This Isn't Real Life!!

So pretty much this week was just full of WHAT IS GOING ON moments haha. I don´t even know where to start so I´m just going to start typing. First of all MIRIAM IS AMAZING!! Like wow she is sooo cool and just has the strongest faith I have ever seen! Literally the only thing holding her back is marriage. This week we were able to meet a lot with her and she is just incredible. Usually when we ask her if she read her Book of Mormon she would always say "yeah, I read a little, but I didn't understand it very well" and we usually help her understand. But this past week when we asked her she was like "yeah, I
read from 1Nephi 4-10 and we were like WHAT. And then she continued to explain for like 20 minutes what she had learned from the dream of Lehi of the tree of life (wow I'm started to talk like a Latina...dream of Lehi... ahhh) and not even kidding she taught US the lesson that night and I'm pretty sure we learned more from her than she learned from us. She is so incredible ahhh! We talked to her more about how she needs to be married and she wants to, it's just her person that doesn't want to yet and doesn't really like the Mormon church. But he lets us come over and he lets her go to church activities, which I am so grateful for! We love meeting with her, she has the cutest twin girls that make it SUPER difficult to teach lessons. They like to play this game of "how many toys can we put in the missionaries arms until it all falls" and let's just say it's really hard teaching a lesson with a million toys in your hands and two twins grasping for attention haha. You definitely don't see lessons like that on the District that's for sure hahaha. But yeah, Miriam is great. She even came to church again and this time SHE WAS WEARING A SKIRT! She went and bought a skirt just for church and I wanted to cry it was so cute!! Ah. Miriam. haha.

We were able to have a lesson with a woman named Marta this past week and she has great desires to bring her family closer to Christ which is so wonderful! But teaching her is probably the hardest task in the entire world. Let me just give you a run down of how lessons with her usually go. She has 3 little boys who are CRAZZZY. So during the lessons, I have one distracted with my pink water bottle, I have one trying to color in my scriptures and steal my name tag, I have one trying to climb on my chair trying to get on the ledge behind me, I have a puppy in my lap, and the mother of that puppy right next to my feet. I try so hard to keep up on the lesson and say things, but after about 5 minutes of trying, I give up and just decide that if I can keep the 3 children entertained, my companion will have a chance to have a good conversation with her. And that's exactly what happens every time. I always leave those lessons covered in dirt, boogers, and who knows what haha. I wish there was someone video taping those lessons because they are so funny. Last time one of the kids kept asking me "why is your hair brown?" and then one said to hermana Morales "God is very mad at you because you keep talking too much" hahahaha. oh los ninos. Where am I hahaha.

We weren't able to meet with the families that I talked about last week. An emergency with the mom came up and in the other family they were working all day and we were only able to find the men, which we can't teach without a member present. But we're hoping to meet with them this week because they are wonderful! Pray for them!

This week we went and visited Juliet and her now month old baby (so cute!) and when we were there we were about to share a message when her sister walked in and said "the missionaries are at the door" hahahaha soooo the other sister missionaries showed up to. Wow, we must have just been very inspired to show up and help her. She is wonderful and her baby is the cutest thing ever. We also visited Clarita and her baby which is still the tiniest thing I have ever seen. That baby is a MIRACLE. We helped Clarita wash clothes and WOW the water was freezing and I am forever grateful for washing machines and dryers.

Now here are just some random things that happened this week that I would like to share to give you a glimpse of life in good ol' Bolivia:
 - As we were waiting for someone to come to the door at one of the houses, there was this spazzy dog that was like jumping around everywhere and it was so cute. I was just standing there, minding my own business, when all of a sudden my companion yells CUIDADO and I look down and the dog was about to pee on me!!! Like what! So that was a close call. Silly dog.
  -We had yet another member's dog follow us for 3 hours this week and woof, that is always such a struggle and causes so many problems with all the mean dogs around here.
  - Last night we were just walking, going along with our lives when all of a sudden this man jumps out of no where and says "cuidado senoritas!" and we were like whoa k chill whats up and we looked at the ground and there was a broken power line just laying on the ground, still connected. Like wow where am I hahaha
  - So I'm pretty sure the members here celebrate the 24 of July more than we do in good ol' Utah. They had a big fiesta full of country dancing at the church that we couldn't go to, but it looked super crazy from the videos that I saw of it. These Bolivians love their fiestas!
   - Sooo the avacados here are HUGE and it's so wonderful! One night this past week Hermana Holden surprised us by making tacos for us and it was the most beautiful thing in the entire world. I had like 5.
  - Speaking of food, I was really hungry when I went food shopping this past week and bought the whole world. I can't tell you how many pb an js I had this week. Ah. so good. My tiny jar of peanut butter was 10 dollars though. So worth it though, that's for sure haha.
   - They put mayo on everything here.
   - We had a spidey friend visit us this morning in our apartment. Once that thing started running, all chaos broke loose. We let it fall to it's death when we dropped it off our balcony hahaha.

