Flood!

Flooding in front of our apartment.

This was strolling on the street!

Rissa's mission district!

Visiting a cave in Marcala.

Trainer!

Hi everyone!

Sorry this is going to be a short email....I had to teach my new companion how to use the computers, and email and everything. But things are going well.

Well my new companion is Hermana Ancheta. She is waiting for her visa for Argentina, and I am training her! I found out the day before transfers! And I am still learning everything....so it will be interesting.

We have some really good investigators now. So that is good too. I am just so tired all of the time! We're always busy! So it will be interesting the next few weeks. Having to always speak and listen in Spanish is very tiring for my brain....hahaha. She only speaks Spanish.

Well, not much else is new. Oh we moved houses!!! We now have a nice big house! It is awesome. Oh and my comp doesn't like sugar or chocolate, and she is allergic to pineapple and cinnamon! Crazy!!!! Might be good for me though. I did think of my sister, KC, who is allergic to pineapple and cinnamon, too.

Well I love you all! I can't wait to get the pictures from the family reunion! I can't print pictures out here....so if you could send me some through snail mail that would be great!!!!

Love,

Hermana Kuhns

Baptisms

 

So this week was pretty awesome! We did sooo many things! And sorry in advance for my English, it has not been too good lately!

So, this email is going to be the story of how we met, taught, and baptized Familia Martinez, Olvin and Jenny.

Olvin and Jenny are the neighbors of some members, and were actually a reference from them. Olvin was very open to hear everything about the church, but Jenny wasn't. She didnt like meeting with us, but she did like when we sang hymns with her.

So we started just teaching Olvin by himself in his neighbor's house. He went to another baptism and he even asked the branch president when he can get baptized! It was such a great experience!

They weren't able to come to church the next Sunday, because Jenny had a surgery, and was bed ridden. But we still visited them a lot, and one time when we visited with Jenny, she asked us if it was possible to get baptized the same day as her husband. We were shocked! She wanted to get baptized! And her husband was very surprised too! It was the first time he had heard of her desire to get baptized!

Another thing, is that Olvin wanted to get baptized like Jesus, in a river. So we had to find a river, for him to get baptized in. Needless to say, after visiting them every day for the last week and a half, teaching as many lessons as possible, and making sure that they will follow the commandments, they got baptized this last Saturday, and were confirmed on Sunday. It was such an awesome experience. They are such an amazing family. I have been so humbled teaching and learning from them. They have such a strong desire to go to the temple as well, and be sealed for all time an eternity. Ahhhhhh!!! I love this family sooo much!

It seems like everyone had a great time at the family reunion!

Love you all! And Happy Birthday to all of the August birthdays!!!

Love,

Hermana Kuhns

Rissa and companion

Long bus ride

Hi everyone! This week we have done soooo much! We found 2 new families! And 11 new investigators in total! It was a pretty good week for us sisters here in Marcala. I am sorry I haven't been taking very many pictures, I will try to have my camera out more, to take more!

I hope the family reunion is going well, and that all of the kids are having a great time! I wish I was there with you all, but we will definitely do another one when Cami and I are home!!! 

One of the new families, Familia Rosales, are very evangelical, but they have lots of questions about everything, like why did the Book of Mormon come out AFTER the Bible? and lots of other, very deep questions, but the tough thing is, they always say, ´´Sin compromiso¨ which means, without commitment, which means we can never set up another specific time to go and visit them. But they are always at their house, so that's nice. And at the end of our last visit with them, the father asked, ´´So, what happens to my family that didn't accept Christ as their savior?´´ And, so, our next lesson we are definitely teaching about the Plan of Salvation, and that everyone has an opportunity to accept the Gospel.

Yesterday, Hermana Gallardo and I went to Tegucigalpa for a Sisters activity! It was pretty fun. All of the sisters in our mission (a total of 48) were there! It was so good to see everyone. And there were a lot that I had never seen before! Its crazy to think that one of them will be my new companion next week!!!! CRAZY!!! But the activity was like a talent show. There was a lot of cultural things too! It was really fun, but the four hour bus ride there, and the four hour bus ride back, wasn't so fun. My companion gets super car sick, and the last 30 minutes of the bus ride she was throwing up out the window. I felt sooo bad! And, it got all over the side of the bus....so that wasn't too pretty. hahaha. 

