Its Monday.... I have nothing going on!

OKAY. I KNOW THAT YOU ARE ALL WAITING FOR MY CAMBIOS.

You are never going to believe this...

MY NEW COMPANION IS A GRINGA

Wut......

I didn´t even think that that was allowed....The elders called me last night and told me. Her name is Hermana Black. She is from Washington D.C. She dies in 2 cambios. I never thought that I would have a gringa companion in my whole mission. With Pres Dyer, gringo companionships weren´t allowed. But with this new president, I guess it´s allowed. Weird, right?!

I have mixed feelings about it. I am super excited about it. But at the same time, I am nervous. I really really want to improve my spanish, and I hope that I can do so with a North American. I will just have to make sure that we are pretty much always speaking spanish to each other. It will be so easy to fall into the habit of speaking English with her, so I have to try hard. I really want to improve. I am at the point now where I feel really comfortable with my spanish. And I just want to keep improving.

But Heavenly Father put us together for a reason! So we shall see. I am excited to meet her.

So yeah... right now I am with 4 other hermanas. I am kind of an awkward 5th wheel right now. I have been sola since Friday morning, when I said goodbye to Hna Francia. I miss her so much. She is amazing. But I think this transfer will be one where I will grow so much. I am looking forward to it.

This week was crazy by the way! It was my last couple days with one of my best friends here, Francia. And we had so much to do before she went home. The elders called me Tuesday night and told me that I had to get on a bus in 2 hours for tramites. WHAT. So Hna Hullinger and I had yet another 11 hour bus ride in the middle of the night to Cocha. But I was excited. I love going to Cochabamba. I get to eat so much fruit and salteñas there. And it is SO WARM. I love it. And I got to see my old companion from the CCM, Hna Webb. And I GOT TO GO TO THE TEMPLE! I got back Thursday. The night before my comp left. She was disappointed because she wanted to spend more time with me.

She left Friday morning, and I have been with the other sisters since. They are super nice. And I have also been going with members to teach lessons so that I can still work in my area. I felt like a boss. I am finally learning to lead and not be in the shadow of my companion. It feels so cool. I also went teaching with one of my converts. It was a lot of fun. I realized this week while being alone that my spanish is a lot better than I thought. I can understand anything, and say pretty much anything I want. It is awesome. I love learning Spanish.

 

 

 YUP! My new comp comes tomorrow. A GRINGITA! You should look and see if you can find her on facebook. I wont be able to send a picture until next Monday.

Other things I want to tell you---

- MOM. I don´t know what is happening.... but every time I go to Cocha, I find out that I have lost more weight. Don´t worry, I am not sick or anything. I feel great. But I have lost 10 kilos. That is about 24 FREAKING POUNDS. Yeah.... I was honestly shocked when I found out..... But I do notice it. My bones are sharper. But I am not dying....

- Also, I have made a list of all the things that I want you guys to look up on the internet and try to make.

SALTEÑAS. With chicken

Sopa de Mani.... it is peanut soup, and it is my favorite thing in the whole world.

JUGO... Okay, this one is easy. And it is my favorite thing ever. You just take fruit, whatever fruit you want, and blend it with milk. My favorite is jugo de platano y papaya. You just blend them together with milk and it is literally the best. I could drink it every single day.

Yeah... I cannot remember what else I wanted to tell you guys. Cambios, Cocha, jugo de platano, that I am turning into a skeleton, etc.

What is new with you all?

I LOVE YOU! I am going to send this off, and read your letters. GOOD LUCK.

Qué la fuerza está te acompañe!

Hermana Routsong

P.S. This is a foto of my district. A lot of them had cambios. And I am sorry that I couldnt send more! I was without my camera for a few days.....

 

Valerie and Christian's Baptism!

HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi everyone! Wow, I have a lot to say, and I don`t know if I will have enough time. BULLETPOINTS!

- We MOVED. Yes, we are no longer living in the most ghetto house in the mission. I feel like I am living in an apartment in NY. It is SO NICE. It has a fireplace! And I don`t have to go outside to go to the BATHROOM! It is amazing. The elders helped us move last Tuesday. I will say, I HATE MOVING. But it was worth it.

