End of July

Well Howdy family.
It was a pretty good week I guess in the life of a Funk. Not to Shabby.
We had a pretty good monday I pretty much owned at basketball again. It is Me vs Steggell vs Savon pretty much every game. everyone else is pretty terrible. It's pretty funny and entertaining. I love it. Because  I get to take all the shots... I try not to boast to much, but my basketball skills have increased exponentially.

We had an exchange on Friday with the Elders in leon valley. It was pretty cool and all I liked it alot. We had a car and literally no one was home at all. We knocked all afternoon and nothin. So we went back to the apartment to give Elder Steggell something and then went and had dinner. Yep the member bbq'ed so much for us it was fantastic.

After we got down with the night and stuff, the other missionary in the area called us and told us we were supposed to do a move in the morning. That would be great if I had taken more then pajama's and church clothes. I totally helped the guy move in Shorts a t shirt and my church shoes. I did my best but yeah it was ridiculous. I will send some pictures. The Sisters gave us a ride over there so it was super fun. I love most of the sisters in the mission haha.

I'll have to get them from them and then shoot you an email with the stuff in it.
That was for sure the best part of the week moving with the sisters. haha the guy made fun of me quite a bit. He told the sisters that they should be giving me a hard time. I told him my name was Paul and he should just call me Paul because I wasn't dressed at all for the calling I have haha. So then we basically all went by our first names. It was weird. I don't think he understood the whole missionary concept because he wasn't a member and I think he thought it was maybe some kind of weird double date. Whatever. He also gathered us at the end and told us how important it was for us to hold down the fort and stay conservative. Great... I almost wanted to go Liberal on him just for fun, but I just agreed with most of the stuff. Now I know what it feels like to be on the other side of truth. You can't say anything!

The Elder's we live had a baptism of a whole family. It was soooo sweet. The spirit was so strong. I got to interview the family and stuff and it was so amazing to see them come all the way around. Man I love baptisms, lots. They are fabulous.

Elder Steggell went AP yesterday so for about a week I have Elder Low back as my companion. It's pretty crazy. Basically we just butt heads so hard already but we love each other so it's all good. I think I just show my love by bashing with people sometimes. As long as someone knows that you love them I think that just about anything can go. :)

Church was interesting. We got asked to Teach Gospel Principles literally right as we were sitting down. The Gathering of Isreal! Great. This is the second time they have whipped out a crazy topic and asked us to teach them. The first time happened last year and I had to make up 45 minutes of stuff on the Abrahamic covenant. I really am going for not throwing the Elder's under the bus when I get home. It is pretty fun, but yeah. I don't know how much stuff they got out of it.

I got to go out with Savon this week. Side Note: He is ranked the number 15th best athlete in all of college sports right now. We talked about everything. Man it was a blast. I love, love, love going out with Savon. He is so cool. He told me that he thought I was going to get married within 6 months of getting home. I guess it's unavoidable mom.

Hmm... I really don't have to much else to tell yall about. We are all out of investigators right now. We are going to probably be doing a ton of finding this week. Actually who am I kidding? We do finding all week every week. So we are going to do the same thing we have been doing.
Well. Thanks for all the support and everything. I'm pretty pumped to get out and going and find someone else to baptize! Oh I found out Kurt got baptized in Seguin. Remember who you are and what He stands for!
Elder Funk

74th Epistle of Paul....

