The friends of Jesus

Hi family!

I loved reading all of your emails! I cant believe the big change in our family! Dad is no longer the bishop of the Chaparral Ward! Dad you were an awesome bishop and I am sure everyone is so sad. I am actually un poco triste tambien por eso. I loved you being bishop when I was in high school. Such fun times we had. I love you. Our temple is finished! This is the week! Please please please send me pictures and videos! I want to see so bad. Mom when you do your temple tours, even though we are thousands of miles away, I will be there in spirit with you. I love you!

I love Elder and Hermana Pugmire! They are literally the best! I seriously call Hermana Pugmire like 3 times a week and Elder Pugmire is always fixing stuff at our house. Elder Pugmire is actually the cousin of President Pugmire! The world is even smaller than we think! Oh and Elder Reay is legit awesome! el capo! He is the best district leader I have ever had. What a small world we live in, especially within the church.

I LOVE MY MISSION. Those four words, ah I cry from happiness everytime I think about it. I feel like I am starting to get the hang of things, the language, the culture, etc. I love the people...I love my converts...I love the members. I just love everything about Uruguay. Choosing to serve a mission was the best decision I have ever made. We are finding people everyday that are so prepared for the gospel! Everynight, the district leader calls (Elder Reay) and he told me that he was in a meeting with the zone leaders and they were talking about my area, how well it is progressing. Elder Reay asked me what we are doing to have this many dates, numbers, and progressing investigators. I thought about it for a second and then I said one word, Amor! Love! I am learning that there are so many people in this world who dont feel loved and then for two girls to approach them and tell them that they have a Heavenly Father who loves them is huge. They cant help but want to learn more! Whats even cool is the things that are coming true in my patriarchal blessing. wow!

It has been such a good week.You are probably wondering why Pday is today, Tuesday. Yesterday, we had a surprise conference with all of the mission in Malvin, Montevideo. We didnt know anything, the reason for the conference, but we soon found out that President and Hermana Newsome have to go home and we are getting a new mission president! The whole mission was crying. We love the Newsomes and are sad to see them leave. 

This is a big week for us! As a mission, we have the goal to have 130 baptisms in the month of January. Hermana Fuentes and I have five investigators with a baptism date forthis Saturday and Sunday. It is so interesting and I know that this week will be very challenging because ALWAYS the week of baptisms Satan is working so hard. Today it is raining...pouring rain. One of our investigators, Mary, is deadly sick. There are so many trials, but our faith is strong and we know and believe that we will have these baptisms this week. Exciting! Please pray for us and for everyone of our investigators who have a date this Saturday...Cholo, Mary, Nestor, Silvia, and Lucia. I know that prayer works. I can feel your prayers and it is amazing.

I am so thankful for these blessings. This week, I noticed and have realized how much I have grown in the gospel, in the language, and as a missionary. I was thinking about when I was skyping with you all and I just felt different, like I didnt feel like the same Katie. Its a good change. Now I completely understand why elders come home from their missions and they are just different. These experiences that we have as missionaries play a huge impact on our lives. James, Annie, and Hannah, you will be AWESOME missionaries! 

One last thing, we have been meeting and introducing ourselves to a lot of niños in the streets. Its a good way to get referencias and to meet their parents. As we are walking down the street, we often hear things like, "Las Hermanas!" or "Las Misioneras!" but my favorite this week was, "Las Amigas de Jesus!" The friends of Jesus! ahah I love it! 

Thank you for everything, family. I love you all with my whole heart. Families can be together forever through Heavenly Fathers plan!

Have a great week!

Hermana Coon

You will not believe the BUGS that we find in our apartment! Cockroaches, spiders, HUGE daddy long legs! 

Hermana Fuentes and I yesterday!

Mom, the first picture is for you! Dancing-singing in the rain! Making the most out of the day of pouring rain! 

Cholo! Our investigator who reminds me exactly of Grandpa Coon! Such a funny man!

Hola Familia!

¡Hola Familia!

This week I received a lot of Christmas cards and Scotts wedding invitation!!! I loved opening them this morning! All week, they have been sitting on my desk and I have been dying to open them..but today is Pday and this morning i finally opened my letters! WOW way to go Scott! Shelby is gorgeous! I loved the Christmas cards, our family´s, Rob and Niki, Rick and Jenny, and the Lindbloms! So fun! I just love everyone so much!

Hannah, it looks like you had such a fun birthday! 7 years old! I will be home for your birthday next year and for your baptism!

