 90's so that is the usual. 

The branch is good, we get about 85 people that come, so it isn't too bad. 

No we didn't end up meeting with the guy who had been in prison again, because he lives in Harlingen. 

It really is crazy how fast time flies. 

President Nelsons announcement (about using the formal name of the Church) was cool. It will take some time for people to get used to it but it will be good.

Most inspirational thing this week was zone conference. President Torres taught us about the plan of salvation, mainly the millennium and the resurrection, that was super cool.

Favorite meal this week, we were biking around to talk to people at 8:30 p.m. and we come up to this party to talk to people and they invite us to eat. So we ate some really good fajita tacos and beans and rice. It is things like that that make your day. Cant beat south Texas BBQ.

Most difficult thing is when people aren't there for appointments when we ask to meet with them. Oh well.

We had a good lesson with a less active lady talking about the importance of coming to church because we love the Savior. 

All the food this week was pretty good, I can't complain. 

In church we taught Sunday school about the plan of salvation and we also taught the young men, so that was good. 

All in all this week was good.

Hope you guys have a great week.

Tell everyone I say hi.

Love

Elder Goodbaudy 

Week 2 San Benito, Texas

Hey Mom,

This week was pretty good. Getting used to everything has been really tiring but it has all gone well.

San Benito is about the size of Newberg. It also has the same kind of lay-out with a downtown area and then some country outskirts area as well. It has a branch. We meet in a remodeled furniture store that has been turned into a church building. 

My companion and I are the first elders in this branch in 3 or 4 years. So it has been pretty cool meeting everyone. 

My new companion is Elder Casillas. He is from Mexico and doesn't know very much English. We have such a good time. We also live with 2 other missionaries in our apartment, so we have a blast. 

My birthday was good. I got the package. It was everything I needed. Fanny messaged you? That is pretty cool! (A member from Brownsville had messaged me wanting to know Jaden's favorite dessert so they could give him a treat for his birthday. I have a tender spot for the people in Southern Texas who take such good care of my son.)

Yes it is still hot and humid. However we are out of the worst part of summer. It will start to cool down over the next few months. 

That is good that sacrament meeting went well. The branch President asked Elder Casillas and I to speak in sacrament meeting, so we spoke yesterday. It went pretty well, we talked about preparing for the latter days. 

Favorite thing I ate this week? We had some really good spaghetti on Tuesday with a member family. We also get fed every day, that is super nice. 

Best thing this week was getting used to the area. It was cool meeting new people and figuring out what to do.

Most difficult will always be, biking in the heat. 

Most inspirational was talking to a guy on the street who had been in prison and told us his story. It was pretty cool to hear his story. 

Apart from that everything is going well.

Hope you have a great week.

Love

Elder Goodbaudy