Glufbank Aug 26,2013: Last week of the transfer!

#1 this week we met a nun and it was the coolest thing of my life and all I could think was 

"the sister and I have to speak of holy things"

Hola hola hola!

      Seriously though..... the time is flying by!! Does everyone else feel that way?!!! I am running out of time!!! ay! This week was good :) I have like 3 experiences I want to share!! A general scheme of things though. This week had a lovely dash of heat and a lovely sprinkle of humidity! Just dandy. It is cooling down though and I absolutely love it!! Still absolutely love my companions I'm going to cry if they get taken from me. We still have just the best of times together, full of giggle fits and fun lovin' gospel stuff... Last night I was waiting to go to the bathroom until after planning/also I was scared to go back there because it was dark and I didn't want to go by myself and hna Burnham pushed be down to the floor in the most loving way possible! and tickled me as hard as she could so that I would pee my pants and I think it was safe to say I was not breathing I was laughing so hard and shes really lucky she didn't have me standing up or it would have happened!! Oh I love her. And Hermana Parry just sat there and laughed at me as well and then freaked out when I told her that there was a hair ball (they accumulate all over the floor. gross. I don't even want to talk about it) was stuck to her skirt. I love them. I don't know what I would do with out them... idk probably wallow in self pity.

OK! EXPERIENCES YAY!

#1 Last Monday right after pday ended we went to a menos activos house. We went to visit Maria and her granddaughter opened the door. I had no idea who she was because I had never met her, but we walked in and I was ready to start talking to Maria. Well Hna B and I sat down at the couch and Hna Parry sat at the table and pretty soon Maria (the cutest old lady ever who is tiny and you definitely can't understand a lick of her Spanish) comes in and sits at the table with her and they start talking. So Hna B and I start talking to Marisol, she ended up telling us about a lot of hard things she is going through right now, and things that were making her harden her heart and change herself for different reasons and she was just having a tough time. She felt like she was completely alone even though she has a grandma that loves her but she just felt like Christ and our Father in Heaven weren't there. I was just listening and absorbing, and my heart was breaking inside and Hna B leans over and says, tell her about this and I said ok! and I ended up telling her a little bit about a similar situation I had been in and we ended up having a heart to heart and we sang to her Abide with me tis even tide and just talked about so many different things and she told us that she was just so hurt inside and that she felt like she couldn't pray. We were able to bare testimony to her that Heavenly Father loves us, that he will answer our prayers and that we are ALWAYS capable of praying. Its really hard to explain all of this, but I was able to help her because of similar trials I had gone through, at the end she said to me, God sent you to me, and she thanked me and even though she cried a lot in the lesson it was amazing because I could tell that they were tears that showed how much she needed to hear what we were saying. She asked me to say the prayer at the end and then she hugged me and squeezed my hand and then she told my companions thankyou for bringing her!! and it was just amazing. 

( I only am saying this because Hna B said I have to tell everyone the truth that she said it to me and say all the we's and be humble because it was a really cool experience) 

When we left I just started crying. I felt so much relief for the trials I've gone through because I knew if I hadn't, I wouldnt have been able to help her. I just coudn't believe it and I was so thankful and so happy and ugh I cant really even describe it. Hermana B put her arm around my shoulder and said, " remember how you said you came on a mission because you knew there were hearts you needed to heal? Well you can add one to your jar baby" and then I cried harder haha. 

Another amazing thing was that I was blessed from the situation and Hna Parry, when we got in the car said the cool part is, is that I think you got your answer, about something that I had a question about. I just love Heavenly Father, what a tender mercy for me, she didn't have to say any of those things, but Heavenly Father knew I needed to hear her say those nice things to me. I feel so blessed and know where I need to be. I just am gushing about this and don't know how to explain it but I hope it came out well :) I am so grateful for our trials because I know somewhere down the road they will help us help someone  else. I know that Heavenly Father welcomed her and rejoiced when she prayed to Him again! I was so grateful to feel of just a tiny bit! of His love for her!!! How great is my calling!!! AHHHHH I just love it!!!!

#2 ok last night we went to visit Hna P and B's old investigators and they have someone living with them who is SO cool! and has had a tough life and is a really really good person and he came out and talked with us and we had a little lesson and he is amazing!!! He just loves everything and he is so nice and he reads the Bible all the time and so we left at the end to grab him a Book of Mormon and when we came back he told us that Florencio(one of the investigators who is so amazing and sweet, I just love him he is so nice I cant get over it!) said as we were walking down the street, "Those are my angels" then he said ya like I totally realize that and compared us to a biblical reference that might be accidently sacreligious but was so kind for saying so and then he said that when he reads the Bible and prays to feel the spirit he gets chills when he feels It. He said that he was asleep when we came over and he woke up because he felt those same chills and then he heard our voices and came out. HOLY COW. HOW COOL. like wow. how special!!! that was just so amazing :) Heavenly Father loves us so much. He takes care of all His children! whether they think so or not!

