The Week of Navidad!

Hope you all had a great Christmas!  Christmas wasn´t the same here in Argentina without my fam and the summer weather, but I still had an awesome week!!!

Here is a little run down of all the fun this week: 

Wednesday= Christmas Eve!  As missionaries we had to proselyte until 6pm and then after  we had a big Mexican themed Christmas eve feast with all of the people in my zone!  It was tons fo fun and of course I loved it because we had TACOS for dinner :)  Also, we ended the night watching fireworks from the window of our pension!

Thursday=Christmas Day!  I woke up and opened a Christmas package from my fam and from Mimi and Bubba (my grandparents), THANK YOU and I LOVE YOU GUYS so much!!  You guys are amazing.  The rest of the day was a blast!  We played lots of games, played soccer, took pictures, ate lunch, played cards, all sorts of fun things but my favorite part of Christmas day was skyping my family! What a blessing that was to talk with my fam.  Best Christmas present I have ever received.

Saturday: A Christmas miracle, the baptism of Fabian Soto!!!!  Fabian is a 4 year old man that we have been teaching for the past 4 weeks.  He has a son and lives with his mom because both his father and brother died a year ago.  Fabian can´t read  or write, but he has a lot of faith and a strong testimony of our Savior!  Oh man this was one of the best days of my life.  He had the biggest smile on his face as he walked out of the baptismal font.  I feel so blessed to be apart of Fabian´s conversion and to see the joy and blessings he has already received after being baptized a member of the church.  I know I always say this but I truly love being a missionary.

Whelp, I don´t have much time left but I want to talk a little bit about New Years before I get off!  I´m sure you all have some New Years resolutions but I want to leave you with this quote from Dallin H. Oaks:

Following Christ is not an occasional practice, it is a way of life.  

I hope that before the year is over, we can all think about the things we want to leave behind this year, that will enable us to become more like our Savior Jesus Christ in the year 2015.  It isn´t easy but throught the Atonement of Jesus Christ we have the opportunity each and every day to start over and become more like him.  I love every single one of you and hope that you have a great New Years! ciao!

xoxo,

Hermana Van Boerum

Christmas with Hermana Perez!

Baptism of Fabian Soto
(I promise he smiles)

Skyping my Family
BEST THING EVER
Love You Guys

He is the Gift, El es las Davi

Hola everyone!  I would love to tell you all about everything going on in Argentina, but Christmas is just around the corner! So instead, I want to share my testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ. 

First, I want to start with the words from the video, He is the Gift:

He is the Gift

The first gift was not wrapped, had no bow, wasn´t purchased online, or in a store.  The first gift of Christmas was a simple gift, a sacred gift.  It wasn´t gold, or frankincense, or myrrh.  It was a gift of love, and life, and peace, and hope.  Given by a father, to all his children.  And so loved you, and you, and every single one of us.  He gave His son.  He is the Christ, He is Christmas, He is the gift.  This Christmas season, discover the gift, embrace the gift.  John 3:16

I am so thankful for my Savior Jesus Christ.  It is hard being away from home for Christmas, but I am also thankful because I have never though about Christ and His birth this much during the Christmas season.  I feel so blessed to solely focus on my Savior and all that He has done for me.  I know that He lives, even after He died for every single one of us upon the cross of Calvary.  I know taht as He suffered and bled from every pore, He saw each and every one of our faces.  He knows how we feel no matter what we are going through.  There have definitely been two or three tough days on my mission so far, but everytime I start to doubt, I think of my Savior Jesus Christ which gives me hope and strength to continue pushing forward.  I know that through Him, we can feel clean and forgiven of our sins.  Because of Him, we can be resurrected and live in eternal glory with our Heavenly Father.  This is a gift promised to each and every one of us if we just do the best we can to be like Him.  I know that He paid the price for all of us and His grace is sufficient for everyone on this earth.  He was a man without sin in the midst of a sinful world, yet was baptized to fulfill all righteousness and be an example for all of His brothers and sisters.  He came to the earth to experience all the natural conditions of mortality, was tempted 3 times by Satan, and still never gave into temptation to those things of the natural man.  Christ had all the power in the world,  but he didn´t use this power for personal gratification.  He used it to serve others.  I know that when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane, He had the agency to say no.  But while on earth, He chose to only do the will of His father.  He was betrayed by His followers and sentenced to death, yet on the cross as He hung there, He asked our Father in Heaven to ¨forgive them for they know no what they do.¨  After His resurrection, His own people would ask ¨What are these wounds in thy hands?¨, the Lord would answer:¨Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.¨  His vicarious sacrifice was truly love-inspired.  We have all sinned and ¨come short of the glory of God,¨ but Christ makes up the difference for us.  He loves every single one of us and because of His grace and mercy, we can be happy in this troubled world.  Though I am miles and miles away from my family this Christmas, I am still so so happy because I know that through Jesus Christ, I will be able to live with them for all eternity.  I love my family.  I love my Savior Jesus Christ.  I am more than grateful to have the opportunity to share His gospel and share this hope with the people of Neuquén for the following 16 months.  I know that He is the Redeemer of the world, and a light which cannot be hid in darkness.  He is the Son of God.  He is love, life, peace, and hope.  He is Christmas, He is the gift. 

