Another week of Miracles!

Dear Family!

Well family, what a week it has been! Such a good week! 

Before I begin, i must tell you of a few things. Yesterday was a big moment for me! It was the first time I ate spinach in one whole year! I about died from hapiness! Mom, I know you are amazed that I am actually living. Also, I now live with a hermana from honduras and she cooks the best tortillas and burritos. I about died when I put that burrito and homemade tortilla into my mouth. Oh how i have missed my food! haha. I did receive the peanut butter package! Oh man we have enjoyed that peanut butter! Thank you!

Also, did you know that right now in the WORLD CUP? I didnt even know the US has a team, but the world cup is huge here in South america! People here are obsessed! I will have to tell you more about it next letter! 

I LOVE MY MISSION! By far the best decision I have ever made in my whole life so far was to serve a mission. We have seen so many miracles this week, it is incredible! I dont even know where to start and hope that when you read this letter that you can feel the spirit strongly because it really is amazing the experiences that we have had. It is amazing to see the hand of our Heavenly Father leading and guiding us. Here are some powerful examples of how He has led and guided us this week...The gospel is amazing!

Jose Martin. Jose is an investigator of ours, he is the nephew of some recent converts in the ward. His uncle told us at church last Sunday that Jose was wanting to learn more about the gospel, so that day, we contacted him. The first time we met him, he looked super sad and was super quiet. He just told us that he wanted to change his life and to become a new person. We invited him to be baptized on the spot and he agreed. Wow have we ever seen the change in him and really how the Atonement works in everyones life! He has changed, he has done a complete 180 and is so happy! He use to smoke 20 cigarettes everyday, but yesterday, he only smoked 1! It is absolutely amazing. He came to church yesterday and loved it! As we were teaching him last night, he told us that he wanted to show us something. He opened up his book of mormon and told us that he has always wanted to travel and be a good person. He said as he was talking to his uncle last night about serving a mission, he opened up to the Book of mormon to find his answer. And he opened up to Alma 29 12-13. He read the scripture to us and it was so powerful...the spirit was so strong. He then told us that he wanted to prepare to serve a mission. Hermana Cox and I couldnt believe it. The change in people that the gospel brings is remarkable! 

Next experience happened with our sweet investigator, Victoria, who is 13 years old. She is getting baptized this Saturday and is so excited. Before, she was having such problems in her family and with her personal life and self esteem, but ever since she has known the gospel, her life has changed all for the better. We commited her to read the Book of Mormon and then after to pray to know the truth, then to sit for a few minutes and pay attention to her feelings. Then after, to write on a sticky note how she feels. She wrote something so sweet. She wrote, "I feel so happy. I can finally go to bed with a smile on my face." When we rely on the Savior, it makes everything okay. She is stellar.

Richard and Monica. I dont know if you remember them, but we found them with Hermana Montenegro. Their son had just died, and the day he died, we knocked on their door. It was a miracle, it really was. Well, they finally set a date to be married so they can be baptized! It is such a miracle and to top that off, Richard came to church yesterday and the whole family was so happy. He is the next bishop. 

We began visiting Monicas daughter, Dayana, in her home this week. They LOVE the missionaries too! And we love them! Dayana and her "husband", David, arent married, but have 2 children. Dayana wants to be baptized so bad. She comes to church every week. Their family is so poor and dont have much. I wish you could see some of the houses these people live in. Her husband doesnt want to get baptized and is a very strong Evangelist. He doesnt even want to get married. He has been out of work for 1 year. Antonella, their daughter, told us that for this year, she has been praying to the Virgen Mary that her dad could find work..but we began visiting them and teaching them and the day that Hermana Cox and I arrived to their house, that night David found a job. What a change in David we have seen! Picture an unshaved, tinted yellow fingers from his homemade cigarettes saying, "Christ is everything. I will do ANYTHING for him." Now that is a change of heart.

