18th letter

April 29, 2013
Woohoo!!! We had another baptism yesterday! Arelis was golden and was definitely ready for this new life. Hermana and Elder Flake(who work in the temple) found Arelis when they went to eat at a restaurant. She was a waitress and Elder Flake simply asked her if she wanted to take the lessons. We were happy that Arelis lives in our area to teach. She was golden from the start and told us that she just wants to serve God and do His will. And that was perfect cuz thats all that God asks of us in order to be worthy for baptism. At first it was hard for her to realize that she could receive an answer without reading the entire book of mormon. She is diligent in reading the book of mormon everyday and had/has a goal to read the book of mormon from cover to cover. Every morning she traveles to Belen(15 min in bus) for work and doesn’t arrive home until late at night, so a few times my companions and I would walk to her house before our study time to teach her and help prepare her for her baptism.
It was last week when we went one morning and family problems had come up. But she told us that she wanted to get baptized and she knew that she was doing the right thing. She told us that even through the hard trials that she is facing she feels so happy. What a miracle it is to witness the change that the Atonement makes in the lives of those who are willing to follow His example. After her baptism, Arelis was glowing with a huge smile on her face. I know the Lord has a great purpose for this woman, she is faithful in going to church and is going to be a wonderful leader. After the baptism, Elder and sister Smith(also work in the temple and are from snowflake. Elder Smith Home taught Grandpa Pease years ago), Elder and Sister Flake, Hermana Garcia, Hermana Portillo, and I went to Arelis house for a Nicaraguan Barbecue. Yes rice is still included in the barbecue and yes it was delicious! Arelis doesn’t have very much, but she is so generous and loving and always wanting to feed us. She only has two chairs in her house that are about to fall apart, so some lessons Hermana Flake and Elder flake would bring folding chairs or sometimes we would borrow chairs from the neighbors or use the couple buckets that we could find from outside. While eating at Arelis house, it was fun to discover that Hermana and Elder smith and Hermana and Elder Flake are all relatives of mine through Jesse N. Smith. I probably should have figured that one out a
little sooner with the last names of Flake and Smith. I was glad to have my ancestor stories that I had brought with me to read of Jesse N. Smith and a few of my other ancestors. It brought tears to my eyes to think of all the hardships that our grandparents went through but yet were so valiant!
How grateful I am for the blessings of the temple and for the blessing that we can be with our family for eternity. If you want to really know how much you love your family...go on a mission! Living far away from the people I love has made me realize how blessed I am! Grandma Pease and Grandma Lewis, I am so grateful for your faithful examples and being so dedicated to raising righteous families! Lover my granparents and cannot wait for the moment to reunite with my grandfathers! I know that sometimes they come here to support me in the work of the Lord.
Well last week it was fun to be able to do some service for a family in the ward. Actually a service project that I have never done before...I cut grass with a machete. After cutting grass, I decided that I preferred a lawn mower. I think my companions were a little scared to have me use the machete since I had never done it before. Hermana Portillo teased me and said, woah, you got to be careful when a gringa has a machete. We walked back from our house with only a few blisters, bruises, and plenty of ant bites. Mom, if you thought ants were a problem in Arizona, come see how the ants rule the world in Costa Rica! You leave one tiny crumb on the counter and in 30 sec there is a line of ants. So I have learned that is normal to sometimes eat food and drink water with a couple ants.
Yesterday we went to Yerrica(our recent convert of a month) house and she fed us a dang delicoius tamale. About 10 minutes later I broke out with rashes and bumps all over my body that itched so bad! That was a new experience for me cuz I thought I wasn’t allergic to anything and that I could eat anything I wanted...guess I have to be careful with the Nicaraguan tamales. Allergy pills work wonders:) Well it was an awesome week to finish with an awesome baptism. I love the people here and can’t believe it’s almost time for companion changes...I love my companions and pray that maybe I can have them for another 6 weeks. I love this gospel so much and I love my Savior! Sure love you family and miss you! Thanks Alvin for this info of your mish and for the words of support...seriously means a lot! Ill keep an eye out for that companion! Love you all! And the gospel is true...don’t ever forget it and always live it! Love Hermana Pease