HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Dear Family,

Wait primero,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA BURR!!!!!! :) I hope the family dinner was as good as ever and I love your pictur! Hope you have a wonderful day. Love you! 

YEAH!!! I loved seeing you all, wow you look sooooo great! I love you!! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and with lots of parties going on, and now with new years! and there is even snow! It looks so pretty!

Changes. I will be changed to Salinas B the zone la costa and I will be companions with someone from Hermana Tejadas group, Hermana Dowdle (?), she just finshed her training, so it will be super fun!

I have loved this past six months here in Melo.  Don't get me wrong or anything, it was super hard, like really hard.  But I love this place, I love the people. Although I probabaly won't miss the heat, this is the hottest place in our mission for summer so I'm glad to be going for that ha, but I will miss it, and my amazing companion. Hermana Tejada came pre trained, she is so obedient, and already an experienced missionary, she taught me soo much

So Christmas was great and Christmas eve.  I already told you guys over the phone so I don't feel like there is too much to say now... haha but things are going great and I can't believe it, once again time is flying.

Thank you for everything! I love you all so much, and truly am so grateful for you. You are the best!!!

Love,

Hermana Louder

FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!!

Dear Family,

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! I'm so excited to talk to you this thursday! Let me know at what time also! And thank you for the packages!! I was so surprised, but I love it and you'll be able to see the shirt through skype :)

Well this week was actually pretty fun ha.  Last p-day we played soccer and I feel in this hole that is around the cancha... Oh and I forgot to tell you guys, I talked last week in church about missionary work :)

Then that night we had a FHE with bishop and he basically had us to do it and tell the story and the profecys of the birth of Jesus Christ.

We had the mission christmas conference and every zone sang and they told us not to do anything funny, although some did and President laughed haha but our song was far far away on judeas plain?.. and it sounded super good!! if I do say so myself.  They gave everyone little gifts with the Liahonas and a pin of the tree of life, that is huge here the tree of life, everyone has neckalces of it. and some treats. And on the bus ride home I got the packages!! Thank you so much, I love them! and really just what I needed!

And then we also had our ward Christmas party where we went to a place called el posta de chuy and it was like a historical site and we played soccer and ate and had like a devocional and it ended up being really good and we had an investigator there Silver ( well antiguo).

Things are going good here and I love it, but most of all I love serving my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  I am so grateful for this time to help us remember his birth and that each and every one of us can accept him.  I know he lives. I know he atoned a perfect atonement. I know that he loves each and everyone of us and that he will forgive us of our sins if we only accept him. I love you all, and hope you have a very merry chirstmas! See you soon :)

Love,

Hermana Louder

FHE!

Love You!

Dear Family,

Thank you for the pictures! It looks like your trip was great! And you were able to celebrate Bailey's birthday, and be there for Matthews baby blessing! Ah and I love hearing about all that is happening and Christmas, is there snow yet? Be careful driving!

Well the Christmas as you all know from last year, is a little different hear.  It's SO HOT!! But it's good! I don't know if you guys saw the video but we are sharing that with everyone, and the pass along cards from the church just got here so we have been handing them out.

So we have some plans as a zone to do certain things, and this week we were tyring to focus on re-finding those that are chosen, so we'd look through our carpeta de area every night and find people that we could go visit. So we went and found this antiguo and his name is L, before when the missionaries were visiting him he was drinking but he stopped drinking and it's been a year! He talks a ton!! But it really was a miracle and shows that has we follow our leaders counsel that we will receive blessings. We have only seen him once, but we have another appointment with him.

This week C came to church! Hahahah we had dropped him for a bit... but I think we will be trying to talk to him again and teach him all of the lessons.

And we had interviews with president this week and it was great! I always love talking to him and he was just talking and talking and at the end it was so funny! He was like I've babyled on too much, my wife always tells me oh babylon oh babylon we bid thee farewell! Ha and he really helped me to feel good, even though our area isn't having that much success he was telling me that the Lord is pleased.. it was just what I needed.  And we also in the conference talked about three things. Obedience, the Book of Mormon, and Faith, and it actually was super good! The give us talks to read acouple weeks in advance and then we talk about it and they teach us! Ah also in my interview he was like so how long have you been in Melo, and I was like almost 6 months, oh well then you will be getting changed here soon...