I did an interchange in my old area with Hermana Zelaya from Honduras on Wednesday! I love this area with my whole heart! There are ALWays miracles during intercambios! The Lord always blesses us to find people and to help the hermanas in their areas. This next experience is super crazy, so hold your horses! We contacted this house and out comes a young girl, 21 years old. I have never seen anyone so dark and scary in all of my life. She was such a cute girl, but we could see that something was different. Her eyes were just dark and she was so sad. We began getting to know her and teaching her a bit. She was listening, but then told us something that I will never forget. She told us that she knows that there is a difference between the good and the bad. She told us that she has 7 demeons inside of her. Now, dont get scared family, the contact turned out good. As we were talking to her, we could see that this daughter of God needs help! She almost began to pass out and told us that whenever she is around churches or talking with relgious people, she gets dizzy. That these evil spirits are always with her and she cant get rid of them. Hermana Zelaya and I could feel the spirit guiding our words. Really, as representatives of Jesus Christ, we promise you that God loves you and wants to help you. It was such an experience of a lifetime, family. There is more to the story, but thats to tell when I get home. She was happy and smiling when we left! There is hope for everyone!

The De los Santos family, is doing excellent! Our golden family! They payed their first tithing yesterday, Dayana working on her personal progress, and Richard is figuring ways to not work at all on Sundays so he can keep the Sabbath day holy. What a miracle! They are progressing so well. Hermana Cox and I want to come back to Uruguay next year in June for their sealing!

Last night, as we were sitting with our roommates, talking about all of the miracles that Heavenly Father is blessing us with, we were all crying and so touched. I went to bed overwhelmed with happiness, I have never felt this kind of happiness ever in my life. I thought to myself and could not even imagine leaving this holy land of Uruguay in a few short months. My heart is here forever! I LOVE MY MISSION! The Atonement is real and the gospel is true. In Preach my gospel, it says that we as missionaries have front row seats to seeing the change in people through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. That is so true. 

I love you family!

Hermana Coon

 The family Dayana and Antonella!

 My awesome companion, Hermana Cox!

 Victoria

Water bottles on top of cars??? FOR SALE!

 jaja what a funny culture! They are everywhere!

The Promise Land... Uruguay!

Happy Fathers Day

 Our miracle family! I can't wait to tell you all about them.

 Hermana  Cox and Hermana Coon

Buen Día!

How are my favorite people in the world doing? I enjoyed reading whats going on at life at home. First of all, HAPPY FATHERS DAY DAD! It was not fathers day here in Uruguay, but, because I had our family calendar, I remembered that it was indeed fathers day. I thought about you all day, dad. I love you! Hermana Cox and I today were laughing about all of our childhood memories and it was fun reminising back to the good ol times. So many times, I just wish that I can give you a great big hug dad, play tennis, go on our father daughter dates, and do all of the things that we use to do. Especially there are so many times that I just wish I could have a fathers blessing from my daddy. I know the day will soon come when I can do all those things again, but for now they are sweet memories. I love you, dad! Hope you had a great day!

James, have such a great week at efy! Best week ever! 

We had such an awesome week! Spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Hermana Cox and I laugh every morning as we wake up. We seriously have bodies of 80 year olds. haha no, but I guess that is good because we are working hard. I just love these experiences that we are having in Uruguay, because they are experiences that we would never have at home. Funny story...this week, we have been having troubles with our bathroom flooding into our kitchen. We thought that it was water from the shower, so every night as there was a river flowing through our kitchen, we would franticly clean up our river of water, "whistling while we worked." Ringing the towels out...etc. Well, a few days later, a member came to help us figure out our problem. He told us that the water was not clean...that it was sewage water coming up out of our toilet. We just about died! We didnt know whetherto laugh or to cry! haha. Long story short, our bathroom is now fixed and we now dont have sewage water filling up our kitchen. We hope and pray that we dont have any sort of parasite. haha. 

I say this every week, but the weeks just keep getting better and better. Heavenly Father is really blessing our area immensely. We started the week off with interviews with President Cook. He is seriously the best. I look up to him a lot and really enjoyed my interview with him. Then Wednesday, Hermana Cox and I, had an intercambio with a few hermanas. We helped train them and helped them in their area. It was a wonderful day. 

Thursday, we traveled to Montevideo to have a multi mission conference with Elder Robbins, a member of the seventy. It was so neat to have both of the missions here in Uruguay together, which hardly never happens. Let me just say there was power in that room! I had the great privledge to play the piano. As all 700 of us missionaries in Uruguay powerful sang the opening song, "Called to Serve" my spirit filled my soul. Its something so difficult to describe, but I could feel the spirit so strongly. We are as the Army of Helaman...We have been taught in our youth! We left the conference feeling so rejuvenated to do better and to be better.

