Week 12

Dear Family,

Lourdes was baptized!!!! Ah I have so many stories today and so little time, ok lets get started!

First:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEGAN!!!!! 16!! Wow. I can't believe it. And your are now going to be able to drive and date.  Big change! haha you will always be my little sister.  I hope you have a wonderful birthday! I'm thinking about you.  Oh and also I can't believe you were called as ward organist! I know you are going to be wonderful. Oh and have fun on tour! Send me the details and pictures!

Something funny I found out... I talk in my sleep! Hermana told me and I couldn't believe it! She has to ask me some nights to stop talking haha. So embarassing.

Lourdes!!! Ah we found her about December 20th and have taught her ever. I really wouldn't want any one else as my first convert.  She is the sweetest thing and has such a strong testimony.  Friday came and her mom said no way was she going to be baptized so we taught her and changed her fecha for the 31. Well we got a call on saturday from our dirstrict leader of the importance of fechas and how we set it with the spirit and it is her day. So we prepared and ran to her house to talk.  Her mom said no. We continued to talk and then we decided that she needed to pray right then and there.  We prayed maybe 10 times but she didn't feel anything.  But she changed her mind and said yes! So we ran and prepared the baptism font halling water out the front of the church in garbage cans becaue the water was dirty.  Ran back for Lourdes and taught her everything we hadn't and she had her intergview.  She wanted me to speak at her baptism so I did! ha and she gave the closing prayer. So sweet.  And on Sunday she was confirmed.,  She told us her feelings of everything and is so grateful to have the spirit now. I love her so much!

Exact obedience!! Well on monday we had the conference and the whole mission made a promise that we are going to be exactly obedient.  Well wedesday night we had an activity and had to take our investigators home well we were at Lourdes house about 15-20 minutes fast walking to our house.  I looked at my watch and it said 9:20.  I looked at hermana and told her and said lets run!! We ran the whole way home and I was praying that Heavenly Father would help me ser obedediente con exactitud.  Well we ran into our house at 9:29 and I know it was only through Heavenly Father and our obedience and love to keep our commitment that we made it

We have another baptism this Friday,. Pedro!

And we have cambios changes, tomorrow.  Hermana will be leaving, and I will be staying her and receiving a new companion, Hermana Ahern.  She had 2 changes left and was an hermana viajante.  She was a coordinator one of the 8.  And Hermana Rodriguez is going to be one.  So I'm sad that she is leaving but excited to be getting a new companion.

Love you all so much! Thank you for everything!

P.S Sorry I don't have time to write about Hermana Openshaws talk,sorry and our new mission president is President Cook and if from Idaho.

Love,

Hermana Louder

Our pictures after we ran home and how sweaty we were hahah and Lourdes!

 

 

Another Late Letter.... Big change for the mission. (Week 11)

Dear Family,

Well if you read the subject you might have some questions.  I am writing today because we had a conference yesterday with the whole mission.  A conference with the whole mission only happens once a year, at Christmas time (I made it just in time), so all of us were shocked and had no idea why.  Well we found out...

President and Hermana Newsome will be going home.  His company is having legal problems and they found out 5 days ago. They don't know when they will be leaving, could be days, could be weeks, but they will be going.  It is so sad to already see them leave.  They really have been so great. So at the conference he told us all at the same time and everyone started crying.  Then Hermana Newsome gave a talk, and it was so great! Of course I forgot my notes at home so I will have to write about that next week sorry, but it was really good. I can't believe they will be leaving, and we don't know when we will get a new mission president.

