August

Sooooo, I was thinking about coming home a little early from my mission, in July, to get home in time to start classes at WSU. Buuuuuuuuut, I found out that classes start a little later than I thought. So, I will be staying until the end of August here in Bolivia. But I feel really good about my decision. I only have 18 months to serve The Lord as a full time missionary, and I want to make the most of it!

This week we started teaching D. and L.. They are not members of the church, but their son is, and he is preparing to serve a full time mission. They support him, and have been to church a lot with him throughout the years. They expressed to us this week that they know the church is true, and have desires to be baptized. The only thing that keeps them from taking the step is their work, because they have to travel a lot. They don`t want to join the church, and then not be able to go every Sunday because of their work. But they are really great, and we are going to try to work with them a lot to take this step.

Also, my companion comes from a family where not everyone is a member. A few of her brothers and sisters (she has 9) are members, but her parents are not. But, since she has been in the mission, her family has been going to church, including her dad! And she received news this week that he wants to be baptized. It really is a huge miracle for her!

I know that this church is true, and I know the The Lord can do miracles for us when we are obedient to His commandments. I have really seen miracles from being in the mission, here in Bolivia , and also in my own home. I feel truly blessed.

I hope everyone has a great week!

Moroni that is at the top of the Temples all point the direction to the Salt Lake Temple.

Cool looking bug.

You have to kiss a few gorillas before you find the right one!!! lol

I Am Bald!

Way to get lips without the fad! haha!

I don`t know what it is, if it`s the water, or the electric shower heads, or what, but all of my hair is falling out. I`ve talked to a lot of other sister missionaries about it, and it seems to be pretty common among the North American sisters. Our hair just falls out all over the place. And, I didn`t really have thick hair to begin with. I will be lucky if I make it home with more than 5 strands of hair.

This week was transfers, and my companion and I are staying together. This will be the longest I`ve been with the same companion. but it is fine, because we get along really well. She is super funny and we laugh all the time.

We have been teaching a family for a long time here, and the dad is a member, but the mom is not. And they are not married because the dad was never divorced from his first wife, so the mom cannot get baptized. But, they have been working on getting everything worked out so they can get married and she can get baptized. They went to a lawyer this week, and said they could probably get everything worked out within 2 months. Which is REALLY exciting, because they were thinking it would be a lot longer.

This sister has more desires to be baptized than anyone I have ever met. She knows the church is true. She goes to every activity, and wants her children to grow up in the Gospel. I feel so blessed to know her, and see someone truly prepared to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Being on a mission really is beautiful. I feel like time is going by so fast. I really love the people I have met here in Bolivia.

I hope everyone has a great week!

Beautiful mural in Cochabamba!

Whoops

Last week I didn`t have time to write about anything. I am sorry! I know my blog is super internet famous by now, and all. So I know it really was a world wide let down not to hear from me last Monday.

Okay, last week was General Conference, and it was great, as usual. I love General Conference so much, but it goes by so fast! The conference talked a LOT about marriage and families. So, get all your return missionary sons/cousins/nephews/neighbors ready to take me on dates here in a few months. Gotta put the counsels of God into practice, ya feel me?

On Sunday it was Day of the Pedestrian, and no one was allowed to drive their cars. So, in the morning before the conference, we went to a park and handed out free drinks and showed a video from the church. We talked to a ton of people and invited them to the conference. It was really cool!

This week we have also been working really hard to find new people to teach. Right now, in our area, there are not a lot of people progressing. Like, people will listen to us, but don`t want to go to church with us or read the Book of Mormon or anything. SO, we have been talking to a lot of people. The more people we talk to, the better the chances are of us finding someone who is prepared to hear the gospel.

Gifts made it for Easter!

OH!!!!! I almost forgot to share a really cool story! Last Monday, when my companion and I got home, she was walking toward the bathroom, and came back running and said she heard noises in the bathroom. I went to check it out, expecting a person or a ghost or something, I dunno. And I looked in the bathroom and... THERE WAS A RAT IN OUR TOILET!!!!!! Like, in the toilet bowl! Haha. So, being the brave sister missionaries that we are... we called Hermano Flores to come kill it. :)

I hope everyone is doing well!