Dearest Familia,

Dear Family,

Hi! How are you? When I was in Montevideo this week, I received the packages! What a treat! I loved it! Thank you so very much! It is so wonderful to have so much support from home!

This week went by so fast...i feel like the weeks seriously go by faster and faster! Its hard for me to believe that someone asked you mom if you were ready for me to come home! What? How fast does the time fly! I miss you all so much, but I am not ready to come home just yet. haha.

This week was excellent! I am in a new area with Hermana Ots. I switched from Gianola B to Gianola A, just across the street. Still in the same awesome ward, but it is so difficult to not visit the people that I love so dearly in Gianola B! What a blessing it is to have this Type 3 energetic, excited Argentinan Hermana Ots. With every companion I have learned so much! Seriously every week just seems to get better and better.

Marcos was baptized on Saturday! He is the best! We was so excited for his baptism. I will never forget the day when we were teaching him and he told us that he prayed and felt very strongly like he should get baptized and April 26 was the day. I also will never forget the time when he taught US all about what he studied in 1 Nephi...He has a bright future ahead of him. His baptism was the most spiritual baptism that I have been to on my mission. The Spirit was so thick...it was like you could cut the air like it was butter. As I lead the music as the ward members sang "Soy un hijo de Dios" for the baptism, I just couldnt help but think of when I was waiting and waiting to serve here in Uruguay, thinking about the people that I would meet and the people who I would have the chance to share the gospel with...and here i am! The scipture in D&C 18 doesnt even begin to describe the joy. After he was baptized, he shared his testimony in front of everyone...future missionary right here! I feel so blessed. 

So many miracles happen everyday. We like to say that we are working for the dead....everyday we are led to people whose family members or husbands or mothers have passed away within the past 2 weeks. I just want to ingrain these experiencias in my mind because I never want to forget them. I know that there are people prepared to accept the gospel. This gospel is so good family. Live it, love it, share it. James, Annie, and Hannah...I cant wait for you all to serve missions! 

Thank you fam for being you! (Thanks for sending fun old pictures!) I love you all! Only a few more weeks until we can talk for Mothers Day! 

xoxo, Hermana Coon

The church buildings here in Melo are beautiful!

I can't wait to be a mother.

Classic pictures! Hope they make you smile! Love you!

Wearing the shirt that Aunt Niki sent me!  My sweet convert, Estefani! She is the best!!!!

Marcos baptism day

I love these people!

I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me!

Dear Family,

I stand all amazed at the Love Jesus offers me

Confused at the grace that so fully he profers me

...oh it is wonderful, wonderful to me.

As I laid in bed last night having trouble falling asleep, this hymn played over and over in my mind. I had so many thoughts that my mind couldnt rest...(i get that from you, dad! :) This week is cambios and we got a call from our zone leaders last night telling us about our changes. They told me that I will remain here in Melo (yippee), as a "Hermana Viajante," a Sister Leader Trainer! I am so excited and so nervous all at the same time. There are 10 Hermana Viajantes in all of the mission and we travel all over the mission to teach, train, and do intercambios with all of the sisters, to train them in their areas. These Hermana Viajantes are seriously awesome, the best missionaries in all of the mission! I have looked up to them all of my mission! My new companion is Hermana Ots from Buenos Aires, Argentina. I am so excited for this new adventure...to work with the zone leaders and APs and most importantly to work with all of the sweet hermanas here in the mission. Its interesting, because ya pray for growth and the lord blesses us in ways that we never could imagine.

I know without a doubt that our Heavenly Father knows us perfectly. He has a perfect love for us, a love that we cannot even imagine. I loved reading your letters to me this week about Easter and about Megan Jorgensens talk in church. How sweet and tender. I just want to give her the biggest hug. 

I love writing you all, that every week we can share all of our experiences. I love hearing about your spiritual experiences at home. I love teaching this gospel. It has completely changed my life to be a missionary. One of our awesome investigators in Marcos. He told us that he has been searching for the truth and has finally found it. He is now attending church every week...he loves it. He is starting to attend seminary and wants to serve a mission! it is wonderful. The gospel changes lives. I love being an instrument in the hands of the Lord. 

