I'm singing in the Rain

Kathryn Coon	10:27 AM (19 minutes ago)
to me, Grant

¡Mi Familia!

It has been a week full of rain, prayer, conferences, wind, and even more rain! It has literally rained for 5 days straight...it doesnt stop here. I have never ever seen weather like this before. In Arizona it rains for like 5 minutes and then stops, but here in Uruguay, it rains buckets! I LOVE IT! 

This week for service, Hermana Harris and I cleaned two members houses. Goodness, the people here are so poor. One sweet sister whose house we cleaned literally lives in a cement house probably the size of our kitchen. Its so dirty and unorganized, so we began to help her organize and section and sweet all the dirt off the cement ground. Then, she asked us to wash her greasy dishes. She took us around to the back of the house, and there was a water faucet! i was so humbled...this family didnt even have a kitchen with running water inside. So we washed the dishes the best we could outside in the backyard! It felt just like Girls Camp all over again! So when you wash dishes today, mom, just soak in every moment of all that hot running water for me. Boy, we are blessed. The next sweet sister is named Olga. She is a menos activo and just the sweet as can be. She gives us kisses on the cheek and really treats us like we are her own. She is probably 70 years old and has hair growing out of her chin. We love her. We dusted for her and she fed us lunch. It was probably the best meal that I have ever had here...rice and no meat! haha.

This week has been probably one of the most difficult weeks I have had since being here and I have had to really rely on my Heavenly Father for help. I have found myself many, many times on my knees asking for help because I literally had no strength to carry on. I have earnestly prayed for Heavenly Father to give me the strength and to bless me with the ability to listen to those quiet prompting of the spirit, and to have the courage and faith to open my mouth and to know that I will be blessed with words to say in spanish. Trying to learn a language is the most draining experience. I am struggling with patience with myself. I said, ¨Heavenly Father, I am exhausted. I am in a foreign land. I miss my home and family. I dont know what people are saying to me, and I dont know how to communicate well. I dont know how to teach in spanish. But, even though there are lots of things that I dont know how to do, what I do know is that these weaknesses that I have will be made strengths if I just humble myself and submit myself to thy will. Please help me to love these people and to feel of thy love.¨ Amen. That was my prayer, and you know what, Heavenly Father ALWAYS answers my prayers. The next day, was Sunday, and we picked up Aurora, a recent convert for church. We walked in the little church building and inside the sacrament room was a member of the ward, Brother Moreño, tuning the old piano! I just wanted to burst into tears, I was so touched, so touched that someone would be that thoughtful. I am the only one in the branch that plays the piano, and he was tuning it just for me. It felt like my heart literally grew 2 sizes bigger for love for these members. I was able to play the piano that day for the branch on a nice, somewhat tuned piano. I was so happy!

I want to share another experience where Heavenly Father answered my prayers. I spoke in church yesterday, and lets be honest, I hardly know spanish and I speak like a gringa. I stood up there on the stand, knowing that the Lord would help me. I spoke on the Atonement and repentance. I spoke about the hijos de Mosiah and Alma the Younger and how they were the vilest of sinners, but they were able to change their lives through the atonement of Jesucristo. I said some other things which I dont really remember haha and then at the end, I shared my testimony. I remember saying,¨You probably dont understand anything I have said, but I hope that you notice how you feel.¨Mom and Dad, the spirit was so strong and I began to get emotional. I looked down at the members and they were mouthing, ¨No, we have understood everything that you have said!¨ It was definitely the gift of tongues going on right there. My heart was so full of love for these people and for my Savior. And I learned through this experience, that we all have difficult days, but Christ is here to lift us up. I had some frustating days this week where all I wanted to do was to be home laying on our carpet speaking in english, going on a family bike ride, and taking a nice clean hot shower, but I could feel the strength of Christ helping me to push on a little more. Gosh, I am thankful for experiences like these to help me recognize how much I have learned and grown in just these short 2 months. The branch just loves their hermanas. All four of us hermanas sang a musical number, ¨Lead Kindly Light¨in spanish of course. The spirit was so strong once again. Afterwards, we were given lots of kisses on the cheek.

Hermana Harris and I are working hard every moment of the day. We are here to forget about ourselves and to devote ALL of our time and talents to the Lord and to these humble people of Progreso that dont even have running water in their kitchens. Mom, dad, james, annie, and hannah...I love you! Thank you for your love, support, and PRAYERS! I really needed them this week. Time to walk in the pouring rain and while we do, ¨I will be singing, SINGING IN THE RAIN!¨ because I am so happy.

Love you all. Until next week!

Hermana Coon

p.s. funny fact...A less active was asking me the names of my parents the other day and I said Grant and Jill. They looked at me like I was crazy and the funniest part about it was they could not even pronounce your names! haha. Thought that would make you smile! xoxo

Photos of Hermana Harris and I ready to embrace the storm! It was literally raining buckets outside, and the wind was howling, but you know us missionaries, we work no matter what weather...rain, shine, snow, sleet...the show must go on! (from Singing in the Rain.) I actually did burst into the song Singing in the Rain from my favorite movie while proselyting one day. I couldnt help myself! The weather is NEVER like this in Arizona...i have NEVER seen weather like this in my life! Rains non stop!

The cute hat was given to me to borrow by a sweet menos activo (less active) named M. She was worried that i didnt have anything to keep my head warm. Its actually a really cute hat, but in the photo you cant really see what it looks like. (I hope I dont get lice!)