Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Gulfbank Sept 16,2013 EMILIO IS THE COOLEST PERSON EVER AND HE'S GETTING BAPTIZED

EMILIO IS THE COOLEST PERSON EVER AND HE'S GETTING BAPTIZED AND THE HISPANICS KNOW HOW TO PARTY.




Hola hola hola
       This week ended with a bang. Like really super awesome. But first I just want to tell you the little silly things I wrote in my planner that made me think of you guys at home and wish I could have told you or witnessed.... I really don't know why though because some are dumb but for the sake of the "me" who wrote them down during the week... even though I have no idea what she was thinking when writing them..... I will tell you them!!!! Here I go!!! also before writing this actually I just want to say, mom I love you. You're my best friend <3

       OK!!! so first on the list hahaha oh ok I know why I wrote this.... SOO Hermana B was telling me about her teeth when she was younger and how they were super bad, but not so bad that they were pointing in opposite direction hahaha and I know you know what came in my head.... I thought of dad singing this to mom and started singin' (sing it with me or this won't be any fun) OOOOOH MY SWEET HEART TENSE. SHE AINT GOOD LOOKIN BUT SHE GOT GOOD SENSE.... shes got western teeth in her mouth, one points north. one points south OOOOOH MY SWEET HEART TENSE, SHE AINT GOOD LOOKIN BUT SHE GOT GOOD SENSE.
Next... hmmm oh ya this isnt that funny but I was so excited about it so ill tell you haha so Hermana B and I were driving and this white Mercedes straight up cut us off like not even like... hmmmhmmhmmm I'm meandering over... like, HEY I felt like chopping off the front of your car today sort of cutting off... and at first we were like ahhhhh what just happened but then he like did a little wave in his mirror and we realized he didn't know what he had done... so we both at the same time waved back and I said "smile and wave boys, smile and wave" hahah and we laughed really hard and I was so happy that I got to use a movie quote in an actual situation! and I thought of Jeff 18 and was like, I gotta tell everyone this haha.
Oh ya the next thing was that I just wanted to tell you that sometimes when we are driving I look at myself in the side mirror and make creepy faces at myself, and I am guessing that you are not surprised.
Um last little thing is that we were walking down the street to tract and we have made up a ton of games like fill in the blank with gospel principle phrases and such but we were just quietly walking and we started translating songs haha so we started singing, 
What is love?! baby don't hurt me don't hurt me no more, and it was pretty catchy.
Oh and I got a letter from Hno Loy! (one of her teachers in the MTC) He promised us he'd send us all letters, and he's awesome so that was super exciting.
Ok so the good stuff #1 fun #2 fun/ spiritual!
#1- Noche de Latino! ay!! it wassoooooo fun. the Hispanics no how to party... I'm just sayin. I was definitely born into the wrong culture. It was seriously so fun! the pictures are on the SD card I sent home.... But let me tell you this was my kind of PARTY!! There was sooo much food from all the different countries that make up our ward and it was all spicey which was just SO DELICIOUS. and there were streamer things I dont know what they are called across the gym and all cute cut out lookin latino and then there was MUSIC!!! The classic what you think is Hispanic music kind of music! And then the women in our ward have been practicing for like a month and a half for this dance they performed for us and it was so cute!! and they looked fabulous! and then they all put hats on us and we all took pictures and it was awesome! Ana and Edenilson came with us and we haven't seen them in forever :/ so that was EXCITING! They were so cute they just stayed by us and we talked and ate! Our ward was so sweet, everyone came up and said hi to them! Edenilson sat next to me and just stared at me all night hahaha kind of awkward but whatever. Life as a missionary is probably the most awkward thing I've experienced haha. He's 8 or 9 so in school they only speak to them in English now so he's getting super good so he just kept saying to me," are you having a lot of fun?!" in his cute accent. gotta love it. Then curfew came around and we had to skiddadle which was kind of sad cuz I could party all night!!! I also decided I should probably move to Mexico or a Hispanic country for a little while after my missinon, like 2 months at least and have these awesome parties all the time!! It reminded me of Peru and all the music and fun FIESTAS! there :)
