Letter 24!

June 19, 2013
Well another week full of rain has passed by! If you picture me in Costa Rica on the beach with the sun shining brightly....get that out of your head. Many times this week we were walking in the street with rain half way up our calves and most of our body soaking, haha...but I love every bit of it!! Hermana Garcia and I just laugh at each other. Especially when buses go rushing by and it’s impossible to dodge the waves of dirty street water.
The other day we had a lesson in a members house and they were nice enough to give us a towel to dry us off with and we ended up sitting on it so that we didn’t soak their couches. When we get home, sometimes Hermana Elvira brings us out some hot cocoa...ahhh, she is the best! She has been the house manager of many missionaries and so she has learned very fast the palabra de sabiduria and that we don’t drink coffee.
Well it was soooooo discouraging and sad that Maritza ended up not getting baptized this past Sunday. She told us that she needed more time as it is hard for her to accept another book of scripture and she just wanted more time to get a for sure answer. She has been going to church with us for the past 3 weeks and says that she wants her family to join her. She studies the book of mormon everyday and loves learning more and more. She has already been baptized in two other churches and so she just wants to be sure that this is right. Last week we watched the restoration with her...she loved it. the spirit was so strong as Hermana Garcia, a member, and I all bore our testimonies of the prophet Joseph smith. She said that the storty of Joseph smith was incredible and that it reminds her of herself. She feels so confused with all the many churches but says she wants to have a testimony lilke us. We know that she will get to that point and will be baptized because she really does have a sincere heart and really does want to do the will of the Lord. Keep her in your prayers because she is golden! hermana Garcia and I love her so much and pray that she will recognize her answer.
On Sunday after church we went to Hermana Rosarios house to eat dinner with her, her husband who is a menos activo, and her son who is an incredible return missionary. Hermana Garcia and I made a mexican dish ,well i didnt really make it just did what Hermana Garcia told me to do. Actually...it was really nice to eat something that
wasn’t rice, haha. I never thought that eating rice and beans here every day would get old, but it happened. But gayo pinto still has a special place in my heart always!
it was a surprise to find Jadira at the house of hermana Rosario as we have been trying to find this reference for a long time! It was so happy to set an appointment with her as she really seems interested! well we have another temple session to go to and a sealing tonight so i have to run...so excited!! I love you all and this gospel is so true!!!! Love, Hermana Pease

Letter 23!

6/10/13
Dear Family,
We had stake conference on Sunday and Elder Duncan(Of the seventy) came to speak as well as President Wilkinson. Both brought an amazing spirit to the conference. We had 3 of our investigators come with us and a less active was reluctant to agree to go with us. Our stake was split into two stakes and there is now 7 stakes in Costa Rica. The Church is growing and prophecies of olden time prophets are being fulfilled! So exciting!!
On Thursday we had divisions with the Hermana Zone Leaders. Hermana Garcia went with Hermana Marqcuez to Belen and Hermana Jones came to my area. Hermana Jones has about 10 months here and is from Salt lake City, Utah. She has special talents and when she talks to people everyone wants to be around her. She has an amazing spirit and has taught me so much! She made me laugh a couple of times with the different techniques she uses for street contacting. We had been walking in a suburb area and saw a family walking down the street to their house. We both thought the same thing and turned around to follow them. When we met the mom; Hermana Jones randomly said “does Louis live.” I was so confused and didn’t remember that we were ever looking for a Louis. The mom said no and Hermana Jones told her that Louis said that he lived in a red two story house which was the description of the house in front of us. The mom told her maybe the other street and then I realized it was a tactic.
I’m still trying to decide if it would be considered a sin or not to lie in order to help someone find their salvation, haha. Ill have to ponder more on that one, but our introduction was a lot smoother and she didn’t end up thinking we were stalkers. A few days later Hermana Garcia and I went back to that house to visit with the mom but she wasn’t home. We ended up talking with her mom, Anabel, who agreed to let us into her house to share a little message. Before we even said the opening prayer, Anabel began crying and shared with us that she just went through a divorce, has a lot of stress, and suffers a little bit of depression. I really don’t know if she will accept the gospel but in that moment I felt like i was there for one purpose, to be an actual representative of Jesus Christ.
Our Father in Heaven is aware of all of His children and knows our needs! I was so happy to give her a copy of the Book of Mormon and share my testimony of how it could bless her life. The Book of Mormon is here to help whatever challenge any person has. I pray that there isn’t one day that goes by that you don’t read from that true book. I love the book of Mormon and know as we read it our testimony is strengthened and as we apply it we become converted disciples of Jesus Christ! I love you all! And this gospel is true! Pura Vida!!! Hermana Pease

Letter 22!!

