Wet from playing football in the rain on P-day / Sister Hancock and I out tracting / Sister Hancock and I went to the beach for dinner on Saturday (instead of eating) and relaxed & sat on a blanket. SUPER FUN! / Me at the beach...someone needs a pedicure.....I LOVE YOU......and just me / Trying to show off my cute new earrings you sent me! / My Last District Picture! We had a picnic at the beach with pizza and soda (which i did NOT drink) p.s. I have not drank any soda since I put my arm to the square and promised not to. :) ha ha / Sister Calderwood and I (one of the sweetest ladies EVER...I love her!)
Hello family!
Mom how I love your emails! They seriously give me the boost that I need to start my week! I love to hear all about you guys and how you are doing:) I love all the amazing details mom they really are the best! Mom you are too sweet... I have not got your letter or the package yet?? BUT I really look forward to receiving them! I can’t wait to read the letter… I love letters from you! Of course I love getting packages..it is always such a fun surprise! I love you and really do appreciate your love and support. First off, I want you to know that this last week was so much better! Last week when I emailed you I was full of all kinds of emotions…and was having a rough time…and was super scared with the unknown and with the news of another trio…and just with all the struggles I had been facing…I was pretty frazzled to say the least! This last week I have been able to calm down and I am doing SO much better!
I’m so excited for you and your new job Mom… it sounds wonderful! I can’t believe that it’s your last week at good old Shirley’s! That is soo great about Cade! I’m so happy that he is actually looking forward to basketball! That is awesome:) I’m so excited for him! You will have to let me know how this tournament turns out this week, how he does… what team he plays on etc. etc. the details!?? Please let him know that I love him and tell him to work hard! I will be thinking about him lots, and that I’m so excited to hear how the tournament goes..how the other tournaments go…how training is going…etc. Tell him to go give them heck!!! NO regrets! ;)
That is awesome you and Dad are doing daily 4 mile walks together! That is a long walk..ha ha I am glad that gives you time together! I love you and Dad so much and look up to you both! I feel so grateful for you as parents.. who always are willing to do ANYTHING for me. Thank you so much for paying for me to be out here on a mission! I am so grateful to be serving my Heavenly Father and just want you to know how much you BOTH mean to me and how grateful I am for you guys letting me be here! It’s an amazing experience!
{Those pictures were hilarious! hahah I honestly burst out laughing when I saw them! (the one where Newman is like hugging Cade? What is up with that.. he looks so BIG!) He is seriously so cute.. is he being a good dog?? Does he go potty in the house?? chew things up?? how is little Pheebs doing? Do they get along now?? Is she still a huge sass with attitude? Ah man we have the best pets. I just loved those pictures so fun to look at! Love those little rascals!} So, you bought string cheese from “Wisconsin” eh?! Did you like it? I don’t really notice a difference to be honest…I just like cheese!! So cheese is cheese:) I have tried some kringle which is good! They have a bakery here called “Oh and H” and they sell really good kringle. Yum!!!:) But i got to be careful not to eat too much cheese!
Thank you mom for updating me on the info back home! Wow Carley is coming up to being a new mommy! I can’t even explain to you how excited I am for you all to be able to be with sweet Lilly! I can’t wait to see pictures and to hear all about her! Tell Car to hang in there and that I think she is amazing and beautiful! I pray for her and Lilly everyday! Carley is going to be the best Mom! (she is a natural..so loving and caring) I am very excited to be an auntie to Lillian May Call!! J
So as far as my week… Like I already said, it really has been so much better! I’m so grateful for Sister Ruiz. She was a blessing for sure for me! Sister Ruiz is a visa waiter. She is going to Brazil! She has been waiting for 7 months. I’m so grateful for her to be here in Racine with us! Yes, it is a bit squishy in the room again… but it’s awesome! She is so cute and we laugh and have fun together and truly she is an answer to my prayers;) Heavenly Father works in lots of crazy ways, and I believe she was sent here for a reason…To help me to be excited and love being a missionary! I know through all this I have learned lots…I know I have lots more to learn, but I am thankful for trials..I am grateful for how they help us to grow! I am so grateful for a loving Father in Heaven and I love being a missionary! I love this gospel and it is too incredible not to share with other people! So, the “trio” is doing good and I am loving my new companion:) Thank you for all your prayers! We have some new people in our district so that is exciting! Things really got switched up this transfer. No one from my “MTC group”…but changes.