Christmas is only 3 days away and I invite all of you to think of this question during this Holiday season:  What will you give to Christ this Christmas season?  Matthew 25:40 says: Verily I sayunto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

I hope you all have an incredible Christmas and take the time to think a little more about all of the blessings we have been given.  On Christmas Day, look around at all those you love and be grateful :)  Mom, Dad, Toshy, Britt, and Torb, I can´t wait to talk to you this week.  I love you guys so much.  

Merry Christmas and Feliz Navidad.

xoxo

Hermana Van Boerum

We were angels for the Ward Nativity
ha ha
Yes, I am wearing a baptismal dress!

PDAY

Me & My Beautiful Christmas Tree
My Mom sent Me 

Lovin Life in Argentina!

Okay first things first, I have the biggest smile on my face right now because I have been singing to Bob Marley and Ariana Grande for the past 50 minutes haha.  Oh man I am THANKFUL for the internet cafe´s music!! Family, Ariana Grande´s song came on (One Less Problem) and I got a little teary-eyed because it reminded me of when we saw her in New York!! But man, I am so so happy right now!

I only have about 10 minutes so I will try and fit in as much as I can!!!! So sorry!  

TOSHY!!!! Happy Birthday in 3 days!!!! WOOHOO pic for you attached to this email!! I love you and hope you have the best day ever!!  Do something crazy to celebrate!  Just kidding, read your scriptures to celebrate :) haha I love you!

This week has been so awesome!! I have worked my tail off but it has been a blast!! We had intercambios which is when you switch companions with other hermanas in the district and go with them for a day!! I went with Hermana Moreno and it was a blast!  I learned a lot from her and I am excited to use the things I learned to improve my area here in Godoy A!  I also gave my first talk in the mission fiel at the baptism for a girl named, Angie!  I talked about baptism and then at the end I gave her a bracelet (yes the bracelets you gave me mom) and attached a little paper to it that said ¨ancle su fe en Jesucristo!¨ which means anchor your faith in Christ!  Yes I take after my super creative, incredible, darling, mother!Anway, I was super nervous during the talk but I hope it went well!  

The language is coming along as well, I can understand most of the people and I am contributing a lot more in lessons and conversations with people!  I love Spanish!! 

This week we got to teach our two new investigators Diana and Nicolas.  Wow they are so awesome and so interested in the church!  We taught them with the elders on Thursday and the lesson was so awesome.  The Spirit was so strong and we answered tons of their questions.  We ended by singing Nearer My God to Thee and they absolutely loved it.  Wow I feel so grateful to be a missionary and enjoy the Spirit every single day I am serving.  

I am out of time but I hope you all are full of Christmas Spirit and having a blast!!  Right now in Argentina we are passing out cards that have the website for the video ¨He is the gift¨ and I hope you have all had the chance to see it! Yesterday when I handed out a card to this woman, it made me think about how my brother, my missionary cousins, and all my missionary friends are teaching about the same thing this Christmas, the gift of our Savior Jesus Christ.  My brother is in the Philippines sharing the importance of Christ this Christmas,just like I am. So cool.  I love it and I am thankful. 

Anyway, I am still SO SO happy and finally feel comfortable here!  I see the hands of Heavenly Father in my life daily.  Family and friends, I miss you all so much but I love you and I invite you all to think a little more about our Savior Jesus Christ this Christmas season.  Have an awesome week!

LOVE YOU ALL!!!!! I love being a missionary!! Fam, LOVE YOU.

Happy Birthday Toshy Girl!!!
Love You!
Britty and Torb I Love You Too!!