Good new is, that we have a baptism planned for this Saturday!!!! We are baptizing a family in a river! Olvin, the dad of the family, has always wanted to be baptized like Jesus, so that's what we are going to do!!! It should be fun! And I will take lots of Pictures! 

I love you all! Thank you for your continual support!

Have a great week!

Chick!

Cute Chick(s).....

At the mission farewell of the first missionary to leave from Marcala! She is going to Ecuador!!!!!

Baptisms this past week!

Hi Everyone!

Well this last week was eventful, but not at the same time. I have been sick with a cold and bad stomach problems ALL week, so we didn't get out and work too much. BUT, Familia Perez and Ashly got baptized!!!!!! It was such a special experience and the spirit was so strong the whole time. I am so blessed to be here and to have known these people. They are truly so AMAZING!!! I love them so much! And....There is a funny story to go along with it, and a spiritual story as well. Spiritual first...

The baptism was supposed to start at7pm, but Erlin, the son of Familia Perez that got baptized, still needed to have his interview. So we told them to come 30 minutes early. Six fifty came around, and they still weren't there. So we said a prayer and waited for 5 more minutes.  Hermana Gallardo and I decided to go looking for them. When we turned a corner, there they were, walking like an army of people! They had brought almost all of their family with them! They have nine kids...and we almost started crying. It was soooo awesome! So we got everything going, and then we realized that they didn't have towels with them. So Hermana Gallardo and I ran back to our house....which is a 10 minute walk...so we sprinted in our skirts and we had done our hair and makeup, so we looked like a wreck when we got back, and were sweating the whole baptism! BUT it was such a great experience! We bought a cake, but 40 people showed up! so everyone got a small sliver of the cake, hahaha. It was really awesome.

And one of our new investigators came! His wife wasn't able to, but it was really cool to see him there, especially to witness the sweet spirit that is at a baptism. And after, he was talking to the branch president, and asked him when he can get baptized! He needs to attend church 2 more times, and we need to teach him practically all of the lessons, BUT He wants to get baptized!!! I am SO EXCITED for that! Well that was the gist of my week this week, I hope you all have a spectacular week!

Love you all!

Love,

Hermana Kuhns

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th!

Well we went to Tegucigalpa on the 4th for our last reunion de nuevos....which is the last newbie meeting, because they are getting new missionaries from the MTC tomorrow! So I am no longer counted as new. My companion and I wore red, white and blue to celebrate. And everyone thought that was pretty cool.

Our apartment is pretty small, 1 bathroom, kitchen and dinning room are separated by and island slash counter. And we have one really tiny bedroom where we fit 2 beds!

We have a grocery store called a despensa. This is where we do most of our shopping. There a few despensas here in Marcala and they all carry different things. We usually visit all three to get what we need. They carry the typical things, but there is also an outdoor market where we can buy fresh fruit and water shoes. (I have bought 2 pairs of rubber like shoes with holes in them for the rain....and they work really well). But the only thing is that we have to be careful about what we buy in the markets because they use human feces for fertilizer and stuff. Sometimes we are better off to buy that stuff in the market, unless it is something that we can cook, wash, or peel

We have a baptismal date scheduled with family for the last Saturday this month! Please, if you can, keep them in your prayers!

Typically, we only eat things like pancakes, eggs, beans, rice, tortillas, bread, pasta, and I occasionally buy cereal. The milk is different. You don't need to refrigerate it if it's not open, and you can get lactose free milk too. But I never drink it plain because it tastes weird....so I only usually use it in cereal, oatmeal, or pancake mix.

I love you all so much!!!!! Muah!

Hermana Kuhns

June 3rd email that came on June 25th?!?!?

Hi everyone!!!!

 

I made it to Honduras! IT IS AWESOME!!! We arrived Wednesday morning. President and Sister Fortuna picked us up from the airport. When we arrived at their home, we were able to rest and eat while waiting on our turn to have a short interview with President. One thing that I need to get used to is drinking out of my filter water bottle. It's pretty challenging to drink all the water I need to because it takes so much time to squeeze it through the filter!

