Looking Forward to the next package!!

The weather here has been the complete opposite of what you encountered there. It has been stormy and warm ever since I arrived here. I experienced my first real Texas storm a couple days ago and it was pretty awesome! Thunder and lightning like crazy. That's the only time I really felt a humidity difference between here and Utah. Other than that, the air generally feels the same. If I were to guess I would say that it has been in the 70's and 80's up until yesterday when it randomly got cold.... but enough about the weather.

 I look forward greatly to the next package! Man, nothing gets me excited like finding good things in the mail from the family or from close friends. I love you all! I appreciate what you do to keep me out here and keep me on fire! And I appreciate all the sacrifices that you have made for me to serve. Family and friends never get enough credit for the sacrifices they make so that their missionary can serve. As hard as being away from all of you has been for me, I have been on the other side of a missionary's mission and know that it is much more of a sacrifice for the family and friends of a missionary than it is for the actual missionary. It is all of you who have to continue life as if something is missing for a while, who go to the same jobs, drive the same cars, and enjoy the same scenery, except all while lacking one crucial element which you can't seem to put your finger on. This feeling of incompleteness lasts, for many, the entirety of their missionary's mission. Although missions are short, lasting only a small number of months and seasons in duration, that empty feeling is frustrating! When a missionary goes out, they get to have a complete change of scenery and engage in something fulfilling, hopefully to keep their mind occupied from what they once knew and will shortly know again. It is not so for family and friends who must continue life, missing a crucial piece of the puzzle for what can seem like a very long time.

 

I understand what you all feel and may still be feeling. Take consolation in the fact that Jong-Wong the elder will be home in just a matter of months, he will stand in as my replacement and will bring you much joy and rejoicing. And then just a matter of months after he, I will also return! Then we will all be gathered again and you can go on whole and complete. So if you think about it, you have a homecoming in just a couple months, and then just a couple months later you will have my homecoming. The two Elders-Arroyo left at conveniently spaced times so for your convenience, the hardest part of the separation is over and you can begin planning a homecoming this year, and next year!

 

 

Things I need:

Send more FOOD!!!

Feel free to check out my apartment complex I am in and my surrounding area on Google Maps. Let me know of cool things about where I am or close to where I am because I don't really know anything about it.

 

Sorry I've been scrambling to type all this, there's just so much info from the past few days that this may seem a little impersonal. I don't mean it to seem that way. I loved reading EVERYTHING about what y'alls is up to and how everything is going. Thank you for sharing that with me.

 

    -Elder Rico!

 

The Past Weeks events here in my mission:

 

Zone Conferences (Courtesy of Texas Houston Mission Blog)

This week we held two zone conferences in the Texas Houston Mission.  On Tuesday, we met with the West, Cypress and Katy zones and then on Wednesday the Klein, Spring, College Station and Houston North zones.  It is always wonderful to gather as missionaries to feel the Spirit of the Lord and be taught important principles that will help us in our missionary efforts.  Throughout the days, missionaries were instructed on the plan-study-teach cycle, first lessons, power hour, health, nutrition, car safety, referral reporting, strengthening less-actives, apartment maintenance, manners, gratitude and smiling more.  We also heard beautiful musical numbers, miracles and a presentation from the ASL missionaries on how to contact deaf people.  As always, the highlight of each day was hearing testimonies from the departing missionaries and additional testimonies as time allowed.  We appreciate wonderful members from the Katy Stake and Spring ward who provided lunch for the missionaries and all others who helped to make these conferences possible.  Pictures from both zone conferences have been combined into one entry.