This week was very interesting. We worked super hard but we are having a hard time getting everything up and running.
We have had a little bit of bike trouble (mostly my companion) but I am super optimistic and I will tell you why. Friday we were riding to our appointment when all of the sudden the back axle on my bike broke in half. We both decided that the Lord was trying to tell us something so we called the ZLs for a ride and while we were waiting we knocked doors to see if there was somebody he wanted us to teach. After a long time we got to the end of the street and felt like we should talk to this family who was just about to leave. It was great and we really felt that they had a desire to listen. They seem like an awesome family and we will start teaching them soon. Sometimes we wonder why things happen but we have to realize that a lot of the times it is because God has a bigger picture in mind.
I have always heard that the first transfer or so is always the hardest just because it takes a while to get used to everything. I watched a really good Mormon message this week by Joseph B. Wirthlin which was taken from his "Come what may and love it" talk. In it he says "Come what may and love it. Trust in the Lord. Do your best and leave the rest to him". Though some days may be hard out here I just need to have faith. God will always help me through.
That is great that you guys were able to try to do some missionary work! It is interesting how people are surprised when we start talking with them. I feel like the art of conversation is becoming a lost art. Please keep going on it! By small and simple means great things are brought to pass. I don't know if I have told you this but there is a very slim chance that I will go to Louisiana... At first I was a little heartbroken but Elder Ek says that here (Broadway or the suburb of Houston) is where we Spanish missionaries belong. There are a ton of people who don't speak English and I love it! I thought that I knew Mexican food before I came out here but I had no idea. We have had amazing food and I think that my favorite is El Salvadorian Papusas. You will have to look them up but they are pretty much this circular bread stuff with meat inside and something like sour coleslaw on top.
We are teaching our new convert the new member lessons and are working with some other great people, too. We were talking about tithing with one of our investigators and I told him that my family has been really blessed for paying tithing even when it was hard. Thank you for teaching me the importance of it. I love you all so much and appreciate the support that you have given me.
It has been a little hard here because I don't know if I told you but we got whitewashed and put into a brand new area (they split one of them and made them two different ones). Pray for us that we will be able to get real solid people to teach. We are doing great here, but are really tired. We work really hard and bike a ton. My companion has had a lot of bike problems (at least eight flat tires!) and I had a couple of weird things happen too but I put the green strips in and they seem to be working fine; besides some of the weird stuff that has happened my bike is working fine. I decided that it needed a name so I have begun to call it Thor (long story). I did hear that Jake is training!
Elder Ek turned 20 yesterday and has been out for 10 months. He is a Spanish speaker which is great because I need the help. I'm glad that Harrison had his first date! Dating can be kind of weird sometimes. Let him know that you have good ones and bad ones. I definitely had some awkward experiences but I had a couple that were a blast.
I have not had cow tongue or chicken feet yet, though my friend Elder Strong told me that he had cow tongue a couple of days ago. Mexican food is absolutely amazing and we get a variety. Mostly people are from Mexico, Honduras, and El Salvador.
I love you all so much and I am glad that you are doing well. I know that what I am doing is what God wants. Pray for us that we will have success and for our investigators too.
Love
Elder Ressler
P.S. I am pretty sure we can't even go out of our apartment during Halloween. It is against mission rules so I might end up watching the “Finding Faith in Christ” or something. Love that movie!!!
