Baptisms!

 

 

Wow what a week!

 

Hna Cuadra has an intestinal infection, and she refuses to take her medicine, no matter how hard i try to give it to her. so that might go well for her!

 

She was in bed for two days. sooooo for two days i was with members! It was great.  I asked one to stay with me for 6 hours and she was more than excited to do it! That day we had 6 lessons, with 5 people who were preparing for baptisms and one that we invited.  So it was a miracle and one of the biggest blessings from God I have ever received.  

 

This weekend Claudia and Wendy will be baptizedª! I am so excited.  Elder Mickle is coming to baptize Claudia, which technically she is his convert, I taught her like two lessons hahaha.

 

So we have been with Leondro and Alejandro everyday this week! They really have my heart here, no one has affected me or touched me as much as they have.  Not even Barinia, and i don´t even know why.  I feel like i knew them before, I feel like they are my favorite people in the world, i don´t even know where it came from! They other day Leondro sent a message to me, he said, ¨Thank you so much Hermana, you have helped me so much in my life, I love you!¨I almost started crying.  Then yesterday when they didn´t come to church, I practically was crying.  Now i might not be in the area for their baptism.  Guess they aren´t ready.  Pray really hard for them! I was going to fast with Leondro the other saturday, but he said he wanted to do it alone.  He is really close to God.  They have a hard life, their dad is hardly home, their mom moved out to live with someone else, and they are really humble.  But so spiritual,they are only 16 and 10 also!!! The other day Leo bought a bracelet that said, I heart USA. He was sooooo excited to show it to me! Can I just take them home with me! I really just want to spend all day everyday with them.  Hna Cuadra got kind of mad at me yesterday because I got so sad that they didn´t come to church, i ended up thinking about it all day and what not.  I don´t know, I don´t think she gets it.  Alej, the 10 year old, doesn´t really have good feelings toward Hna Cuadra, so i don´t really know what to do.  He didn´t want to talk to us the other day because she was with me.  I got him to so don´t worry.  

 

It was a long week that went by super fast! I am so surprised ti is Monday!! wow.  These other two weeks are going to speed by too.  Two more and then it is transfers.  Where am I going?????? 

Zone Conference and the Temple

I feel like I just talked to you.  

 

Well the other day I had intercambios and it was AMAZING!!! I was with Hermana Giles.  i thnk it was my best one so far! I was so happy. I was at first upset that i couldn´t go to Cala Cala, i really do love that area, however, we had such a good day in Las Cuadras! I needed that time with Hna Giles, we talked a lot and i got some new looks on things. She is an amazing missionary, i love her so much! We just had an amazing day! Ever since my third transfer we had a contact that disappeared, i knew he was golden but he went away! I vowed to Hna Routsong that i would find him! Finally we did, during our intercambios! He, oh my gosh, he is amazing! He is 16 and is trying to find the church because he needs to change his life, he said he knows that the church can help him with that! He brought his little brother to church the other day and then he basically invited himself to baptism, if all goes well i will still be here to see it! That wouldn´t have happened if i went to Cala Cala, Hna Cuadra doesn´t know him! it was an answer to my prayers. WE are going to see him again today and i have been looking forward to it all day long!!! 

 

So yea we had zone conference and the temple the other day! We got more coookies haha so that was a dream come too! We learned about how to be more humble, how to talk to people more.  We also got an amazing story from one of the assistantes, Elder Mickle, fun fact he was in my area, the cancha so we talk a lot! He is actually the grandson of Elder Scott, no one knew that before.  Elder Scott was one of the first missionaries here and he helped start the church, so we got to see some amazing pictures and we learned a ton! The people here have the strongest faith in the world.  It was really cool. 

 

Wendy is doing great, she is going to be baptized the 23! With one of Elder Mickles ¨Converts¨long story, but yea finally she will be baptized hahaha.  Then hopefully Dana with Leandro and his brother Alejandro! After all my hard work here, almost 7 months, i will see some fruit of my labors, i mean ones that won´t run off to Chapari. hahaha.  Barinia is great too! She has been helìng us as ton as ward missionary!  

 

Today the pension in Cala Cala took a few of us to a little pueblo! It was so pretty, supposedly they had good bread, i really just liked the church hahaha.  Then we went back to the center and i had Saltañas with Hermana Routsong and her really cute companion! 

 

It´s been a good and really long week! I really have been super happy! and the time is just flying by . . . 

Sleepwalker

I GOT MY PACKAGE, SO SE PREOCUPE! 

 

 

Well the other day i was sleepwalking in Spanish! that was funny.  I had forgotten to tell Hermana Cuadra that i might do that.  She didn´t think it was super funny hahaha.

 

So today is hermana Cuadra´s  ¨Birthday¨it is actually wednesday but we decided to celebrate today.  WE went to a pension´s house and had cake with other missionaries.  A few of my white friends were  there but they got to leave after a while, i didn´t haha and after a while i was the onl y white person there.  It really wasn´t fun at all.  Hermana Cuadra was happy though and she had fun so that is really all that matters.  I am glad she got to have  a little party!    

 

So i told Presidente Claros, he is the in the stake, that you would look for a job for him in Utah.  He said it has always been is dream to go there!  He said even if he was working in fast food, it is work and he will take it.  He was in the military here so he also said he could be security guard for Presidente Eyring! He is currently security in the temple! 

 

Speaking of the temple, we get to go thursday and have our conference de zonas!!

 

WEll this last week, was kind of just like any other week.  Nothing too special happened. Cintia was running away from us so we couldn´t have a lesson with her.  Then we found her and she said she was mad then left again. 

 

Dana is amazing and has been coming to church alone so i feel a lot better about having her baptism! She asked me to speak at it hahaha.  

 

Ian and lorey are great but I don´t think they are ready to be baptized, they can be but they can´t go to church without us picking them up and taking them!  Hermana Cuadra thinks they are ready but i don´t so we will see how that goes!

 

I told Arturo that I wanted to be here for his baptism on the 30 so we have to have more lessons! They are going to look for time.  Yessenia told me she wants me there too.  Otherwise and Hermana that they don´t know will be there and no one wants that! hahaha.    

 

Wendy came to church an hour late yesterday so we had to move her date again! To the 30! Someone will be baptized then hahaha.  Which makes me sad because if I leave Cocha in 4 weeks I wont be able to go to the temple with her.    

 

WE had to break into a house the other day, that was fun ahaha.  It really wasn´t the house ok,. It was the apartment door.  He wasn´t picking up his phone! When we got up to his place he said that he has done that before so really it´s chill.

 

Talk to y'all Sunday!