Our week ended perfect with our wonderful miracle Familia De Los Santos. I have no words. I feel so blessed. They are and were so prepared from the beginning. To see them hand in hand walk to their baptism with the biggest smiles on their faces was just perfect, but then to see them in all white was even better. This family is so special and I know that we were friends before this life. They are my best friends! We have shared so many special experiences together. The baptism was so spiritual. Hermana Cox played the violin while I accompanied her on the piano for the musical number. We made an arrangement of, "Soy un hijo de dios," and "Las Familias Pueden Ser Eternas." It was wonderful and in one year they will go to the temple to be sealed for time and for ALL ETERNITY: My heart is full and my eyes are full of tears from happiness.

As we taught Sunday School, gospel principles class yesterday to all the recent converts, the spirit was so strong. pero muy fuerte. We taught about la obra misional. As we shared experiences and bore testimony, the spirit testifed of our words. This gospel is so true. I loved the hear the personal experiences from all of these stalwart converts that were prepared from the beginning....Rosaura and Marcos, Jenifer De los Santos, Mabel and Nilo. To think that my companion and I have been there every step of the way, seeing their changes and watching their conversion. It is amazing!

Anywho. This was our week of miracles, spiritually, emotionally and physically. All is well. I love you all, I love who you are! Really, from the bottom, most sincerest part of my heart, I thank you for your prayers. I know that our Heavenly Father hears ALL of our prayers. Maybe he doesnt answer them in the timing that we would like, but he hears them. He leads and guides us.

Con amor,

Hermana Coon

A new cambio!

HOLA What a beautiful day!

Hi family, how are you all doing this week? What cool pictures on the lake that you sent! James, looking buff bro! I loved to hear about all of your missionary experiences..way to go family! How nice what Amanda said. I hope she is doing well. That makes me happy that everyone is participating in the work of salvation! 

It has been the best week ever! We had changes and my new companion, Hermana Cox, is the best!!! Seriously she just like me, its like I am seeing a reflection. As we were talking to our district leader last night, I told him that we never wanted to change companions jamas en toda de mi misión. This companionship just works! We are having a lot of fun together!

We continue to find miracles and people prepared. It is astounding sometimes at how prepared they actually are. What is even more cool is to see the Spirit guiding us every step of the way. When we think that no one will accept our message, there always is someone who will! We found a sweet teenager named Victoria who is friends of a member. WOW is she so prepared! We invited her to be baptized right on the stop and her eyes just lit up and her smile was so bright! Right then, she decided she wanted to be enrolled in early morning seminary, so with her member friend we walked right over to the seminary teachers house and enrolled her. Today was her first day in seminary, we are excited to see how it went. Hermana Cox and I just looked at eachother like, "What in the world is happening!?" It was awesome! 

One thing that i have loved is receiving letters from my converts after their baptized and after i have left the area. Just to see the change in them and to hear their testimonies and gratitude. It is amazing and so worth the achy back and feet. haha!

It is a big week this week as our wonderful family, the De Los Santos family is getting baptized! We are so excited but know that Satans temptations are real as well, especially for such a strong, powerful, prepared family. Please keep Richard, Jennifer, and Dayana in your prayers this week. They are so awesome. They told us last night that we are, "Amigos de corazon." Like you said dad, its unreal the love that we can have for people when we serve them. 

The work continues and I have never been happier. Life just gets better and better, right?! There is never a bad day when we look for the good. 

Les amo!

Hermana Coon

Share the gospel with everyone!

My Wonderful Family!

I love and miss you all so much! I love hearing from you each week. Sounds like it has been a good week for you all. Hannah, sorry you were sick all week! That is no fun! Annie, I LOVE your new clothes that you bought! WOW! They are so cute! And I love your glasses too! Mom says that I wont be able to recognize you when I come home! James, what a HARDWORKER you are. I loved you guys shared the gospel with your friend...please please please send the missionaries to his house! Wouldnt that be so cool if he was baptized because of your example? What a missionary you are. I can just see you being a stellar missionary! Mom and dad, it is getting super cold. Actually, today I bought a coat because I didnt have one! It was so fun shopping for the first time in 11 months! haha. I cannot believe that tomorrow is my 11 month mark in the mission! 

