Pictures of our Missionary

 Katie finally sent a few pictures.  It is so good to see her smiling face! 

 I am so proud of my girl!  She is doing wonderful!  Learning spanish and adjusting to her new life as a missionary.  There is something about seeing her face that gives you relief and strength!

This week went FAST!

Dear Dad, Mom, James, Annie, and Hannah!

Hello sweet family! Well, another week has come and gone! Time seems to be moving faster and faster! I have seen that it has been rainy all week in Gilbert...thunderstorms! I love those Arizona monsoons. It sounds like you all have had a fun week...boating, playing sardines, shopping for school uniforms, etc. I LOVE those videos that you sent me from your iphone...they make me so happy!

Its been a good week! On Saturday, about 24 other missionaries and I went proselyting in a city in Buenos Aires! It was the first time I went outside of the CCM gates! I have so much to say about this day, but Ill do my best to put it into words. We all loaded on the bus and I was not expecting what I was about to experience. All I can say is, "Hermana, you are not in Gilbert anymore." I looked out the bus window and couldnt believe my eyes at what I was seeing. Think of the poorest areas in Phoenix (aka the ghetto). This was fifty times more poor. After driving around for about an hour, the bus driver dropped us off in an area and said, "Ill be back at 5pm." (in spanish, of course) and then he drove off. I was nervous. Here I was in the middle of a foreign country, not knowing spanish very well. My companions and i said a prayer and then we went forward with faith that Heavenly Father would help and direct us on who to talk to. We crossed over train tracks to get to our assigned area. As soon as we walked over the train tracks, a group of young men cat called us over to talk to them. "chicas, chicas!" They were cooking pollo (chicken) outside. We introduced ourselves, they did the same. It was so funny because they kept telling us that we had beautiful eyes and they kept telling me that I had beautiful dientes blanco! (white teeth) We had a good laugh at that one. There are dogs everywhere! The buildings are all different colors, the houses are so poor, and trash covers the ground. Everyone person that we saw we said hola to.

We met a super nice couple, Nicholas y Rosa, who work at the local vegetable market. I was so surprised that I could actually carry on somewhat of a conversation with them. We talked about the church and about the Book of Mormon and I almost handed out my first Libro de Mormon, but they wouldnt take it. They said they are dedicated to their church, but Nicolas brother is a member! They gave us a big hug when we left and Rosa whispered in my ear, "Encanta." (wish means love, or something like that)

The coolest story is saved for last. We were walking past a few run down apartment buildings/houses, when out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone walk out of their house trying to get our attention. We stopped and began talking to this man. His name is Omar Washington. Omar was smoking and it was really difficult for my companions and I to understand what he was saying because he had such a heavy accent. We told him that we were from the United States and that we are missionaries de la Inglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimas Dias. We told him about el Libro de Mormon and gave him a Restauración folleta (pamphlet). He was so interested! It was really neat! We even made an appointment to come back and teach him this Saturday at 1pm. Its just amazing how the Lord puts people in our path. And its amazing that we were able to somewhat communicate to these natives.

I really enjoyed proselyting for the first time. As we walked down the streets of this Buenos Aires neighborhood, I felt like we were unstopable. I felt kinda like we had angels surrounding us, it was the best. I wish I could explain better the poverty that I saw. I just feel really humbled and grateful for my many blessings.

So this week:: 1.) I started to break out in a rash. I talked to Hermana Openshaw (the mission presidents wife) and she said that I might have exema (sp?), be allergic to the detergent, or maybe the water? Still not sure...the water here is very...different! haha. everything is way different. I am living in a completely different world! wow!

2.) Tyler Day, Elder Day, is HERE! I am so glad he is here!

3.) Today, we went to the temple and I did the whole session in espanol for the first time!

4.) I was dared to try blood sausage for dinner one night by the elders in my district. My companions and I did...and it was yuck. We are served some very interesting things here at the CCM, but Im sure its going to get a lot worse out in the field. haha.

I love you all very much! I am grateful for you. Tell everyone I love them and pray for them daily. Thank you for your prayers on my behalf. I can really feel them. The Lord is working mighty miracles everyday! 

