Busy week

HI family! I am sorry I don't have time to write you today but I had to write a kind of long letter to President Wilkinson.... I love you all so much! Hope you have a great week! Pray a lot for my companion and I that we can have a good week and see some miracles! I love you guys!!! 

Hermana Chatwin

I love being here (: I can't believe that next week I will have a year in the mission. HOw does the time go SO fast.

Hi family (:

Well it hasn't been that long since I talked to you last week so nothing to exciting has been going on. We had a good week. Not as good as it could have been but good. We went to the volcano today (: it wasn't anything to exciting but we had fun.

This week with confrence we were really excited for our investigators to come and listen to the profeta. We had on investigator that came to the saturday afternoon session and she really liked it. We watched the morning one in English so that was nice then the afternoon one in Spanish. Then on Sunday morning we had a lot of people that said they would come but they didn't :( we were a little bummed so we watched it in English and then the computer didn't work very well... but then we decided we are going to have people in the second session. So we went to get some of our investigators and we had 8 people that came to that session! We were so happy! And they all said they really liked it.

Also we did have a crazy miracle happen this week. We met this couple on the street a few days ago and they told us we could come by and visit them. So we called them on Friday and they said they were home and we could come over. So we went and visited them. A little back story We have the goal to have 10 baptisms this month and we have been praying a lot to find a family that is really ready to accept the gospel and that can be baptized this month. A family that is married and ready to read the Book of Morman. So we get to their house and walk in and the first thing we see is a picture of their wedding. They told us they had been married for five years. We started talking and they told us that they have been going to lots of different churches all their lives. So we started teaching the restoration and we both felt impressed to talk about Joseph Smith. He told us that he felt like all of the things we were saying were true and that really we were messengers from God. The Spirit was SO strong! So we finished the lesson and she asked us if we wanted something  to drink and she said Coffee? and we said we don't drink coffee and she said oh me neither. We were like..... wow these people really were prepared! It just really strengthened my testimony to know that Hevenly father is listening to us and that he always answers our prayers.

I love being here (: I can't believe that next week I will have a year in the mission. HOw does the time go SO fast.

Well family I love you! Hope you all have a good week!

Hermana Chatwin

Hello family (:

Hello family (: 

Well just so you know they change our Pday to today because we went to the temple today. So that is why I didn't write on Monday. How is everyone doing? Sounds like you all had a good week. We had a great week! Seriously I don't think I have ever seen so many miracles in all of my mission. 

We have been teaching these kids who are grandkids of some members. They were a refrence from the Bishop. The first time we went the bishop asked them Hey do you want to get baptized on sunday. Obviously we still had to teach them so they couldn't but they are so great. So we have been teaching them for a while. We thought that maybe they could get baptized next month. But then we prayed about it and both felt really strongly that the 2 boys were ready to get baptized now. So we talked to them and the grandparents and went with the ward mission leader to their house. They told us that they were ready to be baptized. And also their sister told us she wanted to get baptized. We were in shock. So we talked a little about baptism and how it is a covenent and how it takes away our sins. And they all said yes I want to get baptized this Sunday. So we called the district leader and the next day they had interviews. Then that Sunday in the morning they were all baptized and confirmed. It was so great to see their Grandparents, who have been members almost all their lives, watch their Grand children get baptized. We know that those kids are going to go on missions and bless other people for generations. 

We have been praying really hard that this month we can have 10 baptisms. That we can find 10 people who are really prepared to be baptized. So this week we went with a member who gave us some old papers from the missionaries that had a bunch of numbers and addresses on them. So we decided that we should call them. We called one family and the Dad told us that we could come visit him whenever we wanted. So we decided to go the next day. We went and they told us that they went to church for 8 months but never got baptized. They told us they really like the church and they know A TON of members. So we put a fecha with them and we are going to help them get married this month so they can be baptized. It is a family of 3. Really it just taught me though that the Lord has his time. Maybe they weren't ready before but they are ready. The first lesson we felt very strongly to talk about temples. We talked about how they can have an eternal families. The hermana was crying and you could just feel the spirit so strongly! We know that the Lord is preparing people here in Costa Rica! 

Also this week we went with another family of 4 and we hadn't been able to visit them in a while. They are members of another church but we gave them a book of morman las time and they told us they were really interested in reading it. Then we asked them if we could watch the video that the church has out for Easter. Called "Because of Him". I am sure you have seen it. If not go watch it! So we started watching it and she said he someone shared this on our church group message. This is from your church? It was pretty cool to know that other people are really watching the things from the church. After we could bear testimony that really that is the center of our message. That he is the center of our message. That really this is the only true church that Jesus Christ organized and he is at the head of the church. It was a really spiritual experience and we invited them to come to confrence this weekend. (: 

We are So excited for confrence! To have the chance to Listen to the Profeta and Apostles of God. How lucky are we! I hope everyone will watch it and invite someone to watch it with them! And try to think about how we can really apply the messages that they are giving because they are really from our father in heaven! 