In Bolivia Waiting For a Package

Hermana Cuadra is great! She is from Nicaragua and we are dong some good work.  She is different from Hermana Routsong, so it is taking time to adjust.  She has a bit of a short temper and is very straight forward, but i guess i might not be the easiest to work with either.  She already has to much love for the people in this area and is doing all she can to help them.  Pres just told me in an email, ¨Hna Cuadra doesn´t have any support at home and often feels alone.  She has a hard outer shell but with patience and humility I know you can crack it and be a great team.¨ She does have a hard outer shell and I am learning just to cope with what she wants at times, but the mission isn´t about me, and I am blessed to be with her, to learn this patience and humility, that will so greatly help me later in life.  She is an amasing missionary and i am glad that we can both help eachother.  Her name, in english, translates to, Rachel of the Angles Block.  HAHAHAHAHA i was laughing when she told me that. 

 

So we found out why Cintia was having all these problems, she is scared.  She doesn´t want to get hurt again, because she was a little innocent girl and someone tried to take advantage of her, or did, i am not sure.  Now i just pray we can find her mom and talk to her, we haven´t been able to at all.  

 

Dana came to church alone again, well she brought little David, but i am feeling so good about her baptism, yea she is only 11, but she is way better than i was at 11!  May 30! maybe my last saturday here i will be able to see her be baptized, and Hna RS said she will come too! 

 

Ian and Lorey said they are going to stay here until their baptism and then move to where the Elders are.  I am excited! If they get married like scheduled, they will be baptized with Dana!! They are soo cool! 

 

Wendy didn´t come to church again, so she can´t be baptized as schedluled, pucha! She is pretty golden, i am sure their is a good reason, i am just way sad, we are moving her date to the 30th too.  Someone will get baptized then!!! 

 

So it has been so weird without Hna Rs, a little sad, but haha, it happens.  She is close! We were able to eat our saltañas today together so that´s pretty awesome! We had a ncie talk about all the things she is missing, she is sad to not be here and her other area is really hard.  Really hard.  i said she is welcome to come back and work with us! She said she didn´t need to because i have it under control.  Actually this whole week i just kept thinking, ¨Would Hna RS do this? What would she do if she were in my shoes.¨i was unable to think of some answers so i just did what good ol carol would do.

 

Funny story, Hna Theresa has a new living set, that i bet is from the states.  It has a recliner.  Her brother said to her, ¨I bet your daughter from the states would love this!¨He was right i did enjoy it while we were waiting for an investigator!! 

 

I am happy.  I am Healthy.  I am still in Bolivia waiting for that package. 

New Companion

We had transfers! and we are together again!!!

JK! I now have a latina! Can you guys believe that! Her name is Hermana Cuadra and she has been in Tupiza so no one knows her. i have heard a little bit, but you can´t always believe what you hear so I don´t know!!

 

So we had an interesting week.  The other day i was in Cala Cala for intercambios, man i love that area, it is beautiful! Apparently i missed a big day in Las Cuadras!! However when i cam back, man, Friday felt like a year!

 

We saw the Familia Pary, their son in law sold all of their pension stuff, when we went over he was taking everything out.  They literally have nothing now, he took the lights! He was selling it to another lady who wants a pension but doesnt´have anything to start it, how ironic! It was heartbraking just seeing Lucia standing there while they took everything.  We gave a lesson on fasting and they are going to try that! I know it will work.  They have pure hearts.  I just will never forget that.  I shared a scipture in DC about how our trials prepare us to recieve gloria!

 

Also Friday we went to see Barinia.  ummmmmmm . . . She was dancing around then she sat down.  I was talking to some Elders on the phone so i had my back turned.  I heard a giant crack, turned around and well . . . she was having a seizure! I screamed to her aunt while HNA RS was trying to help her.  It was her first one ever. It was so weird! She is ok though.  For our lesson she taught me lesson 3 with hermana routsong as her companion.  During repentence i was talking about how i can´t fully repent of my actions with my boyfriend because i still see him.  hahaha, i snuck that in there because she still talks to her 23 year old boyfriend micky.  It went really well and Hna Rs caught on too.  

 

Wendy is the best! Hna Prieto said to Hna RS during intercambios that she wants everyone to be like her! We did however, and this was Friday too, have a lesson with a testigo de jeovah.  that was weird.  their religion is quite different.  Then we invited her to stay with us and she said no.  ok, i didn´t want to show you the Joseph Smith video anyways.  I was a little direct with WEndy after that.  All religions are good yes, but they arent´all true.  I think she understands more now.  I hope so.

 

Ian and Lorey are moving soon and i am so sad.  They will be in my district still but it´s too far to continue teaching! They are still planning on getting married in a week though!

 

Cintia, oh man.  The Primary Pres. said yesterday that they are hiring professional help.  WE had a way good lesson though! And yes it was Friday too.  We watched a mormon message about our true identity.  WE had the Young Womans president with us, becuase she is going to complete 12 years next week.  We will see how it goes.  Maybe the Hna Cuadra will have an idea.

 

We started teaching the husband of Yessenia, a member.  He is so cool and wants to know so much! They had a baby so it´s perfect! They can soon be an eternal family! Sadly we have to wait till Sunday to teach Arturo, he has to work a lot.

 

Well it has been a crazy week! This one will jsut be crazier!

 

Hermana Caroline Parry

13 People at Church!

Someone tell Sean he sends mesome of the best Dear Elders!!

So yea, Dana is doing great, her family does kind of oppose her involvement.  Sometimes we aren´t allowed there.  We are going to work with the ward to get her to stay strong in the church!!

 

So the other day Ian and Lorey, some amazing inv. who live together and are not married, told us that they set a date for baptism!!! Honestly we didn´t believe it for awhile.  We are so amazed! They can now work together for their baptism in a couple weeks! Sadly they are moving so we are going to have to give them to our leader de district.  They came to church and loved it.  Ian has a few more problems accepting stuff, but Lorey sees the importance out of it. 

 

The other day . . . we broke the word of wisdom.  Apparently some members believe tea is ok! They told us it was fine, but when we told Hermana Claros she said it was té no mas! Whoops, we had some repenting to do that night!

 

I finished DC the other day and I learned something way cool! When Christ was in the spirit world, he was teaching people in paradise how to preach the gospel in prison.  Because he isn´t allowed to go to spirit prison, he is too perfect.  He only did preaching to the perfect in the spirit world.  I thought that was cool.  He wants us to come back to him so he can see us, otherwise he wouldn´t be able too.  He is too perfect!!

