Letters From Hermana Groves: Week 6: Last Week in the CCM Completed

You know, I thought the last goodbye I would have to say would be to my family and friends. I stand corrected because I just realized that in each area, you find a new "family" and more friends to say goodbye to at the end of 6 weeks and the cycle repeats. Yesterday was an emotional roller coaster. It started with a great relief society meeting and then straight to our district meeting where we had a devotional, which was a testimony meeting. This thing was a sob fest, we were all just crying out eyes out. It was bad, then we continued to sacrament meeting where the closing hymn was "God be with you till we meet again", cool, the crying just continued. We then you know took a million pictures and such and then before you know it, it's 9 30 and Elder Hanks and Elder Hill are getting ready to catch the bus to go to the airport for equador. This was so much harder than I thought it would be, especially since I couldnt hug them, that was oddly hard for me considering Im not a touchy person at all. So we stayed right until the bus drove away. We all had a little more sob going on. We then woke up at 3 to say goodbye to Elder Neal, Elder Spiker, Elder Tyson and Elder Williams as they went to go to the airport for TN and Bolivia. But our goodbye with them was fast, which made me happy because Elder Neal was probably my best Elder friend here and apparently he cried when he read the letter I wrote him (I wrote them all letters as a loving District "sister") so I was glad to not prolong that goodbye. The rest of us leave within the next 16 hours. Elder Abarca and Elder Durrant leave for Equador at 10 tonight and then the remainder of us (Elder Hansen, Elder Mastergeorge, Hermana Lister) leave for the airport at 3 in the morning tomorrow. Were going to be exhausted but I am so eager to get out there and teach.

I dont know if I told you about the lesson a few weeks ago about "leaving the garden of Eden" in order to grow, but thats exactly whats happening to us. Were leaving the garden, yet again, breaking through our comfort zone, and I am terrified. We are supposed to contact while were at the airport and my spanish is just still not there. I know the Lord will bless me though, I just pray for a companion to be patient with me and who has the desire to help me with my spanish. I need that.

I dont know if ill have a P day this week, I am just allowed to email today for the sake of relaying the message that Im leaving tomorrow, so mom or dad expect a 3 in the morning phone call. I wish I had more exciting news to bear but I think that me leaving Mexico is a huge deal! Not a whole lot else has happened since Thursday, but be prepared for a long one next week. I love you guys and pray for you all nightly. Keep the faith and do what is right.

Hermana Groves