I love you family! How hermoso you all are. Thank you for your love and support always. good luck James on your ACT! You will be awesome! Just a few more weeks until we will get to see eachother!

xoxo, (Uruguayan style) haha

Hermana Coon

p.s. the photos are from our sweet baptism this Saturday. We love this family. I cant wait to tell you all the story about them! 

p.s.s. Another funny thing, people here think that I am from Brazil or Argentina. It cracks me up everytime. 

LOVE YOU!

#1 Photo of the week!

 Our District!

 She is awesome!!!! What a blessing! Hermana Ots!

I now work with the best missionaries in the mission!

 They laugh at me in my sleeping bag!

 So fun!

Hola my wonderful family!

Hi My Family!

How is my wonderful, awesome family that I love so dearly? I absolutely loved your emails to me this week. What a proud sister I am to have such a stalwart family. Seriously I was laughing here in the cyber reading your emails. James...bro I am so proud of you! You are so handsome and so kind! I love your acts of kindness, especially to Megan. The picture that you emailed of them, mom, literally made me smile thee biggest smile! Way to go bro...youre keeping up your baptismal covenants haha taking upon you the name of Christ! That is exactly what Christ would do! Love you bro! Annie...I laughed so hard to read your prank with dad. That was so funny! Hannah...You went to the zoo!? How fun! I know that you dont like to walk very much, but I hope you had fun! Here on the mission we walk and walk and walk for 12 hours everyday. One day you will like to walk! Mom and Dad...how exciting that you get to work in the temple! You will be great on the organ mom and dad as an ordinance worker! Yay! And Josh and Jessie stopped by the house? I am sure you gave them both a great big hug for me. I miss them! How is their beautiful baby Weston?

Muy bien, this week was amazing. So many miracles are happening right in front of our eyes. And everynight, I just fall on my knees (literally from exhaustion) to thank Father in Heaven for these blessings. We have so many little mothers here who take such good care of us and love us so dearly. Everyday, we come home with all kinds of gifts that people have given us during the day...drawings of our faces, earrings, handmade pillows, tortas fritas. Its been super rainy and cold here this week. We call our sweet mother Alice and she fixes us warm hot chocolate and tortas fritas, then we teach her about the Plan of Salvation. It is so fun.

We are working with our awesome investigators who are trying to quit smoking. They have such strong desires to change their lives and to be baptized. I have never helped anyone quit smoking, but it is quite the adventure. We have made signs and cards, we have prayed and fasted, having faith that the Lord will help them with this strong addiction. Poco a poco. I love these adventures on the mission! I really love these Uruguayos. Yesterday, we ate at a members house for lunch after church and I washed my hands with warm/hot water for the first time in I dont know how long! haha. This members house was so calm and peaceful, it reminded me so much of our home. I feel so sensitive to the spirit now. Growing up, I never thought anything of it, but now I realize what a blessing our home is. The spirit dwells there. I havent been in a peaceful home, as this members house, in 9 months! We have so many blessings, family!

We had such a cool experience last night and we know that Heavenly Father was literally directing our steps. We were proselyting in the colorful neighborhood of houses, teaching less actives and finding new investigators, helping Lucia, a young woman in the ward with her Personal Progress. It was about time to head to the stake missionary choir practice, but we decided to walk in a different camino to the choir practice. We passed by a house with a woman that we have met a few times. She lives in such poverty, I have never in all of my mission seen such poverty as this. Her 3 toddlers were running crazy. Even though we were running late to the choir practice, we both felt that we should stop and see her. We didnt know why, but we followed our heart. "Hola Vanessa!" with smiles we said. "¿Como esta?" There was silence. Vanessa just stared, holding her 3 month old baby, without a smile on her face. As she was sitting almost on the ground, I knelt down and gave her a big hug. She burst into tears. She then told us what was happening in her life...a lot of problems that are so sad. And then she told us that if we hadnt come right then, she was going to but her baby in a box and leave her baby girl at somebodys doorstep and run. She didnt want to live anymore. We are so thankful that we followed the impressions of the spirit. Really, we were able to share our testimonies of Gods Plan for her. That she has a Father in Heaven who loves her and knows her situation. Every morning we pray to be led by the spirit, and everyday, we have experiences where we can see the Lords guiding hand in our lives.

