Week 51- Miracles Happen

Hello everyone!

Well today was changes, but i dont get my new companion until wednesday because im going to train! So Hermana Soto is gonna be there until then. But, in addition to training, Im going to be the Sister Training Leader for our zone. So i dont really know what im supposed to do or anything but we´ll see how that goes! Luckily theres a leadership meeting with President Wilkinson on Friday. So yeah im super excited for all that! A lot of responsibilty but im way excited.

So this past week was AWESOME. We found a ton of new people and also focused a lot on Carlos and Vera in preparing them for their baptism :)

After their interview on Sunday they were just so happy and excited. Vera told us on thursday, ¨I just feel so happy. I never thought that i would get baptized, or feel so much joy. Since sunday, I have felt a warmth in my chest. But its not because its hot outside or anything, its a spiritual warmth.¨ It was just amazing to see them so happy, changing more and more everyday. They couldnt even wait for their baptism!

So we were planning their baptism the whole week, because there were soo many details that we had to figure out with vera, like transportation, how she was going to be baptized, etc etc. But it all worked out :) And we had a ton of help from the members. Their story is so amazing that everyone really wanted to help out.
So FINALLY, saturday came :) we got up early to go the bishops house, because thats were the baptism was! The baptismal font in the church would have been way too small for vera because we needed several men to hold her. So the bishop offered his pool! A member who lives close to Carlos went and picked up him, vera, and their two daughters - luckily vera just needed to be able to put the seat back so she could be laying down. So they arrived at the bishops house fine, and were both super happy and excited :) we put vera in a lounge chair that the bishop had for his pool, and she LOVED it. She said it was way more comfortable than the bed that she is always in (So the bishops gonna give her one :) ) so carlos changed into the white clothes, and then they changed vera into her white dress. So they carried her our into where we were having the service and carlos was just standing there silent, watching them bring her out. And then he told hermana soto and I with tears in his eyes, ¨I think i just fell in love again.¨

Then we had some talks and the service was extremely spiritual. We then all headed out to the pool house and had the baptism :) It was amazing of course. 4 men were in the water to help with vera, and they lowered her into the pool in the lounge chair. And it went super well! There werent any problems at all thank goodness. After the baptism I was talking to Carlos and he was crying, and said that he just felt at home, and that this was his family. After they changed into dry clothes, they BOTH bore their testimonies! It was amazing to see vera bear her testimony to everyone. She said how happy she was and how good she felt about her decision.

The next day in testimony meeting Carlos bore his testimony and it was amazing. He explained how he never thought that Vera would accept the gospel, and now she is like a completely different person.

About this whole experience, i am just priviledged to be a part of it. But really we didnt do anything - they were completely prepared by God, and the Spirit did everything else.

Miracles happen everyone! But only according to our faith. Ether 12.

I love you all so much! Thank you for everything. 

This gospel is the only way to true happiness.

con muchisimo amor,

Hermana Geis

Top, left to right: Member Heber, The bishop, Carlos, and his daughters Nazareth and Maria Jesus

bottom left to right: elder gomez, vera, and elder de leon) all the men dressed in white aside from Carlos helped with the baptism :)

Vera's baptism

Carlos, Vera, and their daughters

Carrying Vera to the pool

Where we held the baptismal service

Lowering Vera into the pool

At the bishop's house

The bishop's cat haha

With a member and her family! Jessica

Week 50- Carlos and Vera

Hello everyone! 

This week was really good, a lot happened!

On thursday, (my one year mark) we had interviews with President wilkinson. It went really well! Its always nice to talk to him. He said that i need to make the most of these last six months, and they should be my most productive! And he basically asked me what i want to do next....and you will all find out when there are transfers! ;) But it was awesome because he was telling me how many things the area presidency has in mind for cartago and what they want to do to help it grow. They already have a HUGE lot bought by the church, to build a new chapel! because ours is way to small for all the people that go there! He told me, ¨I feel very strongly that you are going to be in Cartago in a historical time.¨ So i feel completely priviledged to be a part of this. Because i was able to be in Guanacaste for a historical time as well! 

So yeah it was kinda weird to complete a year...i already did a list for how you know youre out for 9 months, so the only thing im going to say about how you know youve been out for a year, is not wanting to go home! Obviously there is a lot i miss about home, but the work here is just so important and its such a priviledge to be a part of it, i dont want to go back to being just a regular member of the church! haha :) i know that i can always be a missionary, but its so different being set apart as a full time missionary. Its a complete priviledge and honor.

On saturday, we went to the temple for a wedding! Hermana Soto was a bridesmaid in the wedding - since shes just a mini missionary they gave her permission to still go. So i felt a little weird being at the wedding haha but it was beautiful. Here in CR they get married civilly in the chapel, and then after eating and what not they go to the temple and get sealed. I actually like that because you get a regular ceremony and then the temple sealing! It was very special. They read from The Family: A Proclamation to the World, sang hymns, and did their first dance. And it was funny because i was assigned to be with the bride in the room as she was waiting to go out! Haha!! Because all the bridsmaids had to walk and everything. And the bride speaks english so she just wanted to speak in english because she was so nervous. She kept saying, ¨I am so stressed!¨ And then she would say, ¨I am so in love!¨ Haha it was so cute. A very weird experience as a missionary but good!