Oh, and in other news. There was an emergency transfer and I now live with Hermana Park!! This isn't real life and things are just too good to be true with this one!! We just party it up everynight with our pb and js. It's great. Like why am I so spoiled. I am definitely counting my blessings that's for sure! It was a great week here in Bolivia full of walking, walking, and walking, but it was great. I am so grateful for the chance I have to be here and help others come unto Christ. We're trying reaaally hard to find more people to teach and we're hoping for a miracle with Miriam this week. I love you all! Have the best week ever!

Hermana Higham

p.s. The people here can't say my name to save their lives. They say it sounds Chinese. hahahaha

2 MONTHS

So lo siento if this doesn't make it to you guys. The internet is being extra bad today and I am having a really hard time getting things to work. Bolivia problems. Haha. Anyways, that was pretty much the fastest week of my entire life! Like it just feels like yesterday I was sitting in this internet place writing you all. Wow! Also, it's been exactly 2 months since I left the good ol' USA. Time is FLYING and I don't know how I feel about that! But this week was a great week and full of many wonderful things! First of all MIRIAM CAME TO CHURCH! yayyy! She is honestly so wonderful and has such a great desire to do what is write, the only thing stopping her is marriage, please pray for her! We're hoping for a miracle this week! Also, we were able to find two new wonderful families this week and they are sooo great! One of them are Mateo and Raquel and were references from a member in another area - they have been trying to get them to meet with missionaries for years now and they've finally agreed to let us come! It's a miracle!! They are wonderful and have such great faith and are not afraid to ask questions that's for sure. But they are wonderful. They are 42 and also have problems with marriage and have 2 kids that are adorable. They has such strong faith and even had a desire to come to church but couldn't come because they were both very ill, so sad. We are excited to get to know them more and keep teaching them about the gospel. The other family, Douglas and Eudalina, were also a reference from a member. They had met with missionaries a couple years ago but asked to stop the lessons. Well, we went and visited them one day and they are wonderful and so ready to receive this true and everlasting gospel. Dougla's dad died like a month ago from some illness, I don't really know what happened because Spanish, and then Eudalina is preggers with a babe that is supposed to come in a few weeks. Wowowow they are absorbing the plan so salvation when we teach it to them and have such wonderful questions! It's crazy how the Lord works in mysterious ways and how there is a perfect timing for everything. Both of these families had had the chance to hear the gospel before, but just weren't ready for it. Well, I fully believe they are both ready for it now. What a miracle! This truly is a mission full of miracles!


Also, this week was great because we had a zone conference with President and Hermana Willard and holy guacamole, I mean it when I say that they are THE MOST WONDERFUL MISSION PARENTS EVER IN THE HISTORY OF MISSION PARENTS!! I have been sooooo blessed! The conference was absolutely wonderful and so inspiring and gave us all the push we needed to get to work. We were all on a spiritual high after and it was so great. The only downfall is that the church we were in was absolutely freeeezing! It doesn't make sense, during the day it will be sooo hot, but you have to take a jacket because inside the buildings it is soooo cold... and they don't have AC or anything... Wow. I was wearing 3 jackets and gloves and was still shivering. It's a weird life I live haha. Also, I'm one of those people that wears gloves to bed because it gets so stinkin cold. I know I'm going to regret this later, but I'm really excited for the really hot weather of Bolivia where I just sweat all the time. Hahaha


Hmmm... What else.... oh yeah. Soooo I've decided that the people here reeeeaaally think that missionaries require mountainfulls of food. Like WOW lunch is so hard to eat because 1. my stomach is having a hard time adjusting to the different food and 2. they give me enough food to feed a whole family. It's such a struggle and you have to be polite and eat EVERYTHING. I told my pensionista that I needed less food because my stomach is small aaaand I'm pretty sure it's still the same amount as before. I just always have to tell myself I CAN DO HARD THINGS. But I am really grateful that we have someone who will make lunch for us. She is the nicest person in the whole world and I wish all of you could meet her!! I am seriously sooo spoiled here and am counting my many blessings!


