Hi Family! How is everyone??

This week has been a little better.  We haven't had a ton of success but we have found a few new investigators so we will se what happens.  

 

The language is coming.  I have learned that the minute when i stop trying to open my mouth is when i cant talk.  Also we had our "one month check" with President today (so we are in San Jose) we just talked about how things are going and how our companions are.  He also said that it is very normal for North Americans to feel like they hit a road block and feel like they can't speak or understand then after that they just take off.  So I am hoping that that will come soon.  I know as long as i do my part the lord will help me.  

Also things have been crazy here with the World Cup.  Yesterday we did nothing.  We went to church and studied and then the game was on so we just studied and read scriptures. We went to one members house because we thought the game was over but they were in overtime for penalty kicks.... The members were going crazy like yelling at the TV and stuff..  It was crazy but fun to watch.  I have a shirt that says "Vamos Ticos" but I can only wear it on Pdays... clearly :) Then after that we helped the Hermanas in our district move. The other Hermanas in our district were having problems with their neighbors so the moved this week. Their new apartment is SOO nice... it smells like Gran's house but other than that it is really nice.

I hope you all have a great week.  Sorry its short. But we are in San Jose and dont have a ton of time today.  Love you all!! Have a good 4th of July for me! 

Love you and Miss you!!! <3

Hermana Chatwin

Shorter still but great to hear from her!

Hi Family!!! 

Well this week has been pretty normal.  I dont really know.... 

We had a special visit from President Wilkinson he and his family were going to Liberia so they just stopped here for a quick visit.  Things are going good though.  We have a few more investigators and mostly all of them have baptismal dates.... we will see if they keep them! We had a few investigators come to church this week.  Only two families but that is more than usual.  We have been working really hard to get people to come so we will see what happens next week.  

The language is coming... very slow but coming. 

We went to San Jose last week on Tuesday because i was supposed to do something with my Visa. So we stayed in the aparment in  San Jose and all the girls from the MTC were there so that was fun to see them and talk to them about their areas and stuff.  Then Wednesday morning we got up to go and they told us that the direction for the place was wrong so we really couldnt do anything..... so we went to San Jose just to go....but it was okay we needed to go to the office.  Mom I didnt get any letters or packages.. only the dear elders.  But my companion said that was the right address so we can check again when we go to san jose next week i think. 

Well I dont have much to say I will be on for like an hour....So email if you get a chance!Love you all!

Love Hermana Chatwin

Things seem to be going well!

Makall is on the back row in the light green shirt!


Hola Familia!!!!

This week has been so great! I do not even know where to start.  Well the last few weeks have been really hard. We havent really had anyone to teach and we havent really had much success. So we were a little discouraged.  Things started to pick up when we got a phone call that we were going to have divisions with the Specialistas ( sister training leaders) so I was going to Libera, which is like an hour or so away, and Hermana Garcia would be staying here. For two days.  I was not very excited to go I love Hermana Garcia and we work really well together.  But I went of course :)

 Makall at Zone conference with 2 former Layton High Students! 

This was in SAN JOSE it was raining so much and it was FREEZING!!! We bought these to stay a little dry.... my cute companion sad i look like the hunch back of notra dame hahah :) She is great! This is our District9see the picture at the bottom)

So I spent two days with Hermana Jerez who is from Guatemala.  She is really nice! We had a great time.  She made me talk to people on the street and talk a lot in the lessons and visits.  Their area is SO much bigger than ours and it is more like the city. So it felt like a totally different world there. We had a lot of fun though.  One cool thing did happen while we were there. We couldnt find anyone to teach, all the appointments were failiing through and she couldnt think of anyone to visit.  So she decided to say a pray. We did and then kept walking.  Probably two minutes later some guy comes out and says Hermanas I need you to help me with something.  So we went in and he was a member. But Hermana Jerez had never met him before  He was with a friend sitting on the porch reading the gospel principles manuel.  He said his friend was not a member and needed help understanding one of the things.  He said they were just talking about missionaries last night and that he didnt know how to get in contact with us to teach his friend.   It was so neat. We ended up having to call the Elders to teach him though because it was just one guy.   But honestly it was a miracle! In that moment the spirit bore witness to me that this is the work of the Lord.  That he is always willing to help us find people as soon as we ASK! We have to do our part and have faith that the Lord will answer our prayers! It was awesome!

So then we came back to Cañas and while I was gone Hermana Garcia committed one of our investigators to baptism and to help them plan their wedding! Seriously we have had like a total turn around.  But we know that it is not because of us. It is because we are relying on the Lord to help us know who to talk to and what to teach.  I love that feeling!

