Kingwood, TX 2016
" Today we got a phone call from Sister Tegtmeier and she told us that Brother Tegtmeier was very ill and under quarantine. She wanted to let us know so we wouldn't go by and see him. We felt impressed to go by anyways and asked a nurse if there was any chance we could go in. So she gave us a gown, breathing mask, and gloves. We entered in and Sister Tegtmeier was surprised to see us. We told her we were here to give Brother Tegtmeier a blessing! So I gave the blessing and man there are some blessings that are hard to give and others where the words just flow from your mouth, faster than you can think. This blessing just flowed. It was kinda weird cause I've never given a blessing in gloves and talking with a breathing mask. It was a super cool experience especially cause it is the last time I'm going to see them.
We were told today that transfers have been changed to tomorrow not Saturday! The day goes by pretty quick. At the end of the day we are going through the part member list and we started visiting them. We were on the name Konjoyan. We go to their house and they don't answer. We knock on the neighbors door and he answers and we ask him if his neighbors moved and he said yes. We ask him if he knows where they moved to and he answered YES. He proceeds to give us southerner directions. Like- Well, go down the street and make a right. Follow the street for five minutes and turn at the giant tree that is bigger than the rest. Then you will see Nederland High School. There is a street across from that-turn off that street and you will see these huge houses and one of them has a giant lion in front. Then make a right and his house is a big house and he likes sport cars. We try to follow his directions and eventually find the big lion. We get to the street and it is a pretty big street and all the houses are mansions. We start knocking down the street and are having no success. Elder Strong was like, "Man! Why can't they just have a giant 'K" on their door?" So we go to the next house and there is a giant K on their door. We look at each other with a surprised look and eagerly knock on the door. A guy answers and looks at us with a surprised look and says, "Come in Elders." So we went in and he tells us he has company over or else he would show us around. He said, " Well, my wife was a member and we talked about it and well...Let's just say, I'm so glad you stopped by." He asked for our card with our number on it and he asked for our names-like our first names, too. (I am surprised I remembered it!). He said he would call us next week.
It is late so we were going home and we were in the parking lot and a person waves us down and says she came from California. She was taught by missionaries there and she wanted to know if there was any way she could finish being taught by them? We asked her where she lived and she said Orangefield. It so happens that was my last area, so I give her their phone number cause I still had it memorized. She thanked us so much.
There was a person we helped move a couple of days ago. We taught her and she said she would like to learn more so I told her we have friends in Montana where she is moving to. I told her they could stop by and teach her. She said thank you but I live in Nye, Montana and there is no way any missionaries can be in that area. We we called the missionaries there and told them to give her a call and tell her it was her friends in Port Arthur. At about 10:00 p.m. we get a call from the Montana missionaries and they told us that they called her and she was BLOWN AWAY that we actually have friends that can cover that area. She told them she would be happy to have them come by and teach her and show the missionaries around her small town. So that was our day and I finished up the night packing and kinda wishing I was staying cause things are starting to pick up and honestly I feel like I shouldn't be leaving, but it is what it is!
So I packed my bags and we're headed to transfers. The rain started in again and it rained pretty good for a while. We arrive at transfers and I get put with Elder Moos in Kingwood 3. I'm pumped even though Kingwood is a biking area. It has green belts, which are sidewalks that go though these forests and keep you away from traffic. The ward I am in is amazing, like one of the best wards in the mission. I'm in one of the richest wards in the mission, ha ha. The area I am in is full of mansions-you gotta have money to live here. Since it rained super hard, half of my area is flooded, so we have a lot of service ahead of us!
It took me a little bit to figure this out, but our apartment smells really weird. I was trying to think of what it smelled like and then it hit me today. Our apartments literally smells like weed. So I turned to my companion and I'm like, "Elder, does it smell like weed?" He said , "Yeah it has always been like that." Honestly, it's super weird because it is the richest area.
After that we went and taught some people and then we visited some members and one of their recently baptized converts. Man, people in Kingwood are solid. The members are the best I've ever seen and even the investigators are solid.
So we are knocking on doors and we knock on this one door and this lady comes out and tells us that she hates religion and she is not that happy of a camper! We talk to her and she told us she was a Catholic but some stuff happened, like really bad stuff and she goes off. She then told us that her husband passed away a week ago. We talked to her for about forty-five minutes and she was almost in tears. She said she couldn't come to church this week but she would come to church next week. She had some pretty crazy ideas about Mormons, but she kept saying that maybe this was a sign that she should join y'all! So yeah, so far I love Kingwood except for the fact that I left my bike light in mid county and it gets dark, like pitch black on those green belts cause there are no lights, just trees! The sidewalks aren't straight, they're wavy, so it has been a challenge.
I had a baptism in my last area, so I got a member to drive us there so I could attend. It's weird that it's only been three days since I left, but it seems like forever ago! My old district said that they want me back! So we did the baptism and I remembered to get my bike light. We drove back and ate dinner.
We had church today, and our congregation is big like there was 260 people and we also have 60 young women and about 12 young men. Like this is a good ward. After church we ate lunch and it started to drizzle rain, so we grabbed coats and rode out thinking that it would stop, but nope it started to pour. We were riding our bikes for about 25 minutes in the pouring rain till finally we were sick of it and were soaked from head to toe. We stop at a members house and they invite us in and the husband gives us clothes to change in to. He threw our wet clothes in the dryer. We visit them and then ride to our dinner and eat there and right when we were about to leave, it starts to pour again so we stay at a members house and they let their kids ask us missionary questions and then we rode home when the rain cleared up again.
Love,
Elder Saunders
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| Flooded area in Kingwood on my way to transfers. The big circle is a home up on stilts and the water is half way up. The smaller circle is a mailbox and it is 3/4 of the way under water. April 2016 |
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| Baptism in my old area that I was able to go to. Elder Strong, Justin-9 years, Elder Saunders. Port Arthur, TX 2016 |
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