Elder Brock DeLuca: Tomball Just Can't Get Enough of Me!

We received transfer calls last night and I found out that I am staying in Tomball, not just for another 6 weeks, but for 12!!! I am going to kill off Elder Petersen and then I'll stay here another transfer with someone else to get them broken in to Tomball! :) I am stoked! I just feel bad for the ward! They are stuck with me for a total of 9 months! Hehe. Our ward mission leader said, "Yeehaw!" when I told him that he was stuck with me another 3 months! This seriously is one of the best wards I have ever served in so I am really happy to stay! :)

Last Monday, we went fishing for a little bit before our dinner appointment and I caught my first fish! That was pretty sweet. It was the first time I ever went fishing! There is a member with a pretty good sized pond and they have it stocked with some largemouth bass, blue gill, and some catfish. I think it is safe to say that it was beginners luck!

Tuesday, we met with Cynthia and Dante and Sister Riedel came with us. We taught them the Plan of Salvation and only taught half of the lesson because it can be tough to keep them focused. The lesson went well and both Cynthia and Dante explained that they want to be baptized! Dante really enjoys coming to church, but he cannot see well and his new glasses are not here yet so he didn't end up coming to church yesterday. Cynthia and Angel came though! Later that evening, we went tracting at an apartment complex and we found a new investigator named Kenneth, but when we came back the next day he wasn't there. We have to go back and follow up with him.

Wednesday, we saw Brother Mason and had a nice little visit with him then we grabbed some lunch and went church tracting. We went by a few more churches in our area and just offered service and they really like that! There were a couple who gave us their number and told us to call them back. After that we went over to visit with Orion with Ryan Barnett and we taught him the Restoration again. We have decided to go back through the lessons with him to help him feel more comfortable with being baptized. We had a dinner appointment to get to and then after that we had a lesson with Rick and Corban and we had Ben Ure come with us. He and Corban have become really good friends that past few weeks. We went over some of the laws and ordinances with them and arranged some items for their baptism that Saturday.

Thursday, we had our weekly planning and that took up most of the afternoon and then we had a dinner appointment with Rick and Corban. Oh my goodness, it was so good. Rick loves to cook so he made home made pasta, like he made the dough and pressed the noodles and then made this fettuccine alfredo sauce with chicken and green beans. So good! Then we had a lesson with them and our ward mission leader came over after we ate and we finished up the 5th lesson and worked out all the details for Saturday.

Friday, we went on exchanges with the Windrose Elders before our district meeting and I went with Elder Backstein. He is a solid missionary. We had a great day! We went out to lunch after district meeting and we went to Chipotle and a member from another stake was picking up an order to go right as we were about to pay and then he offered to pay for us! Yes please! Haha, missionaries are broke and it aint no joke!

Saturday was so sweet! Rick and Corban's baptism was at 10:00 am so we got up and showered then headed to the building to get everything set up! The water heater in our building always runs out of hot water like halfway as the font is filling, so we started to boil a bunch of pots of water in the kitchen to bring them back to the font! Can you say red neck? Haha! It ended up being pretty warm for them. We actually didn't even baptize them, so the hot water was a selfless act for those of you that may have thought I was doing that for me (Jimbo)! Rick has a friend from Katy who recently moved to our ward and his son is about to go and serve in the Las Vegas Mission and he was the one who baptized him. Corban had Ryan Barnett baptize him and Ryan brought his non-member mom to the baptism! Rick and Corban asked us to give the talks there so I gave the one on baptism and Elder Petersen gave the talk on the Holy Ghost. I talked about the covenants that we make when we are baptized and then pointed out the three main characteristics of Christ's baptism: age, immersion and the authority. Then I closed by sharing Mosiah 18: 8-9

8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;

9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—

I told them that the ward needs them and that they would be a great asset to everyone there. We all need each other! Then I bore testimony of what they were doing and that was it for Elder DeLuca! Elder Petersen did a really good job.

Sunday, we had their confirmations and Brother Ure Sr. confirmed Rick and then Brother Ure Jr. confirmed Corban. Really great Sacrament meeting! Cynthia and Angel enjoyed their time spent there.

So, we had a great week and are looking forward to 12 more to come! You can send a letter now Bailley. :) I love you guys and I will talk to you soon! Have a great week!

Love,

Elder DeLuca