At home in Villa Mella!

Ohhh heyy, so sorry for that whole falling off the face of the planet thing... But I'm back!  And even in a new area!  Will explain everything, but going to start with my last week in Gazcue ... which just happened to be super epic.

 Had our last district meeting. 

This is my whole district minus our district leader and his companion.

Seriously all girls, and keeps growing every transfer.

And, Elder Jn Baptiste is finishing his mission!

He has literally been my zone leader since getting here...sooo I just had to document it

with a good old, awkward missionary picture!

Said goodbye to Wendy, and the next day I was off for my new area.

Gazcue has seriously become like home, I´ll miss it tons, but it was also such a relief to have a change after 4 transfers (7 months) in the same half of one area. I was pretty sure I had missed the part of my call that said I would be serving in the "Santo Domingo East Gazcue mission" ...Haha

I´m now serving in Villa Mella, 

and back with my 1st trainer, Hermana Prestwich! 

It´s been way exciting and fun to be back with her!  

We celebrated my 7 month anniversary

(with my newest food love -- a huge colmado fanta)

and got right to work.

This area is the weirdest mix of city and jungle. We live right next to the metro and basically use it to get to the office for meetings.  It is such an adventure all the time.

I have a hugee list of things I want to write about, but it will have to wait until next week! Especially now that I´ve found an internet center that has space bars that work!!!  Scoree!

love you all, hope life is greatt

love, hermana coe

Finally!!

Soooo, transfer day came and I'm actually in a new area!  I'm now serving in Villa Mella with  Hermana Prestwich again!  Crazy right? At first it looked like I would be staying (AGAIN!) in Gazcue, but Tuesday night I received a call fromoneof (ughh hate internet centers - this keyboard sucksssss) the A.Ps sayingI would be leaving, and to pack to go the next day. 

Talk about crazy.  I was excited and upset all at the same time.  But the change came and wentand I adjusted alot more smoothly than I thought I would. Nothing like my first transition into the field :-)  And being able to be in an equal companionship is awesome (not training this time). I feel like I'll finally actually be able to focus on fine tuning my teaching and I also willget tohelp Hna Prestwich out with her sister training leader responsibilities.

The house in Villa Mella is completelydifferent. Hugeeeee compared to gazcue. The power goes out A LOT, and we have a mega ant problem. But its also a very serious house soo I've beentrying myhardest  to lighten it up. Trying to have faith thatthis is where I need to be.

My bruise from the gua gua mishap is healing - and I had my first ride on the metro here (today) and it is so rad. The bright side is I will hardly ever be using gua guas or carritos here!

Also I'm superbummed at myself because I forgot my camera cord at the house, and this is a way ghetto computer with no memorycard slot. sooooooo you'll have to wait until next week for pictures!

love youguys tonsssssss<3

hna kenz

Mr. Toad's Wild GuaGua Ride

(Preface from Sue)

So...we have been having some trouble getting some new shoes to Kenzie (sent a pair a month ago that either got lost our stolen) so, today, in order to ask a few questions about how to send another pair, I was working at the computer, at the time she usually sends her Monday email today, to catch her so we could email back and forth a bit. 

As luck would have it, I noticed just as her first email arrived.  It said "Are you on?"  I told her I was, and that I needed to talk to her about shoes.  She said OK, but asked if I would read her email first in case I had any questions or concerns to ask her, so she could answer me during the 60 minutes she is able to be online, and I wouldn't have to wait a week for answers.  So here's the letter:

  

******************************************

hi family, so this week has been an absolutely crazy one to say the least, I have kind of a crazy story and I've been debating if I should even send it or not, but honestly it turned into a testimony builder that is really close to my heart and I hope that you can take it in the same way.

This past saturday we had district meeting, it got moved from thursday, and on the way there in the guagua, we got into a car accident. Let me preface this with the fact that we are all fine. Luckily the car that hit us was a really small fruit truck thing and the gua gua just tipped a little to the side before we came to a stop. Unfortunately because of the speed we were going, and the lack of seat belts or doors, three woman fell right out. It was a really, really scary, eye opening experience. 

No one was injured too badly, some skinned legs, and possibly a broken bone but no one mortally injured. But what I learned is that Heavenly Father truly watches over and loves his missionaries. Not one of us walked away with anything more than some bruises and some sore muscles the next day. We walked the rest of the way to our meeting (I think we were a little in shock at that point)

The opening hymn at our meeting was "Senor Te Necesito" (I need thee every hour), and not  one of us could sing because of the realization of how true the words to that hymn were.

