...and a Happy New Year! (Week 8)

Dear Family,

Happy New Year!

How was Christmas? I can't believe the lights and tree are already down, what is this?? You need to celebrate! I'm glad you guys all got to spend a lot of time together and see Nathan, Andrea, and Bailey. And one again, thank you for the pictures :) Are you excited for the new year? or will you guys even be staying up?... Remember that one year we didn't do anything hahaha.  It was so great to see and talk to all of you! I really enjoyed it.  And now back to work! 

Thank you so much for the package! It was perfect! And I even got a stocking to boot :) Really thank you.  I'm going to use everything up!! And thank you everyone for the letters!

We have 2 companionships living in the same house.  Hermana Rodriquez and I and Hermana Gines and Hermana Cardona.  It is great! And I actually like living with all of them, it's fun.  A lot of the time I have no idea what to eat so it's always a fruit and either cereal or toast.  And when we go to someones house to eat, well whatever they feed us! Infact I had cow stomach yesterday! And it was pretty good.... I can't tell if I'm gaining weight or not. I thought I was but the past couple of days my skirts feel really loose which isn't good. Oh well! I'll eat more! I drink a lot of water, and if they have coke or whatever I always choose the other drink that doesn't have caffine, unless it is the only choice.

Progressive Investigators: We don't have any. We had one sweet girl come to church, Lourdes, but she doesn't have a date so she doesn't cound.  To be a Progressive Investigator you have to have a date and go to church.

Lourdes: She is a 10 year old girl, and always loves our visits, she sings, she prays, and she has come to a couple of the activities. (I think she really likes me because she always sits near me and when we were walking to the church she grabbed my hand, she is so sweet) We are really hoping to get her parents and family invloved.

Carlos: Carlos talks so fast! And is great! But... he won't come to church and he wants to finish ´celebrating' aka drinking before he gets baptized.

Susana. We found her just yesterday and she is great too! Ah we showed her a 20 minute video of the Restauración that she wanted to see the whole one, so we found it for her on lds.org.  But.... She doesn't want to be baptized.

Mariela, Mauricio, German. We are trying to work with. It seems like none of our investigators want to come to church!

Carlos, German, and Mariela all have dates for baptism, and we are working on the rest.

Mama: and I finally found my shoe polish ha so I can polish my shoes now too! ( But I am grateful for you and dad because you packed it all and I would never have been able to do it without you.)

Dad: Ah thank you for sharing your spiritual thoughts. And continue to update me with Orem and BYU :)

Love you all so much!!! 

Love,

Hermana Louder

I was going to send pictures, but it is not working, so next time!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!! (Week 7)

Hello!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!

Ah family I love you so much.  I am here in Uruguay and it is so weird but I love it! I can't believe it! And I love you all so much!!! THANK YOU FOR THE PACKAGE!!!! I was told the very first day when I got here that there was a package but I didn't get it until yesterday at christmas concert and I held it on my lap the whole time! I didn't want to let it go ha.  BUT I'm saving it to open it on the 25th! :) Though I'm sure I'll love whatever is inside, I'm just so happy you sent me one because we had talked before and said that you didn't have to! THANK YOU. I LOVE YOU. Oh and thank you so much for all the pictures and emails from everyone!! I opened my email and saw 35! WOW. Ha I am so so so grateful.

Well to start out we got here and Presidente and Hermana Newsome were at the airport waiting for us all and we took a picture, which by the way he said he would send an email with the photos, would you send that to me! I want to see and read! And we got our companions.  It's cute cause we all go outside the temple and they come behind us singing called to serve and then we all turn around.  My companion is Hermana Rodriguez, she is from Chile Viña del Mar.  She is 22, and she has been out for 9 months.  This is her 4th time training.  I'm so excited! Already she is so humble and a hard worker.  She is very obedient, which is what we want! We are trying to be exactly obedient.

Christmas:: We are going to a members house at 5:30 to eat and call, and we can stay there until 10:30 and we can stay up until 12 to watch fireworks and open presents.

The days are hot and there are lots of mosquitos.  I seem to get bit a lot and they itch like crazy! But a good thing is is that I'm going to have sweet tanlines ha. We are in area Pando "B" and live with another companionship.  They say our house is the second best......

I'm really working on sharing my testimony and following every prompting I get.  Like two days ago I ran after a guy on crutches to share the gospel with him.  Sometimes it is so scary and to say what ever I feel or what the Spirit is prompting me, but as we do we will receive more promptings.

