Week 64 - In the Rain Forest

 Hello everyone!

So, changes happened.

We got to the office on Wednesday for transfers, and no one knew where they were going or who they would be with.

So I found out, finally, that I would be going to Guapiles, in Zona Atlantica!  When I found that out I was jumping up and down sooo excited!  That is exactly where I wanted to go!  And I got my new companion, fresh from Columbia!  So I'll end my mission training her, if nothing changes :)

Here in Guapiles, it is hot, humid, rainy - super tropical. It is like a different world from Cartago. I can't even believe how different the places are here in such a small country. I've been a little homesick for Cartago!  Guapiles reminds me a lot of my first area here though.

So we got here Wednesday night and since we`re opening the area we have been visiting alllll of the members that we can - and we have seen so much miracles from that!  At almost every house there has been a nonmember we`ve been able to meet and teach, and we have received about 20 references in the past few days. So we are super excited about the Ward here and everything. The members are sooo nice and are so willing to help us out and invite us over. It's funny because one of the counselors of the Bishop told us that in this Ward the key really is getting along with the members - if you can do that, you have a ton of success. So that is what we`re trying to do. Trying to help them see us as representatives of Jesus Christ who want to serve and work hard.

It was awesome because on Sunday, a member took us in his car to go around our area to see where all the members live. So that helped a lot. We drove to an area pretty far away, and it was like we were driving through a rain forest. It was so awesome.

I'm still a Sister Trainer Leader for the Zone so there is a lot to do.  Whenever I start worrying about all the things we have to do, I just have to keep telling myself to trust completely in the Lord. If we are obedient and do what we are supposed to do, he`ll help us through everything. He`ll take charge and help us have success.

Today for a Zone activity we went to a zoo type thing haha. A really cool part was a butterfly tunnel.  We were in a tunnel thing and there were a bunch of huge butterflies flying around!

Anyways, thank you all for everything, I'll write more next week!

I love you all so much! 

hermana Geis :)




                                                 

Saying goodbye to Hermana Moon :(

                                                       

My new comp. Hermana Pena!

                                               

The Trainers Meeting with our new comps

Lunch

                                                                         

Saying goodbye to Hermana Chatwin

                                                   

Leadership Meeting

Pres and Sister Hayes' daughter

                                                         

Butterflies being born!

                                                             

At the zoo

                                                                   

Passion fruit :)

                                                         

Week 63 - Transfers to ??

Ok so this week was a little loco.

So I got crutches, so that my ankle could heal faster and so I could stop wearing the boot haha. But the crutches were killinng me. And we realized that it's because crutches aren't made to be used by people who walk as much as we do.

So I was just extremely discouraged that this was affecting things, and we talked to President Hayes and his wife and they said that they were going to send me to the office - to be in a trio with the nurse and her comp, so that I could rest up and get better. I was like, Please no!!! I can't go to the office, I need to be out visiting people!!   But President told me that I had to, so that I could heal faster and then get out visiting people. So I was super upset about that, and was in denial that I would really be going to the office.

Then on Friday morning, President´s wife,  Sister Hayes called me and said that they wanted me to train, so they said that if I was willing to rest until changes, which are this Wednesday, I could train and not go to the office!  So I was like, Ok I will totally rest if that's the case!!  So they said that I could go into the office so I wouldn't be tempted to visit people in Cartago, or I could stay with members in Cartago. So we coordinated so that I could stay with members here in Cartago. 

They sent a mini missionary here to work with Hermana moon!  How crazy is that. So yeah, I have to stay in allll day with Graciela, who is super awesome and like a big sister, but its super weird to be in all day. I hadn't rested for 15 months. And so now I feel more tired, and have no appetite because I'm used to walking all day, haha its super weird.

So they called today to tell me that I will be training. But that means that I'll either be opening an area, or whitewashing the area (when they take out the missionaries in the area and put two new ones in). So I'm nervous, because I have no idea where I'll be going, but excited!  But it is weird that this is how I will be ending my mission - training, in a new area. Time is going to fly by even faster than it already has.

So on Saturday, ANDREA GOT BAPTIZED!!!! :)  Can you believe it?  The reference from Utah. The one who decided to stop receiving us.  But God always wins.  And she got baptized!  She was soo excited she couldn't even wait. And it was such a special day. Lots of people came to the baptism, Hermana Moon and I got to sing a hymn and made her cry, and she was just so happy. It was beautiful!

