Bogota City

Mamasita!

Oh my gosh. I have SO MUCH TO SAY. I really really dont know how I''m going to say everything.
First of all.... we went proselyting for the first time ever on Saturday! Oh my lanta, was it a crazy experience. The city of Bogota is loco. We were really successful, but it is hard stepping out of your comfort zone to talk to everyone in a language that you dont know. I did have an awesome experience.  I felt this SUPER DISTINCT feeling that I needed to talk to a woman and her grandson, so we followed her but lost her. I was bummed. We went and talked to some other people, and when I turned around, there she was right in front of me! She is a golden investigator. She was super excited to hear what we had to say. I gave her a Liahona with a picture of the temple on it, and she was so excited. She wanted to go inside, and was asking all these questions about it. I actually understood what she was saying! We taught her for a couple minutes, and then she had to go. I am sad that I do not get to teach her, but I pray that she gets really good missionaries. It was the coolest experience of my life.

Second cool experience that literally happened 5 minutes ago.  We were just about to go and write our emails when presidente pulls us out in the hall. Remember that woman that we met through the fence?  Our first contact? Did I tell you about that? Well she was here tonight, getting ready to be taught by the missionaries, and she wanted to say hi! So we went to talk to her. The full time missionaries who were supposed to teach her didnt show up! So presidente gave us permission to go teach her at her house sometime this week!  Holy Hannah. So COOL! These two experiences really have proved to me that Heavenly Father prepares people for us to meet. It is an amazing thing. I dont even feel like I do anything.

Hm.... OH! We went on a Bogota City tour today! It was amazing. Seeing Bogota in real life is unreal. We went to an Aztec Gold museum, some tiendas, and then got to ride this crazy train thing up to the top of the mountains! There is a catholic church at the top that we got to go visit. It is BEAUTIFUL here. I wish you could see it. Oh my goodness. I took lots of pictures for you guys. We went to some shops at the top, and I got you guys some things. But I probably won’t send them now.  Yeah, our city tour was amazing. We almost wrecked in our van about a million times. The driving is completely nuts here. But I got to see so much of Bogota.

KAYLA! How was your birthday? What did you end up doing????? I cannot believe you are so old now. Tell me all about it!

KYLE! I have been thinking a lot about you this past week. I loved the scripture that you sent me in your email. Now I have one for you. 2 Nefi 22. Read it carefully. It is one of my favorite scriptures when I am feeling discouraged or down. Tell me what you think about it.

MAMA! Did Stanley ever get his mission call?

DAD! I wish you could see Bogota. It is incredible. So beautiful and you would absolutely love it. I told my roommates about your Brazil poop shoe experience. They all laughed.

KEITH! Today was my first time ever going to the bathroom and not flushing my toilet paper down the toilet. I thought you’d want to know. hahahahah It is way crazy. We can flush it here in the CCM, but I used the bathroom in dowtown Bogota. I dont know why, but I felt like telling you that.

RHIANNON! How are finals? Are you having my niece yet? Bahahahahaha How is work? When are you guys finished?

OH! I just found out like 30 minutes ago where my new companion is from! We all get latino companions tomorrow, which will be awesome. I cannot wait to learn more spanish. I am sad that my district will be split, but I am excited to learn more. MY NEW COMPANION IS FROM BOLIVIA! I am the only sister who will have a Bolivian companion. I am STOKED.

MOM! Did you send me your skype name so I can call you? I dont remember if you did. Please send it to me again in a separate account.

KAYLA! Two things: Remember how I told you that One Direction was here? Well our driver that drove us to the temple told us that he was the one that drove them from the airport! So we saw the van that One Direction was in. Crazy, huh?  Also. There are nuns everywhere here.  I think of you and Tiff every single time I see one, and start cracking up.

MERNZ. I really really  really miss you. I was thinking about you today, and how much I miss your cookies.
STEPH! How is the MTC? I absolutely never have time to read your emails (or anyone else's for that matter).
We got sandwiches and doritos for dinner! We were so excited. For dinners, they always try to give us some variety of american food. They do a pretty good job at replicating it, but sometimes they fail. The spaghetti they make is NASTY. It makes me feel sick for days. But today was good! Last week they gave us the BEST pineapple pizza ever. I loved it. 

I don’t think I am gaining too much weight. I run every other day. It is the best. I have a few running buddies here... Hma Crawford and Elder Figueroa. It is cool. 

Hm... I always forget all the things that I want to tell you guys. It stinks. I know I am forgetting something. 
How is everyone there? I absolutely love getting pictures from you guys. It is the best, so keep them coming! How is the family? How is grandma? When do you guys leave for Utah? I cannot wait to see your faces. I was out of my mind excited when I heard that you would be in Utah together. How is Kyle? I think about him a lot. How is Julie? 
We are cheating and going over time... no one is here. The CCM is literally EMPTY. THere are 19 Nortes here. That's it! Drastically different from the MTC, I'm sure. Every day I am still amazed at how fortunate I am that I was sent to this CCM. It is the best place for me. It is like my own family. I miss you guys, but I have a new family here.
Oh! Tell Emilee that I took a picture of the minion taxis. I will send it if I have time. They are hilarious. 
Did you look up pictures of Bogota and see how crazy it is? We saw people everywhere sleeping on the streets. So sad. Look up a picture of the temple, too! 
Is Mother’s Day this Sunday? If it is, then FELIZ DIA DE LA MADRE! I love you so much. Thank you for all that you do for me. You are the best example to me. 
Advice for everyone: Remember to read the Book of Mormon every single day. There is power that comes to your life when you read it. Even if it’s  just a few verses a day. READ IT! I get an hour every morning to read. I’m hoping to finish in English this week and start with spanish.

I LOVE YOU! I MAY be able to send one more real quick. 

Amor, Hma Routsong