MOM

Hey how are you doing? Thanks for all of the prayers they helped a lot. Oh and also thanks to some medicine, I am now pooping like a normal person!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh so just to let y'all know I survived one transfer!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah time is flying by oh and I will email every Monday even if I do have a transfer so don't worry about that, but I don't have a transfer so I'm still in Puno with Elder Green which is cool. Well the missionary work this week was hard because of the sick week so we basically had to start over which is always so much fun!!!!! Oh guess what the people of Puno say that September starts the rainy season so that means lots and lots of cold rain!!!!!!!! Well I'm glad everything is going good for y'all with school. Tell shelby not to worry about college it is so freakin awesome!!!!

Well I am sending a couple more pictures. The lake is Lake Titicaca from my apartment window. My shoes I've been wearing and the new ones (or my shined up one), can you tell a difference? I found some peanut butter.

Love,
Elder Kotter


DAD

I am so glad you are feeling better even if it is only 90% but I am sure it is from carrying shingles since the time you were 13 or how ever old you were. I just remember those couple of days I had to carry them because we were only just patching the roof and it hurt my back I can't imagine years of that!!!!!!!!

Well its so weird Spanish comes and goes sometimes I can understand all and sometimes its nothing. but I mostly understand when the spirit is around so that is a hint to me to keep the spirit with me at all times! And dad i have felt both powers of evil and good fighting within me its so weird. Sometimes I totally screw up Spanish and then I just get so discouraged but always during those hard times a scripture pops into my head usually D&C 121 where your afflictions are only a small moment. Sometimes I think about all the trails I have with being sick and language and I get sad, but then i think how much God is teaching me because I have to rely on him. I truly think that is why i have to speak a different language because I feel like know the gospel pretty well and it is really the only way I have to rely on him. I thank him everyday for that!

Dad I love you so much,

Elder Kotter

Letter to dad 8/19/13

Dad I heard you had a bad week. I'm sorry to hear that you threw your back out again. That's never fun I just want you to know I am praying for you, but you have to take it easy or else you won't be able to function when I get back and I really want you to function so I can beat you at many things like Risk and Chess. Oh by the way, the mission is making a man not only spiritually but physically too. I have to shave every day! It is so annoying, and it came out of no where like your on a mission bam FACIAL HAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will be able to grow a freaking mountain man beard at this rate. Hey but seriously you got to take it easy so God can give others the chance to serve you. You have been serving yourself and others all your life this time I want you to just let someone serve you ok thanks.

I love you dad,

Elder Kotter

Letter to Shae

Well Shae you want to hear a really funny story? When I was really sick on Thursday with my stomach hurting and with a fever and a splitting headache I just screamed out randomly I WANT MY MOMMY!!!!!!!!!! hahahaha it was pretty funny. and also we have these dogs outside of our window that sometimes bark in the middle of the night for no reason and it keeps me awake haha. Oh also 2 weeks ago I got bit by a dog and it looked like he really wanted to kill me but because the Lord was protecting me he only ripped a small hole in my pants nothing else. Shae remember if you are obedient to the commandments of God dogs can bite you and nothing bad will happen to you. In fact anything can try to hurt you and the Lord will protect you so always read your scriptures and say your prayers. Listen to mom and dad and don't fight with Shelby and guess what you can do anything!!!

I love you so much

Elder Kotter

ps I don't like old teachers but some of them are cool and tell Gigi hi for me.

Sick Week

Well this week was pretty weird. We didn't do anything because of sickness. Monday and Tuesday my cold became a sinus infection then we worked on Wednesday but then Thursday and Friday Elder Green got a stomach bug then on Saturday I went through living heck with a fever and stomach bug and Sunday I was recovering so I'm going to take this chance to send some photos. Oh tell dad I know how his week went this week because I kinda had the same week. So what did you think about the Inca Kola? How does Shelbly like classes and how is Shae doing with Young Women?


The pictures are of our baptism and where we live.

Dear family,

Oh guess what we had a baptism!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was super freakin awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We also had a way better week when it comes to our numbers. Well tell Grandpa to send me the bottle!!!!!!!!!!! Everything is going good here I'm just a little sick but other than that I am doing good. Keep doing great things. Read your scriptures and say your prayers. Know that I love y'all all so much.

Elder Kotter

PS. My Spanish comes and goes the worst part is that my English is starting to go to so I cant speak English or Spanish and that really stinks. Oh tell dad I love him.

Letter to Dad

DAD
I agree with you totally no one in this world is as great as mom. Dad it has been so hard and not only physically hard but mentally spiritually and emotionally draining I come home every night wiped out. It has only been like 3 weeks and I am already so tired, but the work must go on. What is really hard for me is the language. I just can't seem to get the hang of speaking it.
I think its so funny that Shelby did the exact same thing as me in the driving test that's funny and the insurance doubled WOW I'm sorry and then I think about how much I cost WOW!!!!! So what's up with Shae getting a cell phone that's crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh well.

Dad I love you,
Elder Kotter

Family,

HAPPY 2 MONTHS

What's up? Hows life going? Everything is going great here. This week we had a ton of meetings and it was awesome they were all about purifying ourselves so we can become better missionaries. Unfortunately it seems like everything is against us. We had the worst numbers in the world and we walked so much and tried and tried and tried but nothing happened. Our baptism fell through because we don't know where this girl disappeared to. My Spanish is still awful and its cold outside. But I wouldn't have it any other way. Faith comes, then the trail of it and after the trial then comes the miracles. Always remember that.
well I'm sorry school has to start. Shelby can drive now and Shae has a cell phone wow our family is growing up. I really can't believe it. It's actually kinda scary. Y'all need to stop growing up so fast. Next week I will try to send pictures, some of the internet cafes you can send pictures and some you can't and I also need to take some pictures. We have an awesome view of the lake but we also get an awesome smell from the lake. It smells bad and if the wind blows the right way it smells really bad. Oh so mom I kinda told a family that you can make really good pizza dough and now they want the recipe. sorry.... i kinda need one. Also tell dad sorry for all the extra work over the summer. Umm a good package would be peanut butter snacky food like those awesome pretzel bites and Dr. Pepper I have been really craving those things. well keep the faith and know I love you all so much!

Elder Kotter
ps What is this blog thing i keep hearing about?

(The blog is a surprise from Stephen's family to him when he arrives home. He doesn't know we are doing this for him. Please try not to mention it in your letters to him. Thanks :))