#3 Well earlier in the day of yesterday I had gotten out of the car and realized that I had lost my ring!!! which I ABSOLUTELY ADORE!!!! (whom I aaaabsolutely adore... a movie quote that probably on colie will giggle over) and had just bought at the pulga!!! and I was devastated.... like you know Lizzie heart broken, like this is so dumb why are you crying type thing. But it just really hurt my heart. I literally searched all over the car and couldn't find it! I said a little prayer to let Heavenly Father know how heart broken I was and decided to just suck it up like usual and just accept that sometimes life is hard if you are so oblivious and loose things (lesson learned). So the night went on and I just you know, a couple times just wailed, "how could I have lost my ring!". Well it was time to go home and we got in the car after seeing Emilio (the above experience) and I was just you know ridin in the car and I SCRUNCHED MY TOES AND FELT SOMETHING IN MY SHOE!!!! I took my shoe off and couldn't even believe what happened... I FOUND MY RING. and then screemed something probably incoherent. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!! Heavenly Father loves me so much!!!! That was a miracle. Like it really was. What a testimony builder. Heavenly Father put my ring in my shoe!!!! I am so content and so happy and I just... im just... I don't even know! so full of love!!!! :)

Love you all!! the Church is true!! If you have faith in Him all things are possible. I love this gospel and I am just so happy to be on a mission!

Te amo,

Liz

  

#2 a nice and welcoming bench on the side of the road

#3 nice and creepy door decoration while tracting

#4 The lady's baptism we sang at :) so lovely!

Little blurbs for Lizzie

Since this is a mission memorabilia blog for Lizzie, and we plan to make it into a book when she gets home, I thought it would be nice for her to hear some of the kind things that people have said to us as they have read and supported her with love, thougths and prayers throughout her mission.

For Lizzie:

My name is Brady Loy (Hno Loy), one of Hermana Koch's teachers at the MTC. Thanks for sending me her emails, I enjoy reading them. 

I was only able to teach her district for about 3 or 4 weeks because I went down to the MTC in Mexico City for a little bit, but in those weeks she grew a ton. She was the most powerful teacher I have ever seen in the MTC. She is going to bless the lives of a lot of people.

Hope you have a great week.

Sincerely,

Brady

I love getting these. Her possitive attitude is contagious!    Katelyn Hunt

Oh I love her, she is so cute.      Janet Christenson

She is a doll! Loved her letter.  Thanks so much  Catherine

Hysterical!! Lol'ing like crazy over this one!! Liz Latin

I love Lizzie :) smiled all the way through this email! She's awesome! Danny Gessel

Love it!!  Keep me on the list please!!  Joelle 

I love her letters !!!

They brighten my day so much.

Isn't being on a mission and having a missionary out the greatest thing ever !!! Aunt Lori 

Oh my word!!! I cried through her whole email!  What amazing experiences she is having.  I'm so grateful she decided to go on a mission.  We all get to benefit from the sacrifices she is making and I miss having a missionary, as hard as it is for mothers, it is such a beautiful blessing at the same time.  

Thanks for sharing!

Kristine

jana! thank you SO much for sending me this email!! i can't believe our baby busy bop is a missionary, and not just missionary, the best one. she was born for this. she has always had such a tender, compassionate soul and also has been so brave! i felt the Spirit so strongly and am so grateful that she shared those miracles. It strengthens my testimony even more and just makes me smile even broader and brighter! send her my love! i sure do love the koch family and am so grateful for each of you in my life.

xoxo

sister hawkins

Dear Sister Koch:

My name is Catherine Burnham and I am Hermana Burnham’s mother.  I have seen your daughter’s blog – so wonderful.  I love the added information and insight into the mission. 

I am grateful for your “bubbly” daughter, as Alivia describes her.  It is such a tender mercy to see the happiness in Alivia’s eyes (and read her of her joy) as she serves with such powerful women.