This wedensday we have the christmas mission party! And then also we have a ward party on Saturday but it is all day and not here, so we will see who knows... maybe we will be going later.

Our investigators are doing pretty good, we are just trying to have as much contact as we can, but now CE is avoiding us and moved and I think he blocked our number, but we didn't do anything! Ah I don't know what to do, but we are trying to find those that are ready and prepared.

I love you so much! Enjoy all the parties and cold weather! You are always in my prayers, and am so grateful for every single one of you. You are the best!!

Love,

Hermana Louder

Dear Family,

Well this week was pretty good! All the weeks are good though, always something new to learn.  How was your week?! Just so you know mom, I am asking and looking for a nativity set!!!

So I don't know if you guys have heard about this but it is huge and world wide and all the missionaries are involved in it for Christmas.  ¨Él es la dádiva¨ or he is the gift and we are inviting everyone to see this video and visit the sites, it´s an awesome video and you all need to watch it christmas.mormon.orgChrist really is the true reason why we celebrate Christmas and I know that He is my Savior.

Thank you for the emails everyone! And get ready for... the Christmas day call!! jajaja so I will need the imformation or will it be the same as the other times? Just let me know! And I will let you know more details when I know! We will be having a mission Christmas celebration on the 17th next week, and so we will be going to Montevideo again! And we have a ward Christmas party on the 20th! Wooohooo!!! Be sure to send me pictures of everything!! The snow Christmas day, the tree and presents and everything!

Wow the weeks are going by so fast and I know that none of you want to say it but I have 13 months now. Weird.  Ah it's all going by way way way to fast but there is just so so so much work to do! My work is not done here!

This past week was hard but good, we are just working as hard as we can to help everyone.  And we are inviting everyone to look up the video el es la dadiva which I think has had a great impact, there are a lot more people that are listening.  

This week we also had an interchange and choque de fuerza which is when other missionaries come into our area and work to find miracles and help us.  So wow! That was really good and we have so many good investigators.  

On Sunday ah it was just filled will all of my friends, not only members and are 3 firm recent converts, but also 4 investigators, CE P A and M, but also so many less actives that we are finding!!! And all of them were saying that they are going to come next week.

So we had to drop C, he was progressing anymore and was just so focused on comparing the bible and if he really needed a third baptism, that he never really prayed to know about the church of Jesus Christ. But hopefully with time it will come.

CE is trying to stop smoking and only smoked one yesterday but it is super hard to find him because he is working a lot right now because in the months to come he won't have work.

Paula is the helper of a less active that is in a wheel chair but still isn't too interested... but T LA bore her testimony and P was crying.

Anothony is a little boy and wow he has so much energy he actually asked us if he could visit the web page for Christmas and it will be interesting to see what happens....

M the other hermanas found him in our area when they did the choque de fuerza and he is super funny! He came to church and works en campañas but he said he will come back to chat and that he is pretty interested.

That is about everything that is happening but here are some pictures! The four of us after church! Our convert on the far left received the Melchizedek Priesthood! Me and ice cream jajaja 

I can't remember if I have it or not, but could you send me a scan of my mission call?

Thank you so much for all the you do! I love you all so much and really, am so blessed to have the best family!!

Love,

Hermana Louder

DICIEMBRE!!!! What?

Dear Family,

Can you all believe it is December?! How was Thanksgiving and the party?! Thank you for the letters and píctures!!! I love them, everyone looks them same.. but older! And it sounds like everything was great! And yeah!!! That is so good to hear that you have finished reading the Book of Mormon as a family and are going to start again!