 

We met a little child who is 11 years old who . . . gets beat by her mom, dresses as a boy, and has horrible heart problems.  God gave us a really hard bridge to cross.  She wants to be baptized so badly!  We went the other day with the primary and they are mainly going to work with her change, because we just can´t.  I don´t know what to do! The elders that were in this area thought she was a member because she is always at church so they didn´t teach her! I guess she had to be taught by us, it was the plan of God.  Wow wish us luck, it is quite hard.

 

Carmen left for Chapari today.  I think we just said goodbye forever.  At least she will be at peace, in

her own home, with her scary son. 

 

We went to a really pretty place today in the mountains.  We are convinced it is Rhoan.  We saw some llamas and ate sandwiches.  

 

Yesterday we had 13 people in church.  That is a pretty good record! 

Conference Was Amazing!

Wow conference was just utterly amazing!

 

Yo sé que mi redentor, salvador, y Senor vive!! Con toda mi corazon yo sé! 

 

Conference was amazing! All week we were testifying about the Atonement and Resurrection of Christ.  People here can only focus on the death.  Why? It´s not pretty, it´s not uplifting, yes it was needed but, why focus on it? We went to Dana´s house for two minutes on Friday, Hna RS had to use the bathroom so i was standing in the door tlaking to Dana.  Her uncle, who is a very catholic less active in our church? haha yea it´s weird.  I think he was mad we were there.  He comes up to me, really close and puts his hand on my shoulder and says, ¨You know today is a holiday.  Christ died today! My mom is at the church celebrating and i am leaving soon.  Maybe you guys should go, Dana can´t have a lesson.¨¨Sorry we just wanted to invite her to conference, we are leaving.¨ As we left i couldn´t help but thinking that it was so sad that he could only focus on the death! YEs Christ died, but more importantly, Christ lives!!! Now we can too! When we baptized Carmen the other day, She is going back to chapari and is choosing not to have her surgery so she probably won´t make it another week, when we baptized her she wasn´t ready but under some circumstances, we had too.  IT was so comforting to think that in a short amount of time she will be without pain, without her 5 tumors.  She knows that Christ lives and soon she will be perfected too.

 

Sooooo we got to watch conference in English in the stake center!! PS I call Elder Holland´s talk as my favorite when the home teachers ask.  It was amazing.  Saturday all the gringos in the zone were watching it in the stake center.  Since we had our baptism after the first session we didn´t have enough time to go all the way back to get lunch so we packed peanut butter sandwiches, fruit and a coke!! Sunday was earth day or something so no cars! WE walked to the stake center, 30 minutes away.  I felt like someone who sacrifices a lot to hear the voice of the prophet! Hahaha sort of, others sacrifice a ton more! Like those Africans!! We packed sandwhiches again! Then walked back! It was so worth it! WE were the only ones there.  

 

So there is a new rule, we aren´t allowed to eat ANYTHING WITH ANYONE!! The only house other than our own we can accept anything is our pension, no water no juice, no store bought food.  Too many people are getting sick.  It is a blessing, but now we have to awchwardl tell everyone that we can´t eat their stuff.  

 

Someone in our ward urgently called us over to his house.  He wasn´t there, but his 6 year old son

was there.  Alone.  Since 10 in the morning.  Locked in a room.  He climbed out the window when he heard us knocking. I think that is illegal but i am not sure, there seem to not be any leyes here, well except no one can have guns.  Well after 30 minutes of calming him down, getting his shoes so we can play, we called Teresa, our mommy.  She came and offered to take him to her house.  Then his dad came back.  He lied as to why he wanted us there, maybe he didn´t want to saying anything in front of Teresa, he said, ¨Oh just wanted you to talk to my son,¨Yea . . . right¨. So yea it was weird.  HE said that his son is ok to be home alone.  Yea no! WE are talking about him in the next ward council because that is NOT OK!! 

 

We had easter eggs yesterday, mine had a dragon it in.  

Bolivian Money Explained

 

So today we went to Incachaca!!!!

 

jk sadly we didn´t, other missionaries couldn´t get enough lessons with members to meet our goal, so we couldn´t go.  We were sad . . . I still am sad.

 

Oh well!!! I ate two saltañas to make up for it.

 

Life in the Blocks is great! Just another week.  We actually when to the mission home saturday to watch the woman´s conference and have one of our own. PRESIDENTE AND HERMANA HANSEN MADE US MEXICAN FOOD!!!! WE HAD LETTUCE! WE HAD REAL CHEESE! oh now i am sad thinking that i can´t have any for along time again . . . it was amazing and the talks were beautiful. This time i didn´t even get an inkling of homesickness listening to good ol´Hal.  we also had really good cake.  It was so good!! We were talking to some gringas and one said that she missed Taco bell.  dude aim higher, it´s all about the zupas, Fiiz, Cafe rio and Cheesecake factory, or just clean water. Def not about the Taco Bell.

 

What else . . . i actually feel like i just talked to yall, this week flew by!!!

 

We invited 5 people to baptisms this week! One is Dana, she is the 11 year old. We did a lot of praying about this and with counsel from Pres Hansen we have a plan.  She has a mommy, sort of, in the ward. If for every sunday until her baptism, last saturday in May, she gets picked up by her mommy, we will baptize her.  We don´t want a child convert that doesnt ever go to church.  The other day she actually asked us for a test on all of her panphlets.  so yea, she is pretty golden.  

 

Bryana Claros, our pensions daughter, was baptized satruday, Dana and two other of our investigators came, Lorey and Ian.  It was a party! She´s been planning it for a year, no joke! it was frozen themed.  There was aclown though, i don´t gt why people think they are funny, they aren´t, they are scary! Actually Bryana kicked him so yea that was funny!! We sat in the back with Lorey and ian and well after waiting for our lunch, since they are our pension, for an hour, we had to go! We had to be in the mission home at 3! So we bought saltañas for lunch! Ian and Lorey are 18 and 19, they live together and aren´t married, that´s actually like 70% of the people here.  He is Chilean and i can´t understand him, but he knows english so it´s funny to hear him practice haha.  They are great and understand a lot.  WE have them the Law of Chasity pamphet and he said, chasity, oh i hate that word.  So pray that they will get married or move out!!! They are pretty golden, maybe silver.  They have a baptism date for 2 of May.  

 

President said in another email how happy he was with our work and he thinks our numbers are great! So yea that always makes me feel like i am doing good stuff.  

 

So i have developed a testimony of health care!! So many people are sick or hurt here but they don´t have money to go to the hospital sothey can´t! Or they just keep getting sicker becasue they can´t buy medicine, they also eat horribly so that can´t help.  Barinia might have an STD. It wouldn´t surprise us, she hasn´t had a very easy life, but she can´t get it checked becasue she doens´t have money. Really no one has money here, it´ssad.  To put it into perspective, our rent is 700bs, we get 600bs to use in a month, that is about $100.  Milk is 7 bs, coke is 9bs, taxis are like freaking 20bs, and truffis are 2bs, but we use them a lot.  So stuff isn´t expensive, but you go through it fast!! the fruit is like 10 or 20. We always compare it to american dollars then feel better, we are spending less than a 1 a day sometimes! 

