Transfer Week

Mi Familia!

This week is transfer week! We got calls last night so we know whether we're leaving or staying, but we won't know any more than that until the Transfer Meeting on Thursday. I'm staying in Riverside!! Yay!! And Hermana King is finishing my training. Called it. :) She is definitely ready to train. We're both a little nervous because this is a Spanish area and we're both still new. Hermana King must be setting a record; she's only been here for 10 weeks! (she was in an advanced class in the MTC and got here between transfers.) We'll be praying a lot. It will be ok. :)

Hermana Hearne has a really exciting transfer ahead of her. She's training a greenie, opening an area, and is going to serve as a Sister Training Leader--a new position that was just created; it's like a Zone Leader for sisters. She's really nervous but I know she'll be amazing. She's so in tune with the Spirit and is passionate about this work. She'll be just fine. We're going to miss her, though.

I'm glad you went Mexican for your birthday, Kevin. I've got so many Mexican dishes I want to share with all of you. Like pizole, agua panela, tacos al pastor, horchata, chiles rellenos...oh man, my mouth is watering. Remember when I used to say I didn't like Mexican food? Yeah. That's in the past. I love it. And in my mind, the spicier the better.

I have SO MANY MIRACLES I want to write about! But I don't have enough time! Ok, let's see. Well, on Saturday we were in the parking lot at the apartment complex of one of our investigators, Kerman. We were rummaging through the trunk to find pamphlets when a white lady just popped up out of nowhere from behind a shed. Hermana King gave one of the pass-along cards she had just grabbed from the trunk to her. The lady--Keri--told us that she actually was a member of our church who hasn't gone for a long time. Then she just started to cry. She said that she just got a divorce and just feels like there's no hope. She said she's been thinking about how she needs to come back to our church (she's been trying out different churches) and was actually talking about it with a friend yesterday. But she says she doesn't feel worthy. She said she was taking a "prayer walk" when we found her. We were able to share our love, share God's love, bear testimony, and invite her to the English ward. She said she'd come. And we gave her info to the missionaries of that ward so the Relief Society can help her come to church.

I felt the Spirit SO strongly when we were talking. Heavenly Father totally answered her prayer by putting her in our path right at that moment. It was a complete miracle and it felt amazing to know we were being Heavenly Father's tools. I just pray she recognizes it and will act on it. 

Then that night we were driving to see a menos-activo after ALL our plans for the night fell through. Hermana Hearne had a thought to go try to see Cristina--another menos activa--as we were driving past her street. We have been trying to visit Cristina FOREVER--since long before I got here. She did not want to see us. There were times when she saw us through the window and we waved to her but she still didn't answer the door.

As we pulled up to her house, we saw her getting out of her car. She was cornered! When she saw us she gave us the most exasperated look. But she consented to let us come in and share a scripture with her. 

When we went inside, Hermana Hearne asked to use the bathroom and Hermana King and I just talked to Cristina. Just casual stuff. We talked about cooking Italian food and her daughters and October in Utah because she's been there then. As we sat and chatted, her countenance changed. She seemed to loosen up and begin to trust us. But when we asked if she had any doubts or questions about the church she just said no.

But when Hermana Hearne came back she asked her again. this time she said that she did have questions and doubts. She said she was baptized 8 years ago but that she hadn't felt ready then. She said the missionaries really pressured her into it. When she said that she didn't feel ready they told her that she was and that she would know with more certainty after she was baptized. So she was baptized. And became inactive 2 years later.

Then Hermana Hearne just started talking. I don't exactly remember what she said but it was so amazingly, perfectly tuned-in to Cristina. We all bore testimony with the Spirit, but Hermana Hearne was especially directed. It was amazing to watch. She shared the perfect scripture and said the perfect things. Cristina said that she knows she needs to go to a church and "have a group" but she's not sure which one. She said it's very important to her that she feel that something is true before jumping into it. And she agreed to let us come back next week.

The whole thing--finding her, getting her to trust us, and speaking the words she needed to hear--was a complete miracle. As we left, we all were so happy. Hermana Hearne especially. She said she felt like that lesson was the reason she was called to this area. 

The Spirit is so strong and so near! I'm learning how important it is to always strive to be in-tune and willing to follow every prompting. Miracles happen! And just a side note: I totally understood everything everyone said. MIRACLE.

