2.24.2015

Week 3: Oi! Tudo Bem!



Oi! Tudo Bem!

Well this week has flown by! I can't believe that I'm half way done with the MTC! I'm so excited but also really nervous. This week didn't seem eventful​, but it really did have some good stuff!

My Portuguese is definitely better this week, but we were in the doctor's office for my eye (which I got antibiotics for and is all better now) and an elder from brazil started talking to us and we had no idea what he was saying... haha... they were simple questions too, like where are you from and where will you be serving. Whoops. 

Anyways here are some of the things that happened this week:
I found out that they suggest that you only send two packages per year to me in Cape Verde... so we should keep that in mind.

We found out that we get to host the new missionaries tomorrow and help them find their rooms and such. I'm so excited!

Our district leader and his companion were made the zone leaders.

We had our first TRC experience on Saturday and it went really well. 

The only thing is that I'm the only person in our district that gets emotional when talking about spiritual things so they always guess when I will cry, like during TRC. I cried 2 other times this week... once during a lesson with our investigator when I recited the first vision, that was rough, and then when I had an interview with my teacher and he asked why I was serving a mission, what I wanted to share with the people in Cape Verde, and what most strengthened my testimony (the three topics that will 100% make me cry). So that was fun... mostly embarrassing, but I did get my teacher to shed a tear. Success. 

One of the elders in our district, Elder Lunt, is going to try to break the mile record at the MTC, he ran for BYU Hawaii before his mission. His fastest is like 4.30, and the current record is 5.04, so we hope he can do it!

Apparently I talk in my sleep, and when I do my companion, without being aware, sits straight but in bed. The other sister in our room told us this and said it really freaked her out haha.

Our teacher, Irmao Workman, said the weirdest thing he ate on his mission in Mozambique was the urinal track of a goat. So who knows what I'll be eating!

My companion had a problem with her big toe, so we got to go to the doctors, like outside the MTC. Best thing ever. Her surgery was only like 45 minutes, and she'll like completely fine, but we were in the real world for 2 and a half hours. And we got to listen to real music, and ride in a car. It was great. And we get to go back in two weeks. So stoked. 

One day we walked into class, and the elders were showing each other how they tie their ties. It was super funny. They had all these fancy knots and were teaching each other the cool ones.

A different day, we walked into class and the elders decided to take a picture of them trying to look like tools. It was pretty hilarious. 




I can't really think of anything else that happened this week, but I know that we are always laughing, but I can't ever remember why. But just know I'm doing good, and having a lot of fun and learning a ton!

Love you all so much,
Sister Kohlert

2.23.2015

Week 2: Ola Familia

Ola familia!

This week has been kinda crazy! I feel like nothing really happened, but then i tried to think of things to write about and then i remember the funniest things that happened! Im not sure if they will sound funny to you guys, but they really were.

So here's the best of the week:

1. Our investigator, Angelo, became our teacher. He's an amazing teacher and I learn a TON more with his style of teaching than our other teacher. He served in Mozambique, so he speaks the Portuguese they know on Cabo Verde. My comp and I were not exactly thrilled to find out he was our new teacher because our lessons were pretty much a disaster. S. Larsen said when we got done with our last lesson, "i'd rather die than see him ever again." Then the next morning we walked into class and he was there. It was hilarious. Our faces tho.

2. Last Wednesday, we were walking to lunch, and the Elders were behind us and a bird pooped on Elder Lunt's face. Like right on his cheek. We all were basically on the ground laughing. Poor Elder Lunt.

3. Last Tuesday, we went to the temple and did an endowment session, and sister larsen fell asleep! so funny. Her arm slipped off the arm rest and she kinda spazzed bahaha.

4. We figured out how to take off the doorknob in our classroom, and we hid a note in it. Maybe someone will find it in 50 years and think its so dope.

5. I received a calling in our branch this week. I am now the music coordinator! I get to pick the hymns and find special musical numbers, pianist, and choristers. sooo much fun! haha

6. We got a new classroom, and it used to be a lesson observation room, so we can listen in on the coversations in the neighboring classrooms aka the other districts in our branch. its hilarious. some of the elders and sisters say the funniest things when they dont think anyone is listening!


7. MTC breakfast= blehhh MTC muffins= delicious!

8. Best service assignment= powerwashing the showers

9. Sister Miller, in my district, is a doTerra addict. So funny. P.s. Terra in Portuguese means Earth.

10. Praia (cape verde praia mission) means beach! TO THE BEACH!

11. we always say 'Hatazana" which means rats in portuguese and our teachers think we are crazyyy.

12. Portuguese uses lots of nasaley tones, so we sound like dying cows half the time.




Well thats basically everything! I love you all sooo much! I miss you guys! I hope you have a fanastic week!