 

well life is good! i am happy!! After this week i will have 5 months! WOW!!! where does all the time go? 

Stake Conference

Well family,

 

All of our best investigators are references from the ward.  So that is amazing! We are actually busy now! We don´t have enough time to do all that we need to do!!

 

We started teaching a girl who lives with the bishop, she has cancer, well she is a really old lady hnot a girl.  We were supposed to baptize her saturday, and that wasn´t decided until tuesday or something, but the water was cold, so we couldn´t.  The bishop decided not to tell us though so we were waiting at the church for an hour!! it was frustrating.  All the ward showed up and we were all ready, manucanchu Carmen though.  So yea, yesterday she said she doesn´t know if God exists so maybe it was better she didn´t get baptized, she has no faith because she is in such bad health.  

 

We have a way cool reference, Leandro! he is 14.  When we called him to set a visit, he said, come now please! Can´t you guys come now! He also can´t wait to go to church, although we won´t have sacrament meeting for two more weeks.

 

The other day we had entrevistas with Presidente.  First off, dad i thought a lot about what you wrote in my last email, how everyone loved jake and how they were running to him and said all those amazing things.  I realized i want that.  I want my president to trust me.  Well, in my interview, he said, i just want you to know that i am REALLY happy about all the work that has been going on in Las Cuadras.  I love how you guys are working with the ward and focusing on the right things.  you and Hermana Routsong are a great companionship and that´s why the Lord needed you guys together more.  Well dad, i don´t have to worry anymore! That was an answer to my prayers! 

 

We had stake conference this last weekend, my first adult session on Saturday hahaha.  We went with the familia claros.  Sunday morning there was a future missionary meeting, it made me realize how chevere it is to be a missionary! Well all the missionaries in the stake, or my zone, sang the closing song.  First four started then every line in Called to serve, a companionship would go up from the crowd.  I thopught it would be cheesy but it was way cool! Presidente and hermana Hansen surprised us and came up from their seats at the end! I had goosebumps.  

 

The husband in the Familia Pary decided to make a reapperence and well Lucia is sooooo happy now! She has stopped asking us for money! We have decided that he is the key, if we can help him find a testimony the whole family will follow! now we have to start all the lessons over and hope he finds his testimony along the way.  

 

Today Hna RS and i decided to go visit some pretty churches.  They were all closed but one! It actually brought back a ton of memories! They are so pretty though! Two were convents and i think still in use.

 

All is well here, the dresses mom are light pink and the other purple in the back of my closet.  Hna RS suggested you guys send a camera cord this week! She will leave soon! Also can you send one a day vitamins! Still alive and FYI no more bacteria. 

Don't Die Mom

 

Wow my, don´t die, also do what the doctor says so you don´t get any worse.  I know you are stubborn and you don´t want to follow the doctors orders, but you might just have too!

 

So i got a surprise Friday at our meeting.  TWO packages!! i didn´t realize how happy that stuff would make me, ¨Freak yea! More soft tissues to use the bathroom, when there is no paper!¨¨Double freak yea!! Enough antibiotics for my whole mission! Maybe i won´t get another infection.¨ ¨Yes mopre garments tambien!!¨yea, dad you regifted me with that package, i did love that little study kit though, it was exactly what i wanted.  So i think a latina somewhere is having a party with the popcorn, christmas decorations and my camera cord that was in the other package, yea i think that´s long gone, sorry!! No Tengo!

 

Well, this morning i was in a bit of a war, we went PAINTBALLING!! I have some bruises.  I was the last one still in in my team, i had 23 bullets left, they all knew where i was though, then two from the sides, one in front, one in back just started pelting me!!! i couldn´t even shoot.  My LD hit my hand so i dropped my gun, i have a bruise and i don´t know if it is blood or paint on my hand, so i was out.  He cam up to me, ¨Lo Siento Hermana!¨ Ëlder es un guerra, esta bien,¨ He felt bad, but it´s war! We gotta do what we gotta do!

 

So we have been doing this project as a mission, each day we have a few verses to read and a question to think about.  They have all been about the Atonement.  In my patriarchal blessing it says i will have the ability to share this in my testimony from the bottom of my heart, it wil be unwavering, so i have decided that in each lesson to share about the Atonement.  My testimony has strengthened so much!! One inv. said he is all alone, he can´t see his kids and his parents are dead, i said, Christ walked alone to Calvary so you don´t ever have to be alone.  He said that God left Christ.  I said he had to so he will feel this ultimate pain so he will know EXACTLY how we aall feel.  He was crying by the end, i showed him that picture from the Sacred Gifts museaum.  We are never alone! The Atonement helps us with every aspect of our life! I don´t want to stand in front of Christ in the judgment day and have him say, ¨Why didn´t you ever use this gift that i gave you?¨I don´t want that for these people either.  The other day we explained repentence to Carlos and Noelia, they were amazed that God won´t remember them anymore.  They loved it! Carlos said that he wants to repent.  They just need to go to church! They have such strong testimonies and so many desires, they just can´t get to church! They Read too! Pray for them! They are our English friends from Virginia! 

 

So the other day we had two new invs. at church, they are friends with a teacher.  They are golden! We shared the JS movie with them! I have such a strong testimony of JS, and after that, Cintia, she said, there was no way that this story couldn´t be true.  Freak yea!! it was great! 

 

Evan and Daddy! Happy Birthday!! I meant to take a cute picture, but I didn´t so sorry! 

 

So Bradly keeps making fun of me cause one day I said, Jooves and Apointamentos, yea neither of those are words.  So Then i just speak in english to him hahaha.  He actuallñy speaks english really well! 

 

Yesterday was our last day to take the sacrament for three weeks . . . next week is stake conference, freak yea we are in the same stake as pres!, then there are elections and it´s against the law to hold public meetings, then general conference!!

 

Dad, like Jake´s people, everything here starts late.  There is no clock here, it´s by the sky and when you can eat again! it is hard at times, that´s why i am worried that i wont´be punctual when i get back! AHHHH!!!! 

 

The other day Jose decided to go back to the jungle to live with his parents.  Lioterally, Chapari is the jungle.  We are way sad. WE can´t visit him anymore.  Also there is no church in the jungle! He had just started opening up to us too! Freaking jungle! 

