Week 8 - Brownsville, TX

I have had a pretty good week. I am doing pretty good. Pretty happy. 

I am glad that Johnny got his Eagle. I hope that Andrew, Sean, and Jared will get theirs. I was super lazy.

That is super crazy that Josh is already coming back. It really doesnt seem like two years has gone by. I have already been gone three months and it doesnt really feel like it. On my minister card or whatever it has a date of when I start and when I end. I come home a couple weeks earlier than April 24th.

I am still writing a letter for you. I will be going more into detail with stuff there. I have a little more time writing letters than I do for emails. I havent taken a lot of pictures but I need to take more. I will send some of what I have. I just have to figure out how to do it on this computer. Yes I can get your pictures too.

When the office gets packages they keep them there until someone comes down here from McAllen and they usually give them to the zone leaders. We see them at least twice a week. 

I am glad that you all liked the ties. I am happy to write Jared. I like it when I get letters from people. Its one of the treasures of being a missionary. We get excited when we get letters.

Well I will see you next week! I love you!

Elder Dawson

150 tie day!

Week 7 - Brownsville, TX

Things are going pretty great. I am having a lot of fun. Yeah it has been pretty hot still! We got a good bout of rain this week. Not anything to bad. I have heard that it is supposed to be getting super super hot soon. Like for 40 days straight its going to be in the 100's+ with super high humidity. I thing they call it the Cubicula or something like that.

Thats so cool that Logan went to the temple. I am so excited for him. I think he will probably be going to the Provo MTC. or at least not Brazil yet. I dont know. (Editors note:  Alec’s cousin, Logan, was called to the Brazil, Florianopolis Mission. He received his visa on August 8 and left August 14 for the Sao Paulo MTC).

I havent heard anything on my visa yet either. Still just waiting. Aunt Wendy sent an email saying that Ben was transferred (Editors Note:  Alec’s cousin, Ben, was transferred from Benton, AR, to Humbolt, TN). I told her that I need to write him or something. It just stinks that I can only write on Mondays and even then things are still pretty busy. That is super awesome that Van and Wendy are going too. (Editors Note:  My sister, Wendy and her husband Van were called to the Washington Tacoma Mission to serve a one-year mission as office assistants at the mission home). That would be a lot of fun.

So yes I am now in another trio and also still in Brownsville. Elder Torres is still one of them. And the other one is Elder Guillette, like the razors. He has been out for 10 months. He is from Idaho. I like him a lot. And yes I met the new President. They are from Chili. He speaks, Spanish, English, Portuguese, and French. I dont think his wife speaks English but I dont know. They are really cool though. They have 4 children here with them. One son is on a mission right now. And a daughter is at BYU I think. I think that is all of their kids.

I havent heard to much about the new dress code. I dont know how it will affect us with the side bags. I wouldnt expect it to because it seems that its just not professional looking to wear backpacks with suits. But we only wear suits on Sundays for church. All other times we are in our white shirts. We havent heard about any changes in the mission so far.

So I guess you got my package from the email you just sent. I hope you all like them. (Editors note:  Alec sent a box of ties for his brothers and cousins. It included a list with each persons name and a description of which tie goes to that person).

I really dont have much to say about investigators because we pretty much just dropped all of them this week because none were making much progress. They werent coming to church and doing the things that they need to do! Well I have to go. I am out of time. I will see you next week. I hope you have a great week. I love you!

-Elder Dawson

Letter to Cousin

(Editor’s Note: This is part of a letter written on July 15 by Alec to his cousin, Allison Scarlett, which she shared with us.  The letter has a little more information and basically ties together a picture he sent us with no explanation).

Here in Brownsville, Texas, [is] the absolute bottom of mainland, USA. Probably 95% of the population is Spanish.  I speak very little Spanish.  There is so much more that I need to know.  It’s mainly hard to understand people.  They talk super fast and like all slurred together.  I can’t necessarily understand every single sentence but I can pretty much understand a conversation.  Besides the Spanish I love it here.  The people are pretty great.  The members are super cool.

