Short Email

After waiting all day, Hermana Cole finally emailed us! Unfortunately she was pretty busy and didn't have much time to write, but seems she is doing well!

hi family

I don't have much time today.  since its memorial day everything is closed so we are using some computers in office max for a second until they kick us out haha but thank you for the emails.  I haven't gotten the package yet but hopefully will this week!  things have been really crazy here.  the 1st counselor of the area presidency spoke to us today Elder Cornish.  He was super awesome and we learned so much for him.  I wish I had more time to talk I just don't know how long I have until I have to go haha.  The reason I want peanut butter and raisins and cereal is because its too expensive for me to buy here!  everything is more expensive in the stores because they have to import it.  so if you can still put it in a flat rate box so the weight doesn't matter that would be cool. 

 

sorry no internet really today everything is fine love you guys! ttyl

5/20 Letter

New letter from Hermana Cole!

Hello again!  Thank you all for your emails.  This week went by fast.  We are working really hard to find new investigators but its hard!  We still have a baptism date for this Saturday with the family but we found out yesterday that the Mom might be getting surgrey this week and might have to postpone it.  But we are doing everything we can to make it happen Saturday. Everything always goes wrong right before a baptism gahh! haha I hope you guys got the pictures that I sent last week.  I'm not sure if you did or not.  I don't have much to report for this week. Everything is blending together so I don't really remember what I did... haha But thank you for sending me a package!  I can't wait to get it.  And thank you for finding recipes and stuff.  And thank you Chito for all the advice, I really needed it!  I can't believe its almost summer time for you all.  So exciting.  Sounds like you have some fun plans for the summer.  Its super humid and hot here right now.  But we are getting used to it.  Umm let me think... haha anything else?  I feel like so much happens but then when i come to write about it i can't think of anything haha sorry.  We are really learning a lot and improving.  Time is going by so fast.  Its already more than half way through our first transfer.  Oh i was going to ask so the next package you guys send could you send like cereal, peanut  butter, raisins, and boxed milk? haha those are our staples and they are so expensive here! Oh and maybe like a huge thing of oatmeal.  Just like the cooking kind not the instant?  Thanks!! And like recipes for like simple chicken in the oven or just easy simple things.  We have an hour for lunch so we have time to cook some stuff.  Also I need a recipe for chocolate cookies from a cake box.  I know its like the same i just dont want to make it wrong.  Ok thanks!! I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying their last few days of school! I love you all! Have a good week :)

Mother's Day

We got to skype with Hermana Cole yesterday for Mother's Day! It was so great to see her bubbly face and hear her voice. She is doing so great!

Hello family!  It was so great to talk to you guys yesterday!  Im so glad everything worked.  I was worried we weren't going to be able to skype because no one here has internet at their house, but we were able to go to a members house with the other sisters in their area.  I forgot to say Happy Mother's day.. haha oops.. Happy Mother's Day!! I sent a little card so you should be getting that soon.  I'm not sure how long the mail takes to get to you guys.  I still haven't gotten any mail for two weeks.. But I should be getting it tomorrow, so I hope there is something in the mail!! Send letters too!  