The weeks are going by really fast, and here I am at the computer again for another pday writing my family that I love so much. This week, on Saturday, we had a baptism for our investigator, Gabriel! (Total type 4...you can see in the pictures. haha) Baptism days are ALWAYS the craziest days! There is opposition in all things and Satan is working really hard, especially on the days of baptisms. He not only works hard on the investigators, but on the missionaries too. We had so many problems on Saturday, but we prayed every minute and Heavenly Father helped us conquer the problems and everything worked out great. He is really turning his life around and wanting to do good and to follow Christ. It is amazing to see! As we were walking with him to his baptism, he was asking us if we would think about living here in Uruguay forever. He doesnt want us to leave, but unfortunately, I love my country. "Sorry Gabriel," I said, "Uruguay is awesome, but I love my country and my family too much!" haha it was funny.

I am learning so much, especially with how to deal with different cultures. It has been quite a culture shock for my companion to have a North American companion and trainer. I am learning how to deal with this crazy latino culture...a culture that loves to shake their hips and dance like theres no tomorrow, a culture that loves to be loud and loves to hug. It is quite different, but my companion tells me by the end of my mission that I will not only talk like a latina, but I will also walk like a latina. I just laugh.

I want to tell you about another one of our investigators named Mary. She is a miracle! We didnt even have to go looking for her, she came to us! She loves the gospel so much and she is the sweetest type 2 grandma with soft skin and the softest sweetest voice. We just sit on her porch and she tells us about what she read in el Libro de Mormon and we teach her. Yesterday, we were teaching her about the Holy Ghost and after her baptism she will receive this gran gift. She read us 2 Nephi 32 and told us how we were her "angels speaking by the power of the Holy Ghost." It was so sweet. She melts my heart with her genuine love and kindness to us and to Christ. She has a baptism date forJanuary 25th. We are having a lot of success with the older group of people haha. Another one of our investigators, Cholo, is 90 YEARS OLD! Yes! 90! Wow! I cant even begin to tell you about the love that he has for Hermana Fuentes and I. He calls us his nietas (Grandaughters) We would walk past his house everyday and he was always sitting outside alone. We decided to talk to him and we recently found out that he has no one, all of his family has passed away and he is so lonely. But, since we have fellowshipped him and friendshipped him, he has been so much happier and he tells us all the time that he will be there at church everyday. He is getting baptized too on the 25th of January. He doesnt know how to read or write, so we are learning how to teach all different types of people. I cant even begin to tell you, he reminds me SO MUCH of Grandpa Coon! They are identical…personality wise! WOW! Its like I have my grandpa here with me! Little taste of home!

Thank you for sending my pictures! I love to see your faces…and mom thanks for sending me a video of you!

This week, we are going to focus on the members in the branch. The members are SO IMPORTANT in missionary work and the small branch is struggling in this right now. Please give the elders in our Ward REFERENCES! It doesnt matter who is the reference, we just need them. And if you can, accompany the elders to a lesson that they have. We are always grateful when members volunteer to help us. Members are key! I am learning and I wish I would have been a better missionary when I was at home!

I love you all with my whole heart. I miss you so much. I am glad that we will be best friends forever! Always remember to choose the right and to have good friends. I am thankful.

Con mucho amor y until next week,

Hermana Coon

 .mom, do you remember Hermana Hansen??? We found her blog before I left! This is HERMANA HANSEN! I love her so much...we are such great friends! Have you been reading her blog? We are also with Hermana Harris in this picture!

 my companion and roommates after zone conference

 Cleaning the baptism font

cutting Carlos hair! Monica was thrilled, but I had no idea what i was doing! haha

Feliz Ano Nuevo! 2014

Feliz Año Nuevo! 2014!

I cant believe it is 2014 already?! Didnt I just graduate high school?

Happy Birthday Hannah! I hope you have a fun day on your birthday. I love you so much and next year for your birthday and baptism, I will be home!

THE GILBERT TEMPLE!!! The moment I have been waiting for! Please send me videos and muchas photos! What an exciting week for you all!

I have so many emotions...thank you for all the videos! I loved watching them of you all in the desert on New Years Day and seeing all of your faces. Everyone is growing up so fast! James, your FOOT! That is so gross! I hope you are okay! Mom, thank you for the clothes. I am going to cry from happiness thank you so much! I loved seeing our home, nice and BIG, and clean! And I loved seeing dad in the kitchen too. How fun the girls were able to go to the Polar Express! I want to hear more about it!

Its been a week of miracles....everyday! All of our investigators are progressing so well and we had 6 investigators in the church yesterday! and 6 dates for baptism within the next 3 weeks! 

WOW! That is a record. 

Gabriel...20 years old

Silvia....35years old

Lucia....9 years old

Cholo....90 years old (his personality reminds me so much of Grandpa Coon!)