Annie and Hannah, good luck with school next week! You two are going to do awesome and you are going to look so cute in your uniforms! James, way to go taking all of those hard classes. You are awesome! Mom and dad, I love reading your emails. Thank you for your love, encouragement, and support. Love you, love you, love you! xoxo

Con amor,
Hermana Coon

Loving Life in Argentina!

Hola Mi Familia!

I love you all so much! I loved reading all of your emails and the sweet emails that you sent me! Annie! I love your braces! You look so cute! I bet your teeth are very sore, but you are so lucky...you get to eat ice and pudding all the time because you have sore teeth! haha! Mom, your hair looks so cute and that story about your friend is so awesome! You never realize the impact that you have on someone! Hannah, Im sorry you are getting sick. It sounds like you and Annie had so much fun on your daddy daughter date! How fun you are at football camp, James...and you went on another date!! You are so great and working so hard, bro! Keep it up! Dad, you are wonderful. Thanks for being you. I loved the video you sent me too! I love you all mucho!!!!

This week has been a week full of tender mercies from the Lord! Being a missionary is such an amazing experience!

#1 Last Thursday, we were able to do a session in the Buenos Aires, Argentina temple! It is such a unique, beautiful temple. As I walked in the doors of the temple, the spirit was so strong. I had this instant love for these temple workers and people of Argentina that were there. It sounds cheesy, but I thought my heart was going to burst with love for these sweet people, even though we had the language barrier! haha It was really different doing the session in spanish. I had a translator, but could still hear the espanol. Everything about this temple is so exquisitie, yet simple. Love it! Today we get to do another session since its Pday!

#2 Yesterday my companions and I taught another lesson to our new investigator, Edison. We have been struggling and practicing  teaching with the spirit. We had a companion fast on Sunday. Yesterday, we prayed with real intent that the Spririt would be strongly present in the room with our investigator. Its still very difficult for me to communicate back in spanish, but I knew that if I would just open my mouth, then words would flow. We taught Edison about our Padre Celestial amoroso (loving Heavenly Father). As I bore testimony at the end (in spanish) that we have a Heavenly Father who wants us to return back to him and he has provided different ways to do that by repentance, the spirit, and ultimately baptism. I know that what you feel is the Holy Ghost telling you that what we are teaching is true. The spirit was so strong and so thick in the air. I could tell that Edison could feel it...I could feel it. We ended our lesson and afterwards said a companion prayer thanking our Father in Heaven. It was a powerful experience and a big turning point for me!

#3 Yesterday, during actividad fiscia, (Physical Activitiy, aka Recess haha) my companions, Hma Gearing y Hma Gines, and I decided to take a wake to the nearby park. We did some excercises in the park and then afterwards just layed on the grass. Right then, it hit me! I am living in Argentina! It was such a gorgeous day outside...clear sky, green grass, sunny day 70 degrees, and we had the perfect view of the Argentine temple with the Argentine flag blowing in the wind. I could hear the latino music playing in the background, and could see families across the busy freeway play futbol y being together. I felt so good. I felt so happy. I eflt grateful for this opportunity. Life is so good and I have learned that I must always enjoy the moment. Bloom where I am planted, life life and love life. Things work out, Heavenly Father knows me, cares about me, and loves me. He loves all of us, I know that to be true. Life is TRUELY (haha) beautiful!

#4 I am thankful for Latinos! I love them. so much! I love the latino cooks, and my new friend Hermana Alberti, the cleaning lady. The Latino elders here are so funny. We are not allowed to take pictures normally, but since this set of Latino missionaries were leaving the CCM soon, we could. They had their cameras out and were taking a lot of pictures. I was walking down the hallway of the CCM after class, and I felt like I had poparazzi! I have never had so many boys{men want to take their picture with me. It was so funny! Hermana Coon! Hermana Coon! It must be an american girl thing...haha i dont know! I love my latino roommates, too! I have made so many good friends from people from other countries. It is so fun! My teachers here at the CCM are awesome too. Hmo Abad y Hmo Baiz.

This Saturday we go proselyting for the first time in the city!