Literally no more than 5 minutes before the accident, I had made a joke to hna taylor about not wanting to slide off the guagua, and she had put her arm through mine. For some reason we never detached, and I think it helped me to stay as safe as I was. I know that Heavenly Father watches over His missionaries. I KNOW that there were angels there that day, and I KNOW that as crappy as that was to happen, it was something I needed to see and realize for myself. Talk about seeing the hand of the Lord in your life. We are so blessed and loved.

I really hope this isn't something that I should have just kept quiet, don't want to  freak you out, but I really am okay (except for a big bruise on my butt... and I lost my book of mormon.... must have dropped off my lap...)

I just want to send this off so that you can have a chance to respond or ask any questions if you need to, so that its not like an ended conversation that you have to think about this week without being able to ask. We've all been checked out by the doctor, and even got a chance to watch '17 miracles' at the bishop's house last night so that we wouldn't have to just sit in the house and we're back to normal schedule today!

*********************

(More from Sue)

So needless to say, we emailed back and forth a bit, and I thought I'd share a few excerpts from  her comments.  She is doing well, and I am unbelievably grateful for her safety. 

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 . . . thanks for everything. I got a blessing saturday after our meeting cause I was feeling a little scrambled and freaked out to get back on a guagua.... but it was a beautiful blessing promising comfort, and that I would have the health I need.  Everything will be okay, and on the bright side, I'm getting to see each color of the rainbow display itself on my bumm as the days go by...we're on to green and purple and pink right now... haha.  It looks a lot like a lower back tattoo, we've made lots of good jokes about it

. . . got the call re: transfers yesterday, and I'm staying in the same area with the same companion for another 6 weeks.  Can't say I'm not disappointed; feeling pretty ready for a change.  I literally will have spent more than 8 months of my mission in the same area.  But apparently there is someone I haven't met yet, or something I haven't done yet, and I gotta stick it out.

 . . . I will make sure to be extra careful and obedient to the mission rules ... and always sit in the backkk of the guagua!  I know that you are sacraficing a lot, and also that I'm so blessed by all the people I've got looking out for me, I'll do all I can out here!

LOVE YOU ALL LOTS!   STAY SAFE,

 hna coe

Hna Coe, the terminator :-)

So I might have broken my second fan.... in our house....the same way both times.... and that way might have been by tripping on it and knocking it over causing the blade to shatter everywhere.

Hermana Lecheminant sent in the request for a new fan blade to the housing elders and it looked something like this:

Zone: Santo Domingo

Area: Gazcue

Need: new fan blade

Problem/Reason: Hermana Coe

Awesome haha, they are now both hidden under a cabinet in the kitchen which we call the fan graveyard. But don't worry I'm paying for it at our study desk every morning..... (Note from Sue:  I think this is the FIRST mention of how HOT and stinkin' HUMID it is in the D.R. -- I would be complaining DAILY - kenzie never does -- amazing!)

Although I will say my luck with plants hasn't gotten any better either. A less active member gave me a cactus to grow when she heard about another flowering plant that I had somehow managed to kill in a week (I just wanted something pretty for our house).

I am sad to say the cactus is now dead and gone.... but at least it lasted like 2 months... I don't know how I do it. I think its a talent.

ahaha, but it was a good week!  Almost hitting the end of another transfer, time is flying. Hope to get a better post off next week!

Hope you find a moment to laugh 

and that the happy moments keep rolling on by!

lovelovelove

hermana Coe

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NOTE FROM SUE:  Kenzie spent most of her computer time (60 min) writing to her 'baby sis' who has decided to serve a mission, just like her big sis!  Due to the lowering of the minimum age that girls can leave on a mission about 6 months ago (from 21-yrs to 19-yrs), both Kenzie & Abbie could end up on missions at the same time.  Kind of overwhelming to me (Sue), but their commitment to sharing the gospel and willingness to make a personal sacrifice to serve & share with others is a beautiful thing, and not something I can put the brakes on.  I LOVE the knowledge and peace that comes to my life from the gospel of Jesus Christ, how could I deny anyone the opportunity to solidify their testimony by teaching others, and give that peace to others in the process?

Anyway - thought I'd share Kenzie's letter to Abbie, full of advice & support & love that a mom can only dream of having her daughter #1 give to daughter #2.  I feel very grateful.

***********************************

abs

baby sis

twinkle toes!