And just to finish off a perfect day, when we got home there was a torrential rainstorm. And we danced in it. 

I feel like I always talk about menos-activos. I promise we have investigators, too. (Remind me to tell you about Carlos Escobar.) But we have been seeing a lot of success with our rcla's and I love it. I love Riverside! I love the work we do and I love the people. I hope I'm here for a while.

If there's one thing I've learned on my mission it's that this is a big deal. God is hastening his work! Christ is coming! This has got to be the most exciting time to be a missionary, and we feel it every day. It's crazy! But God needs everyone to be working hard, not just His missionaries. Now more than ever it's so important to strengthen our families and those around us. Please, please, please, make FHE, family scripture study, and family prayer a priority! It is so important, especially now. Pray to know what God needs you to do. Because I promise there's work our there for you to do. I really regret not doing more when I was home, and I'm excited to come home--eventually--and get to work. 

I know this all is true. It's such a blessing to be able to testify over and over again of this gospel and know that I mean it with my whole soul. I KNOW this is true! 

Les amo muchisimo. I'm praying for you all. 

Hermana Lund

Placentero nos es Trabajar

Mi Familia!

Como estan? Estoy muy bien. Me gusta mucho la obra misional y todos las personas aqui. Thanks for all your letters, and Mom, thanks for the world update. I actually didn't know about any explosion in Texas, except for something someone we met said which I just brushed off as crazy. We're really disconnected here. But that's good, I guess. We have no choice but to focus, focus, focus!

Happy birthday to Mommer, Spunky, and Kevin tomorrow! Kevin, you should choose to go out to a Mexican place for dinner. Go to some good, authentic taqueria or something. I didn't think it would happen, but I think I'm starting to fall in love with Mexican food. Especially tacos. Tacos with corn tortillas. I love them.

Spanish is still coming. I keep thinking I'm hitting a breakthrough but it will suddenly hit me how far I have to go. I can almost understand people. So that's good, right? Haha. Speaking has gotten easier, too. I don't have to think too much about what I'm going to say. It's definitely coming, even if slowly.

I can't believe it's almost time for transfers! These 6 weeks here have gone so much faster than the 6 weeks in the MTC, and those went fast! We are all so excited to see what happens. Our guess is the Hermana Hearne will go to the border and the Hermana King and I will stay here and she will finish my training. And then we guess that I'll be training next transfer. That's just our guess, but it's really likely. It  scares me that I might be training in 7 weeks! I need to learn Spanish and figure out how to get around out here! But I know that I'm working my hardest and I know that I'll be able to do anything I need to, when Heavenly Father needs it.

We've been doing so much work with our rcla's. We've visited almost all 62 of our inactive households! It's been quite a task since we don't have accurate records of them all. But it's been so great to see the miracles that have come as we've focused on them. Lots of them have kind of just been forgotten. Lots of them just need a little push back to activity. It's important to remember as missionaries that our goal is to bring people to Christ, not just to baptism. These people who have already been baptized but who are separating themselves from Christ need the message of the gospel just as much as anyone else.

We taught a menos activo this week named Rudy. Rudy is really struggling with things I probably shouldn't write about here. But anyway, in our lesson I was strongly prompted to ask him if he know Heavenly Father loved him. He gave me a look that just broke my heart and then, after a few seconds, said that he didn't know. I was overcome with the Spirit and told him that I know Heavenly Father loved him and that He was proud of the mission he served in Colorado. I wasn't just saying these things because they sounded nice or just because I believed them, I was saying them because I knew. Heavenly Father was literally speaking through me. It's so cool to have experiences like that. I feel like God is literally right here next to us, whispering in our ears and leading us by the hand. Which is sooo comforting because I have no idea what I'm doing. 

And I know this doesn't just apply to a mission. God is as much a part of our lives as we will let Him be. I think I always took this for granted before my mission. We're really not alone. God loves us! He wants to bless us! He wants us to be happy, which means He wants us to follow Him and make Him a part of our lives. I know that nothing can bring more happiness than living the gospel and tying ourselves closely to our Father in heaven and our Savior Jesus Christ.

I feel like I've really gotten to know them a whole lot better since I've been on a mission. I feel like I know their personalities better, and I feel them near me. Missions are seriously the best. And I've only been out 2 months! I'm so excited to see what the next 16 bring.

