December 28, 2015

Momma!

Wow it was sooooo great to be able to talk to you guys this week!  I cant believe that christmas is OVER!  Next christmas i will be home by a fire....  That is sooo crazy to think about!  But i am so happy that everyone is doing well.  Brade, Nate and Dallin are the same as ever, sarcasm and all :)  But i love it.  I wouldn't have it be any different! :)  

The rest of my Christmas went super well.  We had one lesson and then for the rest of the day we went and knocked doors and contacted in the street :)  Everyone was super nice to us but no one let us in, but hey we tried :)

The rest of the week went super well!  We found 4 new investigators and we have lots that are progressing.

This week we taught Alex and he never stops surprising me!  In many ways i guess haha.  He is 18 and has a big word of wisdom problem.  So we decided to talk to him about it and teach what things we should and should not do.  While teaching it we found out that he was an alcoholic, addicted to marijuanna, smokes at least 1 pack of cigarettes a day and sometimes likes to do crack cocaine.... So we have a lot to work with.  But he so wants to stop doing all of it.  It is just so hard because all of his friends and his family do all of that too.  It just made me so sad because he is a kid so young and has so much potential and if he keeps going on this path it will lead him no where..  So we made goals with him and gave him pretty much every ones number in the ward so if he needs someone to talk to or anything he has someone to call.  The good thing is is that the ward has already taken him in and he is starting to make friends.  We are not sure what else we can do for him.  We are just praying that everything goes well and that he can resist tempation.  We make it seem so easy to give things up but i know it will probably be the hardest thing he ever does.  I wish there was more we could do...

We also have a baptism this Saturday!  His name is Jose Fransisco.  He is 15 years old and one of the most spiritual people i have ever met.  He is so excited for his baptism and is so prepared :)  I can't wait until Saturday!  We are hoping that we can also start working with his siblings and his parents.  His mom is a less active and his dad has never had the missionary lessons.  We hope that his baptism will be a good oppertunity to talk to them both :)

So also we decided that we have the best zone leaders EVER.  So the day after chistmas we had a zone meeting and they asked us about all the packages we got and what not.  Well serpost is being stupid so neither of us had anything.  But we weren't sad about it or anything.  So anyways the next morning we had a package downstairs that said our names on it.  We were super confused haha.  But inside it said ``we heard you had nothing to open on christmas.  we hope that this makes your christmas a little better until your packages come. thank you for all the work you do.  your secret santas``  of course it was in Spanish, but inside was a bunch of christmas decorations and candy and other random stuff.  It was really something so simple that they did but it honestly made our Christmas so much better.  We now have a goal to do little acts of service because we now know how much of an impact they make.  We have some pretty good missionaries out here in Piura :)

So today for pday we had a district activity!  we played the game of life and decorated christmas cookies haha!  It was sooo funny!  It was us and 2 companionships of elders and 2 young men from our ward.  we just played and laughed and had fun :)  

Hey mother!  I too want to be commited to running the marathon!! SIGN ME UP!  I will start training here!  Probably wont go on runs super long but i think i could do 3 miles a day maybe :)  but i am in! 

Also the pictures you sent are adorable!  Thank you so much! :)

Did you guys get to talk to Ty?  How is he doing?  I miss that kid :)

Well that is it for my week.  Thank you guys so much for everything!!!!  Have a happy new year!  Dont do anything too crazy!  AND GIVE REFERENCES TO THE MISSONARIES!  Pray for missionary oppertunities, make a new friend, share something on facebook.  Its the little things that bring to pass GRAND THINGS! 

Love you all tons! :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

-Hermana Lauren Jane Mitchell :)

December 21, 2015

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Wow, its already christmas AGAIN?  This year went by sooo fast!  Crazy haha.!  But i am so excited to be able to talk to you on christmas! :)  For the last time.... that is just so crazy to me...

