"Everything happens for a reason"

October 17, 2009 -
Hey Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Family,
I feel so good being able to write you right now because I look forward to reading what you have written every week. I’ve just been having kind of a hard, stressful week, so being able to write to you calms me down and reminds me of the special blessings that I have. I’m a little stressed because I just can’t get out of the house as much as I want to. We thought my companion was doing better because he got his cast off and he started to lightly walk on his fractured foot using one of the crutches; however, when we went to the doctor this week and took x-rays again, the doctor said that he shouldn’t have even been trying to put weight on his foot. The bone has started to heal, but it isn’t to the point where it is strong enough to take the full weight of his body. The doctor put on a smaller fake cast and my companion will be off of that foot for another twenty days still. The other Elder who tore a ligament in his leg is going to be sent home this week because the recuperation will take too much time. It is kind of stressing me out because I am losing my ability to teach and I just don’t have the groove anymore that I built up while I was in Iquitos. Something I have learned is that there is a reason for everything. There is a reason for everything that happens in life. I have faith that Heavenly Father is trying to teach me something, but I’m having a hard time learning. I could really use a couple prayers in my behalf. I am doing fine, but a few extra prayers can’t hurt. :) This week was Elder Doza’s 21st Birthday on the 13th and we went to Rodizio’s. (I’m pretty sure it’s just like the Rodizio Grill…) The waiters came around with swords that had all different types of meat on them. They would first ask you if you wanted it, and then they cut you off the piece that you wanted. I absolutely loved it. I think the weirdest meat I tried was ostrich. I never thought that it would be good, but I really liked it. It was a really fancy restaurant, and it was just lots of fun to be with President and his family enjoying a really good meal…Today we had the awesome privilege of traveling to the Peru MTC to a devotional. The guest speaker was Elder D. Todd Christofferson from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. It was so cool. He gave a great talk, and it was great to see the nobleness and spirit that reflected from him. President Pérez is going to be in Conferences for the next few days being taught by Elder Christofferson and other General Authorities. What a close connection President has with the General Authorities of the Church. Answering Grandma Quinn’s question, President and his wife are from Uruguay. They have so many stories that just grab my attention and I love hearing about their lives, just as I like hearing about the life of any other Latin. This week that’s coming up is my big week…Change Week. I have been working like crazy and still have a ton of work to get done before Monday morning. This is my big fun week that I get to be in charge of every six weeks. Monday, I will be leaving with Elder Rich to visit his converts that are here in Lima. Tuesday, I will be weighing suitcases for those that have changes to the jungle, and I will be sending all of the Missionaries that are finishing to the airport to go home. Then Wednesday is the big day of changes. I will be up at about five in the morning, and my work will not be over until 12:30am on Thursday morning. I am way excited. I just get an adrenaline rush being constantly busy with all of the Missionaries. I absolutely love it. I’ve almost got every Missionary with their name and face memorized. I still get confused sometimes because a lot of them look the same. By the time I leave, I am sure I will be at least familiar with every one of the Missionaries. I love being President’s Personal Secretary. I am excited for Madison VanDenBerghe. She is going to have so much fun being able to serve in New York. Like I’ve said before, the people we know are all over the world…Elder Rich is going home this week… :( I can’t believe the time has finally come to say goodbye. It flew by so fast. I was able to call his mom, just like I call every mom before their Missionary comes home. I told her that she had to call you up as soon as possible and tell you that I absolutely love you and miss you. I knew it would bring you some comfort to know that I was doing okay during the week… I’m sorry I made you cry again, but the tears are being shed on both sides. One is crying in Utah, the other crying in Peru. I actually don’t cry as much as I used to, but when the occasion calls for the tears, there’s no point in holding them back. Know that I do love you and that I am doing okay. Elder Rich is already preparing to give you the best loving hug from me. (But of course, it won’t compare with when I always used to annoyingly pick you up and spin you around in the kitchen… :) ) So be expecting a big hug from him in my behalf. I love you. Dallis, sorry that Algebra 2 isn’t going as good as it should be. It honestly hurts my heart that I can’t be there using all of my free time to help you. Just know that I will be there in a year to start helping you out with all of your High School homework. Know that I am praying for you to have success in school and the studying won’t be as stressful as it is right now. I know you can do it. Just keep going strong… Know that I love all of you, and there is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about each and every one of you. Thanks for being so faithful in writing me so that I am always caught up on what is happening at home. I am way excited for the progress our family is having, and I am very thankful for the blessings that Heavenly Father gives us every single day. Remember…Everything happens for a reason, everything. I love you beyond what words can say. Take care until next week… Go BYU Cougars!!!
I love you forever.Love, Coco

"Before we know it...we'll all be sitting in the living room together, laughing and enjoying the stories of the past two years"

