March 10, 2015

HELLO FAMILIA!!!! :)

This was a FANTASTIC week!!! :) Do you want to know why??? Well it doesn't matter, I will tell you anyways! :) :) :) First off, we had two surgeries this week. With probably another 20 hours in the hospital. Then we had Multi Zone Conference with a member of the 70 who is in the Area Presidency for Central America: Elder Alonso. Which meant more time out of our area. And we were at the office all day Wednesday like normal to work with the insurance claims. Which meant even more time out of our area... Needless to say, we didn't have very many lessons this week... BUT that is not why this week was fantastic, because that would mean I am a horrible missionary rejoicing in little work. I like to work, no worries. :) 

The Multi Zone Conference was amazing! It was centered in obedience and converting ourselves before trying to convert others. This was Friday.

Miracle number 1: Friday after the conference we had a little time to actually work in our area! We were walking home for the night after a few visits and a lady said hi to us as we walked by. Normally we are the ones to say hi to them and not them to us, so we stopped to talk to her. She invited us to walk with her to her house, so we did. She told us she has been having troubles with her teenage son and has been looking for a good church to send him to. They both want to be baptized and find help through the gospel. We said yes! Her son, Fernando, came to church with us this Sunday and loved it! He already made friends with the youth and is excited to learn more! The mom, Carla, had work, but is going to come next week! :)

 Miracle number 2: I cant remember what I have told you about Yerly already, but she is one of our investigators as well. She has been investigating the church for about 2 years ever since her son was baptized. Her husband is from New York, but she is Tica. We have invited her and invited her to be baptized and she keeps saying no. She wants to, but is scared. She knows the church is true and has received several answers from God, but says its not her time yet. Last month she had a surgery scheduled for the 18th of February. It was a fairly big surgery. A few weeks before her surgery, I felt prompted to invite her to be baptized before her surgery. We kneeled together and she prayed to know if this was her time. Everyone in the room felt the YES. I knew she needed to be baptized before her surgery, and honestly felt like something bad would happen if she wasnt. She too knew she should, but chose not to. I was soooo sad. She received an answer, and chose not to follow it. Well the day before her surgery, I called to wish her luck and see if we could help with anything. She told me that the surgery got postponed and would actually be the 9th of March! I immediately felt like this was her chance! This was a blessing from God to give her one more chance to follow her answer. We visited with her and brought the Elders to give her a blessing for the surgery. During the blessing, the Elder felt very strongly to invite her to be baptized before her surgery. She said no again... Well... Friday night I was thinking a lot about her. I prayed for her and wanted to find a way to help her. Saturday morning I felt like I needed to send her a text to invite her to be baptized one last time. (I know, I know, a text..? But seriously, a text. I knew if I called, she wouldnt answer. If we stopped by, she would say no to our faces. But with a text, she could read it, think about it, pray about it, and take her time in privacy..) So at 3:00pm Saturday afternoon I sent her a text inviting her to be baptized Sunday morning, the day before her surgery. We didn't receive a reply until 8:00pm...... And I was too scared to open the text message from her... So I waited until we were on our way home around 9:00pm....

Friday night Yerly had a personal problem come up. She didn't sleep. She woke up early Saturday morning and researched How To Fast on the internet. (apparently we didn't teach her about fasting very well... hahah) and she started to fast. She prayed and prayed for help. She said she finally opened her heart and gave her pride to God. She asked for guidance. And then she got my text... She said this was an answer to her prayers. She knew this answer came from God. She invited her whole family over, and told them about her decision. They read scriptures together, they prayed together, and then at 8:00pm she replied with a, Yes Hermanas, what do I need to do?

When we finally opened the text we were in shock! She said yes! What??? She said yes? We called the Bishop and the Zone Leaders and got the baptism scheduled for 8am Sunday and the interview for 7:30am. Yerly was baptized and confirmed Sunday. Her surgery was Monday. This is why our week was fantastic. :) We didn't have much time to work in our area this week, but I saw more miracles this week than I have seen in my entire mission. And I know without a doubt that my Heavenly Father loves me. And that He loves each one of His children more than we can imagine. He is there and He is guiding us. And when we are obedient to Him, He can give us more blessing than we have room for!

I hope you all had fantastic weeks as well! :) I love you all! :) Keep practicing your texting skills, they might come in handy one day! Mom, that is really why I texted so much before my mission, I was just practicing so I would be really good at it so I could help people receive more blessings from God though texting!

Love,

Hermana Markle. :)

 

Items of Business....

1. I really really really miss Suki. I was thinking about her this week... Will you send her to me? :) I MISS MY PUPPY!!!!!!

2. Transfers are this week... Everyone says that its my turn to leave Escazu... But I don't want to... So I guess we will find out what happens! Out of the 6 here, I have the most time in Escazu. But I LOVE Escazu!!!!! They cant make me leave!!!!! Okay, maybe they can, but whatever.

3. My companion is cute. I still don't think she understands a thing I say. Oh well.

4. Did you ever get the card I sent for your anniversary???

5. There was more I wanted to write, but I ran out of time... Maybe next week...

6. How are you all doing?

7. Anything new or exciting?

8. I love you!!!! :)

9. And I miss you too! Not just my puppy! But I do really miss my puppy too!

 

Our new apartment in Escazu

Making pupusas!

Making pupusas while talking to sick missionaries on the phone . . .

No big surprise - I am still living out of my suitcase in the new apartment!

Yerly's Baptism

Multi-Zone Conference

3 of the 11 Zones - the chairs are for President and Sis Wilkinson and Elder and Sister Alonzo. They only let us use our cameras before the conference - so sorry, no pictures with President and Elder Alonso.

The best text in the whole entire world!