Catherine Burnham

WOW! Can I just say again how much I love this girl! I am weeping after reading her email and seeing the pictures on her blog. She touches my heart. I love her! Thank you for sharing your sweet daughter with me. She's my favorite. :)

Kelly Andersen

I laugh and cry with her sweet stories! Our Beaner-Bop is awesome! XOXO Larie Roche

Dear Jana and Brent,

Thank you so much for this.  I feel so privileged to be "part of" Lizzie's mission. What a wonderful spirit!!!

Love, Roy E. Christensen

Seriously love love love her! What an incredible letter! What an incredible young woman!

Kevin and I have spend our FHE reading missionary emails. The best ever!!

Thanks so much for sharing!

Love you

Catherine 

Oh my this email made me cry (hey, that rhymes!). Lizzie looks so happy and doing such great work. She is amazing. I love how she loves her family!

Trina

Jana,
That was amazing. What a sweet, funny, genuine girl. Her letter was such a treat. I love getting all the missionary emails weekly from so many of our soldiers. They are all so different. I can already tell hers will be one of my favorites to open!
Jenny Tucker

This e-mail is soooooo awesome !!! She sounds amazing. It made me happy to hear her cute personality enjoying this experience. 

Can't wait for her next letter. Aunt Lori

Finally we got a whole lot of great info from our missionary.What a spirit she has for the Lord's work. Wow-I dont' remember another early missionary with so much excitement. 

Love it, Gma and Gpa Hart

She's such a cute missionary! Love that she shares her talents too! Kim Messick

She sounds so awesome! Im so proud of her. The people down there are so blessed to have her. How do I raise Makenna to be like Lizzie? :) You've done a wonderful job. Love you.

Lauren Chamberlin

Thanks Jana. It funny how you can hear her voice when reading Lizzie's letters. This one really touched my heart. She is really working hard. She is such a wonderful missionary. Thanks for sharing her experience. 

Amy Jones 

Love that missionary!!! Shirley Nelson

Gulfbank 8/19/13: THE jalapeno week

 Although she didn't say anything about it, they got to go to the Houston Temple 

on the 14th which she was very excited about.

There is never enough time for them to write everything they do. 

What beautiful bright missionaries. I am so grateful for such loving companions and trainers that Lizzie has been so fortunate to have. They have really been a blessing for her as she has started off her mission in the field. They are very special young ladies. I love them. 

(I think I won't go through and add capitals or punctuation this time around. Sometimes I do a little editting but I love this too much and want it to be all Lizzie.  Haha I did split up some paragraphs for those who feel overwhelmed at the length and lack of separation.)

(I also bolded a few really neat things she said at the end of the letter so I could find it easily again.)

Hola Hola

      Well it is really hard to remember what to write in emails! haha everything blurs together!!! We had another lesson with Ana this week! We taught her and Eddenilson the restoration and we watched the restoration movie. It was so powerful she said she felt "bien y gozo aqui" while touching her hurt it was really sweet and we explained to her that that was the spirit. She and Eddenilson said they would pray to know if it was true :) it was awesome! I seriously LOVE THEM!!!! We stopped in the middle to ask if they have any questions and we talked about something and they weren't saying anything but we could tell that she had something, so I asked again and she wanted to know who Joseph Smith was! haha we are like well perfect because that's what we are about to tell you!! Heavenly Father is so awesome. I love Him. He totally prepares us!! 

She has a member friend that she has been talking to!! didn't even know that! so that's amazing! haha She didn't show up for church :( but I think its because she has work at night sometimes so she has to sleep during the day! 

ummm Omar is awesome! So is Alex! but Alex is now taking on his forth job because he has gotten into some trouble but that's another story, but he doesn't really have time to meet which is really sad. We love Omar and he keeps introducing us to new members of his band that we are totally going to teach!! 

We had dinner with them at subway on Saturday and he is so cool, he was already planning on going to church and was going to make his friend come again, but he doesn't really know Spanish. He does, but he hates it and doesn't really know a ton, so he asked if there was an English one he could go to! ummm well duh there is... and thank goodness he loves the religion enough to go to another ward that's at 9! except.... he didn't end up going, and we texted him to see if he was coming to ours and he called us in the middle of sacrament meeting and felt SO BAD because he wanted to go so bad and he felt bad for disappointing us! so nice haha he had a show the night before though so apparently things must have gotten CRAZY!! Yould think that he wouldn't be able to talk from all that screaming.... scream-o however you spell that.... its probably really therapeutic.. hahaha such a lovely thing music and being able to express yourself is. That mixed with agency is preeeeetttty dangerous haha I love the people of Houston. 

