A sister serving in Bolivia: August 2014

SHOUTOUTTTS….

BIRTHDAYS.

First. Olivia Bitner. One of my bestest friends on the planet earth is 20 years old. Like me. Whew. She is serving in Finland and converting every soul up there. LB girl.

Also.. Sean Nielson. Dude, I totally get letters from you … IN SPANISH. And I loooove it!!! Why are you so stinkin' dang cool??? Espero que todo te esta saliendo bien alla en UTAH. Te voy a ver allí muy pronto, ya? ;) Nos vemos nos vemos!

Diana is one of my investigators at this very moment that wont get stinkin' dang baptized!! She even payed tithing yesterday hahahhahah! She is worse than teaching Dad!!! dry. mormons. a missionary's worst nightmare.

A cute festival the primary children were having at the church and Hermana Jojola.

My Physical Therapist whom I love. I think I'm about done with physical therapy.

I have my last consulta con el doctor mañana y alli voy a averiguar.

The other part..... of our way to lunch.....

Alejandro got baptized!

This week we were actually in the house like.... all week. Hermana Jojola passed out again on Tuesday.

It was a crazy experience.

We were about a block from the church and she started feeling week again. So I took her bag from her and I started to support her around her waist as we walked. I was thinking that I just wanted to go to the main road to get a Taxi. And as I started to go in the direction... something just kept telling me no.

And I didn't want to go to the church and worry people so I just turned, ONCE AGAIN, to go down the other road and grab a taxi.

But again i just felt like... no. I've never had such a strong feeling. And I just felt so alone because Hna. Jojola was so weak and almost not even conscious... and I just had no idea what to do.

And I just kept having the strongest feeling like... go to the church-go to the church-go to the church... so that's where I went.

As SOON as we walked into the front gates, Hermana Jojola Collapsed on the ground and it scared me so bad and I was... alone. So i just drop my backpack and her bag and I run faster than I've ever run to the back of the church where there were members.

As soon as I turned the corner and the members saw me, they were all on their feet and started running towards me and asking "Hermana Cedeño. what's wrong, what happened??" And I didn't realize till then that I was actually crying way hard and I just mumbled as best i could

"alguien puede ayudar a la hna. jojola?"

and i pointed to the front of the church, and all the members just ran to the front to Hna. Jojola. I kind of stayed in the back for a sec and then finally ran to the front with the members. She was laying on her back like... almost unaware of everything that was happening.

So I just leaned down and got her up with my arm around her waist and as I do this... I see Elder Burrola and Elder Sarasty AGAIN. Like.... RUNNING towards us. And they start asking me all these questions like "what happened, are you okay, is she okay??"

And after I get Hna. Jojola into the car that was provided for us, the Elders ask me "Do you want us to come with you??" and I just nod my head que si porque ya no sabia que ahacer solita. Y no quise estar en la clinica solita con la Hna. Jojola.

Hermana Jojola in the clinic.

So we all headed to the Clinic again. And we've been so careful since then and haven't left the house. We are hoping that this next week will be better and we'll be able to get out. But Hna. Jojola is the best. She is always so positive and so willing to work when she is able. I love being her Companion :)

Hermana Jojola for the past 7 days... ah.
Also here is a picture of me this morning. haha

Love,

Hermana Cedeno

SHOUTOUT.

TO SISTER BIEHL!!! HER BIRTHDAY IS COMING UP THIS WEEK AND SHE HAS FOREVER BEEN AND FOREVER WILL BE MY FAVORITE HUMAN BEING ON THE PLANET EARTH. Sometimes I get super sad that she is going home before I get home… but I know that she'll come visit me in Utah :-) well. She better. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MISS!!!

ALSO.

Danget. Everyone's havin' babies. Shoutout to Quade!!!!! I can't wait to meet all these little boogers when I get home!!!!

Okay.

Guys. I have so much to talk about and I am literally not capable of writing about everything that has happened this week.

Lets start with Tuesday.

We had our Conferencia de Zonas and it was craaazy. I saw so many missionaries that I haven't seen since my first transfer on my mission! It was way nice to be able to finally COMMUNICATE with them… because my Spanish has definitely improved.

It was also way nice to talk to a few of the new girls that just started their missions. Especially Hermana Arave! I remember hearing about her from my mom before she even got here. And I remember that she had actually written me too! It was way cool to see her in.. real life. Haha

But the Conference was SO good and I learned so many new things. It's like… the goal on earth is to become sealed as a family and to return – with your family – to heaven to live with God. Yet we are always taught that we are all children of God.. which makes us brothers and sisters. So why aren't we trying to get everyone home again? Does that make sense?