I've got butterflies in my stomach right now, its blowing my mind. I can't believe its almost here, have you decided when the earliest you would leave is? This makes me so homesick for you! I miss you tons and tons and I hope you know that!

Read your scriptures every day and mark ones that stand out to you or that you like, you will usee them on the mish, let me tell you!

I only get an hour of personal study every day so I usually just study a chapter or 2, I've decided to study in 3rd nephi and work my way to the end, so far i'm a couple chapters of ether and its awesome, soo stinking interesting, then I try to read the same chapters in spanish during my language study

study the lessons and points to the lessons in preach my gospel and just prepare yourself emotionally too, I just dont think people always understand how emotionally hard missions are, they are exhuasting and you're going to be dooing a lot of new things. But also remember that you are so lucky to have the power of the atonement backing you up. I was talking to hna lecheminant the other day about this; that really I don't understand how so many people make it through missions because you really have to be strong, I feel like more people should be going home or giving up, but it is true that there is so much power that just doesn't come from you. I couldn't do half the things I do, under only my own power. This sunday I felt like I really needed to get up and share my testimony in sacrament mtg, which I've never done before here or in spanish, but I did and honestly dont remember what I said but afterwards I just kept hearing from people how good my spanish was in it. I know that that is the gift of tongues and it comes in the moments that we really need it. Later I found out that one of our investigators, an 18-year-old girl who I thought I would never see again (we stopped teaching her because she can't join the church because her boyf doesn't like it) was sitting in the back, I'm grateful that I had the chance to do that for her, especially because I might be leaving this area in a week (chances are pretty good i'll be transferred)

but I love you lots, I know that you will be an awesome missionary, I know that in the back of our minds, we always knew that you would be doing this -- it's just so rad that we could do it at the same time!  Dont be afraid, remember that you know enough, you are not the only one who has been preparing you, yourr heavenly father has been there every step of the way, giving you the experiences you need to change the lives of those who are prepared.

much love

big sis

Miracles happen every day!

1 Peter 3:13-18

And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?

But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye; 

and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

For it is better if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.

Found this this morning, and LOVE it!  Wanted to share with you all :-)


Love you all lots, wish I had the time or the energy to write more about everything that's been going on because, let me tell you that behind every one of these pictures is at least a million words -- haha!

I really am learning the truth that satan works the hardest on us right before and after great things happen, it kind of surprised me, just another reason that it's so important to have our backup supply of spiritual experiences and faith for when things are a little overwhelming and you need that extra boost and drive!

But all is well, life keeps moving forward (and I'm pretty sure it's getting faster tooo!) Learning lots, changing lots, and just plain growing up. Miracles happen every day, and there isn't a night that I don't fall asleep in about five seconds after my prayers. 

It's a crazy ridiculous beautiful life, and I wouldn't trade it for anything :-)

lots of love

hna coe

Cute family in our ward with their stinkin' cute kids!  

(I never realized how hard it was to get a picture

 with everyone smiling and looking at the camera!)

 Haydee and Joseph were baptized this past Saturday - it was awesome!

Can you tell that we celebrate everything with food? 

I think that's a mission thing, it is a gooood thing we walk allll day.

Yesterday we were in a cita (lesson appt) with Haydee, and we were talking about cooking and how I neverrr liked to do it before my mission, I'm not even kidding -- microwave was always the way to go. Abbie would cook, and I would eatt.  I told her my mom was basically going to die when she found out it was my new love.... sooo shhh I won't tell if you dont;)

In our last cita with Haydee, we realized that we had somehow gotten weirdly matching burns? Turns out cooking is dangerous, but how funny and sassy is this picture? Love her soooo much.

 Another one from Haydee's baptism

This is Susan, she is my life saver!!  She got home from her mission my first transfer and ended up going out with us for a few hours before she got released.  She's so awesome, and is in our ward, also super helpful that she was born in the states and speaks perfect english and I love her guts (and did I mention she has awesome hair?)

P-day Tourists

Hey lovelies!

Hope you're prepared for the major picture overload 

I'm sending your way this week!

First off celebrated my 6 months in the field! 

It was pretty much the best!  

Made the most delishh tacos I've ever had - with mango, fresh avacado

and pineapple. 

Do elders eat like this?

And finished it off with brownies and a surprise diet coke, let me tell you, food is by far the best way to my heart:)

 6 months!

Needless to say it was a great day and I super love the girls in my house.