Already we have gone to the branch Christmas party, and we've had lunch with a member every day. ( here we don't really eat dinner cause we are not close to the house and because we are so full from lunch).  It's kinda funny though because you guys know how much I dislike tomatoes.  Well at the lunches with the salads there are tomatoes and well... I have to eat them! Ah, maybe I'll like them by the time I get home.

Today I read the Saviors birth in Luke 2, and I also went over Luke 1 a little and in Spnish in 1:28 it says El Señor es contingo" and there are two verbs for be estar and ser but in the scripture ser is used meaning the Spirit is always with her, pretty interesting. and then in 1:38 and Mary.  She submitted to the Fathers will and I am trying to do the same.

I know the church is true, with all my heart.  I know that my Redeemer lives! And I love him so much.  I know He atoned for each and every one of us, and because of this we are able to return to live with him and Heavenly Father.  I know Heavenly Father knows and loves each of us. I know the Book of Mormon is true, and I enjoy reading and learning from it so much.  I know Joseph Smith was a prophet and that through him the church was restored, that He really did see God the Father and Christ.  I know we have a living prophet who leads and guides us today, President Thomas S. Monson.  I know that Heavenly Father answers our prayers.  He is always here listening and hopeing and waiting for us.  Pray to him.

I love you all so much, and can't wait to talk to you :) You guys are the best! The best family I could ever have, I hope you know that, I love you so so so so much.

Love, 

Hermana Louder

Hermana Rodriguez and I

 Katelyn with the package we sent

Katelyn and Hermana Rodriguez

The mosquito bites itch so bad!

Katelyn and Hermana Rodriguez

Departure (Week 6)

Hey Family!!

I depart tomorrow for Uruguay! I leave the CCM at 4AM and my flight leaves at 6:50.  My flight is only 30minutes so I will be there pretty quickly.  I can't believe it is already here and leaving, it feels at times like we just left each other.  I can't wait to talk to you on Christmas :) Love you lots!

Love,

Hermana Louder

Week 5

¡Hola Familia!

 

Ah Thankgiving sounds and looked so fun!! Oh and first off, Happy 1st Birthday Bailey!! I thought about her all day! And also thank you so much for all the pictures!!!! I love them!! I can't wait to hear all about your parties and the MOTAB concert! Wooooooot! My photo album broke this week.. so now the pictures are seperate from the cover but that's ok, cause the pictures are still protected, I don't think I'll want any stamps but I'm not sure. Ah I just realized today is my last time going through the temple probably for a while. It'll be sad but today will be good.

 

I received my first letters in the CCM after we emailed! I got one from Nathan and Andrea, and I received one from Sister Guymon, and I loved them! Thank you so much! (Please tell Sister Guymon thank you, I showed my companion and she's like, she's a really good visiting teacher, still visiting after you've left, and it's 100% true!) And thank you Nathan and Andrea, even though your other letter got returned, I got this one :)

 

I leave the CCM ON TUESDAY!!! THE 17TH!! I can't believe it is here.  I think I leave in the morning, but I could be very wrong, and I think I get to email one more time on Monday, but we'll see, that'll probably be very a short email. And can I just say, I have the best family and support! Truely, ah you are all so amazing and I'm grateful for each and every single one of you!

 

This week for us is all just a huge review, we still have classes but we aren't learning anything new, just going over everything, and still teaching our progressive investigators.  It'll be sad for when our district all leaves, because half are going to Uruguay and half are going to Paraguay. We have grown really close together, but we still get off topic ha, BUT we have definitely made improvement.

 

We went proselyting again on Saturday and it was good.  So crazy.  We're at this door and no one is coming, and a door opens a little farther down the street so we go to the girl and we give her a book of mormon and are just teaching her and everything we say she´s like I believe it yes I'´ll read and pray.  And when we finished me and my companion looked at each other and we were like, what just happened. Tender mercies of the Lord that´s what!! And another we were at at house and talking to a 16 year old and her little siblings and we gave her a Book of Mormon, and she said she read, and we leave and me and Hermana Lindsay look at each other and book say, we didn't get her reference! We go to the next house and the person isn't interested and the 16 year old girl calls us back over and asks if we want a cold drink and we look at each other and we´re like of course! and so it's a win win for us and her.  We get a drink AND her reference, and she gets the missionaries ;) and gets to serve us! It was perfect! Let me say it one more time, TENDER MERCIES OF THE LORD! Look for them in your lives every day.