Wow where to start... well this week has been a little rought.  As we started out the week we were not making any of our metas or anything and we felt pretty down. I remember thinking oh no, this isn't good, I gotta keep being happy so that she (my companion) can enjoy the mission.  So I was thinking to myself what I could change or what I could do better, praying and then after I just sat there in bed  thinking because I couldn't sleep.  As I sat there I had some impressions come to mind, that I needed to focus less on the numbers but more on the people, and teach people and not lessons.  I mean they are obvious things but sometimes I just get in the habit of teaching.. So the next day I was really praying for charity and to talk with the people getting to know them and not just teaching a lesson, and it went so much better!! We felt alot happier and the people were more open.  We as missionaries need to be aware of that.  We cannot become complacent or think we are fine we always need to try to change and help the people and not fall into the trap of forgetting that these are GODS CHILDREN we are teaching. OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

I know Heavenly Father knows our potential, we just need to do his will and we can become who he wants us to be.

My companion is doing great! She is always teaching me new things.  

That is about everything that is happening.. oh wait. Yesterday we were teaching a less active and her husband that is evangelico and he was saying some very weird things.... he was saying the Eve was tempted by satan and they slept together and that was the great sin. Her chastity. BUT NO. Everyone needs to read Jesus the Christ! It explains in there but that is the farthest thing, how could anyone think it was her Chastity... and also he was like so who was Adams first son.. Cain? haha the answer moses 5. Wow my companion killed it, but it was time to get out of that lesson, because we cannot be bashing.

Thank you all for everything I love you all so much and pray always for you all!!! Thank you for being the best family! 

Love,

Hermana Louder

Right back at you.... Happy Thanksgiving!! (Week 55)

Dear Family,

Well how have you been? Sounds like a pretty good week huh?! Lots of BYU things and the family! I hope you all have a wonderful thanksgiving!!

I am looking for a nativity set! No worries but keep telling me every email!

This will be my fourth change here, and like you guys said, yes, this is the longest I have ever been in an area, and we and the other hermanas are all staying so that will be really fun, I love our apartment. 

Not too much is going on, it is was a pretty normal week for us, work work work:) and things are going good.

This week we didn't have any lunches with members and as we were walking to go home, CL(husband of SA, read below..) was cleaning outside so we helped him and went inside to say hi to Santa and then they invited us to eat with them! It's little tender mercies of the Lord that really help me and keep me going because I can see his hand in the work, or better put, we are here to his will and he his guiding us.

So the day before Sunday I was feeling pretty excited because we had met with a convert and her husband that are 84 and 91 years old and they were wanting to come to church because she just got her wheel chair and then we had talked to C that night and we talked about the Book of Mormon and it went pretty well, and he is praying about it...... So we were really excited for all for all of them to come....

Miracle Sunday: Sunday came! And we had decided that we were going to have about 4 investigators in Church, C, CE (his friend), Gabriel (his neighbor that is 12 but doesn't understand very much), and CL (the husband of our convert Santa). And then also SA and another less active that is in a wheel chair, Teresita, and we were going to go pass by for a couple of them. So we passed by for T and she was all ready and the lady that watches over her also came and she isn't a member P, and so it was just starting the day out good. We were sitting in relief society and there we see right as church had begun C and CE pass by, and we thought G wasn't with them, but it turns out he was there, he's just a little shorter so we couldn't see him.  Then we went with a member to go pick up SA and CL!! And that was amazing! So cute to see them, and in church, and then right as Sacrament meeting was starting A the less active and her boy friend V walked in ( they really have a hard time getting up, if you didn't notice it seems like I always say and they walked into Sacrament meeting). So that was really amazing, but now we are working on trying to visit all of them, and that they can progress to be able to return to God's presence.  They are all willing to come to church, now they just need to complete with the over commitments and gain a testimony.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving this week everyone! and enjoy the turkey for me! I love you all so much, keep going strong!

Love,

Hermana Louder

The self timer picture didn't work out so then we just decided that the to take pictures with our converts ...

Ah the scarf is covering my plaque!... So cute one of our converts here, she is 86 and she gave me that scarf and that purse! :)

TOGETHER (Week 54)

Dear Family,

Well another change has come and gone and we will be staying! 

How was this past week for you all? I see there was... SNOW?! Thank you for the emails and for sharing everything that is happening and that you are learning.