This week none of our investigators with fetchas for the 25th came to church :((( we did a mission fast from saturday lunch to sunday lunch for all the baptisms that will be happening in January.  We are hoping to double the number from last January and have 130 baptisms this month and we are only half way there.  But we do have one progressive investigator now, his name is Pedro, and he is so smart and he came to church all on his own and we will continue to meet with him, and his fetcha is for the 8th of February. So with the 6 investigators that we had for the 25th, we are able to have 3 of their baptisms on the 26th, after church, cause they have to come to church three times, and be ready, and we are hoping to set that date today with Lourdes, Belen, and Joselin. Then on the 31 we are hoping to set a new date with Carlos, and Lorena (a new little girl who came to church with us and wants to be baptized and we haven't taught her anything), and maybe Pedro.  Gillermina we are setting a date with for the 8th of february.  Naomi.... I am so sad. We went and had a charla franka with her, she doesn't want to be baptized and doesn't want to go to church.  But she said she knows the Book of Mormon is true, and that Joseph Smith was a prophet and did everything, so we will be going to talk to her today and see if she prayed about everything, and has a change of heart.

This week we also had an oros conference (I'm an oro-new in the mission) and we learned so many great things there! It was fun! We were put with a companion and we learned how to better talk with everyone, use seguid me! (for baptisms), conquer doubts about going to church, and that testifying how to Book of Mormon is the key stone in our religion, because if you read and ponder and pray about the Book of Mormon and it's true, then Joseph Smith was a prophet, and our church is true.  We really need to hit that and make sure our investgators understand that.

Family thank you so much for all you do!! Oh and thank you Sister Vitters and my sweet primary class, and Maddie and Kylee for the letters! Hoy es el día! Love you all!!!

Love,

Hermana Louder

I LOVE YOU!!!! (Week 10)

Dear Family,

How is everything going at home now that school and work have started again?

So Emily you will graduate school this year? and what about you Jason?... What is your major? :) And Megan how is Acting Up!? Natalie have you found a job? and are you still going to the gym? Dad how was your month or so of vacation? haha I can't believe you had so many days off.... Mom, are you ready to go back to work? how are you guys doing with everything? Are you still walking in the mornings? Do you go to the school to walk? 

Nathan and Andrea!!! I received your package!! Thank you so much! I opened the presents first because we can only read letters on p-days but packages we can open any day (and I received it on Friday), and I guessed who they were from :) hahaha I can't believe you guys could remember the deodorant, I got a good laugh, thank you! And I love the necklace! The other north american is so jelous ha. (For everyone else: When I went to Texas to visit Nathan and Andrea I told Nathan he smelled good, so what did he send me? His deodorant! And the last one in his pack. Thanks Nathan :) And Andrea found a necklace that has two clocks, and set one to uruguayan time and Utah time, to remind me I'm really not that far away.) When I get back I'll have to change it to Utah and Texas time ;)

The weather here is like Utah, but worse I feel like.  One its hot and the next thing its cold, and then hot and then in the middle of the day it will rain/pour for an hour, and its crazy!  My toe is still inflamed but it doesn't really hurt, just a big toe.  And I have to put on bug spray every night... I forgot two days ago and I got bit like crazy. But I'm the only one who ever gets bit and I don't know why.  Good news! I weighed myself for the first time :) and I'm good ha. A little less than usual but only by like a couple pounds.

I tried making pancakes last week..... and they did not turn out hahaha, oh well.  Oh and if you do send stamps they need to be forever stamps.  But Hermana Gines gave my 9 stamps that I can have so I'll be good for a little longer. Oh and guess what? This past week, I finally have worn all of my tops ha! Because I didn't have all of them in the CCM so since December.  Ah it's great to know I still kinda have a wardrobe.

Well ah more good news!!! We have FOUR progressive investigators! Carlos, Lourdes, Belen, and Joselin.  They all hae a baptismal date for the 25th and they all came to church! Áh it was so great! We went and picked them up for church and took them back, and they really enjoyed it.  The girls mom, Cintia, is not married, but she also came to church and really enjoyed it.  So this week we will be teaching the law of Chastity!  And our other two investigators with dates didn't come, Gillermina (who can't really walk and is a little sick) and Naomi who couldn't come, but she is 11 and is so smart.  When we ask her questions and she gives like perfect thought out answers! I am amazed.