 

My companion is sooo amazing! Her name is Hermana Gallardo, and she's from California, so at least we can communicate with eachother!

 

The language is coming slowly but surely. I got really frustrated this morning when we were practicing during comp study, so still pray for me to learn and understand the language! I need all the help I can get! I know it's just me trying to be a perfectionist, so that is something that I really need to work on. In all of the preisthood blessings I have had, they say that the language will come easy to me, I just need to have that confidence in myself.

 

My área is AMAZING!!!! It is called a pueblo, like a tiny city with people that live in the mountains surrounding! And we had to take a LONG 5 hour bus ride in an old school bus to get here! And we go again on Thursday ...so a good 10 hours of traveling. Wooohooo! At least i dont get carsick!

 

We have had to walk everywhere, we can take a taxi, but it's really expensive, and it would just be easier and safer to walk.

 

The members don't feed us very often, but that might change because my comp and I are the only sisters to be here for 6 months. We are both learning the area and the members! It is a branch here, and we had 56 people come to sacrament meeting yesterday!!! I have taught a few lessons, and my comp and I teach really well together! Sorry I ran out of time, but I love you all sooo much!!!!!  Thank you for all of your prayers and all of your support!

 

Love,

Hermana Kuhns

Here in Honduras....

Hi everyone! 

Sorry I haven't taken the time to write one of these emails yet. Things have been pretty crazy here in Honduras! Right now I am in a little area 4 hours away from Tegucigalpa, the capital. My companion, Hermana Gallardo, and I opened up the area that we are in right now. So the work has been a little slow, but we are having such a great time getting to meet all of the people here, members, less actives, and just the people walking in the street. I love this place! Everyone is soooo friendly.

Right now, my companion and I are teaching a familia, Familia Perez. And for every lesson we have, they have soooo many questions! It makes our work so much easier. They have attended many churches, and actually their son that lives in Tegucigalpa is a recent convert! And a few weeks ago, they were able to attend church with him! And they said that it was the most spiritual and uplifting church they had been in. So they are always wanting to learn more, and I love it!

We have another investigator that is progressing, and she has a baptismal date set too! Her name is Blanca, and she is 14 years old. Her mother doesn't know if she wants us to be teaching her, but the last couple times that we have visited her, we have been able to teach her mother as well! 

Almost every time that we contact someone and introduce ourselves as missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they still think we are Jehovah´s witnesses! I don't know why, but every time we need to explain that we are not JW...hahaha. Its a little funny, but we are starting to do it out of habit now!

This last P'Day, my companion and I went to a members house and learned how to make tortillas! It was so fun, but next time we are definitely going to wear street clothes. We got so dirty!

I hope everyone is doing well! Have a great week!

Love you all,

Hermana Kuhns

Fresh tortillas!

Honduras

Last week of training at the Guatemala MTC!

Hola everyone! This is my last little update from the Guatemala MTC! Next Tuesday I will be flying to Honduras! We first fly to El Salvador, and then we make a connection to Honduras. I have heard so many interesting things about that flight, so I am trying not to think about it! We have been told that the person who takes the scale around to all of the missionaries to weigh their luggage, tries to make the sisters cry, so I am already prepared for that! These last couple of weeks have been a little tough for me, just because of needing to learn the language as well as the skills of being a good missionary. There have been quite a few times where I have felt inadequate for this work, but it was really cool when I heard in a devotional, that being a missionary is all about feeling inadequate, how you can improve yourself. I thought this came at the perfect moment, and I know it is what I and many other missionaries needed to hear. All of the devotionals and firesides are like this though, you go in with a question, and leave with so much understanding and so many answers. I love the spirit here at the MTC! It is so strong, and it makes me so motivated to be a better missionary out in the field.

