Email from February 24, 2014

Hey friends! Thanks for your emails, I love hearing from all of you. Letters are super fun to write as well....just food for thought haha.

Sooo this week was both good and bad. Kind of like every week on the mission. But it was such a good week with some less actives!

Wednesday, we had a lesson with Elehem and Daniel Alavarez. They are the less actives with the 2 year old adorable piece of heaven, Franco. They have such a strong desire to get sealed, but always worked during church. But guess what?  More people can go to church in the afternoon, so President Figares changed the hours to 2-5! Which back at home or in any other area would probably be awful, but already this last Sunday like 10 more people were there that can't normally go. And now, the family Alvarez can get sealed! They are so excited. They just need to go a few more weeks and finish the temple prep classes. Gahhh I'm so excited for them! And Daniel gets the Melchizedek Priesthood this Tuesday. I love them so much.

On Monday we had had a great lesson with Veronica Cassaravilla. She has two little girls, Mia and Jasmine, and her husband right now is in Guatemala for a year for police training. She has a truly sincere desire to change, and already has been going back to church. The 4 of us had given her a bible, and she told us she just eats it up! She reads 3 or 4 chapters a night, and told us she can't sleep if she hasn't read before going to bed. We were talking about the temple with her, and she said "I know I'm not ready yet. I know that the temple is a very pure place, and I can't in good conscience walk into the presence of the Lord knowing that I'm not doing all that I should be doing." You guys, people here just teach themselves. They teach me so much more than I could ever teach them! She had also asked us a lot of really profound questions about the Plan of Salvation. She just wasn't sure why it was actually really necessary for us to come to Earth. WE gave her Alma 42 to read and said we would come back. We returned a few days letter, prepared with the answers we had studied and found, ready for more deep questions. But when we asked her if she had read, she said "yes, but I got a different answer. I got the answer that we don't have to have concrete answers to everything. If we think we do, then we don't have faith. We just need to have faith in the plan and in God. That's what's important." SHE IS INCREDIBLE. All of these members are progressing so much, and like I said, they seriously teach themselves! She also confessed to us that she smokes, but that she's trying really hard to quit. We talked to her a little bit about fasting, and said we would talk more about it this week and also do a fast with her. But seriously, she is amazing! She is teaching me so much! we really hope by the time her husband gets back, she can be his example to return to church so that they can get sealed.

Another menos active is Marita. She has a little girl named Aitana. It's complicated with them because her and her husband (who is also a member but has no interest in quitting smoking and drinking or coming back to church) is also not technically her husband....they had gotten divorced, but got back together, but are just living together. But she also has a desire to change. Seriously you guys, I feel like we just show up, ask them one question, and then they sit there and just teach themselves. It's amazing to watch people's thought processes and how the Spirit slowly gives them answers. Marita is going through some really hard thigns right now and calls us all the time, so we're working a lot with her.

Guadalupe broke my heart this week. She kept having things to do and we could never have a lesson with her. THis week when we could chat we had asked her how she feels when she prays. It's the same question we asked her before her vacation, and she had said that she knows God listens to her and that He's there. This time, she said "I don't know. I haven't thought about it." Then, we had set up an appointment to do the lesson of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the church on SAturday. But she didn't show up. WE called her, and she made some excuse about how she had to be with her friend. I was already worried about her going away for two weeks, and now I can see Satan attacking her hard. She also told her she would be coming to church. We even called her ten minutes before and she said she would come. But she didn't come. It broke my heart. Now we have to push her date back. I did figure out thought that maybe just patience and space this week is going to be good for her. Whether it's that she feels like she's not ready or whether she doesn't understand the significance of the commitment of baptism, either way she needs more time. I just started crying when she canceled on us for the 4th time on Saturday with that lesson. When we went to the Figares house, I still had tears in my eyes. They asked what happened and we told them, and sweet Sister Figares said "all we can do is offer. We'll pray for her, but you need to know you're doing everything you can. If she doesn't accept it, that's in her and the Lord's hands." I'm thankful for these challenges that help me get to know my Savior. It makes me think of the suffering I put Him through when I don't do what I know to be right. The people here push me to be better, and so does the Lord. Please pray for Guadalupe. She is too incredible to let the adversary win. She is so close!

