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!

Puerto Rico

Hermana Cole is finally in Puerto Rico!

hola! 

so i made it my first week.. barely.  extremely tired and sore bruises and bug bites galore, and im always hungry! its been so crazy.  so i got to puerto rico and surprise! im the lucky one who gets to train herself haha... in a new area.. My companion's name is Hermana Howell. We were in the mtc together.  She was in the other district though, but we know each other.  She's been speaking spanish for 7 weeks.. so you can imagine how well we teach with our limited vocabulary and communication skills.  When I got here, I had to wait for a few hours to find out what was going on.  There were two flights to puerto rico, so some of us from the mtc were on the later one.  I was on the earlier one with the majority of people.  When i got here everyone met their companions but me.. they kept telling me mine was coming but didn't tell me what was going on.  So a few hours later when the next flight came in, I met my new companion.  We were both in shock.  They told us that we are opening a new area.  There hasn't been any sisters there for at least 6 years, so there is a ton of work to be done and not much help in our area book.  Even if there was neither of us know very much about how to use it yet.  But we are learning very fast!  The first day instead of going to the mission home for interviews and stuff we went out into the field.  My companion and I live with two native speaking sisters who have been out for about a year.  They helped us that first day and then we were on our own figuring out stuff.  President told them that they aren't our trainers, more like our moms.  On wednesday we went to the mission home for interviews and meetings and had a nice dinner with the President and his wife.  He is super nice and friendly and has a lot of trust in us.  He said that it is going to be really hard for us to learn everything on our own and not speak very much spanish, but that that's what the Lord wanted for us.  I thought that we had to train ourselves because there weren't enough sister missionaries but there are.  We just get to train ourselves because that's what we are supposed to do!  So you can imagine how difficult the first few days have been.. haha.  We've been pretty good at keeping a positive attitude and trying not to be too stressed and overwhelmed.  We are learning really fast on how to rely completely on the spirit.  We've been led to a few people already that are prepared for the gospel and we already have one baptismal date!  I am so excited!  I was really nervous to ask her to be baptized because I thought it was really soon, but she was really excited and really wants to be.  I have to remember that we are all baptized when we are 8 years old, and you don't need to have a ton of knowledge, just a desire to follow Christ.  So hopefully we can prepare her by the 11th!  She has a few kids and a husband and we are working with them too but I'm not sure they will be ready by the 11th.  Anyways.. that was a really good experience, but that night my bike tire popped and we got stuck at a shopping place and our "moms" had to pick us up.  I guess i ran over a tiny earring and it really put a big hole in it.  So the zone leader took it back to get fixed so i don't have a bike for a few days.  Speaking of bikes.. apparently i have no idea how to ride one.  It is so hard in a skirt.  Also there are more hills than imaginable here and we have to get off and walk them for a while.  I think that our area needs a car because we cover three cities and we can't even get out of the first one on a bike.  Its like 15 minutes away in a car! So we have some problems there haha but we are working on finding members to give us rides.  The problem is theres only one or two women near us in the ward.  So hopefully we will get a car in the next few weeks.. probably not though. So i need to learn how to ride a bike.  It really has been so crazy the last few days but we are trying our best.  Hopefully next week we will start getting a hang of things.. and maybe speak more spanish. If sending packages, tape the edges of the box and put a picture of Jesus on the box.  Supposedly people have a harder time opening packages when there is a picture of Jesus on it! hahaI got all the dental problems figured out and I sent you a few pictures of me and a girl from the mtc after the dentist cause the dentist took us to get wendys! Best food ever.  I will try to send a few more pictures if i can!  i don't have much time.  Keep sending letters and emails.  Sorry if it takes me forever to write back.. it takes me like 4 days to just read a letter becasue there is no time at all to even sit.  I hope you guys are all doing well.  And I love you all!  Thanks for all the support.  we get to talk on Mothers Day in 2 weeks!  yay1  ps michelle send this to the list because i am only allowed to email immediate family members now, but they can still email me!  And thanks Chito for telling me to read the sons of Mosiah story in the Book of Mormon, it has really helped this past week! I will keep you all in my prayers! Loves xoxo   

April 18th

Sorry I forgot to post her last letter! Below is Hermana Cole's letter from April 18th.