- The downside to our beautiful house... we have no water.... I didn’t shower for about 5 days.... if we want to shower, we have to walk to our pension´s house.... it stinks... we are hoping that they will fix the pipe this week.

- We went to Sucre for a conference with Elder Waddell! It was great. I learned so much about how to be a better missionary. And I LOVE SUCRE. It is so so cool. There are literally dinosaur  statues everywhere. It is awesome. And the zone leaders always buy us these burgers for dinner that literally taste like heaven. I feel like I am in the states when I eat them. They had guacamole!

- We had 2 baptisms this past Saturday!  Valeria and Christian. Valeria is like my little sister. I love her TO DEATH. She reminds me of Kayla. Christian just turned 8. We helped reactivate his mom. He is so cool. So yeah, Saturday was a pretty great day.

- MOM! SOMEONE FOUND MY WALLET! Apparently, there have been a bunch of kids in primary taking people´s things. They are going to give it back to me tomorrow. Is there any way that you can un-cancel my card? Or have you already sent a new one? Let me know....

- EMILY BLACKHURST. I don´t know why... but I was missing you SO DANG MUCH yesterday. I don’t know what was happening to me, but I kept thinking about you. I hope you are doing awesome! I was thinking about that night before I left, and you were sing-crying on the steps. I couldn’t stop laughing hahahaha

- We have a new investigator named David Solano. He is awesome. He has 2 daughters, and his wife is a less active member. We met him by just talking to everyone on the street. He came to church with us this past Sunday in a suit and tie with is Book of Mormon in hand. That NEVER happens.... He even answered questions in Sunday School,  and as we waited for sacrament to start, he sat and read the BOM. It was so cool. He has a baptismal date for October 25. This experience has given me a testimony of talking to literally everyone that I see on the street. It is really hard, and sometimes I really don’t want to do it. But I have learned that there are people out there like David Solano waiting to hear this gospel. Plus, I am not here to do my will, but the Savior´s.

- It is my last week with Hermana Francia.. I am so sad..... I really am going to miss her. I have been with her for two transfers now, and she has made me a better missionary. We have worked so hard together.

- I am nervous for cambios... they are this Sunday. I will be with other hermanas until I find out who will be coming here, or if I will be leaving.

- So I guess you guys will find out where I am next Monday. It is highly impossible that I will be leaving Potosi. They wouldn’t want to leave the area abandoned with completely new missionaries. So I will stay one or two more transfers with this new comp and then leave. I may even train. YIKES... my comp is CONVINCED that I will train..... holy schnikeys.... I will let you know!

- So yeah... life is crazy as usual..... OH! I forgot to tell you! I haven’t worn tights all week! Yesh... it is finally getting warmer here. It is amazing. I hate those dang tights, so I am a happy camper.

I am going to send this one off. Hopefully by next Monday, we will have water again in our apartment, and I will know what I will be doing and where I will be for the next 6 weeks!

LOVE YOU

HNA ROUTSONG

1&2 The Bus ride to Sucre

3 Duendes

4,5,6 Dinosaurs in Sucre

7 Conferencia con Hermana Webb

8 Selfie

9 We have a fireplace!

10 Christian and his family

11. Another Selfie

12,13,14,15,16 Valeria and Christian's Baptism

17. CTR?

 

 

 

 

 

MADRESITA!

My family! How are you????????? What has been up? Tell me about your lives!

I don`t feel like typing like a maniac, so I`m going to do bullets again.....

- MOM: THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.... My wallet got stolen. I don`t know how, I don`t know when, I don`t know who, I don’t know why.... but it is not in my bag. And I never take it out unless I need it. We were teaching primary this past Sunday, and the kids were playing in my bag..... they may have taken it. I cannot think of any other reason why it wouldn’t be in my bag. Anyways.... I NEED YOU TO CANCEL MY CARD AND SEND ME A NEW ONE! I don’t know how that works or what you need to do. But you need to cancel it and send me a new one. I AM SO SORRY. So if you see any strange charges, do something about it. I think it was stolen on Sunday, because I had it on Saturday. ..... Now mom, don’t freak out. It is not dangerous here.  Just because my wallet got stolen.... I am safe, I promise.