Yesterday we were teaching our menos activo best friend Pedro, who we love but hna Parry loves more than all of us combined... she loves so much its amazing. Anyways so we were reading the Book of Mormon with him and there really isn't anything to this story I don't know where I am going with this!! haha sorry bout that.... ummm oh! Everytime we go we sit outside his door and drink agua de cocoa..... coconut water. Its my favorite thing in the entire world. not just coconut water but agua de cocoa brand name, Goya best stuff ever. refrigerate and then enjoy I dare you. Youll be addicted.  So Pedro is the best, he buys us fruit every week and we accidently bail on him sometimes because the lessons we are in have people that talk more than me which I thought was not possible. but ya so we are the worst but we are meeting with him today to get fruit :) he is the sweetest. 

OH!!!! JALAPENO IN MY EYE!!!!!

        ok well this is a slightly embarrassing story about how stupid I am. SOOOO hna Parry and I wanted to make this breakfast we had eaten at these investigators house that was amazing! Hna B doesn't like eggs so she was just getting ready. So I am making these yummy eggs full of deliciousness, and I am cutting some jalapenos which aren't even hot...but the seeds are little devils. Anyway, so I dump all the seeds in the sink, and as you all probably know... hopefully not from experience because I am about to tell you how I know from experience and I will probably be cringing while writing. anyways... ya so i start cutting them up and im like wow this is great, lizzie aint gonna get nothing in her eye!! and then with out thinking but kind of because i thought i hadn't touched anything with my right hand.... I lightly touched the tip of my tiny finger! to the lid of my eye!!!! and didn't think about it... but slowly... it started creeping..... my eye lid felt a little bit warm...... and then it felt a little tingly like you just saw someone you had a crush on... and then it felt like a little kiss from the sun and THEN IT FELT LIKE BURNING HOT WOODEN STEPS WALKING DOWN TO THREE ARCH WITH NO SHOES. AND THEN IT WAS SO AWFUL THERE ARE NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE!!!!!!!!!! 

I went running into our closet where Hna B was gracefully doing something, because she is always doing something gracefully, and just talked to her like normal because i wasn't freaking out yet because it was just on top of my eye..... oh just wait. i say hna B i just touched my eye with jalapeno on my fingers and she informs me that that was dumb and refers back to the point that she did not have sympathy for her ex boyfriend for doing the same thing... so i just rub my eye out of a natural human instinct SECOND DUMB THING PERFORMED BY ME. ALL OF THE SUDDEN I CANT OPEN MY EYE!!! 

I did not know what to do. it literally felt like someone had stuck a little fire work in my eye! ahhhhh i couldn't even open it!!! i just was like o my gosh i don't even know what to do with myself! i like had a panic attack!!! I RAN TO THE BATHROOM AND TRIED TO SPRAY WATER IN MY EYE WHILE SCREAMING HNA B! HNA B! HELP ME!!!!! she comes in like all ehhhh what do i do! and im like help me!! so i try to hold my eye open(impossible) while she tries to splash the water into my eye completely failing. like failing harder than you think possible... as in the only thing that is hitting my eye is the faint wind from her fingers and the whimsical memory of the magical healing water that just barely slipped through her fingers EVERY TIME SHE ATTEMPTED. 

So quickly i gave up on her and asked her to hold MY EYE open as i tried to spray! it worked better when i did it but it was definitely an odd sensation having someone else hold my eye open. Shes going to be such a great mom. and i am still freaking out saying, " I THINK THERE IS SOMETHING IN THERE!" Shes like no i think its just really hot.. which she was right about as always. and then i just pretty much gave up, the burn went down just barely and i was pretty sure i was going blind. like i was legitamently like, im going blind! hna b can i go blind! she assured me i was fine and then forced me to allow her to put eye drops in my eye which was another funny story of me cringing and her trying to keep my eye open while dropping a foreign liquid into my eye...that actually helped.... and then i just sat in my pity party puddle on the couch and questioned the universe if this awful pain would go away. and slowly it did but i really do mean SLOWLY and then Hna Parry and i just made fun of my face and took pictures of my eyes hahhaa i had a hot pink circle around my right one :) 

I will send a picture but it isn't very visible because my camera obviously thought it had to edit my unfortunateness.. anyways :) all is well! it was hilarious and the lesson we learned from this experience was that hna p is going to cut the peppers from now on :) and i will stay away as i was reminded for a few days after since every time i touched something it would feel like my fingers had little heating pads in them. probably similar to hna b's ouchy running glands that make it so she can only run for like 5 minutes(lucky). and that ends my unfortunate story that was way too long sorry ahha.