It was a pretty chill week. Or not. So an event to start off this Email of the 74th Epistle of Paul, basically affected the rest of the week.
We had a crazy lightning storm on Thursday that totally wrecked our house. It was hitting so close it was just basically destroying our sleep and rattling all of the windows. It was nuts.
So we woke up the next day and our AC didn't work. We didn't really notice to much but man when we got back at the end of the night it was sooo hot. I think inside the apartment was something like 95 degrees. All of us stripped down and just sweated through that night. It was pretty rough. We have been at each other's nerves and throats for a couple of days now because none of us had slept for a couple of nights.
Then we finally decided to move in with other Elder's. Actually it's Eric Jones from Skyview so we went over there a couple of nights ago and slept it was so nice. We went back over there last night and guess what? Their AC had broken too... It was another long night. We took all the mattresses off and put them downstairs and sweated through the night again. Hopefully the apartment fixes them soon.
We did have a baptism this week. George got baptized! He is a bit of a different fellow but he is chill enough. I like him alot. He got into an argument with a member about the Chupacabra, the member said that he was going to punch him in the face if he didn't stop talking. George was totally right though, so eventually the member had to apologize and stuff. It all worked out ok, but it's always crazy the week before the baptism.
I got to play the viola at the baptism too with Eric Cavazos. He is soo good. We nailed it too. It went so, so well. The spirit was really strong and it was such a beautiful arrangement. It was nice to get to use my talents again after the ban of musical instruments.
We also sang in church on Sunday which went really well too. We did Brightly Beams our father's mercy. It was fantastic.
I really can't think of too many other crazy things or stuff that was out of the ordinary that happened this week... The other Elders in the apt have been working on trying to master controlling their dreams so that they can fly and stuff. I don't really know... People are pretty crazy, but then again I do take cold showers and stuff. I can't tell you how good the cold shower feels when you have no AC.
I had Taco Bell probably 5 times this week. It is so good. If any of y'all are having a bad day go get a Loaded Griller. It always makes it better.
I don't know if I have had any real interesting insights this week. We had Zone meeting which was really good I guess. Elder Steggell asked me to give a few insights about bringing friends not fellowshippers to lessons. Man it drives me nuts when people are only doing home teaching or something because they are 'assigned to be their friend' when in all actuality they are all our friends and we are given the chance to watch over them. That is the mentality that I want to take into my life after the mission. It really is true that no one cares how much  you know til they know how much you care. I really do love the mission. It's fantastic.
Remember who you are and what He stands for!
Elder Funk