The church is true. The gospel is true. God loves you. Make Him a part of you life, and let Him help you be happy!

Les amo muchisimo. Muchas gracias por su apoyo y amor. Estoy orando para ustedes siempre. 

Mucho, mucho amor,

Hermana Lund

Tengo Gozo En Mi Alma Hoy

Mi familia,

Como estan? Thank you for all your letters! Just FYI, I have mail from since I got here at the mission home. So if you wrote me and I haven't mentioned it, that's why. I should finally get it on Wednesday when we have a zone conference. Mom, I'll have to think about the princess theme! That will be so fun for you to help with girls' camp. Some of my greatest memories are from girls' camp. And good luck with you talk. That's an interesting topic, but you'll do great as always. ;) I don't need you to send anything else, but I'll let you know.  And when I get home I'm going to have to have Matt finally teach me how to play chess. It's kind of ridiculous that I've come this far in life without learning. 

Ok. So we've been hearing tons of crazy rumors about weird stuff going on around the world. We can't watch the news so we don't know what's going on. What's happening with us and North Korea? And what is this I hear about locusts invading the Middle East? I would really appreciate a solid conclusion, por fa. :)

I'm keep saying this, but I think I'm finally starting to get my footing here. I know more people in the ward and I'm starting to make some relationships. I bore my testimony in Relief Society yesterday and, although I know I made an amazing number of mistakes, the women were all just smiling back at me. It's really cool here because the missionaries play a huge part in the ward. It's not really like that in Utah. They call on us in class when they want to get a solid answer and they all know who we are. They all really look up to us. It's neat. 

Ok, so I have an awesome story. The other day we were driving to an appointment and Hermana King spotted Salvador, an older man who she and Hermana Hearne had contacted once before I came here, walking down the side of the highway. We waved to him and he blew us a kiss! After the Hermanas first met him they had gone back to the house they thought was his but he wasn't there.So we decided that if our lesson fell through we'd come back and try to find him. 

Our lesson did fall through so we searched all around the area, looking everywhere he might have gone. We finally found him sitting at a bus stop! It was a busy road, though so we had to go park. By the time we got to the bus stop the bus had come and left. But we were not going to give up so easily. We chased that bus! It stopped like 7 times and each time we had to turn into a parking lot while we waited for it to go again. Finally Salvador got off. We waved him down and got out to talk to him. He was sooo happy to see us, and I immediately loved him. He gave Hermana Hearne a hug twice and she, of course, didn't have the heart to stop him from breaking the rule he didn't know about. :) 

Anyway, we set an appointment with him. Turns out he did live in the house where they met him. It's a little run-down mobile home in a beat up neighborhood. We brought Carlos Mendez, a newly reactivated member, with us. Salvador first asked us to read some mail he got that was in English. Turns out his house is being foreclosed on May 7. That was rough to have to break it to him. We didn't know exactly what to say, but Carlos was all over it. He just started bearing this solid testimony about prayer and faith and how he know that Heavenly Father would bless him if he would put his trust in him. It was so neat to see Carlos do that. The second we walked out the door he told us that he was going to bear his testimony in sacrament meeting the next day. 

So here's a little about our area. Our area is mostly in the suburbs of Austin. Most of the people we visit live in mobile homes or old apartments. Some of them live in legitimate poverty. Some aren't so bad. Some have really beat up houses on the outside but the inside is kept up really nice. Some people are hoarders. You never really know what to expect when you walk into a house. But no matter what it's always possible to feel the Spirit. 

Part of our area is out in the boondocks, way out east. We went there yesterday. It's so nice out there, with rolling plains covered with bluebells and daffodils. And tons of huge scary dogs at every house. They're usually all bark though, and it's actually a nice change from the chihuahuas that infest the neighborhoods in the rest of our area.

And they feed us such heavy food! Sometimes it's Mexican, sometimes it's American, but it's always heavy. We haven't had a ton of planned meals with members, but somehow we always end up being fed. Like last week we came to teach a menos activo and they were just about to start dinner. So we had to eat again. Oh, man. I was in some serious pain after that. I've just decided to assume that I'm always going to have a giant dinner and eat light all day. It's the safest solution I can think of. 

