Week 21

Dear Family,

I hope everything is going great! Uruguay is good, and it is getting cold, but the weather is so weird here! I have gotten out my winter stuff and have had to use some of it, and then other days it is still really hot, or there are rainy days, it's just plain weird!

Thank you for all the pictures! I am dying!! Ah Bailey and 'Grandpa' are so cute! and Megan's costumes! hahaha! Hope it was all good! Oh and I got a letter from Andrea! And it was right on time, you have bought a house and moved now! 

For General Conference and the General Women's Meeting, we will be watching it all this weekend! I'm so excited! I'm not sure if it will be in Spanish or English yet so that will be interesting... but I will see all of it!

This week! Wow.  Where to begin with this week.  Well we had a miracle baptism this week! It was amazing! So we decided that we could definitely baptize someone this past week and wanted to do it, and we both thought of an investigator, she actually has been investigating since 2010 at least that's what the papers show.  So she had her interview and everything was great and we planned to pick her up Sunday morning.  We go over and she does not answer the door, and we are there for about 40 minutes knocking on the door and calling her, and no answer.  We go back to the church.  And we went back to her house 6 times that day.... Well she was not responding. We go back to the church and our district leader calls.  He tells us to offer a kneeling prayer and they will do the same.  So I offer a prayer and me and my companion both feel that she is going to be baptized today.  So we go back to her house and decide to look and talk to people and we find her brother and he talks to her through the window and says she took her pills this morning and is like dead asleep.  So we tell her we will come back later and run to church for sacrament.  After sacrament meeting we go to lunch and then right after we go to her house.  We finally can talk to her and tell her her baptism is still today! So she starts to get ready and we are just waiting in her room and we see some cigarettes sitting out and we ask her if she has been smoking and says she smoked a little the night before.  And then we ask her if she has more, and says no, but we can see that she does have more.  So we go and call the zone leaders and they tell us to pray and if we think it is right to still have the baptism. Well we pray and we still feel it is right even though she smoked a little.  So we go and talk to her and tell she can't smoke any more! Now it starts to pour so we call our DOM to see if he can pick her up, he comes, and we run to the church in the rain.  We get there and help her get changed and we have the baptism! She bore her testimony of how she stopped smoking and felt warm, and peaceful, and with God.  It was a very stressful but good day.

I love you all so much! And I would love to hear what you learn from General Conference! 

Love,

Hermana Louder

 

 

Week 20

Dear Family,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I Love you!! I'm gald you got the letter! And I hope you have a wonderful birthday :) :) :)

Well we had our interviews this week with President Cook, and we met him and his wife and had like work shops, and it was really good, and they are so great! I love them! He actually served here, and his mission president was one of the first missionaries to serve here, and told him that this was the most successful mission to start out! Really cool! In my interview with him he shared with me exactly what I needed to hear, Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers, never give up.  He is listening.

Oh and yes, know that we have more sisters we split our areas...

WHAT?!?! HEIDI SUBMITTED MISSION PAPERS?!?! Keep me updated!!! :)

Well this week we didn't up having any baptims, our investigators had complications.  But we are still pushing forward and trying to help each of them with their problems.  We had 5 investigators come to church which was awesome! So now they understand that we don't worship images and other ideas they had.  We have two pretty hard investigators that tell us that we are not like their old church we are more peacful, hopefully they will come to love and have a testimony and feel the Spirit, and that this really is The Church of Jesus Christ.  

The Spanish is still coming along, I could really feel like I was starting to understand when Hermana Talbot were together because our companions were sick and we talked a little bit more and I felt like I knew a little more Spanish because I couldn't depend on Hermana Ahern.  But the Gift of Tongues continues to help me, and I will not stop praying for it.

Lately in the Book of Mormon I have been learning that people can change.  In Alma 15 Alma and Amulek had preached to Zeezrom before, but they go back because he sends for them.  v.s 8 (He believes and is healed) If we believe in Christ and his Atonement WE CAN BE SAVED.  Then after Zeezromk is baptized and begins to preach.  Always remember that People can change! Also I really like the scripture in 3 Nephi 18:32.

