I ate my first Chilean cookie!

Hey family.  I love you guys so much!  Not much to tell from this week, it was the same as last week except that I have been improving a lot. Spanish is still suffering a bit but I'm honestly not even bothered by it. I know I will be able to speak the language soon. Every one tells me it doesn't really even come until the second month and not to worry and I've had a lot of comforting feelings that i will be fine.

I ate my first Chilean cookie!  Look at the Chilean money!  its so pretty!  Some of the money here has an owl on it... I hate owls but it made me think how Tate loves owls so I hugged the money.  Sounds super childish but it brought me comfort.  500 pesos is one dollar, so we like joke that we have 1000 pesos in our pocket at all times.  It makes us feel wealthy. heehee

All I've eaten here is rice pasta and chicken.
It's been super great.  I miss mommy's cooking but I've lost 8 pounds so holla at that!

I've had many tender mercies happen this week so I went out and got a notebook to write all the tender mercies that happen out here and I'm going to share a few with you.  INSERT SMILEY FACE HERE cause I don't know how to get them on Spanish keyboards..

This week it rained twice.  This was a tender mercy to me because I felt like I was at the beach and it relaxed me and I felt Heavenly Father's love with each drop.

I say words wrong and it ends up being a District joke!  I was trying to say [what can you learn from this? but accidentally said '' what can you learn from bear'' this was a tender mercy because I was feeling a little flustered but with the laughing of my class and companion and help they showed me I felt so much happier.

I memorized the objective and the first prayer in Spanish. YUP.  I did it.  I would like to say I did it all by myself but that would be obviously lying to my family and to Heavenly Father because through your prayers and testimonies I was able to do this.

I saw the moon for the first time in 2 weeks.  I've been looking for it every night but it's so foggy here you rarely see it and last night me and Hermana Clearwater came out of our personal study session and stared at it for a good solid 5 minutes. I thought of you mommy!!

I saw pink flowers two days ago.  Pink flowers are my favorite happy object.

Also this week the missionaries that were here before we got here.. meaning all the Latinos and our roommates left the CCM and will be going out to the real mission field!  I never knew how much love you could have for someone that doesn't even speak the same language as you.  I had to communicate through a lot of actions and mistakes with my words but they loved to watch me try to explain things then help me say and understand. They are such loving people.  I'll miss them so much but I know I'll see them again so I can thank them properly with real Spanish sincerity.  I love this gospel. Christ lives. I know after 3 days the disciples went to check the tomb and Christ was not there.  He had risen.  Joseph Smith restored this gospel and sealed it with his life. I know that Moroni saw our day and wrote those scriptures for us and selfishly for me particularly.  I love you mommy, daddy, Landon, teeny and Brooklyn!!

These were only a few tender mercies that I wanted to share but through out the week I will be writing letters to you and taking pictures of the letters and sending them to you.  I want to write back to all of your letters you wrote me last week so I'm going to take the time to do that now.

Here is a picture of Hermana Clearwater, Hermana Pederson and Hermana Albrechtsen !  I love this place.  We may look like we goofed off a lot but that's only for about 10 to 15 minutes max each day.  We work hard and its stressful but we make time to smile and make memories along our studies.

Love you all!  Hermana Cook ♥

Dove Chocolate that Hna Clearwater always gave everyone at the beginning of class. This one says "Take a bath."