Luckily, the Lord never gives us a bad day without at least one miracle. That same Saturday, we had a few. We had a lesson with Brian and Angela again. Brian said he doesn't believe, which uhhhh is so not true! As I testified to Him of the truthfulness of the existence of Christ and God, I could see that he felt it. I've never seen it so evident in someone's eyes, and then have them reject it. But we will continue to be patient. Adan, his cousin, went with us and he is going to be a big help. Angela is AWESOME and is progressing perfectly!

Leaving that lesson, we were already late for another one on the other side of our area with the cousin of a recent R.M. We're walking by a bunch of people, running practically, and we go by this cute little old lady. The Spirit told me "talk to her." I told to the Spirit "well, we're late." And then the Spirit was all "homegirl, you talk to that little old lady right this second." And I was all "okay, okay." And turned around and asked this sweet woman how she was doing. She is TINY. Her name is.....and my family is going to find this absolutely hilar (especially my sister and Dad)....ChiChi. Haha okay so that's her nickname, but she said "they call me Chichi! Call me that, chicas." So we talked to her for a couple minutes, got her address and a return appointment. Our little miracle!

The lesson we had immediately after that with this cousin, Guillermo, was awesome. He is really quiet and timid, but when he does talk it's really great things. He's 21 and the only thing is he is a little scared of what his mom will say, but he's trying to find a house in a different area to live alone. So we can teach him the lessons, and then when he moves out of her house he can get baptized. He is really great, and it was super effective to have his cousin, Leandro there.

Lots of other little miracles that happened this week, but alas I have already taken a gazillion years. I will end with the best district meeting of my mission:

Elder Trucolo (the Elder who is working in my branch as well; he was with Elder Espinoza last change) is my District Leader this change. We started out talking about the normal stuff, but then Elder Trucolo started talking about making sure we are being true disciples of Christ. He talked about the significance of Christ's washing of the disciples feet in John 13. He told us all to open our Bibles and read John 13:4-17, imagining that the Savior were here and we were his apostles. In silence, we did so. As we read, Elder Trucolo quietly took a towel and shoe cleaner and went from person to person, cleaning our shoes. The point was to make us think of how we would feel if the Savior were washing our feet. The Spirit was one of the strongest I've ever felt in my life. It was almost like I could hear the water. I could feel the Savior very close. As I shared in district meeting after the experience, it amazes me that in verses 2 and 3, it says:

2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;

 3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;

The Savior already knew who would betray Him. And you know what He did, in spite of that?

He washed his feet.

I make mistakes every day. I've made a lot of mistakes on my mission, just as every missionary. The Savior knew every mistake I would make. He knew when I would let Him down. And what does He do for me, every day?

He washes my feet.

He washes yours too. It's never too late to accept it. He is always there.

Funny story for the week:

We're at a little birthday party, and Elder T. and I are sitting next to each other. He keeps drinking all of his soda, then switching is empty glass with my full one. Then I look, get confused, look around, and he switches them back. He does this literally 3 times until I notice it's him. Then the Hermana comes to fill our glasses back up, and he goes "careful of the Hermana. She keeps losing her drink." Well, he says this as I am taking a sip, and I spit out soda ALL OVER HIM from laughing. Hahaha, sweet revenge.

I love you, I love you, I love you!

Hermana Dolan 

I forgot to mention this.....But all of last change I was a counselor in the Primary. hahaha. I was in charge of the little little kids. These guys are Teo (on my left) and Franco. The most adorable boys ever!

                                                              la Colonia centro fam  

                      THE FAMILY NIGHT WITH FAMILIA AQUINO. This is before Elder Arguello and Elder Nozita                                                 left. I love these people! And I love Uruguay....so beautiful.                                                

                               

          I finally caught a frog, Also, fun fact: frogs don`t actually ribbit. They sound like dying cats.

                                Elder and Sister Bingham go home next change. :( I will miss them!
                                             

                                                    First semi tan line, I have ever had.