Oh, yes! Those antibiotics! Its okay, I got a shot when I first got here instead of taking the pills. Sorry about that!

The food here is MEAT. Everything is MEAT! I think I might go vegetarian when I get home...just kidding, but I am really tired of eating MEAT with every meal. haha

There is so much more that I want to tell you, but I am so limitied on time! Thank you so much for your prayers. I can feel them! The language is coming, poco a poco. Little by little. And it is only through the help of Heavenly Father that I am learning so much. I have never learned so much in 2 weeks! I am working so hard and am learning so much about the gospel and spanish. I love this gospel! It has brought so much peace to my life. I was thinking last night as I was going to bed. I use to be afraid to share the gospel with friends or with neighbors, but I am not anymore. Every deserves the happiness that the gospel brings. Everyone should know of the truth and we are so blessed to know that truth. I love the scripture 3 Nefi 27 13-22.

Have a great week, family! I love you dad! I love you mom! I love you james! I love you annie! I love you hannah!

Con amor,

Hma Coon!

Hermana Coon's first letter

Hola mi familia!

 

¿Como le va? I love you all so much! I wish I could give you all a big hug right now...Thank you for the sweet emails this week! I loved opening up my email and seeing lots of love from my family and some friends! It makes me corazon (heart) so felizidad (happy)!

 

I have been so excited to write you my very first letter in my mission! I have so much to say and I hope I dont leave anything out. This week has been the longest, happiest, hardest, and most spiritual week I have ever had. The CCM is amazing! I have never felt the spirit so strong as I have here. It is such a special feeling knowing that I am called full time missionary serving my Heavenly Father. I feel like I am such a different person than I was last week. I can feel my Padre Celestial (Heavenly Father) molding me into the missionary he wants me to be. I am working hard. This is the hardest thing I have ever done, but this is the best decision I have ever made to serve a mission.

 

I have learned a lot this week about the Argentine culture, which is very unique! haha. The flight here to Argentina was so long. I loved looking out the window as we were flying over South America and seeing all the lights. I had to keep pinching myself asking if this was really real!! The members here are very friendly. As soon as we got off the plane on Thursday, we were greeted by this sweet sister missionary who was returning home from her mission in Spain. She is from Argentina. She ran up to Hermana Benson and I, and I thought she was going in for a hug, but no! Instead she hugged me, but kissed me on both cheeks! It was so funny! The sister told us that she knew we were sister missionaries because of our shoes. haha. I have not been kissed on the cheek this much for a long time! Latinos are so funny. The weather here in Argentina is hace frio! very cold! I woke up this morning to pouring rain. It is humid outside too, way different from what Im use too!

 

I have two companions, Hermana Goering and Hermana Gines. Hma Gearing is from Iowa and goes to school at BYU studying to be a recreation management and Hma Gines just graduated from Utah State in history. Both are very smart and already knew a lot of spanish, so they are helping me out immensely! We have fun together. I really enjoy the district that I am in, too! Its the Moroni, pronounced Moronee, district. 3 companionships of elders and  2 companionships of hermanas. We laugh a lot.

 

Everything about the CCM that I was told before I came out is so true! Right when we arrived here, we were just thrown into spanish. There are about 80 missionaries here at the CCM, half latino, half Norte Americano. I could not understand for the life of me what anyone was saying! The first official day here, we were thrown into teaching a lesson to an investigator in Spanish! Talk about scary! Our investigators name is Fransico. We teach Fransico almost everyday and it can only be in spanish. (Fransico is actually our teacher, Hermano Baiz. Hes actually a really good actor and makes it feel like hes a real investigator who doesnt know anything about the church.) Right now, we are teaching him how to pray and about the restoration. I really love gospel...and spanish! The food here is very interesante....I miss your healthy, yummy food, Mom! We have a few cooks here at the CCM. They are so sweet and nice. The main course of every meal is meat. On Wednesday night, we were served blood sausage, and some other cow meat. (I think they served us a cow tongue and spine??) haha. We are served a lot of carbs here...pasta, bread, and also a lot of dulce de leche. They love that here! Good thing they have somewhat of a salad bar! Every meal I dish myself up some salad and tomatoes. We sit all day here, so during free time, my companions and some other sisters from our district exercise. It is so fun! I love these hermanas!

