FELIZ NAVIDAD!

FELIZ NAVIDAD! Dododododododooooooooooooooooooo FELIZ NAVIDAD!

I WANNA WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS!

How are you all doing?! Can you believe that Navidad is literally 3 days away?! I cannot. Mainly because I am in a 3rd world country with no snow, and it is about 90 degrees every day! Hahahaha 

What are your plans for Christmas?!?!? 

Okay, so I have A LOT TO TELL YOU ABOUT MY WEEK. 

- Yesh, I am training now. I got my little child this week on Wednesday. Her name is Hermana Parry. She is 19 years old. She is from Bountiful, Utah. She is great. I am the only sister that got a gringa daughter.... and I have the least experience..... Bless Hermana Parry`s heart, I hope she doesnt hate me. 

- We have been having a lot of cool experiences. So we now work in the area of the elders AND our area. I thought it would be really hard, but I actually really really love it. I met some of their investigators this week, and I feel this weird connection with them.... like I met them before. And there are several who are so ready for baptism. I am really excited. 

- My comp was feeling kind of down, so I promised her that we would go to the Burger King here. We went today for Pday. My first time! Just to show you how accustomed I am to the food here, I ate a salteña and she got the BK. I LOVE SALTEÑAS. She was happy. So it made me happy. 

- We had a Christmas devotion with President Hansen yesterday. Before my mission, I thought that I would be really really sad on Christmas. But yesterday, I realized that I havent been sad at all. I realized that I am super excited for Christmas. Heavenly Father gave us His son. What are we willing to give Him in return? It hit me that the best gift that I can give at this point in my life is my service. I know that this is where I am supposed to be. I know that He is happy with the missionaries that give of themselves during Christmas. So dont worry, MAMA! I am not sad. I am planning on making this the most memorable Christmas of my entire life. I am really looking forward to truly giving of myself. And I have some fun things planned for my comp. I think it would be really hard to have only a week in the mission field and have it during Christmas. 

- We saw a miracle this week: So we were knocking a door, trying to find a lady that we contacted on the street. This girl answered, and we heard a guy in the backyard yell out ARE THOSE THE MORMONS?! I freaked out. I thought he was going to come and yell at us. So this guy comes out, and tells us that he was just recently baptized in Italy, and was looking for the church. He told us that his family wasnt baptized, but his daughter was interested in being baptized. So we gave them a BOM and invited them to church. In the middle of sacrament like 4 days later, I look back and see the guy and his daughter. I WAS SHOCKED. We have an appointment with them this week. I am excited. I can see the Lord helping us in this week. Eventhough it is hard. 

- So training is different. I am not going to say that it is the easiest thing. In fact, it is really stressful. I want her to start her mission out right. I want her to know what it means to be obedient. I want her to learn spanish. But I also want her to be happy and have fun. I realized that I really need to rely COMPLETELY on the spirit in this special calling. I hope I can do it.... Hey, but she`s not dead yet, so that is a good sign! hehehehe 

- I wanted to say thank you all for the cards that I have gotten this week! It really made me so happy. I especially loved the one from the ward. THANK YOU, ACADEMY WARD! You guys are cool.

I feel like I didnt mention about a trillion things, but I cannot remember. The days are passing faster now. I am thinking less about home and more on my life here. It helps. I love this work. Especially during this time. I want you all to know that I love my Heavenly Father so much. I am so grateful for this time to serve Him and remember His gift to us. Christ. I hope that you all take a minute on Christmas to remember what He as done for you, and what you can do to be a little better. What can you give to Christ this Christmas?

FELIZ NAVIDAD! 

Love

Hermana Routsong 

Selfie



My new comp and the President

Christmas at the President's house

My comps first lunch with the Pension

The new sister missionaries think I am weird

Cochabamba

Our Pension gave us Dino nuggets

Cookies from the President's wife

New sister missionaries

All of the sisters

With the President's wife

One of the actors from the Nativity

Burger King in Bolivia

 

 

LOOK UP!

Woah...........

Cambios........

I am going to train........

I cannot even describe to you the terror that struck my heart when the elders told us that I was going to train......

And another thing.... I have to learn an entire new area. They took the elders out of our ward, and are having me take over their area and my area. 

So yesterday I was freaking out. But then I realized that this was all part of the plan that Heavenly Father has for me. And that I wasnt having faith in myself or in Christ. Now I dont know if I will be the best trainer ever, but I know that if I have faith, am obedient, and do all that I can, I can hopefully help this new girl be a great missionary. President called me last night and told me if I wanted to be a good trainer, I would spend more time on my knees than I have ever spent in my whole life. I can tell you that I know that will happen! 

It is going to be a good experience for me. I am looking forward to learn what Heavenly Father wants me to learn. And I am looking forward to helping another sister learn to be obedient and work. I hope that she likes me....

Anywho.... that was the big news of my life as of late. But other than that, I really had an amazing week. It went by so fast! So we have been working the ENTIRE TRANSFER to find new people with NO SUCCESS. But this week, we finally saw the fruits of our labor. We found so many cool people who are genuinely interested in learning more about our message. It made me so happy to see the hand of the Lord in my life after all that we can do. 