I mean, we as missionaries, are told to talk to EVERYONE… and that is the thing that I am WORST at.. is talking to random people on the street. But hey, they are our siblings. And maybe we don’t know them now, but maybe at one point we did. And, igual, God knows them perfectly. I just really want to think about that more. That I'm just trying to get my family back home.

At the end of the conference, we all sang "Families can be Together Forever". And we couldn't help but just tear up… because I've learned to really love all of the missionaries in my mission. And I couldn't bear to get to the Celestial Kingdom and not see one of them there with me. I just love them all too much. Presidente and Hermana Willard really opened my eyes to that.

Also… just a side note. WE GOT ROBBED AND THEY TOOK OUR PIECE OF CRAP OF A PHONE. We were on the bus… and they just took our phone. As long as it wasn't my.. Bible. Haha

So we haven't had a phone all week… and of course… at the most vital of times.. I was without communication.

I am about to tell ya'll the craziest story of my whole. Entire. Mission.

SO.

Yesterday, Hna. Jojola and I had finished a fast that we were doing for a missionary in our ward that had come home sick. And it was a hot hot hot hot day. And all morning Hna. Jojola kept telling me like.. "I'm so tired." and "its so hot"

And I'd just say "yeah… me too…" and I didn’t think anything of it.

Later, I saw a woman carrying some huge bags of fruit and I thought to help her. So I totally offered to help her and the bags of fruit were so much heavier than I ever thought they would be! So we start walking and Hna. Jojola is having a hard time, so I ask if she can do it and she shakes her head no.

So I grab both of them and we quickly walk to the lady's house and leave her with her bags. And I explained to her that we were missionaries… and she said no. NO TO EVERYTHING. I was like… ARE YOU KIDDING. CHAPTER NINE IN PREACH Y GOSPEL SAYS THAT SERVICE GETS YOU NEW INVESTIGATORS.

Maybe I was lacking faith at the time.

Anyway.

I start walking with Hna. Jojola… and she literally starts falling to the side on top of me! And I freaked out like.. HERMANA. ARE YOU OKAY!!?? And she wouldn’t answer!! So I sat her on a bench.. and she wouldn’t look at me and was just.. couldn't talk. I don’t even know. And I was so scared and there were no taxis to take us home and I had NO PHONE!! I was so nervous. FINALLY. I found a way to get a taxi and we got home.

As soon as I got home, I asked the members we live with to use their phone and I called the Zone Leaders, Elder Sarasty and Elder Burrola, and I told them everything that happened.

With Permission from the President, they showed up to the house, gave Hna. Jojola a blessing, and we were outta there and off the the Clinic.

When we got to the clinic, we all started filing out of the car and I gave Elder Burrola my backpack and Elder Sarasty things like the house keys, my watch, a water bottle… just stuff I had.

I get out of the car, and turn around to help hermana Jojola get out… and the most unexpected thing happened.. ALL OF HER WEIGHT JUST FALLS ON ME right after she stood up and we BOTH went down in the middle of the street!! And I couldn’t get her off my arm and she was just.. passed out. And Hna. Jojola is tiny… but a limp body is so heavy. And I couldn’t get her off me and there were cars coming and I just thought we were going to get ran over. So Scary.

The next thing I know… Hna. Jojola isn't on me anymore, and somebody is helping me up from behind and I look in front of me…. And Elder Sarasty has Hna. Jojola like… in his arms. And he starts running into the Emergency room with her, with Elder Burrola behind him. And I'm just like.. in shock.

So I start picking up all of the things that Elder Sarasty dropped before he picked up and ran with Hna. Jojola… things like my keys… water bottles… his scripture case. All that jazz..

I walk into the clinic just shaking and I don’t see anybody. So I ask like way loud…

"VIERON UN HOMBRE LLEVANDO A UNA CHICA… EL TENIA CORBATA??" (DID ANYONE SEE A GUY WALKING CARRYING A GIRL? HE WAS WEARING A TIE??) just like panic and on the verge of tears..

And then like 7 people just point to a door and I see Elder Burrola in there and he's telling me to come in. So I go in and Hna. Jojola is in a bed with all these tubes hooked up to her and Elder Sarasty hands me water and is telling me to drink it and I can't and it was just crazy.

The Elders left soon after, and about 5 minutes later, President Willard walks in. WITH MY WATCH IN HIS HAND! And says.. "hna. Cedeño.. is this yours?"

What a blessing. My mom told me before I left that if I don’t come back with anything else… no importa. But she just wants her watch back. Whew.. I told President everything that happened and he helped us a lot.

Hna. Jojola and I were out of the hospital about 4 hours later, and home about 5 hours later. She is doing a lot better now. But I will never forget it. It was crazy. And we will definitely be taking it easy this week. Pray for her, okay? I love her a lot.