June 21, 2011 - Letter

Dear Mom!

I am doing well. I am sorry that I couldn't email yesterday. Yesterday was a holiday here (the day of the flag I believe), and every single ceber we went to was completely full, and after looking for a while, we had to give up because we had a FHE we had to get to. So instead we are emailing today!!! Your questions first, my headaches are okay. Nothing really exciting to report in that area. I cannot remember what medicine I am taking, and I forgot to bring it with me, I knew you were going to ask! That being said, if you could get some more ibuprofen to send at some point, that would be great, it is ridiculously ridiculously expensive here. President is doing okay as far as I know, we haven't heard anything else, so I am assuming he is alright. But you know what happens when you assume.... And yes! Damian's baptism is still on for this Saturday! We are so excited!!!

Happy Fathers Day Dad! I hope you are feeling better and that you had a great day! I was thinking about you! I love you Dad, thank you so much for all that you have always done for me. I know I don't give you enough credit for all that you do. Thank you so much for the support that you have never failed to give me. It means more than you know. I love you!

This week was pretty good! We had a goal to find 15 new investigators, and we found 10, so we have high hopes to be able to reach our goal this week! We didn't get to teach as many lessons as we wanted, but things are slowly and surely getting better.
On Tuesday we went to district meeting, and as always had a really good time. The elders in our district are really funny, so we laugh a lot. It nice because it makes our practices more relaxed. I always get really tense and embarrassed, but the elders help me feel relaxed, which is really nice. We also had a meeting with our obispo. He is really is great. We don't have a ward mission leader, but obispo is really great about meeting with us every week and making sure that the members are helping us out.

On Wednesday morning we did weekly planning, and got some more things in order for the baptism. Without a ward mission leader, we have a lot to do! We also visited a bunch of people and had a FHE with a less active member named Andrea. Her husband is now an investigator, but he wont be able to get baptised for a while because they aren't married. And they want to get married, but they cant. They are both in the military, and she has just recently had their second child, so she hasn't been able to finish some school thing with the military, and if you are both in the military, if you want to get married, you have to both be finished with the school, or it is against the law to get married. So we are doing our best to help them see the need for the gospel so they still have the desire to go to church even if they cant have callings for a while etc...

On Thursday we went back to Bahia because I need to get my DNI. I don't actually know what it stands for, but our visas are only good for one year, and then after that we have to get residency. The DNI is the document that gives us residency, and the sooner you get it the easier it is to renew when it is actually essential to have it. So we went to go get it, and it turned out that we couldn't get it. We left super early in the morning and everything, but they set up this new system that the office elders didn't know about, so we will have to go back in a few weeks.

Friday was a busy day, we had appointments set up all day. We got five lessons in, and found 2 new investigators. We also got to pass by a couple investigators, and set up appointments with future investigators.

On Saturday we found 6 new investigators! It was great! We went to go visit an ex investigator and see if she had any interest, and not only did she have interest, but so did her husband, and their 4 friends that were there! Ah! It was so great! We have more lessons set up with them and I really hope that things go well for them! WE also had a lesson with Damian, and I love that little boy, but sometimes he is so difficult to teach! He has an attention span of a gnat!

On Sunday we had a really good sacrament meeting! They had the primary children sing and since our ward is so tiny, they had all the dads come sit right in front of the stand and listen and it was super cute! We also went to visit the bishop and his family. They are so great.  I am going to try to get a picture with them at the baptism so you can see them. They do so much for the ward, and I think they really needed our visit. They live in such humble circumstances, but are so happy and do so much for the ward. I would love to be like them when I grow up.

Miracle of the Week: Even though my Spanish is severally lacking, the members are still understanding what I am saying. I am finally starting to feel as if I belong here, not just the tag a long of Hermana Durham. And, the kids like me. I don't know why, or how, since I really don't understand what they are saying, but somehow I can still mildly communicate with the children. I love it! It is great!!!

Well, that is about it for this week! I love you so much!! I am praying for you!!!

Corinne

Pictures

Church Building in Punta Alta

Sister Harper, Sister Orton, Sister Durham

Sister Orton & Sister Durham

Argentine Jersey's - Sister Freeman, Collette, Orton & Durham

June 13, 2011 - Letter

Dear Mom,

 

Good news, i am feeling much better!!! I did have to take another sick day, which was VERY obnoxious. But, I am doing much much better. We called Hermana Detlefsen, and she gave us the name of a pill to buy, and I have been taking it every night, and it has made a world of difference! I still get headaches a little, but I have been able to work! And that is a great feeling!!!

 

Ha ha, it sounds like your summer weeks are just as busy as your school weeks!!! Okay, before I forget, would you be able to send me a couple of recipes? Cinnamon rolls, chocolate chip cookies, no bake cookies, just a couple things like that? That would be so awesome!

 

Damian is still on schedule for his baptism! He really is so great! I am so impressed with him! He is so smart and has such a desire to learn and grow, even though his mom isn't pushing him at all! He comes to church every week with his brother, and is reading and praying every day on his own! We are very excited for his baptism, and no one is more excited than he is!!