I really love it here. I hope I can stay here for a while. I want to really get to know the people and gain relationships with them. Especially with our ward the way it is, I want to stay here and help out the menos activos. But whatever happens, I know it will be ok. 

It is so cool to be a missionary now. The work is really hastening it and we can see it. Sometimes we feel like we're in a literal war with Satan. He is trying so hard to weaken our investigators and members, and we just have to fight back harder. It is so neat to be constantly focusing on the only thing that's really worth focusing on: the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know the gospel is the only thing that matters. Keep up on the family prayers, scripture study, and FHE. There's honestly nothing so important, especially now. 

Well, I'd better go. Gracias por su amor y apoyo. Y Kevin, feliz cumpleanos en la proxima semana! Les amo muchisimo. 

Mucho amor,

Hermana Lund

Photo Catch Up

Posing by the map

 Elder Orton, Elder Lund, Hermana Lund, Hermana Christiansen (apparently some clothes-swapping has occured)

Scott and Camille with Sister Clawson from our ward -she left for Milan, Italy at the same time Camille left for San Antonio

The district is splitting up -I think these elders are heading to Honduras

 Ready to go!

 Camille at the Alamo!

 Companions for one last day!

 Missionaries at the Alamo

 San Antonio Temple

 Local Wildlife

 Hermana Hearne, Hermana Lund, Dimas from Guatemala (working on baptism) Hermana King

Scott would be jealous of this missionary apartment. And car. :)

Loor Al Profeta

I've been waiting for a camera card that's supposed to be coming in the mail so I can post a bunch of Camille's past pictures with this post, but I'll have to put those pictures up later. Hopefully the card isn't lost in the mail -I will cry!!! Here is Monday's email with a couple of photos that came with it. I think they were taken that very day.

Mi Familia!

...I'm so happy to be here. La Confrencia General was incredible. I don't think I have ever needed Conference as much as I did this weekend. We watched it in our chapel (It was played in Spanish but we got to use headphones and listen in English) and I never once got bored sitting in those pews. And it was so great to think that you guys and Scott were all watching at the exact same time. :)

The weather here has been very un-Texan. It's been pretty cold! We had a super-awesome torrential rainstorm on Tuesday that flooded some of the streets. It was really fun, especially because we have a car. :)

So. Missionary work. In the Riverside ward we have been focusing a ton on recent converts/less actives. This means I have met a bajillion new people since I've gotten here. It's been kind of overwhelming. I just feel so disconnected; I just don't know what's going on most of the time. But at the same time it has been really cool to get to know and help so many people. 

And it's been so rewarding. Not only have we been able to help strengthen the testimonies of so many rcla's, but we've found so many new investigators through our rcla work. For example, we found Abacu--the sweetest old man you'll ever meet--outside when Jesus Hernandez wasn't home. And we found Alfredo y Erica when we went over to visit Erica's aunt Monica.  Lorena and her daughters were referrals from the husband of a menos activa. It just testifies to us that we are doing what Heavenly Father wants us to be doing here.

We set dates for Abacu and Alfredo y Erica last week. Also, Lorena and Veronica agreed to get baptized. But since then we've had some bad luck. Abacu went to Mexico to visit a sick friend and he won't be returning until the 23rd, 3 days after the date we had set. We haven't been able to get a hold of Alfredo y Erica, which is really sad because they were so excited about the gospel. And Lorena wants to get baptized but she's a single mom and works on Sundays. Dimas is the same: he is supporting his family back in Guatemala and always works. He hasn't been able to come to church yet and it's difficult for us to visit him. 

Here everyone is willing to listen. But it's really hard for them to get all the way to baptism. Everyone here is very poor and working on Sunday is a necessity. Another problem we often run into is couples living together who aren't married. Like Erica y Jose: they've been taking the lessons forever but can't get married because they don't have papers. There are a lot of couples who are just stuck like that. 

Being an active member of the church is such a sacrifice for these people. I am amazed at the faith of these members. They are going to have incredible mansions in heaven, no doubt about it. 

My companionship is still hard but my companions are so great. I feel like we teach with such unity. They have shown me how to teach lovingly and passionately. And they just love everyone! They are so friendly and caring and are always so sincerely ready to jump to the aid of anyone they meet. They show me how to focus on the one and how to make anyone's day. I love it. 

