Just Keep Breathing

The Church Email Website is messed up. Getting on was a struggle. But
I finally got on at least after 100 attempts haha.

This week....I was dead tired. I am exhausted. Adjusting to the
altitud and to the cold is something I will never really get used
to....but the cold yes. The breathing in thin air...I don´t know haha.
but it was a week full of tons of things to do. We did a companion
exchange this week with my ex companion hna Muralles and her companion
who is the ex companion of her, Hna Paiva who is from Brazil. It was a
great companion exchange. I felt that we were literally doing all that
we can to help the sisters out here. It was great to be with Hna
Muralles again. I had never thought that I could be with my
excompanions, but its already been the third time. I am so grateful to
be able to look back with her and see that many things we had learned
together and the things we are learning right now. Its really nice to
serve the sisters here and just give them ears....to listen and try to
help them go through maybe the struggles that we usually go through in
the mission. I liked her area that day because it was a little flat.
Our area is full of HILLS. I can´t breathe....but I am breathing.
Haha.

We had a talent night in the ward. I loved it. It was a little small,
but it was fun. My companion and I did a little act with a cardbox
with holes behind my body. She stucked her hands through the hole and
became my arms. We acted out the life of the missionaries. I have a
video and I´ll sure show it to you when I get home. Its soooo funny.
She was putting some lipstick on me, feeding me an apple, and lots of
stuff.

My companion and I have the choice to cook or eat out for dinner...or
if not, we don´t eat dinner. We were given a budget to spend. We found
this cool burger place with sandwiches and salchipapas. It is
DELICIOUS and so cheap. We only have to pay 2 dollars for a burger or
a sandwich or a big plate of salchipapas (hotdogs chopped with french
fries). DELICIOUS...and their sauces they have out to add to our
food....WOW. We are going to get back there this week. We always got
hooked to their Argentina Cookies, Toddy. DELICIOUS. We are just on
the hunt for good food. I love going out to eat with my companion. It
reminds me so much when I went out with Marvy to eat at Dennys, IHops,
or random places at night when we drove out to town. I miss those
days.

Our pensionista cooked un plato potosino. A plate from potosi called
Saice. It was delicious. It was made with soy meat? Is that even
healthy? My comp and I are trying to get healthy, but its so hard
here...all we eat are potatoes.......lol i feel like one. Exercising
in the morning is hard...when breathing is so hard. I took a picture
of the plate and with my pensionista. Her name is Rosalin. She is a
darling. We made some grilled cheese sandwiches yesterday with her. It
was delicious.

We had awesome lessons taught this week. That we could really feel the
spirit. We were given the wonderful opportunity to invite one of our
investigators to be baptized...who had been going through difficulties
with drinking..he has been sober for a month and we could see a huge
difference in him. We were touched to see how the gospel really
changes us..and our lives.

We got to see the Women General Conference in a member´s house because
it happened to be on election day here in Bolivia and there is a law
that you can´t have any type of reunions here of more than 8 people.
So we had to either see it online in a internet cafe or with a member.
I loved the conference. I could feel the spirit the whole time. And
the fact that they talked about how the family is of God and God gave
us families....I just missed you all...got a little teary, but also
excited to be a mother in zion one day. Then I realized that my
sobrino, nephew is going to be part Samoan.......that was a random
thought that came to me....I never thought we would have samoan blood
in our family line....hahaha.  But i loved it...I studied a lot about
our divine nature as children of our heavenly family. We are literally
His spirit children and I could just feel His love for me. We are here
to progress and become like Him.

My companion is awesome. She is so loving and always aware of my needs
(to breathe). Being with a North American is so different, but so fun.
I feel that we can understand eachother just a bit more. But its
really cool to be with her.

I came to realized this week that if I finish the mission in
Potosi.....I will be finishing the mission in the most coldest time of
the year in Bolivia...and I will be going home when it will be SO HOT
in Hawaii.....That is going to be a huge adjustment for me haha. But
its going to be great.

As the time goes by so fast, I literally feel sad and also excited to
go home. I realize that its really going by so fast.....that next
transfer I´ll already receive a letter from the mission about going
home and they will already start making arrangements of flights...I
can´t even believe I will be skyping you in a little more than a
month. I love being a missionary and to see all the things that are
going on here is just a beautiful thing to reflect upon.

I am so excited for general conference. I hope all are all excited
too! I am so grateful for Young Women´s for teaching me to prepare for
it spiritually. To think of questions that I may have and to pray to
have them answered. I do want to leave this challenge with you all who
are reading and my family of course, that they can prepare themselves
spiritually and physically (gotta have your snacks during conference
right?) for general conference. Write down some questions you might
have...maybe the doubts you may have in your testimony...or your
purpose of life. I know that the Savior really answers our prayers and

listens to us...I know we are His children and that He loves us. I am
so grateful for this knowledge that we have from the gospel. Its an
absolute blessing in our lives.

We will be going to cochabamba this week for a leadership training
conference.....Lots of traveling. I had the courage to ask president´s
wife if we could stay at the mission home that night we stay in
cochabamba. They said yes. I will be in a room with carpet....it has
been so long.. hahaha. They invited my companion and I to do a special
musical number at the trainingship conference....did I develop the
talent to sing or are they just being nice??? I am sooo nervous...but
so excited to sleep in the mission house...its so beautiful and also
to be in cochabamba to breathe normal. Hahaha. I love the mission
life....sometimes it is exhausting...but its the best.

This was my week...and I´m ready for a new one!

Love you all,
Hna Santeco

PS: Thank you for sending me the package and I hope mom gets better soon.