Well C and S were not baptized this week, but it is ok. S just has so many things that he couldn't ever meet this week and is really feeling alot of pressure, maybe from his mom, he said he could listen but maybe something changed.  C still is praying to know if this is the Church of Christ, and he came to church this Sunday, we are still working with him and even though the lessons came be a bit tough in english we have some really good ideas. Actually we were trying to find C one day and we couldn't but we needed to have daily contact and he wasn't answering the phone, so we went to where he usually was and we prayed.  Right after that we felt like we should go to the cyber (And we have never seen him except in his house so we don't know where he usually is)... and we went and lo and behold when we walked in, he was right there, it was a miracle and were able to talk to him after that.

The 2 mission conference was amazing! We left at 2 in the morning and got back at 7. First hna Cook talked about the sacrament and the atonement and how we learn for our selves through the Spirit the importance of the sacrament and Pres. Cook how we need to follow the impressions of the Spirit and teach people and not lessons. Hna Smith about the doctrine of crhist and starting from the beginning of each day doing the will of the Lord, Pres Smith teaching with power.

Elder Chirstensen, he talked about how even before this life we were called to serve and that we need to sacrifice our lives or will to to the will of god and we will be strengthened and he said that quote that you sent to me a while back dad... about not having 2 months of experience repeated for 18 months but always growing, and then talked about DYC 4:5 faith hope charity and love.  And Emily.. I like what he said about charity that we cannot have it with out sacrifce.... and at the very end of it all did a question like you guys said about Pres Hughes ¿Qué quiere el Señor de yo? or like Pres. Hughes “What am I to learn from this”.

Things are going great here, the mission is flying by way to fast, but I love it so much and am learning alot but there is still soooooo much to learn. I love you all so much, thank you for your wonderful examples and love and support, you really are the best!!!

Love,

Hermana Louder

foto de la zona

FHE with our recent converts haha

FAM BAM (Week 53)

Dear Family,

Bueno, how are you all doing?! Thank you for the emails and the pictures :) and for all that you do for me. I love you!

This week has been getting interesting.... so first things first. Chidi and Silver are preparing for baptism for the 15... this Saturday! But they are both still waiting for their answers, so we have been praying that Heavenly Father will help them to feel and that he will answer their prayers. We still have a lot to teach them but we are visiting them everyday and trying to teach them. But I know that they are ready!

So a nice miracle/blessing.  Sunday came and went again and we were waiting for a couple investigators in the church, Chidi and we knew Silver wasn't going to be here this Sunday but we had invited some other people. So we go by to pass for a recent convert and her little sister is all ready and was like lets go, and she isn't a member, and her sister was still sleeping! And she is 8, so we waiting and then her sister woke up and we all went.  Chidi came! And he was able to stay after to see a baptism. And as Sacrament meeting was starting I see two people walking in and was thinking, who is that? An investigator for the hermanas? Wait no. they are from our area! It's Ana a menos activa and Valentino her boyfriend! and they said the were going to come earlier but slept. So it ended up being a really good Sunday and we weren't even planning on having them all there, but God was, he works in mysterious ways.

Yesterday we had a charla with a young man and so we invited a recent convert to go with us, well we went and he wasn't there so we started going to a reference and talking with everyone when we see a man walking in the street and I told Nazzareno (the convert) that we were going to go talk to him and that he was going to get baptized, and he was like are you sure?... and we get a little closer and come to find out it was Chidi! And I was like yes, a 100% sure. And then he was able to share his testimony with him, because when Nazzareno was baptized he didn't want to at first and so it was perfect beause Chidi is still a little unsure, but I know he was able to feel the Spirit. 

Well our area is slowing progressing, we are finding lots and lots of people, and many ready for the gospel.

This past week, we have been talking to a lot of members that feel really lonely, they tell us they feel so alone, and that no one cares about them, and it is exactly when we go that they tell us this, one of them was a lunch appointment, the other we felt like we needed to go by and they express this to us, ah and it just breaks my heart, but I feel good at the same time because Heavenly Father trusts us enough to put them into our hands and now we really need to help them, they are all so wonderful.

The oro conference was good, we slept on the bus there at two in the morning and went to the mission home and were able to do lots of practices and all the new missionaries could be with there friends from the CCM and, and then we left for melo again at 6:30.

