Gulfbank Oct 28: BIG SURPRISE!

SO......... Were you so happy to see your daddy?

I LOOOOOVED SEEEING DAD!!!! IT FUELED ME!!! 

I HAD THE GREATEST LESSON RIGHT AFTER!!!! 

Yes people, this really happened.  

Much to some peoples disbelief, it was not planned.

This is how it all went down!

Brent went straight to Houston from his trip to  Nicaragua and when he arrived he called me for Lizzie's actual address so he could see where in the big city of Houston she was.

When he put in her address, it came up with 1.7 miles away from where he was working for the next 3 days. Wow! That made his decision to just call and say hello to her Mission Pres. He was so kind and told Brent that he loves her and that she is a great missionary. He told Brent that it he felt like Lizzie would be fine if he wanted to take Hermana Koch and Hermana Knappen to lunch. So, he did! 

What a surprise for her. Pres Pingree told her that day while she was as Zone Conference that she might get a phone call from someone she knew.....someone named Brent......

She said WHAT????

She was so happy and they had a special reunion, the 3 of them. Lunch at Cracker Barrell and after that, he took them back and gave them both blessings, dedicated their apartment and had them teach him a short lesson. Lizzie gave a prayer in Spanish and he said it was outstanding to his non-Spanish speaking ears. 

At least she rattled it off like nobody's business he said.

So that was that and they said their sweet goodbye and 

were off to teach the gospel.

I think it was even a little harder on her dad than it was for her. 

Seriously wasn't planned, and such a tender mercy that his meetings were literally that close. Thank you Pres. Pingree for letting it happen.

And this adorable hair cut is partly why there was no email accept for answering if she loved seeing her dad this week. I guess her timing was off enough that she didn't really get computer time. My guess is that what little time she had on the computer was reading everyone's amazing supportive emails. No time for responding.

So, we will have to wait until next week to hear how her teaching is going. We do know, after talking with her dad that she is doing great, loving every minute of it and loves her new companion. She feels so blessed to have had such amazing companions. 

and....she is the designated driver to which she said when they called, "did you know I got a ticket once?"  Hahaha, funny girl just wanted to make sure it was all out there on the table.  

This is where they study and plan

1 Zone conference picture stollen from the mission blog

See how close he was!

Flash back: Making Dinner Mexican Style!

Lizzie Loves Mexican Food! 

I'm sure that's why she captured so many pictures of the trio learning how to cook "authentic mexican cuisine"!

And that friends, is how it is done!

Gulfbank Oct 21, 2013 EXHAUSTION HAS HIT

hola hola!

      How is everything! This week was great as usual :) I am doing wonderful! I still love my companion, she is a gem! and I think we are going to get our hair cut for fun! ahha This week was pretty much just hard working but nothing really to report, just two things. 1. Jo and Rob! and 2. E moved.

1. Jo is a woman that we knocked into and we started teaching and she just says, si all the time and is so darling and just wants to follow christ and wants to be baptized and wants to do everything! Then we met her husband Rob!! and he wants to get baptized as well!! They just want to follow the savior and do good things and it is awesome! we love them! They have a son who is 10, he is so sweet. he has such a tender spirit, I think he may have a little bit of a disability and you can just feel the purity radiating from him. He is sooo sweet and so special. We just cried telling her how special she was and how God gave her such a wonderful gift and that her son is such a blessing. One of the only things she says was that he is such a gift and blessing and that was so sweet :) ay! we just love them!!!

2. E moved. not far, but out of our area.. MAYBE HERMANA PS AREA!!! HOW COOL WOULD THAT BE!! Anyway yes, so he moved and I cried. haha I got to talk to him on the phone the other night and I asked how he was doing and he said he was doing good. We just talked a little bit and I just was really sad because I miss him and its hard when a lot of things change and nothing is really the same anymore. I was just sad and I told him that I just didnt want him to think that we had forgotten about him because we havent been able to see him and because he doesnt live in our area and he said, like wise and said " I knew if you would you could little sis" and I just cried haha. Then I just told him how important he is and that he's like my older brother and that I love him and he said the same and then we said goodnight and that was it :( and then I cried really hard and Hermana Knappen hugged me tight which made all the difference. She's so sweet. and thennnnnn he sent me his address so I can have it and write him someday when I get home haha and send him encouraging scriptures if allowed and also send other missionaries over there.

Last night we ate dinner with the Leyva's and it ended up being just us, Priscila and Hna Leyva and we ended up having a long lesson about mother daughter love and growing up in a home where because of the love you felt from your mom and your family, that when you get on your mission you grow such a strong relationship with your savior because only His hugs feel the same as your moms. It was a sweet tender mercy. Hermana Knappen and I were so relieved to be with such a loving family and feel of that same love that we felt at home with our moms. Wow the mission is great... its so true though, like I totally understand now why misisonaries always send their moms apology letters. get ready mom its coming. You are the most amazing woman I know and I will NEVER EVER FORGET THAT! :) I will never, and I cant wait to snuggle and watch movies with you again :) but for now, I am where I want to be, and we are helping people grow and understand these important relationships. 

NOTHING in this world is more important than family. Eternal families are this weeks theme! Elder Quezada gave an amazing gospel principles class about it and had us all bawling. I know I am who I am today because of the family God has blessed me with. I know that I dont want anything more than to live with you all forever. I love you all soooo much! We have been teaching the members a lesson recently, D&C 58: 3-4 and talking about how there are always blessings at the end and through out the way. And then Matthew 11: 28-30 and talking about the savior and what He has done for us and how we can appreciate and see him. We invite them to write down a blessing a day so we can feel of His love and also on hard days look back and see what we have. And then we give them a cute colorful card with the title, Mis Bendiciones!! :)

I LOVE YOU ALL SOOOO MUCH!!! I HAVE ONE REQUEST!! I really would love if everyone in our family and anyone else that would like to, because I would love to hear from everyone!!! Would write me a letter with their testimony, just simple :) I just would love to read them when I need a boost me up! and your conversion story! not necessarily being baptized but when you knew this Gospel was what you wanted and knew it was true!

ITS SOOOO TRUE! JUST LIKE THE SKY IS BLUE!!! 

God is the same yesterday, today, tomorrow and forever :)

Peace and blessins

Hermana Koch

Memories of her Beloved Hermana Burnham

 It appears that Hna B is an animal lover....Just like the Bopster.