Well family, my time is up for this week, but Christ lives. Heavenly Father is literally our heavenly Father. In every minute of the day, we teach about baptism. I am so proud of you all for keeping up your baptism covenants, for taking upon you the name of Christ and for acting as Christ would act. Your examples are huge to so many people. There are people watching! Keep being great disciples of Christ!

Les amo con todo mi corazon!

Hermana Coon

Conference 1000 miles away!

Hi Family!

How are you all? Wasnt conference great? It was so fun to think that you were all listening and seeing the same thing as I was thousands of miles away! I know that we have a prophet of God, President Monson, who is the mouthpiece of God. This weekend was as if Heavenly Father himself was speaking to us! Saturday morning, before conference, we watched the womens session of conference. WOW the spirit was so strong, I couldnt even move my body afterwards! I loved all of the messages and the videos. The church is so true! We are children of God!

One morning, I studied about many different prophets, like Nephi and Alma, who all had trials. Nephi, his own brothers tied him up in cords and were planning to take away his life. But, he never prayed to change his circumstances, he prayed that the Lord would give him STRENGTH to bear his trials. That hit me hard. And then I studied about the atonement and that always makes things better. So now, I have learned and have changed the way I pray. I want to be like Samuel the Lamanite, like Benjamin the wise, I want to be like Abinadi. How tell me how, can I be like them? 

During the two conference sessions, I saw a broadcast on our temple in Gilbert! IT IS GORGEOUS! I cried and cried the spirit touched me soul so deeply. And in this minute as I type this, tears fill my eyes to know that we have the blessing of the TEMPLE so close to our home. I saw the cultural celebration and I saw many youth that I know in our ward and from school. I thought I saw James too! I saw my home! I sat on the church bench and cried and cried from happiness. We have been waiting so many years for this! I was so grateful for this tender mercy to see this broadcast. 

I am really thankful, for difficult times like this on my mission, that help me learn and grow.  I have pledged to give myself entirely to the Lord, my heart, might, mind, and strength. And I know that when I give my whole self to him, He will make a masterpiece. I just love this gospel and want to share it with every person. We see miracles everyday, especially yesterday with our investigators in church to watch conference with us. I know that the Lord directs us as his missionaries. I can see his hand in my life everyday and can feel the prayers of you. 

Thank you for listening, its actually great therapy to right my thoughts and feelings because I know that you listen and care about me and love me. And thank you for sending me some of Grants letters! Wow he is awesome! And THANK YOU for the package that you sent me! I have enjoyed every goodie in there! I love you all!

I love you Dad, Mom, James, Annie, and Hannah! Keep working hard and standing firm in the faith!

Hermana Coon

Rainy days and Baptisms

FAMILY! Hello My Family!

I miss you all so much! We had such a successful week this week! I absolutely love Gianola, Melo! Everyone is right...it is the Promised Land! 

Yesterday, we had 5 baptisms! It was excellent. Our sweet investigators made the decision to be baptized! It is seriously the most rewarding experience to see these people that you have spent hours with, teaching them, developing relationships and friendships with, watching their testimony and knowledge grow little by little, and then seeing them enter into the waters of baptism! wow takes my breath away! As they each came out of the water, I held their towels for them and gave them each a big, huge, wet hug. Each of them had the biggest smiles on their face and they said, "Yo se que soy una hija de Dios!" wow the spirit was so strong. So grateful I get to have experiences like this that help increase my own testimony. 