October 10, 2009 - Hey Extraordinary Family,
Do you even feel the weeks going by? Sometimes, I feel like I don’t really have anything to write because the week passes by so fast. Seems like this week was a really progressive week. Today we went to the Temple and had a great time. We all ate breakfast in the cafeteria and then went in to do a Session. The Temple was packed today. I think there must have been over 1500 people there, which is a huge amount for the Lima Temple. Of course, it is Saturday, so they usually have Stakes assigned for certain Saturdays. The only bad part was the wait. We got there at 8:30am and we had to wait for our Session, which started at 11:00am. We didn’t leave the Temple until 2:00. I came home and took a nap and did a little bit of cleaning and working. The weather is starting to change down here. I think we’ve had two or three days where the sun has just shined beautifully. Spring is right around the corner. It’s so weird. I’m going into warmer weather, while you guys are just about to start the beginning part of winter. I have loved being able to go outside and see the clear blue sky because in Lima, the sky is usually a foggy grey. Seeing the blue sky reminded me of being in Iquitos because the skies are either true Cougar blue or full of thunderstorms. That means Christmas is right around the corner. Hey Quinn Family I love you and can’t wait to see you next WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’ll give you a huge hug and well not kisses but a huge hug for sure!!!!!!! From elder Colyn!!! Love you see ya soon!!!!!!!!!!Love, The New Troy hahaha (Elder Rich) That was a recently inserted comment from Elder Rich. He goes home in a week-and-a-half. I’m really going to miss him. He’s just going to die when he sees you. And I think you will too. Make sure you check with Elder Landon´s Mom about his Homecoming. He’s so excited to see you. And I can’t wait for you to see him… :) I hope everything is going great. Sorry this is such a short letter, but I didn’t really have a lot to talk about this week. I was more excited to hear about what is going on in your lives. :) I love hearing all the news about the family. I’m really glad that Family Night went okay and that everything worked out. Sorry I made you cry Mom, but you know that it’s my job. :) Keep going strong, and I will too; I think we’ll just have to share a moment of crying together when I get home, but I’m trying to hold it all back until then. You know I love you. Dad, sounds like everything’s going great at work. Keep it going on, and get the house done fast. I can’t wait to see it. I know you are just going to create the perfect house. (Just make sure that I don’t have to do any yard work when I get home. I just want to relax when I get home.) :) Dallis, I’m glad everything is over with baseball, and now you have more time to study Algebra 2. I’m sorry it’s kind of hard, and that I can’t be there to help you. Maybe you could go and get help from one of my old teachers at Riverton. They have the after-school help for Math specifically. Just tell them that your older brother wants his studmuffin brother to get straight A’s in Algebra 2 and that you are just as perfect as he was… :) Tell Chase “Hi”. Lucky him. I would have loved to have gone to Shakespeare Competition. I’ve gotten some letters from Nathan White, all the way from New Zealand. He’s doing great, and I can’t wait to get home and be able to talk to him. So many things to do when I get home, I don’t know if I’ll be able to do them all. We are just going to have too much fun! I love you guys so much. I hope you know that I love you and think about you every day. Thanks for being my support and my strength. The time is passing, and before we know it, we’ll all be sitting in the living room together, laughing and enjoying the stories of the past two years. I love you so much. Take care until next week. I love you. Love, Coco

"I know we can do it."

