Hard at work!

Hello everyone :) so i don't know if you heard but we will now be writting on tuesdays becasue of some problems we have had in the mission. We all have to write together as a district to be in the internet together.... so that is interesting... yesterday was so weird... we didn't do anything because we didn't write you guys.

So this week was actually really good! I think that sometimes I am a little hard on myself when it comes to being a good missionary. But we had a baptism this week he was a son of a Recent Convert! It was really great! I love this ward so much! The members are awesome!

My companion and I are really trying to work better together and we have had a lot of success these past few weeks. These past few weeks we were looking for this lady that the Hermanas found before I was here. We had passed by like 10 times and still was never there. So we decided one time more we would go and see if she was there. And guess what.... SHE WAS. She opened right up and said oh sure come on in. She told us that that day before she had been praying and asking God to help her find a way to be happy again. That she just needed a little bit of hope in her life. And the next day we found her. She has a lot of problems and isn't quite ready to make a big change in her life but I had never felt the Spirit so strong as I did in that moment when she was telling us that she felt so alone. She started crying. I started crying. It was really just the sweetest experience!

We also have another investigator and her daughter who have been coming to church because they have had a lot of help from the members. The members here have been awesome with helping us bring people to church. I have such a testimony of member missionary work. I know that really the members make all the differance. THey change everything! So if you have missionaries in your ward ask them how you can help them bring people to church on Sunday really you will make their day! :) This same lady the other day we tauth the word of wisdom and I was thinking it would be hard to get her to stop drinking coffee but she was like oh yeah that makes sense I should stop.... I was like yes :)

But things are really getting better here. We had a really good week and I didn't really realize it until today we were in out District meeting and we always have to put our numbers on the board and talk about why we didn't meet soem goals or what we are doing to meet the others. And we really had a really good week! We are working really hard and we have a few baptisms for this month! A few families that need a little more time but things are really getting so good! I love being a missionary so much! It is the hardest best thing I have ever done! We had a girl that gave a talk on Sunday about how we need to pray for missionary experiences and I would just invite everyone to think of one person with whom they can share the gospel... Really just one. Pray about it. Fast about it. and then DO IT :) Open your mouth and share the message of the resturation or that we can live with our Heavenly Father again someday. Do it and you will change soemones life! And you will help your own testimony grow too!

Well family I love you guys a lot! I hope you have a good thanksgiving! We wont be doing much here so eat some turkey and potatoes for me! Love you guys!! <3

Hermana Chatwin

Hi family :) everything is good here in Cartago!! This week we found about 12 new investigators! Woo! :) we had 5 people that came to church. So that was cool! This week i have learned a lot that when we are doing what we can our Heavenly Father does the rest! All week we have been trying to get people to come to church and calling every day to remind them and sending texts and everything! Then sunday came around and we had like 12 people that said they would come so we were really excited! Then sunday morning came and no one answered their phone, or said they were sick, or had some lame excuse.... whats new... but we had been praying so hard this week to have people come to church so we showed up and we had 3 people with us then a few investigators that we had not seen for a week or so showed up too. It really helped my testimony grow in the fact that when we do our part the Lord does his. Maybe our plans are not exactly the same as his but when we show him that we are willing to do everything we can to have success he blesses us in ways we never thought about.

 

My companion and I put up all the christmas decorations that we got so our house is all christmasy! It is great! :) We had to go to imigration last week so i am finally legal here! Yay!! :) soy tica! That was fun to see a few girls that came with me and talk to them about how things are going! I was talking to one girl and we were saying it has been hard but good! We were talking about how the most important thing about being a missionary is learing how to be a better member when you come home. That really the work is with the members. That the missionaries teach the lessons but the Members do the rest! I have such a strong testimony of that! Seriously member missionaries are the most important in the work of salvation! Then this week we had a lesson that we invited this couple to come with us. they are THE BEST! This was on a saturday and they told our investigator we are going to come pick you and your daughter up tomorrow morning for church and you can sit with us and it will be great! She was kind of hesitante but it was great! She and her daughter came and they really liked the church! Then the family said we should have a family home evening with them tonight so they invited them over and they are really getting into the missionary spirit! I love the members of the church so much!

 

This week I have also learned a very hard lesson that everyone has their agency to chose to accept the gospel or reject it. It makes me so sad when we find someone who is prepared but they don´t want to listen or say that it is not important to them, But then i started to remember that this is the point of our life. Some people will accept christ or some wont. It is sad but there will always be people who are ready to accept the Gospel. So we will just keep looking for them!