June 3, 2013    Hermana Pease  

 

Well just a quick update...I love this Costa Rica Mission and I am so grateful for my companion, hermana Garcia, and for all the people we are teaching right now. We have one lady who is progressing right now, Maritza! I absolutely love her. She speaks hardly any english but sometimes likes to practice. On Sunday we called her to remind her of church and when she answered the phone she told me in english with her cute accent...Im ready to go to church hermana Pease. That was such a happy moment! She studies a lot and is praying a lot. She has two children and is actually married!! Finally!!!! The rest of the family is always busy that we never even see them in the house and so not a chance that we would see them at church...but on Sunday Maritza told us that She really hopes her family will join her.

 

On Wednesday it down poured rain all day. Our umbrellas didn’t help us at all because we were soaked from our elbows down. We also happened to be working in the area where all the mud is and we only slipped 2 or 3 times, haha. At one point Hermana Garcia slipped on her rear end, pobrecita. But it keeps us laughing, haha. However by Friday, I ended up catching a cold with a little bit of fever. But Hermana Elvira(our apartment manager) was good to make me a hot lemon juice thing with honey. It fixed me right up and I feel a lot better. I only sound really funny, ha.

On Saturday there was a huge youth stake activity. All the youth received mission calls to be missionaries for a day. The missionaries in alejuela prepared a mini MTC. They had training for about 3 hours Saturday morning and then all the rest of us missionaries from the stake arrived at the stake center for lunch. After lunch we had "companion exchanges" and for every missionary they put about two youth. So for about 2 and a half hours I went tracting with two cute 14 yr. olds. It was funny to see their reactions to certain situations as they didnt know how to react, but we were able to teach two lessons in a house. I was surprised how much confidence the two girls had in the lessons. They had a lot of energy and are excited to be missionaries. After that we all joined together again and had a testimony meeting...the spirit was super strong!!! We have the truth now we just have to share it! And I am so proud of all the youth that are preparing right now to be super valiant missionaries. We have a lot of work to do but I am so happy to be here in this mission!!! I love this gospel! Hermana Pease

Pictures!!

For Preparation day today we had a water fight with balloons:. me, hermana Garcia, Elder Petlacalco, Elder Sperry , and Esteban Campos (amazing family. and he is the ward mission leader. And he served in el Salvador. I dont know what the ward would do without him as he already has 3 callings in the ward and is going to school full time. But their whole family is like that!)

front of our chapel in San Rafael (Ojo De Agua II ward)

 Last Sunday after ward correlation...the street was flooded and I couldn't resist! But apparently it was really gross because they made me pour water with desanitizer on my feet. I forgot that all the drains from showers and sinks flood into the street! haha....Anyways I love Costa Rica!!

Letter 21!!!

May 27, 2013

 

We had a level 6 earthquake last night and I think that Hermana Garcia and I and the Elders were the only ones who didn't feel it. When we walked out of our house, all the neighbors were talking about the earthquake that woke them up and sacred them. Hermana Elvira (our apartment manager) told us that we really must be filled with the spirit. Hermana Garcia and I were saying that we probably have lots of angels protecting us. I told her maybe they can work a little less harder cuz I really wanted to feel the earthquake! Apparently we have had 2 since I've been here and I didn’t feel either one, haha. No, but I am grateful for the protection of the Lord and I know that He is watching over us every day that we walk in the streets!

Well right now I feel like my weeks are just smudging together. But I think that’s a good thing because that means Hermana Garcia and I are staying busy, including digging in the mud again. It’s my favorite, when we ask people if we can help them with their painting or digging and they just look at us like we are crazy. And then we get to tell them that we are representatives of Jesus Christ and that we really do love to do what Jesus does, serve. So far our service of digging or painting hasn't brought many people to baptism but I know that it has given us the chance to fulfill our purpose as missionaries, which is to bring others closer to Christ and I am grateful for the privilege as well as I feel my relationship with my Savior and my conversion to Him is growing every, every day!