My DearElder address is:
Sister Lauren Kohlert
Box #150
CAP-VDP
MAR18


Tudo Bem!
Sister Kohlert

2.10.2015

Week 1: It's Not as Bad as You Told Me

Hey guys!!!
I hope you got my letter?? I forgot to say that my p-day is on tuesday... so now you know. 
So I don't know what Kristy and Nicole were talking about when they said the first few days are hard. It was sooo great! I seriously love my companion. I think we laugh too much sometimes, but at least we laugh! We really do have sooo much fun! When Nicole said they don't speak any English in the language classes, she wasn't kidding. They NEVER speak English! But I definitely am learning some Portuguese! Its hard a lot of the time, but im not ever like that sad or frustrated. I know that the language will come if i keep working on it. The only thing i struggle with are the in between words like "are, the, in, on , it, or, what, when, would, be..." haha So i really only know who to say like "God, Heavenly Father, prayer, Jesus Christ, happy, I know that, I am grateful, and in the name of Jesus Christ, amen." hahaha I really do try though!
We have already taught our investigator 3 times, and we only have 1 more time left before we get 2 new ones. The first two lessons did not go well. The first one we didn't know how to say ANYTHING. Then the second one we thought we could just read a lot of stuff, but that was just sad. We didn't even know what we were saying and Angelo (our investigator) couldn't understand some of our questions because we translated them wrong... oops! Here's the best one: How you pray with for you family? hahaaha it was supposed to be did you pray for your family? its okay it was funny.
So I love our district. We have lots of fun, but we have quite the mix of people. We have the quiet, and sweet ones, the jock, the cocky, the funny, and then the one that kinda gets annoying/attention seeking... but I love all of them!...most of the time... haha 
Here are a few of the quotes of the day from our district:
"When you are feeling the Spirit, you will feel a burning in your sins (supposed to be chest)", "This is my Beloved Son, Hear egg" whoops!
At least our district made the investigator laugh!
My favorite days so for are Sundays and Tuesdays. On Sunday we get to walk to the temple in the afternoon, and watch a movie. This Sunday we watched a devotional be David A. Bednar called 'Character of Christ", Nicole and Kristy have probably seen it, but everyone else should watch it because it is seriously AMAZING! and I would't really ever say that about a hour and a half talk, but the entire thing is literally the best.
Well here's some Portuguese so you guys can kinda see some of the language, but dont translate it because it'll be REALLY simple. Tyler will probably be able to understand some of it because it's similar to Spanish for some of the words:
Eu so grata por minha missao e evangelho restaurado. Eu sei que a igreja e verdedaira. Tudo Bem! 
I hope you guys are doing well! Thanks for the emails and letters? NOT! the only person who wrote me was Dad and Kristy! And I got a package and I thought it was going to be the photo album, but it was from Sarah... so way to be on top of things.
For anyone who might be entering the MTC bring the following:
Hangers, a watch, Multiple notebooks (one for language, one for investigators/lessons, and one for devotionals/talks, a water bottle, 
SNACKS! (if you can, have your family send you berries/fruits because the cafeteria ones, aka cantaloupe honeydew melon and pineapple, get really old really fast), BAND-AIDES! *****PLEASE SEND ME SOME!*******
Shoes you know will be comfy when you get blisters from your other ones, Small Preacg My Gospel, Hymn book title translation list with numbers between English and your language, and EMAIL LIST OF EVERYONE (and addresses)! because no matter how many times you tell people to send you an email, they don't and then you cant send anything to anyone.
Well some other funny stuff: When we got to go outside/gym time for the first time on friday (?) we were all joking about how we were like crawling out of the classroom and our eyes were burning because of how bright the sun haha we're like vampires. we stay inside all day.
When we got to go to the temple on sunday at 4-5 ish the guys we're singing the High School Musical song that says 'we're breaking free' it was prime. Then we all started cracking jokes about the people that were running to say hi to other people that they we're making a break for it and now we we're like in prison walking to The Yard. Oh and when we first we're about to walk out some of the elders were yelling: WE ARE ENTERING THE REAL WORLD! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! hahaha we were dying.
Just so you know, my comp is sister Larsen, from Provo, she looks like nicole's freshman roommate Echo, the one with dark brown curly hair, but her's is like longer than shoulder length. P.S. I'm definitely not the quietest, but for sure the shortest.
Well thats all! LOVE YOU GUYS! Hope your week is amazing! Go outside and soak up the sun for me!


-Sister Kohlert

2.04.2015

If you want to write me...

E-mail: lauren.kohlert@myldsmail.net

MTC Address:
Sister Lauren Amillicent Kohlert
Cape Verde Praia Mission
Provo Missionary Training Center
2005 North 900 East
Provo, Utah 84602
United States

Cape Verde Letters:
Sister Lauren Amillicent Kohlert
Cape Verde Praia Mission
Caixa Postal 420
Praia, Ilha de Santiago
São Salvador do Mundo

Cape Verde Packages:
Sister Lauren Amillicent Kohlert
Cape Verde Praia Mission
Rua Povoação Velha, 17
Caixa Postal 420
Palmarejo
420 Praia