 

My new leader de zona, he´s pretty cute. . . uh ohhhhh. 

 

The other day we traveled almost two miles to a visita, yea it was in our area, whoops, but we didn´t know that because we were still in the cancha! It is huge!!!!! They need a map of it or something.  

 

Well, I am still alive, I did get a cold though so my mission mommy, my pension gave me medicine! all good now! 

Staying with Hermana Routsong!

Pucha, Freaking Vina, I am stuck with Hermana Routsong for ANOTHER 6 weeks!!!

 

Haha no we are actually excited, and not at all that surprised.  Everyone else that we saw today in El Prado were like, ¨Wait you aren´t going to have a Latina?¨Nope apparently we need to be together still.  Maybe it is because of Noelia and Carlos who only like to speak in english. Which is actually hard for us, we can´t teach in english, but we can share our testimonies.  Maybe it is because of Barinia who still needs us, or maybe it´s because we need each other.  This morning we made goals, we need to better my spanish so maybe zero english for us from now on.  

 

So Theresa, who is like our mommy here.  She is the one who gave us Mordor of food.  Called us the other day, ¨Hijtas, come here it´s an emergency! Where are you?¨Ök Theresa, we will be there in a minute¨¨ Then we were walking, Öh crap hermana she is going to give us food. We go to her house, she made us Saltañas!!! She heard us talking about them and she got up early to make us them! They weren´t that good, but who cares!

 

So we are still visiting Dana, we can´t baptize her because she is only 11, she can´t even walk to the church by herself.  Man do we want to baptize her though.  WE gave her a lesson on fasting and tithing, she fasted the next day and gave us her tithing AND ofrenda money! We didn´t ask for that, she is 11 and not even baptized!! She knows so much.  Honestly she knows more than i did at 11.  We just told her to pray for her mom and help us work with her.  Then they can both recieve these blessings together.  The children here are so much closer to God.

 

Speaking of being clse to God.  I went to the temple Saturday! With Barinia!!!! Holy cow.  I did what President Eyring promised i would do.  Guys, i took a daughter of God to the temple and well, we were all crying.  It was beautiful.  The worker comes up to us, ¨What an amazing convert you have there¨.  Then we lost it again.  She was so happy.  She felt peace.  She doesn´t have to hurt herself anymore, or feel pain or unloved.  It was amazing.  That morning we were doing a project to feel the Atonement more in our lives and we read the story about the shepard who left 99 sheep to rescue one.  Even though this isn´t our only baptism, if she was the only one who i saw to the waters of baptism, i would be ok.  She will rescue those 99 other sheep.  She keeps talking about how she will go on a mission! I have no fear with her.  

 

So I read a story from that family history book, if I can, everyday.  It is amazing! I love it so much and I love learning about them.  They are all amazing examples to me, especially Joseph Hyurum Parry! I want to write one when I get back!

 

So the other day at lunch, we had pizza, Hermano Claros said he was going to drop Brandon off at Utah and not pick him back up.  I said it was ok he could live with Us! Brandon was like, yea lets do it and party! So we might be boarding Brandon, who reminds me of Isaac soooo much! His english is pretty good too.  I love that family.  We WILL visit them, well and they will visit us too.  Brandon is going to try and go to EFY in Utah.

 

After a crazy night of feeling like my ¨Mommy¨Would leave me, she´s not, so now we have to go back to everyne and say, just kidding she is still here.  Training done! Time to party!

 

Hermana Parry

Helms Deep

Guys I had an amazing experience this last week.  We were walking and walking, taking fig off trees and eating it.  In the street in front of my a car starts backing out of their garage, first I see a black tire, then comes a bright, shiny, red four door Jeep with a black top.  It kind of made me really happy.

 

So we had an interesting trip to the clinic.  We have both been having problems with stuff and after they did some tests on us we found out why.  Hermana Routsong is pregnant with a little parasite that we have dubbed Smeagol, I have the battle of Helms Deep in my stomach with bacteria problems.  All is well though, we will live, we had to buy medicine though and we can´t eat cheese, which is sad because everything I want has cheese.  It is just frustrating because we do EVERYTHING to get our stuff clean and some gringos eat apples without peeling them and they are fine.  

 

This morning we hiked up to the Christus with lots of Hermanas and had our study time up there! It was fun! We will do that when y'all come down!

 

So two weeks ago we had our conference with presidente! I love that man.  He talked about how we can be more consecrated missionaries.  I have so many notes! After we watched Meet the Mormons, again, and ate popcorn and had homemade cookies.  Oh, it was wonderful!! 

 

Today I meant to buy one saltaña but they gave me two, that´s a blessing.  That is one thing we can eat haha.  Oh Hermana Routsong counts my sneezes.

 

So we found a way awesome investigator! Her name is Noelia and she is from Virginia, we speak in English with her! She has a lot of questions and loves to learn.  She keeps saying, wow they didn´t teach us this in the Catholic church.  Then on a whim I invited her older brother to join us for a movie.  After he bombarded us with questions, and was so interested.  Noelia said, I always want to tell you what they teach me and I try too but you never listen.  So that means she is interested! She just can´t read in Spanish that well and those elders haven´t given us our book in English yet.  

 

We are teaching our old pension family, the Familia Pary, and they don´t come to church for three hours because two of their kids never do.  So now we have to try and break all these family traditions they have.  They asked us to come back because they need help with their rent, yea the pensions don´t make money, all the money they get is for us, it´s a service.  That´s why we were eating so badly with them.  They were using all the money for themselves! Hermana Hansen always tells us when people ask us for money to say, I have something better to give.  Yes, I have used that!

 

So we have this less active, for years she was less active, and her visiting teacher came up to us, Ï can´t find her baptism date anywhere¨.  The other day when we had a lesson we asked to see pictures and she doesn´t have any.  So now she is an investigator?

 

Its always funny when we take members with us to lessons because they just give our people wasca, or discipline.  It makes it so we don´t have to be the bad cop so it's chill.  

 

Hermana Routsong is probably going to be leaving Mordor soon but it´s ok, she will always have Smegol to be with her! All missionaries get infection in the stomach so nothing to fret about, fret about me swallowing those giant pills!! 

 

Mom I just need those dresses and not even anytime soon. 

Bolivian Chickens

 

You have chickens now . . . you are one step closer to becoming a Bolivian like me!!!

 

Well the other day we were walking home and it was late, it was after consejo de barrio which never starts on time so it sucks.  Someone was washing their car, hermana RS said, ¨Who washes their car at 930 at night?¨ümmmmmm my dad does¨.  dad no one washes their car at night, I actually said you do more at 12 in the morning!! I thought it was funny.

