First Week in Texas!

Dear Famdamily,
     Well the past few days have been quite the adventure trying to get out to Lubbock and then down here to Odessa. Soo I got to call everyone in the airport Monday. It was great to be able to call and talk a little bit with everyone.

    I got to Lubbock, FINALLY. The airplane had us board, then we had to get off... Apparently one of the tires kept losing air. I'm glad they changed it instead of finding out there was no air in the tire when we landed.

    On the airplane there was a guy from Colombia that I sat next to. He was SO funny. He hardly could speak English to me, but he tried his hardest to communicate with me. He ended up speaking Spanish in the end and teaching me how to speak. I gave him a pass along card while we were talking, and as soon as we landed he turned his phone on and went online to mormon.org :D

    Once we got to Lubbock we met with President and Sister Augustin. (We already had met them in the MTC.) We had so much training right when we got there. I felt like I was right back to the MTC, but in a VERY nice home. :)

    So I got my assignment of who my trainer is, and where I'm going. I'm in Odessa 2nd ward and my trainer is Elder Pentecost. I enjoy it down here in Texas. It smells funny... especially the water.. Everything smells like oil.. eww.. I like the ward though.. well the couple I've met. Our ward mission leader is... umm... really really quiet. We had dinner with him and his wife last night. It was really .... awkward. So to start off they were really quiet, and had nothing to talk about. Then we sat down for dinner, prayed and they were like okay you can go eat now. and so Elder Pentecost and I got up, and got our food and sat down and then they waited for us to take the first bite of food and then they got up and got there food.......... I can not even express to you how awkward I felt. I think it was just cause I wasn't prepped on what we were going to do and how quiet they are.. It was so different, because Dinner at home is always loud and laughter and fun, and there... silence.. haha.

    I was studying a little on the reason why they brought up a birthright right there in the beginning. I think it's because Jesus Christ was given the birthright, and we are to strive to get the birthright just like Nephi did. Also goodly means well off and of good name. Something else that I just can not figure out is.... Why would they have the verse "and my father dwelt in a tent"? We've been told there is deep meaning behind every verse in the BOM. So why is it so important to have that there?

    Things are good here, and I'm getting to know my companion. :) He's VERY relaxed on everything he does. So I'm learning to get him up to speed with me! :D hhaha

4215 E. Everglade Odessa TX 79762

I love you so much!
elder marshall