The members in the ward are so great. They feed us and love us! One day this week, we were eating at a members house. Both of her daughters were at school and they were so sad that they couldnt eat lunch with the hermanas. Well, the mom received a call from the school saying that her daughter was sick and needed to come home. The mom ran to pick her daughter up while we finished eating lunch. Turns out the daughter faked sick to come home to see us. It was hilarious! We are fed fideos and tuco every lunch...(its white noodles and sauce). I had a dream one night that I came home from my mission and you mom had fixed me noodles and sauce! Even in my dreams, I am dreaming about how I do not want to eat fideos and tuco! haha!

The Lord is truely blessing us. Before the mission, I lived a happy life. I had a family who loved me and lived the gospel. I worked, went to school, etc. I thought I was happy, which I was, but here I have experienced so much happiness. I feel like my heart is going to burst! 

I know this gospel is true with all of my heart. I would give my life for my Savior!

I love you family and miss you each and everyday. Keep working hard and obeying the commandments!

Hermana Coon

The house that I am living in is the blue turquoise.

I will take more pictures of the houses, but here are a few! SO FUN! TYPE 1! HAPPY!

 They got their packages! Hermana Chavez and Coon!

They can't pronounce our last name... Coon

Hola Familia!

Wow another week has come and gone! Way to go on your awesome missionary experiences and to help the missionaries! So proud! I love hearing about your experiences! I cant believe Grant is coming home so soon! I love your idea and gift to their family, mom. Please send me pictures and videos! I want to see!

So, I LOVE MELO! Here are a few random things about Melo. Number 1...we live in a blue, turquoise house! Melo is total Type1. Every house is a different color. In one street there are houses of purple, pink, green, yellow, red...every color of the rainbow and more! It makes me smile...one of these days I will take a picture and send it to you. Melo is a big hill. We walk hills all the time and what is really cool is the view. We stand on top of the world, and can see all of Melo with this little shacks as houses. One of these days, I will send a picture too. It is awesome. I cant believe I am here in the Promised Land of Melo.

Also something really funny. That cant pronounce our last name here...Coon. Its pronounced "Cone!" haha. Hermana Cone! The Cone Family!

My companion and I had a bit of a scare this week. We work in such poverty...families who dont have anything. The children are so sweet and cute, but just little rugrats, having bathed in weeks. As we were teaching children and playing with them, we noticed little white specks all over each of their heads. I shreaked a little bit and thought, "LICE!" Oh no! Hna Montenegro and I left and we began filling itchies all over our heads. Our cheeks were wet with kisses and our heads were are itchy from the children. Adventures adventures...haha.

The people here in Melo are so friendly. Everyone loves "Las Mormonas!" The ward is excellent! Hermana Montenegro and I were laughing that we came from the smallest branch and one of the hardest areas in the mission, Progreso, to the Promised Land, Melo! Heavenly Father was preparing us with a different manera. The church is huge, it is like a temple! At night, we look up and see the stars shining so bright and then we see the church shining brightly on the hill. I have my own Gilbert temple here in Gianola! Every, well mostly everyone, wants to listen to us. There are people PREPARED! The Lord is preparing his children. Everyone we talk to is looking for something, "but they just dont know where to find it!." We have many progressing investigators who have dates to be baptized and to follow Christ. We will be having a wedding also for la Familia Correa on the5th of April and after a baptism. We are so excited and count our blessings everyday.

I just want to work hard everyday. I am almost at my half way mark and when I come home, I want to know and feel that I served an honorable mission. I want to be changed.

I love you all with my whole heart!

Hermana Coon

P.S. 7 Sundays until Mothers Day!? WOW! How fast is the time! xoxo

Hermana Coon,

hello as good ta just wanted to say that I am very well haceindo video among other things lol .. ok I'm being good lol you wanted to say that Sofia's mom came and also sister to bautismoo was amazing ..... :) . tabien apologize because I made ​​him the joke lol I come home I feel sorry encerio haha :) but wanted to make but ... hehehe bullying and pedi permission not worry the leaders before calling ok ... I I did not want you to have the baptism of sofia because it reminds nthat told him Osin'm throwing salt and buenno and baptism only when I send the photo then I would do but ... SOFIA wanted you to come to baptism but only solution we said maybe it could talk to you and was so good and I kiero mucho loquita my loquita blonde you want and thanks for always showing me photos Command ok :) kisses and bear with montenegro ok as it did with me lol I kiero :) 