Happy Birthday, Justin, big brother!

I already sent you a happy birthday email last week, but because my camera died I didn`t send the photo. So here they are! I hope you enjoy this happy birthday sign, written in the language of my favorite people in the world, the uruguayos. And your favorite people in the world, the Mexicans. Love ya!

just call me Translator Dolan....February 17, 2014

Hey folks! How`s it going? I hope all of you are doing well, thank you all so so much for all of your support. Emails and letters help more than you know, and I always feel your prayers. So thank you. I have the best family and friends around! 

Okay so this week was both uneventful and SO eventful! Let`s start....

Tuesday: P Day. Elder Espinoziiita left for Artigas :( The four of us had a blast last change and really changed a lot of things here in Colonia. BUT, that`s the thing of the mish that I love to hate and hate to love! That night, Hermana Zumeta and I had a noche de hogar (family home evening) with la familia Aduezo. They`re a family from Venezuela who have lived here for about 7 years. They have a 15 year old named Ariana, and then it`s the husband Carlos and the wife Angel. They`ve been taught by the missionaries for awhile so they`ve already had all the lessons, but my comp and I both got the feeling that they needed to hear something on the Atonement and forgiveness. So, we showed them the Mormon Message about Chris Williams. He`s the man whose wife and two kids were killed in a car accident in Utah by a drunk teenager a few years ago. He talks all about the love of the Savior and how when he chose to forgive the teenager (who is now one of his good friends), he was only acting through him. Carlos said it answered a lot of questions he had about forgiveness and we think Angel may have lost a child before or something, because she started talking about how hard it is to not be angry and hurt when you lose a child and while she said so she started to cry. La familia Aduezo is awesome. Carlos is even reading the Book of Mormon on his own, and when we went he went to show us how to use the footnotes. Haha. I`m excited about them and I really want to help them progress. 

So Wednesday......one of those days of walking....walking....and more walking. Haha no one was home! But we had a lot of awesome contacts. And even on days like that, I usually come home happy because I come home feeling like I gave it my all and walked and walked and walked even with a monster blister on my foot (but really, it was huge. I had to operate...pics to come.) 

Thursday! We had an awesome awesome AWESOME zone meeting. And our Zone Leaders talked about how to go into someone`s house and deal with the universal problem of Uruguay which is..... Uruguayos love to talk. Like, LOVE. To talk. So our ZL Elder Marin pretended to be such an Uruguayo while two others in our zone tried to approach the situation as best they could. It was the funniest thing of my whole life because Elder Marin fit every single Uruguayo stereotype into the sketch. For instance (and this will possibly only make sense to those who conocen este peis, but still): He got offended by a joke an Elder said 

               When one Elder said he was from Colombia, he started talking about the drugs in Colombia

                He talked for five minutes about how hot it is

                He kept offering them water

                He kept offering them pizza, and when they said no got offended that they didn`t like his wife`s cooking

                Offered them his little kid`s toys 

Haha you guys, Uruguayos are a R I O T. I love them. But anywho other than zone meeting, another day of walking, walking, walking and not finding anybody. 

Friday we had another lesson with Maria and Miguel. We talked about Alma 7 and related it to the whole purpose of Christ`s Atonement, and how we have to act on the faith we have by making covenants with God. Maria is SO close. I could see it in her eyes...but then she still said no. And when she said no, I looked at Miguel, and you guys,  his head dropped and the look on his face broke my heart. I wanted to cry. This man has so much love for his wife and for the Gospel and has so much faith. They are the sweetest human beings ever and they teach me so much. Maria is a afraid of something, or maybe someone. But we just don`t want to give up because she is so perfect! 

Also, on Thursday finally came the Senior missionaries that will be the new Branch President! They are Elder and Hermana Figares. He is actually from Uruguay which is going to help a TON. And she doesn`t speak a lick of Spanish...haha but she is super sweet! And between me and her husband, it`s been fun playing translator whenever the Elders come over. Do you know what else this means? Two things: more lessons with members (aka them), and clothes that can be dried in a dryer! It`s been months without one of those babies! But Elder Figares has a lot of experience in leadership and he is going to help continue to change things here in Colonia Centro. We are so lucky to have him! 

