Missionary Pictures

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Maren meets her niece, Madeline, for the first time at the Denver airport! Maren says her goodbyes... Maren hikes the jungle and mountaintops!
The natives love Maren! - Not! The natives DO love Maren! Jungle Threesome!  Hermana Maren, Hermana Rowley, Hermana Vallejos Nice Tan, Maren!
P-Day in the Jungle in Coban! Joe (or Josephine?) Athlete - Maren!  Don't let the ball hit you! Pinares - Maren's area before last transfer: Go!  Let's hope she doesn't break it!
How Maren gets into bed-- Ready...set... Maren's having a bad hair-- oh, I mean face --day!  Actually, it was her Halloween costume... This is just me and La Garcia hanging out on her bed before going to sleep! I'm REALLY pink in this picture. I'm sure the shirt's not helping. This is when we sang in zone conference. Elder Turcios played the piano & we sang in English & Spanish. L toR:  E. Turcios, Hna Pineda, Hna Garcia, Hna. Poulson, Hna. Eskelsen
Okay, maybe next time it would be easier to just not to forget the KEY! -- Although she does look pretty proud! Now, does she go down through the ceiling? Made it to the roof! And in a dress, too!
Apparently, how Maren enters her apartment... Back of Maren's Christmas Card Front of Maren's Christmas Card Alice (member), Hna. Garcia and me making pizza. It didn't turn out that good, but it was fun anyway!
Hnas. Poulson, Kuntz, Guierrez, Eskelsen. So I'm not that great at showing my BOM. The 3 of us gringas were comps  w/ Hna Guiterrez. Don't worry, I'm her favorite. Hna Kuntz came from the MTC w/me & was in my welfare district. Hna Eskelsen was the MTC too That's me burning the dress. The bars behind me are on the window of the neigbor's house. My other elbow is about 2 ft. from the wall of our house...You can imagine how much space I had w/a giant flame ball!  Note: nothing but the dress caught fire! This is my This is the baptism I had when I was in bed w/dengue (that's why I'm not in the picture). LtoR- Alice Brono, Keneth Josue Castillo Batres, Hna. Cabezas
This is me... just chillin' in the Guatemala hospital, Herrera Llerandi. As you can note, I ditched Hna. Maren, Hna. Gonzales (Maren's  2nd Comp), Hna. Vallejos (comp with the senior sister), Hna. Trejos (current comp of Hna. Gonzales), Hna Rowley (senior sister). Provecho! This is my last day in Coban. We sang in church in the ward choir. That's why we're dressed the same. L to R: Hna. Rowley, Hna. Poulson, Hna. Vallejos Hermanas Gutierrez, Poulson and Gallacher... Hermana Gallacher just finished her mission in Guatemala North and was visiting in Coban with her parents.  Her mom called Carol to say they had met Maren and that she is happy, and then emailed this pic to us!
Me & Hna. Gutierrez with Marina & Irma...de Corte. I don't know why the qe'q chi women (&men) NEVER smile in pictures.  I promise they aren't inmates & aren't as angry as they look...The guilpil (shirt) is a square of crochet with a hole for your head. This is me...dressed in a Me and Hna. Gutierrez (in the middle) and Hnas. Cabezas (in blue) & Vallejos (in pink).  They are the other sisters in our district.  We are at Sa Chicha.  Isn't it pretty? No, I haven't started balding in the last 9 months.  My hair's gotten lighter & of course, the lighting & the fact that my hair is pulled back doesn't help my cause... I repeat... I do NOT have a receding hairline.  (p.s.  This is me at Sa Chicha.)
Me & Hna. Guitierrez at Sa Chicha... Note for the cousins: We don't wear loinclothes in the jungle...It's against the mission rules.  We don't live in tree houses either, but occasionally we swing from vines... This is one of my better tortillas.  I made it myself & I'm rather proud (but not prideful) of it.  It took a lot of practice, but I'm getting better.  Almost none of my tortillas have holes nowadays! You asked about the rainy season...Here it is.  I'm in about 2 in. of water in our backyard.  When it rains hard there is lightning.  This day, lightning touched down 10 minutes before the picture where the orange thing is.  Kinda cool... I hope you like this picture. It was my piñata at one of our baptisms a couple of weeks ago. I was trying to find the piñata with my tongue I think.
Me at this laguna called This is a bridge that's in my area.  There's a giant open (somewhat random) field that's really pretty (in the background).  Don't be fooled.  Not all of Coban is this beautiful... but pretty close. I like how my companion moved the camera right as she was taking the picture.  It gives it a nice sense of movement.  But we had to hurry.  We weren’t sure if the owner was going to come walking out of the house to find us taking pictures on his bike... I have to say I have limited resources here.  I mean the card’s falling apart as I am making it so I don’t expect it to last too long.  I must say that the bike on front may not be the world’s best rendition of a motorcycle… but it’s got to come close.
This is Semuc Champey. The waterfall place.  It's pretty, but you can't see the waterfall in this picture.  But what's better:  Me or some old waterfall?  ¡Claro que yo! Here is a picture of Maren's zone at Semuc Champey Burning my Zona Victorias (L to R) Elderes: Walker,Blanch,Hill,Bruce,Turcios,Cooper,Jolley,Mertlich. Hermanas: Poulson,Meza,Tu'i kolovatu,Larson,Alonzo,Rios
Hna. Poulson y Hna. Meza -- Feliz Anyo Nuevo! (Happy New Year!) Maren's first day in Guatemala! Hermana Poulson with President and Sister Coleman at the mission home. Hermana Maren with Hermana Meza, her new companion.  Hna. Meza is from Honduras.  Maren feels TALL in Guatemala!  (She is 5'6 Guess where I'm serving my mission...