Eric Cavazos and Elder Funk

Another Week In Paradise

Well Man. I really think the weeks come faster and faster. I can't believe I am sitting at this computer again. Really nothing is coming to mind right now of what I should say.
P day was pretty epic. I tried to rainbow a basketball and totally ate it hard on my face in front of everyone. I guess that is kinda my job as the "Zone President", to make everyone laugh, but it shouldn't have to come at my expense sometimes.. It was pretty fun. I also got elbowed in the nuts by the same sister. Just a series of unfortunate events.
Tuesday we had Zone conference, which was really fantastic! They talked a bunch about different aspects of success and they revamped the whole key indicator counting so now they can get a more accurate count of everything instead of us just trying to put up a crazy amount of numbers. I like it alot.
Meg is doing ok, from what we hear, she started smoking weed again so she doesn't want to be taught for awhile. She was really so, so, so close. I'm sure that one day she will get all the way there and get baptized but as for now, not so much.
Joseph our other investigator is doing really great, he came to church again and loved it. He is on the campaign committee for this lady, Wendy Davis that is running for Governor of Texas so he has been pretty busy but I love the guy to death. He is super cool. He doesn't think that he will be baptized for at least a year, but he just doesn't know that he knows it's all true.
Austin came to church for the second time since I have been here. We had a member who gave a talk so he invited him. I haven't heard a better talk since I have been in the mission, I don't know if I have ever heard a better talk since I have been a member! It was so great. He even threw in a Mickey Mantle reference to boot. Fantastic.
George is getting baptized on Saturday and we sorta had to pass him off to the Sister's again, except not really. I really don't even know what is going on half of the time. It seems like a ton of drama and so many problems, especially because we are crossing stake lines trying to work this whole thing out. We presented what we wanted to do for the baptism to the Ward Council yesterday and I'm pretty sure they think we are idiots sometimes haha but they love us alot. I have been really blessed to get along with Ward Council's for quite a while now. So I'll let you know how that turns out. Not really sure what is going to go down for sure. All I know is that I got my hands on a Viola and am doing a musical number for the baptism with Erik.
Speaking of Erik. He is a music teacher and has totally inspired me to a teacher when I get home. He got me all the audition requirements for USU, what private teacher I should get, he called his friend who went to USU a couple years ago to get the low down on the staff and really has been trying to encourage me to do it. I think it would be fantastic, I guess I just have to decide pretty soon. Life decisions... Good golly.
So I showed up to Institute on Wednesday and saw a couple of girls that I knew from the F Burg a year ago. Unreal. One of them went on her mission and came home, she had to come home early for medical stuff, but still. I watched her go and come back and I am still doing the same thing. Man, oh man. It was super fun to reminisce and talk about people that I used to know.
We also went to the temple this week and the lady told us the session was at 12:30pm, we showed up at 11:56 and yep, it totally started at 12. The temple presidency wasn't to happy about the whole thing. I felt pretty bad and then he pulled us aside after the session and told us that we should be encouraging all the missionary's to bring their own clothes to cut down on the laundry. Luckily you can't feel to bad in the temple, but goodness we messed that trip up.
We got to knock tons of doors this week. That's probably my favorite thing to do, just because you never know what you are going to get and talking to people is the best. It's a challenge to get them to like you and then get them to hear your message. I love it a bunch. We actually have a ton of return appointments and a couple of new investigators from it. Pretty cool.
So Elder Vega and I had a heart to heart last night just about life and especially about sacrifice in particular. We were talking about Girls, games, and good memories. Ya know, the most important things in the pre-mission life. As we talked I realized that we didn't get those things taken away from us but that we gave them away from us. It's pretty obvious, but the difference is incredible. I think alot of times I have questioned God and said, "Why in the world, when I am serving you, when We are serving you, do missionary's lose things we had already 'won'?" With anything the principle applies. But really it is only because we chose not to have it. It's not like we really lose anything when we go on a mission, it's all about that fact that you gave up what you had. I said in essence on December 12, 2012, "Well God, I have a pretty good life going for me, I got friends, family, a job I like, money, my momma's car, dates, food, music, sports, sportscenter, music, sleep, I get to read the newspaper, TV, Music. I have everything that I have ever put together for myself. Well I guess now is the time that I get to put it all away. I'm going to give it all to you."
Then when I came in the mission, I think when any missionary comes into the mission, we think. "Oh I have it made! I got this, and this, and this, waiting for me when I get home! I have it all!" Then the tough part comes when you realize that the things you had, were the things that you have chosen to give up to serve the Lord.
There really is nothing like serving a mission. It's so tough, but it's so rewarding. I'm looking at having about 20 weeks left to serve. That's nothin'. Nothin at all. I really am going to miss it. I hope that everyone takes the opportunity to give up what you have and go serve a mission. There will be days when you regret it for sure. Haha that is a weird promise, but a sure one.  I still want to go sit in the car with some skinny jeans, converse shoes and blast some beastie boys driving down the street with the windows down. But even when those days come when you don't want to do what you need to do, It is always worth it in the end. I understand now that what we choose to give up is equal to the person to who we become! I love the Lord. I love him so much.
Remember who you are and what He stands for!
Elder Funk

No Sparklers for the Fourth

Well. I guess another week is already gone. It was a pretty crazy week and I left my planner at home again, so we will see what happens. 

P day was fantastic. We played some basketball again. I bought a new shirt and shorts and they look pretty sweet. The shirt has a bear on it that says Going back to Cali. Idk. Ross really is pretty fantastic. I love it lots. So we were playing basketball and there is a Sister that plays with us and is actually really good. I was on one and just stuffing the heck out of everyone and so she totally pump faked me right out of my shoes, so high that I basically sat on her face. Un real. I could have jumped her, but instead just wiped us both out so hard in the paint. She head butted me in the nuts, I'm not really sure which hurt more, my pride or man parts, but it was pretty awkward. 

