Mi familia!
I'm leaving Del Rio. I am seriously heartbroken. I cried when we got the calls. I know I've already been here for 4 months but I don't feel ready to leave at all. I want to stay here forever! Also, they're combining my area with the other sisters' area; Hermanas Montgomery and Pond will be companions (That will give you an idea of how slow our area is..). That just makes me more jealous! I have always wanted to serve in south Del Rio. That's where all the Spanish is and it's gorgeous down there with all the small streets and cottages and Victorian-style homes and huge, lush trees. Man! Why can't I stay?!
I love this place and these people more than I can possibly explain! I love biking and talking to everyone on the street, I love the wide, barren land out by the lake, I love the huge sky and beautiful sunsets, the spontaneous flooding and the crazy bugs. I love Marilyn & Jerry, Eloy & Rosie, Imelda, the Judds, Sister Braudaway, Hermana Alvarez, Hermana Trevino, even crazy TC and Hermana Tanaka. I love the border patrol and airforce families, all the crazies we meet every day, and the awesome sisters I live with. I love the long drives to Eagle Pass for zone meeting where all you can see is barren Mexico and the gorgeous clouds. I love the Spanglish, which is literally a language of it's own. Del Rio is where I learned to chill and to be spontaneous. It's where subjective began to really come naturally and where I learned to roll my rr's like a Mexican. It's where I learned patience, and how to be on the same team as Heavenly Father. I LOVE DEL RIO! I never thought I'd get to love an area as much as this. I've been filled with the love of Christ for these people. It is going to be SO hard to get on that border van on Wednesday.
But Heavenly Father knows best. I told Him I wanted to stay. But I also told Him that I knew He knew things I didn't, so if He had a better plan, I'd be ok. So He must have a better plan. It's just hard to imagine. But how grateful I am that Heavenly Father has always loved me enough to go against what I want when it's what I need. I would have missed out on a lot of great things in my life and my mission.
Sigh. Anyway. This week was..eventful. We had such a good time in San Antonio. Tuesday was a spiritual feast if I ever had one. The temple was amazing. I got sick the last day up there, but I got a blessing that I would get better on the Lord's time, but that I'd be given the strength I needed in the meantime. Which has been so true! I'm still definitely sick..I have a cough and seriously annoying phlegm going on..but I haven't been tired. I've been able to do everything I've needed to.
Including biking through the FREEZING weather all week. I finally learned what everyone was talking about when they told us about the bone-drilling effect of cold humidity. On Friday it was in the 40's but it was SUPER windy and I felt like I was at the top of Strawberry. Saturday was the same, but in the 30's. Yesterday was cold, but not windy. I've been wearing 2 layers of tights, 3 cardigans, a jacket, and my coat and it still barely cuts it. But we've been blessed. We haven't had a lot of plans lately and we had to knock a lot the last couple of days, but we found a lot of people who let us into their warm homes. Thank goodness!
Oh. And sad news..Hermana Rodriguez told me at the conference that Robert has been drinking again (My heart is really taking a beating this week). I'm super worried about him. And Carlos hasn't been going to church because he keeps going down to San Antonio to visit his dad who just got out of jail. Sometimes it feels like I'm not doing any good. But that's when I have to kick Satan in the buns and remind myself that that's nonsense.
I love you all! Have a GREAT Thanksgiving week! I've been thinking about you, but I haven't been homesick. This is my only holiday season as a missionary, after all!
Love you tons! Share the gospel!
Hermana Lund
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