Well, that's pretty much it for the week. Lots and LOTS of walking, lots of kissing people on the cheek, lots of food, but i wouldn't want it any other way. This work is definitely hard, but it is sooo rewarding. Words cannot express how much I love it here. Helping others come unto Christ is the best thing in the whole world and I am so grateful to be here. Thank you all so much for your prayers and support. I love you all so dearly and I want to hear from all of you! So email me! Have a wonderful week!

Hermana Higham

p.s. I promised Paola (the 18 year old from our ward) that I would write something to her in Spanish. 
Hola Paola... yo no hablo mucho espanol... perro, usted es la mejor persona en todo el mundo... adios.
hahahaha my Spanish is literally the worst. k bye

WOWOWOWWW

Hi. So I never really know how to start this things. and I'm probably on the crappiest computer in the entire world, I can see why they give us an extra half an hour to email because it takes that long to load hahaha what even is Bolivia. Anyways, so this week was full of ups and downs, but it was definitely great! This week was full of service which I thought was wonderful! We helped countless people clean their houses, we helped one less active move, we helped another less active move some plants, just a whole bunch of random service which I love! But it's moments like those that I realize I only know gospel related words... anything related to moving, plants, or cleaning are not in my vocabulary. I'm just that awkward quiet missionary that only says like two words and creepily smiles at everyone when I don't know what's going on. That's pretty much my life! haha. But it was great! We also helped a member fold baby clothes because she just had a baby this last week and holy guacamole it is the tiniest, cutest thing ever! And another member had her baby this week too and I realized that my biggest trial in the mission is going to be not holding all these adorable babies and children. Mom, you would die, they are the cutest things ever! And my pensionista has the cutest twin boy grandkids that are like 1 years old and they are sooo cute! While everyone speaks Spanish at lunch, I just watch them run into everything with their walkers and it's the silliest thing ever. Ah. It's definitely going to be my biggest trial not to pick them up! Ah.

Anyways, so we had a lesson with Miriam this week and can I just say that it was pretty awkward haha. So we had planned to talk to her about the word of wisdom and when we got there she offered us some hot chocolate or some coffee. So obviously we took the hot chocolate, but then she continued to make herself some coffee and it was all downhill from their. We discussed the word of wisdom while she was drinking her coffee and the spirit was there, but also I felt way awkward haha. So please pray for her! She hasn't come to church in a while and hasn't been home so we haven't been able to talk to her. Pray for her! Also, we had a lesson with another investigator named Alejandra and she is wonderful! We gave her the first lesson the other day and she just got it. She has such strong faith in Jesus Christ and prophets and is all around such a wonderful person! She isn't able to come to church because she works on Sundays (like every other person here) so please pray for her as well! It was way funny though, during the lesson her child was sitting in there for a little bit and when I was talking she just started laughing at me because my Spanish was so bad. The struggle is so real hahaha. We were also able to have a lesson with a recent convert/less active sister named Roberta and that lesson was quite the experience! So let me just give you a run down on what was happening - Roberta was washing clothes, we were sitting on pointy rocks, there was a cow standing 3 feet away from me, her child was yelling things at me in Spanish, and the member that came with us had a bloody nose. Like WHAT. But you know what's crazy, is that through all of that crazy nonsense the spirit was so strong! We were all so absorbed in the lesson that all the of distractions disappeared and you could see that she felt the spirit. It was awesome! This church is so true!

Speaking of washing clothes, I washed my clothes by hand for the first time and can I just say that I have not quite mastered the art of hand washing because I'm pretty sure they came out dirtier than they were before I washed them... hahaha. It's such a struggle. One day I'll master the art of hand washing clothes. Also, I have yet to figure out the weather here - it's either reallllly hot or reallly cold. No in between. It's been starting to warm up though which I am so grateful for because I have the body of a 90 year old woman and my bones have been hurting because it has been getting so cold. What even is Tarija haha. But may I just say that the stars and sunsets here are absolutely incredible! like wowowowowowwww it's so pretty here!

Anyways, so another story for the day. So once upon a time we were visiting with a member and after that lovely visit her dog started following us. Well, long story short, it ended up following us for 2 HOURS and it was so cute, but also way stressful because there were so many dog fights happening and I feared for that dogs life and also my own. We finally just had to take Samsung home. Silly Samsung. Also, another random fact. So theres a burger place like 2 steps from my apartment aaaand it is Sponge Bob themed. Like you could pretty much say that I have the Krusty Krab right next to my apartment sooo that's pretty cool. Also, I found the Ina's Workshop of Bolivia. Hahaha

Anyways, so that's pretty much it for the week! It was a great week full of ups and downs and I'm finally starting to realize what this whole mission life is like. But I absolutely love it and wouldn't want to be anywhere else! The Spanish is hard and I get frustrated when I can't say words, but I just have to keep reminding myself that I've only been here for 2 weeks. It's hard, the days are long and the weeks are short, but I love it and I am so grateful for the chance to bring others unto Christ! I love you all and have a fabulous week!