Saturday we met with Brian and Angela. They used to live in the Elders area over in General, but they just recently moved. Brian is the cousin of the husband of Flia Aquino (the family from the area General that had us over for New Year`s and that always feeds us lunch), they`re 25, and they had been taught a couple times by the Elders before they moved. We met them, and they are AWESOME! Angela is reading and praying and so excited about the Gospel! Brian not as much, but the Elders told us they didn`t make as much of an effort with him as they should have. So we`ll focus on them both. Angela is so sweet and Brian is SUPER sassy. Haha they are great. Every time we meet with them a member of Familia Aquino is going to come with us. I am really excited about them! 

GUADALUPE FINALLY CAME HOME! Longest two weeks of my life without seeing her, but we finally saw her on Sunday! I was really nervous about what would happen without seeing her for two weeks, but she is just as excited as ever to be baptized. She said she was really sad because she forgot her Book of Mormon in the craze of packing, and the only thing that made it in her suitcase was the phamplet on the Plan of Salvation. So she just read that over and over. Guys, she is incredible! I love her so much. March cannot come soon enough to watch my special special friend from Heaven get baptized. 

Sunday, we had 59 PEOPLE AT CHURCH! We managed to break our own record! President Smith was there that day to sustain President Figares. One family that is inactive because they both work, Family Alvarez,  managed to get work off that day. We have been working with them along with the Elders because they want nothing more than to get sealed. They were both there! And, guess what? the husband, Daniel, passed the sacrament! I was so excited and proud of him! And guess what else? Miguel, who was only semi active when we got here, is now the second counselor in the branch presidency! He was beaming. And, guess what? MARIA WAS THERE. And she was bawling through every testimony. Guys, she feels it! She knows it`s true! Please pray for her. 

The Elders also now have to teenage boys who will get baptized the same day as Guadalupe! Centro will now see more baptisms in one day than they will have seen in THREE YEARS! Gahh, I am so excited. Everyone told me Centro was like the worst area ever before I got here. Pssssh, I`m on Cloud 9! Proof that with the Lord, everything is possible. THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN COLONIA CENTRO AND I AM SO BLESSED TO BE HERE TO SEE IT! 

Also, on Sunday....so they announce that Hermana Figares is going to bear her testimony and her husband will translate. But then she leans over to me and tells me she wants me to do it. Why? Who knows. But I was T E R R I F I E D. I immediately prayed as hard as I could for the gift of tongues. And, I got through it! I only needed to turn to President Smith one time to ask what a word is, but other than that, it was so surprisingly easy! It`s amazing how the Lord opens the mouth of His servants and loosens our tongues. 

So there was my week! No clue if it made sense, but just know it was great and I am SO happy here! I love Colonia, I love Uruguay, I love the mission, I love the Gospel, and I love the Lord! 

I love you, I love you, I love you! 

Hermana Dolan 

Yeah same thing.....

Okay now before you start thinking I`ve turned into Elder Calhoun from the best two years, bear with me! 

yo me voy a..... (I am going to.......) February 11, 2014

COLONIA! 

Hahaha. Gotcha. Yep folks, another change is over! Where did that time go? Ni idea, but what I can tell you all is that this change FLEW. And I have officially completely four changes in the mish! In a couple of weeks I will hit six months which means in a YEAR I will be home. Uhhhhh what? By the way, the AP`s always like to pull your leg when they call you for changes. So Elder Gesh calls us and goes "Hermana Zumeta, usted se queda en Colonia! Y tendrà una nueva companera! Su nueva compañera será..............(long long long pause).....Hermana Dolan!" In English, he said "Hermana Zumeta! You are staying in Colonia, and you will have a new companion! Your new companion will be......Hermana Dolan!" Yeah, I just about had a heart attack folks. But no worries, because I`m staying here another change with Hermana Zumeta! 

