10.28.2013

Dear family,

I'm back in puerto rico!  The short trip to Antigua was nice, but I know that my area is Caguas and i missed speaking spanish! haha it was nice to visit my old companion though.  she's been out there in antigua since after our first transfer together like 6 months.  This week was a really slow week here because we weren't really here.  We only had about 3 days in our area.  Saturday our ward had a desert competition.  We tried to make the peach cobbler, that was a fail haha. we don't actually have an oven in our house so we had to go to a members house and it was just bad haha.  our dessert obviously did not win haha. That's too bad that grandma didn't get to enjoy all of her halloween party.  I hope she is ok.  Sounds like the kids still enjoyed it though.  I bet Jayden just loved the puppy.  too cute.  On halloween here we are coming in at 6 for safety reasons.  but we decorated our apartment with the stuff lauren sent me!  its just super cute!

This week i've been studying about our purpose in coming to earth in the plan of salvation.  Three things that our Heavenly Father had in the premortal life that we didn't have yet were 1. a perfect body and intelligence 2. a perfect relationship 3. an eternal posterity.  We came to earth because we decided that we also wanted these three things, and the plan of salvation is how we can have them.  We have been given a physical body and intelligence, a spouse, and children to learn how to perfect them.  But we can't have these three things without the blessings of the temple.  If we truly understood how important these three things are, we wouldn't have trouble keeping the commandments that God has given us, as they all protect these three gifts. Anyways i've just been thinking about that this week and thought i would share it. 

I hope that everyone is doing well.  I love you all!! xoxo

hermana cole

 

 

ps. going to the beach is not breaking the rules, we didn't touch the water!!

10.21.13

hello family!

this week was kind of slow because i had like three different training meetings but we are slowly coming along here in caguas.  we have the baptism dates still but none of them came to church so we are still working on helping them keep all of their committments!  The weather is still the same.  I don't think it ever changes haha.  Tomorrow I'm going to St. Thomas and Antiga for some training but I will be back in Caguas on Thursday.  I'm a little worried about leaving my area for so long but we will just have to work extra hard the days that we will be here.  We have a member who is coming back to church after 15 years of being inactive.  She's going so strong!  Its so exciting to see her discover the gospel again and remember everything she felt when she was baptized.  We left the restoration video with her and she told us she watched it 3 times in 1 day haha. 

My spanish is stll horrible haha.  I really just can't say my rs but its ok.  My companion says they are getting better.  This weekend our ward is having a dessert contest.  I'm not sure what we are making yet.  The ward mission leader really wants me to make some peach cobbler haha.  Probably will just make cookies. 

Sounds like you all had a really exciting week with everyones birthdays and the zombie dance.  Crazy that the cheerleaders acn stunt now.  Thats awesome.  Grandmas halloween party sounds like it is going to be super fun!  I am jealous!  Lauren sent me lots of halloween treats though so we are going to decorate all nice and cute!  I'm glad the dogs are doing well.  I miss all the puppies. 

Tonight we are doing another big family home evening so we will see how that goes!  We are going to do an activity with the tree of life.  I really dont have any pictures to send.  I dont' like taking them haha. But i will try to be better at it. 

I hope that Michelle and Dad had a great birthday!! Happy birthdayyyy!!! I love you all!!!

love hna cole

10.14.13

Dear family

im sorry I never write very much haha I will be better at it.  im just so bussyyy.  anyways im still in Caguas.  and im training a new sister from mexico! yay im so excited because we are going to eat Mexican food.  I miss Mexican food haha.  and im actually going to learn proper Spanish! haha we're working on my rs. because they are still terrible haha.  anyways we have 4 baptismal dates right now.  so we are focusing on helping them keep their commitments! Yesterday we had an inactive member go to church! so that was a miracle!  we also had our investigator that's 84 come to church with her grandson.  that was really exciting.  She's the cutest lady ever.  She's tooo funny.  we have a baptismal date for a woman we've been teaching for a while too!  we just need her to come to church!  anyways im sorry im so horrible at keeping everyone updated haha and sending pictures.  I don't like taking pictures because everyone in this mission gains weight. average is 30+  pounds its inevitable.

looks like you all had lots of fun in Oregon on the beach and everything.  it looks a little chiller than the beaches here hahaha its still nice and warm here.. all year round :) everyone's hair looks so much longer! aka spencer haha  and everyone is looking great :0 thanks for all the pictures :) its fun to see what you are all doing.  I hope everything is going well. 

mucho amorrr

Hermana cole

10.7.13

Hello family!