Shout out to my big bro - have a wonderful birthday and eat lots of yummy ice cream cake for me ya?

Also, sorry no pics this week! This computer is ancient and won't load them hahaha I promise I'll send some next week!

Love you all and have a wonderful week!!!!

Hermana Higham

BOLIVIAAAA

Yes, it is true, I finally found my way to the majestic and mysterious Bolivia that I have been preparing for for months now. We sadly left the safe walls of the CCM last Tuesday at 6 in the morning and had a LONG morning of trying to figure out luggage situations. But we finally left and got to good ol Bolivia! And I finally got the chance to meet President and Hermana Willard and they are THE BEST. Like they are absolutely incredible and I couldn't have asked for better mission parents. Ah. They are awesome. And they bought us pizza the first day, so that also won me over haha. 

We did a bunch of missionary stuffs and that night we ended up staying in a hotel and it was FREEZING because we couldn't find the remote to turn off the AC so that was a good time. Then on Wednesday I had the chance to meet my companion and can I just say that she is absolutely WONDERFUL and everything I could have asked for in a trainer. She works hard, has the strongest testimony, is VERY friendly, and very patient with me when I don't speak Spanish haha. Her name is Hermana Morales and is from Guatemala. I will be her last companion because she only has 3 more months left in the mission field which leaves A LOT of pressure on my shoulders. Like, I have to make her last 3 months the best! Wish me luck! Hahaha. But it is a great time and I am so grateful for her. She is very friendly and confident when talking to others which makes up for me as I stand there trying to figure out what is going on and how to speak Spanish. And whenever I do bear my testimony or something they just stare at me and pretend they know what I said. It's a great time haha. 

My apartment is absolutely adorable. The walls of our room is my favorite color of blue, our kitchen is a peachy color, WE HAVE HOT WATER, and it's just lovely. We share it with 2 other Hermanas and thankfully one is American, so if I ever have questions she is who I go to because, well, English. I'm finally starting to understand the life of a real life missionary and am getting into the routine. I love it. And holy moly can I just talk about how much I love my Pensionista? Or however you spell it? She is the sweetest woman in the whole world and I like to think of her as the grandma that you turn to for anything. She is so sweet and her food is way good! And it's a real thing when I say they give you A LOT of food. Which is great cause then you don't really need a dinner. I'm just grateful for a Pensionista, so I don't have to attempt to make my own food! The only other food I have is 2 small packs of mint cookies, a small package of Ritz crackers, and a small box of Trix cereal... hahahaha. we haven't gotten my missionary card to work yet, but we're going to get it figured out today, so I can have real food. They have so many great Empanadas here and I just want to buy all of them! It's great here. Oh by the way I'm in Tarija!! So we had to take a flight to get here. There are mountains all around and it reminds me of good ol Utah. and unlike Peru, you can actually see the blue sky and STARS and the sunsets are beautiful! Like what even is Bolivia! Oh and I'm starting to understand what it's like to be a gringa in South America. Everyone just stares and I'm tempted to dye my hair and get a wicked tan so I don't stand out as much haha. 

Anyways, now about the work. We have one investigator named Miriam and she is WONDERFUL. She is 22, has 2 kids (twins) and is prime and her testimony is growing each time we see her. The only problem is that she isn't married and her husband wants nothing to do with us. So please pray for her! We have also spent a lot of time talking to less actives and recent converts... that are inactive. Please pray for all of them as well. They are all so wonderful and I am loving to get to know all of them and the people in the ward. The only problem I have had while being here is the language, which is normal. It's just frustrating wanting to say something, but not knowing how to say it, and when you try you just fail and they just laugh at you. It's definitely a struggle, but I just have to remind myself that it's only my first week and it will come... hopefully. But I love it here and it is exactly where I am supposed to be. This is my new home and I couldn't be more grateful or excited to help these beautiful people of Bolivia come unto Christ and his gospel. The work is truly amazing! I love you all and I hope you have a great week! Sorry no pictures this week, I forgot that I had a camera and haven't used it hahahahaha but I will send some next week. Keep me updated on your lives! I LOVE YOU ALL.

Hermana Higham

President and Hermana Willard

I love them

My cute district!

We are so silly!