Hermana Garcia and I had set goals last week to have shorter lessons and more frequently. We also were able to set more time aside to make more phone calls with our investigators and with our Recent converts and menos activos. We have seen some awesome improvement in our goals and its been a tender mercy to be over achieve some of our goals...so that means we get to work even harder next week to over achieve our upcoming goals! All things are possible through Jesus Christ! My love for these people grows stronger everyday and It’s amazing to get a glimpse of how much our Heavenly Father loves each of His children.

I feel that Hermana Garcia and I aren't the most amazing teachers, but we both strive to work hard and be obedient every day! When we are obedient I can honestly testify that the spirit will be with us and the Lord will place tender mercies in our lives! Hermana Garcia and I were sad that Katarin and Chanis weren't baptized this past Sunday. They went to a young women’s activityy on Saturday and were enthusiastic afterwards as they told us all the details. We are seeing the light of Christ making a change not only in their hearts but in their faces. However yesterday we were devastated that they didn't come to church! We haven’t been able to get a hold of them yet but we know that they had lots of family coming in and the mom was sick so they probably didn't want to go without her either! hayayay!!! But we pray that next week they will be prepared to be baptized...they are sweet girls. Katarine is 15 and Chanise is 12 and reminds me of little Kendra. Chanise probably thinks it’s weird that I always give her a big hug before we leave but I always do cuz I feel like I’m hugging my little sisters!! Sure miss my sistas and hope that you all are preparing for your missions...study preach my gospel chpt.3 and learn the doctrine(the ¨why¨) and mainly live your testimony! We only have to have a desire to do the will of our Heavenly Father and that qualifies us for his grace. I love you all!!! Love, Hermana Pease....The gospel is so so true!!

 

Picture!

20th Letter!!

May 20, 2013

Dear Family....so supposedly I am training right now my 22 year old companion who speaks perfect spanish, haha. If I have ever felt inadequate it is right now. Hermana Wilkinson(wife of mission president) called me the other day to ask if I could run an errand for her and bring a couple things to the meeting that we were going to have the next afternoon. I was finishing talking with her and she told me that President wanted to talk with me. I could say this over and over, President Wilkinson is so inspired of God and I believe that he knew I was stressing out a lot of bit. He asked me how I was doing and I told him the truth...He then told me that he had all the trust and faith in me and that the Lord knows what He is doing. The talk was short but I was so grateful for the words he shared with me. I am growing and learning from these hard lessons in the mission and I am so grateful for my testimony that is growing every day as I put my faith in Jesus Christ!!

 

Hermana Portillo left on Wednesday and Hermana Garcia and I have been flying solo ever since. Hermana Garcia is from Puebla, Mexico and has a true and sincere testimony. I am grateful for her example and feel that really my training is just being extended. Well both learning and growing spiritually, and maybe physically as well. Well we both have gained like 15 pounds in the last month and a half...yikes, all the rice and bread we eat is starting to show. It’s funny cuz the Latinos are really blunt about whether you are fat or not and I think I was called fat at least 5 times this past weekend, haha.

 

Well on Sunday Hermana Garcia and I went to different families to bring them to church but no one could come. We were both super sad and just kept praying that one of our investigators would show up. We had ward conference this past Sunday and so the room was packed. Fransisco(who was baptized last week) received the Holy Ghost...He is solid and constant in his conversion. But turns out, we had miracles! Family Joarquin Garcia showed up after the sacrament!! They have come faithfully for three Sundays!! The two daughters have baptismal dates but the mom is still struggling with the idea of marrying her spouse who has a few addictions...they could use some prayers!! The mom and the two daughters are really awesome and especially the oldest daughter is excited about church. The other day she asked us what you have to do to be a missionary. This week we plan on taking them to the temple and then the temple president is going to talk to them and share some thoughts about the temple! I am so excited!

 

After Sacrament meeting we met a pregnant lady named Janira who walked into the halls of the church. She told us that Carmen had invited her to go to church, but none of us knew a Carmen in the ward. She was embarrassed and realized that she had gone to the wrong church. But we reassured her that there were no such things as accidents and that God had helped her come to this church. She went to Gospel principles with us and stayed for Relief Society and told us that she really liked church...and we have an appointment with her this Tuesday!! Hermana Garcia And I were so thrilled as we know that the Lord had a hand in guiding Janira to His church.

 

Our Heavenly father truly wants us to be happy and be able to receive blessing from Him, we just have to listen and act! Well thank you for all your prayers!!! The Lord has his kingdom on the earth how grateful I am to have the truthfulness in my life! Love, Hermana Pease