 

On another note, our deportes time and our whole schedule got switched. So now our p-day is on Wednesday and we get to write emails on Tuesday! Basically, while here at the Guatemala MTC, just know that you NEVER follow a schedule. It's super frustrating at first, but you learn to love it because it's part of the culture here! ALSO - did you know we have to prepare a 5 minute talk in Spanish every week for Sunday? Well my companion gave hers on the first Sunday here, and she was called to give a talk this last Sunday as well. I was about to jump up and say, I volunteer as tribute!! But she had a wonderful talk prepared, and she did so well, especially with her Spanish! Our deportes time is now at night, so that's pretty nice, because after lunch you only have 2 hours of class time, and then the rest of the night off. BUT the hard part is getting through the rest of the day! Our district is still working on that. Another cool thing, I don't think I said before, is that our night teacher is SUPER good at futbol!!! During deportes he shows us some of the tricks he knows. Our other teacher said that he is good enough to be on the Guatemalan team, but that he chose to serve a mission and teach here at the MTC instead! Our teachers here are so amazing, and they are sooo knowledgable!

 

This last week, we got 4 new roommates in our room, and they are all Latinas! It is really awesome to always hear them speak in Spanish, but it has also been tough when they don't go to sleep until midnight and when they wake up at 5 am and turn on all of the lights, laughing, and getting ready. Soooo it has been a big adjustment. But it is still awesome. My Spanish is improving quite a bit! I love you all so much! Thank you for all of the emails, love, and support!!!!

 

I have loved my time here at the CCM, but now I am soooo excited, nervous, and ready to get out in the field and teach the beautiful people of Honduras!!!

 

Love,

Hermana Kuhns

Week Number 4!

Well, I have to write early this week, because all of the new missionaries that come on Wednesday get to use the computer lab, so sorry if I don't respond to your email until next week!

Things have been going really well, but this last week was probably the roughest for me. I haven't been feeling the greatest, they feed you some interesting food, and we have 2 new investigators,and one of them is a missionary from another district and they are posing as an investigator. And the lessons are in 100% espanol and 100% by yourself...without your companion. So this will be a good learning experience, but it will be very challenging as well. BUT from one of the many devotionals we have had since being here, I have learned, that if you aren't struggling, you aren't learning. So I think i will definitely be learning something!

WE GET TO GO TO WAL-MART TOMORROW AND EAT AMERICAN FOOD IN THE MALL!!!! Yeah, I am pretty excited about that! 

Not too much has happened since I last wrote. We are now known as the "advanced" missionaries because we have been here the longest! I can't believe it! It is only going to be two weeks more, and then we´re off to Honduras, in a super tiny tin can-like airplane. So it should be interesting, to say the least!

Love you all!!!

Mission portraits April 2013

Rissa's MTC group. She is in the back row, on the far left.

The group of Elders at the MTC where Rissa is training.

Week 2

Hola from Guatemala!!!!

 

Almost two weeks has already gone by!!! Oh my goodness time is going so fast!

 

The first two weeks we are allowed to speak all english, but starting today, we have to speak 50% english and 50% spanish....so it will be a little more challenging! So far, it has only rained once since i have been here, but it has been super humid the rest of the time. We dont leave the CCM very often, but when we do its kind of scary! Even on our way to the temple or to church on Sunday, we pass guards with machine guns and shotguns standing guard outside the gas station that we walk past...it is a little frightening. But we just smile and say Buenos Dias, and they smile and wave back...hahaha. Its quite amusing. Also, one of the times that we were walking outside, there was a pick up truck full of people in the back and they were whistling at all of us sisters, we just laughed it off.

 

Also, on our preparation day, there are people that come to the gates of the CCM and sell us things, like scripture covers and notebooks and shoes....basic necessities. But the sketchy thing is, is that we pay for it through the fence...it is kindof weird, but i got some scripture cases for my spanish scriptures that i got here, the design kindof matches my Vans :)

 

They serve you sooo much food here at the CCM...i have gained so much weight! It is really rude if you don't eat all of it, so i have been asking the cook "pequeño por favor" and sometimes they give me a smaller portion, but other times it is just as much as my comañera´s!

 

We have also been told by the teachers and the other missionaries that have been here, to drink the juice that they have because its what we will be drinking for the rest of our mission! Lets just say, they put cinnamon in EVERYTHING!!! It's crazy! And they have this "juice" called jamaica that is from jamaica...from a flower....let's just say, it's not very good. But I still take a little bit, so I can get used to it.