- Remember that junky how that we are living in with cold showers and such? WE FOUND A NEW HOUSE THAT IS SO STINKING NICE! Yes, I am so happy. We are hoping to move in tonight! So I should be sending you photos the next Monday! The coolest thing is that the bathroom is actually INSIDE! So I am not going to die every time I have to pee in the middle of the night.

- My companion leaves in 2 weeks.... That means I either will train or get a new companion. I am so sad. I am going to miss Hna Francia.

.... All the elders are teasing me, saying that I am for sure going to train. WUT? I am stinking nervous.....

- We have TWO baptisms this week!  Valeria and Christian. They are awesome. I am so excited. Valeria reminds me of Kayla... smart and beautiful and sassy and loves Big Time Rush. She has so many questions, and we end up talking about deep doctrine with her. She is so excited for her baptism. We had an amazing lesson with her this past week where I felt the Spirit so so strong. And I love that, because when the Spirit penetrates a lesson like that because spanish becomes just a little bit easier.

- Member lunches are rough sometimes.... you never know how much food they are going to serve you. We have one family in our ward that I love to DEATH. They are fancy. They serve us four course lunches..... but with so much dang food that I feel like dying! Hahaha BUT THE COOL THING WAS THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY MISSION they served ICECREAM for dessert and NOT JELLO! Hahahahaha We eat lunch with the members every Saturday and Sunday.... 8 missionaries total. It is fun. Those freaking elders always serve me the first glass of soda because they know that I hate coke. And it is always coke. And they know that I cannot say no, so they keep serving me..... freaking coke....

- We met a little girl this week that came up to us and said, ¨MADRESITAS... pueden hablar de Dios conmigo??¨ Or in other words.... NUNS, can you talk about God with me? It was the cutest thing ever. So we talked with her, and we even started teaching her mom. Now, every time she sees us, she yells MADRESITAS! Or... NUNS! HELLO!

..... So now I am a nun...... hehehehehehe- Kyle may be right.... I am pwning my companion. Because we have  a new workout routine. One morning, we wake up early and go to this really junky, old gym. The other mornings, we RUN! I have been so dang sore all freaking week, but it´s all good. I love it.

- I HEARD THAT BYU BEAT TEXAS! Dad, you gotta tell me about the game! Also, I want to hear if the Broncos won on Sunday!

- KYLE BOY! HOW WAS YOUR BIRTHDAY???? WHAT DID YOU DO?????????? I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE FREAKING  20 YEARS OLD! I thought of you all day on Sunday....

- MATTHEW! HAPPY BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK! Also, mom...tell Julie happy birthday, too!

- NICOLEY! Have I told you that there is an investigator that looks just like you? It makes me so happy.

- I got the letters from Bishop Mercer, some one from our ward that I dont know, and also the coolest post card from Emily Blackhurst! The one from Emily made my day. THANK YOU EMILY!

- KAYLA! Have you convinced mom to let you come here?? I HOPE SO!

Yeah, so this has been my week. Every day is a new adventure. Crazy things happen every day. Sometimes I stop and think... where the heck am I? But it is fun. I love Potosi. I have met the coolest people here.

Mom, please read this and let me know today what you are going to do about the card. I am sorry once again. I honestly have no idea what happened, but my wallet is gone.... Sad.... but oh welll.

OH! Mom, can you send me more zebra pens? Those cool pens that we bought before I left? And can you send me some of my cool shirts that I didnt bring? I want them so bad.....and my hat that you hate! Hahahaha

I love you all. I am going to send this off and read your letters.

CON MUCHO AMOR

MADRESITA ROUTSONG hehehehehehe

1. Mandarinas I eat about 4 a day!

2 & 3. Soccer!