Me and My Companion Hermana Perez
after a Huge Spring Rain Storm

The Beautiful Sunset I get to see Every Night.
I feel so Blessed Every Day.
I love Argentina!

I Am Alive Hallelujah

Okay so here´s the scoop:  This has been the craziest most difficult week of my entire life...for real...but, I am happy and I did some P90X this morning so what more could I ask for?  

Where to start where to start....I don´t even know.  P.s. for future reference, the keyboards in Argentina are super confusing and my spelling is probably awful now so no judgements!!

Anyway, yes I made it to Argentina! Wohoo.  I love it here.  This email is going to be so scattered but I will try and explain most things!!!

Last Monday we left the MTC, had three flights, and landed in Nequen, Argentina.  Lots of traveling. During my first flight I had the opportunity to talk to a Lutheran man about the church.  We talked for the full 3.5 hours and I asked him all of his thoughts on the LDS church!  It was really fun to hear his thoughts and bear my testimony to him.  He told me how even though he doesn´t believe in our church, he thinks that I am going to change lives and that he is proud of me. Of course I gave him a pass along card and he was so sweet about it.  This experience made me realize how awesome it is to just share your testimony about the things you love.

 I was able to talk to my parents on the phone in the SLC airport and then Torby and my mom in the Atlanta airport.  Wow.  I bawled the entire time!  Fam, I love you so much.  Seriously.  Please send Torben in a package for my Christmas present.

The mission home is awesome.  We were there for two days and President and Sister Lovell are amazing!! If you ever want to read more about the mish, google their blog, it is awesome!  Okay so Thursday night, we received our new companions and headed out to our new zones.  This was crazyyyyyy.  I had to say goodbye to my MTC companion, Hermana Houston, and it was just as hard as saying goodbye to my family before the MTC.  After she left, I bawled and my new companion didn´t even know what to do haha.  I felt bad but DANG.  It was so hard saying goodbye to my best friend Hermana Housty.  

My new companion´s name is Hermana Perez.  She is from Mexico, only speaks spanish, and she is awesome!  She has taught me lots of Espanol and we have already had tons of fun.  I will explain more about her later but I am thankful for her and she is great!

Okay, some fun things about Argentina.  I was my clothes in my kitchen sink. (no I do not think they are clean after I washed them today. ugh.)  Men are always whistling and honking at me but I just pretend not to notice. (MOM I AM SAFE I PROMISE!) The other day I was eating lunch at a member´s house andddd I found a yummy hair in my food.  Argentina has a totally different level of cleanliness and that level of cleanliness doesn´t exist because all of Argentina is dirty.  Seriously.  But, I love it and I am slowly but surely adjusting wahoo!  There are lots of dogs.  Most of the roads are dirt.  I get called ¨ flaquita,¨  which means skinny, all the time. I am in the Villa Regina zone and I love it!

Since I arrived in Argentina, I have seen miracles.  Truly.  We have been able to find a couple new investigators who are interested to hear more about the church and it is awesome.  The daughters of two different members both want to learn more about the church and are now our new investigators! Hermana Perez told me that they have always avoided the missionaries and that it is a true miracle that they are willing to talk to us.  Last night we stayed up talking for an hour and she told me how she feels the Spirit when she is around me and she thinks that is why she is seeing so many miracles, because the people here can feel it too.  She doesn´t know why, but she says that my presence and when I try to talk to people, that it brings the Spirit.  I don´t know if that is the reason, but I definitely have a true desire to share the Gospel with everyone in Neuquen.  My Spanish isn´t great, but I pray every day for the people of Argentina to see the light of Christ when we are talking to them.  I am so so grateful to be here and serve the Lord.  Best decision <i have ever made.  It has been a rollercoaster of emotions, and so so hard, but I am happy and I know that through my Savior, Jesus Christ, I can be better each day and get through those tough times.  

I truly am happy here in Villa Regina. 

Shoutout to the best companion in the entire world: Hermana Houston, I love you.  One thing I have realized on my mission is that I have found an eternal best friend and eternal sister.  You have been my family and will be my family for the next 17 months.  And you will be part of my family forever.  You have a special place in my heart Housty and thank you for everything!  Thank you for making me a better missionary and a better person.  Hardest thing saying goodbye to you, and I think about you every day.  But, you are AMAZING and I am so grateful that I was able to see you at Stake Conference.  Definitely a tender mercy from my Heavenly Father.  I love you Housty!