We also found a family yesterday, they were a refrence from an investigator.  We also committed them to get married and Baptized! They are really so sweet so we hope that works out! 

Also yesterday I had my first run in with a Cooka ( ¿cocaroach?) Yo no se.... but it was in the shower and i was like Hermana quick come kill it.  So she did but it was big.... I didnt take a picture though.... sorry.. Also here they have Geicos EVERYWHERE. I put a picture of on in our shower in the dropbox. So that is fun.  And also they have Frogs... I have seen a few live and lots of dead ones in the road.  None in our house yet... Thank goodness.  

But i have started to talk more and the lanugage is still coming.  I have made it a goal to start a conversation with at least 5 people a day in the street.  Usually they get to a certain point. Or I say something and they just look at me like i am crazy.... Then Hermana Garcia steps in but As long as i am trying to talk to people it Usually comes out okay! And during lessons I am trying to actually teach something not just testify. Because i know that The Lord helps those who help themselves! 

But seriously the weeks are going so fast! This week has flown by! Tomorrow we have to go to San Jose to get something done with my immigration to get my residence here in Costa Rica but I am not sure exactly what.... So that will be fun.  I love it here! Everyday is hard, and hot, and somedays I just really want to sleep but usually those moments are when we find someone to teach! I know that this is the work of the Lord.  That we are not trying to convince people to join our church but we are literally inviting them to partake of salvation! That the gospel is simple.  People make it so much harder than it needs to be. Heavenly Father didnt send us here to fail. And as long as we are trying everyday to do what is right things will work out as long as we have faith!!

Yeah the heat is getting better I drink like a million bottles of water a day so that helps.  We still have LOTS of bugs but you just kind of get used to them....unless they are in your food.... that is a little horrible.. I had a box of cereal and they were ants in it....but i didnt have any other so i have to just get them all out.... and eat it... haha :) it wasnt horrible though. 

Well family! Love you guys! Love seeing your pictures and looks like you had a fun time in Park City! :) Hope everything is well!! 

Con Amor <3 

Hermana Chatwin

Here is some more info from e-mails to Dad:

The food is great! I love all of it but the meat. Which isnt a suprise because i usually dont like much meat.  So one of the elder in my district usually eats half of my meat since its pretty pricey here i dont want to offend people. But the meat is gross.. It just like fat and stuff... so yeah.  But the language is coming. Slowly but surely.   I am feeling great! Not sick at all and excited to work work work! :)

Usually we are trying to talk to people on the buses so its a little different :) oh my heck i forgot to write about that in my email... I was on the bus from Liberia to Cañas and i sat next to this guy his spanish was horrible so i was like wait your white do you speak english.  And he did! He is from Utah not a member though.  So we talked for like an hour and a half about him and his family and missions and stuff and gave him the number of missionaries in Salt Lake! It was crazy though!

He was from Salt lake but was on a surf trip with his friends her for 3 weeks or something.  But yeah it was pretty crazy to talk to someone in English.. The other day during english class here they asked me to pray in english and I was having a hard time with that.  Since we always pray in spanish here so that was kind of funny.

Usually i think of it in English.... I dont know... haha :) I hope one day i can just speak it... I am okay when it is just one or two people but when we get into a big group of people i cant understand anything haha. So we eat lunch all together as a district most days and they are all talking and i am just like i have no idea what you just said.... but its getting better!

Hot in Costa Rica!!! and pictures from the MTC

Hola Familia y Amigos

¿Como estan?

This week has been crazy.... We had a zone conferencia last week so everything was kind of shifted We had to go to San Jose for the meeting so we had to take the bus at like 4:30 in the morning.  Then we went to a members house and hung out for a little while and ate lunch and stuff.  Then we got to go to the temple! It was SOOO great! They told me I could use the little headset for English but I decided to brave it and listen in Spanish.... I ACTUALLY UNDERSTOOD!!!!! I was so happy! It was the neatest experience! I love the temple so much! We probably wont be able to go for a little while but that is okay I am so grateful I got to go in the first few days! So the next day was the meeting and we had a member of the 70, Elder Ochoa.  He and his wife were here and the President and Sister Wilkensen talked also.  It was such a great meeting.  They talked about how every area can be succesful if the missionaries are working their hardest.  Which is a comfort for us because we seriously have no investigators... it is a little depressing because we have been working hard but clearly not hard enough.  My companion is new to this area too so  we literally were just starting from scratch here.  But we have been having more success the past few days and now have 2 kind of investigators.  Haha :) 

