the one with Mission Tour

... this tuesday we went to a member house in Laredo after our district meeting for lunch. Their names are the pantojas, they are a great family, they are a recent convert family and have all the missionaries that have ever stopped by on the walls, I can't wait to be on people's walls some day very soon.

tuesday night we did exchanges with my district leader elder Austin, so he can interview our investigator Michael, he passed the interview, but he has to finish paying off his probation before we can baptize him. I hope he does it soon, but if he doesn't the important thing is that he is baptized! whether I do it or not is not important. I was just blessed to be a part of his learning process to get him to that point. if I get transferred I will be leaving many super cool families that will be baptized in the coming weeks behind too, but I have to keep a positive attitude, and hope they will be in capable hands.

the mission tour was wednesday, so we all went to Corpus Christi for the day, which is about 7 hours round trip to here Elder Foster from the 70 speak to us, he and his wife shared really great messages about working hard and not being baptizing machines, but ward and stake builders. after that we (as a district) went to Whataburger (everyone pronounces it water-burger) on the beach in C.C. it really is beautiful there. I wouldn't mind getting transferred up there, but I would never speak spanish, and right know I really want to learn. but someday before I'm done with my mission I'll serve in Corpus Christi, if not then, for a visit to my mission I will definitely stay there and south padre island (a place where elders are not allowed to work, probably to all the girls in bikinis).

this we week I had a couple of trying experiences with Elder Johnson, but I think he was being just as tried with me too! but we were able to figure everything out, he is a great companion, he just doesn't like to have anyone question him on something, and I hate following without getting my opinion at least heard. we both got a chance to learn.

this saturday there was a crazy storm in zapata! luckily the strongs (the new old couple were taking us to a lesson when is got REALLY bad!) it was hurricane level stuff! we didn't get a video of it unfortunately, but the tree we always teach under fell down as we were teaching! good thing we decided to teach on the other side of the house, under a car port instead!

church yesterday was very good, we had 33 people at church again, I swear if we could have just a few of the members that we visit every week show up, we'd be having 50 every time and we'd be a branch by now!

I hop every had a good week! I HAVE A FEELING THAT I 'MAY' BE LEAVING ZAPATA, SO IF YOU NEED TO GET ME ANYTHING (LIKE LETTERS) IT PROBABLY WOULD BE BEST TO SEND IT TO THE MISSION OFFICE (OR SEND IT REALLY FAST, LIKE TODAY OR TOMORROW TO ZAPATA!) UNTIL I KNOW FOR SURE, NEXT MONDAY!

-I hope you all have a great week! I took some really great pictures with Johnson, and Judy's family, apparently she posted a video of us sing to their family, if you want to see it just look on her Facebook! talk to you all later!

Elder Duerst