      Ok so now we are going to calm it down a little with a slow jam. We felt prompted that we should go and see Armando, we pulled up and he was working out so we decided against it for various reasons but decided to tract the little area right past his house that had like two houses. So normally we cant because there are two huge german shepards who want to eat us but because the day was SO HOT they were panting in the shade. so we knocked both. The last house a mom named Audriana answered and we got to teach her a little bit and asked her a little bit about her life and if there was another day that we could come by and teach her and we set up a day and she was so nice! she asked us if we wanted water and we said yes please!! it was so so hot. and she came out and brought out four drinks.... three waters and one red bull and we were like oh that's ok thank you we will just have the waters!! we went back to the car and started driving and Hna B said, isn't it interesting that she brought us four drinks? maybe she saw someone we didn't. I know that Heavenly Father sends His angels to us, and that He loves us so much and that He protects us as well as supports us and gives us power through His angels.

      The last thing I think I'll write about is a scripture I found this week that has become my motto. John 17:4. I read this scripture during personally study because dad told me to in one of my notes and it really really stuck out to me. Christ is praying to Heavenly Father and the whole thing is amazing so you should read it all, but this is what i really needed to here. it says, 

" I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do." it is so simple and short but i love it. It became my motto. I realized that if I can say that to God every night when I go to bed each night  " I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do [TODAY]."  Then I can have peace. Then I can know that Heavenly Father is proud of me and I can be proud of myself. 

I just love this scripture because it says it all. I don't really know how to explain it. This week I just had many experiences that have shown to me how much God loves us, and how real His love is. I know He loves ME individually, just like he loves every one of His children. I know that He is there, waiting for us to reach out for Him, waiting for us to reach out and hold His son's hand. He gave us a savior, and how ungrateful would we be if we didn't trust Him and lean on Him. Yikes. I just can feel it!!! and I hope that everyone can too. His love is real. Its undeniable. It's incredible. I love it :) I love this gospel and I know its true. I know. and I love it. 

If you haven't had a priesthood blessing I hope you ask for one because they are amazing. I had a pretty scarey night and we ended up getting blessings and in my blessing it said something that I just wanted to share really fast because it just really stuck out to me. He said that He is counting my tears. That was a moment for me that I will never forget. He is so aware of everyone of us. He is there and ready to comfort us and ready to put His arms around us so I plead with you, don't push Him away. Live your life worthy enough that you can feel that peace and that love in times of trouble. He loves us! Allow Him to show you! That was something I struggled with this week just feeling like I was being heard in my prayers and my prayers were answered. I love my savior and I love our Heavenly Father, we are all His children and I know that we have a home that our souls and spirits are home sick for, we just have to try to remember and come closer to Him everyday :) LES AMO!!!!!!!! <3 write me a letter or something so I know everyone is alive!

 

Love,

Hermana Koch

 

ps: at night the sky here is as purple as the fake sky behind the white house at the end of the movie First Daughter. no joke.

pss: i made up a joke :) its English!!! SO preferably the person doesn't know you are telling them

a joke (sorry it sent without me finishing :) gotta tell my joke!) and you say, hey what did noah do??? ( and they look at you like your dumb like hna b did to me) and they say, ummm built an arc. and you say NOE!!!! which is Spanish for Noah which is pronounced NO-AH which sounds like no way :) the end! this time i mean it when i say love you all!

What a silly girl. I don't really get the joke but she wanted to share it. Her new language.  

 Someone she gave a Book of Mormon away to in a booth at the Pulga. He took it and started reading it so she was excited.

And...a brand new puppy.

Some pictures are borrowed from Hermana Parry. I hope that is ok.
I just wanted her to have memories of them.

Gulfbank Aug 12, 2013: This weeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkk

(Photo Cred Hna Burnham)

"Classic, I found a hair of hna b's on me,

 haha I'm so happy elder Cobabe got this picture hahaha" (Hna Koch)

Hola Hola!

        Ok so this week was actually a really awesome week and a really hard working week but during it, it literally felt like nothing was happening haha. So the whole week was great though!!! ummm I really don't know where to start haha it all blurs together!! ahhh I can't even believe last Monday was my two month mark!! It's going too fast!!! I don't even know Spanish yet!!!! haha but its ok I get by with Nacho Libre quotes ;) (Lizzie is a crack up)

Ok so we couldn't get a hold of Alex all week :( which is kind of a sad thing but we aren't losing hope!!! We pray for him and I worry a little about him since his dad just passed away, I think he's having a tough time with that and he works like three jobs for his family! He is so awesome! He's only 23! Oh and I forgot to tell you last week haha 

The reason that the title was something about unicorns is because Alex always compares us to unicorns. haha He is so unique I LOVE IT!!! He told us that we remind him of unicorns because it is so refreshing to see us and we have such a light about us and then the last lesson he told us again the reason we remind him of a unicorn is because he's like wow! they do exsist! Meaning people who follow their beliefs one hundred percent. :) He's so nice..... 