Well family I hope you all have a great week I love you all so much! I am so grateful for the family I have and for the blessings that we have thanks to the Gospel in our lives! I know that we will have an eternal family as long as we try our best and always keep our temple covenants. You guys are the best (: 

Love you 

Hermana Chatwin

A week of milagros!

Hi family (:

Looks like everyone is having a lot of fun! It is so cute to see all the cousins together! And it looks like they all get along so that is good!

This week has been crazy  I don't even know where to start! We have seen so many miracles this week! We had a mission confrence this week and that was awesome to have the whole mission together. I am sure you saw the pictures on facebook. I haven't seen it yet so if you want to send it to me that would be cool.  It was fun to see all my old companions and also I saw an hermana who was a member in my branch before and she got her mission call to Costa Rica. It was so fun to see her! ( Hey Hna Garcia fue Duña voy a mandarle una foto) But Elder Duncan came and he talked about Faith. And Elder Maynes who is one of the Presidents of the 70 also. He talked about the plan of salvation and how we need to make Celestial traditions in our families so that we can return to live with our Heavenly Father. So we didn't have changes this change we are still together (: We were happy about that. But the mission had a lot of changes. They made about 6 new zones and President called 2 new assistents so we can really see that the Lord is preparing Costa Rica to have 2 missions.

So last week we had that baptism of the girl and her family came so that was great but we went and visited her family and it was so great! She was helping us teach the lesson and telling her family you just have to pray and ask God if this is true because I had to do that too. It was just so cool to watch how excited she got about teaching her family about the restoration. There truly is power in teaching with recent converts. She also got confirmed on sunday and her mom and sister and nieces came to church to support her and they really liked it! We are so excited for her and her family (: Also in her blessing they told her that she would go to the temple and marry a righteous priesthood holder so that really helped us see that we didn't just change her life but the lives of her children and her family!

The other two investigators that got confirmed this week was really the biggest miracle! So we went on saturday and they felt a little sick but they said sure we will go tomorrow. ( oh also this week we had stake confrence so we had to take an hour bus ride to the stake center) So on sunday morning we called them to see how things were and they told us they couldn't come because their asthma was really bad. So they had to go to the hospital. We were like....uh.... so we called the ward mission leader, who is the one who baptized them, and he said he would go give them a blessing. So he went and they said she felt instantly better but they still wanted to go to the docter to just see what the problem was. So he told them get ready like you are going to church and I will drive you. So they went and they were there for like 2 hours. We had to meet all the ward in Cartago to take the bus. So we got there at like 10:00 and the bus was leaving at 10:30. We knew that they were going to be fine but we were really nervous. So we called them and they told us that nothing was wrong with her that they were leaving the doctor and they would come as fast as they could. But the ward didnt want to wait for them They wanted to leave at 10:30. So we said a prayer and called our ward mission leader again. He talked to the member who was in charge and he said no we are leaving at 10:30. Then the ward mission leader called the bishop and the bishop called the member and told him they had to wait. (: We were so happy. Then seriously like 2 minutes after the bus would have left they got there and they were running to make the bus. We were just crying because we were so happy. We knew that heavenly father listened to our prayers and that he was really trying our faith. But he always pulls through.

Also we had 6 investigators that came to the stake confrence which was amazing! President Wilkinson talked about missionary work and this is what he said. He said those of you that are here for the first time I want to welcome you, to the only true church on the face of the Earth. I want to invite you to listen to the missionaries. Also If you dont have a date to get baptized I want you to pick a date and ask the missionaries when can i get baptized. It was awesome! (: one of our investigators came up to us after and he said so when can I get baptized? (: haha we were like um on saturday he was like okay!

Also we have a new ward mission leader who is great! He served his mission in El Salvador. They live right by us so we are really good friends with them. Yesterday we had corralation and we were talking about how we can work better with the members and everything. It was really great! Also he told us a new way to ask for refrences which really isn't asking because that isn't very effective. He said we should just go with members and share a scripture then ask them to introduce us to their vecinos. So we went to a lesson with them last night and he told us to do it with our recent convert. So we did and she took us to 2 houses where they both told us we could come back and visit. One is a family of 4 and the other has like 3 kids. We were in aw! It was so awesome!

I know that heavenly father kept me and Hna Geis together because he wants us to be better missionaries and he has given us all the tools to do it. I love being a missionary so much! I can't believe how fast the time has gone! I know that going on a mission was the best choice i have ever made. It has seriously changed my life! I know that I am becoming the person that my heavenly father wants me to be and really it has helped me put things in perspective. That those things of the world aren't important. The only things that matter are the things that are important to our heavenly father. I hope we never ever get to busy for those things or never forget how important the gospel is in our lives!

