• I have changed Katie's blog. I was having troubles posting and copying from my email. Her new blog is Sisterkathryncoon.blogspot.com

Hola Mi Familia!

Ha sido un buen semana! Muchisimas gracias por sus cartas y emails, le ayudame mucho en mis animos! y....YO RECIBI DOS PAQUETES DE USTEDES Y LA FAMILIA DE ROB Y NIKI! Ok enough spanish...This week was changes and I received a whole bunch of letters and 2 packages from you and Rob and Niki! I was so excited! Packages and letters are literally the best. I never knew how important these were to missionaries until I actually embarked on this adventure! I love all the vitamins that you sent me and those GRANOLA BARS are to die for! THANK YOU! Oh man I miss healthy food and feeling healthy. Niki sent me the most beautiful type 2 shirt and I have worn in twice this week. She also sent me fun stickers and cosas asi. Tell them thank you so much and give them the biggest of biggest hugs for me.

Thank you so much for your inspiring, uplifting words every week. It is so nice to have family that is so supportive, loving, and my personal cheerleaders. I know that you will always be here for me, and I will always be here for you. siempre.

This week was very crazy...I am still in Progreso for me third change (I cant believe that I have been in this area for more than 3 months!) and I have a new companion!!! Her name is Hermana Herrera from Lima, Peru and she is AWESOME! She is so fun and is probably maybe 5 feet tall. She has so much energy in that little body. It is so funny...I have never ever felt tall in my life, but here, I am like a giant! 5"4 is so tall here. People say to me,"Hermana Coon, you are tall, can you get this for me?" Me TALL? I just laugh and take the compliment because no one has ever called me tall before. She speaks a little bit of english, so I help her with her english, and she helps me with my spanish. I have learned so much from her just in these past 5 days. Her mom is less active, but she is so strong and happy in the gospel. These latinos are so special, their circumstances are so different from us in the States. I feel very grateful. By the way, before I forget....MOM one of my really good friends here is Hermana Hansen! Do you remember her? Do you remember that we read her blog before I came here? She is so great and such a great friend to me! Also, tell Niki and Dawn that Elder Reay in their ward in Cottonwood is my district leader! small world! I also met Elder Hatch on Wednesday, which is grandmas friends grandson!

Ok, I have a funny story to tell you all. Wednesday was cambios, so most of the missionaries in the mission head to a church building in Montevideo close to the mission home. We meet our new companions there and collect our letters and packages. It is really fun and I have made so many great friends here in the mission. I was talking to a new missionary, an oro, and she says to me, "Oh you are THE Hermana Coon? My companion from the CCM has been so excited to meet you!" And then she calls over her CCM companion, Hermana Bullock. Hermana Bullock starts freaking out, giving me hugs, I felt like a celebrity. Hermana Bullock then goes on to tell me that she has been asking everyone in the mission, even President Newsome if they know a Hermana Katie Coon. She told me that she saw my mission call opening video on youtube and has stalked my life. She has been so excited to meet me every since. I was laughing so hard at this....how funny!

It has been overcast and rainy all week. One day last week, it was POURING so hard. I have never been in rain like this before. Uruguay doesnt have sewage systems, and so there is no where for the rain to drain into, except to fill the dirt filled streets. And, you are going to freak out at this, but there is place to put human waste(?) so the streets smell so bad. Well it was raining and as we were walking in the streets, sopping wet from head to toe, we taught people. As we were in peoples houses, the sound of the rain was so loud on the tin roofs. You can probably imagine how loud it would be. Most people life only in cement houses and so the water drains and seaps through the blocks. As we were wading through the streets, we decided to stop by a menos activa, Olga to visit her. Olga is like our grandma in Progreso. ed on her door, she opened, and her eyes got very big. She through her hand over her mouth and started speaking in spanish really fast. "Probrasitas!" And there we were standing on her porch, sopping wet, and very cold. She brought us in, gave us new clothes to wear, fed us some cake and a hot drink, and we sang hymns with her and shared a scripture. We were so thankful for her. We love Hermana Olga even with her hair growing out of her chin. Its the little things where we know that Heavenly Father is aware of us. I am so humbled by the way people live here and I was so humbled by the generosity and Christlike love of Olga.

Well Family, I love you and am so excited to talk to you on Christmas! Only a few weeks away! Thank you so much for your prayers. I could definitely feel them this week. I know Heavenly Father answers prayers and he knows our situations, our desafios, and our weaknesses. I am trying everyday to recognize the han of the Lord in my life and in the lives of others and as I am studying the life of Christ, I am learning of him and growing closer and closer to him everyday.

I love you all so much! We are going to be together for eternity!

Con amor,

Hermana Coon

p.s. Hermana Chavez received all your letters! We read them together this morning. She was and is so touched by your generosity and love. Thank you!

You are probably going to scream when you see the first photo. Yes, that is a tarantula and yes, It lives in the campo, and yes it is alive. Pray for me. haha. chiste.

 

 This is the Dotta Family! He is the Branch President.

 Sweet Hermana Olga.

 Also...I cut my hair. Its really short now. I needed a change, but the hairstylist was like Heather Torriente and cut it all off. haha. Maybe its because I couldn't really express what I wanted in spanish. Who knows. Quien sabe? Good thing hair grows!

My new companion Hermana Herrera! Pray for us! We have so much faith in this area that there are people ready and prepared for this gospel.