So anyways for my week... wow...  i dont think i have had a week like this in all of my mission.  It was sooooooo busy!!  Like i dont even know where to start!  I loved it!  I guess ill start with the Familia Velasquez.  They are the greatest :)  We are actually going to use skype at their house so you'll get to meet them :)  So in their family there is Carlos, Orlando, Brenda, Felix, Jorge, and Pablo (brendas son) and Kira (cousin).  Carlos and Brenda are both converts of less than a month!  This week we were able to teach Pablo and Orlando and put baptimsal dates on both of them!  And yesterday we were able to teach Kira and she came to church!  Felix is interested and comes to church but the problem with him is that he cant hear... hes deaf.  But we are trying to teach him throgh drawings and hand motions haha but we will see how it goes!  We might have to learn sign language!  Thatll be fun :)  Jorge isnt interested yet.. but we will keep working with him :) Carlos is already preparing to go on a mission and is our assistant ward mission leader and brenda is just super happy and is in the relief society presidency :)

Next there is Jose Fransisco.  He is 15 years old.  Honestly i have never met a young kid with the faith that he has.  The other day he was talking to us about his experience and how he got his testimony of the book of mormon.  He also has a baptimsal date for the 2nd of January.  He is soo ready :) we just have to teach him all the lessons now!  

Then theres the Familia Caseres....  Or in other words.. the eternal investigators.  They have been being taught for 2 years now but havent got baptized.  And its not that they dont want to, but they cant.  So the dad has another wife but they have been separated for 20 years but the other wife doesnt want to sign the divorce papers so they cant get married. The plan is to marry them TONIGHT.  But we dont know if the papers have gone through or what has happened so honestly we are just hoping for a miralce....  A very HUGE miracle.  But nothing is impossible :) they are supposed to get baptized the 26th...  Its stressing me out.

There are so many more people we taught this week but i dont think i could mention all of them!  We have 6 people here with baptismal dates and we were able to find 6 more new investigators as well!  I LOVE this area and my companion is amazing.  Honestly she is probably my hero.  We have had a lot of time to tallk this week and I have learned so much from her.  She is a convert of barely over a year!  And i think she is the most perfect person i have met in every way.  But yeah we get along great :)  I am sooooo happy i get to be with her for christmas! :)

So SKYPE!  We are planning on talking in like the morning if thats okay... the rest of the day will be crazy so thats what works out best for us.  We were thinking around 10 or 11 PERU TIME.  I dont know what time will be for you guys.  Hopefully not too early...

That day in the afternoon we have a coulpe lessons set up and a dinner with the sisters in our zone! :)  So i think it should be a good day :)

And no i have not seen cole recently... they sent him up to Tumbes!  those dirtbags hahaha!  But hopefully i will see him before i leave! 

Well everything here is going so well.  I love my mission.  I am super sad that its coming to an end!  It honestly has gone by soooo fast.  I cant believe it... Oh yeah and i can not believe that R.J. is getting baptized!!!!!!!!  That is honestly sooo crazy! But that makes me so happy for Karen.  I bet she is soooo happy! :)  And that is so cool Britton is baptizing him!  that makes me so happy :)

Well, that is it for my week.  I am soooo excited to see you all on Christmas!  It doesnt really feel like christmas here because its like 100 degress and im sweating to death haha but i love it all the same :)  I hope you all have such a good week and christmas eve and everything!  I will see you all on FRIDAY! :)  Love you tons! :)

Love,

Hermana Lauren Jane Mitchell :)

December 14, 2015

MOTHER!!!

Okay this week was CRAZY!  It also sounded like you all had a good week so that makes me super happy :)

Okay so i dont even know where to start haha.  Okay well first off I GOT TRANSFERED!!!  I am now again in Piura!! :)  It was soo sad to leave my area and Hermana Lang but I am soooo happy to be here!  And my new companion is Hermana Sandison!  She is honestly the GREATEST!  I love her so much already!  She is from Twin Falls Idaho :)  She is a convert and the only member in her family!  She was also Miss Twinn Falls haha :) I can tell its going to be a great transfer.  She is just always so happy and we get along so well and i am just super happy to be here.  My area is called Los Ficus.  I just got here a little bit ago but I can already tell i will love it here :)  

So my last week in Sullana...  It was super sad!  I love that area and the people there and everything....  We taught Camila, the 14 year old investigator and we put a baptimsal date and she accepted!  Her parents arent members but her mom was sooo excited for her!  i am going to ask permisison to go back to her baptism.  