 

So we had one of our golden investigators come to church! Her name is Eveline and she has sooo many questions, I always tell her just to read to find answers.  She prays and asks for a testimony like ours.  Yea she came to church with her two kids . . . and her dog!!! It followed her in.  They close the doors during the sacrament and well it was whining the entire time outside.  Then they opened the doors and well in comes running cliford! It jumped on her lap and she was so ashamed and embarassed that she left.  We tried to go by her house yesterday but she wasn´t home.  We have to try again.  Not only was the dog there but so many kids were running around and the speaker had her baby up with her, it was really hard to feel the spirit.  At least after church we had lessons, Sundays we usually don´t, they are really hard. It was like Dwight´s family on drugs or something.  

 

So i have maybe thought about being a child therapist.  I have decided that experiences on my mission have made me want that more.  Especially with Barinia, she i could see being one of my future cliants.  She has had a lot of awful stuff happen to her.  I just want to help people and children would be hard, but also easier.  Harder for me to hear but easier for me to talk to, I can play baseball with them too! 

 

So today as a zone we went to a beautiful place like 30 minutes away and we had a paint war!!! It was cold though and we got wet but it was a ton of fun! We played with another zone.  WE started out playing capture the flag but it took to long so me and everyone else in jail broke out and stole all the balloons and started the fight.  Everyone´s garments changed colors too.  I hope it comes out hahahaha.  It was a lot of fun! It´s been raining all day and i finally broke out my rain boots! Through this experience i learned that my zone is looked to as being the examples, we have the temple in our zone, the mission presidents house and the offices so that means we have the asistants and the hermana leaders.  I didn´t really realize before that different zones have their own characteristics.  I am glad I will be in this zone for another transfer though! I am sad to see RS leave though.  She was so sick this last weekend.  One day we couldn´t study because we were up all night.  All better now though! Our pension has been our mother.  Her son asked me if I have ever been to conference.  Yes many times.  When we come up and visit you can you take me and translate for me! That made me so excited! I want them to come and then I will be their tour guide in SLC! They are the best.  

 

All is well here.  My training is almost over, thank goodness.  No one told me about this, I don´t like it hahaha.

 

Mom i believe i have two dresses, one purple and the other pale pink in the backof my closet, for my birthday or 4 of july you should send those haha.  I deserve presents on the fourth because its one of my favotire holidays and i am sad to miss it. 

Carnaval

Oh mom I know how you feel.  We spent two days locked in our apartment.  There is only so much you can do!! Yesterday morning we went on a spider hunt and killed maybe 12 spiders in our house.  Then we watched movies in our beds, wrote in our journals, wrote poems, ate and well not much else.  Have you seen previews for the movie the Purge? I kept imagining we were in that preview, although not nearly as bad.  We just kept hearing fireworks go off.  Well we did that for the last couple of days.  We are also going to have conference tomorrow and we have been given the talk to read, Becoming a Consecrated Missionary.  So we have made goals for ourselves to do better and to become more like that.  Oh we also had pancakes for lunch yesterday.  That was good.

The Bishop did it again.  Sunday he took us into his office, ¨This girl wants to be baptized, let's do it Friday¨.  Uhhhhh bishop, still have the same rules as before.  Apparently she has been in seminaries for awhile.  We are meeting with her today to figure out what she knows and get this all situated.  Three baptisms in one transfer maybe and all have just been placed in our laps.

Honestly not much to report.  We´ve also had to be in our houses earlier because of Carnaval.  Apparently Jude Law has been in Oruro for it, we have been tempted a couple times to go and visit him.

We did go to the temple last Tuesday! Finally! It was the best day ever.  I love the temple and it is soooo pretty!

You asked last week if I needed money, dad should be able to see in my card report if I need more or not.  I don´t know.  Aslo can someone send me Madeline Davis´s email, I wanted to send her a letter but then decided that no, that´s too far and too expensive. Transfers are on the 8th or 9th.  We don´t see president a lot but I love him, he is the best! I am so excited to hear from him tomorrow!!

After School Snacks

Familia!!!

GDawg I got your package.  No worries!! and Before I forget next week I am going to be writing Wednesday not Monday!

 

So the other day we helped with a service project.  We were selling Jello shots to little school children.  I don´t think there was alcohol but you never know, they sold quickly.  What child wants jello as an after school snack? Heck I always wanted ice cream and coke. Way better.  We are going back wednesday to help.  

 

So Hna Routsong´s mom watched a documentary on the Cancha.  I don´t suggest that, you can always talk to her about how worried you guys are about us! We always talk about it.  I will send you her number hahaha maybe.  

 

So the other day we were going to a visit.  We got a call from a Natali.  We don´t know a Natali.  She was telling us how we had a visit with her.  We searched our planners for ten minutes.  No Natali! So we tried to find her.  Her house doesn´t exist.  She doesn´t exist.  We called her 15 more times in the next two days.  No Hay Natalie!!! Well i guess we weren´t supposed to be in that street at that time. 

 

The next day we conntacted this man named David.  He lived in Florida for 30 years.  He came back because the economy was bad.  We asked him if he was going to go back, he said, ¨Well duh, I hate it here.  It´s dirty, lawless, and the people are mean.  My house is very american then when I go outside it´s culture shock and I just want to go back inside.¨ We were laughing about that for days, we still are.

 

I went on intercambios! I got to stay in my area and I was happy.  It was with Hermana Webb.  She is from Hurrican.  She is so sweet and it was amazing.  She said that my Spanish is far better than it should be, I am a wonderful teacher, and I have wonderful examples.  Apparently I am just rocking it here. haha, no I wouldn´t have ever said that about myself.  She was just being nice.

 

Barinia was baptized! Oh my gosh everything here is so disorganized.  We started an hour late because the bishop is always late.  But it was good I think, not a baptism like in the states.  Oh also the water heater was broken, poor girl.  Her mom came which is way good.  They don´t have a good relationship.  She actually had a ton of family there, which for a baptizm is a little werird.  Imagine that!! I have never seen her more happy though!! 

 

Yesterday we had missionary day in the church or something! We made a list of people that needed to be visited by the ward.  Then we all went out in companionships and taught for an hour! Yea someone stole my family and I am still a little bummed.  

 

I met a guy today who served in Ogden.  We were talking about Utah.  I miss Utah.

 

All is well here! 

 

I haven´t died nor am I in a Bolivian Prison.  Also GDawg sent her package express, mom maybe yours wasn´t express.  It will come soon.  

 

Hermana Carol Parry

Figs and Dreaming of Italy

 

Family!!!