#2- Ok so we had an awesome restoration lesson with Emilio at the beginning of this week! It was so great! At first I was kind of nervous because he told us that he doesn't believe in prophets in these days just the old ones :) But he told us it was because of people who claim to prophesy of things, it's kind of confusing to explain but either way we taught him, and we taught him about Joseph Smith and we read the first vision, and at first he said to us I'm not going to lie I didn't really feel anything when we read that and in my head I was like whaaAAtt nooo :( but we kept talking and bore testimony of God's will and when he answers us and then read a little bit more of the history when Joseph refers to Paul and he was like that was my answer. And we were like WOOOOO!!! and then we continued and at the end we said, do you believe this is true, and then he said ya, ya I believe that its true! We were like yes! Will you pray to KNOW that it is true and he said yes and it was just so bubbly and happy and spiritual :) Then ok here is the BANG at the end! 
So last night, was Sunday night and we had time to go have a lesson with Emilio and we took Prisila Leyva with us! Prisila is SO CUTE! She is our age and is sending in her mission papers, she is the daughter of one of the councilors to the stake president and her mom is the relief society president in our ward and one day she walked into sacrament and Hna B freaked out! Turns out they were super good friends at college and hadn't put together that she was in her ward! Anyway she is the best and always comes out with us! Anyway we taught Emilio Alma 32 about faith :) We read versus here and there and there was testimony bearing all over the place and we just talked about having faith in God and his will and he shared beautiful things about his life and his struggles he had and Priscila bore an amazing testimony on having the gospel in her life and then we asked him if he would be baptized in November? and he said yes! and it was amazing! That counts as a date because we aren't sure what date he can because he needs approval, but it was so cool! 
Then we talked about eternal families and the blessings of growing up in a home with the foundation of the Gospel and it was incredible and we were all crying! He ended with the most amazing prayer and in it he said he was thankful for THE BOOK OF MORMON!!! Which is SO incredible! He showed us the pages he had been just reading on his own and marking of the heeeezeeee and it was Moroni 7!!! He was like I was just reading and couldn't stop! I just had to keep goin! and then I was like I need something to mark this!! haha he is so awesome. wow. I feel so blessed. He is truly a gift from God for us. I feel so incredibly grateful to even have met him.
I love my family. I know that my family is the first blessing that God gave me. I know that when a home is built on the foundation of Jesus Christ that it is and will always be a place of refuge and peace. Helaman 5:12. Christ is the focus, and with Him we can do all things, he is the one who made it all possible and everyday we should strive to be more like Him. The quote that I love that will ALWAYS touch me is the one that says, " Live your life in such a way that people want to know Christ because they know you". I love that! If you haven't ever heard the song "Come see the light" you need to listen to it. its about 3 nephi 11 from the Book of Mormon, the song says, 
"the shadows flee, His quiet voice, the light of hope descends, be free of doubt and arise, come touch His wounds and fall at His feet.." 
and it goes on and its amazing but those words just hit me. I can't wait for that day, to see my Savior. I love Him and I will serve Him as best I can :) Because I can do all things through Christ. In His name Amen.
Hermana Koch

Exerpt from Hermana Burnhams blog about Emilio
(He loves the scriptures. If we don't have a lesson with him one day he calls us that night to read and talk with him about what he is reading. The best part, in my opinion, is his scripture-reading voice. I used to read the scriptures in my head using my own voice, but now I read them using his voice--not even joking. Imagine a super thug, recently released from prison, rapper-like man reading 1 Nephi 3:7 with super sweet enthusiasm and emphasis.  Its awesomeeeeee (*sing songy voice*)!  In our last lesson with him I looked at him and said "So, E, do you believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God?"  He just looked at me like I was crazy and said, "Well, how can it not be!?" Amen to that E. Amen to that.)









I got to meet Lizzie's Bishop in Texas, Houston 5th ward at Hermana Parry's house in San Marcos, CA on Monday night for dinner. He came to say hello while on a business trip to CA.
A very nice man and taking good care of our missionaries.




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