So anyway, not a whole ton happened this week. Guadalupe gets back on Friday! Woot! We missed her! We felt the Spirit a lot....as always! We found a new investigator! Woot! Her name is Nelida and she`s....old, haha I don`t know how old. But her husband passed away 3 months ago so Alma 40 was the perfect clincher to get her interested. We have to go slow with her because she takes a little bit longer to understand things, but no worries, in due time we`re going to dunk the crap out of her in the aguas bautismales! 

In a couple of days the Senior missionaries that will be Branch President are coming! H O L L A. We are seeing a lot of amazing changes here in this branch and with them I have no doubt we`ll see even more. It also means President Smith is coming this weekend to sustain them in church! (he is the Stake President of Colonia) And Saturday night he`s going to go out with the 4 of us missionaries to visit some people to get them to go to church that Sunday. We are going to have him meet Guadalupe, and we are also going to take him to Maria. We think he might have some good inspiration as to what to do. 

Good news and bad news about changes: I`m staying! Hna Zumeta is staying! Elder Trucolo is staying! Buuuut Elder Espinoza aka Espinoziiiita is leaving. He`s been in Colonia longer than any of us and he`s sad to go, especially because in a few weeks he was finally going to see the first baptism of Colonia. But that`s the mission, and he can feel good knowing he planted a lot of seeds here! Also Elder Teloma (from my CCM group) is leaving the zone....buuuuuut Elder White is coming! Sorry I`m so excited about that, but I came to Uruguay without any of my Hermanas from the ccm. Soooo yep. That`ll be fun! I told my companion to make sure she tells him he looks like Zac Efron when she meets him. He hates that. 

We had a Noche de Hogar with the same family we spent New Year`s Eve with in the area called General to say goodbye to Espinozita and Arguello. We started and ended the change in the same place. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this family. I love Guadalupe, I love Mary, I love Maria and Miguel, I love my fellow missionaries, and I love the Lord. 

Changes always make me nostalgic. Seeing people leave an area and how sad they are just makes me think of what it will feel like to actually leave the mission. There are so many times that I find myself walking down a road and think "I`m walking down a street in Uruguay...and soon I will never do that again." I want to make sure I live up every moment and do all I can as a missionary so that I can leave with no regrets. I love being here so much. Even when we have uneventful weeks like this one, it`s still a good week because it`s a week as an instrument in the hands of God. How awesome is my life! How awesome is LIFE! 

Okay so that`s really all folks, but first a piece from my studies, and then a funny story:

I was studying the Atonement the other day, and I read a part in the book Our Search For Happiness that talks about it. It says "he suffered such great mental and emotional anguish that it caused him to bleed from every pore." And I started to think about that. Sometimes, it seems like the Savior`s bleeding in Getsamane was an essential physical part of the Atonement...and it was....but it was not suffering given to him by Heavenly Father, rather it was a suffering caused himself. He has so much love for us that his emotional anguish literally caused him to bleed. Think about that.....suffering so much EMOTIONALLY for someone else...for their pains, and sufferings, and sins....that you start to bleed PHYSICALLY. That`s also why the Father couldn`t take it away from him: first of all, because the Father knew it was an essential part of the plan, but second of all because it wasn`t a pain caused by the Father; it was a pain caused directly by the Savior and His love for us. How incredible. Don`t take this as doctrine haha. It`s just my thoughts. We will never be able to fully comprehend the Atonement, but the more I learn about it the more I`m amazed. 

Also, funny story:

Sometimes during personal study, we come across these scriptures called "trunky scriptures." They may be about marriage, about family...they may not even be that trunky at first glance, unless your name is Elder Trucolo and you already have a fiancee. Then everything is trunky. So I come across a scripture in Matthew 19: 4-5 and because it`s trunky (haha just read it), I text that to the Elders. IN about 2.5 seconds, they respond with 1 Nephi 11: 10, 15, and 20. Don`t read the verses in between. Just read 10, and then 15, and then 20. Hahahahahhahahaha I died. Apparently it`s well known by all the Elders, but it killed me. Read it read it read it. It`ll give you a good laugh. You`re welcome. ;)

So anywho, da da da da dats all folks. Remember, the Savior`s felt your pains. Talk to Him, because He knows you. And He`s a really good listener. :)

I love you, I love you, I love you! 