Spanish is coming, too. Yesterday I could totally understand Hermana Gonzalez! I'm kind of at the point where I know what's going on but I can't think hard enough to get out a response before someone else does. I've been trying hard to speak and not be afraid of messing up. It's coming. It's frustrating though and sometimes I'm legitimately angry at Spanish for getting in the way of my conversations. But it's coming.

Mucho, mucho amor,

Hermana Lund

Camille and her companions (and their car) on p-day with Jesus, a less-active member they are working with who works at a car wash.

Yo Se Que Vive Mi Senor

Camille has been using the name of a hymn in Spanish for the subject of her emails each week, so I thought that's how I'd title these posts. Here is this week's much anticipated email:

Mi familia!

First off, I am SO EXCITED that Scott is leaving today!! He is going to LOVE the mission. I know he'll be a fantastic missionary and he has nothing to worry about. I haven't been eating at members' houses very often yet, but that's ok because they feed us really heavy food and I kind of prefer to just feed myself. :) But the other day a menos activo made us pork tacos with pico that seriously were from heaven. We were all having a hard day and it just made everything better!

I haven't been riding a bike here either. We drive everywhere. But I think President is opening up more biking areas for sisters so I'll probably be doing that in the future. Right now my bike just sits in our apartment. 

Yesterday was such a good Pascua (Easter). Last week we taught our Easter lesson a bajillion times which meant we got to testify of Christ and his resurrection over and over and over again. So yesterday when I woke up I was just so happy! I had caught the true meaning of Easter. Seriously! How great it is to think about Christ's resurrection and what it means! It's amazing and it makes me smile.

Also, we had a lot of people at church yesterday. Our ward isn't very active so it was good to see so many people here. And we had 3 investigators come to church, one of which we have only taught once and one of which (Abacu) we only talked to on the street! He showed up half an hour early and, after we had given him a tour, just read from the Libro de Mormon we gave him. He cried through the sacrament and when we sang Yo Se Que Vive Mi Senor (I Know That my Redeemer Lives) and stayed for all three hours! He told us he wants to keep learning. We're teaching him on Tuesday. I really hope we have success with him. He's great. 

All the people here are great. Even though we're just in Texas I often feel like I'm in a different country, just because the culture is so different and prevalent. The women always hug you and give you the little cheek peck when they say hello or goodbye, even when they have just met you. And they're so little! I met our ward mission leader yesterday and could not believe how small he was. When I shook his hand I thought he was missing half of his fingers because they were so short. The first thing our ward missionary Hna. Gonzalez (I love, love, love her) said to me when I met her was, "How's the weather up there?" (Although I didn't understand her.) And a couple days ago a little girl came up to me and said, "You're big!" Everyone comments on my height, but in a very loving way. :) And it doesn't help that Hna. King is 5'. Haha.

Mi Espanol esta mejorando (it's getting better). Yesterday at church I could understand quite a bit. But it's still rough and I still feel like I have my head in the fog. And I'm pretty sure I have a terrible accent. When I made my first baptismal invite to a man named Israel, he turned to my companion and asked what I said. (Although to be fair, I think part of it was just that my question took him off guard.) I asked my companions to give me the phone more often, so now that is officially my responsibility. It's extra hard to understand people on the phone because of the static and the fact that you can't see their gestures, but if I don't understand them I'll just say, "Ok nos vemos manana? A las 7? Esta bien!" Usually everything they're saying is irrelevant (these people talk A LOT) and I can get by by just playing a little bit dumb. And worst case senario i just hand the phone to Hna. Hearne, like yesterday. 

Things are much better with my companions. The fact still remains that they are really similar and I'm not like them, but they are such sweet, good girls and we have really had a lot of fun together. They sincerely care about me and this work and we're beginning to be a really powerful team, I think. That's the cool thing about missions: you get to (are forced to) be friends with people you would never choose to be around at home.

I've been pretty stressed the past couple days but it's just the same old story: I'm putting everything on myself. There's so many things to incorporate as a missionary and I don't feel like I can ever do it all. I'm pretty sure I'll be training in 2 or 3 transfers and that terrifies me. But I know Heavenly Father won't ask me to do anything I can't do. Plus, it isn't really me doing anything, it's the Spirit. I need to understand that. It's just easier said than done.

Mucho, mucho amor,

Hermana Lund