We had a good activity on Friday for the men in the branch, we played soccer.  And we had a less active come, Marcos who is 17 and he has some problems with the commandments, anbd Mauricio who is 13 but really could be 20 with how much he knows and with his responses to questions.  And it was great, because they also brought friends and it was really fun! Well we are going to continue to do this maybe every week or something, but they told us we can't play because we are terrible at soccer.... hahaha oh well! We also played a little basketball and I would dribble and run down the court and some of the friends they brought were younger and they were like woah, she can run so fast! ha well it was a good activity.

Megan! I just read you were called as ward organist :) hehehe you will be great! Ah that is just awesome! 

And Dad, ahh the plaque... I don't know! I will really think about it this week! Thank you for keeping me updated with everything! Wow. Lots of new mission presidents, oh and let me know what the ward boudaries are when you find out!

I love you all so much, thank you for your examples!

Love,

Herman Louder

 

 

Week 9

Dear Family,

I LOVE YOU!!! WOW. 2014.  I can't believe it! and I'm so glad you guys had a lot of fun celebrating and you even stayed and mom and grandma played, it sounds way fun! By the way, thank you so much Grandma Louder for coming on the 24th for the call!  I love you and think about you a lot.  And Grandma Burr, don't worry I did not forget your birthday! I think about you a lot too, and hope it was good! Did you guys go to Brickoven ;)

Thank you Kyle and Shea for your Christmas card and updates, sounds like things are great, and Wyatt is adorable!  and thank you Perkeys! For you for the sweet notes and pictures.  I really apprecitate them!

So I couldn't write yesterday because everything was closed for the holiday: reyes.  It's for the kings, just another holiday to get presents and celebrate! Why don't we have that in America?.... 

Well this week.  We commited Lourdes, and her siblings, Belen and Joselin, and their mom, Cinita to baptism! The date is set for the 25th.  They are so great and have such great faith and desires.  We will continue to work with and love them.  And it was so funny because Lourdes asked me to be her Godmother ha. They are so sweet.  

We talked to Carlos! He really wants to be baptized because he has not been baptized for any church and knows that it is important.  He talks super fast and makes everything a joke, he is great. 

We didn't have any investigators come to church this week :((( but we are going to look for them next week and we also are inviting everyone to come to Noche de Hogar or FHE on Wednesday. Hopefully there they can meet and become friends with those in the ward and also see how a ward functions and have some fun! And eat of course!

Oh and everyone, be very proud, I only drank 2 glasses of soda this week! I'm trying my best :) and I'm glad you are all dreading this with me haha.

I may or may not want American stamps... because it is cheaper to send letters through the Church system then through the Uruguayo mail system.  I also might want a little sports take to help bandaids and blisters, and gum to chew during studies. 

My companion has the song "Daughter of a King" (Emily and Jason) and I listen to it almost every day, I love it! and she hates it now..... ha.  Oh and the other day dad I heard Roar and it just made me laugh! Mom, I didn't have much time this year sorry, but next year I will find a nativity set! Oh and random info,, If I don't write, don't be worried.  Like on the 27th I will not write because transfers are that week and our pday will be the 28th.

This week I had written in my agenda to study Alma 24, and I started reading it and I thought, this is so boring! Why did I write this, but I was so wrong! It was so good! I can't remember much, but I remember it was about how they had just become the Anti-Nephi-Lehis and they are covenanting to never take up their swords and that they never want to sin again.  We need to have that desire!! To NEVER sin again, forsake the sin! And I think this really stuck with me because we talked about it quite a bit in family scripture study, so thank you Mom and Dad! :)

I love you all so much, and I'm grateful for your support! Thank you for everything!

Love,

Hermana Louder

P.S I've gotten to wear my rainboots! And I'm wearing them today :)

(As you can tell, Katelyn is a babe. Love her so much - Emily)