Yesterday at church, I said bye to everyone :( It was sad. But also really happy, because I realized how much I really loved these people!  The Bishop asked who he could talk to to have me stay in Cartago. Hahaha. I love Cartago so much!  It was especially hard to say bye to the recent converts, and Ginnia, Gleny, and Andrea were all crying.  But it was awesome to be able to say that I would be back in December to visit them at the end of my mission.

Anyways I'm so grateful for all the opportunities that I've gotten on my mission, and for all that I've learned. I love the gospel and the church and all of you!

Thanks for everything!

hermana Geis :)

Andrea's baptism!!

                                                                 

"Resting" with a member, Graciela

 

                                                 

Graciela's cute kids

                                                                 

Hermana Soto!

                                                                 

Hermana Moon and the mini-missionary, Larua

                                           

With Andrea before her baptism

                                                       

              SAYING GOODBYE TO ALL THE MEMBERS OF CARTEGO

Sharon and Thais

                                                               

Nicole

                                                                         

Nuria, Jonny, and their son, Dani

                                                   

Gustavo and Marivel

                                                             

Fantima and her daughters, Grace and Tamara

                                             

Ginnia and Yuleiki

                                                                 

Marielos

                                                                         

Maritza and Jennifer who finally came to church after forever!

                             

Patricia and Stephanie

                                                           

Sharon

                                                                       

Andrea Morales

                                                               

Adilia, who reminds me of mom :)

                                                     

Yesenia

                                                                     

Jade

                                                                           

Rosa and her son Andre

                                                               

Shirley

                                                                         

Josabel and Rosa

                                                                 

Sergio, Maylin, and their daughter Alison

                                                 

Jasmin and Brun

                                                                   

Bishop and his wife Henny

                                                         

                                                                   

Andre

 Jorge & Maria

Ali, Luisa, Jade, and Dante

                                                         

Week 62- Last Week in Cartago?

Hello everyone!

So this week was good, we improved in a lot of things and had some good experiences.

On Saturday we had a conference with Elder Russel M Nelson. It was a broadcast - he was in Honduras and it was broadcast to all of Central America.  It was awesome, he is so great!  He talked a lot about focusing on the temple - that what we should be focusing on is getting people sealed in the temple, because that is the most important thing. And he was talking about the less active members - that we should get them sealed to all of their family, so that they can be eternal families :)

On Friday, we had two Hermanas in our zone who live like 3 hours away come and stay at our house so that they could go with us to the conference the next day. They got here Friday afternoon so we could do divisions all day with them. So that was really good! I was able to visit a lot of our recent converts who we hadn't been able to visit with Hermana Mendoza from Honduras, and Hermana Moon got to go with some of our investigators and find some new ones!  So it was awesome.

So yesterday in Sacrament meeting all the talks were about missionary work. An Elder, me, and our Ward Mission Leader spoke. But instead of all just talking about the same thing we decided to talk about different principles that tie in to missionary work. The Elder talked about the atonement and missionary work, I got to talk about unity in the ward (something I have been thinking A LOT about lately)  And Jorge, the Ward Mission Leader, talked about getting over fear.

So yeah I was verryy excited to give that talk, because a lot of members talk bad about others (like the whole world does), complain about what others do, etc etc. But that is not the church of Christ. Everyone is so imperfect, but we need to all have the same vision. That's what I talked about. I talked about becoming ¨Zion,¨ the people of the Lord, all unified in heart and spirit, and also building up Zion, which also specifically means ¨the Church and its stakes.¨ Elder Duncan, the area president, told us in on of our meetings with him that we should have a vision of having a STAKE in Cartago, not just a ward!  So I told them that that is completely possible, but only if we are in this together. Some scriptures that i shared were Mosiah 18:21, 4 Nephi 1:2-3, and Moses 7:18. I love those scriptures so much! Because that is how we need to be in our wards and stakes. We are all different types of people and have different lives, but we are all here for the same purpose. And we need to have the same vision of building of the church of God on the earth, and nothing else.

I don't know what is happening with changes, but I am assuming that this is my last week in Cartago. Its sad! Because I've been here for 7 and a half months. But I also feel ready to leave, if that's what God wants, because I know that bringing in new missionaries can really help the area grow, and that's all I want for Cartago - growth and success. It has been the best area of my mission!  I've only had two haha, but i have loved it so much! Ive learned so much and seen so many miracles here.

well i love you all! Thanks for everything :)

Hermana geis :)

We got our haircuts! And Hermana Moon totally chopped it off, wohoo!

                     

With the girls we did divisions with, Hermana Mendoza and Hermana Davidson

                 

My bff Victoria! She's Gleny's daughter and is the craziest, cutest thing ever.