Okay peeps, I need to go now!  Hope y'all are doing so awesome and I hope you all are HAPPY. Be happy because Heavenly Father has a plan for us and that plan is the Plan of Happiness.  

Always remember: You is kind, you is smart, and you is important (from the movie The Help, not from me ha!)  I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  MOM, DAD, JAKE, TOSHY, BRITTA, TORBEN, I love you. I miss you guys so much.Christmas is soon and I can´t wait to Skype!

xoxo

Hermana Van Boerum (ps no one can say my name here...not even my new companion...the other night our investigator who might get baptized soon prayed at the end of the lesson and said ¨¨please bless Hermana Perez and her companion that I don´t know how to say her name¨ hahahaha.  wow.  life is good in the Villa Regina hood. peace out!)

Me and My Best Friend Hermana Houston

My New Companion Hermana Perez

Cool Wall Photo Ha ha "More Love Please"

Happy Thanksgiving - Testimony of a Missionary

Hola everyone!!! Can you believe Thanksgiving is tomorrow?? I am super excited and the MTC has a way fun day planned for the missionaries to celebrate!

So much has happened this week but I don't have tons of time so I am just going to keep everything brief!!

Dallin H. Oaks came to our Tuesday Night Devotional last night and talked to us all about missionary work.  I was in the choir and we all got to sing 'Nearer, My God to Thee' to one of the 12 apostles, it was AWESOME!  My favorite part of Elder Oaks talk was when he asked us two questions. Why are we missionaries? and How are we being missionaries?  I love these two questions because not only do they apply to missionaries, but they also apply to members in the church.  Why are we members? and How are we being members?  I don't know about you, but these questions really get me thinking and remind me that I should have an answer for both.  Do I have a testimony?  Why am I a member of this church?  Am I being a member missionary and preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone through my words and actions?  Anyway, just a little thought!

Thanksgiving is going to be wonderful in the MTC.  Our schedule for the day is: breakfast, choir practice, devotional with a General Authority (we don't know who yet but I am super excited), Thanksgiving lunch (yes I am praying for some gluten free Thanksgiving food), time for letter writing, Humanitarian Center program, Thanksgiving music program, dinner (we get sack lunches for dinner...), humanitarian service project, movie!  Rumor has it that the movie will be Meet the Mormons but who knows!! Either way I am super excited for tomorrow and I feel so blessed to not only celebrate Thanksgiving, but do a service project for people in need!  For the General Authority devotional, the choir is singing 'Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.'  We practiced it yesterday and it is going to be INCREDIBLE.  The spirit flooded the room right as the organ began playing and it was just the practice!  I can only imagine the power of the Spirit when we sing it for realtomorrow.  It is an 8 part song, I am singing in the second soprano section (I don't know much about singing and to be honest I could be an alto for all I know...but I just take a seat, smile, and sing), and it is absolutely amazing!  Look up the lyrics, they are powerful.

We got our flight plans last Friday!!!! Literally it was like Christmas. We all ran to the mailbox, and then read our flight plans all together in the classroom!  Such a happy moment and we are all going to our countries!!! Woohoo no one is being sent to Kansas or something like that because of visas. Yay!  Our plane leaves December 1 at 11:45 and we fly to Atlanta, Georgia.  After that four hour flight, we have our second flight which will be 13 hours, and then we will land in Buenos Aires, Argentina on December 2!!  Then comes the fun part, we aren't sure, but from our research we think that we will have a 17 hour bus ride to Neuquen after, booya!! Two days straight of traveling.  Good thing I like to travel.

Last week we had our last lessons with our investigator, Marco.  I wish I could tell you all more, but I just want to say that he is one of the most incredible people I have ever met.  Such a strong disciple with a beautiful heart and testimony.

One of the highlights of the week was when we got to Skype with members from other countries!! Hermana Houston and I got super lucky and we had the opportunity to Skype with Sebastian and Veronica who live in Neuquen, Argentina!!! They were so so sweet and we shared a message with them about how we can be converted to the Gospel, not just have a testimony.  At the end of our Skype lesson, Hermana Houston and I were smiling from ear to ear.  It was SO awesome and it made me even more excited to go serve in Neuquen!!!