The Three Hermana Hams again!  Merry Christmas from the MTC! The Three Musketeers at the MTC -  Hermanas Cowgill, Eaton and Poulson Hermana Cowgill is REALLY happy to be here.  I like this picture. Yet again - Hermana Cowgill is REALLY excited!
I don't really understand it either.  Hmmm... Elder Guynn & (upside down) Elder Merrill Elder Kivalu is the stern looking one.  I know you were all dying for a picture. L to R:  Elders Rosas & Kivalu - both Costa Rica, Hnas. Cowgill - NYC South, Eaton - Costa Rica, Poulson - you know. We are standing in front of a white nativity & it blends into the temple.  Unfortunate.  These are SOME sisters from our MTC branch. L to R: Hnas. Michel, Zegarra-de Peru, Eaton, Gomez, Cowgill, Poulson I like this picture.  Elders aren't very good at taking pictures.  They want to get EVERYTHING in the picture.  Could they just zoom in  a little next time so we don't get 100's of random missionaries in the background?
Maren's MTC Ornament December 2006 Yeah!  That's me & Hna. Cowgill w/ Sheri Dew.  She taught Relief Society at the MTC that day! Me & my companeros w/ Sister Bonnie Parkin.  She was really nice.  Too bad the picture didn't really work. Mom will die from this picture but the way I see it, it's better to iron the skirt while' I'm wearing it rather than to stand around in nothing to iron it.
Hna. Cowgill & I polishing our shoes for the first time.  We figured it out all by ourselves.  We still need some practice though.  Luckily, we'll get a lot over the next 16 months. My hair is a joke wherever I go.  I should just join a freak show.  Everyone wants a picture of me & my large hair.  Also, Hna. Bishop & Hna. Eaton are somewhere in that mass of hair. Note from Hma. Bishop-- I know it looks like we are in a cop car, but no... we're just in the missionary shuttle.  What's the difference between prison and the MTC?  In prison you get to make a phone call.
This is me and my Thanksgiving dinner which was SURPRISINGLY good.  Note - I've already eaten all my yams.  I have dreams about them they were so good.  The blonde sister in the background is Soeur Wilkin's roommate.  She is friends w/ my roommate. Hermanas Cowgill, Eaton y Poulson.  We want to blow-up this picture and hang it in the MTC to inspire others to serve missions.  We are also trying to get it on the cover of the Ensign!! (Think it'll work?) Hna. Obispo y yo.  One Sunday at the temple.  She is the solo sister that shares a room with us. Hna. Cowgill got a tutu (for a dog) as a costume for Halloween from her sister.  I liked my use for it...
Elders Konneker, Guynn (The District Leader), Peterson, Merrill (going to Guatemala N. too), Miller, Soto (his first name is Zilthai), Bro. Tuttle, Hnas. Cowgill, Eaton and Me!  Elders Miller, Peterson & Soto left for Spain.  But they were fun. Hnas. Bishop, Cowgill, Eaton and Me! Hna. Cowgill y yo.  I just love her guts! Hermanas Kunz, Hatch, Salgado, Eaton, Poulson, Duke & Massey... all are welfare sisters + 2 more.  It was really sunny.  Can you tell?
I was walking to the temple one Sunday afternoon w/ my companions and I ran into my roommates from this summer. Sarah Katz & Stephanie Brassfield (R to L). I love them & so I took a picture with them.  Don't worry...I love you all too! Hna. Kunz (Guat City N), Hna. Hatch ( El Salvador E), Hna. Salgado (El Salvador W & Belize), Hna. Eaton (Costa Rica), Me (Guatemala, Silly...)  Some of the hermanas from my welfare week Me & Jake Adams... He was in my BYU ward this past fall.  He's going to California speaking Spanish.  He was my buddy. All the welfare sisters again. I think this picture is better.
Our whole district from Welfare week.  Why we decided to take pictures in the cafeteria... I'll never know... like the tray hanging out in the picture... The Elders in our district from Welfare week.  I only knew Falatea (guess which one he is) and Elder Porter (front row on left).  They were nice... Hermana Eaton & me our last night of Welfare week Hermana Eaton, me & Hermana Cowgill at the MTC sign
La Companerismo These are the Eaton-Poulson companions.  Soeur Eaton really is cute,--but I'm sad this picture squished her face. Hermana Maria Isabella Rosa Ignacion Sancha Manza Gloria Hernandez Lopez de la Mar... or me as a Spanish nun/Saint :)  Patron Saint of Missionary Work Off she goes - no more pics after this point, but when she said goodbye for the last time, she never looked back (thankfully!)
Mom gets to officially pin Hermana Poulson's name on!  She's for real now! No, we will not cry -- Are we having fun yet? Maren's heading through Maren with Dad and Mom -  Our first Missionary!
Maren stops in front of the popular MTC sign to take a picture (like the thousand other missionaries all lined up waiting for their turn!)) Maren and Daniel -- Why do people think they're twins?  I don't know...but they are best buds! Jesslyn and Maren -- what great sisters -- but we're missing Kelly and Raymey! The Long Walk into the MTC!
We arrive at the MTC-- along with Cris's bike on back... the bike is getting admiring glances from all the passing missionaries! Last meal... we're all at Chili's pretending that we are having fun! Our Fam August 2006 -- the first time we've been together for a year! And the last time for at least a couple more!  Clockwise from left:  Raymey, Kelly, Jesslyn, Cris, Carol, Daniel, (Sophie), Maren
Sister Poulson has returned home.

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