Email #25 (Queen Creek, AZ)

February 10, 2014

Hola Familia!!!

So here is my address (before I forget):
20934 E. Ocotillo Rd. Apt #1092

Queen Creek, AZ 85142

So... it's been a crazy past week. And I'm going to be honest, I don't know how to feel about everything, but I'm trying to be positive and happy. GOOD NEWS! I am still in the ward!! I'm soooo glad I am still in the ward. What basically happened is Sister Baria and I just switched. I am with Sister Bukoskie in her area and Sister Baria is with Sister Chavarri in my old area. So Sis. Chavs and I are still in the same ward and district, so that's good! Not quite the same as companions, but that's okay. Change is a good thing, right? Right. Especially when it's change directed by the Lord. So my area is farther south now and none of it is in Gilbert, so it's even more cow town than before! There's this one part of it that's called "the Boonies" and it's way way country haha. I'm companions with Sister Bukoskie now. She is a hard worker and very obedient. And very different from Sister Chavarri. I am going to need to be a little more Christlike and open my heart to this new area and my new companion, then everything will be great. I'm just having some growing pains, that's all. I know that the Lord wants me here with Sister Bukoskie for a reason and I trust that His plan is much MUCH better than the one in my own mind:) Pray specifically that I can open my heart and have a lot of PATIENCE AND HUMILITY this week!
But the transition itself hasn't been too bad. I could feel your prayers within those first few days because Heavenly Father gave me a lot more strength and courage than I would have had on my own.

Oh! For new investigators to put on your list: Mirsa, Maybelin, Ariel, Brian, Francisco and Vanessa. I will write a letter about them when I meet all of them:) The only one I've met so far is Mirsa and she is amazing! She was a former investigator and knows it's true. She just needs to get married! But she doesn't really want to get married to her boyfriend, so that's a slight problem... We had a tender experience with her this past week due to some back pain that she's been having from a recent car accident. We went over with the Elders so they could give her a blessing. The Spirit was SO strong and when it was over, she couldn't talk for a while because she was on the verge of tears. I know she felt God's love for her from that blessing! Pray for her that she will be healed and that she will have the courage to do what she needs to do to follow Jesus Christ and be baptized.

Okay Mom, here are the answers to your questions:

1. Yes I did go to Carmen's baptism, and it was BEAUTIFUL! I love Carmen so so much! I feel blessed to have taught her, because her testimony and spiritual strength taught me a lot, probably more than I taught her:) She wants me to marry her son.... hahaha awkward. But it was a beautiful, spiritual baptism. Carmen is going back to Mexico this week and she is going to bring Christ's light back to her family and friends, and I am very excited for her! And yes, I can go to Ramon's baptism since I taught him:) That is going to be amazing as well. I'll tell you all about it next week!

2. Yes, this is the last week of the temple open house. It will be strange to have something that we waited for so long to all of the sudden be over, but it has been a fantastic tool so far! It will be great also to have it dedicated so we can go to it!!! So excited!

Have an amazing, fantastic week this week! I pray for Sammi and Alex's safety every day so that they'll be safe on the roads:) Congrats guys! I knew you could do it:)

HAPPY VALENTINES DAYY!!!:) I love you all sooooooo much! XOXOXOXO

Hermana Lattin

 

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Email #24 (Gilbert, AZ)

February 3, 2014

Hola hola, Familia!!

So I'll just start off with the big news for this week: I'm getting transferred. I'm not going to lie, I'm struggling with it a bit. I'm trying really, really hard to be positive about it, but I am really sad to be leaving. Sister Chavarri is one of my best friends and I'm having a hard time picturing my mission without her:( We've become super close and unified in our companionship, and I am sad that I have to leave her. Not to mention the fact that I won't be with someone fluent anymore (most likely) and I'm a little bit worried about my Spanish and I won't have her to help me anymore! I also am so sad to be leaving our ward, if I do leave it. It might work out where I just move to a different area but same ward, but I could also go up to the branch in Gilbert so we'll see. But what am I going to do without the Garcia family in my life??? AH. There are so many things that are going to make this transfer extremely sad and hard, and I'm not sure what will happen. But, the one thing I do know is that Heavenly Father is in charge and He knows best. Even when we don't know why things happen, He does and He knows how to best help us to become our best selves! I was having a mini anxiety attack in personal study this morning, with fears and doubts just running through my mind, but then I read in 3rd Nephi 13:28-34. Ever since transfer calls last night, I've been thinking "Heavenly Father, how can I do this? All that I know and love on my mission is right here. How can I leave it? How can I face this change without Sister Chavarri? How can I do it?" But in the end of that section of scriptures it says "...your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things" and then it says "Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself". I have faith that everything is going to work out for the best, wherever I go. I came on a mission knowing that transfers were real and that change happens frequently, therefore I have to just trust that God knows all of my needs and he knows exactly what to do and where to send me to help me be the very best I can be.