Well family I love you! I didn't have time to send pictures but I will send them next week hopefully! Love you all!!!

Hermana Chatwin

11 meses!!

Hi family (: How did the time go so fast! Yesterday I had 11 months in the mission. I just can't believe that the time is going SO fast! Well this week is changes but they postponed the change until Friday. We are not sure why or anything no one has said but we are having a Mission confrence Friday with Elder Duncan who is the area President for Central America and a member of the 70. 2 weeks ago we had a Multi Zone confrence with Elder Alonzo who is also a member of the 70. The Lord is for sure hastening his work here in Costa Rica. So I am not sure If I am going to have changes but we will see. Also we are changing the day we write again to Mondays instead of Tuesdays. So next week I WILL WRITE YOU ON MONDAY. (:

Well I don't even know where to start.... This week has been

CRAZY! We had so many miracles here! We have this one Investigator who told us she wasn't ready to get baptized and that she had her interview but didn't pass. That was last week. So we have been praying and fasting to find out what she needed. So we had a lesson with her Saturday afternoon and we were trying to watch the Restoration but the internet in her house wasn't working. So we decided to read it in JSH. We read it and it was really powerful. Then we talked about how she felt ( Which we have done like a million times talked about that feeling good is an answer that these things are true ) But i guess it never clicked in her head until this minute. When she read a scripture and said oh So when I feel good after I pray that is God telling me that this is true. It was just amazing how you could see that the spirit instantly touched her heart and she got her answer in that minute. Then she asked us if she could read the baptismal questions and we said sure then asked if she had a question and she said no I am ready. So we called the zone leaders and told them we was ready.  So the Zone leaders came to give her the Interview and she passed. (: It was the most spiritual experience ever. This was on Saturday night and she said she wanted to get baptized Sunday morning!! We were so happy. So we called the Member who she wanted to baptize her and had to work on Sunday so we were thinking what should we do but we figured it all out and she got baptized on Sunday in the afternoon. Also she invited her Sister and her Mom to come.

It was so incredible! Her sister came up to us and asked so when are you coming to my house. (: We said wednesday she said sure. Then the Ward mission leader asked her when are you going to get baptized and she said in April (: haha So we are going with her tomorrow and I am sure that we are going to see really great things from this family!

Also on Sunday we have 2 more baptisms in the afternoon of a Mom and her Daughter. It was the neatest thing to see. She was a refrence of a Recent Convert. So they are really really good friends. The hermana gave a talk which was great because she only has been baptized like 6 months and has never given a talk. But the best part was after the baptism they asked the mom if she wanted to say something and she gave the most beautiful testimony I have ever heard.

She said she was waiting for something to change in her life and this is exactly what she needed to start over and be a new person. It was so great. She is reading the book of mormon and is in Alma! She read to Alma before she was even baptized (: We were so happy for her!

Also we got a new ward mission leader this week. He is awesome! We are really good friends with him and his wife and they live right by us. But he is really excited to start working and we are all getting the ward ready to start working! 

This week really has been incredible! I am so grateful for the chance I have to be a missionary. I have felt my faith growing and I have seen miracles here. I have no doubt in my mind that this is the Lords work. That he is leading the missionaries. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and I know that this is his only true church. It is the only church that has the authority of God to seal families together for eternity and the power to act in his name. I know that the Book of Morman is the word of God that through it we can know ëxactly what our Heavenly Father expects of us so that we can return and live with him again. I know that Joseph Smith was and is the prophet of the resturacion. That through him the same church that Jesucristo organized when he was on the Earth. I know that Thomas S Monson is a prophet of God and we are part of the Church of Jesus Christ.
Aw family I can't even tell you how great this week has been. I have had SO many spiritual experiences and really seen the Hand of the Lord. I have no doubt in my mind that my Heavenly Father knows me and he is very aware of what I need in my life. I am so grateful that we have the gospel and know that we can have an eternal family! We get to be together forever as long as we do what the Lord asks of us!

Well Family I love you all SO much! I hope you have a great week and we will talk to you on MONDAY next week (:

Hermana Chatwin

A crazy week

Hi Family!!!
 (: Ah i can't tell you how fun it was to see all your pictures this week! How fun that everyone is together!!!! I love you guys! I am glad you all were together on my birthday! And ate some chocolate pie for me (:

Well this week has been crazy! We had a lot of disappointments but we also saw a lot of Miracle this week. We have an investigator who is so great! She has come to church 4 times but doesn't feel like she has gotten her answer yet. She was supposed to have her baptismal interview thisweek but she said she couldn't because she was in San Jose. So we were waiting for her in Cartago with the Elders who were going to do the interview but she said no.

So we were really bummed just waiting for the Elders and thinking what should we do when she walked up to us. We were in the middle of the city and she just ran into us. So she had her interview that night. She still doesn't feel quite ready to get baptized but we are working on it. It was crazy that we ran into her though in the middle of a city.... Heavenly Father loves her so much! 