Also this week we had a christmas party in the mission house!  It was SOO FUN!  We played games and ate good food and watched Its a Wonderful Life and stayed there until 9pm haha!  It was just so good to get to spend time there with President and Hermana Rasmussen and just to get to be with the zone and everything :)  Oh i also got the first of my packages momma! :)  And for some reason i felt like i should open it so i did and i saw the oil in there so i got to give it to president! :)  He was SOOO happy! haha it was super funny to watch :)  He said ¨hermana mitchell.... can i give you a hug?¨ and of course i said yes haha :)  Then he was talking about how cool he felt and that he was going to go raise the dead hahaha :)  I love that guy :)  Him and Hermana Rasmussen are literally like our parents out here.  I can not wait for you to meet them! :)

I CAN NOT BELIEVE ABOUT LINCOLNS MISSION CALL!!  I have literally been thinking about it allll week!  I am soooo happy for him!  He is going to be the best missionary ever! :)

And about Christmas... I didnt realize how close it was!!  I will be able to talk at whatever time so just tell me what time is best for you and i can make it work.... I am guessing earlier is better right?  LIke the morning?  I can do that :)

Also i loooked at the itinerary and it is perfect!  The hotel is honestly in the perfect location haha so we are good :)  It is also a really nice one....  So thats good.  Maybe i will get to have my first hot shower in 18 months!!! :)  I have been looking forward to that :)

Everything here is just so good :)  I am happy, i am healthy, i love everything and time is going by way too fast...  We also have a couple baptisms coming up in this area as well so i am super excited about that!  Gosh... i dont want to come home...  This place has changed my life and i am not sure how i am going to be able to leave....  I get super stressed and often cry when i think about it...  But i am excited as well :)  I just have 3 transfers left! CRAZY!

Well that it is for my week.  It was super crazy haha so next week hopfully my thoughts will be more organized!  Thank you for everything you all doo! :)  I hope you have such a good week! Love you all soooo much! :)

Love,

Hermana Lauren Jane Mitchell :)

December 7, 2015

Momma!

Okay i laughed so hard while reading your email hahaha!  I wish i would have been there to see Hayden haha but i can honestly just picture it in my head hahah!  Gosh i love those kids :)  Also i am SOO down for going to new york every year! :)

So this week was really good :)  On Friday we had a special meeting with Elder Godoy from the 70.  It was honestly amazing.  It helped me out so much.  I have been pretty discouraged because we arent teaching as much as i would like too.  I went in to the meeting with a couple of questions and left with all of them answered.  It was so great. He was super funny and told us about his conversion story and just helped us to get encouraged and keep going.

Also this week we got a new investigator that i LOVE.  Her name is candy.  And also her boyfriend Ronald!  She is honestly SOOO nice!  She invited us in and had lots of questions and really understood and accepted everything we taught her.  Ronald had been to our church before also!  The problem is is.... well theyre not married.  And to get married here in Peru is SUPER hard and SUPER expensive.  But we are going to keep working with her. 

Also this week we taught Sonia and gave her a baptismal date!  She is doing so well and is reading and praying and progressing! :)  I am hoping we will be able to teach the rest of her family as well :)

Also for the meeting with Elder Godoy i got to play my violin!  Okay but it was super stressful for me... So this is what happened.  So the other day my bag broke, and when it did i guess our cell phone fell out and so yeah we lost our cell phone.... So the day before the meeting at like 7 am someone came knocking at our door.  So it wound up being the zone leaders at our door hahaha. They literally had to come to our room because there was no other way to contact us. oops.  So they came and first were just joking around and bugging me about losing our phone.  But then they asked me if i could play the NEXT day.  In front of a general authority!  I of course said yes but like.. i was stressed.  But we got to practice a little and it actually turned out really well for the very little time we had.  But it was fun :) 

Also i have to help out the young women in our ward with a musical number.  I have had TONS of opportunities to play my violin here and i love it :)

And transfers are NEXT WEEK!  I think i am going to leave this area...  I am ready to but its a pretty bitter sweet feeling.  But im not sure so i will let you know what happens with that next week. 

Christmas decorations and everything here are super funny.  Most people have trees and lights and snowmen and then its like 100 degrees outside hahaha.  But they are very festive.  They all like to drink too so thats fun :)  But everyone has been decorating!  I will try to take some pictures of decorations .

Oh yeah!  Me and sister rasmussen talked about you the other day momma :)  She is super excited to meet you! :)  Also let me know what hotels he has planned for Piura because some are super far away from everything....  so just let me know when you find out :)

Well that is it for my week.  I love you all soooo much and have such a good week!  

Love,

Hermana Lauren Jane Mitchell :)