Me and my mini!

Last week me and my companion had mini missionaries, one for him and one for me.  That meant we would split up and I would be the missionary that leads.  I was so nervous.  But it was a good week.  On my mini’s last day, we set two BD’s (baptismal dates of inviting someone to be baptized and they accept)!  We were so happy.

Today is the last Pday of my first transfer in the field.  I am going to be in a trio just like I was at the MTC.  Maybe I will get my visa this next transfer and leave to Argentina. Who knows!  My companion now is Elder Torres.  We stay in an apartment with two other Elders:  Elder Rupp and Jones.  Rupp goes back to his home Wednesday.  Jones is brand new just like me.  I love them a lot.  We get fed a lot of food.  Our fridge is stuffed with food.  I absolutely love Hispanic food!!!

Let’s see . . . something crazy I saw in like my second week was somebody get beat up.  It was with a metal pole too! It was crazy.

Week 6 - Brownsville, TX

How are you doing? So I havent heard anything about my visa at all. We got transfer calls and this transfer starting tomorrow I will be in another trio. They are doing it just in case I just happen to get my visa and so there wont be a missing person. But I wont find anything out about my visa until they get it. I met with the consulate in the MTC. All I did with him was just sign a paper and he signed after. I havent heard anything about a new missionary dress code, my ties should be good too. I havent been able to send anything yet. I will send them Wednesday because district meeting got moved to then because of transfers. The post office is closer to there than where we are at now. I am sending a box with the bag and a box with ties.

Thats so cool that everyone is able to go to the temple and prepare for their missions. I am so happy for all of them. You all sound like you have been pretty busy back home. A lot of things have been going on.

I will try to write you a letter that will explain more things. See you next week. I love you!

Elder Dawson

Week 5 - Brownsville, TX

We havent had to bad weather. Just mainly hot. We have had a lot of rain the last two days. Nothing to bad. For the 4th, we had to do weekly planning because we were going to be busy with something else when we normally do it. We only had maybe 2 or 3 hours to go out and work. We mainly focused on our investigators. I dont have much time so I cant go into detail with them. I will probably be writing a huge letter in the next couple of weeks. P-Day time is limited and we try to do the best with things. This week we pretty much have almost two meal appointments every day. We get hooked up big time here. I love hispanic food. I will be getting a box today from the post office, I will send the bag and some ties for everybody. I will probably send it at the end of the week. Sorry this was short. It is crazy that Andrew is going to be 17. I heard from Elder Owens that he is Sister Georges district leader. He knew who she was when he met her. But I have to go. We are going to go dig some more ties ;) I love you all!!

Elder Dawson

Bails of clothing at a bodega (like a giant warehouse)

"Tie Digging" in the big bins at bodega on P-day!

Week 4 - Brownsville, TX

So it has definitely been hot and humid here. We just make sure that we drink a lot of water. I got a backpack today at Academy. I havent heard anything about visas either. Elder White told me that his mom sent him an email and said that over 200 missionaries were waiting for visas for Argentina. Also that he has heard rumors that its kind of shutting down because its so hard to get the missionaries visas. The day I got to McAllen, they were sending a missionary out to Argentina. He had been here for two transfers. I guess there are some who have been here longer than that and still dont have a visa. So we will see what happens.

I got vacuum bags here in Texas, they would help with room. I will do my best with what I can do whenever I might need to get up and go. I have not met the Pres. and his wife yet. We will probably find out this week when he will be around to see everyone. Its crazy that I am starting my fifth week here. I am so excited, this last week we saw a few miracles. And for the month of July the mission got 106 baptisms. I guess thats the first time since November of 2011 that it has been over 100.

Um, I cant thing of anything new this week or that was exciting. Just still trying to speak Spanish and working the best I can. But I miss all of you! I will see you next week. I love you!

Elder Dawson

This is a different library that we have been to and so it wont let me send some pictures. I will next week.