Tuesday was nuts. Some of the other sisters called us and told us that one of their investigators is being really creepy with them and we should go and teach him. So that was about as awkward a lesson as you can get! We had to tell him that he was creeping them out and he did not take it well that they weren't going to be teaching him. But we committed him to come to church and to take the lessons with us. So it worked out. He caught me at Institute later that day and asked to go talk with me. Elder Steggell and I were on a split during that time so, I had like a half hour interview with him about explaining our reasoning. It was really not an enormous amount of fun. It was pretty cool though that eventually the spirit always works things out and it just manages to end up right in the end. He came to church and hopefully we should be able to set him with a firm baptismal date this week. 

The sisters had a baptism this week and at the last second called us in desperation to see if either one of us played the piano because they had no piano player and no one in their ward could come play for them. Yep. I did my very best, it wasn't the prettiest thing that I have ever done, but I realized that maybe I just have to put myself out there and do my best even when it's pretty poor. It turned out well in the end I guess. It was a good growing experience. 

So Sunday we got called out of Sacrament to go and see this guy that was waiting in the hall to talk to someone from the church. Eventually we sat down and he told us that he had undergone a sex change and had grown up in the church but had left and changed the way that he was. He went to a ton of different churches looking for the same feeling that he had in the Mormon church and couldn't find it anywhere. So he had come looking to get re baptized into the church. We explained to him a little bit and told him about how amazing it was to see his repentance then we caught the bishop and talked to him. Fortunately he couldn't stay for the next hour, because the lesson was the Law of Chastity. That was already awkward for the member that brought his non member girlfriend to church for the first time. Eternal Marriage and chastity. haha It's pretty funny how they take teaching to needs so literally I guess. 

There is a restaurant called Fudruckers down here. It sounds exactly about how it feels. Totally wrecks your whole day, but it tastes so good. We had it twice this week. I'm still weighing in at 165 this morning though if anyone wanted to know. 

4th of July was so lame. We had a breakfast that we went to and got to play one game of horse, It may be the first activity that I have gotten Elder Steggell to take part in, since we have been together, but he ended up winning by one lucky shot. We had a ton of food. So that part of the day was good. Then we had Weekly planning and had to go to the mission office. Not to much fun. I don't like weekly planning in the slightest. After we finished we went to go and get into our car and she had died on us. I thought something was up when the car smelled like rotten eggs for the last two days, but yeah. It was not good at all. So then we were late for the dinner and had to have other missionary s come and pick us up, but by then the food was cold. lame. At least when we got back I could touch the jumper cables together and make some sparks. That was the extent of our 4th. No one was home. Especially because the ward took everyone to the lake. I think missionary's should just get the holidays off... 

We had a really, really good district meeting. I think that one of the lessons I hope to share is that about listening. Sometimes people just need to be heard. I think it is so sad when someone feels like they can't speak out loud or that no one cares and no one listens. I think that a vast majority of people feel like that. Maybe I'm wrong. I don't think so. So Wednesday I just opened it up for 45 minutes and we talked. Just about "What made us the way we are". It was so great to watch some of the missionary's talk about things that maybe would be hard to bring up in a normal setting. As we really understand who someone is and why they are like that, not only is it easier to love them and to help them, but we gain a new friend most of the time too. I really do believe that. A listening ear is the best gift we can give alot of the time. 

Remember who you are and what He stands for.

Elder Funk

GOOOOOOOALLLLLLLLLLL

Hey how's it doing?

Well this week was infinetly better then last week. Loved it. Except we did have some dinners and stuff fall through. Gosh dang. It's pretty messed up when that happens.

Well I guess to start I just love my life. Man Staker totally made me a whole pan of cookie brownies last week on pday. They were the bomb. Totally made my entire day better. Oh and i destroyed one elder in Dodgeball. There is nothing more satisfying then nailing someone with a giant ball of rubber. Wipeout teaches entenal principles.