Thank you for everything! I love you all! Keep my updated, and I'll do the same ;)

Love,

Hermana Louder

We made these for our investigators, with scriptures and quotes in them!

 

Week 19

Dear Family,

Well this week has been interesting to say the least.

First off, HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATHAN!!!!! I love you!! And dad, you and mom definitely need to get working on family history now! Ah I always love the sunsets, and one time if I have my camera I will send you one from here too. The bugs are still here, but I think it's just a Uruguay thing. Keep working Natalie!!!

So we had changes on Wednesday and we knew that Hermana Gines would be leaving and that Hermana Cardona would be training, and me and my companion are staying! So we went to lunch that day while Hermana Gines and Hermana Cardona left.  And during our lunch we get a call, well we wait and when we finish we call back.  We are talking Hermana Cardona and our district and zone leaders and it turns out that nobody knew but, they are putting 6 Hermanas in Pando! So we run back to the house to clean up and make room, and we don't have anything for another companionship.  So we are calling everyone about beds and desks and such.  As of right now the study in the kitchen and at leasts they have desks, but now we are all waiting for the bunk beds to come in and the other room will two bunk beds ( right now they are sleeping on the floor, luckly they have mattresses).  But it has been crazy, and we literally have a house full! 

We have the chance to meet President Cook this Wednesday, our zone will be having interviews with him!

Also this week... haha well I think I had a bad reaction to a bug bite.  I woke up on Saturday with a huge finger and my wrist and near my elbow were all huge and really hot and hurt.  Well my companion called our nurse and she told us to go to the hospital... So we went and they took my blood to see if I had an infection, but we were there from about 10:30 in the morning until 5:30 at night... waiting for blood results.  But my blood is clean and they gave me something to help with the inflimation, but everything is good, just a bad reaction!

SUNDAY!: W. and A. came to church! Sadly Al. went to work, we don't know where N, and L. didn't want to get up and go, even though every day she tells us she will be coming and is exciting, so we might have to drop her.  So we forsure will be having at least one baptism this week.

A: We need to have a lesson with him, but he has come to church two times and we will be teaching him the word of wisdom and the law of chastity...

W: He is awesome! He came to church now two times and he asked US if he could be baptized on the 22nd.  At first I was a little nervous cause he had a lot of doubts, but he is the best.  He is 34 and has lots of questions, but on Sunday he came to church, we had a lesson, and he watched the Joseph Smith movie and loved it, and said he felt so good the whole day! And he is quitting smoking and really willing to live everything.

Lately I have been studying in Alma and I found this amazing verse that I love in Alma 7:4,6 about faith, and how we need to have the experience first and then it will come! And I also read the 4th missionary and I am so stuck on it.  I want to give everything to the Lord, and to do that I need to give up all my desires and wishes to him for the next 18 months.  I want to be the missionary he wants me to be.  If anyone has any ideas let me know :)

I love you all, and I did get the stamps in the package and congrats Brittany on your mission call! Prepare now! You will love it! I love you all!

Love,

Hermana Louder

 

 

Week 18

Dear Family,

How is everyone doing?!!?! Transfers are this week and Hermana Ahern and I will be staying here in Pando! We are both super excited to be staying together and here! I love it! We have so many great investigators and actually four with fechas, hopefully they can all make their goals and dates!

Oh and today I made pancakes with the mix, and they were perfect :) And thank you Andrea for the letter!!!

Ok well not too much has been happening...... so I'll tell you about our investigators!

Oh and first we had a stake activity done by the missionaries this past saturday and it actually turned out ok! We made a slide show and showed where we were from and about our country and family and then we all made food and turned out really good!

L: She didn't come to church today because she wasn't home but she is quiting smoking little by little, right now she is only smoking two a day. Her fecha is for the 22 and she really wants this we are just helping her to go to bed earlier.

