Mission to Paradise: February 3, 2015

Hola mi familia! Que tal?

This was a busy week! We stayed in the ER until 3:30am one night for an Elder who needed surgery on his broken elbow... P Day activity... Almost the entire mission had transfers this week, but I am still with my new companion Hermana Flores. :) We have a new District Leader and Zone Leader though! Julia will be baptized tomorrow! I burnt a batch of brownies in the home of an investigator... We had to send a few people home for sicknesses and more surgeries. My President is still in Utah recovering from his hip replacement. And other busy stuff!

Neelam told me that she has never used an oven before and wanted to learn how to use hers. So I gave her the recipe for brownies so she could collect the ingredients. Well... We made the brownies, and we started teaching a lesson while they cooked... Well... When the ovens here say 350 degrees, it means 350 Celsius... Which is more like 662 degrees Fahrenheit.... Which means within 3 minutes of starting our lesson, we almost burnt down her house and did not teach her how to use her oven very well. Oops. My bad. But all is well now. :) And she still trusts me enough to try it again next week - hahaha.

A member told me this week that she can tell I am more mature than the other missionaries. And the other sister serving in our ward said I am like a mom. I help her remember things she needs to do. Maybe that is because I am 4 or 5 years older than most of them... Or maybe it’s just because I am a funsucker (Love you Kailan!). :) I still get called HerMAMA Markle, but it’s out of love I am pretty sure. :)

Julia is the mother of Virginia, our recent convert. She lives in Nicaragua, but will be here to visit for 3 months. And she is excited to learn all she can so she can bring it back with her to her other children and grandchilden that live in Nicaragua! She thinks that missionaries and the church don’t exist near her house, but we were able to find a chapel close by and a set of missionaries! So we will be sending them the reference so they can find her and her family when she goes back! She is old (like 55) (sorry dad) and hilarious! It takes her a little longer to understand the lessons, but she is finally ready and really excited about her baptism tomorrow! :)

I think my companion is starting to understand my English better, and I think she is having fun. :) We are doing well together and I am excited to be here in Escazu for at least one more transfer to finish up what we started with our amazing investigators! I love missionary work! I hope you all have the opportunity to share the gospel with the people that you love! Have a great week!!!! :) I love you all!

Hermana Markle. :)

Items of Business:

1. Liliana is still on vacations, and Eimy's parents want to get married in June once they have more money, but we are still working with them to move it closer.

2. A member in my ward who turned 55 on the same day as dad asked if she could be sealed to dad. He husband is a non-member and she wants a husband in heaven. She said it was a sign that they were born the same day... I am pretty sure she was joking....

3. Dad, can you send me a copy of your priesthood line? It would be cool to show people during our lessons. The Elders have them, but we don’t...

4. We have to submit samples every other day to be tested for parasites... Fun.... Use your imagination for what kind of samples we give, and where we keep them, and how we bring them to the lab...

5. Mom makes it sound like Katie and Madi moved to a different state. But I am pretty sure you live like 20 minutes away....

6. How is your job doing Brandon? Any cool stories about tackling a youth yet??

7. Happy Groundhogs day!

8. I love you all!!!! Have a good week! :)
9. Happy mom? This week had more detail! :)