 

Well I  have done some thinking.  Maybe to get people to stop stealing credit cards they should have thumbprint ones, when you buy something you just give them your thumbprint and the money goes through! Life would be so much easier, just thought of the week.

 

Hermana Routsong and I decided that if we met at BYU we probably wouldn´t have become friends.  Her plans for after the mission are to come back to SA and go backpacking and get dreadlocks.  My plans are to go to a study abroad in London and eat at Zupas and Starbucks.  Hahaha.  We actually laugh about that a lot.  I told her I was in fencing and she looked at me and said, you are too classy for me.  We get along great! 

 

So being in a foreign country makes me really miss our trip to Italy.  I think about it more than I think about my Jeep, haha, which is a lot.  That was a fun trip, next summer we are going to Spain.

 

So I bought some DVDs at the temple store so I don´t need a ton, but the ones you have send them! Also maybe send a flashdrive or two for my pictures.  The ward member has a washing machine and she washes my garments.  I pay her because then they can actually get clean.  We get 30bs for laundry but I still have to pay with my money sometimes.

 

We have a new zone leader! I can´t remember his name, he´s really funny.  He looks like a Latino version of Raymond from Everybody Loves Raymond.  We were laughing so hard in our zone meeting.  

 

We eat fig! A lot of it too.  Oh it is so good! While we are walking we find them, take them off trees and then eat them, a lot.  Hermana Lola has a fig tree and she gives us buckets of them.  We have decided if there is no fig in Utah we aren´t coming back.  Just kidding we miss Zupas too much.  The probably is they make our hands really sticky, so then when we shake people´s hands they are probably thinking, Crazy Gringas! Because that is what everyone thinks here.  People rip us off too.  

 

We were visitng the Colqay family this week and talking about Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy.  We had a member with us and she was giving them wasca, that´s quechua for discipline, for watchinkg soccer on Sundays.  I wasn´t really paying attention, I was actually thinking about you dad.  Then it was my turn to share. I started talking about the importance then I said, I love sundays with my family we do a lot together like watching baseball games. Hermana Routsong almost started laughing in the lesson.  I had no idea until later what the crap was going on.  Whoops.

 

We got to visit Presidente Hansen and the temple this last Saturday! Barinia had an interview with him so then we walked around the temple grounds.  Her baptism is Saturday! She is 15 years old and had enough faith to go with us to a complete strangers house and she tole him everything! More than she had told us, and when we heard the new stuff it broke our hearts.  There wasn´t a doubt in anyones minds that her baptism would be changed, so it is still Saturday.  She even invited the President to it! She invites everyone! It is so amazing.  

 

Alejandra bore her testimony yesterday in church.  Her mom actually came by herself 10 minutes late, we thought she had to work.  So I told Ale to care her testimony and she did.  It was amazing.  She asked me when her baptism could be so after church we all talked.  Blanca supports her decision but we all agree that she is too young to be baptized without her mom being firm in the church.  I know someday she will be! Her and Barinia have become close friends so I am sure she will help her!!

 

All is well here.  Nothing to exciting or crazy.  I might be hunted down by the police because at the bank I had to use Hermana Routsongs id number.  So i might end up in a Bolivian Prison.  That would be fun right!! 

 

Hermana Parry

Budgeting Problems

 

 

FAMILY!!!!

 

I am still alive!! First off Alejandra and Barinia wanted to eat saltanias with us today so they joined us for this pday.  I do not suggest ever doing this.  Plus they like to not have enough money so they always ask us for more.  Yea so no not doing this again.  However, they saw a picture of Sam and Isaac, they are over the moon obsessed.  Sam apparently you are very popular here.  They are really excited to meet you.  

 

Speaking of Saltanias, we ordered some during our weekly planning session and they were delivered right to our door.  Best thing we have ever done, my comp doesn´t want to do it again though since she said she couldn´t focus, oh the troubles of not being able to multitask.  Maybe I will do it again . .

 

I killed five spiders in our house the other day.  Everytime I do something gross or have to eat something gross I just tell myself, Kate Brown survived in the middle of nowhere, I can survive here.  There are probably bigger spider in Vanuatu, which they aren´t that big here, I can´t really complain.  

 

We knocked on this guys door, Edwin and he let us into his house.  It honestly looked like a European house.  It was so pretty.  I would change it just a tad and could live in it.  It didn´t have carpet though, no where has carpet.  That´s ok though because now we can see the spiders.  

 

So the Bishop isn´t a fan of us.  We had a baptism the other day, Jose, and the bishop was 50 minutes late.  Then he asked us why we didn´t start on time.  Well the person being baptized and the person doing it were 50 minutes late.  Then he asked why no one was there, well you announced it.  We don´t know.  Then he got mad because our mission leader had the clothes and we didn´t.  He tests my patience a little, however my goal was to have more patience so maybe he is the reason I am here!!

 

Hermana Routsong said I have horrible handwriting . . . 

 

Our first cambios were yesterday!! Yes I am still with Routsong.  Which is good, not ready to leave her yet.  We decorated our agendas and bought a rollos de queso the size of our desks to celebrate!! Well we bought it Saturday then picked it up hot yesterday! We had fun.  Her good friend is going to Potosi tomorrow so that´s sad.  They won´t see each other for a long time!! I still think I am going to be here in Cochabamba most of my mission.  Mainly because of what Presidente Eyring said.  

 

You don´t have to buy the living scriptures, I can get them at the temple for cheap.  I also bought a new towel, those microfiber ones are choppy.  We got a member to wash our garments today! We had to pay though.  Que choppy.  I would do it for free!! Well all is well in Las Cuadras.  Oh PS, can I get another study journal.  Somewhere down the line, still in my first one but I like them so in awhile I will need another.

 

Hermana Parry

 

PS I will cut up the card and yea just put money in my bank account. We went to the cancha again . . . I bought stuff . . . can´t do that again anytime soon. 

Dreaming in Spanish

 

This last email was miles better than the other one.  I have been thinking about it all week, because I didn´t have enough time to think and respond last time.

 

For our district meeting Hna Routsong and I taught a lesson on Paciencia.  I read the entire story of Job in my morning studies, There is one scripture i love, Job 11:16. our afflictions pass as the waters do.  They can´t stay, it is impossible for them to stay, just as the water can´t stay.  You never step into the same river twice, the water is always changing.  Then i read in DC 121:7-9.  Remember, we are not as Job, we still have people who stand by us and love us.  So as we all might still be going through this little upset, remember that the affliction will pass, and God is with us, and we aren´t as Job, we have each other.  It´s a little late, but still applies.