Hermana Dolan 

Also, fun facts: Ranch doesn`t exist here, nor beef jerky or instant oatmeal. Just "food" for thought. People just add a gallon of oil and vinegar to their salads and I`m just over here like "where`s the Hidden Valley?" haha 

Pictures from February 3, 2014 email

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SISSY I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

My Big Sister Jennifer's 30th Birthday, Feb 1, 2014

. 

                                                              

mac and cheese night

                                                                       i`m in love 

Also, my companion said when she saw this picture "it looks like you`re getting ready for your wedding with that white dress!" And I told her "I`m telling my dad you said that." Soo....haha                                                          sorry Dad. Hna Zumeta has spoken. 

                                                                   

me and Guada

                     me, my best friend, and the CUTEST LITTLE PUPPY BESIDES MYCHARLIE                                                                             BEAR EVER

                                

these sunsets are unreal....this is without any editing AT ALL

I Blame the Streets of Uruguay

      Haha one pair of shoes down, one to go! This pair is dying. There is a solid hole in this one       and I have blisters as evidence of the day they died. MISSIONARY LIFE HOLLA 

i`m in heaven in rainy uruguay with my yellow umbrella!

J U M A N J I has hit Uruguay.................February 3, 2014

Hey hey hey....hola hola hola! How is life on the homefront? Cold? Good. First off, I SURVIVED JANUARY. Now, that`s not to say that i didn`t enjoy January on the MISSION side of things, but January is in fact the hottest month of the year in Uruguay. And kids....I survived. 

But speaking of, guys, where in the heck did January go? Time is going WAY too fast. 

And okay...I would wait and make this all suspenseful and stuff, but I am way to excited so I`m just gonna get right to it:

GUADALUPE IS GETTING B A P T I Z E D. 

You guys, this is my first baptism! I was there for Yeny and Sol`s in Rivera, but this is my first baptism of one of my investigators!! 

So on Tuesday, we gave her the lesson on the Plan of Salvation. And you guys, she just eats this stuff right up! And she is so smart. She catches on so fast. She`s reading, she`s praying, she believes everything! We were going to wait until Lesson 3 to give her fecha (baptismal date), but we both felt like the time was right. So we gave her fecha for the beginning of March and SHE ACCEPTED. She left for vacation yesterday for two weeks (:() so it was going to be the 8th of March because she has to attend church at least 3 times, but then even though she was leaving in the afternoon yesterday and even though she told us she was up until 5 a.m. the night before (haha....i remember that life), she came to church! So now, we`ve moved her date to the 1st of March. Guadalupe is my little miracle. She just keeps saying things that are exactly what I feel or love or think. Sometimes I think to myself, "seriously, have we met before?" And then I remind myself "duh, OF COURSE WE HAVE." 

She`s already a little member missionary too! We went to see her on Saturday for a lesson and the daughter of one her friend`s moms, Margarita was there (for you Americans, Margarita means Daisy in english. Don`t go thinking about alcoholic beverages.) Guadalupe told her excitedly that she was getting baptized, and then just looked at her and said "Do you want to be baptized?" And then Margarita said "I don`t know...maybe." And then Guadalupe said "You have to read the Book of Mormon and pray." So Margarita said "do you have more of that book?" To which we said HECK YEAH, and gave her a Book of Mormon. And turns out folks, that Margarita lives in our area! H O L L A. 