You all look great and it was fun to have everyone there.  I miss the little puppies so it was good to see them too!  The weeks are going by so much faster now.  But it feels like I've been here a little longer than two months.. OH today is my two month mark! yay we are going to coldstone to celebrate :) yay.  And don't worry about me.  I am safe! I promise the water is good here.  Everything is pretty clean.  I'm getting better at riding a bike.  There is a ton of rain though. Nothing like Utah rain.  The streets are literally like lakes and you step in the water and its moving so fast it shoots up at you.  I have to change my clothes like twice a day.  Maybe a rain jacket would be nice.  I don't really know what else I can do about it haha.  I made a list of some stuff that I could use.  You don't have to send it all at once. Ahh i left it in the car..  well i can remember a little.  So snacks would be nice.  We dont have enough money to really buy any.  So like maybe some of those green nature valley granola bars from costco and any other snacks from costco.  Just food! And like maybe some simple recipes we could make.  I can't look up anything so it drives me crazy!  But just like simple little meals.  Im sick of pb and js for dinner.  Plus i think its making me fat.  Umm lets see what else.. maybe some face wash, and some like shoe odor powder or something.  My shoes stink from getting all wet muddy and then drying.  And those costco shoes are the best so far! haha so maybe something like that a cute little durable water proof shoe.. preferably not black cause i already have black.  Or maybe some born flats they have some cute ones of those ive seen some girls have with like bows on the top.  Some comfy shirts too that will go with my skirts.  umm an sd card reader so i can sender pictures.  some light weight leggings i can wear under my skirts.  Super light weight cause its hot!  Some cds of church music or the cheesy efy type. We don't have any thing to listen to.  These a few songs i downloaded on my cmoputer but forgot to burn before i left michelle could burn for me.  Maybe like a little photo album with some pictures in it.  People like to see pictures of the family and stuff and pictures of us when we were younger. so just like lots of older pictures of memories and stuff.  I think thats all for now.  I know i was complaining a lot yesterday haha.  Its really not as bad as it sounds.  We are learning a lot and improving everyday.  Our teaching skills could use some improvement but we are working on that.  I think it will be nice to have some visuals or some creative ways to teach stuff.  We dont have any time to think or make anything up.  Maybe if you could find a little puzzle of a temple i could use that in my lessons too.  I don't know its utah im sure they have tons of lessons and stuff to buy.  or look on pinterest.  But we are doing really well.  The baptism is planned for the 25th now.  Its good it was postponed because the girls are old enough that they should have a testimony for themselves before the family is baptized, and they are progressing a lot now.  So hopefully the 25th will work!  If you can think of any creative teaching ideas or approaches let me know.  I get stressed sometimes because there isn't enough time to organize my thoughts and put myself into my teachings.  So if you could give me some starters that would put me at peace a little.  The way we teach now isn't the most effective for me or the investigators, thats why we are trying to work on that.  This week was better though.  We took a step back to try to figure out how things work and its been really helpful.  We should have done that up front but we were trying to do everything perfect.  We are learning that it will take time to get there.  I hope we can get some more sleep! haha but i don't think we ever will there is a bird that wakes us up every morning at 415 and its hard to go back to sleep for the next hour and a half.  Maybe send me some ear plugs haha.  Also could you put more money in my personal account? Anything we need to buy thats not food or supplies has to come from our personal account.. theres a lot more than you would think.  Anyways thanks again for everything!  Tell me what your plans are going to be for the summer!  And start planning our 2014 Christmas cause i need to come back and go to the beach!! Its so beautiful!  Love you all!! In honor of Mother's Day my spiritual thought is Proverbs 31 10-31.  The power of a virtuous woman.  Thanks for being such a great example of this Mom!  Love you guys

Con amor, 

Hermana Cole 

This chica had 10 cavities! 

Bicicleta

Hello family! 

So I made it through another week.  This week went by much faster, which is good cause sometimes I feel like a year and a half will take forever and the rate Im going haha.  Sounds like everyone is very busy still, I know I say that in every email but its true!  Its been raining a lot here and I got completely drenched.  We aren't very good missionaries I guess because no one would let us in even when it was pouring, so we just had to keep going in the rain for a few hours.  At least it wasn't cold rain.  I didn't mind it too much.  My companion and I are holding up haha.  Its hard with our lack of spanish.  Talking on the phone is the hardest I think, I can't understand a word they say! We are baptizing a mom and her two daughters and a friend this Saturday so I hope it pulls through! I am super excited!  I will send lots of pics.  Its still a little overwhelming but we are starting to get used to it.  We wake up at 5:50 every morning and go to bed at 10:30.  I feel like its not enough sleep! haha but my body is adjusting.  The bug bites are ok, I just need to make sure I always put spray on because there have been a few missionaries that have gotten dengue.  I still suck at riding a bike haha.  My skirt got caught in the tire two days ago and ripped it a little.  We do wear like leggings under the bike though and I tie it up.  Its just still hard!  The roads are ok, they are definitely better than the roads in the Dominican.  We ride our bike all day but everyone says they've still gained literally 20 pounds or more.  I've yet to have a Puerto Rican meal yet so I think im still ok.  Yes we are the only missionaries in our area.  Each companionship has their own area they cover.  But we live with two other girls.  One is from Mexico and the other is from Columbia.  I usually don't have any problems understanding their spanish, but the Puerto Ricans speak so fast!  

I don't have like any time to write but i will try my best to write back eventually to everyone. And Sunday is Mother's Day! Yayyy! Happy early Mothers day! Well thats about all I have time for today.  I love and miss you all.  Thanks for all the emails and support!  In the next package send snacks!  And maybe some shirts and anything else you want.  I will think of some stuff maybe and let you know.  Thanks! This week we've been studying a lot about the atonement of Christ and what exactly it means.  I really liked the scriptures in Mosiah 14: 1-7 that talks about it, so I encourage everyone to read it and ponder about what it means to you!  Lovessss!! Can't wait to talk to everyone on Sunday! 

Hermana Cole

Cute sister missionaries

Study time

Tying up the skirt to ride 

Cute biker 

Her companion

Popped tire 

They got lost and had to be picked up, and then had to take their bikes apart to fit in the car!

These hermanas look exhausted!