One experience that was really cool happened with a girl named Allyson. She told us of an experience she had this week. She is in the middle of her exams, and was feeling really stressed out and sad. So she decided to open her Book of Mormon and read. She flipped to a page, and found an answer to her questions. She told us that she started to cry, and that was when she knew that it was true. It made me so happy to hear her testimony, and that Heavenly Father is answering her prayers through the scriptures. I wish all my investigators could have an experience like that. Now, we just need to find her a new job so that she can go to church! 

So I was kind of feeling stressed out one day, and we were waiting to teach on of the ladies that hasn't been to church for a long time. As I stood in the street, I looked up at the sky. And I felt this amazing impression that Heavenly Father was looking down at me. He knows me. He knows my weaknesses. He knows my strengths. He knows what I need. He knows that I am trying my best. He knows each one of us. He loves us. So when you are feeling down, sad, stressed, just LOOK UP! Like that talk says. Remember what He wants for you. Remember that He will always love you. Remember that it is always worth it. This helped me a lot this week. And I hope it helps one of you. 

So this week, I will be out of my area for about 3 days in training and prep to become a trainer, and I should have my new "kid" this Wednesday. I will let you know how it goes! 

I love you all! 

Hermana Routsong

Fotos....

- So we found out that the sisters in this area havent paid the lights for about 6 months. So they cut them on us Tuesday, and we had to wait until the next day to go pay it. 

- I was feeling stressed out about training yesterday, so I gave in and opened my package. COCONUT PEANUT BUTTER AND BATMAN SOCKS! You know me so well, mama LOVE YOU 

A cute "grandma Margaret" lady gave us flowers

Cholita Yogurt.... we aren't allowed to drink this

Breakfast in a pot

Oatmeal Soup

Our lights were turned off

The previous sisters didn't pay their power bill

Alejandra.... loves One Direction

White chuna...It tastes like Uncle Fred's barn:(

A family's 25 guinea pigs... all for eating.... sorry Kayla

We drink Pineapple juice everyday

I was stressed out so I opened one of my Christmas Packages early

 

Rembember Him

WOW! December is flying by! I cannot believe that it is almost Christmas.... I am way excited. Mom, we found this cool guy in our ward with a giant tv to skype you guys! I hope that the connection and everything is good! But I am excited. 

How are things going there? I hear the weather is nice in Colorado! It is nice here, too. Everyone keeps saying how weird it is that it isnt pouring rain every day. We are now in the rainy season..... it is still hot as ever! 

This week was really really great. It was one of those weeks where I really felt like I was making a difference. We had so many opportunities to serve people this week, in many ways. I really felt like I was being the Savior`s hands here in Cochabamba. 

I have so many stories and dont know how to organize them all.... BULLETPOINTS!

- Tuesday we had a family night with our pension. They are investigators. I helped the Hermano set up his Christmas tree! It made me think of you, dad. It was a really happy day. AFterwards, I finally was able to try the "famous" paneton aka fruit cake of Bolivia that EVERYONE TALKS ABOUT. Literally, that is all they eat on Christmas. Remember Stanley saying that it was really gross? I didnt think it was! It was just like a raisin bread thing. Nothing like the fruit cake of the US. Anyways, so now we have a cool tree in our pension when we eat lunch. It feels a little like Christmas. 

- We helped so many investigators and members this week in service projects. We picked spinich, cleaned garbage, crushed like a million soda bottles, cleaned out a room FILLED WITH DIRTY CLOTHES, moved rocks, etc. It was a tiring week, but I have never felt so happy. 

- Friday we had a zone conference, and GUESS WHAT THE ELDERS BROUGHT ME?!?!?! MY CHRISTMAS PACKAGES! I am so excited. But mom, they got here so early, and I didnt know if you wanted me to open them NOW or on Christmas Day? It is getting harder to resist not opening them....

- Christmas is so close, and I am way excited. Have you seen the new church christmas message? It is so great. I am really excited to share it with people here. We are going to carry around our little dvd player to show it to everyone. 

- DEREK! I got your letter! It always makes my day to get random letters from my friends. THANK YOU!

- One night, I literally could not sleep at all because there was like a million dogs barking outside our window all night... .Oh Bolivia...

- I am NOT SICK, MOM! Do not worry. I feel completely normal. NO WORRIES. DONT FREAK OUT! 

- We had a cool experience with our ward yesterday. We had a Dia Misional, where everyone met at the church, and we all split up to go visit the less actives in the ward. I was with this really sweet, old lady. We had a lot of success! So my advice for you all is DO YOUR VISITING AND HOME TEACHING! It really makes a difference. 

- I have been studying this whole week the Atonement.I have really made it my goal to understand it better before I end my mission. Today, I was reading from a list of scripture references about the atonement that our president gave us. If any of you want it, just let me know! Two references really impressed me today---

3 Nephi 17:13-17 and D&C 45:3-5

Christ prays for us. He prays with His whole heart that we can be happy, accept HIs plan, and return to Him. He doesnt want us to feel sad. He doesnt want us to feel afraid. He wants us to take advantage of the enabling power of the Atonement EVERY DAY. He prays for us by name. 

