Hello everyone!
So this week was pretty good, full of miracles.
The first miracle happened
on Monday. The mission office called us and the secretary said, ¨Do you believe in miracles?¨ ¨Yes...¨ ¨Well you just got a reference from Utah!!¨ Haha we were like, what?! So a guy from Utah had called the office that morning and gave them a reference of someone who lives here in Cartago. He said that it was urgent, and that she needed to be reading the Book of Mormon that night! So for some reason that I will explain later, Elder Saavedra, the Assistant, called her before we did, and said that she was super excited. So we called right away and set up an appointment for that night!
Her name is Andrea. She was embarrassed to take us to her house because she said she hadn't cleaned, haha, so we met at a McDonalds so her son could play in the playcourt or whatever it's called. So we felt a little weird being in McDonalds with this new investigator haha, and she bought us food and everything. Then she started to explain her story:
One of her good friends is named Christian, and he's a member of the church. He served a mission in the states, and then after getting married he and his family moved to live in Utah. Andrea has known him basically their whole lives, but they have never talked about the church really. So a little bit ago she asked him a random question about the church, and so they started to talk a little more about it. Then one day she said something about how she wanted to read the Book of Mormon, so he told her, ¨Well, I will send you a surprise.¨ Then that same day Elder Saavedra called. And she said that she has been having a lot of doubts about the church that she is in right now. She has been taking a course to get baptized, but has been having a lot of doubts. So she said that she took Elder Saavedras call as a sign! So that just shows how much following the spirit is so important. Because Elder Saavedra had no reason at all to call a reference in OUR area, but he did. And he was supposed to! To answer Andrea´s prayer.
She said that she knows it isn't a coincidence that right before she was supposed to get baptized in her church, her friend Christian starts talking to her about the church after not talking about it for 30 years. So she told us that she wants to learn everything she can, and she asked US about baptism. So we put a date for August and she accepted.
That was
Monday, and then we went with her again on Wednesday. She told us that the day before she was thinking and praying alll day, and she said, ¨I made my decision...¨ (and this is when I got a little worried because sometimes that's when they say that they'd rather not receive us anymore) ¨I decided that I'm not going to get baptized in my church. I want to be a part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.¨ So Hermana Moon and I were just speechless...and we just looked at each other beaming and trying not to giggle because that's what we do when we´re happy or when we feel the spirit haha. So yeah it was amazing.
On Saturday we had the baptism of Maria Jesus! The daughter of Carlos and Vera, the one who has MS and who got baptized a month ago. Maria Jesus has changed soo much, and just like with Carlos and Vera, we have seen a light come into her eyes. So the baptism went great, and the best part was that Carlos baptized her! It was so awesome! And Andrea came to the baptism. She had texted us that morning telling us that she wouldn't be able to come because she had to go to another part of the country to take care of her grandma, but she traveled 2 hours just to come to the baptism and then go back! She's so amazing! We´re going to visit her tonight again so we are super excited.
Yesterday was Stake Conference, and the last Stake Conference of that Stake, because they officially announced the division and creating of the new Cartago Stake! They had a transmission of another Stake Conference that was also being affected by the Stake changes, so that we could hear the releases and callings for them to. It was super interesting. And super historical. President Hayes and his wife were there, as well as Kevin R. Duncan, the area president. It was awesome. They are going to start building the new church building here in Cartago this year, because ours is waayy too small to be the Stake Center. So that's awesome! And these Stake changes also made a bunch of Zone changes. So Costa Rica is just full of changes right now!
I'm hoping this email is making sense because I'm writing this pretty fast
This week I have also recognized a lot of my weaknesses...and sometimes when that happens we feel weighed down with our imperfections. When I was feeling weighed down, just like that a scripture from the Book of Mormon just popped into my head: ¨And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.¨
So I have heard that scripture for years. But it has never really meant much to me until that moment that it came into my head - it finally made perfect sense to me personally. God was showing me my weaknesses because He knows that I can do better, and He knows that I can make those weaknesses become strong. So we should be grateful when we recognize one of our weaknesses - that is God reaching out to us, telling us that He is there to help us change and make that a strength if we are willing to turn to him.
Another chapter that has been applying to me is 2 Ne 4:
27 ¨And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy?
28 Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.
29 Do not anger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions.
30 Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation.¨
So we have no reason to sorrow for our sins or imperfections. We can change, and we can become better.
I hope you all are doing well and are trusting in God!
Les quiero mucho!!
Con mucho amor,
Hermana Geis
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| In front of "Las Ruinas." It is an old church that was built during the war and burned down like three times. In the center of Cartago. |
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| Sitting outside of the church building. |
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| Vera got to come to Maria Jesus' baptism! :) |
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| Carlos got to baptize Maria Jesus! (Father and daughter) |
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| With Maria Jesus |
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| A tico hot dog!! It's a hot dog type meat with ketchup, mayo, and lettuce on a tortilla haha |
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| In Bermejo, where Griselda and Gleny live |