Alrighty well I am almost out of email time and I need to get packin my bags! Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I hope that we all take the time to tell the people we love how thankful we are for them in our lives.  Also, don't forget to take a minute to think about all that our Heavenly Father has given us.  Because of his son Jesus Christ, we too can one day return with our  Father in Heaven, with our families, in never-ending happiness.  I am so thankful for all of you.  Truly.  I am thankful for your love and support and I feel your prayers each and every day.  I am thankful for my family.  I'm sure you are all surprised that I didn't run away from the MTC because I miss and love my family so much.  I'm surprised.  Still here though :)  I am thankful for my friends.  Both my friends serving in the mission field, and my incredible friends at home.  I am thankful for the opportunity I have to be a missionary.  I love it.  I am already 1/18 of the way through and it is already going way too fast.  I am thankful for my companion, Hermana Houston.  She has taught me SO much and I have been blessed with such a devout disciple of Christ by my side.  I am thankful for this Gospel.  I love it with all my heart and I cannot wait to share it with the people of Argentina.  I am thankful for my Savior.  I know that he suffered for me and through him, only through him, I can live with Heavenly Father again for all eternity. I am thankful for each and every day, because I know that each day is a new start, and a second chance to become more like my Savior, Jesus Christ.  One more time, I am thankful for my eternal family. My family is the biggest blessing I have been given in my life and I love them with everything in me.

The story below is one of the many reasons why I chose to serve a mission.  I love this story. I cannot wait to find my friends in Argentina, the ones I promised in Heaven, that I would one day share this beautiful Gospel with them.  I love being a missionary. 

Testimony of a Missionary

The following event took place in a ward in Salt Lake City in 1974. It occurred during a sacrament meeting and was told to me by a Regional Representative of the Twelve who was in the meeting. A young man, just before leaving on his mission stood in sacrament meeting and bore in essence the following testimony:

Brothers and Sisters, as you know, the past two weeks I've been waiting for my mission call. During the time I was waiting I had a dream. I knew it was not an ordinary dream. I dreamed I was in the pre-existence and awaiting my call to come to earth. I was filled with the same anticipation and excitement that I had before I received my mission call. In my dream I was talking to a friend, and I felt a special closeness to him, even though I've never met him in this life. As we talked a messenger came and gave me a letter. I knew it was my call to go to earth. In great excitement my friend and I opened the letter. I gave it to him and asked him to read it aloud. It said: "You've been called to earth in a special time and to a special land. You will be born to the true church and you will have the priesthood of God in your home. You will born into a land of plenty, in a land of freedom. You will go to earth in the United States of America."

My friend and I rejoiced as we read my call, and while we were rejoicing the messenger returned. This time he had a letter for my friend. We knew it was his call to earth. My friend gave me the letter to read aloud. His letter said: "You've been called to go to the earth in circumstances of poverty and strife. You will not be raised in the true church. Many hardships will attend your life. Your land will be fraught with political and social difficulties - which will hinder the work of the Lord. You will be born in Costa Rica."

We wept, my friend and I, as we read his call. And my friend looked at me with tears in his eyes, and said, "When we are down on earth, you in your choice land and me in Costa Rica, my friend, please come and find me."

The this young missionary, with tears in his eyes, said, "Brothers and Sisters, I have received my mission call. I am going to Costa Rica."

There is a sequel to the story. About a year after the sacrament meeting, the bishop received a letter from the missionary in Costa Rica. The letter had one sheet of paper in it and on that sheet written in capital letters were four words:

I FOUND MY FRIEND
the end
HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING!  xoxo,  Hermana Van Boerum

My Incredible District
Elder Urmton, Elder Brazell, Elder Fuga, Elder Skousen,
Me, Hermana Houston, Hermana Eppley, Hermana Taylor

Best Day Ever!!! Flight Plans :)

Tambo

​Not too much happens in the MTC but I still love it here!! I am learning a ton. Time has flown by and I have a lot of things to look forward to in the next couple of weeks! In 3 days I will have officially bee on my mission for a month!  Friday I get my travel plans for Argentina.  Next Thursday is Thanksgiving AND the MTC Christmas lights will officially be turned on that night!  A General Authority is coming to speak that day and i am super excited.  12 more days until I leave for Argentina and 12 more days until I get to call and talk to my family in the airport (get excited mommy)! WOOHOO!