Herman Fuentes

My sweet investigator Sofia got baptized on Saturday! Finally! She is a doll and wanted to be baptized so bad, but her mom wouldnt sign the permission slip. But a miracle happened a she was baptized! WOW! I am so happy for her! I was sad that I wasnt able to be there with her, but her are a few of the fun pictures that Hermana Fuentes sent me with some of the youth of the branch and the branch that I love so much! Sofia is in white! Progreso!

Pomised Land

Hello My Precious Family!

What a fun week you have all had in Utah with the wedding of Rebecca and the snow activities. Looks like a blast...I kinda feel like I am missing out on all of the fun, but Melo is definately a new adventure...a new kind of fun, I guess.

Its funny because my companion and I, Hermana Montenegro, came from one of the most difficult areas in the mission to the area that everyone wants to serve in...Gianola, Melo! It is called the "Promised Land" or "La Tierra Prometida" and this week, we have seen why it is called this. Hermana Montenegro and I have had our jaws open with shock everyday. The church building is huge, like a temple on a hill...seriously! We came from a little branch of 50 people and now to a great ward who supports missionary work! The little pueblito in Gianola are so friendly and happy. It doesnt matter if they are members of the church or not, everyone invites us in to their house and they feed us. One day this week, a random lady that we talked to on the street invited us in to her house and she fixed us tortas fritas. (She was actually a very interesting person...she believes she is the "Salvadora" of the world and is going to marry Christ...etc) Yesterday, we had another random family invite us for a second lunch of asado, lamb, etc. One day they will be baptized after they stop smoking. But mom, I think you would die at the animals...purring at our feet as we eat...

I feel like each cambio Heavenly Father is challenging me more and more...training, whitewash,  now a companion who doesnt speak a word of english. I know that it is for my good.

Here is a little bit about my companion...She is from Costa Rica. She is a convert of 2 years and none of her family are members of the church. None of them! And the sad part about it is that her family does not support her. She left for the mission not knowing if she will have a place to live when she comes home. Now that is faith and dedication and testimony! She is a powerhouse. Her mom writes her and a few friends, but no one else. I was thinking that you guys could write her like you did with Hermana Chavez! Her email is mauren.montenegro myldsmail.net. I just cant even imagine not having a supportive family while on the mission because the mission alone is difficult. She loves and misses Hersheys and Nerds and doesnt have hardly any clothes, especially for winter. I worry about her.

Mom, that story is hilarious about the Relief Society lesson and dad, thank you for emailing me my baby blessing. Crazy how closely related those words are to my patriarchal blessing. Amazing. I teared up a bit. James, Annie, Hannah...cant believe the next break for school is summer break! WOW! Time is crusin!

Have a great week and I will talk to you next week!

xoxo

Hermana Coon

I thought you all would get a laugh at this email...I keep receiving handwritten letters in the bolsa and emails from missionaries in other missions. Its actually really creepy and funny at the same time...

 

This is what this elder said...

 

well Hey Katie coon ya you don't know me im just a bored missionary and I looked piano up on Mormon.org and you popped up and you were the cutest girl on there so I was like well whats the worst that can happen she doesn't write back? haha ya that would be pretty bad but the best that could happen is I could find an eternal companion. (awkward) anyways hopefully I can hear from you soon.

 

 

 

(I havent written back...haha.)

So, President Cook! He is great! I met him at changes and he is just a big teddy bear. He has a soft heart and cries a lot. Must be a Type 2, Type 1 secondary. Have fun and work hard! Love it! His wife is so sweet trying to speak spanish...aw.

 

.......

 

Hi Hermana Coon. It was wonderful to meet you this week. We love your enthusiasm and the spirit of dedication you bring to this work. We will see you in a few weeks. Until then, have fun and work hard. (the two go hand in hand). Pres. Cook