So I will send you my new address next Monday! Pray for me this week please:)

But before transfer calls, our week was amazing!!! OH! And our new investigator, Carmen (I don't think I told you about her yet) is getting baptized this Saturday!! She is Hermana Allred's (who is in our ward) sister and she is truly amazing. She lives in Mexico but she wanted to come and take the lessons here and get baptized here, so that's why all of this happened so fast! She is probably the most Golden investigator we've ever had! She has such faith and such a desire to follow Jesus Christ. We are excited for her:)

Also, Ramon Garcia is on date for February 15th!!! AH! That's going to be an amazing day:) I don't care where I am, I am coming back for that baptism as well:) Oh, and Juanita and Jesus came to church yesterday! Juanita wants to get baptized, but we haven't picked a date for her yet. Jesus isn't quite as sure but really wants to know more! They are awesome. It was a great week!

I'm so happy to hear that this past week was a good one for all of you as well! I can't believe the Broncos lost:( Sad! But that's okay, maybe next year! Haha those videos of all of you dancing to Bruno Mars' half time show were so great! I love and miss you all so much!!! I will for sure continue to pray that this week will be a peaceful and calm one, especially with Sammi and Alex getting their licenses:) haha

Mom, here are the answers to your questions:

1. Guadalupe and Gerardo need your prayers. Thank you so much for fasting for them!! They definitely need it. Last time we went over there (Saturday), Guadalupe (who is very catholic) essentially chastised Sister Chavarri for changing religions, so we did not have the most effective lesson. But they are still wanting to go to the Temple Open House, so thanks to your fast and prayers, their hearts will be softened, I know it!

2. I haven't gotten ,my hair cut yet, mostly because I'm afraid to go to someone who doesn't know how to cut curly hair! I miss Kelly Lewis!! Haha:)

3. That would be GREAT to have some family home evening lesson ideas for kids!! I'm so excited! Thanks.

Thank you soooooo much for mailing me letters! I love getting mail from everyone. I'm going to try and write everyone back in the next few weeks, but it might take a bit, since I have to start packing up my stuff today. But I will make sure to write everyone back eventually, I promise!! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

I wish I would have seen Brother and Sister Tanner! That's so cool that they came to the Temple Open House! It is BEAUTIFUL!

Okay, well I love you all so much!!! Have an amazing week and remember that you are ALWAYS in my prayers!!!

Con mucho amor, Hermana Lattin

Awkward Car Pic-Showing off our double chins:)

An amazing companionship, hard to say goodbye

My beauty never ceases

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Email #23 (Gilbert, AZ)

January 27, 2014
Hola Familia!!!

Isn't it crazy that it's already been 5 months???? Michelle emailed Cec and I this morning (we have a little three-way email going on), and said that this week she'll have been out for 6 months!!! I cannot believe it! Time flies when you're serving the Lord:)

I'm glad it was fun to have Nana there! I'll be praying for you this week, Mom:) But you're right! With Heavenly Father's help, everything will be just fine.

This week was crazy. We worked at the temple open house A TON. It's the best seeing people's faces after they walk out. Members and non-members alike are just in awe of the beauty of the Gilbert Temple. I cannot wait for you to see it after my mission. You are going to LOVE it.

I wanted to tell you all about our new investigators from last week.

Juanita y Jesus:

They were a referral from the English-speaking Elders. They had been teaching Juanita who’s English is fluent, but the husband, Jesus, speaks mostly Spanish and feels more comfortable speaking Espanol. So we went over there to meet them and Juanita invited us right in. She just kept on saying that going to the Mormon church and learning more about it was like “coming home”. She is AWESOME. The next time we went over, we met Jesus and he is very smart and willing to learn more about the Book of Mormon and the church. He was super nice to us and seems genuinely interested. They came to church this past Sunday and are coming for sure next week! Pray that they will accept and work towards a baptismal date in February!