Also our appointment with Ana fell through :/ We went by the next day and she is seriously the sweetest thing, I could see her as a primary president! but she said they were over at a friends making tomales or something haha but she said she can't come to church this week because she has to work :/ but hopefully next week! and we set a cita with her or next Friday! So all is well right? haha. 

Saturday was BLAZING hot.... and we decided that we needed to share our talents so we went to the big Pulga (the Hispanic market) and sang. Yes.... we stood at an empty booth with tons of noise around us and like hip hop rap blaring two or three booths down hahha and sang hymns in Spanish with our Aldine Elders in our district.... it was SO fun.. At first we were like this is an awful idea... but we were like we are living the law of consecration! We are putting our faith in the lord! and we did it!! and it was awesome!! and people listened and we passed out like a million pass along cards. and the miracle of where we decided to stop to sing was that the booth next to us and across was a member. She was so sweet and she apparently was baptized in mexico and has never gone to church here since she moved... TWENTY years ago!!!!! So that was the blessing :) and Aldine got like 12 new contacts! :) It was super fun and we decided we are going to keep doing it!!

        Ok well the miracle of this week is that we decided since we hadn't heard from Alex this week that we were going to show up at his house before church and invite him in person :) So we showed up and his younger brother Omar who is 20, and his friend answered the door and we invited THEM!!  Omar was like, I actually was just thinking about church this morning that's weird! and we were like ya.... WEIRD. haha SO AWESOME!! and he was like actually ya! I wanna come why not! and we told them we were singing in sacrament meeting so they were like ok! we will come! Cuz they are in a band! haha a screamo band.... haha i love it. So Omar said he'd go wake up Alex and see if he wanted to go. Omar is just as sweet as Alex and we left and were like o my gosh! I think they are coming to church! So we got to church and our musical number wasn't really working out haha so we didn't know what to do!!! So Hna Parry and Burnham and I decided to do the version of Nearer My God to Thee that we sang at Zone conference A capella! Soooo sacrament started and no one was there that we had invited!! and then half way through the talk that was right before our number they, Omar and his friend showed up!!! So they sat with us and then we got up to sing... not going to lie it was a really cool experience!!! We sang A capella.... however a HUGE thunder and rain storm rolled in right before we got up so it was going CRAZY while we sang!! It was actually really really cool. hahaha anyways ya! It was so funny because Omar and Jacob started clapping lightly when we finished and we were like uhhhhh and they caught on fast but they were like you guys were so good you deserved a standing O! what the heck and we were like it's reverence don't worry haha. But ya anyways they wanted to go to the rest of church! Jacob spoke English so they came with us as we taught the 16-18 year olds and it just so happened that our lesson was on Chastity because that was what we felt prompted to teach! So that was a little bit uncomfortable at first however, Omar was the one who was super interested during it and was like wow! and all serious about it and answering everything we said and of course our class was silent and Jacob, Omar's friend was definitely not into it..... anyways ya!!! We are going to teach Omar!! and that was a little miracle because we didn't think he was interested!! Well anyways that was our slow week :)

       I love my mission and this church. I know it's true and so should you! Love you all! 

Say your prayers and read your scriptures as a family! Read the Parable of the ten Virgins! Mathew 25 1-13 :) It's amazing. We need to fill our lamp drop by drop, little by little everyday or we won't know our savior like we should. The verse that Christ says, "I know you not",  just breaks my heart. Out of all verses in the scriptures that one hits me the hardest. I want to know my Savior and I know I can through diligence and obedience to the Doctrine! I know that this is true with my whole heart. I love Joseph Smith I think he is incredible and I am so grateful for the sacrifices he made for us. He's awesome and I love my Savior. 

Through Him ALL things are possible. 

Love you all!! Hermana Koch!

 "awkward don't know what to say caption hahaha we found a cute wall at the pulga?"

Pulga Singin'!

Gulfbank: Aug 5, 2013: Just three unicorns adventuring through life and being attacked by dogs!