 

We had an English fast yesterday and it was so hard! The only things we can do are teach the gospel and talk about the gospel and argue, but I guess that's good cause we can argue. Think about it!

All chocolate lovers read this: There is a delicious treat here in Argentina and it will be in Uruguay WOOT! and they are called Alfajores or an alfajor.  It is like an oreo. There is a cookie and then some sort of filling, usually dule de leche (carmel) and then another cookie (and there can be acouple layers) and  then it is all cover in chocolate.  It is so good! Research them, and you will want one.

 

Siblings! ha sorry I'm running out of time I Love you! and I am always so excited when I receive emails from you, though I may not always reply know that I love yo uand am so grateful and know I'm thinking about you!! :) :)

 

LOVE YOU!!!!!!

 

Love,

Hermana Louder

FAM BAM! (Week 4)

Dear Family, :)

 

How was Thanksgiving? It sounds like it was spent well, I hope you ate lots of food for me. And Emily, how was your birthday?! I hope everything was great! And I'm sure it was!

 

Another week has flown by, can you believe it? I have one more p-day after this in the CCM (MTC) and then I leave on December 17.  Does it really feel like I have been gone just about a month?? It doesn't, though I do miss you all (family, friends, and all who read this) a lot.  One quick thing, I'm not sure I want or need this but to do pouch mail I have to have american stamps cause they send it out of Salt Lake City, but maybe once I get to Uruguay I will just use their mail system cause I'm not sure I like the pouch mail yet. I'm a little skeptic.

 

I read a another wonderful General Conference talk that you should all try tö read, "Bind Up Their Wounds" by President Eyring. Every morning I am reading the Book of Mormon aloud in Spanish, one of the Latinas told me that they were given a promise that if they read the Book of Mormon in English they would be able to learn English easier and I'm trying the opposite, I know God will help me as I try to do this.  We talk a lot in English in our classes, but wejust want to learn Spanish so much that Hermana Lindsay and I are trying not to talk too much.

 

Saturdya we went proselything again and although it wasn't as "successsful" it was still great.  We talked to three amazing people, people who had already talked to the missionaries so we either gave them a Book of Mormon or re-testified of the things the other missionaries had said, I think they needed to hear from the missionaires again as a reassurance of what they should do.

 

"Pray like everything depens on God, work like everything depends on you." We all need to be working hard and pouring our souls out to God, and as it says in the quote, everything else depends on you.  When we work our hardest and turn to the Lord, after we have tried then He is able to help us.  I know this is true because I have witnessed and had this happen to me countless times.

 

It was fast Sunday this past week and honestly it was great! I REALLY missed having breakfast with you all that deliciousnes homemade and everything ahhhh and say family prayer, but it was still great.  I bore my testimony.  I know that from the moment I was set apart and left you and went through security until now, I have been able to see the Lords hand in my life, E V E R Y  D A Y. Think about it.  I know only have 17 more fast Sundays.... weird. We had a super super good lesson from an FBI sort of agent, President Echols and so ya heres what he taught us: "There is a direct correlation between success in the mission and success in life AFTER the mission. The same is true of failure." Give 100% of your whole will.  Submit 100% to the Lord.  We can always WORK HARDER. Serve a mission with NO REGRETS. Ah it was as superb lesson.

 

We had another rain/windstorm and the lights went out. (How someone really knows they're not in the U.S., the lights go out, a lot. jajaja) And so we had another great little district thing. 

 

I miss you all so much, but I also love the mission, so much! I LOVE YOU. Oh send me pictures of you guys, and of snow! and of whatever really!

 

Love,

Hermana Louder

 

Our district with our teacher who is leaving us.

 

Hermana Lindsay and I.

All the North American Hermanas (it's not a very good photo)

Me with the sign ha

 

Week 3

Dear Family,

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!! Wow, I can't believe we are having our first holiday away from each other! Have fun with the Burrs, that will be so fun to get to see the whole family again!

 

Well not too much happened this week really, compared to last week. But I'll tell you everything that did happen!

