November 23, 2015

Momma!

Wow it sounds like it was quite a week for all of you.....  But i laughed a lot while i read your email hahaha!  I want pictures from the blessing too!!!!! PLEASE!

Well as far as my week..... #danguepart2.  Yeah we think i have dangue again...  I have been sick since thursday...  So pretty much this is how my week went.  Monday and Tuesday were normal working days.  Wednesday my companion had to go to Lima so I went and spent wednesday in Piura.  Thursday morning i got sick....  I tried to go out in the morning with the sister i was with in Piura but then all of a sudden i got a fever and felt super nauseaus so we went to a members house and thats when i started throwing up so we just went back to the room and i slept for a little.  Then just more of being sick and throwing up and then we went and picked up my companion from the airport.  The next day we got back to sullana and i was feeling a little better but then thats when all my stuff got robbed so that whole day we were calling people trying to get that all figured out because my drivers licence, all my money, my debit cards, and pretty much everything i needed was there so we didnt get much done when we got back.  That night i was up throwing up all night again and saturday was the same.  We got out to teach a few lessons then we had the adult session of conference.  I then again stayed up the whole night throwing up.  Then the next day was the regular session of general conference and President and Hermana Rasmussen were there.  Afterwards they came up to me and asked if i was doing okay and then president just told me to go get some rest.  This is literally like my first time every being really sick on my mission so i am not really sure how to handle it....  So that brings us to today.  I felt good this morning  but a few hours ago i got nauseaus again and now i am not sure what to do with myself.....  Life kinda sucks sometimes.  Hermana Rasmussen is taking tabs on my now haha so if i dont get better soon she wants me to go get some tests done.  But i REALLLY do not want to do that so i am trying to keep myself healthy. 

But for thanksgiving my district is making TACOS!  Fitting right haha?  They dont celebrate that here so my district is just going to go big and do something :)

My companion is doing super good!  She has taken really good care of me this week so i am super thankful for her.  And we are really just best friends.  We already have lots of trips planned together for after the mission :)  And she speaks spanish well.  She understands everything and really just tries her hardest so its great :)

And about money.... Well i have less than 3 dollars for the rest of this month...  But my companion is taking care of me.  We were talking about that too.  You could just contact her mom and send me money through her card.  I think that would be the easiest for now haha.  I still cant believe i was robbed.... Peru is ghetto like that sometimes haha :)

Also i cant believe its almost CHRISTMAS!  Gosh where has the time gone....?  I am super excited to see you all though!  Everyone is going to be so different.... But i am just so excited :)

Well, that is it for my lame week.  I will try to make this week more excitign haha.  Thanks for everything family! LOVE YOU! :)

Love,

Hermana Lauren Jane Mitchell :)

November 9, 2015

Buenas Tardes!

Okay first off i am SUPER jealous you got to meet David Archuleta....  Hes pretty much famous to all of the world down here haha!  That sounds way fun!  And i can just picture Addys face to that makes me super happy :)  I hope you all had fun!  

So this week was better!  I finally feel goodish haha!  I dont know what happened these last couple weeks but it was not fun..  So this week was good!  A MIRACLE happened yesterday.  So we have this convert named Gianella who was baptized like 2 months ago.  So this week, her mother came to church!  Her mom is WAY against the church but decided to come to see what her daughter was doing there and she liked it!  She now wants us to come visit her and answer all of her questions.  That will be so good but there are also a couple problems with that.  First, she is super tough and when she doesnt agree with something she just lets you know.  And Hermana Langs spanish isnt quite perfect yet so i might pretty much be alone in the lesson.  Second, she still doesnt know her daughter was baptized.  So we have to continue to keep that a secret.  Which is super hard to do when shes coming to church and everyone knows that shes a member!  We are going to try and talk to Gianella and tell her to just tell her mom so were not all stressed out...

Also, well the other day we talked to this guy on the street, but he pretty much was just flirting with us so we just invited him to church like we do with all the other guys who are just being stupid and left.  But this one actually came to church!  It was super funny when he walked in.  But he didnt pay any attention.  He just sat there and tried to talk to me the WHOLE time and it was super annoying.  I am glad that he doesnt live in our area so we wont have to teach him.  But we will see what happens with that.  He said he is coming back next week too....  

So we are still teaching Carlos and he is still frusrutating me.  If i didnt love the kid so much he wouldnt make me so mad!  Honestly he knows its all true but he keeps telling us that his things are more important than God and that he wants to do things his way and not Gods way and I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO!  He really does help us out a lot though and i know that he really knows what to do.  I dont know if he just doenst want to or what... But we will see what happens.  

We did find a couple new investigators this week so that was fun :)  I hope that they progress!  We are also going to have a baptism soon!  Marilyn will get baptized this month!  She just wants time to plan her after party haha!  She likes parties i guess :)  But we are making plans for that so itll be good! :)

Well thats about it for teaching this week.  I am hoping this next week will be even better :)

As far as your questions mother...  I honestly dont know how to answer any of them...  I dont know if you should call church travel or president...  I think itll all go through church travel anyways so maybe just call them?  I doubt president would know anything.  All i know is when i have about 3 months left they will send me an email asking if my parents are coming to get me.  But thats all iknow.  And president and sister rasmussen know you are coming.  I have talked to them about it before and a lot of missionaries do it so yeah its fine.  

Also about college.  I dont know how to do anything about that either.  Its kinda stressing me out.  I think i wrote down all my stuff on a piece of paper and put it with all the paperwork though.  But other than that if its not there i have no idea....  So yeah i am pretty lost on that tooo... uh oh.... 