I was thinking we were going to get some explanation for the title of her email this week, but... I don't see anything that explains.  Haha, just her mind going a million miles and hour and she probaly forgot to add what that was all about.  Here is a cute picture after an investigators grandbabies soaked them while playing with the hose. I bet it felt good though.

HI HI HI :) okeeee soooo a ton happened this week haha and I really don't want to write a novel... one because I know I tune out when I read a long email and I don't want everyone to feel that way and two my poor stubby sausage fingers get so tired and helpless haha... ok before I get started I just want to say I was SO TEMPTED to titled the subject of this email "someone pooped in our toilet" but as we all learn everyday of our lives, sometimes the hard way(though we don't like to admit it) and sometimes the easy way, that temptation is of the devil. But let me at least start out with the story that has had me laughing since last night. 

So last night we came home to our apartment and walked in, which is always the scariest part, and followed Hna P in! We all started getting ready for planning and we were setting stuff down and Hma B ran to the bathroom really fast! So I go walking past the door of the bathroom as Hma B comes out and we are both walking towards the kitchen where Hma Parry is and Hma B says, Hma Parry Hma Koch, which one of you pooped in the toilet and didn't flush it??..... we were both like what?!!! and came to the conclusion that none of us had pooped in the toilet and didn't flush it!!! Someone broke into our apartment pooped in our toilet and then left!! That is the only conclusion!!! By this point we are all laughing so hard because we just kept saying in un belief that someone pooped in our toilet, and yes this may sound kind of gross but i just cant get over the fact.... that someone pooped in our toilet. And then I was thoroughly freaked out and we had further indepth conversations about this.... and I will now move on and tell you about the rest of the important stuff because I am starting to realize that this is probably not that funny to anyone except Nicole and Jeff 18 (Jefferson 18 is what her freshman roommates called their apartment and those that became apart of their lives)... and possibly my family... well anyways it might be funny but I'm feeling kind of awkward for the amount of times I have written the word poop... I really do apologize to anyone who is offended and hope they can forgive me and that I have not disgraced my families name...

Ok my week!! Holy cow it was great, its actually really hard to get it all down!! ahhh my goodness! ok Sooo I'm pretty sure I didn't write about Alex at al because I said I would send my journal entry but I decided I didn't want to do that cuz it is really long and detailed! But I will start with him! So I know I only shared two experiences last week, but we actually had a day of miracles, and one of those miracles was our lesson with Alex! It was seriously fantastic! 

We got to his house like an hour early because our other appointment fell through and when we got there he said that he wished we had come later because he wanted his friend to be here and he couldn't come right now and that he had texted us to come at like 1:30 several hours later and we somehow didn't see it.  Then when we started talking to him we asked him what he wanted from our lessons and he told us that he doesn't really know, that he was actually going to text us and tell us not to come because he didn't have any questions about anything. Which is why it was a blessing that we hadn't gotten his text to come later because then he would have had time to text us not to come! So we were kind of thinking, well I guess we should just go then but instead we asked if we could teach him! So we did! and it was like the most amazing lesson ever. My testimony grew so much that God prepares His children! As we taught him the restoration, he would ask things that would lead right into what we were talking about next! He was seriously asking inspired questions.... I mean like seriously, after we explained the first vision ( which you should have seen his face, when we showed him the picture he was wide eyed and mesmerized it was so sweet.) We asked if he had any questions and he seriously said, I just wish that there was a book..... Hna B was seriously going to BURST!! YOU COULD JUST SEE THE EXCITEMENT IN HER EYES!!!! So when he finished saying that.... we obviously told him about the Book of Mormon and he told us that he would love to read it!! So we had him read a passage from it :) and I think the last two paragraphs from the introduction... which are so powerful so if you haven't read the intro lately do it. It's awesome. Ok so then we couldn't really get ahold of him. He couldn't come to church because of work and he wasn't answering our messages, and so now it is this last week which I am emailing about! :) 

So because we couldn't set an appointment with him, because he wouldn't answer, we decided to show up at his house like awkward missionaries :) Es la vida. Me gusta :) He was busy but was happy and said that we could come back tomorrow and that he doesn't have work on Saturday day or Sunday and that he is really happy because that means he gets to go dancing on Saturday and then church on sunday haha I love him, he is so awesome. So we came back and we had another AWESOME lesson :) He told us when we were doing service with him last week right after the lesson before, that Joseph Smith had to be a prophet because he translated the Book of Mormon and all this stuff so I was definitely stoked out of my mind. 

