ITS A MONDAY! I got nothin´goin´ on! I´m so dang clear!

How is everyone doing?! Did you all have a great week?! Our week here in Las Cuadras was awesome! It was one of the greatest weeks of my mission. I dont even know why, but I really just felt super happy all week. I wanted to share an experience that my comp and I had..... 

I truly feel like the Lord is hastening His work. This week, I really felt that. I felt an anxiety that I had never felt before like I needed to do better and be better. I wanted to tell you about an experience that I had that proved to me that He is hastening His work. Hna Parry and I were doing 12 Semanas, and as we watched the videos of the planning sessions and the study sessions, I had a thought come to my head... ¨Why are we not doing it as they do it?¨I discussed this with Hna Parry, and her and I both decided that we were doing our study sessions and planning sessions wrong. I had done it the same way with all of my companions. In our comp study, we always spent a majority of the time sharing what we had both learned. That is always really good to do, and I always learn more, but why were the elders in The District spending more time planning and talking about their lessons and investigators? So we switched it up this week. We decided to spend more time planning lessons and talking about our investigator`s needs, and only share our studies for about 5 to 10 minutes. I have really noticed a change in our studies and our lessons. We are more prepared, we receive more revelation as to what they need, and we are seeing more success. We also decided to start planning more in the manner of PME. We are using the carpeta de area more, we are searching through future investigators, and we are really trying to focus on the people and what they need. I have a gained a true testimony of 12 Semanas, The District, and The Area Book. Heavenly Father gave us these tools for a reason, so why arent we using them more efficiently!? I hope that I can begin to follow the plan that Heavenly Father has for this work, because I know He is hastening it. I have felt His spirit tell me, ¨Hermana Routsong, do more! Follow my plan! We have work to do!¨I hope that I can fulfill what He wants from me. 

I shared this with my president. It was one of the coolest revelations that I have received in the mission. I know that Heavenly Father wants more from me. He wants me to be a better missionary. He wants me to follow HIs plan in Preach my Gospel. 

We have so many people to teach. This past Sunday, I was feeling a little anxiety because we have so much to do during church. We have so many people to talk to, and so much to do! My head was spinning a little bit, but it is a good feeling. I love having a lot of work to do. Once the elders left our ward and put us incharge of everything, we have been super busy. But we are really working with a lot of cool people, and are seeing their progress.

- I come home at night, and as I think about the day, I really just feel this overwhelming joy. Why? Sometimes I ask myself that. But each night this week, I just felt this really cool feeling that we are doing good things. That we are helping people. I really dont know if I have ever been happier in my whole mission. 

.- Now that we eat dinner in our house, we have more time to do the area book, which is great. And we also get to eat whatever we want! So I have been making salads. YES SALADS. What I havent had for about 9 months now! Wooooo! 

- It is so cool to start to see the progress that my comp is making. MI HIJA! I really want her to be the best missionary that she can be. Way better than me. It is hard, but I know that I have to be the example 24-7. I can really see her growing and wanting to be better. 

- We have been teaching this girl who is 15. Her name is Barinia. She lives with her aunt and uncle who are members. She wants to be baptized SO BAD. She comes to church every week. We are really excited to see her progress. She says that she knows it is all true. She reminds me of Kayla. 

We are really having a great time here. My comp feels like my best friend. Today, we went to the zone activity, and played catch. We both loved it. It reminded me of all those times that I played with Steph, Emily, and Dpiiipo. It was super fun. 

Hope you all have a great week! The Lord is hastening His work. What are YOU doing to help? 

Love

Hermana Routsong

Foto.... One day, all of our appts fell through. It was sad. But then we found 20 bolivianos in the street, so we were happy. We have big plans for this 20 bs.... THE GIANT ROLLO DE QUESO! Pictures to come....... get excited......... 

That was my phrase for this week..... change for me has never been easy. In fact, this was actually a really hard week, but I learned so much. I learned to be more humble, more faithful, more hopeful, and more willing to serve. Being a capacitadora is not easy. I have learned that Heavenly Father really does pull us out of our comfort zone to help us grow and learn. I have learned so much this week, and I really am so grateful.... even though it was hard....

My new comp is AMAZING. Hermana Rossi from Argentina. She is going home in 5 weeks. I am going to miss her so much. She has helped me so much this week. 

This was one of the hardest weeks of my mission. Hermana Rossi and I dont really know what happened, but this week just kind of fell apart in our area. They had people progressing and we had appointments, but this week, literally NO ONE was home. NO ONE wanted to talk to us. NO ONE was interested. It was hard. I felt so bad for Hermana Rossi, because I couldnt help her because I just recently got here, so I couldnt give suggestions on who we could visit. We had one day where our numbers were all zeros. That has never happened in my whole mission. I knew that this area would be different, but I didnt think it would be this hard. I dont know why we had such a hard week. We were being so obedient and trying so hard.... and we dont really know Heavenly Father`s plan yet. Maybe He wanted us to learn patience. Maybe He wanted us to learn perseverance, or hope, or faith. We are still praying to know. 

I learned something from my first intercambio as a capacitadora. So at the beginning of this week, I was really questioning why I was placed as capacitadora. I have no real experience in leading people! But I found out why this past Friday with Hermana Hullinger. Heavenly Father gave me this calling so that I can learn from these sisters. I learned so much when I was with Hermana Hullinger. I realized then that this was why I was called to this calling. I am so excited to see what else these other sisters will teach me. 

So yeah, it is another week. I have two intercambios, so I will be with two new sisters tomorrow and Friday. I will go to their area because I dont know my area well enough yet. But I am excited to get to know these sisters more and learn from them. 

Other things.... 

My pension is great. She is like our mom. She takes out the trash for us. She makes us breakfast, she even helped me wash my clothes this morning. I love her already. 

I found a new favorite scripture. Look up Psalm 118:24. This should be everyone´s goal. 

I hope everyone has a great week. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO RHIANNON AND KAYLA AND HERMANA FERWEDA! YOU ARE ALL SO AMAZING AND I HOPE YOU EAT LOTS OF CHOCOLAT ICECREAM ON YOUR BIRTHDAYS.

LOVE YOU ALL! 

Hermana Rockstar (I started to tell people that that was how you pronouce my name because they cannot pronounce Routsong hehehehehe)