the one with the end of the transfer! El Rey Dei Dio! and getting square with the state of Texas

I'm glad to hear that seth got to hawaii safely! it wouldn't be our family if everything went according to plan! It seems like there's always things changing! I'm excited to see all the new faces when I get home! this transfer has been by far the fastest one of my mission! It's been equal with others as the amount of success had, but I'd be unrealistic to expect bad times not to happen, it really motivates me to keep trying and do everything I can to make the miracles happen! Roma is an area where the success comes when you do the Grind! it's the daily work... the hours of contacting and teaching just to find the people that God wants to be found. we call the daily grind "la pura chamba" it's not very good spanish... they'd only understand it here in the valley, everywhere else they'd be really confused, because "chamba" it's super made up... I think!

I hope no one in our district leaves! we've had so much fun! we played a game called to see who could do the most missionary work! I named it "El Rey Del Rio!" the king of the river! We didn't win, but I made the prize, I spray painted a spatula we weren't using gold and made it a trophy to move from area to area depending on who won! it's weird to think just how close we are to the border here!

I got my ticket taken care of the other day! They took the ticket off, but they still charged me a 30$ "removal fee!" so stupid! the relief society president said she knows some people and could have pulled some strings for me... but I really don't want to add to the political corruption that exists down here! it's already so bad! I'd rather just pay the 30$ and keep my conscience clean!

we had stake conference yesterday, we couldn't get any investigators to make the hour drive one way to the stake center, but that's alright, our little branch had 4 investigators show up! which is good!... the work here is slow, but I really feel needed, it's great!

my companion, has been great, I feel like I've grown to love him. he's not as perfect as I thought when I first met him, but he's still super cool! we just can't play magic if he starts arguing with me about something... or I start arguing with him! it's not a good situation! haha! (we'll play at night if we've hit all our daily goals! it's a good motivation! because we both really enjoy the game! he buys me cards and I trade him ties... so I'm not spending money on this hobby!)

OHHH! I almost got hit by a semi!... but I didn't! phew! it'd be an experience to work from Rio to Roma texas without our truck! I'd get those biking muscles back! I've lost about 8 lbs in this area, I hope I stay another and keep it up!

-well I love you all a lot! hope with week is a good one!

Elder Duerst!