Next is Guadalupe y Gerardo:

They actually live in the same apartment complex as Juanita and Jesus. We just knocked on their neighbor’s door beneath them and asked if they knew anyone in the area that spoke Spanish and they told us to talk to the people upstairs. So we did, but they weren’t home. So, we went back this past week and Guadalupe let us in! We had one of our ward member’s Hermana Allred, with us and she and Guadalupe hit it off right from the start! It was perfect to have her with us. We’re going over tonight to talk about the temple open house and share the temple presentation with them. They are catholic, and are really focused on teaching their two young boys about the teachings of Jesus Christ. We think that being an eternal family and the focus on the family as members of the church will be what they are most interested in. So please pray that they will feel a desire to learn more about eternal families and be baptized. They are an amazing little family. The cool thing about them is that the past few weeks, Hermana Chavarri and I had been praying to find and teach a family of four, and here they are!

Next is Karina Garcia:

Yes, she is part of the Garcia fam! I don’t know if I’ve told you anything about her. She is 20 years old and she had a baby when she was 19. She got pregnant soon after she graduated from High School. Her baby is one and her name is Aria and she is SO cute! And she really likes me because I am white! J haha! But anyways, Karina lives in the same house as her family, and she got married soon after she was pregnant. Her husband’s name is Jordan. He evidently was cheating on her, which has happened several times, so she kicked him out for good now. She is my age, has a baby, and going through a rough time right now with her husband and will possibly be going through a divorce soon. She is a really strong person and is just trying to do what is best for Aria. We’ve shared a few scriptures with her and she sat in on a few lessons, but then awhile back someone offended her at church. So we helped her through that in a kind and loving manner. She really likes me and Hermana Chavarri and she is noticing how much the church and the gospel is changing her family for the better. I think she also knows that it would make a huge difference in Aria’s life to grow up in the church. But anyways, we haven’t officially started teaching her yet. After we shared the temple presentation with Concha, Rene, and Naty, she was there and she said, “So, I want to start taking these…these..what do you call them? Classes? I want to start taking those with you guys.” We were like, “Yayyy!” (haha)  So we are going to start teaching her soon! We are so excited for her, because once she gains a testimony of the Book of Mormon and the gospel being restored, she will not look back. She is very firm once she believes something. So just pray that she will have the desire to learn more and be baptized. Also that she can understand what it means to have a Savior, Jesus Christ. She is amazing and so beautiful, inside and out. She needs to understand that there is so much more happiness that lies in store for her, despite what has happened in the past. I hope we can help her see that.

Ramon Garcia (yes, THAT Garcia family:)):

We started teaching him on Saturday. He is Francisco Sr.'s younger, disabled brother who wants to get baptized SO bad. For the past few months he has been watching many of his family members get baptized and wants to join them! He comes to church every week and yesterday he sat by me. He reminded me of Tommy (I miss Tommy!!! Tell him I say hi) because he would look up all of the hymns and make sure he had them ready to sing. But the question is whether or not he really needs to get baptized. At first they were thinking his understanding of baptism was minimal, but when we taught him the other day, he understood A LOT. As in, we really think that baptism would benefit him! He's awesome!

Those are our new investigators! I love that you pray for the people we teach by name. I can feel the power of your prayers working in the conversion of all our investigators. I mean, look at Patricia! After your fasting and prayers, we realized and understood how we can help her best and Luis gave us (and her) hope for her to live a happy and faithful life as a member of this church! That is pretty amazing. Thank you for your support, love and prayers. I feel them lifting me every day, helping me to be a better person and a better servant of the Lord. I am beyond blessed.