FELICITACIONES to Kendall!!!! I am so happy! Give her a giant hug for me and tell her that I love her and am so proud of her! She will be an excellent missionary. The mission will change her life tremendously!

Changes are here again! This is why I am writing on Tuesday. ¡Otra vez hay cambios! The news is I am staying here in Melo with Hermana Cox from Utah! I am so excited...my first "gringa" companion since my trainer! It is so interesting how the Lord knows our heart and he knows what we need. He knows us perfectly. 

We had a great week traveling! We went from Melo to Montevideo to Maldonado and Punto de Este and back to Melo all in 2 days. We had a conference as leaders and then conferences with the whole mission. I sent a few pictures on the conference...but let me just tell ya how fun the mission is and how many eternal friendships I have made here. Its like in the scriptures of the great missionaries like Alma and Ammom and their brethren. They rejoiced when they saw eachother. It is so the same here as missionaries today! Anyways, Elder Gonzalez from the seventy taught us for 2 days straight...first as leaders in the mission and then together with the whole mission. It was wonderful and I learned so much of how to teach better and how to be a better person. We have been putting into action what we learned in the conference and we are seeing miracles this week from it! 

I was thinking the other day about the missionary work at home. I need to seriously repent because I was not a good missionary at home. As I look at all of the people that I interacted with who werent members of the church, I realized that I could of so easily of shared the gospel with them. Everyone on earth already chose Gods Plan, the just dont remember it. Why wouldnt they choose it again? Ok family, I am challenging you to invite someone to church this week or to have a Family Night and invite a nonmember with the missionaries. (The missionaries will LOVE IT! trust me!) A challenge from the Hermana Coon. As missionaries, we always extend commitments every second of the day and expect the people to keep their "compromisos" (in spanish) or commitments. haha. Invite invite invite and share your testimonies and its a promise from our loving Heavenly Father that his spirit will testify of your words. I know that there are people at home searching for the truth too, they just dont know what they are searching for! 

I know that this gospel is true with all of my heart. I love being able to share my testimony everyday. And I love the spirit that I can enjoy everyday as well. Last night, as Hermana Ots and I taught a powerful lesson to our Familia de Oro (our golden Family, the Family De los Santos), I could feel this exact power and authority that we have as missionaries. We all ended the lesson crying because the air was as thick as butter. The spirit was there. This family is so prepared! With tears in her eyes, Jennifer told us that they were "esperando para nosotras." The have been waiting for 30 years..all of their lives to recieve the gospel. 

My heart is full. I am not the best missionary, I have a lot to learn. But I know that with the strength of the Lord, we can do everything. I know that with the strength of the Lord, you too, can find these Familias de Oro in our own neighborhood! 

I love you family! Les amo!

Hermana Coon

p.s. I am anxious to hear how your missionary experiences go! Keep my updated! xoxo

Reunited at last! Hermana Chavez and Herman Fuentes!

Playing with some effects on my camera before we picked up our investigators to go to church! I love you all!

my district and zone! vamo arriba! (Elder Lambert, the tall blonde, (my district leader) is from Mesa, Arizona!)

Happy Memorial Day!

Family!

Hola my Beautiful Family! Happy Memorial Day?! How fun it was to read your emails and to see what is going on at home with your visitor! haha. I love you all a lot and cant believe school is already out. I am loosing track of time, I think its because it feels like Christmas here. haha. Grandma, I am wearing the hat today that you knitted me! It is so warm and cute. I love it, thank you! 

Fun Fact...I always write and tell you the funny things people tell me. In Progreso, my name was Rubia, now my name is Barbie here in Melo. How funny!

Like always, this week was fantastic and busy! Hermana Ots and i had a super powerful, spiritual experience this week that is probably the most spiritual experience that I have had out of my whole mission! We met this young girl named Dayana last week and then this week went to contact her at her house. Her mother was home, Jennifer, and instantly invited us into their home. She was so warm and welcoming and we found out that just four days ago that Jennifer and her husband, Richard were MARRIED after 17years of living together! (Which is a MIRACLE! because no one here in Uruguay is married.) My companion and I were just beaming with felicidad and mouths dropped open from amazement that our Heavenly Father led us to their house just 4 days after they were married. Then, we found out that Richard usually works in the mornings everyday as a bus driver here in Melo, but just last week, he switched his hours to the afternoon. Now he can come to church every Sunday! As we say, "Soy un hijo de Dios," Jennifer had tears in her eyes. Her smile (Type 1) was so bright and she told us..."I have been praying for years to come closer to God or him to me." Hermana Ots and I felt the spirit so strongly and we knew and know without a doubt that the Lord guides his missionaries. And we know that he prepares people. Richard, Jennifer, and Dayana are so prepared. Hermana Ots and I left that home jumping up and down and crying. Then we said a prayer of gratitude to thank our dear Heavenly Father for the many blessings he gives us everyday. We love this family so much. They came to church yesterday and will be baptized in 2 weeks! Vamo Arriba!