This week we will be going to Montevideo again! For a two mission conference with Elder Christensen, and then the coming week we have changes so I will be writing on Tuesday.

I love you all so much and are the best! What can I do to help you? Let me know and know that you are all in my prayers.

Love,

Hermana Louder

The four!

The bus ride to montevideo, they gave us little bears!

Found Hermana Gines, from Pando.

1 YEAR.

I LOVE YOU (Week 52)

Dear FAMILY!!!!

How are you all doing?! Is it getting cold, send me a picture when there is snow :) Oh and sorry I just tell you all up front I don't have any pictures today   :( Lo siento! Oh and just to let you know, I can't believe it... but my rain boots have a hole! This happened about three weeks ago so I won't be bringing them home, but we just all stick bags in our shoes :) So they will hold out!

Thank you for the emails, and for updating me with all that is happening and for sharing what you are learning and your experiences, I appreciate it and love to hear about it all!

This week well only S came to church because C is moving but only like a block so he will still be in our area, but it was good, we were able to talk to both of them this week, and they both have a baptismal date for the 15, so we are going to do everything we can to help them reach that, to visit them everyday or a member can, to teach them all the lessons, focus on their needs, EVERYTHING!! So we are really working on that.

S is 17 and he came to church one day after we invited him and we hadn't even talked to him, and he doesn't have much time but every time we see him we teach him a little more so we are going to do our best to keep in contact with him.

C is 30 from Nigeria and he told us last time that he is still thinking about baptism but really that anyone can return to god if they have faith, so we have been studying and we are preparing to teach him the gospel of Jesus Christ and share some scriptures from 2 Nephi 31 and 3 Nephi 11.  Our lessons with him get pretty interesting because we teach in English and my companion who is latina and knows english has to remind me what some of the words are in my own language! 

This past week was a little different, so as a zone we have a newsletter and we had a challenge to meet 4/7 days of our key indicators at the end of each day, and it was not easy but we were able to do it.  We could really see a difference in each day as we tried our hardest to complete our goals, and really behind each number is really a person, that we are helping and it is amazing that we are able to help more and more people everyday.  We want them to be able to feel the Spirit to accept the message and we also always invite people to do something, because it is through inviting them that they can repent and change and come unto Christ.

We also have three members that love to accompany us, a recent convert, and member, and a now member (was less active) and they always want to go with us so that is great! They are always so willing and no matter how hot or if there is rain, or don't have that much time, they sacrife to be able to go with us and each of them are pretty young too (19, 26, and 20, years old).

Question of the week for next email: What is your favorite story in the Book of Mormon and/or bible and why?

Random thought, as I was writing the email I went to lds.org (yes we have permission) and I saw a thing that said ¨the first step toward potential is acknowledging weakness¨ and the talk is called ¨Lord, is it I?¨ by President Uchtdorf, and it is super good.

Well family, I love you all so much and thank you for the love and support and prayers, that you all do and help, I know that the Lord is blessing us.  Keep going! and be the happy family I know you are :) Though we may not be perfect we can always change and be better, and I love that about you all, though I am no where near perfect you still love me! I love you!!

Love,

Hermana Louder

HAPPY HALLOWEEN (Week 51)

Dear Family,

Happy Halloween!! Are you already for this week and have your costumes ;) hopefully this year you will have more trick or treaters this year because there were not that many last year.  How has everything been going? Thank you for the emails, AND.... Thank Grandma Burr and Marla and Brother Campbell for the letters, I got them and read them before emailing :)

This week has been very interesting.  So we found out where Silver lives, he and his mom are both studying and are hardly in the house and so we set an appointment for saturday but then he couldn't but he still came to church and came to a FHE so that is great... but we still have yet to teach him!

Ci: He is from Nigeria.  Actually his story is pretty interesting.  So he wanted to go to the United States so he paid for a boat pass, but they didn't take him there and they took him to brazil, and from what I have heard he walked from there to Uruguay, and now he is working here to earn money, but apparently his story is all of the radio.  And so he was a reference from the elders (one of the actually is from nigeria) and so we finally went to see him on saturday and gave him a book of mormon in english and he is great! We invited him to be baptized on the 15 and accepted so we will see, and he came to church!! He is really willing to learn to do follow God.