One other thing that I did want to say is that this morning in comp study we were doing a role play of reciting the first vision. I hadn't done it for a while so I was just stumbling through it, no real feeling or meaning was behind it, I was just saying it. So after I got done, I read through it a few more times to try and get it down, and Hermana Chavarri asked me to do it again. And she said "This time, think of why this means so much to you, and the difference this event has made in your life." So I did it again, this time thinking about why the First Vision of Joseph Smith is so important to me personally. Then it began to hit me. This single moment of history has changed my life. Because Joseph Smith had the courage to call upon the Lord for guidance in a time of spiritual darkness, we have the Restored Gospel on the Earth today. Because he did this, I know that I can be with my family forever, that I have the hope of returning to live with my Heavenly Father again because of the sacrifice of his Son and my Savior, Jesus Christ. Without that knowledge, where would I be? Who would I be? All of these thoughts hit me with crippling force and my voice caught in my throat and I was filled with the Spirit as I recited the words "Uno de ellos me hablo, llamandome por mi nombre, y dijo, senalando al otro, "Este es mi hijo amado, Escuchalo". How blessed are we to have this Gospel. I don't know where I'd be without it. And I don't know where I'd be without the family that helped me learn, grow and flourish in a home that's foundation is Jesus Christ. So thank you for that:)

Mamita! Here are answers to your questions!

1. Family Home Evening went well! A little bit disorganized though, so I would LOVE it if you sent me ideas for FHE with kids! That would be awesome.

2. I really, really hope I will be staying with Hermana Chavarri for one more transfer! We had interviews with President and he made it sound like that was the plan, so I think so:)

I LOVE YOU ALL! I hope you have an amazing, fantastic week! I can't wait to get all your letters:)

Les quiero MUCHISIMO!

Hermana Lattin

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Email #22 (Gilbert, AZ)

January 20, 2014

Familia!!! Hola hola!!!

Thank you so much for the letter and the pictures!!! I have been showing Elle off to everyone:) haha

Also, Mom I didn't know there were so many miracles this past December! I am so grateful for our wonderful extended family and their ability to hear the whisperings of the spirit. Your experiences this past December are definitely a testament of how Heavenly Father is very aware of us and our needs, and he will do anything and everything to answer our prayers because he loves us more than we could ever know. 

I still cannot get over how HUGE Eliana is!! She really is the cutest.

I will be writing a letter today about our 3 (almost 4) new investigators this week! . Juanita, Jesus, Guadalupe, Gerardo and Karina. Thanks for keeping them in your prayers.

I have so much to tell you about the Gilbert Temple open house!!  We were just trained last Tuesday by Elder Walker, the member of the 70 who is in charge of all the temple openings. We got to go through it (all the sisters in our mission) with Elder Walker as our tour guide, and it is AMAZING!!! Seriously, the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life. I am seriously considering getting married in the Gilbert temple... hahaha but that's not for a while so I won't worry about that. The fact of the matter is that this temple is incredible. I can't wait for you to see it--when I get back from my mission and take you all on a family trip to Gilbert. I know all temples are beautiful, but there is something about this one that is truly amazing. Especially the Celestial Room with the most beautiful chandelier I've ever seen. You can't help but just look up:) But anyways, the tours started this past Saturday. The sister missionaries have two jobs:

1. We quickly introduce the 12 minute video that everyone sees before they go through the temple.

2. We stand in the reception tent and help answer questions that people have and encourage them to fill out comment cards. It is really fun!! We worked this morning (hence the reason I am emailing so late) and I did a lot of tour intros in Spanish! It was a little scary, but really fun! It is amazing to see the amount of people who are coming from all over to see this temple. And I don't know how you can go in there and not feel the Spirit. We had the chance to go on Saturday with Concha, Rene and Naty. They LOVED it! They are amazing. I feel so blessed to be here, in this mission, with this beautiful temple and this life-changing open house. I really believe that it will change lives.

Pray for hearts to be softened and eyes to be opened during this special time:)

Here are the answers to your questions:

1. The Spanish is coming. It's difficult to think about Michelle, Shelby and Jake and the status of their Spanish, because they are immersed in it. Whenever I compare myself to them, I can't help but feel a little bit inadequate. But I try to remember that the only person who can determine whether or not I learn and become fluent in Spanish is ME. So, I have decided to give everything to learning Spanish and allow Heavenly Father to make up for what I lack in the language. I have moments where I feel my Spanish is really good, and other, very humbling moments, when I realize that I still have a LONG way to go. But I really do think I can do it. It's just going to take more effort and more faith on my part. It's funny because my comprehension is good. I understand a majority of what people say to me. Speaking is a lot harder. But I know with faith and a lot of work, it can get A LOT better.