Experiences like these that happen every week get us thinking. I really feel that I knew this people in Uruguay before this life...like we were heaven friends or something. And as missionaries, we knew before we came to earth that we would find them in Uruguay and share the gospel with them.

I sent you a picture of our eventful day yesterday! Yesterday, we had a TARDE BLANCA (white afternoon) with the Melo Zone. 10 Bautismos! It was awesome to see all white! Everyone was so happy!  

We are so blessed, family. I love to be a missionary and time is going by too fast! I love to learn everyday and to be a sister leader trainer. It is so fun to work in other areas and to help the other hermanas. What a blessing. 

Give everyone a big Uruguayo kiss on the cheek for me! I love you all with my whole heart! 

Hermana Coon

 All in white!

I havent worn pants in almost 11 months! wow! 

 ANNIE! I LOVE YOUR SHOES!!!! What size are they??? They look so good on your feet! I miss cute shoes! I want to share with you! I love you!

It's cold outside...

Hello Family!!!

What a week it has been for all of us! First off, Grant is home! How exciting! I love the pictures that you sent me! What an exciting time! He looks great and what a stellar missionary he was. I am so proud of him! 

It is a little difficult to type today haha. As I am sitting here at the cyber, my fingers are frozen from the cold! Bienvendios winter! Winter is on its way and every night I enjoy sleeping in my below zero sleeping bag! Best purchase ever! Hermana Ots laughs at me every night. 

I feel like I say this every week, but every week the days just get better and better. Seriously, there are miracles everyday. Hermana Ots is the best companion ever and together we are studying the life of Christ. I love learning about the Savior and his acts of charity. We are gaining such strong testimonies of small acts of charity that really change peoples lives. We have this family, Familia Gonzalez, that are so wonderful. We have taught them, baptized the father, Raul and his son, Sebastian, but the mother, Janet didnt want anything to do with the church. We have prayed and prayed for her, invited her to family nights at members houses, taught her, born testimonies, dyed her hair, given her piano lessons, literally everything you could possibly imagine. Miracles happen everyday and I know without a doubt that the Lord listens to our humble, pleading prayers for help. She came to church yesterday and told us that she is going to be baptized! We are seeing miracles in this family. They are so poor and dont have anything, but what they do have is the gospel in their lives, and that is all that matters!

Sweet Esilda and Rosaura were baptized Saturday. What a spiritual baptism it was. Afterwards, Rosaura gave me a great big hug full of smiles and said to me, "I feel like I have been reborn!" I loved it and I love her. Even though they were baptized in cold water, they didnt care. Even though the water was cold, the room was burning hot with the spirit. I know that Heavenly Father is very happy. I can feel it.

Everyday, I thank my Heavenly Father for this opportunity to be a missionary in Uruguay, his servant. We had a great conference with President Cook this past week and being consecrated missionaries...giving everything at the altar of sacrifice. 

I love you my family so much! Thank you for your prayers...I feel them! You are angels! Heavenly Father loves you. 

Hermana Coon

 Esilda! WE LOVE HER!

 Rosaura and Marcos!

Marcos baptized Rosaura, his mom! 

 What a special moment! I love white! 

Rosaura

Hola Familia!

Wow it was so great talking to you all yesterday! The time went by way to fast though! I love you all so much and I know that we will be together again really soon.

James....good looking man! WOW! What a babe! Those pictures from prom are awesome! love it and so proud of my gentleman that all the ladies love...keep it up!

Have a good week in Utah. Give everyone my love. I want to hear all about the week, especially with Grant coming home....how exciting! 

Besos!

Hermana Coon

 Hermana Conference!