Whooping Cough Is At The MTC... Maybe That's What I’m Getting!!!

(The comments and or translations in bold blue italics are made by Lauren's mom)

Thanks for the New Era article about Elder Kimball mom. (I thought her district would enjoy reading the article that their district leader was featured in.) AND THANKS SO, SO, SO, SO MUCH FOR THE HALLOWEEN PACKAGE!!! That was so fun. The candy is gone. I shared a ton of it with the international sisters down the hall. It was funny… I handed Sister Moreira a gummy worm, she looks at me and says, "Ahhhh, this looks like one of those little things from the ground." I said, "Yup...meet gummy worms." We took pictures with the chocolate eyeballs, it was awesome. So fun, you'll love them!

YUM!! We all shared our Halloween Goodies!!!

Hermana Lauren and the international sister missionaries
having fun being goofy with the chocolate eyeballs
we sent her for Halloween!

Lauren and two international sister missionaries
having fun wearing  the comical glasses 
we sent her and her companions for Halloween!!

Love those glasses!!!!!

Fun, Fun, FUN!!!!

The flip-flops are great! Now I don't have to worry about my feet being devoured by foot fungus...or my feet getting tangled in the hair at the bottom of the drain.... so yeah. Thanks Lex for sacrificing your flippety-flops for me. It’s much appreciated! AND THE FAMILY PICTURES!!!! AWWWWW, they are awesome. Everyone I’ve shown the pictures to loves our family, and is super jealous not to be a part of it...I can see it in their eyes.

CONGRATULATIONS JAMIE AND CODY!!!!  WELCOME TO THE WORLD COUSIN RYAN!!! YAY!!!!

We had Elder Ballard come speak to us the other day. It was awesome; I guess they haven't had that many general authorities speak at the MTC in who knows how long. He talked about becoming excellent communicators. I won't get to it this week, but I’ll try to send you a letter with some of the stuff all of the guest speakers have said.

That is great about the Ward Harvest Party. I’m glad that it was so much fun for all of you. I hope you got tons of pictures!!!

So... I took two Benadryl last night for my ”allergies” who knows if they really are allergies.... I hear that whooping cough is at the MTC... maybe that's what I’m getting!!! No, but really…I think its just allergies. (Great, now I get to worry for the next week about whether or not my baby girl has whooping cough. Google health says, "Pertussis, or whooping cough, is an upper respiratory infection caused by the Bordetella pertussis or Bordetella parapertussis bacteria. It is a serious disease that usually lasts six weeks. Coughing spells may lead to vomiting or a short loss of consciousness."...Lovely.) Anyways, two Benadryl at night = the closest I will ever come to having a hangover the next morning. I'm thinking...wow...that was so dumb. Now I can hardly keep my head up, my eyes feel like ten thousand pound weights, and the light is making me sick. Now I’m being a tad dramatic, but seriously. DON'T TAKE TWO BENADRYL UNLESS YOU HAVE THE TIME TO SLEEP IT OFF. Aka, don't take two Benadryl if you are a missionary. You will NOT be protected from its evil side effects.

Today has been the first P-day I have actually enjoyed here! YEAH!!! I’m still trying to figure out that whole planning thing that the mission thrives on... but I’m loving the teaching stuff. My companions are awesome. Tell Grandma and Grandpa thank you so much for the scripture marker and the letter! I love that thing!!! It makes things look much neater.

HEY GUESS WHAT!!?!?! THERE REALLY ARE HIDDEN TREASURES IN THE BOOK OF MORMON!!! Now, perhaps you think I’m leading up to a story, but...I’m not...well I guess I am...no…not really. Seriously, though…study them. I am reading in Helaman right now. O mi palabra! (Oh my word!) you may start thinking...wow why doesn’t the world just figure out that obedience to God’s commandments REALLY DOES BRING BLESSINGS... and then you realize that by saying that you are being prideful... and that PRIDE is what leads to contention, which leads to sorrow, and sometimes war and destruction.

Sorry this letter was a little crazy. I still have that loopy Benadryl stuff in my system. I love you all so, so, so much. I'm very grateful to be here.

The Book of Mormon has brought so much peace into my life. It was written under the direction of God, and it was saved for us. It was protected for us, so that we could benefit from its truths. It is true.

Loves,

Hermana Perez