Nestor....35 years old

Mary....70 years old

The Gospel Principles class that we teach was packed with our investigators. I just cannot believe the miracles that we are seeing and that the Lord is blessing us with. One of our investigators, Gabriel, has a date to be baptized this Saturday! Just these past 3 weeks that we have been teaching him have been a testimony building experience to me. I have seen the power of the Atonement and it is incredible! I think about you a lot, dad, when we teach him and practice with him the baptism interview questions, people bearing their souls to you. Him, like everyone, needs to repent, but the power of the Atonement is real! I know it and I have seen it with Gabriel. He is so excited to be baptized and to have ALL of his sins watched away. The change in him is breathtaking...before he didnt think that he was a child of god and that Heavenly Father never listened to his prayers. He was literally in the depths of despair... but the more we teach him, the more he feels the spirit, and the more we share our experiences, we can see him change! He is smiling now, he is happy, he wants to follow Christ and not satan. After weekly planning of thursday, we received a text from him...I will send you a picture of the text, you probably wont be able to understand it, but he shared his testimony with us and how he knows now that he is a son of god. Hermana Fuentes and I read it, and we cried and jumped up and down, and screamed a little bit from excitement. He is reading the Book of Mormon everday and praying. I was reading Alma 29 9-10 today. You all must read it...inspiring! 

Goodness, it is so fun to be a missionary and to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord. The people that we come in contact with and teach everyone notice something different about us. I think of the things it says in my patriarchal blessing and am in awe at everything that is coming true. Our investigators love us and call us their angels. We love them too and we pray for them siempre. 

I love you! Te amo! I miss you all a lot, but its only a short time life. I dedicate this whole year to the Lord...2014!

Your daughter, sister, granddaughter, friend, and missionary,

Hermana Coon

Hi!

What a great day we had on Christmas and what made it even more better was that I got to talk to you, see you, and hear your voices! I feel like it was a dream, you are right...the hour went by so fast...it doesnt feel like we actually talked...but we did! And it was so FUN! Only 5 more months until we get to talk again! 

Mom and dad, how fun that you are in Kansas for Scotts wedding! Congrats Scott and Shelby! How beautiful. Give everyone and Katie a huge hug for me. Its so weird that it is so cold there, especially since today is so hot in Uruguay! The sweating never stops! Neither do the cockroaches!

So to begin my letter this week I want to describe to you 2 different meals that we ate this week...Ready?!

Numero Uno...We ate lunch at this sweet hermanas house, Soñia. Soñia is a recent convert and she has 5 cats and 2 dogs. Before lunch she showed us her Adam and Eve garden and her animals. We were all super hungry, sat down to eat, and she loaded each of us up a plate of pasta and tuco, and chicken legs. The whole plate was loaded with food. We began eating and as I was looking closely into my food, I noticed that my whole chicken leg was covered in....HAIR! CAT HAIR!!! I died. "Come, Come" she said to me, which means EAT! EAT! "Bueno," I said. "Oh hermana, que rico! Muchas gracias!" Then she loaded us up another huge plate full of cat hair. Lovely!

Numero Dos...I cant just tell scary stories, I must tell the good too! On Saturday Hermana Fuentes and I ate at our sweet Hermana Olgitas house. We cleaned her house first, and then she fed us. The food was SO GOOD! Probably the best I have had. She fed us wheat rice! So healthy and it brought me back to my glory days of being healthy. haha. Wow! Also, a funny thing that they feed us here is something called, Agua con gas. Its like water, but it has fizzes like soda, but it doesnt taste like soda! It is the weirdest thing. In the afternoon, we die of thirst and we just ask anyone for a drink of water, but they either give us agua con gas or koolaid. 

Uruguay has such funny traditions...Look up "mate" if you get a chance!

I absolutely love Progreso. I am going to cry when I have to leave! The good thing about being here for so long is that I feel like I know everyone in this town! Carlos at the supermercado, the neighbors, all the people that we have talked to over these past months. And its so fun because I feel the people here are starting to have a special connection with me and my companions. We get honks, we get waves, and holas all day long. Everyone knows us and knows what and who we represent. It is so fun! I love the people, the members, my converts! ahhh! My heart!