I love you all. I hope you all strive to be a little more like Christ this month. Make it a habit to be a little more kind. To laugh more. To help others. To be yourself. And to be brave. 

I`ll write next week! 

LOVE

HERMANA ROUTSONG... have I mentioned that no one says my name and just call me "that hermana" because no one can pronounce ROUTSONG? Bahahahahahah 

 

Our Christmas Tree



Lunch with Rosario

All the spinach we picked

Our Chrismas tree lunch everyday

Our Pension made us fettucini alfredo

Chantiline mmmmmm

We made Chantiline... it was so good

Look what I found

Helping Daniel Crush bottles on pday

Daniel he sells bottles to earn money

Daniel

Cochabamba

Picking Spinach... reminds me of Grandma Margaret

 

 

FELIZ DICIEMBRE!​!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY DECEMBER EVERYONE! Can I just say that it feels NOTHING like December here because it is still so dang hot?! But I am actually loving the heat now. I got used to it fast, and it really is nice not to have to sleep with 7 blankets like I did in Potosi.

How was everyone`s Thanksgiving?! How was BLACK FRIDAY?! Do you all have your trees set up? I am way excited, because tomorrow I am helping my pension put up their tree. It will be fun.

It is funny, because I just read Stanley`s letter about the panetone and cracked up! That is what everyone is obsessed with here, too! It is fruit cake. I have yet to try it, but everyone says it is good. I am sure I will be eating it for the whole month of December. My comp is from Peru, and she told me that she is having her parents send her some in a package! FRUIT CAKE! Hopefully it is nothing like the fruit cake in the states... yuck....

But YEAH! So only 25 more days until CHRISTMAS! Woah.... how crazy is that?! I get to talk to you guys so soon! I actually really don,t know the plans yet, but I will keep in touch with you as to what time. We will get to skype, I just have to find a member that has really fast internet.

It was actually a really bizarre, somewhat hard week. NO ONE WAS IN THEIR HOUSE. It was frustrating. We would walk from appointment to appointment as they all fell through. Everyone here is now on vacation, so no one is home. Lame. But I also had some great experiences this week. One: PEDRO CAME TO CHURCH FINALLY. So Pedro is this super cool guy that we are teaching, and we have been trying to get him to come to church for some time now, but he always has something to do. However, he came this past week! He is really progressing, and he should be baptized before Christmas IF he keeps coming to church. We shall see. We have a family night tonight with him and some other kids from the ward. Have I mentioned that I really do love my ward. They are really great.

What else????

- KAYLA. BAHAHAHAH So I was teaching one of the recent converts here. His name is Junior, and he wanted to see pictures of my family. I showed him one of you, and he said that you looked latina, and then began to ask me a million questions about you. HHAHAHAH I told him that he was WAYYYY too old for you. So yeah. You have an admirer down here named Junior.

- Mom. Have I told you that all the kids down here LOVE the fake tattoos and stickers that you sent me? They ask me every day if I have more. It is great.

What else????

- So as I mentioned, no one was in their house this week. But there was one day when we had some really really great lessons. I truly felt the spirit in every single lesson that we had that day. I went to bed so tired, but I sat there and really felt great. It was one of those days where I really felt like I had made a difference. Then I realized that that is how I want to feel when I end my mission. I want to end knowing that I did every possible thing that I could to help these people. That I worked so hard. That I forgot myself. That I learned. That I changed. That I helped people come unto Christ. The mission is amazing. It is so hard, but it is so fun at the same time. I hope to be able to live each day here so that when I end, I can feel like I have truly made a difference. - I also learned another great lesson. All of you friends out there that wrote in that little book that Steph sent around to write in, thank you. This week, I was reading it, and remembering all the great people that I have in my life. I have so many great memories with all of you. I was thinking about who I was when I lived at BYU, and who I am now. I really haven’t been being myself this cambio. It has been a really hard couple of weeks, and I forgot who I was. Heavenly Father sent me here to be ME. He sent me here because I can help people that other people cannot help through my experiences, talents, and personality. I need to be ME. All of your letters helped me to remember who I truly am. Thank you!

I hope that you all have a great week this week. LET THE CHRISTMAS MUSIC BEGIN!

Love

Hermana Routsong

Don't freak out... I was admitted to the hospital

Elders brought me Burger King while I was in the hospital... but I couldn't eat it

My life.... soup, crackers, and gatorade

A member of our ward was in the hospital while I was there... she was in a car accident

Not loving the IV

Doing service at an investigators house... cleaning

Love the transformers tattoos!

The crazy brain fruit that we eat

One of my best friends... she leaves for her mission to Chili tomorrow

Mocochinchi a drink with a dried up peach in it....weird!

Our room

pday=fruit

I bought all of this fruit today for 3 American dollars!