My favorite night this week was when we went to Guadalupe`s house to make dinner. Her mom works at night and she told us she usually makes dinner, so we asked her if we could make it for her. It was her, her little sister Luciana (who is 11 and told us she wants to start praying and read the Book of Mormon that we gave her a couple weeks ago), and a friend of their`s named Darma (who is also 11 and stays with her grandma across the street sometimes) We cooked for them...wait for it....Kraft Mac n`Cheese! They had never had macaroni and cheese before (I know...sad) and I`m pretty sure it changed their lives. Thanks Millian and Lawn...you know who you are haha. Anyway, we watched The Restoration and Darma was also interested! She doesn`t actually live in our area, but we`re going to teach her when we can and get her address for the Elders whose area she lives in. It was such a fun night! We made mac n cheese while listening to The Piano Guys and talking about traveling (Guadalupe really wants to go to Hollywood....I promised her after my mish that I would take her.:)) And guys, this is so what being a missionary is about! Just being people`s friends. I love those girls. I LOVE GUADALUPE. I can`t even describe my love for her, nor can I describe how long these next two weeks will be without her. But she told us every time she saw us this week "I`m going to read the entire bus ride on my trip!" She has such an excitement for this Gospel and isn`t shy at all about sharing it with her friends! I am learning so much from her. It was so worth the wait to be able to have my first baptism be as unbelievably special as my sweet Guada. And I know that through her example, her mom and sister will come in their time too! Please pray for her these next two weeks. I know this time is when Satan really hits hard. But she`s strong and so prepared. She can do it! 

We also FINALLY found Flia Aduezo again. We haven`t been able to find them at home for two weeks, and yesterday we finally did! We met their daughter finally too, and she is so great! She is 14 (same age as Guada...PERF) and she is so sweet! We invited her to the Movie Night`s we do on Thursdays and she said she`ll go, plus we set up a Family Night with them! They are a wonderful family and we really want to teach them! 

As far as other investigators....we are still stuck with Maria. She says she doesn`t know why there has to be a true church, why isn`t believing in God and Jesus Christ enough. We are praying really hard to know how to help her, because she so deserves this Gospel and it would make sweet Miguel so happy too! They are seriously my Uruguayan grandparents. Even though we`re having a hard time with her, we love seeing them. They are my joy. I can`t even describe how much I love them or the smile that is plastered to my face the whole time I`m in their house because they`re just so darn cute. 

We also haven`t been able to find Saul this week, but we know we will find him! He is just too prepared to be lost. If you could give all of these people a shout out in your nightly chats with Padre Celestial, that`d be swell. 

Also, I LOVE MARY. She`s that awesome woman who is basically a sassy black Latina woman who shares the Gospel with everyone and their dog. She is going through a real hard time right now. She has a son in jail and all of her kids are inactive, and one of them doesn`t even believe in God. But despite all she is going through, she is always looking for references for us and always making sure we`re okay. We call her Mamà Mary. I love her so much. She is such an example to me! We are working hard with her kids that live in our area, because we know how much it would mean to her (and the Lord...duh) for them to return. She is my favorite! 

Next week, we`re getting SENIOR MISSIONARIES! They are going to live across the street, and the husband will be the new branch president! HOLLA. We know he is going to make a lot of really awesome changes to this branch! He`s from Uruguay but has lived in the states for forever. And his wife is American. WE know what that means.... AMERICAN FOOD. Por fin. And, Sunday the 16th President Smith is coming to sustain them. He told us that that Saturday is going to go visit some people with us to help get them to church. We are of course going to make sure he meets Guadalupe, and we also want him to meet Maria! So we are really excited about that. 

Okay so....funny story from last week that i forgot to tell. We`re doing divisions, and Hna Simpson and I are just walking down the street in Centro and talking. Then, this drunk guy walks past, takes off his flannel t shirt, goes WAPOOSH and whips it in my face. And I mean, he LITERALLY said "WAPOOSH" as he did it. At first I just kept talking, but then Hna Simpson goes "did he just whip his shirt in your face as he did that?" And I said "yeah....I think he did."  And then we died laughing. Hahaha, people here are so special. 

I am so thankful to the Lord. He is slowly molding me into who I want to be. He`s been trying to teach me patience, and as I`ve finally started to figure that out, I`ve started to see the four of us missionaries changing Colonia Centro for the first time. Guadalupe is my angel sent straight to me from my Father in Heaven. March 1 can`t come fast enough! 

Also...you are probably wondering why my subject line says that Jumanji has come to Uruguay. That is because it has been raining cats and dogs, and the rain brings in mosquitos the size of Jumanji in from the beach. I`m pretty sure i already have some rad scars on my legs from mosquito bites. Haha, livin`the dream. 

I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU! Keep your chins up and your knees dirty! 

Hermana Dolan