M: This guy we found that has a little boy and we thought that he and his girlfriend were together but they are only living in the same house and she is searching for a house.... and he really wants to be baptized but still needs to come to church and do a couple of other things.

V and A: A is a less active and V is her boyfriend and we went over to teach them and like halfway through the lesson V comes in and we then start teaching about Jose Smith and the Book of Mormon and we invited him to read and pray about it and he said yes and the we invited him to be baptized and he said yes, and ¨I also want to marry her¨ haha it was so cool! We have a charla with them this thursday.

AN: He hasn't been coming to church and he has kinda been avoiding us, and he said that it is because he was helping with elections.. so we set a meeting with him and will be seeing him on tuesday, and I will let you all know what happens.

We had a multi-zone conference this week and president and the assistances came up and also another zone 33, and we really talked about ch 11 in PME about compromisos and then we did practices for an hour and a half ha! And at the very end they called up random people to bear testimony and I was one of the three!

This week we have found lots of people that say they don't believe in God and then later in the conversation say they do, or we found another person that I think is from another church and nows the bible really well and was like testing us so that was weird.. but we invited him to be baptized and he accepted and we will be going back so that'll be good.

So I am really working in PME and am trying to complete all of the activities and I wanted to ask you all, what blessings have you recieved for your obedience to the law of tithing and also to keeping the sabbath day holy?

Thank you for all that you do to keep going strong and for your faithfulness, I know that God is blessing us, all of you, and I as we work to bring others unto Christ.  Thank you for your support and love, I love you all so much! Have an amazing week!

Love,

Hermana Louder

:) (Week 50)

Dear Family,

Thank you so much for the wonderful emails, I really liked them, just what I needed.  I'm glad you were all able to enjoy a fun fall break and thank you for the pictures! :)

Well training has been good, though I definitely fall short of everything.  But as President Eyring said:“The Lord knows you. He knows whom He would have serve in every position in His Church. Hechose you.^¨   And President Monson: “When we are on the Lord’s errand, we are entitled to the Lord’shelp. Remember that whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies.”

I am learning so much from her, she is great! I know that we are supposed to be companions and that we will and are growing so much.

Well the other day we were walking and talking to everyone but we had to get to a charla and we saw a mother and son walking, and decided to quickly invite them to church and to a sport activity that we had on Saturday, and they told us their names and it ended up being a reference we had had from a recent convert and he told us (the son-S) that he would come! So Saturday we go and he was right on time and we played volleyball and soccer.  And then we invited him to church.  So the next day is Sunday and we go to church and then we had to go look for investigators and we come back for relief society and then we go out to look again and we get back and now it's about thirty minutes before sacrament meeting, and we don't have any investigators and no one has come.  The other hermanas walk in and we start talking and how neither of us had investigators and then they are like, Silver is here, he has been here since nine.  WHATP?! are you serious! It was a miracle! He came all by himself and stayed the whole time! But right after sacrament meeting he left so fast! So now we don't know where he lives... but we are going to find him and we now mas o menos donde vive. But it was sooo amazing.

Entonces we don't really have any investigators because everyone that said they would come didn't, but we are going to keep working harder and harder each week.

Random notes for you: The bugs have come, and I got bitten alive but now I have started using the stuff you sent me, thank you! The dogs hate us hehehe! There are four of us living in the house, Hermana Tejada, Hermana Smouse, Hermana Townley, and I, and there are all so great! The book for training is called 12 weeks (I'm pretty sure by the church), and basically you use that PME and the district videos and lots of practices of course! And then you put it all in action during the week. I am playing the piano in church and it has been well...... interesting. We go to the church every morning to work out there and we are definitely improving our workouts. We have a multizone conference this week.

Bueno, that's about everything I can think about, but everything is going great.  Really it seems like when you are up in the clouds, then everything comes down, and really tests you.  And it has been good.  I am really learning how to rely on the Lord and give everything, though I'm not perfect and no where near, I know that my Savior and his grace are sufficent and that he is always here to help us, we just need to call on him. Always remember him.

