Hello my amazing, wonderful family!

 

I have so much to tell you all, I hope I can fit it in in this short time! So here we go...

 

It has been another good, challenging week and each night when I crawl into my sleepbag, I am exhausted. We work hard and working with the spirit as well as trying to understand and learn a new langugage is definitely draining. 

 

I know you are all dying to know how to be an Uruguayan, so I have a few ways in which you all can become a Uruguayan!

 

#1. You cant have all your teeth and if you do have teeth, they have to be partially rotten. I am thinking about knockin out a few teeth just so I can fit in a little more. haha.

 

#2. Your clothes cannot match. You must own a pair of purple crocs and stretchy pants, oh and be sure to wear them to church!

 

#3. You cant give good directions. haha

 

#4. You ALWAYS have to carry mate, a hot herbal drink that they drink here, with you at all times. (maybe thats whats causing rotten teeth) jaja

 

#5. You must own 3,000,000 dogs that bark all night long.

 

My roommates and I laughed hard about these the other night because they are all so true! Its been a pretty eventful week. We talk to everyone we see everyday trying to find new investigadores. We ride buses a lot and walk a ton, probably 10 miles a day easily! I am so thankful for those good shoes that we bought...thanks grandma and grandpa!

 

Cool experience...Hma Harris and I had a really neat lesson with a man named L. the other night. He has already read the whole Libro de Mormon before. We taught the lesson in his cold house with only one light to light up the whole room. It was a really cold night and the houses here dont have a heater, but I seriously felt so warm with the spirit. We taught him the lesson about the Restoration, but mostly focused on the importance of the Book of Mormon. The spirit was really strong! At the end, we asked if he would pray for us to say the closing prayer. He didnt know how, so we taught him how to pray. And then it was quiet. We all just bowed our head and closed our eyes. No one was saying anything, but we knew that he was praying, a personal prayer. It was a nice night and it made me so thankful to be a missionary and help bring others closer to Christ. Thats my purpose and my job! So cool! I have some really neat spiritual experiences. My spanish isnt very good and I am so thankful to have a trainer who speaks fluently, but Its such a neat opportunity to be able to share my testimony every day, many times a day!

 

I taught a piano lesson on Saturday night after our meeting with the ward mission leader to a sweet sister named Erica! It went really well and I just love her and the people here. It was so funny trying to teach in spanish, but I ended up teaching Do-re-mi. There are a lot of people here who want to learn piano, since no one knows how to. Such a blessing to know piano. Funny story: So yesterday at church, I was sitting in relief society and the branch presidents comes to get me. Yesterday was Uruguays independence day. He asked me to learn their independence song and perform it-accompany it for everyone in sacrament meeting! It was the hardest song! I tried my best to learn it, and performed it in sacrament meeting on the old, old way out of tune piano. It made me laugh.

 

Like I said, we walk a lot here, even on 6 laned highways. Pretty sure that is against the law in the U.S! My companion has made sure to point out all the gang signs around where we live and proselyte. Its a little sketchy. I will have to tell you more about that later. Uruguay is so beautiful! Its just farm lands and vineyards everywhere! They call them campos. There is also some very poor areas with dogs and trash everywhere. The sunsets here are gorgeous too, just like in Arizona!

 

It is super cold here! Our little apartment is like an ice box, but I do have my warm sleeping bag, which is such a blessing!

 

The language is challenging and I am still having a difficult time communicating my thoughts and feelings and understanding what people are saying. Its really frustrating at times, but I can feel your prayers and help from Heavenly Father. I just love being a missionary and being able to be focused on the Lords work. I love the time each morning to study and to learn more. If only I could get this language...it will come eventually. I just have to have faith. I can feel myself changing too, which is really awesome.

 

Mom, thanks for those videos! I would die for a green smoothie right now! They dont eat any vegetables here at all! My poor liver! haha. Lots of fried food, meat, and soda. But might as well enjoying it because I know after my mission, I wont be eating it. Good luck Jacob on your mission! You are going to LOVE it! Work hard and pray hard!

 

misskatielu1 I love you family! Great job on your missionary efforts! Proud of you all. James, you are looking BUFF! Keep it up, bro! Cant wait until you are able to serve a mission!!! hannah4

 

The church is TRUE! Until next week!

 

Con Amor,

Hermana Katie Coon 

 

p.s. I am sending a letter in the mail with more details. Still havent gotten the packages. I cant wait to get them! Also mom, can you send me a few quick workouts

 

LOVE YOU!