AAAGGGGHHHHH!

 

Lauren's Hair Is Growing

 

Everyone accuses Lauren of having a nose job.  She decided to make a nose out of the tortilla recipe she messed up.

 

Lauren's week to cook - poor Sisters!

 

Cutting Hair

 

Lauren's first REAL letter...from Sister Haderlie

 

Studying in the park!

 

First Baptism!

 

Activated father performing the baptism!

 

That was the only appropriate way to start off this letter. This week has been CRAZY. I don’t know where to begin. I am ready to go into hibernation, but that isn’t allowed. Well, technically I can go into hibernation for the rest of Pday, so I am excited to do that.

Remember how last Pday I was on cooking duty? Get this, we had the neighbors call us and ask us to open windows because it smelt bad. REALLY?! We have burnt a pot of beans and nobody called! My cooking is hopeless. I did my best with the tortillas. I just forgot salt. and added too much water. Its not like there were literally 4 ingredients or anything...So, we used the dough to construct a new nose for me...I just thought it would be funny if all the people thought I got a nose job or something.

I got to go into the big main part of the city, outside of my mission, to get my Carnet this week. I never want to enter a government building again. We woke up at 4 am, and were on our feet for the next 8 hours in 3 different government buildings. It was worse than the DMV, which is my personal idea of hell. The city was pretty though. I loved the old buildings and the hustle and bustle!

After that adventure, I came home and did a 20 minute fast service cutting a members hair. She is super cute and helps us with mission work all the time. Their family runs the ward, perfect people.

Another highlight from the week was walking to the farthest part of our sector to pick up lunch to bring back to our apartment. It was a long walk in the heat, and we were starving. The best part was getting back to the apartment and realizing we left the keys in there. We thought to call the other Hermanas that live with us, but then realized that we, too, had forgotten the cell phone. So, we sat outside in the hall on cold tile nibbling on the meat and doing our studies until the Hermanas returned. My bum has never been more sore.

Now, for the GOOD NEWS: We had a baptism! The darling Marìa Josè! Our district leader who interviewed her was really impressed by her knowledge and maturity. She is one smart cookie. Her dad was able to baptize her, which was adorable. He is recently coming back into activation. Her mom isn`t a member, but she came to the baptism! The ward was great and really supportive. We had everyone write their testimonies while she was changing, and we are going to make her a little book with all the testimonies of her family, friends, and leaders.

I am excited for tomorrow because Elder Holland is coming! I am anxious to hear what he talks to us about, and I am excited to learn and apply his counsel. We are so blessed to live in this time of the world with living Apostles and a Prophet.

Oh, also, 3 cheers goes to my first letter received on the mission! It was from my cute 90 year old neighbor, Sister Sybill Haderlie. I really appreciated her kind words and inspiring poems. She is adorable.

Thank you for all the support, prayers, and emails! I wish I had more time to respond to everyone. I love you and you are all in my prayers!

Love,

Hermana VanCott