I love you all so much!! I hope school and work are going great and that the marriages can wait a couple months..... cough cough. hahaha... but I love you all and have a wonderful week!!!

Love,

Hermana Louder

FAM BAM!! :) (Week 49)

Dear Family,

Well how is life for you all? The new movie that you saw sounds interesting.. ohhh how are the peach trees doing?! Ah and don't forget to send me pictures of you all every now and then, or everyweek if you so desire :)

My companion: Hermana Tejada! She is 19 years old and if from Peru, she is so cute! And still getting used to the missionary work like all of us at the beginning.  and actually I just found out that she pretty much speaks perfect english becaue I saw her writting in her journal and it was in english! But she hadn't really talked to me in english before that haha, she is so sneaky.  She is great, and is teaching me so much, things I hadn't noticed before or how to find the needs, she is really good at that.  But she is a little shy and I'm sure it's because it's the beginning of the mission, so I talk alot more now.  And I'm trying to do my best because well she literally watches my every move! A mini me :) And she is awesome!

So this week we have been finding a lot of people and as it says in the training book that the new missionary should take the lead in inviting people to be baptized, so the first day we were together I invited everyone so she could see, and these past couple of days have been awesome! She is inviting everyone to be baptized! ha I love it! And so we were waiting for four people to come to church, but no one came :( We went and looked and called but no one.  And Andres didn't come and he didn't really want to tell us why either so we don't know what we are going to do there.

No worries about the mascara mom, I still have a lot and I think I will be good now until the end of the mission. haha, but really thank you for everything!

But family and mom and dad really thank you for helping me so much, just looking at my baptism photos brings back childhood memories, or just the other day we were talking about on p-day what we were like as children and I said that you guys had to tie all of the chairs to the table because I would climb every where.  But more than that I am so grateful for all the many things you have taught me, in our FHE, family scripture and prayer, and personal, the importance of the temple, to stick to my standards, for being modest, for always forgiving, for being worthy, serving others and giving what we can, not gossiping and looking for the best, love. There are so many things well eveything I have learned is thanks to the wonderful family that I have and that my Heavenly Father has blessed me with you.  I love you all so much and words nor actions can express it, but know that I love you. Thank you for all that you do and for the support that you give me and for the prayers, and can feel them.  Keep being happy! :)

Love,

Hermana Louder

TRANSFERS... (Week 48)

Dear Family,

This past week was amazing!! Such a great week! I have been learning so much and wow, the time is just flying by.

Well I got your package!! Thank you so much for the letters and the contact solution and treats and shirt! Love you all!! 

TRANSFERS: Bueno. I will be staying here for another change, which is awesome because I love Melo. And... I will be training!! So we leave tonight in the night or tomorrow really early in the morning and we will go to meet our oros tomorrow! Hermana Smouse and I will both be training here in Centenario so that'll be really fun! But please, pray for me.

Just so you all know, I did use the winter stuff, everything!! The sleeping bag the gloves the boots the tights ,everything, so thank you!!

Well conference was amazing. A. actually came to three sessions! He is still smoking.. but he is letting go little by little and he has a date for next saturday, other than him, he really is our only sturdy investigator for right now.

Conference: A couple highlights no much because I don't have too much time.

President Uchtdorf OBEDIENCE. It's a good thing! We need to have this desire and do it for the right reason, love him and obey him. Do everything you can and live the gospel joyfully.  You will discover your best self- your real self.

Elder Oaks: I actually have been questioning really how can I love everyone, and this was perfect for me. And really I just loved it all and that we need to love one another, it doesn't matter the differents see them as children of God, our brothers and sisters.. ¨Though we disagree we should not be disagreeable¨

Elder Klebignat: There was just so much to right and he was talking so fast.. but his number two hit me, that we need to take responsibility for your own phsyical wellbeing.. so I really need to do that. Apply the atonement daily.

President Monson: I loved it and we are always striving to be more like Christ. But we don't just want to walk where Jesus walked, but AS he walked. He will take us home.