Also got a surprise package of letters from the Halls for my 6 month anniversary that literally got there that exact day. Thank you for your awesome timing skills:)

Love you guys tons!!

Also, it turns out that, without fail, every time it's ready to downpour, I have either forgotten my umbrella or wearing white.... or both. This night it was an absolutely unreal lightning and thunder storm!  I have never felt one so close in my whole life. 

Of course I didn't have my umbrella, and since we were more worried about our backpacks (and the package I was hauling around in my backpack), Hna Petersen ended up taking them both ... and I danced in a tropical rainstorm the whole way home.

Needless to say we were soaked, but our backpacks and my package survived!

And now for the tour!  Our p-day got switched because one of the elders in our zone got us a rad tour of the presidencial palace. It's in my area and I walk by it every single day, so needless to say I was pretty stoked to sneak a peak inside. I was talking to one of the dominican elders in my zone and asked him if he was excited to go in. He looked at me like the crazy white girl that I am, and informed me that he'd already been there when he was in High school... so no. 

Haha, oh well -- I continued my disneyland-like excitement basically the whole time and it made for a fantastic p-day today.

all of us

view from the outside

It was mostly just a whole bunch of really huge rooms like this. 

Basically I just kept singing the 'once upon a december' song from Anastasia since they all reminded me of the ballroom dancing scene in that movie :-)

 We spend a little time taking classy juice drinking pics at the end of the tour

 one with a guard, these guys were all around the palace

 and then we went home...

(note from sue:  check out the guy in the background...looks like he was about done with silly girls :-)

affirmation band-aid as an added bonus :-)

Happy Bday! and the Magic Lays :-)

Hey loves!

Today's shout out goes to baby brother,

who, I guess, officially, is not even close to a baby anymore! 

THIRTEEN?

Is this real life? 

I seriously remember being 8, and super stoked on having a little brother. You were tiny with huge eyes, a bald head, and a birthmark between your eyebrows that got super red when you cried. I rememver you crying a ton when babysitters would try to put you to bed, and I would end up rubbing your back and making up songs to sing to you until you fell asleep. You were basically hudini (sp?) trying to crawl out of your crib and even learning to unzip the crib tent we eventually put on. My favorite was pushing you around in my "double stroller" aka, two plastic play strollers taped together with you and my doll in either side. And then you got older and paid me back by taping the door handles together of me & Abbie's room until I yelled to mom to "let me out cause I gottaa peee" who cut through the entire roll of masking tape wrapped around it so I could escape!

Needless to say I love you lots! 

Can't believe how tall you look in the pictures mom and abs have been sending me, and I hope you're living it up fishing and doing all that other icky little boy stuff this week!

Just know big sis is thinking about you from all the way over here! 

(even if you never write me...

...I digress)

Happy thirteen, I'm literally refusing to let you get any older!

<3

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So its been a great week!

Hit 6 months on the mission tomorrow and that is basically the weirdest, these month marks are freaking me out, passing way to fast, I think this whole counting thing is gunna need to stop!

So I'm running low on time, but gotta share my "Magic Lays Story"!!

So we bought some snacks (chips, carrots & sandwich stuff) to have a picnic before intercambios instead of ordering food, so we hopped on our gua gua with our stuff & headed home.  A few minutes into the ride, Hna Taylor somehow dropped the tube of Lays potato chips, and they flew right out the door of the gua gua. She immediately yelled, "Stop!" (in spanish, of course) but the driver didn't hear her, and we flew right through the intersection!   

Before we knew it, everyone on the gua gua was yelling for the driver to STOP! STOP! ...  so he did. I was watching out of the back window as the light changed in the intersection, where our poor container of Lays had landed, and cars started driving again but, somehow miraculously, every car was missing it. 

Then out of nowhere, one of the men in the gua gua jumped out, ran through the cars, holding his hands out to stop the the cars, and then ran back & hopped into his seat.  He then casually handed Hna Taylor the container of chips, and we started moving again. He was so nonchallant about the whole thing!  I was cracking up.

You seriously would have thought that Hna Taylor had dropped her first born child out the door, from all the commotion that happened afterwards!!  Anyways, he was so embarrassed as she tried to offer him oreos or anything else she had in her bag, to thank him! 

Just basically a kind superman saving our day, and our 80 pesos worth of of Lays.

I love this country --  A big chunk of my heart is making its home righttt here in Gazcue:)

Until next week<3

hna coe

our "picnic"

failed attempt at walrus teeth