 

We had stake conference this week, and we were able to watch it in our own little chapel by satellite! Are you ready for who spoke?! Claudio Zine (70), Roxanne Wixom from the general primary presidency, and Elder Andersen from the 12 and President Packer! It was really cool. But I kinda wish we were able to go to Bahia to watch... But the good news is I understood a lot of what was being said!!! I was very excited!!!

 

There isn't much other news. This week really wasn't that exciting. There was a lot of people saying no this week. But this next week will be so much better! And next weeks letter will also be better. Sorry there isn't much by way of news. Hermana Durham and I made it through transfers still together! And we learned that we will be getting 20 new hermanas in the next 3 transfers. We only have 18 right now, so the chances of all the hermanas training is very high. I am very scared. I don't think I know enough to be able to do something like that. I have very good motivation to study as much as I possibly can.

 

Oh, and President Detlefsen has had some recent heart problems, he is getting some tests done today, so if you can include him in your prayers that would be wonderful!! He is great, and I hope everything turns out okay!

 

It is starting to get pretty cold, but we haven't had much rain. So far I haven't gotten cold at night, and I still don't have a sleeping bad, so so far so good!!!

 

I am going to try to send some pictures now!!

 

I love you!!

 

Corinne!!!

June 6, 2011 - Letter

Dear Mom,

Before I do anything else I need so say something: HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!!! I know it is a little late, and I should have thought of it last week, but when I email home I am usually looking back not forward, I am sorry! But even though you couln´t hear me, I sang to you twice on your birthday! I love you so much! I am so glad that I have you as my father. I look up to you so much, you have been my rock my entire life, and I know I don´t tell you as much as you deserve, but thank you for everything you have done, and continue to do for me. I would not be the person I am today with out you. I hope you had a great day!!!

This week has been a bit of a bummer. Unfortunately I am not feeling much better. I have been getting migraines pretty constantly. Not bad enough to stay home, but bad enough that they bother me alot. And they make it a little harder to learn Spanish. But we called Her. Detlefsen, and she gave us the name of some medicine that another Hermana has been taking for the same problem, we are going to get some tonight, and I have high hopes that it will help make things easier.

The other reason this week was a little rough was because we had to drop some of our investigators. They just haven´t been keeping commitments and we need to focus our attentions on finding new people who are ready to act on the feelings they have. And saddest of all-the familia Ralero dropped us. Hermano ralero decided he didn´t like us coming over and that he didn´t want his family to change religions, and they don´t want to fight about it, which I understand, but it is still sad. So we had to go say goodbye. I thought that i was going to cry. It was so sad! Their kids are so ready and excited about the gospel!

It was a week that just kind of felt unproductive despite our best efforts. We talked to alot of people, and got a lot of references, but it just all seemed to come to naught. But, it is a new week, and it is going to be great! We have trials right before, or in the middle of our blessings, so i know that things are going to get so much better than they  are right now! People are waiting to hear what we have to say, and we will find them.

Damian is doing so well. I am so impressed with him and with his older brother Facundo. Damian is 9 and Facundo is 13, and they have gone to church the last 3 weeks on their own, without their mom. Betty, the mom, is very supportive while we are there, but it is Facundo that is helping Damian remember to read and to pray every day. I hope we can get Betty a little more excited before Damian's baptism, which is the 25 of this month!!! and as excited as hna D and i are about it, i think that Damian is even more excited. It has been a long time since I have seen anyone this excited about learning the gospel. The only problem  is his attention span is really really short, so we have to be creative while we are teaching him so he pays attention!! But he is great, and he is so ready for the next step!!!

The stores here are really small, especially compared to the states! We go to the coopertiva for things like jam, eggs, canned goods, flour, sugar, those kind of basics. Then there are little meat shops, bakeries, veggie and fruit stores, where we get all the other things. Every thing here goes bad in just a couple of days unless its canned, so we make stops are the fruit stands and bakeries pretty often for...bread and fruit. and those stores are every where!!! One on almost every corner.

Exercise...about that...ha ha. I mostly just do some stretching, but sometimes i jump rope. It is super cold outside and none of us really have the desire to get up earlier and run in the frozen tundra that it Punta Alta.

I did sing at the baptism. I sang the "Jesus came to John the Baptist, in Judea long ago" primary song, I can´t remember what it is called now. I think that it went well. and judging from what the other Hermanas said, it looks like I will be singing at a lot of baptisms while I am here. its a good thing it is a lot easier to sing in Spanish than just speak.

I am so glad that you had a good time on the trek! I was actually thinking of dads dutch oven the other day. I wish i could eat that!!! How is everyone doing post trek? How many blisters did you guys get?

I am so glad to hear that you think your medicine is starting to make a difference! When do you go to the doctor again? How is everyone elses health? it is so weird to me to think that you are all starting summer, it is so cold here!!! what is going on in Chile with the volcano? we are so curious.

some other ideas for a package

Maple Extract

coconut extract

they don´t have them here and I don´t know why!!!!

Well, I love you so much!!!

Corinne