"I remember why I am out here..."

August 30, 2010 -

To Chaser -
You are going to have so much fun at College. Just be careful okay. Don't go off and do stupid things. Think of it as the High School Musical Summer, just a little bit more calmed down... Remember to sleep. Don't stay up all night, every night with your friends... Do your homework and don't procrastinate. And get all of the big projects done so that by the time I get home you won't have anything to do, and we can just hang out!!! WAHOO!!! I can't wait Bud...(Everywhere I go, I carry around the picture you drew of us three brothers sleeping together on Christmas Eve because that is what I am most looking forward to. I don't care if we are getting older, we can still be little kids inside. Christmas is the best time of the year!!! And everytime I pull out the picture, I remember why I am out here and it motivates me to just keep Enduring to the End... Thanks for the pictures... Send me more...)

I love you bud and can't wait to watch your performance of Hairspray... Just a little bit more...

Love, Colyn

"You get the first hug and kiss."

August 30, 2010 -

Hey Happy Family,

WOW!!! 22 Months down…2 to go… Can you believe it??? It almost seems like time doesn’t even exist anymore. It just keeps passing before our eyes, and it’s hard to believe that this experience really is shortly coming to an end. I’m turning 21 this week!!! 21 years have passed by so fast. Can you believe it? It seems like yesterday that I was in the Hope of America Program, going to the Space program at Provo Elementary, winning the State Championship as a Philadelphia Phillie in Baseball, playing a tricky salesman in Anything Goes and an All-Star Basketball Player in HSM, and graduating from Riverton High School and SLCC. Time just FLIES by!

BYU Football starts this week!!! Wahoo!!! Go Cougars!!! I’ll be home in time for the Rival Utah game. I am so excited…

And tell Dad, "Are you Kidding Me??? Of course I'll be awake to talk to you"... It don't matter if I'm wide awake the whole plane ride home, I will not be able to sleep when I get off the plane because I will be so excited to just sit and talk with you guys... I don't plan on sleeping for like three days straight... We are going to have so much to catch up on... All I know is that I am going to see you guys, break into tears, hug you, and then just start laughing because of how happy we are all going to be... Mom, just make sure you are first in line. You get the first hug and kiss.

Wow. That day is going to come so fast. I love you so much…

Take care until next week. I love you!!!

Love, Coco

"I had the privilege of baptizing them, which was so much fun."

August 16, 2010 -
My Beloved Family,
I love you so much and just want you to know that I miss you a ton. I don’t have a ton of time to write because I was doing reports for the Mission and our Zone. But I do have a fun story to tell.
The two little twin girls that we have been teaching, Ana and Samanta (8-years-old), and their older brother, Carlos (14-years-old), got baptized this Saturday. I had the privilege of baptizing them, which was so much fun. The water was freezing cold because the fonts down here don’t have heating systems, and every time that one of them went under the water and came out, they would be a little startled and would just giggle to make the cold feeling go away. It was quite a show. The mom and the dad both attended. The mom always goes with them to Church and supports them in everything. The dad supports them in everything, but because of work and studies, isn’t able to do everything that he would like to with his wife and kids. But he put aside the time and arranged his schedule well enough to be able to attend their baptism and it turned out great. They still need to get married, but I know that God will help them do that, and that soon the whole family will be members. What a special family. (Ana Luz Saucedo Toledo, Samanta Alicia Saucedo Toledo, and Carlos Orlando Saucedo Toledo).
We also had a good American Homemade French Toast with Bacon and Scrambled Egg Breakfast as a Zone made by the Missionary Couple Elder and Sister Nelson. It is so much fun to have them in our Zone because they really do spoil us. I love having them because they just make us laugh and keep us going every time that we see them…
We had Zone Leader Conference this week and it was super fun. I sang with Elder Steed all of the songs that we used to sing when we were in the Offices together because this is his last change. We can’t believe how fast time has flown by.
Chase got skunked??? HAHAHA. That is hilarious. I love you bud. Heather Rimmasch is getting married??? I hope Grandma and Grandpa Olsen are doing good? Is Grandpa doing okay? I got a package from Mindy Olsen this week. She sent me a picture of Rachel’s wedding with two Libros de Mormón (Books of Mormon) with her testimony translated in Spanish to give to two special people. What a sweet package. She said that she constantly checks the blog and loves knowing that she has a nephew in the Mission…Tell her thanks for me because I don’t know if I’ll be able to send a thank you letter. Let her know that I got the package and that it will be put to special use and that I appreciate her thoughtfulness in thinking of me! I love you Family and miss you even more. Take care.
Love, Coco

"I love it the most because it has blessed my family"

