Tica in Costa Rica: 09/08/14

Monday, September 1, 2014

HI :)))))))))

First I would like to begin by saying thank you sooooooooooooooooooooo much for the package!!! I cried my eyes out when I got it because I was so so grateful and happy to read the letters too. Everything in there I really did need and it was a miracle that I got it. The lady who delivered it to me, Sister Herbst, said it was a miracle it got to me. I know the Lord is always watching out for us. I have the best family in the entire world. Also thank you for the pics of Max, Kel!! I showed them to my second family here in the mission. (The family Wong-Jiminez) They think he is the cutest baby. BUGS!! Happy Birthday!!! And what in the world you are getting your license! STOP. And going to homecoming!! How did you ask! Tell me every stinking detail. By the way, thats so fun that you got to go to the storytelling festival! I love reading your emails because I can picture everything clearly. I miss you.

Right now I am at my family´s house. I just want to say that I am so lucky. These people are incredbile. They call Hermana Bram and I their daughters. Everyday they take so much care of us by helping us visit members and cooking delicious food and washing our clothes and just everything. To be honest, this week was really hard. The first week I felt kind of fearless and then suddenly it hit me that I am in a different country and feeling completely lost in conversations and discouraged about the language and just everything. But the father who is like my second dad gave me the best talk and I felt the spirit so strong. He basically told me: Hermana, you are not here to learn the language. You are a representative of Jesus Christ. People will be able to understand you because everyone can understand the language of the spirit. I feel so much better now and I really liked what you said dad about miracles. There are tender mercies everyday and we just need to see them. It is so true. I am so grateful for all the things that I do understand and we have already had experiences that are indescribable.

Hellen and her kids are doing so well. This week we had a really special experience with them. We have continued teaching them, and Hellen said that she has felt more peace in her life since she has had the missionaries come over. She kept saying I dont know why, but I just feel better. Then she started crying because she is worried about money because they don't have hardly anything and she is even worried about feeding her kids. Her daughter daniella was crying too. I just hugged daniella for a long time and I was crying with them. We just bore our testimonies and said a prayer with them. Hellen has so much faith. Daniella is really excited to be baptized. After they have been praying, they prayed that daniella would do well on her test, and I helped her study because it was an english test. She got 100%! They also came to church again on sunday.

We also have another investigator named Aristides. He is 83 years old and is the best person alive. He always just looks at us and is like QUE LINDAS! QUE BONITAS! Hahaha. He always closes his eyes during our lessons and Hermana Bram pokes him with his cane to make him stay awake. She is such a tease. He also came to church with us on sunday.

We had kind of a funny/rado experience teaching Aristides. While we were over there, and this man pulled up on his bike. He was kind of crazy. We were singing and he started singing with us and then he started making up his own song and singing to us. And then he was like "I want to serenade you outside your window with my guitar." And I was like "nope." Then he started preaching because he was a preacher from another church and started preaching and preaching and we were just sitting there listening and finally we were like well, we have to go. And then he was like "You can teach me english and I can teach you spanish!" And I said "No, I already have a teacher." Its hard to explain but it was kind of funny. Aristides was sleeping the whole time. Oh the adventures.

Random culture thing: People have an interesting accent here. They say Mi amorsh or necesitamos que irsh or vamos aversh. :)

Costa is beautiful. I am so grateful to be here and I love the people like I cant even explain. I am so happy to be here. I love you so much and thank you for your prayers. This church is true. It is true in every language, with every circumstance, with every person. I know God lives and loves us. Until next week. I am so grateful for you.