Postcards From Paraguay: 2014-06-22

It´s me, Lib, coming to you LIVE from Mariano Roque Alonso.

Well ya`ll... My life is weird again and I´m that awkward uncomfortable new girl again... I hate being her, but I can´t seem to lock her away. She comes out when Big scary changes happen and Lib can´t handle it... So Lib hides and boring wierd Drone Donna comes out. I first met Drone Donna when I was punched in the face by culture shock standing in the Super market of Hong Kong. Drone Donna has also made special guest appearances in my life whenever I am faced with that big ol´ "C" word, CHANGE.

She lived my first few days in the CCM. Elder Muñoz remembers Drone Donna my first month or so of Yby Yau (and does a super hilarious impression of Her awkward quietness and blank-face expressions)

And now she is making "friends" in the big city.

I hope I get comfortable soon because I´m so fetching awkward when I first meet people.

My new Area is still very very NEW.

It´s giant and I never know where we`re at and then we turn the corner and suddenly BOOM it´s the street of our house. Idk how it happens or how I`ll ever manage... but I`ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

It´s weird to have members and I am so awkward it physically pains me.

Lunch appointments are cool though. I will try not to becoms a Fatty Fransis.

On Sunday I had to stand in front of 5 billion people (the MASSIVE ward) and tell them who I was. I tried to drowned out Drone Donna so that they could meet Lib... Idk how well I did.

I told them my name and that I was born in Michigan but moved various times in my life, included a couple times in Mexico which is where I learned my Spanish. I said my family lives now in Utah, but I don´t think I´m from there. I´m not from anywhere, but if you ask me who I want to win the Mundial it´s Mexico!

I told them that my family is cool and that my brother will be going to the DR soon.

I said that I was "born" (mission-wise) in YbyYau and that I had been there the last 6 months, that now I feel like I am a greenie once more because it is so so so different here, a whole new mission... including the Language!

Then I bore my Testimony in Guarani.

I didn`t cry. Not one tear!

Then I sat down.

It was probably the scariest 3 minutes of my life. Not really. but. there you go.

Wont say much more about my area. It´s just really different.

My companion, Hermana Bautista, is nice. I got another Guatemalteca... but she´s the opposite of Hermana Santos.

Life is really mellow and I cry and miss the jungle, but I´ll adjust.

My last days there were the poster-child of the word "Bittersweet".

I said goodbye to my dear friends. Anacleto, Dahiani, Romina, Fransisca, Leandro...I hope to return to my little town of Yby Yau with my folks at the end of this 18 month adventure (and maybe live there forever).

Hermana Santos and Elder Benavente, with luck, I will see in the offices during changes at some later point in the mission. (Plus I call Hermana Santos sometimes and we continue our plans for a trip to Mexico together)

But all the same, my heart broke over and over with each goodbye,

and finally shattered with my last solid "adios" handshake with Elder Muñoz.

He "dies" after this change.

Elder Muñoz is my hero forever. He goes back to Chile the day before Z leaves for the D.R.

All I had to offer him was a pop-tart and a bag of Sprees from my B-day package (which was AWESOME. I got it on Wednesday. Thank you)

It`s not much... but I hope he knows how cool I think he is.

Then I was shuffled here and there with my suitcases. At some point we got in a van and I tried not to cry too much because I think I was making Hermana Bautista, my new district Leader and his comp very uncomfortable and somewhat depressed with the water works.

¿Why am I such a llorona?

My new house is Yellow, so that´s awesome. It´s 3 times the size of my little blue shack in the jungle.

I unpacked and Hermana Bautista helped me. Awkward small talk was exchanged.

That night I read the goodbye notes Santos, Benavente and Muñoz had written me and cried and wrote words in my journal.

The next day I pulled myself together and tried to keep my cool. I was Drone Donna... but at least I wasn´t Teary Tessa.

Then it was night time and as I unpacked my last bag I found a secret goodbye note from Leandro.

More tears.

I am so grateful God let me go to that stupid jungle town I hated so much upon arival and meet those incredible people and share those amazing moments. I know I could be mad that I had to leave, but instead I am happy that I even got to go.

I am honored to have been called to serve the Yby Yau-ian people and alongside Paraguay´s grandest and noblest missionaries.

I have faith that my Father in Heaven knows what will make me happy better than even I do!

I wouldn´t have ever chosen to go to the Jungle out in Yby Yau, especially not for my first area and never for 6 months... but God knew.

And he was right

And now I wouldn´t choose anything else.

I can´t wait to see what wonderful blessings He has for me here.

I can´t wait to learn the lessons He has for me to learn here.

I can´t wait to meet the wonderful people he has prepared for me to love here.

I think I need a bigger heart because right now, It´s all full!

until next week,

Hermana

"Drone Donna"