 

Saturday:

Ok, this was actually pretty big, we went proselyting!! Can you believe it?! We go every Saturday from now on in the CCM. We were the only group that went out. So a bus picked us up and we drove about maybe 30 minutes out and the bus dropped us off and we each had a map of where we were supposed to go.  So Hermana Lindsay and I started off. We had knocked (or clapped or rang a doorbell) for a while and we came to the next house and the lady comes outside and we talk to her for about 30 minutes.  We teach her and we give her a Book of Mormon and get her refrence. It was pretty cool, and it was cute, like everyother sentence she would say "entiendo", understand? Ha and every time we would be like "mas o menos" and keep talking.  We ate our sack lunch and kept going.  Later in the day we had been walking around for a long time and nobody really wanted to listen (we were out from 12:30-5) and so I had a pray in my heart not to get discourage, just keep going and stay positive.  Well the next door it's this girl, maybe a little older than me.  And she just peeks through the windows and asks who it is and we say the missionaries and she opens the door and comes out and talks to us!! And turns out she has a friend who is mormon, and we end up giving her a Book of Mormon to read too! Now it's like 4:30 and we decided to knock on one more door and this lady comes out and says she'll listen cause she listens to lots of different churchs, and we give her a Book of Mormon, and she says she'll read it and we will discuss it next week!

 

Sunday:

Sundays are always really good.  I forgot to tell you, but I gave my first Spanish talk the second week I was here. When they choose who will be giving talks they tell you during sacrament meeting so everyone writes a talk, or just gives it on the spot.  And also on Sundays they are just really good because I get to learn a lot about the gospel, this week we really focused on the Patriarchal Priesthood (you can teach everyone about it Dad :) ). So that was neat to learn about that. 

 

The rest of the week was pretty much the same from every other week.

 

I do want to share a part of a General Conference talk that me and Hermana Lindsay read together, from the Priesthood Session by President Uchtdorf, "You Can Do It Now!" Everyone should read it!

"When our attention is mainly focused on our daily successes or failures, we may lose our way, wander, and fall. Keeping our sights on higher goals will help us become better sons daughters and brothers and sisters, kinder fathers and mothers, and more loving husbands and wives. Even those who set there hearts upon divine goals may still occasionally stumble, but they will not be defeated. They trust and rely upon the promises of God. They will rise up again with a bright hope in a righteous God and the inspiring vision of a great future. They know they can do it now...We acknowledge that your path will at times be difficult. But I give you this promise in the name of the Lord: rise up and follow in the footsteps of our Redeemer and Savior, and one day you will look back and be filled with eternal gratitude that you chose to trust the Atonement and its power to lift you up and give you strength."

 

Ah so good!! We should all focuse on divine goals, yes it will be hard but it will truly bless us.  Turn toward the Savior for help, He Atoned for each of us, now we need to accept it!

 

Sorry I keep forgetting to tell you about Hermana Lindsay. She is from Meridian Idaho. And is 21. She was attending BYU Idaho and has been for two years. She is great.

 

I love you, and hope you have a great Thanksgiving Day! (Thanks for eating it with me before I left!!!!)

 

Love,

Hermana Louder

 

HOLA!!!! (Week 2)

Dear Family,

This week has been great and gone by so fast. I cant believe P-day is here again! I'm letting you know that I wrote part of this out the night before because last p-day the email was huge and I didn't have time to write anyone else ha! Also I don't have time to read emails so we print them off and I will get them later in the day, and answer the questions next week.

I can't believe I forgot to tell you what was going to happen this past Saturday, it was amazing!!! SO this past Saturday and Sunday I had the opportunity to listen and meet, ELDER HOLLAND! On Saturday we got to leave the CCM and everyone from the north, east, south, and west Buenos Aires Missions came too, we met in a chapel. We listened to other general authorities and then Sister Holland and then Elder Holland.  She talked on her and Elder Hollands scripture, D&C 88:63-68. We need to do the work in the way He wants us to, and keep your eye single to God´s Glory.  Then Elder Holland and pretty much summarizing/ almost exact quotes ha "You are not free to damage this image (missionary) in the church." Be true to it today, tomorrow, and forever. This is Real Life! This is the closest you will come to Real Life. You are appastolic right now. Us as missionaries and general authories: we are tyring to figure out how to save a life.  You are never ever to forget what you felt and what you learned here.  This will be engraved in your sould forever.  It was so funny, he was like I´m just going to say what we´re all thinking "who could walk away from being an apostle" Don´t loose that witness.  Savor every minute of this, it was meant for you personally. D&C 88:33 if you refuse the gift, you reject the giver.  If you ever walk away, if you ever reject his amazing gift of the mission, you reject the giver of the mission.  We need to have true, genuine, deep conversion.  We all need to solve our own problems.  "We care more about what you are, than to tell you what you should do.  I need to be what I am suppose to be. A deeply converted person!