August 9, 2010 -
Hey Family,
I really don't have a ton to write today because I just got done writing you on Friday for a two-week time period...
So this week is Changes...and what will be my Change???...dun dun du duuh (sound effect)...Comas as Zone Leader...I'm staying right here in good old Comas. My new companion is going to be Elder Zarate, and he is Peruvian...I am so excited to have another Peruvian companion. They are so humble, just like Elder Llacsa over a year ago... Can you believe it??? This Change is already over... Elder Llacsa is going home and so is Elder Garnica. They were both such good comps. I loved being with Elder Garnica this change. He has such a big heart and we had many spiritual experiences this Change. I am hoping that this Change will be even better... Only two left so I want to enjoy them and just keep working and being obedient. The time is going to pass like nothing. We already realize that it does pass by...and we love it... :)
How was the Peru Lima North Mission Reunion??? I am super excited to go to it the next year...and who knows? Maybe I'll be married by then... :) What do you think about that? I don't know in what moment it will happen, but all that matters is that we keep progressing in life. And the only way to keep progressing will be for me to find my Eternal Companion and for Chase to go on the Mission and for Dallis to keep preparing for the Mission and for all of us to fulfill our Church callings... This is what God wants. He wants us to be happy and He wants us to be successful. This is what the Church helps us to do...live life to it's fullest having success and enjoying every moment... I love life. I love the Mission. I love being a Missionary. It is one of the best experiences in my life... I love it the most because it has blessed my family...it has blessed you guys... You are my inspiration to be here and it helps me keep going every single day. I love you guys so much, and you know that I miss you even more... Love you Forever!!!
Love, Coco
P.S. Sorry for writing such a short message, but you know I love you...

"She means the world to me"

August 6, 2010 -
My Splendiferous Family,
So I wasn’t able to write until now because we were in Trainings all week long. They were excellent. Monday through Thursday, from 8:30am until 4:30pm, we were in the Offices receiving new trainings that the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have established. Starting in May 2011, the Missionary Training Centers are going to start training the Missionaries using a different system so they have to start capacitating the Missionaries that are already in the field so that by the time the new Missionaries get here, we are on the same level. It was wonderful. Basically, I had a whole week full of the Spirit because I really felt like I was learning. These trainings are going to help us out so much more. Basically, the Prophet and the Apostles want us to start depending more on our Heavenly Father rather than on President or other leaders for help in receiving revelation on how to help out our investigators. It is going to help us out a ton. It will also help us focus on listening to the Spirit more and trying to follow His promptings always. The work is much more full of the Spirit this way and I love it. And because of these trainings, I wasn’t able to write until today.
But why am I writing at this hour of the day??? We had P-Day today because on Monday we were in trainings… We took our Zone to the Center of Lima today and it was lovely. The sun was out and shining bright so we weren’t freezing all day, which was excellent. We had time to go to the Museum of Natural History and shopping and lunchtime together at McDonald’s (MickeyD’s)… It was just a fun day. I found some really good places to shop and was able to buy a few more Nativity scenes. They are so cute, with the Peruvian beanies and everything. I still haven’t been able to find a Jungle Chess Set, but I should find it before I go home… You guys are going to have a blast when we come down here. We had a sweet member Mom go with us today and she showed us the sweet shortcuts and the best places to buy cool things for the cheapest prices. She also said that she would be more than happy to go with us when we come to Peru as a family… The people are so loving and kind down here. You honestly do not need to worry about me. You know the Lord is taking more than care of me. We really are so blessed!!!
What else do I want to tell you??? Well everything, but I don’t have time…
So, I got the Zone to watch High School Musical 3 fair and square. Nobody really wanted to watch it, but we all put the movie that we wanted to watch in a hat and mine got pulled out four times fair and square… They all really enjoyed it; they just don’t want to admit it… Hahaha… :)
Oh my gosh… I got my package!!! I couldn’t believe the generosity of the package. All of the hygienic stuff is really helping out. Thanks. Thanks for all of the treats as well. The other Missionaries and members have enjoyed them as well… :) I was so happy to receive the hand-written letters from the family. The winner would definitely have to be Chase’s letter, which was only drawings, but they mean the world to me. I love the one with Dallis, Chase, and me all sleeping together on Christmas Eve…December 24, 2010!!! WAHOO!!! I can’t wait… :)
So I got a phone call from the Assistants the other day while they were in Iquitos. They gave me a phone number and told me to call it telling me that it had something to do with Hermana Yolanda, the convert that I adopted as my Grandma. (Mishel and Anthony are her grandkids.) I called and couldn’t believe the news they told me. Her health has been really delicate lately and come to find out that she had been in a coma for 9 days when I made the phone call, which was the 28th of July. They said that everything in her body was now working fine and that they were just waiting for her to wake up, and they wanted me to just be aware of it. I don’t know how she is doing now, but we need to pray for her. Please pray for Yolanda and for her family. I want everything to be OK. She means the world to me and I want you guys to meet her more than anything so you can see the lovely and kind person that she is. I love her. So please keep her in your prayers and I will try and get more information about her status as time goes on…
Other than that, I am doing perfectly fine. And it sounds like you are doing great. Mom, that is the funniest Tipanogos Hiking Trip story I have ever heard. I was laughing the whole time I was reading your letter. Thanks for telling me. Are you now done with summer semester and can just rest for a while? I sure hope so because you deserve it!!!
Chase, good luck in Hairspray! You know that I think you are a Superstar…well, the two of us. Duh… I love that you haven’t lost your groove. You are awesome. Take care Bud.
Dallis, I can’t believe you’ll be driving when I get home. That is crazy.
Dad, we are definitely going to hang out all day long when I get home, be it in front of the television, in St. George, in Disneyland, in New York, or in Peru, we are going to be together. Father and Son Forever… I love that…
Family, I love you so much. Take care until I talk to you next… I love you!!!
Love, Coco
P.S. The next time I write I’ll be telling you about Changes because they are this coming Wednesday, the 11th of August. Who knows what will happen???...I love you.