2. Update on Patricia:

 We talked to Luis, her son this past Wednesday about the whole situation. He agrees with us that she should NOT get married. Luis actually has this plan to get married and then invite her to live with them so she can get out of that house and away from her "not-husband". Isn't that AWESOME! We felt so hopeful after talking to him, because before we weren't sure what we could do for her. Even though she really should not get married to him, she can't really leave because they work together. If she did leave, not only would she not have a job, but she wouldn't have a house either. So to have Luis tell us that he has a plan to help her get out of this situation gave us so much more hope. So, he needs to hurry up and get married! Haha just kidding, but there is hope for her, it might just take a bit longer for her to get baptized. We have been striving to help her understand the Atonement and how the pure love of Christ can heal her if she lets it. It's just hard with her being constantly surrounded by him and his influence. So, once she moves out and can be completely separated from him, then I think she will be able to let everything go and just allow the Atonement to heal her so she can be happy and live the Gospel!

3. Suggestions on encouraging timliness to seminary for Alex and Sammi:

 I feel like I don't have very much room to talk about being on time to seminary, because I was hardly ever on time. In all honesty, though, I really wish I would have made more of an effort to be on time. I probably would have gotten a lot more out of it and I genuinely regret not putting more of my heart into it. But that is an individual thing, something that you can't really force out of someone. In fact, I feel like when it is forced, it becomes even more of something we HAVE to do and not something we WANT to do. And with that, there is a big difference in what someone get's out of something they want to do and something they have to do... And I'm not sure if consequences really help with that:) But, they should know that being a missionary now, I look back and wish I would have had more of a desire to be on time and learn from seminary. Not that it was a bad experience, because it was great for me! But I do think I could have gotten a lot more out of it had I put more into it. And ultimately, they are the ones who decide what they get out of it. Does that help at all?!

Okay well, I LOVE YOU SOOOOO MUCH. I hope you know that. 

The scripture of the week is Helaman 5:12! Remember when you focus your life on Christ, and have Him as your foundation, Satan has no power over you and you cannot fall.

Que tengan una semana marvillosa, bonita y fantastica!!! 

Les quiero MUCHISISISISIMO!!

Hermana Lattin

Emma and other sister missionaries serving at the Gilbert Temple Open House

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Email #21 (Gilbert, AZ)

January 13, 2014 HOLA FAMILIA!!!!

I don't have a whole lot of time because I wrote Sammi a longer email this week. 

Tell Grammy I say hi!!!!:) Tell her I love her and miss her and give her a big hug for me:)

AHHHH ALL THOSE PICTURES OF ELIANA MADE ME SO HAPPY!!! She is soooo cute!! Give her a big kiss for me. I'm glad you/she liked my little letter. I just felt like she needed a little letter of her own to remember that even though we're far apart in age and I'm not there with her during her first year of life, I still am her sister and I love her so much!!:) AH! She's the cutest! Also that pic sammi sent me of my baby Olivia was so cute!!! Ah! She's not a baby anymore! How is it that I have the cutest, best family in the world??:)

This week was really great! I was sick with a cold for a bit of it, but I'm all better now, so that's good. The only thing I have to really tell you about is an update on Patricia. We went over there a few nights ago to teach her the rest of the 10 commandments. We got to the end and I asked her a question about not hating others, and she answered and eventually started talking about her not-husband. I won't go into detail, but essentially she still has a lot of hate and bitterness for this man because of certain things that he did in the past. He cheated on her and as a result was not caring or providing for her or their two children, and he doesn't seem to have any guilt or sorrow from his actions whatsoever. She just started crying and there was so much pain and hurt in her eyes that my heart quite literally felt like it was breaking. I don't think I've ever felt such a burden of someone else's sorrows so heavy on my shoulders as I did in that moment. We bore testimony of Jesus Christ and tried to help her understand that healing can only come as she lets go of that bitterness. For a long time after that lesson when we were driving somewhere else in the car, Sister Chavarri and I couldn't say anything because we both were near tears for Patricia and her situation. I wish I could adequately explain how I felt. But we realized that we cannot push Patricia to get married to someone she does not love,so she can get baptized. The only way the Atonement of Jesus Christ can start healing her is if she can get out of that situation where she is constantly surrounded by the memories of that horrific time for her. She needs a new start. But how to tell her that after she has been living with him for 21 years and they work together (she works inside and cleans houses while he works outside and does landscaping), we don't know. Continue to pray for us to know what we can do to help Patricia find the happiness and healing that comes from knowing and living the restored gospel!