 

We study all day long here at the CCM. My companeras and I were laughing yesterday because all we do here is study, eat, and pray. We wake up at 6 30, get ready, eat breakfast at 7, and then from8am to 9 30pm is language study, personal study, companion study, more meals, devotionals, and teaching! It is exhausting and by the end of the day, my brain hurts. Life here is so amazing. Every night, as I climb into my bunk bed, I lay there at think all about my day. I feel so blessed. I realize how much I am learning each day and can see Heavenly Fathers hand in my life. I could not do anything without him. Already, I am able to understand a lot spoken in Spanish, and its only the first week! When our teachers speak in spanish, which is most of the time, I understand what they are saying. Communicating is a different story though, thats a little more challenging. I know that my Heavenly Father knows me. He knows what Im struggling with, he knows my weaknesses, and I can feel the Spirit with me constantly.

 

I have been in constant communication with my Father in Heaven this week. Its been so good for me because usually, I would go talk to you mom and dad asking you for advice, but now I have turned to my Padre Celestial. I have had quite a few personal experiences of how I know that he hears my prayers and knows my concerns. I have been acting on a lot of faith this week. Earlier this week, I had been studying and learning how to pray in Spanish. I was asked to give the prayer at one of the devotionals we had with a couple districts...in Spanish! I had studied it and I could only act in faith that He would help me...and he did!

 

Ive also been thinking a lot about the kind of missionary that I want to be. I want to be a missionary who obeys with EXACTNESS! Obedience brings blessings, but EXACT obedience brings MIRACLES. Thats what I need. I need miracles to happen. I know that if I ask Father, in faith, to help me learn the language, believing that I will receive, it shall be given unto me! My purpose here is to bring others unto Christ. It is by faith, miracles will happen....and I have faith!

 

Thursdays are Pdays here at the CCM...and today we get to walk across the street to go to the temple! I am so excited! Also, they said that they dont want any packages mailed here to the CCM, but instead to send them to the mission home in Uruguay. Also, to keep the packages safe, they said its best to put pictures of Jesus or Mary on the package!

 

Thank you for your sweet emails. I loved the pictures! Good luck with acutane, James. It will be so worth it in the end! Annie and Hannah...I love that you are sleeping in my room and its so fun you at Thriftys icecream! Mom and Dad, you are the best! I love you all so much. You are all my best friends and I am so thankful that we will be a family for eternity. Have a fantastico semana! xoxo

 

Con amor,

Hermana Coon!

 

 

She is off to Uruguay!

 July 3, 2013
We have a had a spiritual few days. It started off with Katie farewell talk in church. She did such a great job. The spirit was so nice. She spoke on the "Priesthood".

Tuesday night, July 2, President Andersen came to our home at 9pm to set Katie apart as a missionary.  The spirit was so sweet and warm.  He talked to us for a while and them gave her a blessing. President Andersen asked her to share her testimony.  Grant and I talked and both agreed the testimony she shared with us was not a testimony of a missionary just leaving on her mission. It was a strong testimony that a return missionary would have given. She is such a valiant, happy young women.

Wednesday morning, July 3, we woke and I fixed her one last green smoothie. Then Grant gave her a fathers blessing.  Again it was a beautiful blessing.

We stood outside the security for 30 minutes just soaking up each other.  It was hard to let her go, but we are also so excited for her to serve as a missionary... a representative of our Savior. All afternoon we followed her airplane on an app on our phones. She flew to Atlanta, Georgia at 5pm.  Then she had a lay over for 4 hours in the airport.  Then she flew to Argentina through the night, arriving at 7am.  At 2 pm I received a call from her telling me she borrowed someone's phone to call, we talked for 2 minutes. This morning she wrote an email and told us she made it. Argentina MTC is right across the street from the Temple. It is very beautiful there and the people are so friendly.  They are all greeting her with lots of hugs and kisses on both cheeks.
This is going to be such a wonderful experience.  I look forward to receiving letter and pictures from my wonderful daughter and close friend, each week.  Until the first letter... bye bye!