Week 49

Gringos, Ingles, Comida Americana, y Mosquitos! 

     

After 11 months of serving in the same areas with Elder Heaton they must say good-bye.

                                      Elder Braden Geddes' MTC Companion

   It's been quite the crazy week with transfers and everything going on. On Tuesday I got to say goodbye to a lot of the members in Memphis which was good.  It's always sad to say goodbye to so many great people, I really grew to love that branch there and all of the amazing people there.  I'm going to miss Memphis for sure,but hopefully I will get to return back there at some point on my mission.  But I know that President Wakolo is inspired and that I'm in my new area for a reason!  On Wednesday we had transfers which also marked the 40th 
anniversary of the Arkansas Little Rock Mission.  It was always the first time we have only had 1 transfer meeting, it was broadcasted from Little Rock to Memphis.  It was actually really cool. 

Ghetto Burger place Sweden Creme has the best shakes

Elder Geddes and Elder Diaz

 

Branch President Perez and his family. They are awesome!

   My new area is....Jonesboro Arkansas!!  It's more north east of Arkansas and is a college town.  Arkansas State University is here which is pretty cool!  I will be serving in an English ward, the first time I haven't been in a Spanish branch on my mission.  There are some really cool Spanish members which is sweet and as well there are a lot of Hispanics to sweet.  The ward is a really strong ward, and I'm excited to get to know all the members better,  it's always different at first going to a new area, but I'm sure it will be awesome and I will meet plenty of great people!  The opportunities here are going to be great, I'm looking forward to translating in the ward, and in a few weeks I'll be the only Spanish missionary in the ward, so it will be a great learning experience! 
   My companion is Elder Hernandez from Vera Cruz Mexico.  He was the 2nd companion that Elder Heaton had in Little Rock, so I've served by him a little bit there and in Memphis.  He is going home in about 2 weeks 
though, so basically he is just showing me the Area and then he's going home.  After that I will most likely just serve in a trio with the the English elders (Croft y Zickella) for the last 3 weeks of the transfer.   That should be really good!  Our District is just us and the English Elders.  And yup once again I'm the designated driver. We 
have full car which is super sweet!  We still have to bike sometimes, but not for a week straight which makes it nice.   I think I'm actually going to get the real southern experience up here in Jonesboro.  It's pretty weird preaching the gospel in English, and I bore my testimony in church in English and was translating most of it 
in my head from Spanish to English haha.  It will also be different eating American food every day, instead of Mexican food.  But I'm pretty excited for my new area, and looking forward to what the lord 
has prepared for us. 

    Our week here in Jonesboro was a pretty busy week.  We were
doing a lot of service. We split a bunch of wood for a member, and then another day we helped another member who is a professor do some demolition in one of the classes.   Service is always good, and great way to get the members trust.  We were also able to teach some really good lessons to some Hispanics on the weekend.  We actually found a really cool couple who had just moved to Jonesboro ,and we we were able to teach them the restauracion.  I had my first English missionary experience as I would call it.  We knocked on a bunch of doors and about 6 different white people opened the door and just said no and shut the door.  Hispanics rarely ever do that so I've never experienced that before! Haha! There is a lot of work to do here I. Jonesboro,  Hopefully we can get some people really progressing pretty soon here! 

Elder Croft and Elder Geddes celebrating their birthdays!

   Thanks you so much for all the Birthday wishes!!  I had a good birthday, and a good 4th of July the day after!  On my Birthday we had weekly planning, and he did some service.  Later on we had dinner with a family and he English Elders.  Crazy enough Elder Croft and I had the same Birthday!  He is the only one in the whole mission that has the same birthday, and we happened to be serving next to each other for it.  4th of July was great as well. It was a normal missionary day and we ate wirht some members.  We also got to see the firework show 

Garcia Family

 Familia Hermosillo with Álvaro  

by our apartment which was pretty cool!  Even if Mosquitoes are eating us alive over here!  Other that just another good missionary week.!   Love y'all so much and hope that you have a wonderful week!!
Love, 
Elder Geddes

Nike Lady and Son

Torres Family

  

Bro. Gonzales and
Grandchildren