Also this week we got to our house and our closet was broken. We have like a portable closet that is kind of cheep but it was all the way tipped over. We tried to put it back together but it got worse and worse. So we ended up just sitting on the floor laughing until our stomaches hurt because it was so broken. Then we had to put all the clothes on our bed and on the chairs inour house. It was like that for about 4 days.... so that was kind of horrible. 

Oh and on Sunday we had the biggest miracle ever! We had 7 Investigators in the church and we didn't go to get any of them. They all came with Members and it was so great!!! There is this one family that the grandparents have been inactive for a year but they have veen members for almost their whole lives. Their Grandkids are not members and this sunday they all came to church. It was so great to see them there and to see the difference that the church makes in peoples lives! 

Also we went with a member whose wife is not a member and he was inactive but we went to visit and we talked about Eternal Families and it was so sweet. He told her this is the only way that we can have an etermal family is if you come to church and know for yourself so that you can get baptized and we can go to the temple. It was the sweetest thing ever. I know that Heavenly father is preparing families to listen to the gospel. 

Also to celebrate my birthday we went to subway on my birthday (: that was fun! But yesterday we had to go to the office to get new closets so we decided we would go to lunch and we went to chilis (: it was SO good!!!! The best food I have ever eaten! We got chocolate cake too so that was fun and they sang to me in English so that was fun too! I also got my package that mom mailed the other one still didn't come but maybe in a while I will get it (: 

Oh one more thing  an investigator invited us over for My birthday and my companions because hers is this sunday so we went to eat with this lady. She is really nice.She goes to  an evangelica church but she is reading the book of mormon. She told us that she and her husband were never baptized into the church because she wanted to get married for the church first. But then we started talking about temples and how they could get baptized and then married. And showed her a picture of the temple in Costa Rica. She said maybe that's why I never got baptized so i could get married there...... We were both like.... uh YEAH!!! She is so great! We just need to go with her Husband and get them both to come to church!! But everyone this week has been great! This is the last week of the change so maybe I will be writting from somewhere new next week.I don't think so but I will let you all know (: Love you all so much!!!! Hope everyone is having lots of fun together! Miss ya like crazy but I know I am where I need to be!! Love you!!! (: <3

Hermana Chatwin

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME (:

Hi family (:

Can you believe how fast the time has gone! We are in MARCH..... where did the time go. I hope you all celebrate my birthday with some chocolate satin pie from Marie Calenders. And save me a piece. (:

This week has been really great we have been having a lot of success. 

On Sunday we showed up to church and we were talking to all the members and there is this family that we have been visiting the whole time I have been here. The wife was inactive but she started coming back to church. We have been visiting them almost every week because the Husband still hasn't come back to church. He had a whole bunch of excuses and was just not wanting to change. It was so sad to watch because the wife really wants to go to the temple and have an eternal family but she was saying I can't do that by myself. Her and I have gotten to be really close and we have been fighting so hard for him to come back to church. Then on Sunday her daughter came up to me and told me hey Santos came to church he is sitting on the front row (: So I went up there to say Hi to him and when I saw them together I just started tearing up a little bit. I was just so happy to see them there! The wife just started crying and gave me a big hug and said we did it we knew he would come back. She told me that she had been having a really hard time paying her tithing but she decided that it was something she needed to do. And when she started paying her tithing again that next Sunday her Husband came back to church. I am so grateful for the commandments and for the things that the Lord promises to bless us if we keep them. I know that all of the commandments are really ways to help us recieve blessings. I know that the commandments are a way to accept the Savior in our lives. 

Also yesterday we had a really great experience.
We were board so we decided that we would watch some movies. We have movies of the district which are like training videos for missionaries. So we watched those for like 3 hours yesterday and were talking about some of the things we could do better. We were watching one lesson and decided he we need to try that with one of our investigators so we wrote down some questions that we needed to ask her and we went to the lesson. It was probably the best lesson we have ever had! It was so great and she really felt the spirit so strong. And that she was going to pray to see if she should be baptized this weekend. I know that the Lord will bless her to recieve an answer. Also i gained such a strong testimony of planning that really when we do all our part the Lord will bless us with the rest and the spirit will help us to teach in the way we need to.

These past few weeks I have really come to understand the gospel so much more. I have come to understand my purpose as a missionary and I love doing it. I am so grateful to be here. I know that my heavenly father knows me and knows exactly what I need. He knows every one of us and wants us to succeed. Really heavenly father loves us so much and it is so much easier to follow the gospel and to live the commandments. Life is never going to be easy but It is worth it and SO much easier when you live the gospel. (:

Well Family I love you guys! I hope you all have a great week! Love you!!!!

Hermana  Chatwin