Well, over all it has been a good week!  I am loving my mission and time is passing by way too fast! I hope you all have such a good week!  I love you all tons! Until next week!

Love, 

Hermana Lauren Jane Mitchell :)

November 2, 2015

Momma!

Wow that is sooo cool that Elder Holland was there!  Last night i actually listened to a talk of his haha!  He is SUCH a good speaker!

And ellie is just the cutest!  Gosh they are all growing up and i miss them TONS!  

Also have fun at David Archuleta!  SEND ME PICTURES!

Well this week was transfers!  SURPRISE!  Me and my companion are both staying here :)  I am soooo happy about that! :)  I will have 6 more weeks here and then i will probably be transferred.....  TO MY LAST AREA!  Thats kinda freakin me out but whatever haha :)  But this week was a good week!  I forgot my agenda that had my whole week in it so i might forget stuff but ill see if i can remember it all haha :)

So this week we taught Carlos, and honestly this guy is FRUSTRUATING ME!  He really is the best haha but he is definilty a teenager.....  He use to be talking a lot about going on a mission and everything but now he decided that its not worth his time and that he has to finish studying and that he has so many other things he could be doing.  We tried talking to him about putting God over the world and things like that but he is not budging.  He is a big thinker and likes to use logics over the spirit and what he should really do.  We have another lesson with him tonight so we will keep trying to help him. Actually the talk i listened from Elder Holland is exactly what i need to share with him.  So tell Elder Holland thanks for inspiring me haha! :) Anyways...  Hes the best and super funny but super stubborn too...  Also he might be coming to the US to visit in August so that will be fun haha :)

Also this week we found 3 NEW INVESTIGATORS!  And they are sooooo cool!  The first ones names are Karla and Karla haha.  They are a mother and daughter.  We contacted the mom last week and honestly she didnt really want to listen to us.  But i was not giving up so i just kept asking if we could visit her specific days and finally she said yes haha :)  So we went and talked to her and honestly it was such a good first lesson!  The spirit was sooooo strong.  So a big problem here with the Catholics is beliving in the saints and the virgin mary and their our father prayer thing, but she didnt believe in ANY of those and said she has been looking for a religion like ours!  I almost started crying in the lesson when she said that haha!  Its moments like that that make missonary work the best :)  I LOVE IT HERE!

Our other investigator is named Isumi.  She is a 17 year old.  She just had her first kid and her mom is actually a member!  She doesnt know much about the church though.  Hoestly we think she just wants to talk to us because she needs something from the US but then she asked lots of questions so we decided to give her another chance.  We will see how things go with her this week :)

Also this week our district had a little Halloween party!  It was super funny haha!  Our district leader found a pinata and we just went and talked and it was super fun :)  Halloween is super scary here so it was nice to just be in the church for the night instead of outside with all the drunk people haha.  We are actually having a problem with this same drunk guy that keeps following us around.  The other day we had to have our district leader come and save us from him but i mean we will be okay :)  Hes an old guy and i think we could take him haha :)

We are progressing with our less actives, the ward is great, and we are happy!  I am so happy i get to stay with Hermana Lang!  We get along so well and we are already planning the trips we are going to go on together when she gets home haha!  :)  

I have felt a little better this week.  Yesterday i actually felt horrible all day but i feel better now :)  everyone has been telling me its dangue because i have been having skin rashes and other symptoms of it but i honestly do not want to go to the doctor because i already know exactly what they will tell me to do...  And i feel really good today so I think i will be fine :)  I refuse to stay indoorssss!  I get so boared and there are too many people to teach!  

Well, that is about it for my week!  Thanks for everything family! I love you all SO MUCH!  Hope you had a good Halloween!  Talk to you next week! :)

Love,

Hermana Lauren Jane Mitchell :)

I wanted to write you to thank you. It has been such a blessing to have your daughter a part of our daughter's life, as her trainer. Obviously, sending off a missionary is tough and knowing they got wherever, but you know they are taken care of. I know they are always in the Lord's hands and have many that love them and watch over them. But a trainer is that mentor that teaches them "it's ok to put their feet in the water". Hermana (Katie)  Lang has a huge heart and lots of feelings, but writing those feelings is not her strong point. Her letters don't give a lot of detail, but what they do say is how much she loves your daughter. They work, they teach, they laugh and they even get sick together:( 

I'm Jo Dee, Katie's mom, and wanted to email you. I know Hermana Mitchell will be home in 5-6 months and we would love to come to her homecoming. I know that seems a little presumptuous, but we would love to meet her and thank her, if that's alright. I converted to the church as a teenager and grew up in AZ. We live in So Cal and have 6 children, although there's only 1 left at home. We love missionaries and the wonderful experience that it is to serve the Lord, like no other. My oldest daughter served in Louisiana, just after Katrina, my son in Houston, TX, my other daughters served at the same time because of age change, one in Cusco, Peru and the other in Hawaii. I can't tell you how proud I am that each of my children wanted to serve missions. (Katie actually thought she'd go to school and get married. haha)

I have a degree in education and taught 5/6 grade until my first child was born. I've been at home since. I've served mainly in primary and YW and currently teach the Beehives. 

Katie told me that you are the nurse to the prophet and go fishing with him. What a fun story and I can only imagine that wonderful experience and the stories he must tell:)

Thanks again and Happy Fall!

xo Jo Dee