A: He may have found a house for him and his family!!! Now we just need to get him married :)... but we are working with him and he finally came to church!! And his date is for the 22!

N: He came an talked to us yesterday.... and he had a great experience and knows this is what he needs and wants to come and have the charlas, and he told us that he has a daughter that is three years old and a girl friend and they and his mom want to listen to us! He has a date for the 22 second as well, and hopefully he can stick to it this time! We think he finally shared all this information with us and was still reading the BOM and praying even though we weren't having charlas because we showed him we are here for him and aren't going to give up.

A: He and W. are both references from Mateo and they all live in the refugio. He is 19 and wants to learn more about the gospel and he came to church this past sunday and has a date for the 22.

W: Is very interested and knows a lot about the bible so we will be using that... and he wants to read the BOM and actually already has one in his moms house! He also came to church this past sunday and we will keep working with him.

The mission is great! And hard, but no one ever said it would be esay.  It was never easy for Christ.  I'm working hard and trying to set new goals to use more spanish every day. and to stay healthy hahaha.... But I'm doing great and so is Pando and everything! I hope all is well for you guys and I'm praying for you. I love you all so much! Thank you for everything! Have a great week!

Love,

Hermana Louder

Week 17

Dear Family,

How are things going at home? Work and school? I hope everything is going great!

I got the package on wednesday and used everything the next day :) Thank you so  much!!!! I love it!!! And Thank you Grandma Burr for the card and note and stamps! Really, haha it made me laugh and cry, Love you grandma!

Uruguay is great! It is getting a little chilly in the mornings and night, just means more layers! And actually ahaha the past four nights all four of us hermanas have slept together in the front ha! It's pretty great! We still go to bed at 10:30, no worries :)

This week we had a conference with President Etchegaray, and his wife and the assistants, and it was great! Just acouple of the zones went and we were taught and about by the assistants goals, and teaching from the heart and commitments, and by Hermana Etchegaray marriage...... finding our Isaac..... and then President talked gave us some examples of teaching and of course, he called on me. Ha but it was fine. Ah you always ask and I always forget... My Spanish is coming along, little by little.  Everyone says it is good and I understand a lot more and can talk more than they could, but I feel so behind and I'm always trying to make it better, I still have so much to learn!

This week we have definitely seen the Lords hand in the work.  We have been having problems finding new investigators, and now last week (16 news) and this week (10) it has been amazing,  Yesterday we had a challenge from our district leader to find 4 and we had been talking with everyone everyday this week, but for some reason, Sunday was different, we still talked to everyone but everyone was interested and wanted to know more and we found 5 new investigators,I'm so excited to get to know them!

Nicolas:  Well he knows what he needs to do but doesn't want to so we will see what happens...

Aldo: We are working on getting a date for his marriage and a house, and he is so ready to submit to the fathers will and live every commandment, the only problem we have with him is the coming to church part.  He loves his family so much and so he feels he needs to work on sundays to have enough for them, but we had a really good lesson with him and are trying to help him understand the importance of keeping the Sabbath day Holy.  Oh and it was so funny, we taught him tithing, and he was like, ok so when can I pay?! And hermana was like, well you don't actually need to pay until you are baptized!

Leticia: Ah I love this story! Ok so we were at a house and we asked for refrences and she said the house in front, her name is Tati.  So we wrote it down and when home.  Well the next morning we had a blank text from and investigator named Leticia.  I started to think and I remembered when I was with Hermana Rodriguez we had visited an invetsigator but she wasn't home for the summer.  I told hermana that I thought Leticia and Tati were the same person and needed to visit her.  Well later that day we went to go contact and it was her! She is awesome! And wants to get baptized! She has a problem with smoking but we are helping her and so is the Lord.  And she had an accident 17 years ago or something like that and she has a hard time walking and she has a problem with the left side of her body, but she is amazing!

I love you all so much! Thank you for the emails letters and packages! and especially for your support and prayers! I'm praying for you, and hope everything is great! Love you! :)

Love,

Hermana Louder