First Week in Conroe!

Alright, so I arrived here on Tuesday morning and then I got all settled in and cleaned my bathroom. Yes, I have my own bathroom! We have a two bedroom/two bathroom. We all sleep in the same room and then we have a study room. I say we all because President threw a quick one on me and, when I got to Conroe on Tuesday, I found out that Elder Edwards and I were going to be training! 

Wednesday, we went around and visited members and I introduced myself to a lot of people and then we had a lesson with one of our investigators named Justin. He is so sweet! He grilled us up some steaks and we had dinner with him then we had a lesson. His wife is a member and they both live with her mother. We focused on praying to know that the Book of Mormon was true because we can read and ponder, but if we don't pray we will never receive an answer. 

Thursday morning, we had our training meeting and that was where we met Elder Seamons from Seattle Washington. He is a stud. He loves cars and dirt bikes so it is pretty much meant to be. He has restored a couple of older mustangs and he used to work as a mechanic for a Toyota dealership in Washington. After our training meeting we came back and started our weekly planning and then had another lesson with Justin and we went over some of the commandments. Keep the Sabbath Day Holy, Follow the Prophet and the Ten Commandments. The lesson went really well. 

Friday, we had district meeting in the morning and it was so good. I have noticed that I participate so much more in district meetings now, almost to the point to where I think I might be annoying.....haha! Just kidding....I hope not! We practiced teaching an investigator that has not prayed about the Book of Mormon, so we received some good insight on how to apply that to our investigators. Later that evening, we had a miracle! We prayed to see where we should go finding and we felt like we should go back to a street where Elder Edwards and I were on Tuesday so we went back. We knocked a few doors and no one was wanting to talk to us. A lady walked out of a house and she was saying, "like they are having a party so no one will want to talk to you." We kept on going and still nothing. The first door that Elder Seamons knocked, a guy answered. We started talking to him about the Book of Mormon and then I was like, "Do you have just 5 or 10 minutes for us to come in and explain more?" He said, "Sure. Come in!" It's go time! I whispered to my companions, "We gotta make this good." We went in and sat down and then asked if anyone else was home and if he would invite them to come and be a part of the lesson. His wife and son were there and they came in. Their names are Robert and Alice and their sons name is Chris. They are probably in their 60's and Chris is 30. We had a prayer and then we went straight to the introduction of the Book of Mormon after finding out what they had already known. We explained what it was and how they can come to know if it is true. We invited them to read the first 15 chapters before our visit with them the next evening at 8. 

Saturday morning was sweet. We helped some neighbors move in at our apartment complex and they were super nice. They offered to pay us after we were done and we explained that we didn't take money but then I said something. I was like, "We won't take your money.  However, we are missionaries for our church and we would love to come over after you get settled in and share a message about Jesus Christ with you guys!" She said, "Of course." Yes please! Then we went over to the Falcon's and we helped cut down a tree that fell on their fence. They had a Stihl chainsaw and Brother Falcon said that he hadn't used it in over a year so it probably wouldn't start. I was like, "Well, those are the best chainsaws you can get so let me take a look at it." :) We went out to the shed and it was so dusty but I took it out and shook up the gas and started pulling it and sure enough it fired right up. Back home, Jimbo wouldn't let me use his Stihl chainsaws so I took ahold of this opportunity. I am a big boy now! When I had that thing running and as I was cutting that tree, it felt so good. I just love motors and I miss my dirt bikes, so I had a smile on my face. :) Later that evening, we had a lesson with the Saenz family and we taught them the restoration. It went so good. We had Brother Morris with us and we invited them to church with us and they said that they would come. For the first time in a long time, I actually felt the Spirit tell me that they would be there. I had no doubts that they would be there. 

Sunday comes and they came! Justin was there and also another investigator named Luke that we are teaching this week. Okay, here is the coolest part ever. In Elders Quorum, I asked Robert and Chris how they felt and how they liked church and Robert said that he really liked it and then here is the neatest part. Chris said, "I think I have found my new church." I wanted to cry because I was so happy. 

I love Conroe so much. I would love to finish my mission here, but we will see what the Lord has in store for me. I hope you all have a great week! 

Love, 

Elder DeLuca

I got one last picture with Paul on Monday! 

​Here are my new companions! 

I have my own toilet now, but I still put this up. Sister Rittman made them for me because one of my biggest pet peeves is when my companions pee on the toilet and do not clean it up! Come on man. I am just trying to teach them a lesson for when they get married.