So I have so much to say I do not even know where to start... It has been raining so much.... Usually we forget our umbrellas or its raining so hard it will break them so we are wet a lot of the time.  But it is great.  It rained while we were in San Jose and that was horrible because it is freezing there at least here in Guanacasta it is warm rain.  So we are in Cañas which is in the north of guanacasta I thin...... I am really not sure haha.  But we have a little tiny Branch here the chapel is literally a 3 in 1 room.. and the font is under the stand.  It is crazy! But beautiful and it has AC so sundays are quite the treat! I also have the privilege of leading the music every Sunday so that is great.... another sister plays piano but probably when she dies i will have to play.... we will see! My spanish is coming a long a lot faster than i thought... I can actually understand the just of most conversations and speak a lot more than i thought so thank you for all of your prayers I know they are working!! 

The people here are GREAT! I love them already! They are so sweet and always want to talk maybe not so much about church, everyone here is catholic, so that is a little rough.  But the members are great! President wants to have a stake in Guanacasta soon so we have really got to work hard! ( p.s. when i was writing stake i actually wrote astake por que este es la palabra in español.....entonces...el Don de Languas es REAL!!!)haha hope you can understand my horrible español! 

I have a few pictures i will put in the drop box....or try to i am not really sure how. mom you can put them on the blog...

Most of them are from the CCM because i cant take my camera with me during the day.   Since i am a Gringa.... everyone thinks i have money all the time.... and i dont want to get robbed so yeah i am sorry i dont have many pictures...

But all is well here! Its hard.... but it is great! I love it and I know that this is the work of the Lord.  Just listening to a Member of the 70 and President Wilkinsen talk about the goals of the lord here in Costa Rica is amazing! They make me so excited to do missionary work! Andto try and talk to everyone! Even if my Spanish is horrible....a veces... But I know that this is the work of the Lord! I have felt is love and spirit every day here it is crazy! I have such a love for the Book of Morman! When Elder Bednar spoke to us in the CCM he gave us a challenge to get a new copy of the book of morman and write a question you have about the gospel or your life or anything you need help with.  Then read the whole thing while looking for the answer to that question.  So i started doing this in the CCM and WOW! It is crazy! The Lord helps you find answers in every verse specifically for you! He told us that you should do this your whole life and then you will have a library of what you have learned and studied and you will see how your faith and knowledge has grown! So if you want to do that you should because it is SO cool! 

Any way there is my little tidbit for the week! I will be on for like an hour or something so Email away! :) Love you all so much!!

<3 Hermana Chatwin

Arrived in Costa Rica

Hi family! 

 

how is everyone?

Things are great here. I have been here for a week which is crazy! Bur i love it! 

My companions name is Hermana Garcia. She is from Mexico and she is SO nice! We get a long really well. She understands english but she doensnt use it. Which is okay with my becasue i know that i need to use my spanish as much as I can.  

So I will just try and tell you as much as i can....

so after i talked you you guys we had two flights to get here and that was great.  We got here about 8 at night and President Wilkinson and his family picked us up. With a few other missionaries. We went to the temple and had a little talk about what were doing here and that was great. They are awesome! Then we went to KFC and had dinner and finally got to an apartment at like 10 or 11. There were like 20 girls in this apartment. With two bathrooms....so that was awesome.  

Then we went to the office the next day and waited for the rest of the missionaries to come from the other MTC.  We sat in the office like all day..... the had interviews with the president and waited somemore for some other hermanas to come and pick us up to go on splits with them.  So we went out with a few sisters and taught some lessons and met members and stuff.  

Honestly i understand close to nothing here..... it is crazy haha but I LOVE IT HERE!!!

So the next day we went to the presidents house and had breakfast and then got our new companions.  Like i said my companion is Hermana Garcia. She is from Mexico and has been out for 15 months.  She is so great! honestly she is the best! She talks to everyone and is just so nice and patient with me!.

I can understand her basically all the time so that is good. Um.... I do not even know where to start.... so we are in Guanacasta.... and i cannot even tell you how hot it is here.  First because i have no idea but really it is so hot.  I have never been so hot in my life.  But it is great!. So Elders lived in our apartment before us so it was disgusting... and we have not had pday so we could not really clean it..... and we do not have p day this week becasue we get to go to the temple!!!!!! We are having a speaker from the 70 come on thursday i think. So we are going back to San Jose... it is like 6 hours away-......

So we just get to email today not clean or anything.... 

The food is so good! I don{t know what else you want to know...... but my spanish is coming... everyday i understand a little more and speak a little more. It is really hard but i knew it would be hard.  The church is true! Heavenly Father loves his children everywhere!!! I will be on for a minute so email away!

Love you all! <3 Hermana Chatwin