October 3, 2009 - Hey Family, Elder Rich is going home the 21st of October and I am super sad. (Elder Rich says he loves you all.) This month is just going to fly by and then you guys are going to be able to see him and he’ll tell you all the funny things that have happened in the last 3 months. I think the Latin companions sing all day. It just makes the day a little bit brighter. I’ve converted the Office Crew… :) I HIT 11 MONTHS THIS WEEK!!! I can’t believe it. I’m still young, but starting to get old in the Mission. It’s amazing how fast time passes when you just don’t pay attention to it. I’m just working, doing all of my Personal Secretary stuff and tearing it up. I was also able to leave this week with Elder Rich and Elder Santiago, and I taught a couple lessons. It felt good to get out of the house. I also loved getting out of the house today to go and watch General Conference. I didn’t cry when I saw Salt Lake like I did six months ago, but I did like seeing Home… Utah is just beautiful. I can’t wait to see it. Mom, I hope you had a Girl’s Night Out while all the men went to the Priesthood Session. I’m sorry that you were blessed with THREE AMAZING BOYS! But don’t worry, I´ll give you a granddaughter and then you can just go to a movie and have a Girl’s Night Out with her everyday if you want… :) I hope that you had just as fun of a night as the boys in the family. Fun experience: There is a faithful blind man in our ward who gives his testimony every Fast Sunday. After Church, I went out teaching with two young men preparing for their Missions and we found this blind man walking alone with his walker dragging along on the sidewalk. I immediately went to help him because I was worried about what could happen. Come to find out, he was going to the Bakery to buy bread. It’s something he always does alone and then goes back to his house. He has memorized how many blocks he has to travel and where he needs to turn so he is used to it. But I wasn’t going to leave him alone. Poor old blind man. I put my arm under his and just started to guide him. I told him who I was and just started having a conversation with him. We went to the Bakery and then took him back to his house. He invited us in and served us bread with Ecco (it’s like a really disgusting watered-down hot chocolate). It was great to just spend a few moments with him and learn about his faithful blind life as a Member of the Church. I think it was one of the simple miracles that I have seen that has just strengthened my testimony of the truthfulness of the Church. If a blind man can walk around alone, and share his testimony every Fast Sunday, and participate in classes, and invite the Missionaries in for bread and hot chocolate, then we can do those things that are asked of us. I’ve been thinking all day about Family Home Evening tomorrow night. I was really inspired by Elder Bednar’s talk about the Family. I was in total agreement with everything that he said. I also loved Elder Ballard’s talk in the Priesthood Session about the relationship between a Father and Son. Like I’ve said before, we have the greatest family on earth. I know that I have the two best parents on earth and I thank Heavenly Father every single day for sending me to you. I think a great theme would be the importance of Families. Share this as well in the lesson (Mom, I think you have to be the one to read it): I know that Families are Eternal. I don’t have a single doubt about it because I have felt the blessings of having a family that is centered on the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that the Celestial Sealing that takes place in the Temple is something real. Every time I go, I feel the reality of the bonds that are made there. I know that by the power of the Priesthood, our family is eternally sealed. From Grandpa and Grandma Quinn down to the newest baby in the family, we are all going to live together because of the righteous and true covenants that they made in the Temple. I know that this is our purpose. We are to have families, raise them in the Gospel, and return to the presence of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ together. Exaltation is not possible alone. We have to do it together. Don’t doubt in the reality of our Celestial Family. I know we are going to live together forever. Don’t doubt in the teachings of the Church. They are all true. The Church is true. Maybe the members aren’t perfect, but the Church, yes, it is true. President Thomas S. Monson is a true Prophet of God, called by Him to teach us the things we need to gain Eternal Life. I also know that the Church was restored through a 14-year-old boy who had the faith to pray and ask of God. I know that God answers prayers and that he loves us. Please know that I love you all and miss you even more. I can’t wait to see you. Keep going strong and help each other get to the Celestial Kingdom. I know we can do it. Does that sound okay? I hope so. Well, it’s late now, so I’m think I’m gonna go to bed. I love you and will never forget about you. Take care until next week. Love, Coco

"I am part of the best Mission on earth!"

September 26, 2009 - Hey Loving Family, This Sunday that just passed was Stake Conference and it was a huge Peruvian Stake Conference. Every Stake in Peru was gathered together in their Stake Centers and we got to see Elder Jeffrey R. Holland and Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf. Elder Holland spoke a little bit of Spanish, but then had a translator translate everything. He finished by bearing his testimony in Spanish while crying, and the Spirit was really strong. There were two Stakes that were divided in our Mission, which means that our Mission is doing great work. In the Area, we are beating all the other Missions in number of baptisms. We are just tearing it up as a Mission. Peru Lima North Mission is just getting better and better and better. Soon, we’ll be hitting an average of 300 baptisms a month. I wonder how we measure up to the rest of the Missions in the world. All I know is that I am part of the best Mission on earth. It is a beautiful Mission. I spent this whole week running back and forth to the hospital in San Isidro (by President’s House) to check on Elder Jacobo who had his operation this week for his torn ligament. He’s doing fine. Yesterday on my trip to pick him up, my chauffeur took me on the coolest route. We took the road that runs along the boardwalk of the beach… The Pacific Ocean. It was absolutely beautiful. Peru is really full of different scenery: the desert, the jungle, the woods with snow, beaches… It is a beautiful country. Maybe I should say, it’s a humble country with some beautiful sights to see. So I didn’t mind my ride yesterday. I say chauffer because I have a Member chauffeuring company that I call when I need Missionaries to be taken to certain places. I called him up yesterday; he picked me up and took me along the beach. I had my hand out the window gliding through the air, and I stuck my head out a few times to breathe in the ocean breeze. :) I just felt relaxed for a second. You guys are going to love Peru. Elder Rich is so cool. I think he sent you guys an e-mail earlier today because I left my e-mail open. :) He’s going home in less than a month and I’m going to miss him. He is my fun friend that jokes with me and takes care of me. I am laughing a lot more and I’m smiling more also. He says he’s going to be coming back with his family the second week in December. (I think this would be a good week for us to come back to Peru as a family next year, but we’ll see where life takes us.) :) So guess what? All of the Office Crew Elders are now High School Musical fans and they cannot get the songs out of their heads. There are so many moments when we all just break out into singing a song from High School Musical. (I think we are going to secretly learn a dance, film it, show it to President, and put it in the farewell video for the Missionaries that are going home. I am going to teach them “We’re All in This Together” with a little bit of “A Night to Remember.” Dancing will be our exercises in the morning.) We are all addicts. They didn’t believe that they would like it, but now they can’t get enough of it. I’ve been an addict since I saw the previews for the first High School Musical. I hope that they make a Broadway version of Senior Year so that I can try out and do it when I get back. The songs are just too awesome and the dances just make you want to learn to dance. All the Elders now want to take voice and dance lessons so they can start impressing the girls. I miss last year’s show, being Troy with Whitley. I miss Chase and his hilarious character of Ryan. I miss just putting my all into Troy. I can’t wait to get back in my groove when I get home. It’s going to be so much fun. I already have some fans (the other Elders) that are ready to buy tickets. The Office Crew Elders are too funny. We are having a fantastic time. Today for P-Day, we just hung out. We went to lunch at La Rustica, which is a nicer restaurant. I ordered raviolis with garlic bread and a frozen lemonade. It was delicious. Then we all just came back to the Offices and relaxed. One more week and we’ll be at the Second General Conference of the Mission. I can’t believe that it’s already here again. I was in Iquitos six months ago enjoying hot, sunny, beautiful weather, and now I’m basically wearing my sweater and jacket everyday. This week, I am going to hit eleven months… CRAZY!!! Time is passing like crazy. Everything is going great! Once again… Happy 15th Birthday Dallis!!! What a funny story about your Gameboy, but you’ll have to explain better about the game you got because I don’t understand what you meant, but I’m sure it is really cool. :) Oh and... Mom and Dad... Happy Anniversary!!! :) I love you guys so much and miss you even more. Don’t forget about me. I love you. Love, Coco