 

Well family I love you all! Hope you have a happy thanksgiving! A few members said we can come over thursday and eat dinner. I think we will make sweet pork... So mom if you have that recipie send it to me :) the one with coke or something! Love you guy a lot! Everyone is getting so big! The pictures of your kids are stinking cute!! Love you all so much! And tell Brynlee thanks for he wish at disneyland for my spanish! I am sure that it will help me be a better missionary! Love you guys all so much!! <3

 

Love

Hermana Chatwin

Nov Pictures

Hi family!

 

So we are writing very early today because they changed my Pday to thursday. We only have time to do internet today because on thursday we have to go to the office and do some stuff for imigration. So this email will be very short. This week has been good. We had a few more investigators come to church this week so we are seeing some progress. We found a few new families last week to teach so that was awesome! One of the families the dad has never listened to the Hermanas before but I invited him to listen to us and he did. He said he wasn´t ready to come to church but he really like the things we were teaching him. So we will see what happens next week. My companion is really awesome! She always helps me know what i can do better and we are working better together. I am starting to know the area a little bit more so that is good. Still I dont know everything or everyone but it is coming! I had to speak in church this week about the Obra Misional. So that was fun :) Things are good here everyone is decorating for christmas so everyone has their trees or their lights up :) it is very different to see a house with lights and a tree but it is like 60 degrees outside. And still you are cold... :) It is crazy. I love being a missionary with all my heart! I know that this is where I need to be! Sorry that it is so short but I will srite a longer one next week!

 

Love you guys

 

Hermana Chatwin

dying from the cold

Familia!!! Como estan?? I am dying from the cold~!!! I didn't think it was possible to be so cold in Costa Rica!!! I have been able to use all my normal clothes so that is a plus! I have to use my blanket and sweatshirt in the morning when I am studying. I am pretty sure my companion thinks I am crazy. But it was such a drastic change from Canas to here. But i am alright I have sweaters and everything so I might look like a Grandma but I always have a sweater to be warm.

This area is SO different than my last one! It is HUGE!  We could probably fit five of my old area in this area. We share it with 2 elders but still work in the whole thing so that has been the struggle this week to find a way to work efficiently in all of the areas.... We are still trying. My companion is great! THis is her 3rd change in Costa Rica so she just finished training. Her spanish is good! She is just a little hesitant still about talking or teaching.... So we are working on it. I am really grateful that I have had the companions I have had. My trainer taught me so much and my second companion I really had to grow up quick and learn to be in charge so I am grateful for my father in heaven for giving me these experiences to grow and be a better missionary. There is one ward here so it is bigger than my last area and more members. I still don't know exactly where everything is yet but I am learning.

This week we have been looking for new investigators A LOT! They had one investigator who was not really progressing but we went to her house maybe the first day or secone day i was here and I have just learned that I have to start talking to the investigators and find out who they are and get to know them before I can teach them. So I just started talking to her and washed some of her dishes for a few minutes. Then we taught a really powerful lesson and I could feel the spirit so strong! Then the next time we put a baptismal date with her! Yesterday we had a quick lesson with her about the Book of Morman and we read the introduction. We invited her to say the prayer when we finished and she said okay. So she started praying and really it was the most sincere prayer I have ever heard. She said something like please help me to know the truth if really what the hermanas are telling me is true. If this is really your church and if I really should follow this camino. After she said amen I opened my eyes and she had tears and I had tears I just asked her how she felt and she said i feel good. I always feel so good when you guys are here I just want you to stay here all day. I told her Hermana That is the spirit trying to tell you that these things are true! Honestly if i am only here for one month I know that it was to find this Hermana! Her family is so special to me! (: I can really just feel the Love that the lord has for them!

Well I am sure learning so much here. I can't express how much i love to be a missionary. I have learned in the last few months that I can really have the spirit with me and teach with power and authority. I have always had a testimony of the Gospel my whole life I have just known it was true. But there is such a different spirit when you are in a lesson with someone and you teach about the first vision or about the book of morman and you can say  I know without a doubt that the book of morman is the word of God. That really this is the way that my heavenly father answers my questions. I love the book of Morman! I just love being a missionary so much! Really I can't believe how fast the time has gone. I feel like I wake up in the morning and then I go to sleep again. It is SO fast. I just hope that I am doing everything my Heavenly Father wants me to do. That i never EVER waste his time here! I love my heavenly father so much! I just love being a missionary!! (:

Well family I hope you all have a good week! I will talk to you all next week!!!

Love Hermana Chatwin