Why is it called "Preach My Gospel"? Three carefully chosen words. Open your mouth and always teache. Gospel-teach and preach what saves.  Nothing short of the gospel can save.  We're going to save every sould. God: "My Gospe¨!" I am only interested in Gods Gospe, His truth.  If you have one ouce of integrity you can be converted! Then he said something like "It´s the most tedious thing if I have to work with a missionary who says I want it my way, the burger king theme, because you can´t have it your way! D&C 50:13-22 22: win win, teacher and taught receiver and edified and rejoice. vs 25 do what he wants, you will chase darkeness away. 28 we can't chase other darkness away if it's in uus.27 I am a possessor of all thisgs righteous. Claim your blessings! We all live beneath our privilege. just read all of D&C 50 I can't touch on everything he said but it was so great! Every mission was hard because Salvation is not eassy. Take up your cross, embrace the atonement.  Take all the mission. You will see great blessings, because you´ll be close to him, what he edid.  It wiill make you more Christ like. Remeber what you are, not what you sawy.  Do it his way, because you believe it, and NOTHING can take that away.

Sorry it's all really choppy, pieces from my journal but they are are really good points, and then on Sunday he came to the CCM (MTC) and talked to us and then we all got to shake is hand!! and literally I imagined that it will be like meeting the Savior, He will greet me with open arms and love.  I can´t wait for that day.

In personal studay I was reading Moroni 8:2-3 and I felt like you guys could have been saying this to me.  You are always there in my heart and praying for me and in my prayers.  Ah random, but sorry I forgot, I will send pictures next week!

Everyone left the CCM excpet for my district and we got mcdonalds ha and all the new missionaries come today so it should be fun.  On tuesday night the lights went out so my district went down stairs and we had like a testimony meeting and all shared why we are out. Then Elder Webber told us something he heard, it's great to know why you came out, but it is better to know why you stayed/ are staying out.

Sorry this is crazy, I LOVE YOU GUYS and I'm always praying for you. I'll try to be more spiritual ha! Love you love you love you!

¨"Some of the best angels that God has put on this earth are missionaries mothers and fathers."

Love,
Hermana Louder

I Love You and Miss You!! (Week 1)

Hola Familia!!!!

 

Wow.  Everything is just wow.  Thank you so much for all the emails ah I opened mine and everyone saw and was like wow, you got a lot! Ha I have lots of love and support coming my way and I really appreciate it.

 

I'll just start out with going through security so I went through and the lady was like come here we need to have a talk, and of course I had just said goodbye to you so I'm about to break down again and she says that I can only have quart size bag of liquids and I had a quart so right there I have to seprate all my things into what I really need.  As I'm doing this a guy came over and was like I'll take here liquids, I don't have any.  Tender mercy of the Lord right?! Well I keep seperating and she says that I don't have to count my eye supplies because it´s medical and what not, and in the end almost all of it fits in the quart size (even though it wasn´t zipped) so she threw away like one finer nail polish and 2 or 3 germ x's ah but from there it went well.  I went to where my flight was and right when I got there they said if you have carry ons bring them over here so I did and it's like they put it with my other suitcases cause they came all the way to Argentina and I didn't have to worry about them! I met up with Elder Webber and then I saw another Hermana and I asked her if she was going to the MTC and she said yes! So we all just stuck together.  I saw by the Elder on the plane not near Hermana Lindsay and then we when we landed in Dallas we went to our place and it was perfecft timing we only had to wait maybe 20 minutes.  At the airport we met up with 4 other Elders. So on the flight, SO LONG, but it was fine.  I sat by myself really and they had a pillow and a blanket and good thing cause I was freezing the whole time, I almost put on my coat.  And we got dinner and lunch on the plane.  It was really hard to sleep on the plane but I think I got about 5 hours? So pretty good. We all got off the plane and went through customs, good thing I wrote the mission home address cause they wanted that.  And we got our luggae, and everything was there!! Whew, a little nervous about that.  And we walked out when through security and there was a taxi guy waiting for us when we got out. 