Another great week in Puerto Rico!  I only have a few minutes because i spent all the time looking at pictures of the little puppies.  So cute.  I am so jealous!!! I miss all the puppies.  But everyone here has a dog so i play with them.  I especially like the huge great danes that one of my investigator has.  They are so big and cute!  Anyways, highlights of the week

umm we have 3 baptismal dates!! yay we have one investigator that is 84 years old.  The missionaries have been visiting her for more than 20 years.  All her family are members.  She was really sick this last week and her grandson offered her a priesthood blessing.  After the blessing she asked him to baptize her.  She said the time has finally come and after all these years she's recieved an answer, she said she could feel Christ through the blessing.  It was a really awesome testimony builder.  I don't remember who said it in conference I think it was President Eyering but he said that Heavenly Father always has a plan to save his children.  No matter if it takes 3 months or 26 years, Heavenly Father will help us save our brothers and sisters, with our continued prayers and efforts.  I also loved how Elder Ballard invited everyone to find someone the missionaries could teach by Christmas.  Members and Missionaries are a team!  So I invite all of you to do his invitiation and find someone to share the gospel with!  Well I don't have anymore time.  That is so fun you went to lunch with the Santos.  They are really great!  And everyone says my accent sounds like I'm from Russia or Germany haha I'm still working on that.  Anyways im not transferring but i am training again so i am looking forward to that!!

xoxoxo

hermana cole

9.30.13

Dear Family,

Thank you so much for all of the birthday presents!  I got them all on Thursday.  I loved all of the sparkle wrapping paper and everything.  So fun!   My companion and I just got some cold stone and ate at panda to celebrate.  Then a few people gave me some treats.  So it was fun.  And I love all of the gifts!  Thank you so much!  I heard you got a puppy?? What is this.  Everyone gets to be with the new puppies but me!  I'm glad that everything is going well, and everyone is busy with school and work.  I guess its getting cold there.  Its still hot here.  Actually is been pretty hot the past week.  I don't know if it will really cool down. 

This week we worked a lot with the less active members of the ward.  We've been visiting a lot of people that haven't been to church in years.  This week we had about 3 of those families come to church!  So that was really exciting.  We had a couple that accepted baptism but aren't ready to committ to a date yet.  But they will soon!  They shared their testimonies of the Book of Mormon with us and are preparing for a date!  We also found a guy that is really receptive to the gospel.  He was a reference of a member and she went with us to meet him.  So we will work with him this week hopefully.  He kind of lives on top of a mountain haha. 

Saturday we watched the general relief society conference.  I was really impacted by the baptismal covenants.  What are we doing to keep our baptismal covenants?  How can we keep higher covenants if we aren't keeping our first?

Well I love you all.  Thanks again for all the presents and cards.  happy birthday to spencer!! its just that birthday time of the year again! 

Love hermana Cole

9.23.13

Dear family!

I don't have much time to write today but i just wanted to thank you for all the birthday wishes and presents!  hopefully i will get the packages soon!  this week was a busy week like always but it is good to be busy doing the Lords work!  Yesterday we had a member come to church for the first time in 15 years!  It is really amazing to see all of the miracles that happen.  Im jealous that it is homecoming week!  how fun! thats the best week of the school year.  good luck to allison in half time!  My companion and I are going to try and find something fun to do today and maybe some red velvet cake!! anyways how fun grandma got an ipad!  you will have to send me pictures of the halloween party!  too fun.  well i am sorry i don't have time today but i love you all and i promise to write more next week.  Ps happy birthday to Chito!!

Thanks again for all the bday emails and stuff!

hna cole

Mission Blog

Hermana Cole’s mission president and wife have started a blog for the Puerto Rico San Juan Mission. You can read more about Hermana Cole’s mission here: http://puertoricosanjuanmission.blogspot.com

Here are some pictures from the mission president!

Hermana Cole is a sister training leader

They also made a newsletter with a quote from Hermana Cole

Sister Cole: This was a busy week for us. Last Monday we had a family home evening at a key member's house and we had a few other families come. It went really well and we are teaching a new investigator because of it. We will be having another family home evening at their house tonight with more families.