I love you all so much and thank you for sharing your experiences and things that you learn and that are happening in your lives with me. I love you all!!!

Love,

Hermana Louder

20 years old :D and GENERAL CONFERENCE (Week 47)

Dear Family,

THANK YOU!!! Thank you for the wonderful birthday wishes and emails, I love you all lots! You are the best! 

Are you all so excited for General Conference!?! Will anyone be going up? Save me a cinnamon roll ;)

The weeks are going by so fast! And I can't believe that changes are next week... just so you know I will be writing next tuesday!

YEAH!!! Congragulations Nathan and Andrea.  Welcome to the world little guy! So cute!!

Wow, Dad thank you for the advice, I have actually been learning that recently too.  Sometimes to start a contact in the street we go up and ask for referrals, also using the four questions I think from President Hinckley, do you know someone who has had a new baby, moved here recenlty, someone passed away, or is sick? But I keep be wrong and we also ask for families also haha. And now we have a FHE with bishop tonight so I will be asking for that list.  It is so interesting, because this week more than ever we have found SO MANY less activies.

Mom, actually, Hermana Elena Figueredo, works in the temple and our ward went this past week and she was telling the whole ward that it was my birthday! so then on sunday lots of people were telling me happy birthday ha.  I still have not gotten anything.. but we have changes next week so I think they are waiting.

This week we invited A. to be baptized again but at first he didn't accept and then at the end he did! But he didn't come to church because he wasn't feeling well :( but he is doing good and we are putting goals with him to stop smoking.

Not too much is going on.. but yeah! That's all I can think about haha.  But I hope you all enjoy GC and that it is wonderful, we'll be watching it together. Thank you for everything, I love you all!!!

Love,

Hermana Louder

Birthday!! (Week 46)

Dear Family,

How are you all doing?!?! Thank you for the emails and the birthday wishes :) love you!!

Wow, thank you for sharing your experiences with me and also about the temple dedication. And wow, dad and mom you went to two session? How cool!!

Well today I want to share a couple of experiences I had this past week.

Monday I read the new era sept 2013 and then we went out to work and we had this very interesting experience.  We went to contact a reference at about 7:30 and this woman comes out and starts screaming and why were we here so late and that they were trying to sleep and so many things, I was pretty scared.  We were like oh we're so sorry we'll come back another time.  And after we finished I well basically wanted to cry but then I remembered what I had read about Charity earlier that day...

10 secrets of true popularity: Charity is not easily provoked. Once, a teacher made a comment that hurt my feelings. Rather than reacting, I asked her if she was having a hard day. She admitted that she was and then apologized. Those comments had come from her personal problems and had nothing to do with me.

And I was so grateful that I had read that earlier that day to prepare me for that night. Charity is not easily provoked. And maybe that woman had a bad day and like she said she had to get up early.... but really a couple days later the other hermanas told us that a lady was talking to them and told them this experience and how the lady that day had lost a relative close to her.  Really we never know what is happening in the lives of other people. Though I am no where close to having Charity I am so grateful for little and big experiences that help me to become a better person, and really Heavenly Father is watching out for each one of us.

This past week we found a couple news and we had an appointment with one, Andres, on Saturday.  So we went to his house and I could not remember anything about him, but he answered the door and said we could pass but there wasn't another woman, so we went to the church and a sister accompanied us and we talking about the gospel of Christ, and he was so open to everything! Though he did not accept a date :( he.... came to church the next day!!! And we have a cita with him tomorrow! He is so great!

And yesterday we were walking to contact a reference and in the mission, if you don't have a set appointment... talk to everyone! And I have seen so many miracles with this! And we saw this family outside and started to talk to them. At first they weren't very open and didn't want to talk but if felt like I knew them, and my companion too, so we kept talking to them and teaching them, and by the end they accept that we could pass by again, and it really was amazing! I am so grateful for all the many things that are happening and strengthening my testimony that this really is the Lords work and we are here helping him, he is with us!!

The weeks are going by so fast, and really I am so grateful to be here and to be serving my Savior.  Thank you family for all that you do for me! I love you all soooooooo much!!! Have a great week!!!

Love,

Hermana Louder