Attack of the Lice!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAMITA!!!!!!!!! I have friends that want to wish you a happy birthday, too! They are living on my head....

Hahahahahahahahahah I have to laugh because if I dont, I will cry. NASTY! That is what Bolivia does to you, I guess.

What is new in your life? How is your birthday?! What are you going to do?!

TELL ME EVERYTHING!

My week was really great! It was kind of stressful, but that is just normal now. I have had some really great experiences.

So yesterday, we had another good group of less actives come to church. FIVE! I was excited. And we even received a reference from a member. That night, we went to visit them. Their names are Valentina, Maria Elena, and Marlen. I felt the Spirit so so strong in the lesson, and I am really excited to see how they progress. I felt that same connection with them as I have with all my converts. Heavenl Father is blessing us with people who actually want to listen to us.

So what else is new?

- I am still in America. We just had cambios, so I wont be moved for another 5 weeks. It is possible that I will end my mission here.

- Yes, I have lice. I have no idea where I got them, but my head had been itching for dayyys and finally my comp discovered why. MY LITTLE FRIENDS! We are still working on killing them all.

- We had a kind of sad lesson. We had to let go of teaching Alejandra because she had too many doubts about the book of mormon and was not progressing. It was really hard, and we felt terrible afterwards, because she is a really special person. But leaving the lesson, I have never felt my testimony of theBook of MOrmon so strong. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God.

- I cannot remember what else happened this week....

BUT I HOPE YOU HAVE AN AWESOME BIRTHDAY! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

Hermana Routsong

When I found out I had lice

Bags on my head

Its a process

Feeding the chickens

Picnic with bags on my head

My district

Les Quiero!

HAPPY CAMBIOS! I am staying with Hermana Gilvonio in my area! So there is a huge possiblity that I will die here in America. It is a different area, but I know that the Lord has a plan for everything, and I am excited to see what He has in store for us in America for the next 6 weeks.

I wanted to share just one quick experience that I had yesterday in church. I cannot fully describe the joy that I feel when people come to church that we have invited. I sat there in sacrament meeting, and watched as 4 less actives that we are teaching walked in and were able to partake of the sacrament. Miguel Salazar hasnt been to church for about 7 or 8 months. WOW. Seeing him walk into sacrament meeting with is suit and everything made me so happy. We are also teaching an old lady named Berta, and they were about to close the door to start to bless the sacrament, but they waited as she slowly walked through the door. She is 89 years old and walks way slow, but the whole congregation patiently waited as she came in. Everyone should have the opportunity to partake of the spirit that comes from the santa cena. It was a great sacrament meeting, and I felt the Spirit so strong. Seeing the lost sheep walk through the door to feel the love of God is a miracle that I will never forget.

I have been struggling to overcome some weaknesses that I have and I have been really humbled this week. But I have great people in my life that are helping me, and I have truly found the power that comes from prayer. As members of the church, we truly take for granted prayer.

I hope you all are having a great week. Sorry, I cannot remember any funny stories right now.... so my letter is probably not as interesting. LO SIENTO!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

HERMANA ROUTSONG

Christmas in July

EL CLIMA SE HA VUELTO LOCO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wut happened..... I feel like I am in Potosi again. So the climate freaked out and decided make my fourth of july verrrryyyyyy cold. It rained all day! The next morning, we woke up and the mountains were COVERED in snow! It was so pretty! They say that they have never had this type of climate before. So I felt like it was Christmas all week. CHRISTMAS IN JULY! We decided to sing Christmas hymns all July. So I passed my fourth of July with a nice hot chocolate while I studied. It was a weird fourth, but I loved it.

 What else is new????? Hm.......

I wanted to tell you about the cool investigator that we have been teaching. Her name is Alejandra and she is so intelligent! She came to church with us for the first time this Sunday (in the freezing cold!). She really seemed interested in each lesson, and even made comments during the classes! That night, we watched the Joseph Smith movie with her, and I think she was really impacted by it. I am looking forward to see her progress. She is reading the Book of Mormon and has a true desire to really know the truth, but she still has a lot of doubts. We are working to help her recognize when the Spirit talks to her, but I really think we made a breakthrough finally getting her to come to church.

While watching the Joseph Smith video, I was impressed by a quote that it had. Joseph was talking to Brigham Young about being an apostle. Brigham doubted himself, but Joseph said something to him like how God doesnt see us how we are right now, but who we can become. He sees the form, and molds us into who we will become. I really loved this. This week, I saw A LOT of my faults. I make stupid mistakes every single day. It is hard to not get down on yourself. But I know that Heavenly Father has an image in His head of who He wants me to become. He sees who I will be someday, and He shapes me every day. He is slowly molding me into the person that i need to become. It hurts. It is not fun to see your faults every day. But I know that He wants me to become better, so he helps me to see my weaknesses. The Lord chastens who He loves. I know that He sent me on my mission to mold me. He sent me on my mission to save me. I dont even want to think about the type of person that I would have become if I had chose not to come on a mission. He loved me so much that He had me come on a mission to learn a nd to grow and to really have a strong testimony. I will forever be indebted to Him for the time that He has given to me in bolivia.

Okay, enough of that. So we are doing good here. I hope that you are all doing good there too! Tell the Clark family that I say hi! I am sad that I missed the firework war!

I really cannot remember what else happened this week..... but it was a great week! I love you all and I hope that you make it safe home! And i hope that you all go drink those awesome malts at that cool maltshop!

Love

Hermana Routsong

He Lives

HELLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
How are you all? I hope that you all had a great week!

My week was crazy..... I cannot even describe it....

- Two intercambios.... and I am finally feeling the stress that comes when there are so many problems between the sisters... WUT DU I DU?

- We started teaching one really cool sister named Alejandra. She is so intelligent. I cannot believe it. She has been reading her Book of Mormon, but thinks very logically, so it is hard for her to see the other side. She needs to start reading with her heart and not with her mind. We are still working with her. I love hearing her talk about how she wants to keep the commandments of God so much, and really wants to find the true church. I hope we can help her. She told us the other day that she was reading a book written by a woman prophet... uh oh...

- Our area is slowly progressing. We have some potential people, but no one is really progressing yet. I know that Heavenly Father still wants me to see miracles, though. He always guides us to people who need to be uplifted that day. Every single experience that we have had has been with people who dont live in our area. But I can see the Lord guiding us to people who really need our help that day. For example, yesterday we were just walking, looking for people, when my companion stopped and started talking to a young girl in the park. We talked to her for a while and she started to cry, telling us that she has felt so lonely recently. She lives in my old area in Potosi! Heavenly Father wanted me to find her here, though. This was one example of Heavenly Father still giving us little miracles and special moments every day, even when we will never see the fruits of our work. It is tough to not have literally anyone progressing, but I am grateful that my Father in Heaven still guides us.

- This week, I came in contact with TONS of people who dont believe in Jesus Christ. Atheists, crazy people, even a lady who said that she "hated the Bible". I have honetly never had so may experiences like that in my whole mission because the people in Bolivia have so much faith in Christ. It honeslty got me down. It was a hard. But then I realized yet another reason why Heavenly Father put me in this area. My testimony of Jesus Christ has never been stronger. I know that He lives. I have such a testimony of such simple doctrine such as faith because I have to testify of it every single day.

- YET ANOTHER TALK IN SACRAMENT! It hit me yesterday just how much I have changed. I can give a talk in sacrament, in spanish, without any notes, and not be nervous. WHO AM I NOW?! hahahahahah

Yes, still jealous about you all being on the cruise.... but I think that I am having a pretty great time down here in crazy Bolivia, too.

LOVE YOU ALL!

Hermana Routsong