Well things are really REALLY good here. I am so privileged to be a missionary here in Costa Rica. Seriously it is the best thing I have ever done in my life. This month the mission had a goal to have 200 baptisms. Yesterday we were all waiting for the results and we heard from the ZL that we only had 199 that we needed one more baptism. So we were calling all the Hermanas in our Region asking who was ready to be baptized. But nothing.... :( So we were kind of bummed. But at 9:00 we got a text from President Wilkinson saying that we did it! That we had 203 baptisms and confirmancions. What a miracle! I know that the Lord is always preparing his children!
This week we had 1 baptism and 2 confirmacions. Our baptism was this little Joven who is 12 seriously I have never seen someone who has such a desire to follow Christ. She is incredible. When she left the water she just has the happiest face. I have never seen someone so happy to be baptized. She is so great. Then on Sunday her and the Other Joven who was baptized last week got confirmed on Sunday. In both of their blessings it talked a lot about serving a mission and being an example to their families. It was just a really spiritual experience.
Also on Sunday we had to go to get some investigators that said they were going to come to church. But they don´t have a phone so we went to go to their house and they weren´t home. So we were kind of bummed. But then when we got to church we have been teching another family that is a refrence of the Relief Society President. They live next store to them. So we were sitting in sacrament meeting and look back and in walks her and her husband with all of our investigators. There were 7 of them. One is only 7 years old so we had 6 But it was seriously a miracle. We both just started crying when they walked in. It was amazing. I know that Heavenly father knows us and he is always willing to help his children when we do our part.
Also Hermana Geis and her Companion are going to have a miracle this week!! I am going to send you what she sent me because it is AMAZING!! They are teaching this couple and background story... When i was with Hermana Geis the other week we were on a bus. We were waiting in line to get on the bus and we started talking to this guy. His name is carlos. I sat next to him on the Bus and he started telling me about his family. His wife has MS and can´t leave the house. She is basically almost a vegetable. He was telling us a whole bunch of stuff about his family and we just felt So strongly that we had to invite him to church. This was saturday. So sunday morning we were out side the church waiting for other people. And he called us. He said He i am here by the church. He lives an hour away!!! So we never thought he would come. But he came and He LOVED IT! He sat down and said I just feel so much peace. So Then i left and the Hermanas kept visiting him. They started visiting his wife also. She can´t go to church but she LOVES the gospel. Yesterday they had their baptismal interviews and they are going to be baptized this saturday.They got special permission for the wife to be baptized too even though she can´t go to church. I am going to put what hermana Geis told me too. It is A MIRACLE!!!!
¨Ok so now i just want to talk about Carlos and Vera. Vera is the one with MS. Seriously i cant even explain all that has happened with them, because it is all such a complete miracle. Since the first day we went they have loved everything and have said how much joy they feel when we talk about the gospel, and Carlos just absolutely loves church and the people and everything. This week when we were visiting them, Carlos told us that he has always felt like he has been waiting for something more, and that he is searching for the truth. When he said that, Vera lifted her hand up and pointed at her self. Carlos said, ¨You too are searching?¨ And she said, ¨Yes.¨ carlos said that she had never admitted that, ever, and that he felt so happy that she was in the same boat as him. We then committed them both to baptism again, and vera accepted! Carlos was SO happy, and he literally always talks about how badly he wants eternal life with his whole family. He said to Vera, ¨I just keep picturing us on the other side, hand in hand, you walking, and us with our kids, forever. I want to have eternal life with you.¨ Seriously everyone, I cant tell you how amazed i was at seeing all of this. Heavenly father as blessed me immensely to be able to even see this. Then we knelt down next to vera´s bed, and he offered the prayer. it was the most amazing prayer i have every heard.
So yesterday, us, the elders, and Jorge our ward mission leader went over to have their baptismal interviews. Vera at the beginning said that she didnt feel ready - that she wanted to wait to feel more prepared to take this huge step. But she agreed to have the interview anyway. So Elder Gomez had the interview with her, while us missionaries helped their daughters cook and clean the house. Then when he finished that interview he started the interview with Carlos. Jorge was talking to vera and then called to me and said, ¨Hermana geis, come in here right now!¨ So i went in and Vera was explaining how she was feeling. She said that the interview went really well, and that she was able to be really open with Elder Gomez - she said that she felt so light and filled with a peace and joy - we were like, that is the spirit! That is your answer! She then said that she also felt scared...because she knew that her family would be completely against it. But we just let her talk, and didnt say anything. Then she said, ¨Well who do i listen to....my family, or God?.....I need to listen to God.....Im going to get baptized.¨ It was AMAZING to see the spirit work in her that way. Then when Carlos finished his interview he came in, and we said to Vera, ¨Do you want to tell him?¨ And she said to Carlos, ¨Im not going to let you do it alone:¨ Carlos just said, really?! And then he leaned over and gave her a kiss! The room was filled so stronly with the spirit and warmth and such joy. Carlos was SO happy, and Vera was just beaming.¨
This just has helped me realize that Heavenly father knows ALL of his children. He knows who they are and when they need the gospel. That if you ever feel a prompting from the Lord to talk to someone or do something you should never wait to follow it. The Lord knows who he wants in his church and he is going to do everything he can to get them to be part of his church. I love the gospel so much!
Also this Sunday Elder Cordon spoke in sacrament meeting. He talked about being Diligent. He talked about how we need to be diligent in ever aspect of our lives. That being diligent means doing what God wants AND having a good attitude about it. Not just to do the right things because you know you should but to do them because you want to follow God. We also ate dinner at their house this week. How weird to eat dinner with a member of the 70.... Their family is really nice! I have learned so much from them about keeping the sabbath day holy. I don´t think that any member of the church really keeps the sabbath day holy. We all have a lot of things we need to do better that day. We need to remember that the sabbath day is not just a day of rest it is a day to do the Lords work. To visit less active members or family and to spend time with our family doing things that bring the spirit and are productive.... That we shouldn´t watch movies on sunday and we shouldn´t just sleep all day.... I know that there are SO many things we need to change to keep this day sacred. But i would invite you to all think about that. What can you do to make your sabbath day more spiritual.
Well family I love you all I hope things are well!! Talk to you next week!!!
con amor
Hermana Chatwin
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