So this lesson was awesome... We read 2 Nephi 31 with him and talked about it and then his friend Olevia showed up which interrupted right when we were going to ask him to be baptized, which was ok because God has a better plan :) So she showed up and we taught her about the Book of Mormon and literally freaked out she was so excited!! She is so cute, she was like!!! YOU MEAN JESUS! CAME! TO THE MMERICA'S?!! haha so we definitely gave her the Book of Mormon :) Then Alex said that he was for sure coming to church and then he didn't come. He texted us right before, that his boss called and he had to work, which I believe him. SO that was a bummer. 

But we had a lesson with Ana!! and We taught Ana and Eddenilson about the Plan of Salvation and she thought it was beautiful! and the Relief Society President came with us and she dominated. Like seriously shes the bomb.com and it was great!! We asked her to get baptized on a date and she said no, not right now because it was too soon because she hasn't gone to church or anything, I don't know, but I can tell she is a timid person :) She is so sweet and tender and Eddenilson (age 8) wants to get baptized. When we asked him he was being shy and she whispered to him si :) It was awesome and then...... 

(insert exciting music) SHE CAME TO CHURCH!!!!!!!!! it was awesome :)

I think she was kind of uncomfortable and nervous because it was her first time but it was ok :) 

Hna Parry and I bore our testimony and that was definitely scarey bearing my testimony in front of a congregation haha. Those were my lesson highlights! :)

The week was great, I went on my first exchange with Hna Villanueva! and I would love to make it super detailed but that would be to long ahha. So basically what happened was that everything went wrong. We forgot the bike locks, then we realized we forgot our phone, then every lesson fell through and no one was home, then I thought I lost my planner and then my skirt kept getting stuck in the bike and then it started pouring rain and to top it off my bum was KILLING ME because the bike seats are old and hard and so I couldn't put all my weight on the seat and so my legs were killing and my bum is STILL sore... and that all sounds awful, but SURPRISE!! We did it all with a smile on our faces laughing the whole way, it was seriously so fun. I was sweating more than I thought possible and kept tipping over on the bike because it was too tall and it honestly was so funny. I had such a blast. We just laughed and thought "this day" that was probably said like 100 times... 

And then to top the day off to make the exchange just the best experience ever. We attended a baptism and I got to sing the musical number with an English speaking sister and it was the sweetest thing. The spirit was so strong and she was just radiating!!! Oh and mom thank you for sending me with solo music because at zone conference as well this week Hna Parry and Elder Cobabe and I sang Nearer My God to thee for the musical number (hna B couldn't because her voice was gone). Anyways that was my week!! It was so awesome!! 

I love you all! The church is true just like the sky is blue!!

I really fast just want to tell you how much I love the Book of Mormon. It is truly the word of God. The entire week just pointed to it. Every time I read it I feel the spirit telling me it is the word of God. It is truly incredible and I wish I would have taken the advantage of the fact that I grew up with it. I feel so sad that I didn't read it as often as I should have before my mission. And whenever I think about how I am tired and don't have time to read a few verses I think about how hard it must have been to write those words on the plates, and how hard Joseph Smith worked and how much pain he went through so we could have it. And mostly I think of President Eyrings voice in the youtube video, "Missionary work and the Atonement", with him and elder Holland, saying that after he feels like he can sit down and rest because he feels like he has finished something big, he thinks of Him. Christ, who never took a day off, who was always perfect, always serving and always loving those who hated Him, all I have to do, is read. All I have to do is open up a book and look at it with my eyes. How sad would it be to not take Moroni's challenge, or as Hermana Burnham says, His plea, as if he is saying, please please please just read this Book, PLEASE just read it. And asked God if it is true and He will tell you that it is. So powerful!  So if you need a pick me up and need to be reminded that it is true, read 3 Nephi 11 and then Moroni 10:3-5 and pray. I could never deny what I have read in those scriptures. I know that Christ came to the America's and most importantly I know that He loves ALL of His children, even those that deny Him. I love this gospel. I am so incredibly grateful and so blessed to be apart of God hastening His work!! I am so happy to be here. and I am so happy to testify I want to SCREAM it from the cliff tops

( that makes me think of Nicole and Pride and Prejudice). I love you all :) I hope all is well!!

Hermana Koch

 Happy in the car!

She titled this picture  "cows standing in a row asking to have their pictures taken!"

 Hna Villanueva

 Before and after the rain on their bikes.

 Her hair is getting long enough to curl. I wonder if it stays curled in the humidity that she has never complained about yet!

You are a beauty baby girl and so so inspiring.

Another picture I stole from her missions blog while they were at zone conference I guess.
She is not having any fun yet, can you tell?