Yes, we're in interviews but a stop at the store inbetween showed us yet another different fruit here in Mexico. Only we don't know what this one is. It looked like a giant green strawberry that was hard. Sometime we'll try one and let you know.
Remember Elder Botello and Elder Gulbranson and the fire? Elder Gulbranson's family sent him new white shirts and other things to get him back on track with missionary clothing since all but one white shirt was destroyed in the fire. Today we delivered his package in Valles. It's in a Liverpool bag, which is a large, expensive department store here in Tampico, because Bro. Rios had to open the package and take it all out at the border for security. But it was all there.
Elder Swensen is going home in this change and his mother came to pick him up and tour the mission for a few days before. Also, Elder Cardenas that went home a few weeks ago came on the same day to see one of his converts receive her endowment in the temple here. They traveled for 16 hours by bus from Villahermosa to spend a part of 3 days here. His mother was the escort of the convert.
Sister Cardenas brought us a gift of a traditional woman from Tabasco. She thanked us for taking care of her son and in the temple gave me a very long and powerful hug. Elder Cardenas was one of our assistants in the office for a time. It was gratifying to see the convert in the temple because while she was being taught her former husband or boyfriend called Dad several times with threats against the two missionaries there and we had to take them out of the area. The threats were especially against Elder Cardenas. So to see the woman stay faithful for the year after her baptism and make it to the temple was a wonderful experience.
After the last day of interviews in Huejutla we gave the elders from Tempoal a ride back to their city. We dropped them off at the top of this road where they would be having their comida that day. The road was too bad for the car to drive on. Elder Willmore and Elder Castillo are the two elders. Elder Willmore is acting as the branch president in the branch of the mission. He received his assignment on Sunday and will conduct his first funeral this week. Life comes at you fast in the mission field. We have great confidence in him and know that he will learn much.
On our way out of Tempoal we stopped to try a restaurant that Dad had heard was good there. This is the meal. French fries, a meat something that was pretty tender, rice, and a stuffed hot chili.
The ceiling of the restaurant is a thatched roof. We were grateful for something to eat but even more grateful to arrive home tonight. In one week Dad interviewed the entire mission, we went to the temple with Elder Cardenas, his mother and their convert, had dinner with the Swensen's and the Cardenas' and a few more things that are represented here. Many times we get to the end of a week and wonder how it all fit into 7 days. But we are so grateful for the privilege of being here and watching people's lives change.
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