That's probably the most significant thing that happened this week.

We're having a family home evening with two families of recent converts tonight, the Carrillos and the Dalmazzos:) We're excited. I am so excited to get the pics of Ellie you sent!

Okay I love you all soooooo much!!! Have an amazing, fantastic week!!!

Hermana Lattin

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Email #20 (Gilbert, AZ)

January 6, 2014

AHHHHHHH!!!!! I have a new baby sister!!!!!!

I cannot get over how cute Eliana is!!! She is SO chubby and I love it!! I don't think it's settled into my brain yet that I have a new baby sister. My eyes keep filling up with tears of joy every time I think about it:) She is so adorable and I feel so blessed to have her as my sister. And even though I won't meet her in person until she's a year old, I know she will know who I am because we knew each other before this life!:) 

Mom I started crying when you told me in your email that you keep telling her about me and showing her pictures of me! It is hard to be away from you and Elle right now, but I know that our family is being blessed by my service.

Mom you are so strong! I can't believe you didn't get an epidural!! Both Nate and Sammi mentioned that specifically in their emails! After watching you, I am sure Sammi is really excited to have kids now:) haha. I think that it is so sweet that dad was so encouraging. AH. I love all of you so much.

Anyways, this week was great! I got the text from President on Tuesday night that you had the baby:) We were doing a three hour read-a-thon for New Years Eve (partayyyy) so we were sitting in the barn just reading away when President Nattress's text came. I was so SOOOOO HAPPY!!! But there wasn't anything I could really do about it, so I said a prayer of gratitude to Heavenly Father and kept reading Preach My Gospel. But I could not stop smiling!!! In all honesty though, it didn't actually feel real until today, seeing pictures of her. She is so beautiful and 9 lbs 2 oz! Wow.

I am SO grateful you prayed and fasted for Patricia! She is doing good, but still hasn't made any progress (that we know of) with the marriage. But we are going to talk to her tonight about it, and I know that your fast will bless Sister Chavarri and I to know how to help her, and it will help Patricia have the faith and the desire to do anything possible to be baptized. We will let you know how that goes!

OH! Guess who I met this past week! Angel, Aunt Liz's mom!! We went over there on Tuesday and visited her. She was so excited when I told her my name! Haha it was great. We visited with her for a bit and then she invited us over for dinner. So we had dinner with her and her husband, Lloyd, last night with the Elders that are in her ward! It was so great. They are so sweet and made such an amazing meal! Definitely the fanciest meal since I've been out here:) But I told the elders that their job is to try and prepare her to go to the temple. Sister Chavarri and I will continue to check in with her though. The elders said that they haven't seen her in their ward, so they will be inviting her to church as well. Can I have aunt liz's email? I'd love to email her and just find out more about Angel and Lloyd and their story, because I realized I hardly know anything about her! But hopefully we can help her get to the temple! She absolutely ADORES both Aunt Liz and Uncle John, and just raved about how amazing her grandchildren are, especially Shelby, Jake and Chandler and how they're serving missions:) She also told me several times that I don't look 20. I told her I get that a lot. But it was so great to meet her and I will do everything I possibly can to help her to go to the temple!

Other than that, I don't have a whole lot else to talk about from this past week. Sister Chavarri and I got sick on Wednesday and Thursday, just with a little stomach bug that Sister Marz gave us, or at least we think so. I threw up once, but the next day I was fine so everything is good! I haven't been that kind of sick in a long time so it was weird.

We also helped Mayra and Edgar (another family within the Garcia family who are soon-to-be-members) move into their new house! It was fun! They think it's really funny to call me "huera" (that's how you spell it, I looked it up:)) all the time and laugh at me when I can't speak Spanish:) Hahaha they are hilarious though and it was a fun time! We had just started teaching them, but they moved into the elder's area so we can't teach them anymore:( we're sad, but what is important is that someone teaches them and they get baptized and eventually are sealed in the temple. Mayra is the one who has the little baby, Edgar and two other sons, Brandon and Aaron. We love them!