 

So....every day for our "tiempo de deportes" us sister missionaries have been playing volleyball, but one day, it mysteriously disappeared. So we have like nothing to do for that hour. We just sit out and watch the elders play fútobl...nortes vs. latinos. It's pretty amusing. The nortes have only won once...big suprise there, huh?

Well, I hope everyone is doing well in the states!!! 

Love you and miss you!!!

 

Hermana Kuhns

Hola!!!

Oh my goodness, only 22 days until I enter the Guatemala MTC!!! This waiting period has gone by so fast!

Since this is my first post, I want to let you all know why I'm going on a mission, and what a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints entails.

Serving a mission for the LDS church is a choice for women in the church, it's not required, and women aren't required to do so. But, ever since I was about twelve or so, I heard a talk by a general authority in the church (I don't even remember who) but they said that if you are a young women, and even thinking about serving a mission, you should do it. I know that's not a direct quote or anything, but ever since then, I knew that this was what I needed to do, and when I would turn 21, if my life was in the right place, I would serve a mission. In the October 2012 General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, announced that young men could now serve at the age of 18 (after they graduate high school) and young women could now serve when they turn 19! The moment The announcement was made, I got chills all over my body, and I just broke down crying. These were tears of joy of course! I felt this overwhelming sense of joy and comfort, especially during the press conference in between the two sessions that day. I knew that this announcement sped up the opportunity for me to serve, and I made an appointment to see the bishop and get my papers started right away! After all of the doctor visits, dentist visits, immunizations, and meetings with my stake president and my bishop, my papers were submitted!!! Usually it takes about 2 weeks to get a response, but of course I checked the mail box every day, twice a day, at least! After the first week, I asked my bishop what the status of my papers were (you can check online if a decision has been made yet), and he said they were still at the stake president's office! I guess he thought he had submitted them, but he didn't...soooo after about 2 more weeks I got my call on December 11th, 2012!

This is what I read aloud to all of my family in person, over the phone, and over skype:


Dear Sister Kuhns:

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Honduras Comayagüela Mission. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 18 months.

You should report to the Guatemala Missionary Training Venter on Wednesday, April 17, 2013. You will prepare to preach the gospel in the Spanish language.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



I somehow always knew I would be serving in a Spanish speaking mission, but I never thought of Honduras! But I know this is exactly where Heavenly Father wants me, and needs me to go.

Recently, since moving back to Rexburg for preparing for my mission, I have been able to go with the spanish sister missionaries in Idaho Falls! This has been such an amazing experience! And somehow, I am able to comprehend the lessons that they teach in Spanish! I don't have enough guts to speak up during those lessons, but I know that I will catch on quickly in the MTC (Missionary Training Center).

So for the first 6 weeks of my mission, I will be in Guatemala. I will be learning, speaking, and studying Spanish and the gospel 24/7. I cannot wait to be completely immersed in this work! While there, my mailing address will be:

Sister Larissa Kuhns

Honduras Comayagüela Mission

Guatemala Missionary Training Center

Bulevar Vista Hermosa 23-71

Vista Hermosa I, Zona 15

Guatemala City   01015

GUATEMALA

I would love to receive letters!!!!! 

The rest of my mission, I will be serving in the Comayagüela, Honduras mission.

While there, my mission address will be:

Sister Larissa Kuhns

Honduras Comayagüela Mission

Edificio Plaza America Contiguo a Sears

una cuadra del Mall Multi Plaza, 3 Nivel

Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán

HONDURAS

Again, I would LOVE to hear from you! Any updates on your life, any questions, anything!!! And I will try my best to write back in a timely manner! Although, you can never be too sure about the mail service...

And....another way to contact me while I'm on my mission is by email! I should be able to check my email at least once a week, but I'm not sure how much time I'm allowed, so I'm sorry if I don't respond right away! I might just have to write you a letter :) but my email address will be (and you can start emailing me on April 17th!) :

larissa.kuhns@myldsmail.net

I hope to hear from you when I'm away!!!

To learn more about why I am serving, you can check out this page here.

If you have any questions, just ask! 

Adios!