He got the package!!!!!

September 19, 2009 - I got the Package!!! I received it on Tuesday and was so excited and a little thrown off. I was not expecting to receive a huge, heavy tube. I couldn’t even imagine what it was filled with. I opened it up and was shocked to find what looked like a huge roll of paper. When I pulled it out, I realized that it was a bunch of different papers with drawings. As I began to open them, I was so happy to see each member of our family and even a few good friends in their own interpretation in drawing themselves. I must say that I didn’t know that our family was such a weird-looking one. I didn’t know that we had so many Hippies in the family. I was surprised to see a lot of you dressed in 70’s outfits. They just made me laugh. I also didn’t know that we had a Snowman in the family, but I guess you learn a new thing everyday. :) They are awesome and I am thankful that you all took the time to make them. I think they are so sweet, and that they are one of the greatest gifts in the world. Thank you for the little notes, and for the motivation written in each letter. I felt each one was filled with a little humor and a lot of love. I’m sorry we didn’t get to celebrate my Birthday together, but the good thing is that I received the package. I did, however, put the pictures of you guys on the wall so you could watch High School Musical 3 along with all of us. I took pictures with us all as a family and they turned out great. It’s definitely not the same as actually putting my arms around you guys and telling you how much I love you. My companion’s cast got taken off this week, but he still has about three weeks left of recuperation. His foot is really swelled and purple and gross. Starting on Monday, for ten days straight, we have to go to the hospital one or two hours everyday so that he can receive physical therapy so that his foot will get back to normal. I have been leaving with Elder Doza (Records Secretary) and Elder Steed (Financial Secretary) to get out and teach. This week, we taught two lessons with a man named Arturo Fernandez. He is the Dad of three girls, married to a fun wife, and he is the only one that isn’t a member. However, guess what happened today? He got baptized! These last two lessons were just to help prepare him for his baptism. It was fun and now I have a really close relationship with this family. It was so great to see the father of the family get baptized. I shared my testimony in the baptism and I testified about how thankful I am for the Plan of Salvation and for the knowledge that families are eternal. I told him that one year from today he will be able to enter the Temple with his wife and his children and be sealed with them for the Eternities.
So, we watched High School Musical 3 as the Office Crew and everyone loved it. It was so much fun to just sit back and relax watching a show that I love. President asked me the other day if I had a copy of me performing in High School Musical. I miss it. I absolutely love getting out on the stage and having the lights hit me and just giving my all. But I know that the time is going to come soon enough to get out onstage and do it again.
Again, thank you for everything. I am so thankful for the awesome family that I have been blessed with. Keep me updated on the Cougars, and I can’t wait to hear how
Homecoming went. :) Please know that I miss you and that I think of you everyday. I love you. Take care until next week. Love, Colyn