7.4.11

Hola!!
ahh i have pretty much no time to write you today so this is going to be a really short and sweet email this week! we went to wal mart a little bit ago and somehow it took forever and we finally got to the computers and we have about 30 minutes to check email and write so ya.. first of HAPPY 4th of JULY!! i was excited to hear that the family( well kylie and the parents) haha is in pismo for the 4th. Those are the best memories i have of the fourth. Someone was asking me today what i usually do for the 4th and that is what i always remember. well my comp and i decided to be festive and we are wearing our red, white, and blue. we will have to take pictures. one day i will figure out how to send pictures to you guys! i truly havent taken a lot of pictures because its dangerous to have our cameras with us so i havent taken many. but one day i will send you picture. who knows when. Well i have officially been in argentina for 2 months now! that is kind of crazy. i am getting more and more comfortable with my area and the people. I feel like i know where things are so when my comp leaves and i get a new comp i will be able to show her everything. 
   Every tuesday we have a district meeting and someone always gets up and teaches a doctrine from preach my gospel to the distric for about 10 minutes. Well my wonderful district leader decided to ask me to teach it this past week. ya you can imagine that i was kind of freaking out but i planned it out and got up in front of 2 latins and 4 american missionaries who have been out for over a year and taught a doctrine in spanish. ya it was scary but i did it. man i have to do a lot of things that i really hate doing but i guess i am learning a lot. i always feel like i dont know any spanish but i have to look back at before i started my mission when i literally didnt know anything except like hola and gracias. haha I am def not a fluent spanish speaker but i have learned a lot and more or less am starting to understand the people better. i just need to have the courage to actually speak to the people. i always get scared to speak that they wont understand me but thats how i will learn. this past week we were knocking on tons of doors because we dont have very many investigators right now and most of the doors we were knocking i was the one talking and contacting them. ya SCARY!! and i have started to teach a little bit more during lessons. 
  I was so happy yesterday because for the first time since i have been here in argentina we found a  guy on wednesday and he actually went to church on sunday. most of the time the investigators that we have only taught once are never there when we go back but this guy came to church!! it was a miracle we  have finally found someone that wants to listen to us! we put a date with baptism with him for the 23 of july and he accepted! i hope everything works out and he will truly want to continue to listen and be baptized! our zone set a goal for every companionship in the zone to have a baptism for the 23 of july and they are going to have a baptism together with the whole zone! we are hoping and praying that we will be able to join the rest of our zone and have a baptism for this date too!! well i am running out of time! i am doing well! things are getting better here! we are just working hard and trying to find those people that really want to listen. it is def not easy!
  Man i cant believe all that happened with heather! that does not sound fun! i am glad to hear that everything worked out and she arrived safely and is a trumpeter?!?! haha thats awesome! i am so excited for her that seems like such an amazing experience! and lauren is at efy!! yay hopefully this year everything works out and she doesnt get sick! amy and lauren you guys are really bad writers write me!!!!! i love you anyways though... :) well have a wonderful 4th of july!! and send me more pictures! i like to see pictures of everything! have a wonderful week! love you and miss you! thanks for your support! i have such a wonderful family!!!! 

mucho amor,
Hermana Van wagenen