4. My 1st and best convert

5. This is for Emi

6. The steps onto Mordor!

7,8,10. We hiked Cerro Rico again

9. Empanadas I love them!

 

Happy Birthday Coack Kyle!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, COACH KYLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE YOU, KYLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How are you doing? Kyle! What are you going to do for your birthday???? I really honestly cannot believe that it is SEPTEMBER! CRAZY.

This time next week, I will officially have FIVE WHOLE MONTHS IN THE MISSION! Uhhhhhhhhhhh woah..... how did that go by so slow and yet so fast at the same time??

How are you all doing? What are you going to do for Kyle Boy's birthday??? I hope you guys do something fun! Okay, is my brain messed up, or are you turning 20 KYLE??? That blows my mind.

TELL ME ALL YOUR STORIES!

I dont have too much to talk about. This week, we worked really hard. We had a zone meeting this past Tuesday, and our leaders wanted us to improve our numbers. So my comp and I made it our goal to have 8 people with a baptismal date this week, and contact 15 people each day! Woah. The norm of excelency for contacts is 10, but we wanted to try and see if we could do it. So we literally were talking to everyone on the street. At first, I was nervous.... but we ended up having a lot of fun, and meeting some really cool people. We ended up contacting 70 people this week! Woah.... it was intense, but cool.

So Sundays we always report our numbers, and we only had 5 with a baptismal date. We were a little discouraged. We could not find anyone who was really prepared. So we prayed right there on the street, asking for help to find people who really needed the gospel. We only had an hour left before we needed to report numbers, but we were determined to find those people who Heavenly Father had prepared. GUESS WHAT? By that night, we had NINE PEOPLE WITH A FECHA! Oh my gosh.... it was so cool. Two of them were people whose door we knocked! We were so happy. This just proves to me that you can never give up your hope in the Lord. Just say a prayer, and He will always be there to help you when you need help....especially in this work.

Yeah... so we were really happy yesterday. And we have a lot of people to teach this week.

What else is new????

Today, we ate french toast for breakfast, and then played soccer as a zone. It was actually really fun. I totally stink at soccer, but everyone is pretty nice and passes me the ball every once in a while. hahaha

Also, I totally didnt even know that today was Labor Day. HAPPY LABOR DAY! Hahahaha

Oh! I had another interview with my president this week! He came up to Potosi for the first time, and so he wanted to meet with everyone. Man, my president is a cool dude. And I made the most ingenious connection after my interview! My mission president looks almost EXACTLY like David Wallace from The Office! hahahaha I was cracking up... my comp didnt get the joke.... but it is true. They could be twins.... OH! It was also this crazy holiday in Potosi this past week. It was a party all week. Everyone was dressed in their crazy clothes and they were all dancing in the street. You should all look up pictures of Chutillos in Potosi, and you will see what I saw this whole week. It was nuts.....

KAYLA! One of my investigators is obsessed with BTR. It made me think of you when she was telling me how much she likes James.

KYLE! I want you to read D & C 31. PLEASE?

MOM! Yes, my first sun burn on the mission. It hurts like a mother! But I am okay, I promise.

MOM! You should see if they see NutriFiber in the states. It is my new favorite cereal. It looks like dog food, but it is so good.

What else is new???? Oh. I have decided that I am either starving to death because I am so hungry, or I am dying because I have to eat so much food. There is no middle ground. In the mornings, I am so so hungry. But I cannot eat a lot because there are some days when literally during EVERY APPOINTMENT THAT WE HAVE, they give us food. My stomach sometimes cannot handle it! Hahahaha But I realize just how much of a sacrifice it is for these people to give us their food, so I learned to be grateful for every thing that they give me...even when my stomach is dying. Hahahah Mom, literally one day, we ate so much rice that I wanted to explode. I swear, we ate about 6 cups of rice..... .Oh my lanta.

I hope you are all doing great! I am doing great! My pday is almost over, but I have time to read some of your letters. Please tell everyone that I say hello! GIVE KYLE A BIG HUG FOR ME! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I love you all!

HNA ROUTSONG

1. Playing Pool

2. Hna Frenc

3. Sunburn

4. Potosi

5. Dobby the pet dog

6 & 7. Soccer