Week #61 - "My Feet Are Wet!" (feat. 2-day exchanges, the return of HAAM, stinky homes, and Niagara Falls)

So. This has been a week for sure. It feels like last Monday was FOREVER ago. The world got a little cranky with us this week, and decided to cry. So, we were attacked by the tears of the Earth. LOL, naw, but it did flood a bunch, but I'll get to that later.

So, we had the wonderful opportunity of going to the Houston Temple, this week, which totally prepared me for the days following. I seriously love the temple y'all, cuz it's just so peaceful there and I can really feel the spirit. I also found something cool, in the Bible Dictionary, while in the temple, it basically said that Baptism is the Covenant of Baptism and that Celestial Marriage is the Covenant of Exaltation. So that was pretty cool!

Me and Elder Farley at the Houston Temple

Houston Temple trip

Spanish gang at the Houston Temple

(Elder Garcia, Elder Stebbins, Hermana Peterson, and Hermana White)

What a shot dood lol

Anywho, we also did some service for HAAM this week, which is a total throwback to my first transfer of my mission. We basically filled boxes with food and gave it to more than 100 people who need food. It started to rain a ton that day, so yeah.

HAAM Service

After the HAAM stuff, we started our exchanges with the Cleveland Elders, Elders Romney and Palmer. I went with Elder Palmer, in Cleveland, and then during the night Tropical Storm Imelda decided to come by and say hi! So, that was cool, cuz the thunder was LOUD. I woke up and it was POURING outside. Then, we got told that we had to stay inside ALL day and so I was like, "well, this is gonna be a fun exchange". We got a call from the Bishop, in Cleveland, and he needed us to unlock the church, so that people who were starting to flood could go and stay in the church. So we got permission, from President Hewlett, to go walk to the church, but we couldn't drive, cuz he didn't want us to flood a car. So, we and the Spanish Elders walked through knee-deep water to get to the church, so it was super fun. But, I had to stay in Cleveland another night cuz we couldn't drive anywhere and so that was fun.

Me and the Spanish Elders (Me, Elder Palmer, Elder Garcia, Elder Stebbins)

The bois. We saved the church from flooding super bad while we were there.

(Me, Elder Garcia, Elder Palmer, and Elder Stebbins)

(SIDE NOTE - from Elder Furphy's Mom: Elder Furphy told me that he felt inspired to take his service clothes, on this exchange - he usually does not take them. But, he followed the prompting and was able to change into different clothes, to wade through the knee deep water.)

The next day, I got picked up by Elder Farley and we huffed it back to Porter, so we could start helping clean up the flood. We went to a member's house and were there for literally 13 hours. We helped strip drywall off the wall and move all the flooded furniture out and then around the end of the day, I called my sister to tell her I was okay, cuz my mom and dad weren't answering. Then, I was able to get a hold of them later. We then had to help, the members we were with, get a new fridge cuz theirs died. So, we went to Home Depot, and then to Lowes, and then we moved it back to their house and we finally got home at 10:27pm. IT. WAS. LATE. We were so tired.

Big shot of the member's house

Action shot of Elder Furphy bb

Mucking the member's house

BUT, then the next day, we went to the Stake Center and we got assigned to go with the Assistants to the President (APs), to go help muck out houses that got WRECKED in the flooding. So we went to a hoarders house and it was straight nasty. There was a lot of mold and it didn't smell very good. There was a lot of cat pee everywhere and so that didn't help. But, we got rid of more drywall and ripped out more carpet that was absolutely SOAKED. We took a group pic at the end, so that was sweet. It's honestly so much fun helping out people though. Service is so much fun. Later that day, we rewarded ourselves with some smoothies from Berry-Bar.

Day 2 of mucking. We just finished the hoarders house.

We had to leave early cuz we found a BUNCH of black mold.

Then, on Sunday, we had an awesome Sacrament and I was glad to be able to rest a little bit from the grind of mucking. THEN, we went back to the grind and helped a non-member muck their house and it was a lot of fun, cuz the whole Elders Quorum was there. We all had a good time. But, now, I am here and I am very tired, for working 3 days straight in the flood wrecked houses. But, it's a good tired. I am praying for strength everyday, cuz I know I need it! I love being able to serve and a flood won't stop the work of the Lord!

Elder Farley and me after some mucking

Day 3 of service dood

Mucking in Splendora (Me, Elder Palmer, Elder Romney, Elder Farley)

Oh, y'all should check out the new Book of Mormon videos that the church came out with. Here's the link: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media-library/video/1-nephi-1-2?lang=eng

It's very great at giving the visual of what the scriptures say. I like it a lot.

Anywho, I hope everything goes great for y'all!!!

Love,
Elder Furphy
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6 VIDEOS of Flooding and the aftermath: (Technical Difficulties right now, but will add them later once it is resolved)

Pics only for now...