hola familia

so im almost done with the mtc! yayy im so excited to get out into the field! on friday we went on splits out in the real world.  it was so awesome.  way better than the mtc.  i even got to see the ocean pretty close because it was across the street from some of the houses! it was so pretty!  So we tried to visit some people to teach lessons but they werent home so we ended up contacting people and inviting them to attend church.  then we knocked on one door and it was a members house so we talked to her for about 15 minutes and gave her a little message.  it was awesome because i could understand a lot of what she was saying and communicate with her.  im super excited to be out in the field! on sunday we got to meet our mission president because he came to the temple.  He is so awesome and im sad i will only get him until July.  He said that we have a ton of work to do in Puerto Rico and that we will be expected to do more than those before.  So they dont have very many girls there now so some of us will have to be companions with eachother and not have a trainer.  Some of us will have to open new areas and stuff and some of us will be trainers after 6 weeks.  That is so crazy.  Im a little nervous but I he had a lot of confidence that we would be able to do it.  Basically the Holy Ghost is our trainer, which is good because thats the best training you will get!  Monday i was flossing and as you know part of my tooth fell out so im in the process of getting that all fixed.. im going to a really nice dentist so i think it should be good.. my mouth feels normal so far.. except for my wisdom teeth holes started bleeding but they are fine now, just inflamed  but the dentist said they are healing.  umm.. what else.. haha i leave for Puerto Rico on Tuesday probably really early in the morning.  Im not sure if im going to be able to call but if i do it will be like 4 in the morning your time maybe idk what time the flight is.  but if i call you better answer! i dont know my companion and i dont know if i will be with one of the girls in the mtc or not yet.  one of the sisters there said its getting pretty hot and the mosquitos eat you alive so send me the bug spray!1 we don't get to see the dr really.  well actually we are goign on splits tomorrow again so i will see more tomorrow.  

its hard to believe its still cold there it is beautiful weather here!  the food is alright except for the left over soup.  they say the average weight gain is 35-40 pounds in puerto rico so im not about to let that happen.  and fyi i have not gained any weight yet haha 

i will send letters in response to everyones emails when i get the chance.  i haven't gotten grandmas letter so hopefully they forward it to me if it ever comes.  dont send any more dear elders or any letters here i wont get them.  send to puerto rico.  thanks for all the emails and stuff i really appreciate the love and support.  Thursday mornings are the best when i get to look at all my emails!! oh but p day is puerto rico is monday so i cant write until the next monday so like a week and a half.  I can't believe Logan is going to England too thats awesome!!! Tell him congrats i will try to write him a letter when i get around to it!  

i cant send pictures so you are going to have to wait like a week.  i did more family names at the temple today but i wont be going to the temple for another year and a half but there are still names ready. well i have to go.  hopefully i can call at the airport and you don't sleep through it. but if not im sure i will email within the next week.  love you guys lots!! remember obedience brings blessings but obedience with exactness brings miracles!!! adios

con amor Hermana Cole

¡New Letter!

Hello!

so basically i am almost done here! tomorrrow i go on splits with the real missionaries.  Im super nervous but way excited.  I guess i will find out how much i dont know tomorrow. The week went by pretty fast.  Friday we went contacting at the university so that was pretty cool.  Everyone is super nice and friendly.  We talked to one guy for like a half an hour.  Saturday and Sunday were awesome because it was conference and one of the senor missionary couples made us cinnamon roles so that was just really nice.  And it was a super relaxed but spiritually full day!  Conference was awesome.  Everyone says conference is the best when youre in the mission because its the only time you ever really listen haha.  but ya i really enjoyed all of the messages. Monday we picked up trash at the university again and a girl came up and talked to us for an hour about the gospel.  She was just really interested in the church because of our examples of picking up garbage haha.  So always be a good example!  It was funny because she said what we were saying really wasn{t making that much sense because our spanish isnt good but she said she felt goose bumps and felt happy when she talked to us so that was a really cool experience.  Umm Tuesday we watched an awesome devotional that changed my perspective on a lot of things.  One of the best talks I{ve ever heard but its not available to the public yet becuase it was an mtc talk.  But It was Elder Bednar speaking on learning of Christ not just about him.  We looked of the characteristics of Christ through the Bible stories.  Christ always looked outward and never inward.  I wish I could explain it like he can!  But whenever you struggle or any other time we need to focus on others and not on what we need.  Anyways it was a lot better than im making it sound.  Yesterday was the best because it was two peoples birthdays and we had cake and ice cream!! It was so good.  Oh and we had hamburgers!  So ya it was a good day in the food world.  Wasnt red velvet cake but at least it was cake.  And today we went to the temple and I took some of our family names.  And next week Im taking some more! So thats fun.  Also I did some of the session in spanish and was able to understand a lot of it.  My spanish is improving a little.  Mainly my speaking and stuff and Im starting to get a little Dominican accent haha.  Im so excited that Dallin is home now!  That went by pretty fast actually.  So im not too worried about me out here.  And my guess for  Logan is Mississippi!  or some place in the south! Or if its international.. Puerto Rico!! Or maybe the DR! haha i hope!  My address for Puerto Rico is on the little cards we made i dont{ have it with me right now.  Also just send all mail there now.  Dont send anything here anymore.  Even Dear elders.  I enjoy all of the pictures so thank you so much!  