I am growing a strong testimony of the power of investigators attending church. Wow if they have enough faith to attend church, they will be baptized. There are so many people who make excuses not to come to church, but yesterday, for example, we had one of our investigators come to church...his name is Gabriel and Gabriel doesnt believe that Heavenly Father listens to his prayers and he feels alone. He has a lot of doubts. We waited for him, along with others of our investigators. He came to church with such a hard heart, wearing all black, and an attitude of not wanting to be here, but by the end of the meeting, Gabriels heart had softened, he started smiling, and he was actually happy! He was listening so intently to the speakers and when we taught the lesson in Sunday School about the priesthood and Joseph Smith, his eyes were filled with agua! Tears! The spirit was so strong and wow each day my testimony is strengthened by the happiness that this gospel can bring into peoples lives.What is even more fun is the reaction of my sweet oro, Hermana Fuentes. I am glad and grateful that we are receiving so many blessings from Heavenly Father. We are learning together and she helps me so much with my spanish.

Dad, I love how you write me and tell me that these things I am learning and my testimony will bless my own family one day. Comments like those bring tears to my eyes that in the near future, I will have my own family to raise in the gospel! 

I love you family! Stay strong..Time is going by so quick!

¡Te Amo!

Hermana Coon

 Do you like my Uruguay Santa hat?! Our zone bought them!

 I took these pictures this morning! I made this headband..and no makeup! Mom could you send me some cute headbands and fabric? It so hot and I never wear my hair down, I need something cute! haha

Also, I would LOVE some new skirts and shirts. I have no clothes for summer. I dont know the size of my waist, but I think its the same as when I left....

Also, my shoes for proseltying are about dead. They dont sell good walking shoes here. I can feel all the rocks and pebbles beneath my feet all day. haha my feet are getting some good callases! You should see my tan line too. wicked sweet!

But anywho...have a fun day today! I Love you mom and dad! xoxo Besitos!

Feliz Navidad mi familia!

I can hardly believe that I get to see your faces and hear your voices in 2 days! I am so excited, I can hardly wait! We are going to skype around 1, 1 30...no se what time this is at home for you all.

What a week of MIRACLES it has been. I actually just typed up a whole wonderful email, but the computer just deleted all of my words, so i will try to write quickly with the time I have left.

I want to tell you about my ORO! Hermana Fuentes from Guatemala! I love being a trainer! It is the absolute best. These oros come fresh into the mission field with such animo and excitement for the work. It is a breath of fresh air. The first thing that Hermana Fuentes did when she saw me was she gave me a million bear hugs and told me that her dad always told her that she is going to have a North American for her trainer! The second thing she asked me was, "How many people are we going to baptize this change?" I asked her what she thought, and she said 9! and i said OK! So we are going to baptize 9 people this cambio! haha love her energy and goals.

We have seen so many miracles this week and everynight, we come home and I kneel to pray and my heart is just full of gratitude for these many many blessings that we have received. The Lord is aware of our area, our needs, and He is preparing people for the gospel. I know it. I want to share with you a quick experience. It is interesting how the spirit works. I am loving learning how it works. We were walking past a house and we saw this woman and her two grandchildren. We walked a little bit past it, and then both my companion and I looked at eachother and said, "Necesitamos hablar con ella." And thats what we did. We began talking with her and I felt like we should talk about the plan of salvation with her. I asked her if she wanted to be with her family for eternity and she said Si! We began teaching her how we CAN be with our families forever. Water filled her eyes as she told us that she didnt believe in the resurrection. The spirit was so strong as we were teaching and sharing our testimonies. She was listening so intently. We felt like Alma and Amulek teaching with power and authority! I remember looking at her two grandchildren, toddlers and telling her that she has a beautiful family and it would be so unfair to live this life and not have a hope to see your beautiful family again. Our message is a message of peace and of joy and I KNOW that Heavenly Father has a plan for you and that you can be together FOREVER with your family. By the end of the lesson, we were all crying. We invited her to be baptized and she said YES or SI! We walked away from that charla so full of gratitude. We walked a few steps away from her house, knelt down on the ground covered in rocks and pebbles and probably dog poop and offered a prayer of gratitude to Heavenly Father because we know that all of these blessings come from him. We are just the mouthpieces to bring people unto Him. We have had experiences like this everyday. My sweet Oro keeps telling me, "I AM SO HAPPY!" Its true. 

One day we were running home in order to make it home in time at 9pm. As we were running through the shortcut, we were singing, "Called to Serve" in spanish. These words filled my heart with joy and we felt like we were running on clouds of happiness. haha cheesy, but true.

I love this gospel, family. Thank you for your support. I am so happy and even though it is really difficult being so far away from you, I know that this is what I am suppose to be doing with my life right now. The church is true. I am seeing this gospel of Jesus Christ change lives. And its changed my life.

I love you. See you in a few days!

Hermana Coon

  me accompanying the youth choir in the branch where I am serving! 

 Friends from the CCM! I dont know if you recognize them, but I love them! Hermana Gines and Hermana Benson! We are at the Christmas Conference!

Almost Christmas!