 

FIRST DAY: We got to the MTC and gave them our immunizations got out TAGS!!!! Ah I love it. Hermana Louder ahhh... and my companion is Hermana Lindsay! Our district (named Amulek) it pretty much everyone we flew with and some others that wern't on our flight.  Had an interview with President Openshaw right when we got there and shared how I decided to serve a mission, and of course, I cried. President Openshaw says that we are an un usually strong group. The very first day we had an investigator but in English and it was a really cool experience.

 

Second day: We had classes today . I've got a lot of work to do, humble myself, come to Christ. He will help me.

 

Third day: The days are going by faster. That day we taught our investigator for the first time, Alejandor (he is our teacher).  It was alright... We are continuning to learn how to pray and bear testimony! It can be so hard to remember everything.  I gave the room pray in Spanish that night and all the Latinas were like muy bien! Oh and I tried and alfajore today and it was delicious!

 

Fourth day: Personal revelations was the topic for Sacrament meeting. I already can't remember what I learned in the meeting from Presidente y Hermana Openshaw but I know it was really good! We need to have the Spirit, and we need personal revelation.  I need it so that I am able to teach investigators and to know what do do, to follow the Spirit.  We got our district leader and we each had an interview with him, and he said the closing prayer and he truly is called of God.  In my morning prayers I had prayed that I could really learn the language.  And in the prayer he said "to be at peace, learn Spanish, and be happy with the progress she is making" or something like that. We had relief society with Hermana Openshaw and the North Americans, it was so amazing. We started reading Mosiah 4, how we should use prayer and not make it a habit to say the same things over and over again but to be sincer.  So we started reading the chapter and in verse 2 and 3 I had the impression to share part of my farewell talk about the Savior forgiving me with.  HE IS ALWAYS THERE, always.  Waiting for us to come unto him. The sunday classes were also very good, I learned that we need to prepare or we won't be able to teach.  Like trying to find someone follow the scripture in D&C where you 1 study it out-think 2 make a decision and 3 ask if it be right, bosom will burn, or wrong stupor of thought.  Sunday nights and Wednesday nights we also have firesides with President Openshaw and it is so cool!! You literally ask any question, and he uses the scriptures to answer.

 

Today we went to the temple and it was so amazing and I did it all in Spanish and it was so amazing I miss going to the temple so much.

 

The rest of the days I haven't written in my journal yet..... I'm still working on writing every day, it is so hard, and we have no time! So I´ll just write all the things that are coming to my mind right now!:

 

Spanish: It is so hard! But it is coming along.  Everyone I talk to tells me my Spanish is really good for North Americans and I catch on fast.  Like in Argentina and Uruguay they have an accent of sort when you say like yo your me llamo, it sounds like sho or me shamo I like it haha.  I have learned how to pray and testify, and am learning how to teach.  It's great.

 

Food: The portions are HUGE!! I have yet to finish a meal.  And in every meal I try to eat a fruit and or salad because there is always potatoes and meat.

 

Things I might want: My scriputre book marks! From personal progress, I might want them....

 

Hermana Lindsay: We have a lot in common, and we both kinda a like to be in charge, so it's a little hard but I love her! She is teaching me a lot.

 

Las Hermanas: I love them all!! All the north americans are great and we are always with them it seems.  And las latinas and the ones in our room!! I love them! and they love me ;)  They are really helping me to learn spanish and it is so funny, because I am always acting for them.  Ah it's great.  I had a random thought that they might now High School Muscial so I brought it up and was signing and dancing for them and they were laughing so hard and singing along with me! They love is.  Just all the sisters and people here are great.

 

Exercise: We exersice every day, which is nice, but it's in the middle of the day so that's not good.

 

Thank you for the emails! EVERYON, I cried when I read them.  I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!

 

Love,

Hermana Louder

Day 1

This is Katelyn's sister, Emily. I'll be posting weekly emails to the blog and updating her facebook account, so let me know if you have any questions!

 We said goodbye to Sister Louder at the airport yesterday! Her flight was delayed about 30 minutes, so she left Salt Lake around 2:30 yesterday. We got an email from her this morning saying she arrived in Argentina safely! Thank you for all of the thoughts and prayers you have been sending our way. We're grateful to know that Katelyn is so loved.

Saying Goodbye

Katelyn will be leaving for the MTC on Wednesday, and while we are beyond excited, this might be our toughest missionary to send out. I know for me it will be. A year ago, I couldn't imagine Katelyn on a mission. But she has grown immensely in the past year. Katelyn is going to be an incredible missionary and I can't wait to hear about her experiences in Uruguay!