I am going to be a vegetarian when I come home, seriously!

Hello my loves!

I FINALLY GOT THE PACKAGES AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF DEAR ELDERS AND LETTERS!!!! Best moment ever! I never realized how great it was as a missionary to receive letters and packages in the mail...but its the best thing EVER! I even got letters from the Shumways! I loved them all! Thank you so much for the 2 packages and for the letters! It was like Christmas...literally. Since it is finally Pday, this morning I read all of my letters. I was so excited and could hardly wait..it was so tempting not to read them during the week! Not going to lie, as I was reading your letters I ate a few York mint patties and my eyes became very moist, just something about eating something that I love from America and reading sweet, kind words from those I love made me a little emotional. 

I love those pictures that you sent from San Fran! Looks like A BLAST! You are all so beautiful. Your letters made me laugh out loud and made me really happy. I just really really really love my family. So happy with your missionary efforts. And James! Big news about football. I am so proud of you for making that decision and I know that you will see many blessings from this decision. Love you bro!

This week has probably been the fastest week since being on the mission. It has been a trying week. I have had to make a contious effort to be patient with others and especially myself. This whole spanish thing is HARD. People talk so fast and I speak like a Gringa. Its a bit frustrating when I build up all this courage to talk to someone and then they just ignore me because I cant speak well or when they know that I am from the States and they make fun of me and answer back in English very poorly. But, everyday I try really hard to speak because I know that someday I will wake up and will be able to communicate and understand in Spanish. I feel like I pray 1,000,000 times a day for help. I can feel your prayers and it means so much to me...so thank you!

I have been studying in Alma and I was reading about Alma and how he was preaching Ammonihah and no one wanted to listen to him. They were all prideful and stiffnecked. That is exactly how Hna Harris and I felt this week. Everyday we hablamos con todos and NO ONE wanted to hear our message or even give us the time of day. The nicest person that we talked to one day was a Satan worshipper! We tried everything to get peoples attention, we even sang hymns in spanish on a street corner by a bus stop! haha people just looked at us like we were crazy. Its great reading about the awesome missionaries in the scriptures because I can relate. This morning, I studied in Alma 17 about the Sons of Mosiah and their example, how they had patience to bear their afflictions and courage. Thats what I pray for everyday...patience and courage. 

Hna Harris and I had the weirdest experience a few days ago. It was raining...like pouring so hard. I have never experienced rain like this before. We went out in the pouring rain to work. We were in a town in our area called Juanico. No one was in the streets, except for a really drunk man. We walked past him, but he called us over, and we felt like we needed to talk to him, so we did. He reeked of beer, had no teeth, and was homeless and dirty. He began sobing and crying and telling us how his 10 year old daughter was killed. He didnt have any belief that he would see his daughter and he kept asking us, ¨Where is God?¨It was so sad, but all we could do was testify to him about the Plan of Happiness, that he will see his daughter again. I hope he felt comforted, probably not because he was so drunk. We left, visited a less active that has 11 CATS (I died). There is a lot more to the story about this man, but I will just tell you that we saved him from commiting suicide. It was the weirdest experience of my life!

I love my mission president and his wife! They are amazing! His theme is ¨Hoy is el Dia!¨

I am going to be a vegetarian when I come home. or maybe a vegan. Haha seriously though. Yesterday, we ate dinner at the branch presidents home and I have never seen so much meat in my life. Carne asada i think. He just kept slathering meat onto our plates. Heavenly Father has quite the sense of humor. He sent me to a place that is obssesed with 3 things that I am not a big fan of

1) Meat and Mayonaise

2) Soda pop

3) Animals

But, yesterday, I accomplished a life long goal of MILKING A COW! Presidente Dotta lives on a farm and it was time to milk the cow yesterday, so we did! It was awesome! Look at all these life skills I am learning on my mission! haha.

Well, family. I love you all. Thank you again for the packages and letters. Keep writing me on Dear Elder. It was the best to receive all the fun! 

Until next week...

Hna Coon