One Year Down and Leaving Parras

I am leaving Parras in an unanticipated transfer. I remember in the mtc, or maybe a little after, reading Meisha’s email about leaving an area that she had been in for 7 months and I thought that would be an eternity. Well, she had me by one transfer but still it feels super weird to be out of Parras. 

On the bus to Torreon I was thinking back on the 6 months that I was there.  I figured mathematically that I more or less:

     -ate 1400 tacos

     -walked 1530 miles

     -talked to 1700 people about the gospel 

                   (from 30 second contacts to 2 hour lessons)

     .-received 850 emails

      -studied Spanish for 255 hours

      -went on 70 bus rides taking more than 2 hours

      -was attacked by 2 dogs (chased by many more)

      -stepped on 2 cactus

BTW - I stepped on that cactus with my shoes on and one of them had 6 or more barbs go completely through the thick sole of my tennis shoes.  Ouch - but only for a second. The awful ones are the tiny hairs. Remember when Will knocked me onto the cactus?

Because I will hit the year mark pretty quick here I was thinking about what I would do if the next President asked me in my final interview if I would stay one more year?. I think I would accept.  There have been 3 year missions in the past (Israel) and Lorenzo Snow served for 7 years I believe. I asked my comp what he would do. He said yes then no then yes then no. I think my spirit would say yes, but my body and mind would argue.  Maybe if I was called for three years it wouldn't be a problem - but in the moment that my mind was already at home.....  At the end of your mission, would you have stayed?

Last night we passed by the home of one of my favorite member families. They are 70 years old but the husband loves exercise and looks 50.  There were other members there and we chatted a bit with them then they said they had references that they wanted us to visit. While we took down the names they whipped up a Mexican dinner for us, and Hermano Solis pulled out a bunch of body building books that he has. Haha we looked through them then we started doing several of the ab and pushup exercises on the floor. He was super into it so I was having a great time. 

So, I will be in Torreon and my new comp is Elder Pachuca. He seems super cool. I was very surprised that I was being transfered. 

This past week there was a wine festival in Parras. They sent up floating lanterns and got drunk. 

Did I tell you about the woman that asked us to help her change her life? We asked her what needed to change. She said she needed to repent. We asked for what. She said that she had killed someone. ha yikes "say what....?" I asked how she did it. She told me with her mind - - she knows black magic.

Brain Stew - I think from Weasels - Yikers

That really is terrible about the dog attack on Brie. Poor girl! None of us need that in life. Will there be permanent damage?  I looked in Parras for pepper spray but didn’t find any. There were always plenty of rocks.

When people get in my face here I really want to answer like the Polynesian woman at mom’s work:  "Why you in my business?"

Hey I got to take off. Love Mondays! 

les quiero