Hello Family! I love you!

Its almost Christmas!!! I am so excited to talk to you over skype on Christmas Day! But first, I have to tell you something very exciting!...

...Changes are this week, and last night our district leader called to tell us about changes and...I am going to be a TRAINER! I have the great opportunity to train an "oro" who is fresh out of the CCM! It just felt like I was an oro a little while ago and had my own trainer! I AM SO EXCITED!!!! and mostly humbled that Heavenly Father has this trust in me. My area is still in Progreso! This will be my 4th cambio in Progreso! Today at 1pm I am heading to Montevideo to meet my oro and then tomorrow is our big Christmas dinner and program with the entire mission. 

This week has been crazy....

21 mosquito bites...on my face...only on my face, thats not even counting the rest of my body!

2 hospital visits

10 hours total of traveling to different conferences and trainings

It was a good week!

I have seen miracles this week, family. Miracles with the language, miracles with the health of my companion, etc. The great promise of the Lord is that he promises to put words in your mouth when you need to speak and teach. Looking back on this week, I have felt your prayers immensely, more than ever. I know that the Lord hears and answers every prayer. There are so many people here in this world that dont pray to Heavenly Father. They dont even know how to pray! We, as missionaries, have the great opportunity to teach them how to pray, to testify that they have a Heavenly Father who loves them more than they can ever imagine, and that they are literally children of God. They have self worth! 

Christmas Day I will be calling you on skype. I am pretty sure that my companion and I will go to a members house who has skype and we will use their account. I dont know what time exactly...so be on skype all day long. haha. Everything will work out just fine. If Grandma and Grandpa Dayley and Grandpa Coon want to come they can too! I just dont know what time our skyping session is going to be. I cant wait to see your faces! What is your skype account? coolcoons? I dont remember!

Sounds like you all are having a great Christmas season. So fun that Jake Packer and all these boys are coming home from their missions now. Such good times. Annie, good job on your piano recital...you are awesome! Thanks for your sweet emails. James, looking BUFF! WOW YOU ARE A MAN! Hannah, your hair is so blonde and pretty! Mom and Dad, you are awesome. So proud of my missionaries! Keep it up!

I love you! Families are forever! See you in 8 days!

Love,

Hermana Coon

 My district and Hermana Chavez!

 I almost cried when I saw this American Flag! Land of the free, home of the brave!

Having lunch at members home!

FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS JAMES!!!!! 17!!!!

Feliz Cumpleaños a ti! Espero que tu tienes un cumpleaños muy muy muy divertido! I cant believe that you are seventeen already! I woke up this morning and one of my first thoughts were...its JAMES BIRTHDAY TODAY! I love you hermano! Have a great day today! Eat some chocolate cake for me! And wow you look so buff in all of the pictures! You are growing up so fast. I like the way you do your hair too! jaja.

Thank you so much for all of the video diaries! It made me feel like I was there in person. Sounds like you all had such a great Thanksgiving in Utah. I am so thankful for your emails...I opened my email and saw a whole bunch of emails from Jessie, Sister Beagley, Elder Boyd, and loads of other people. Thank you! Jessie sent me some of her maternity pictures and I about died! They turned out so cute! She is the cutest pregnant wife! I cant wait to see pictures of this cute Weston! And congrats to Scott and Becca! That is such great news about their engagements! I am so happy for them! 

It has been such an AWESOME and BUSY week! Saturday was the baptism of Monica, Carlos, and Angel! What a wonderful day. They were so excited. It was so rewarding for me to watch them be baptized and confirmed. The joy that I had and have is so indescribable. I am reminded of the scripture in DyC 18. After Monica was baptized I gave her the biggest hug for probably 20 seconds. She had the biggest smile on her face and a light in her eyes. The first thing she said to me was,"Somos Hermanas!" "We are SISTERS!" Its so true, no? Bringing people unto Christ, one person at a time. 

The church is true! Live it, love it, share it! I love you all to the moon and back x100000000!

Hermana Coon

 Queens of Progreso! 

My Christmas package came!!! Hermana Chavez and I were so excited! THank you so much for sending a package for hermana chavez. She was so touched by your thoughtfulness, she about cried and told me that no one has ever done something like this for her before. We had fun this morning sportin our aprons. And I ate all of the DARK chocolate that you sent me. Now I wish I hadnt eaten it all because I want some more haha! It was so good. I read you letters this morning also and I loved them all! Thank you for the scrapbook stuff, my scrapbook will be so cute! Hope these pictures make you smile! We are in our kitchen!

...AND I LOVE THE CLOTHES YOU SENT ME! SO CUTE!!!!! Thank you!!!! I love you!