 

Entonces, our new pensionista is amazing.  This week we had hamburgers, with fry souce and avocados and fries.  We are so happy, however, the family we left is apparetnly struggling, but we didn´t know that so we have to go back to them for dinner.  Only if they don´t serve us meat, we can´t eat a round a meat at 8:00 in the night, and we can´t hurt the feelings of the Claros family and leave them too! They are such a blessing to us, in so many ways.  I told them that when I come back, or if they come and visit, which I think they will, I will buy them Harry Potter 1 because they can´t get it.  The boy who reminds me of Isaac, was so happy! 

 

We had lunch with a member.  Yea never doing that again.  I will send the picture of the food.  Let's just say that mountain was Mordor. We couldn´t eat the rest of the day.  I literally couldn´t finish it.  We felt awful the next day too and only ate lunch.  It was awful.  Honestly if I never eat with a member again I will be the happiest missionary ever.  Which reminds me.  Send me pics people!! I want to see some of Jake when he was in the airport.  People I am not dead.  

 

Hna Routsong recieved a package of See's chocolate.  Oh it was heaven on earth!! The chocolate is so much better in the states.  We also shared it with the Claros family and they loved it too.  

 

Hna Routsong told me that I have taught her that not everyone is perfect.  We all have faults and perfection is a goal, but it is an impossible goal to achieve.  That made me happy! She is my companion for a reason but I am glad to know that I am her companion for a reason too.  

 

Barinia can most likely be baptized in three weeks! She just has to have a special interview with president.  She calls us her angels, it is becasue we are white I know it.  She is learning a lot and I can tell that the gospel means a lot to her.  She is going to the doctor to find out if she really is pregnant today.  She is good friends with Alejandra, our other investigator.  She is helping Ale come to church too.  However, we can´t baptize Ale if her mom is super inactive.  It´s sad.  We do have a baptism this saturday though.  For Josè.  He is the nephew of the Bishop.  He´s the one that the bishop wanted us to baptize that one saturday without any lessions.  Well now he is ready so it´s this saturday.  The bishop just wants baptisms.  He doesn´t really get that we need to make sure people are ready for their baptisms.  He wants us to havwe a service for Barinia this saturday too.  We told him we couldn´t and he kept asking why.  Like five times.  Finally without een telling Barinia the news that she has to talk to president we said that she has to have a special interview and who knows what will happen.  The bishop . . . lets just say I miss Bishop Eyring a lot.  

 

Two weeks ago, I forgot to mention it sooner, I dreamed in Spanish!! It wasn´t all in Spanish, only part, but I think that is pretty awesome.  I am learning a lot.  I don´t have to think in English before I say stuff sometimes.  It can always be better though, so don´t stop praying for me.

 

So this morning I read the story of Joseph in Egypt.  The whole time I was singing the songs in my head.  Oh I love it! Mom, the summer I get back we are going back to Tuachan so see more plays.  Anyways, the chapter when Joseph was in prision said a few times, ¨The Lord was with Joseph¨  The lord blessed the house of Potipher becasue Joseph was there.  The Prison guard like Joseph becuase the lord blessed him.  I love that! The Lord never leaves us in our darkest times.  He is there but stuff happens for a reason.  If Joseph wasn´t sold into Egypt his family would have died in the famine.  No one would have interpreted the Pharohs dream and they wouldn´t have gotten all the food stored.  The Lord has a plan.  There is a plan.  We just have to be patient and follow that plan.  It is hard, Joseph was in prison for two years.  We just have to wait.  Then I was reminded of DC 121 and 122 again when Joseph Smith was in prison.  They were really similar.  And the lord had a plan for both of them.  Patience! It is my ultimate goal on the mission.  

 

Hermana Parry

Today I Played Baseball

 

 

 

I don´t know if i have the right words for this week.

First off, i am surprised it is Monday already! Yáll were right. the time goes by fast.  

We have a new penchinista family and we love them soooooo much.  They are members and just are amazing.  They are a very American family and i honestly feel like i am at home.  The mom has visited the Bountiful temple and she wants to go again.  I said she can stay at our house.  hahahaha.  She has a son, Brandon, who i swear is a latino Isaac.  It makes me actually miss Isaac.  Chiste, i miss you at other times too.  

We were teaching a family, the Baswoldo family and i taught with the spirit, because i said something i have never thought before.  We hold our faith on the inside, it is in our hearts, but when we read, pray and attend church, we put our faith outside our bodies and it has the opportunity to affect others.  Yea and i said it in spanish too.  Don´t know how much she understood, but i tried.  

We teach a young 15 year old girl Barinia.  She told us two days ago that she might be pregnent and her boyfriend is 23 . . . Yea we don´t know what to do right now.  She wants to have a baby and isn´t upset.  We feel like she doesn´t understand her sin.  She wants to be baptized so badly though.  We have a lesson with her tonight to maybe something will happen.  

I am a little worried that when i get home i won´t be as punctual anymore and i won´t care about how i look.  Stuff is different here. yea so i made goals to care.  We wait for hours sometimes.  The people here just talk and talk and talk and talk! I get impatient becuase i can´t understand half of it! I get bored halfway through and then get distracted.  

We have so many good and amazing families here.  They just can´t ever attend church because they have to work! We can only do so much! We have 7 people with baptism dates and we have to change 5 of them becuase they weren´t at church yesterday.  Alejandra also really wants to get baptized but we feel we can´t because her mom is inactive, she said yesterday, why should i walk all the way to church when there is one close that is the exact same.  I have never even heard of that church she talked about . . . 

Wards here are also different, people go in whatever they want, i mean like cameo shorts, and then after they go and buy good at a nearby tienda.  Sundays´are so hard for us, no one is home or they are sleeping.  We just walk around in circles a lot on sundays.  And it is bad beause we always want ice cream.  They other day i had dinosour ice cream.  

I went on exchanges the other day! i can speak in spanish.  to a latina companera.  She is cute, i can´t remember her name though.  Names are hard.  Her entire area is MORDOR! Holy cow, i loved it though, i want it.  I really connected wther her investigator. 

TODAY I PLAYED BASEBALL!!! we had a zone activity and i played catch with a bunch of people.  I liked it.  After i ate my italian gelato.  

Just remember, God has a plan.  We are all in each others lives for some reason.  Because of our faith and devotion, we are given trials that are only there to strengthen us.  We are all on the right paths doing the right things.  There are two paths ahead of us at times, both are good, one might be better, but i know becuase of our faith, both will lead us to where we are supposed to be.  It´s not the same for people here or others withough the church.  I don´t know what it´s like to have some of the trials you guys do or the peeople i am teaching, but i know that one path has a dead end, but we just have to cut down a tree, build a bridge, and find a way to get over it.  It might be a big tree, but we can do it!! 

Hermana Carol Parry