Thank you for all the love and support and stuff. I will try to send more pics if i can!!  Love you guys!! Mucho amor !!! Hermana Cole

Week 3 Recap

New letter from the Hermana

Hey!!
So Ive made it another week. Now Im on my downward slope of the mtc. Which is actually freaking me out because i still have soo much to learn. Also the whole spanish language. This past week went by much faster than the first. Last Friday instead of going to the university we went to the park because it was easter so the school was closed. So that was a good experience. I felt like a real missionary for once. At first i was super nervous to go talk to people but my companion helped me get over that and we talked to one of the guards. We just gave him a pamphlet and talked for a few minutes. He was really nice. I didn't give him much time to talk though I was so nervous I just spit it all out in spanish and said adios! ha ha I was surprised at how well the spanish came out though. After we just went and talked to all the guards and all of them were super nice and listened and all of them took our pamphlets. Probably because they felt bad for us haha but watevs at least they have them. And we even saw them actually reading them after so yay! But it was a good experieces. I can't understand them liked at all when they talk though. i can say whatever i need to with what i know but understanding is a differnt story. so hopefully i will get used to it.

Sunday was an awesome day.  It was Easter so i made a mini easter egg hunt with the cadbury eggs so that was cute and fun.  then we had church and for our doctrine calss we talked more about the plan of salvation.  one of the counselors gave a good talk about God{s angels behind enemy lines refering to the people that are waiting to hear our message!  After we watched a movie on teh Resurrection and had some sort of Easter dinner.  Then we watched a MTC provo devotional.  One of the best ive heard! Elder Bednar spoke on how to determine wheter its the spirit or just me.  His response was Quit worrying about it and press forward in faith.  His point being that as long as we are being a good boy or girl and keeping our covenants , the spirit will guide us and put thoughts into our minds.  The more we listen to the spirit, the more the spirit trusts us and doesn{t need to give us huge impressions every time.  So quit worrying and analyzing everything and just be a good girl!  It was an awesome talk.  After we jsut did our little temple and ice cream walk.  

Monday for our service activity we went to the university to pick up garbage wo we wore our jeans and jeans are the worst thing in the world here.  so hotttt.  But it was cool because we had at least four different grups of people just come up to us and talk to us while we were cleaning.  These two guys came up and started talking to us trying to get our numbers and add us on facebook it was funny.  I cuoldn{t understand them to well but I tried to explain that we were missionaries and I ended up sharing a message and getting their numbers!  One guy seemed interested and the other probably just thought wed be the ones teaching them haha.  Esta bien we still got their numbers to contact them! And i got to be a missionary.  We are going to the university tomorrow too to hand out pamphlets and share our testimonies so im not so nervous for that anymore. 

Tuesday we watched a devotional by President Uchtdorf.  It was really good too.  One thing he said that really stuck out to me was God has prepared people to recieve the gospel but we wont meet them unitl we are prepared to meet them.  So we have to do everything we cvan to prepare ourselves for these people who are waiting for us. 

I appreciate everyones emails and letters!  i will wirte back to everyone in letter form when i can but keep them coming.  i like having stuff to read in the week! also i will try to send more pics if i can. 

much amor

TT!!  

Maybe her companion? Twinners

Yes, she brought Zeke and Daphanie with her