Mom here are the answers to your questions:

1. I received the package. I absolutely LOVED it!! I cannot wait to hand out those books of mormon with the testimonies you each wrote in them!!! And Teresa love love loved the card, Mom! Your spanish (or dad"s) was wonderful:)

2. Yes we really did study Preach My Gospel on New Years Eve!! I'll be honest, it was a little boring, especially since our entire cul-de-sac was having a HUGE party with fireworks and stuff. But at the same time you get so used to studying as a missionary, it was just normal. I also learned A LOT from chapter one of PMG. It was actually really great:)

3. We actually opened up our presents at a senior missionary couple's home, who are in Sister Marz and Hair's zone, the Esplins! It was fun!! We got to go in our pjs and they had breakfast and everything so it was pretty great.

4. We had dinner with Patricia on Christmas Day! She is so cute! P.S. Abuelita's hot chocolate=best thing I've ever had. We only had time to watch The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, but it was SO FUN!! It brought me back to my childhood when I remembered that Peter was one of my first movie star crushes... still is:) hahah but it is funny watching that movie as a missionary because I was really into all the religious symbolism. It was awesome.

Okay well I love love LOVE you all so much and am so happy that Eliana is finally here blessing our home with her sweet spirit. Isn't it crazy to think that she was in heaven just less than a week ago? So amazing.

Espero que tengan una semana ESPECTACULAR!! I will be praying for you all extra hard:)

Con mucho mucho amor, 

Hermana Lattin

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Email #19 (Gilbert, AZ)

December 30, 2014

Familia!!!
I cannot tell you how GREAT it was to see all your faces on that computer screen this past wednesday. Even though it was for such a short time, it still made me soooooo happy to be able to see and talk to you!! 

I hope you always remember Moroni 8:3. I love each of you so much and pray for you every night. But our skype session was definitely the best Christmas present a missionary could ever ask for! Plus new scriptures, it was one of the best Christmases (is that even a word?) I've ever had!!! I'm glad you liked my package!! Have fun watching Chicken Run today:)

I was worried I was going to be sad after skyping, but it was actually just what I needed to lift me up and as Hermana Abreu said to "recharge my batteries". Missionary work is hard and stressful, and sometimes it's discouraging. But, part of what makes it totally and completely worth it is knowing that my family is happy and safe back at home. I know that our family is being blessed by all of our sacrifices to have me out here, and that alone makes all of it worth it! But what's great is like Elder Ballard said in his book, Our Search for Happiness, you can never do more for the Lord than he can do for you! Not only has he blessed me with blessing my family, but he has also blessed me with the opportunity to see and experience miracles while serving him!

The miracle this week was that Patricia came to church, for all three hours!!! Before Luis came back from his mission, she hadn't been to church once throughout her three years of investigating the church, and now in the short month he has been home, she is staying the entire time! We love Patricia! She is going to talk to her "esposo" this week about getting married so she can be baptized. Pray for him to soften his heart! She has such a great desire to be baptized, and she knows it's what she needs to do to follow Jesus Christ, so we are really praying that her esposo will agree to get married.

Anyways Mamita, here are the answers to your questions:

1. We are going to try and get Rene and Concha back on date for a baptism on Jan 25th.

 I'll let you know how that goes!

2. Our spanish ward struggles a little bit with supporting missionary work, but with our AMAZING temple presentation for the Gilbert Temple open house, we are hoping that we can get our ward excited about missionary work. We are starting to see a shift of feelings on missionary work and their responsibility as members to help with it in the positive direction, and so this year should be a great year in our ward!

3. New Years day is a normal day for us:) New Years eve we have to be in by 6 and we get to have a 3 hour Preach My Gospel Read-a-thon!!! PARTY.

I cannot believe I'm going to have a new baby sister in  the next coming weeks!!! SO WEIRD. I am so excited though!!! 

Eliana is still my favorite name choice out of Liliane, Eliana, Gwenyth, and Sophia. I like Eliana spelled with one "l" better. And actually Sophia was my first pick for my first baby girl, just like Olivia was! Stop stealing my names!!! hahaha but you can use it if you want:)

 I think whatever you pick will be the perfect name!!

Okay well I have to get going. Have a fantastic week and remember that I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!

Con mucho mucho amor,

 Hermana Lattin

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