This week my testimony of the Book of Mormon, my Savior Jesus Christ, and the Atonement has grown immensely.  It amazes me how a true testimony of one of these things can flood the room with the Spirit.  In our lesson this week with Marco, we taught about the Plan of Salvation and the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  The lesson went really well and Marco started to cry as he bore his testimony of his brother, Jesus Christ. The sacrifice Christ made for us was so great and he did it all out of love.  Yesterday i was reading 3 Nephi 17.  WOW this chapter is awesome.  As I read this chapter, I tried to imagine myself as one of the Nephites and truly feel as they did.  Verse 5 & 6 say: 5 And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus spoken, he cast his eyes round about again on the multitude, and beheld they were in tears, and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer with them.

 6 And he said unto them: Behold, my bowels are filled with compassion towards you.

I love these two scriptures.  They truly show how much the Nephites loved their Savior and how they wished he would "tarry a little longer with them."  Christ then says how he is filled with compassion for them, and I know that he is filled compassion for each one of us as well.  He knows how hard it is for us to live on this earth, and how we all wish we could tarry with him.  He wants to be by our sides, to help us through our lives.  The thing that I love about my Savior and the Atonement is that he truly is tarrying with us every second of every day.  Through the Atonement we are blessed to have relief, hope, and comfort.  I know that if we have the desire and true FAITH in Jesus Christ and the power of His Atonement, we can receive the blessings of Salvation.  not only can we feel clean and forgiven, but we can also have hope that our Savior is tarrying with us every step of the way.  I also really like verses 14 & 15 which say:14 And it came to pass that when they had knelt upon the ground, Jesus groaned within himself, and said: Father, I am troubled because of the wickedness of the people of the house of Israel.

 15 And when he had said these words, he himself also knelt upon the earth; and behold he prayed unto the Father, and the things which he prayed cannot be written, and the multitude did bear record who heard him.

Christ kneeled for the Nephites and cried for them.  I know that every day our Savior Jesus Christ is kneeling for each and everyone one of us, praying to our Heavenly Father.  He is troubled because of the wickedness in our world and he is crying for the salvation of all his brothers and sisters on this earth.  I love this chapter of the Book of Mormon and i challenge all of you to read it and feel of your Savior's love.  

The Book of Mormon is amazing.  Read it, study it, feast upon the words of Christ.  When I first got the the MTC, my second day here the Mission President challenged us all to finish the Book of Mormon in the 6 weeks before we leave to Argentina.  I have absolutely loved this challenged as I have read for about 30-45 minutes every morning to start my day.  The power of this book is almost tangible.  I am drawn closer to my Savior the more and more I read it and I cannot wait to see the true power of this book work in the lives of people in Argentina.  If you aren't reading this book, read it.  And if you are, read it even more.  In our Sundaydevotional this week, Richard I. Heaton (MTC administrator) spoke about the power of the Book of Mormon and how we should never lose sight of our testimony.  He said, "Christ does not want to lose any of his sheep, but he definitely doesn't want to lose any of his shepherds."  Never lose sight of your testimony whether it is of Christ, of the Book of Mormon, or of the happiness that can be found when we are doing what is right.  Hold fast to your testimony and strengthen it each and every day through the power of the Book of Mormon.

I love you all and am thankful every single one of you!  

xoxo Sister Anika Van Boerum

P.S. Big shout out to the Reinemers and the darling package you guys sent me!! THANK YOU!  I love it so much and it made my day!  You will be getting a letter from me soon!  My district loved the candy, signs, and sticky window snowflakes. They all say thank you as well!!

Funny moment of the week: In our lesson with Marco, I was trying to say "Also, when..." which in Spanish you would say, "Tambien, cuando..." but for some reason I mixed the words together and instead said "Tambo..." Marco replied with a sarcastic comment and said, "are you from Africa?" Super embarrassing moment (I have these all the time) and Marco couldn't stop laughing for the entire lesson.  I love being a missionary and I am learning from all my funny mistakes! Have a good week y'all, Tambo!
​ 

Picture #1: we celebrated the birthday of our teacher, Hermano Stevenson, with balloons and cupcakes!  He loves to play Dungeons and Dragons and makes us laugh all the time.

Picture #2: this is my zone! Too many people to type all the names, sorry!

Picture #3: my cute district and my temporary family.  top row from the left: Elder Fuga (plays football for BYU and is from Huntington Beach, California), Elder Brazell (from Logan, Utah), Elder Skousen (from Chico, California), and Elder Urmston (from Benjamin, Utah)------bottom row from the left: Hermana Houston (from St. George, Utah), me, Hermana Taylor (from South Carolina), and Hermana Eppley (from Elkridge, Utah)