Hmm. Well we got to go to the border this week it was pretty dang sweet. I might even send some pictures if I have time today. For some reason they mission figures they can hand the keys to whoever is in Alamo 2nd and they can drive a Chevy Silverado and a trailer down to the Border of Mexico and be fine. It was like a 9 hour drive I had so much fun being able to drive a big truck. The whole place got totally drenched and so when we all hopped in the truck we were soaked to the bone. There were 5 Elders and 1 Sister. How does that work? Heck Idk. All I know is that I ended up driving with the sister in the passenger seat and Elder Steggell in the back for a solid 2 or 3 hours straight. It was bizarre. Almost like a date or being married. I think she even did make one Marriage comment that was pretty funny...

We had to go through a check point and like a said we were pulling a giant covered white trailor. They didn't even check it at all. We could have had like 85 Immigrants and nothing. Yeah. Pretty crazy stuff. I would be a great people smuggler I guess.

We also had transfer meeting. Nothing to crazy happened except that Eric Jones (Elder Jones is a friend of Paul's from high school.) now lives 3 doors down from me. It's so sweet. He comes over basically every night and we just chill out and talk. Love it. Between him and Elder Snow we have some good ole times.

The work here is doing pretty well. The 9th Ward sisters and Alamo 1st sisters called us basically everyday to give us referrals. Idk about you but I think it's because of my strikingly good looks.. OR not. Either way. Staker has given us tons of people to teach. I think her numbers in her area doubled the rest of the zone for the week. Good Golly. I gotta man up and do better.

Meg came to church she even came over and said Hi to me. We had a nice conversation and I think patched stuff over. She was probably just having a bad day. But Ya know what hurts the most, is being so close and having so much to say then watching her storm away. Yep Rascal Flatts.

Not gonna lie I had the hardest time studying this week for some reason. It was killing me. I have no idea what I was doing wrong it just wasn't working out for me. I don't think I had any significant revelations. Yeah. I'll work it out or something though, President Slaughter wants us all to do the 12 week training program over again. Literally being retrained. I think that he thinks that we are all morons. He is probably right. The Zl's gave a training a couple weeks ago and laid down the law on the rules and stuff because we are all to incompetant to figure stuff out on our own or something. (I did set a goal of not being sarcastic, but man I fell short on that one) Speaking of shorts. Sisters are not allowed to wear shorts anymore. We are no longer allowed to have sports equipment or to bike after dark. We can't have anything to do hobbies. No board games or anything that is remotely fun. Seriously. I don't really understand, but whatever just endure I guess. It's now like living in Prison with no visitors. haha. The food is better though I guess.

We had dinner over at a members house last night that knows President Pettit so she sent him a picture and sent it to mom too. She is pretty cool. She kinda looks like she is hugging me in the picture. She basically was. It was weird, but she is cool so whatever I guess? That was a sweet dinner, they just cooked whatever they could find in their fridge for us. We had chicken potatoes, bacon pasta, broccoli, carrots, and fried bananas. It was one of the best dinners I have had here. Then we just all chilled and talked for an hour or so. YSA wards are pretty fun if you are in with the right group I guess.

Oh Michael Paul the guy that didn't like me, told me that he was surprised that I hadn't apostaisized yet. He is pretty funny. I got in with him though yesterday talking about the world cup. He gave me all the low down. I was sad to see Mexico lose. But maybe it will allow us to get in more doors, to console the loss of a loved one. Plan of salvation lessons are great.

Speaking of lessons we took the recent convert Mike to a lesson this week and he taught with us. Totally blew the guy out of the water with doctrine it was cool. Then we got up to leave and he decided that he wanted to stay and talk more with the guy. He texted us 3 hours later and told us that the guy thought mormon's believed in working our way to heaven but Mike tried to prove to him that we don't. Mike is so legit.

I really don't have that much more this week. It's all going pretty well. It isn't really hot yet though, which is messed up because last summer it was hotter then hades at this time. God has a great sense of humor once I'm in a car.

Remember who you are and what He stands for!

Elder Paul Funk