Unfortunately we did not get the chance to go to the temple this week. She cancelled last minute ( Sister Calderwood was going to take us but she couldn’t because she couldn’t find anyone to watch Alex). We were super bummed and now had this full day ( Tuesday) to do whatever! We plan to try to go sometime in the next couple of weeks, and it’s good because Sister Ruiz hasn’t gone yet to the temple while here, so she can come with us! Won’t that be wonderful! We will go soon and we are sure looking forward to going! But with that said, Tuesday morning we had one of the best lessons that I think we have had so far on my mission. (SEE, things happen for a reason!) I have never felt the spirit so strong. It is so crazy how important the spirit is while you teach!
Tuesday morning we had the opportunity to teach an investigator that we have. Her name is Beverly. She is about 60 years old.. (doesn’t look that old, I think she looks great!) (she has some cute grandkids that we met and one of the granddaughters is reading the Book of Mormon..she is 9)!** that is a little side note that she told us when we were there** I don’t know if I told you about her yet or not?? Anyway, she is so cool! She has had a really hard life. We brought Sister Ferner who is a sister in the ward with us. Beverly opened up to us and she told us all about her life. It was interesting, she said that ever since she met us, she has seen the blessings and the Lord helping her in her life. She told us that we were answers to her prayers and that she knew we were guided to her to help her. It is sooo cool when people realize the Lord is blessing themJ She said that since we have talked to her she has seen miracles! It was so amazing! She was so emotional and the spirit was so strong! She said, “Sisters I am not crying because I am sad anymore….I am crying because I am so happy!” What a joy this gospel and our Savior Jesus Christ brings into our lives. I am so grateful for Beverly, and for example to me! Such a wonderful reminder…that we CAN rely on our Savior whenever we need Him and He will lift us up and He will bring us joy. It was such an amazing experience for me! We are so excited and we get the chance to meet with her again this Wednesday!:)Yay!!
On Wednesday we went and picked Sister Ruiz up! We waited at the church all day for her, she was coming from some far away place, so it took a while, but I am so happy and excited that she is here:) So good news about her… she is a runner! Last week we ran every morning! (we run for about 20 minutes or so up and down the LONG street.. while Sister Hancock jump ropes. (or she just pretends to ha ha) It is so nice that she loves running! I was so sore last week from all the running. J J YAY!! (my poor bum:) ha ha But I loved it! Such a blessing! We are able to motivate each other and it’s just nice to get a nice work out in first thing in the morning! LOVE IT!!!
Thursday we did lots of weekly planning and telling Sister Ruiz about everyone that we are working with (our 2 investigators..hahah;) ) We were telling her about our insane less actives.. our HUGE list:) then on Thursday night we played soccer with the Spanish Branch! It was such a blast! It was fun to get out and play for fun! (there you go Dad..all those years playing triple A…and playing high school soccer came in handy!) It was super fun! (ya..i still got a few skills ha ha) We played missionaries against the Branch, and the missionaries won! ha It was a really close game and just so fun! Then we went back to the Calderwood’s for cake!
Friday was full of visits with less active members! *oh, side note about last Monday you will never believe what Caitlyn Cosgrove ate??! MEATLOAF! Yeah, you read it correct.. meatloaf! It was awful....just disgusting! I knew this day would come and that on my mission I would have to eat the dreaded meatloaf! (ground up deer, baby cow, and regular cow) GAG!! It brought back “Wonderful memories” gagging meatloaf down at the kitchen table and Dad saying "you cannot leave the table until it’s finished". hahaha sorry, I just remembered that and had to let you know. So nasty…so sick!
On Saturday we went to a less active members house in the ward and helped her paint her mail box:) That was fun! We also helped her spray paint her rocks in the back yard.... “gold”?? ha ha Really interesting decorations, but hey.. she loved it! :) (she likes her rocks to look shimmery.. too funny!) We then just did some finding and we ran into some Jehovah Witnesses! That was an interesting experience! We talked to them for a really long time:) It is interesting to hear what they have to say…they were super nice…but…different.…oh the people you run into..it is crazy J
Sunday it was nice because we went to the Calderwood’s for dinner and I just love them! The Majia’s were there and they are recent converts! They are so sweet:) They only speak spanish.. haha so I can’t really talk and communicate…but I understand some of what they say..and I just smile lots and try a little here and there. They are wonderful and I love them lots!J
Over all it has been a really good week! I hope you guys have a wonderful week:) You are in my prayers always. I can’t wait to talk to you again next week:)
I love you so much!!
-Sister Cosgrove
Alex Calderwood's hamster. Cute little hamster....ahhhh I LOVE ANIMALS...let me rephrase that...I love CLEAN animals! ;) (lots of dirty animals here) / My new companion Sister Ruiz and I on our way to the pier for a Sunday walk with the Calderwood family / Sister Ruiz and I at the beach / Alex Calderwood and I (one of the funniest kids I have ever met!) / Sister Ruiz and I on the pier! (I like her so much!) / The "Trio"....Sister C, Sister R and Sister H.
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