June 16, 2014

Dear Family,

WOW! Christian, I am SO excited for you! I will send you references like crazy of all the Chilean family members that are living in Florida! I can´t help but laugh because today I got a call that I get to have a change of area, but I am still going to be in the EXACT same community, called ¨La Florida¨. The ward is in my old stake, and we live right next to my old apartment. Same building and everything. It is going to feel like I am back in square one, but I am excited for that!

Oh, and, my new companion is...wait for it....a GRINGA! Hermana Leishman, my bestie from the CCM. Crazy crazy. I feel like we are going to have a lot of fun together, and she is an exercise nut so I will get kicked into shape.

My missionary realizations for the week:

The best diet is taking off 3 coats and feeling skinny again.

I managed to maneuver around town without my sense of touch this week. Every useful appendage was numb with the wet coldness. We were dropping things and forgetting things left and right without being able to feel them in our hands.

We lost companion communication for about 2 days because our umbrellas are fat and the sidewalk is either a) small or b) nonexistent.

The dryer and the heaters cant go at the same time, or Houston, we´ve got a problem! The neighbors laughed as we´d have to flip the breaker every few minutes
.

The funniest thing that was said to me was by a recent convert in our ward that grew up in New York. He is a really nice grandpa. He said, ¨May the Lord alleviate the burden of the Spanish language that has been placed upon you....¨ in all seriousness. I was like, ¨Hey man, I like Spanish!¨

Well, here is some good news. People are reading The Book of Mormon! Like, everyone. Its a miracle. They are all starting from the beginning and going through. Then we are able to relate our lessons into their reading and WALA, real conversion. I was loving the excitement that came over their faces as they said ¨I finished Chapter 3 of Nephi!¨ or ¨I am now in...uhm....what´s his name? Jacob!¨ The Book of Mormon is a powerful tool that we can NOT take for granted.

Eva should be getting out to the field, like, tomorrow? That´s exciting. Maybe SHE will get a latina comp and maybe SHE can learn Spanish....haha. But really, she is going to be great! Can´t wait to hear about it.

Also, time is going to FLY for you, family. You´ll all be getting ready for Christiano to go, then be like, ¨Bye Christian¨, then be like ¨Hi Lauren¨. It kills me that he´ll be leaving just 2 months before I get home! Drats. Oh well, it´s for the better!

I love you all. Sorry, don´t have much time today because I have to go and pack.

Oh, I´ll send the story that goes with this picture really fast:

So, we went to the relief society activity with an investigator and a few less active sisters. They were learning how to use a loom, but the nails kept falling out. Me and my companion, being the crafty homemakers we are, found a makeshift hammer, aka a spoon. We got those nails in real good. We were SOOO exhausted after wandering in the rain all day and then coordinating to get everyone there. It was totally worth it, but we literally collapsed on the floor when we entered our house. Then I realized I still had the spoon in my hand. haha, fool.

Love,

Hermana VanCottita