11 Months

Mi Familia!

Today I've been out exactly 11 months. Crazy! It's so weird how the mission goes so agonizingly slow and so uncatchably fast at the same time. I'm kind of excited to hit a year; if I can do a year I can do a year and a half.

So..Sister Arche is being transferred to be an STL. I'm so sad to lose her! We really didn't expect it at all. We were sure we'd stay together. Really, I'm so bummed. I really hope God knows something I don't know. He does. In fact, He knows several things. Oh! And Sister Isham is going home (so sad) so Sister Hill is going to be our new STL leader, living with me. :) So you can tell Katie that. 

Guess what! Elder Bednar is coming to our mission this week! I'm so excited. If I were going to pick a favorite apostle--which I'd never do, of course--it would be him. So I'm excited.

We went to the temple on Thursday. We--especially Sister Arche--just felt like we really needed to go. Missions are hard. How many times have I said that? Anyway, Sister Christensen and Sister Isham went with us, along with Sister Slaughter. It was a neat experience. Also, as we were leaving, we ran into Sister Payne from The District! She and another missionary she had served with were there for the sealing of someone they had taught. Haha, she's a missionary celebrity! 

And we're still teaching Justin, Mari, and Richard! Richard is Mari's brother; I don't know if I mentioned that. They're all about my age, give or take. Oh my goodness, they are a missionary's dream investigators. I still can't believe it's real. We taught them 3 times last week and they LOVE it all. Their dad has talked with them quite a bit and they were prepared before we even met them. Richard accepted a baptismal date for February 1. Justin and Mari fully plan to be baptized, but they're not married or even engaged yet. Mari wants to be engaged for a year before they get married. Ahh! But who knows, minds can change.

They've all just been eating it up. In our last lesson Richard felt bad for only reading 3 chapters since Mari had read 8 and Justin had read 12. I'll take 3 chapters any day!! And Mari asked if we could teach Word of Wisdom, so we did. Apparently Justin is a big coffee drinker, but he found out about the Word of Wisdom last week before we met him and dropped it cold turkey. He says he's had headaches ever since, but he's kept to it! All 3 of them have felt the Spirit and have recognized that that's what it is. 

They even went to a baptism on Saturday. They loved it, especially Justin. He told Sister Christensen that when the man went under that water he felt peace, and that he knows he needs to be baptized. And I overheard him tell Elder Cottle that he loved the service and he can't wait to be baptized. When I asked him how he liked it he said very excitedly, "I felt the Spirit! I know that's what it was." And they all came to church yesterday! All 3 hours. From what I could tell they really liked it. And Mari's coming along with her daughter to a party a few of us missionaries are having with our investigators and recent converts tonight. They're SO solid. 

The only concern for Just in and Mari is the marriage thing. But honestly, either way, they're going to the Celestial Kingdom. I just know it. Even if they do get baptized in a year and a half, it is cool to be a little part of it all!

Richard doesn't seem to have any concerns. The only thing is that he doesn't talk much, while Justin and Mari have tons of questions. It's easy to just focus on them and assume Richard is doing fine. He seems to be, but we're trying to give him more focus and attention so he can be prepared for baptism soon. 

Also, we had our President Interviews and I talked to him about the thing that seems to always be on my mind: Spanish. I told him how I've felt somewhat limited in my learning since I'm, you know, in America. He thought about it pretty hard and then told me that he didn't think there were any limits on me. He said I can learn Spanish as well as I want to, and that it's a good desire I have and that I should take advantage of this time when I have so much of His help to learn it. It was so nice to hear that. Just knowing that it's not hopeless for me to learn it like I want to and that it's not selfish to want it helped me a lot and motivated me to work even harder for it. It's been so nice to have Sister Arche to speak with me. Heavenly Father truly does love and know us and works according to our desires.

How on earth do I write such long emails. Well, I love you all. Have a tremendous week!

Mucho amor,

Hermana Lund