Ok so now i just want to talk about Carlos and Vera. Vera is the one with MS. Seriously i cant even explain all that has happened with them, because it is all such a complete miracle. Since the first day we went they have loved everything and have said how much joy they feel when we talk about the gospel, and Carlos just absolutely loves church and the people and everything. This week when we were visiting them, Carlos told us that he has always felt like he has been waiting for something more, and that he is searching for the truth. When he said that, Vera lifted her hand up and pointed at her self. Carlos said, ¨You too are searching?¨ And she said, ¨Yes.¨ carlos said that she had never admitted that, ever, and that he felt so happy that she was in the same boat as him. We then committed them both to baptism again, and vera accepted! Carlos was SO happy, and he literally always talks about how badly he wants eternal life with his whole family. He said to Vera, ¨I just keep picturing us on the other side, hand in hand, you walking, and us with our kids, forever. I want to have eternal life with you.¨ Seriously everyone, I cant tell you how amazed i was at seeing all of this. Heavenly father as blessed me immensely to be able to even see this. Then we knelt down next to vera´s bed, and he offered the prayer. it was the most amazing prayer i have every heard. 

So yesterday, us, the elders, and Jorge our ward mission leader went over to have their baptismal interviews. Vera at the beginning said that she didnt feel ready - that she wanted to wait to feel more prepared to take this huge step. But she agreed to have the interview anyway. So Elder Gomez had the interview with her, while us missionaries helped their daughters cook and clean the house. Then when he finished that interview he started the interview with Carlos. Jorge was talking to vera and then called to me and said, ¨Hermana geis, come in here right now!¨ So i went in and Vera was explaining how she was feeling. She said that the interview went really well, and that she was able to be really open with Elder Gomez - she said that she felt so light and filled with a peace and joy - we were like, that is the spirit! That is your answer! She then said that she also felt scared...because she knew that her family would be completely against it. But we just let her talk, and didnt say anything. Then she said, ¨Well who do i listen to....my family, or God?.....I need to listen to God.....Im going to get baptized.¨ It was AMAZING to see the spirit work in her that way. Then when Carlos finished his interview he came in, and we said to Vera, ¨Do you want to tell him?¨ And she said to Carlos, ¨Im not going to let you do it alone:¨ Carlos just said, really?! And then he leaned over and gave her a kiss! The room was filled so stronly with the spirit and warmth and such joy. Carlos was SO happy, and Vera was just beaming. 

I cant thank heavenly father enough for letting me be a part of this. I have literally done nothing, Carlos and Vera were prepared by God. They are going to get baptized this saturday, June 6th. And its going to be at the bishops house, because he has a pool! And we need a big pool to be able to baptize Vera, because we need to put her in a little bed or something. Its going to be the most amazing experience in my whole life.

Today for pday we went to the volcano again! and then to an old ¨haunted¨ hospital where a bunch of people died from TB...and then it was a prison...and its really creepy...

Im so grateful for all the people ive met on my mission. Members, investigators, and missionaries. All the missionaries here are amazing people. I never want to leave...not because its easy here, but because the mission is a sacred experience.

I love you all!!!!

Con muchisimo amor,

Hermana Geis

At the temple!

At the volcano :)

El Sanitorio!

The Elders where they used to do the X-rays (the room was pitch black, and we couldn't see anything until we took the picture!) 

Week 49- Yesenia! A Miracle

Hello everyone!

So this week we had an absolute MIRACLE happen. And i still cant believe that it actually happened!

So we have been working a lot with an hermana named Yesenia. Ive written about her before - she was a reference from a member from another ward, who called us telling us that Yesenias husband had left her and that she really felt like she was ready to accept the gospel. Yesenia is 42, and has three kids Luis (23) Jason (19) and Fabian (10). This was when hermana chatwin and i were companions, so we went and she was super nice with us and loved hearing what we had to say. But for some reason we didnt think she was going to progress. But we kept going with her and little by little she started accepting more and more. And she started telling us how much she loved us coming over, and she was reading what we left her and all these things, and we didnt even know it! Then she went to see general conference, and after that started coming to church! We were super surprised that she was actually progressing. And then she told us that she felt that all of this was true, but she had a little fear to change because of her family who is pretty much against the church. But she always said how much she liked the church and how good she felt about everything. We had a baptismal date for her, but it got pushed back because she wanted to wait to get baptized with her kids, who hadnt gone to church as much with her. So we pushed it back, but that is when alllll of the trials came. She started feeling more fear and just wanted to wait forever to take the step of baptism. This was when i was with hermana castro. We fought so hard to help her have faith and trust in the Lord that everything would be okay, but she just kept letting fear take over. So she kept on saying she just wanted to wait and wait. But we knew that the longer she waited the harder it would get, especially because she had already recieved an answer from the Holy Ghost that this is what God wanted her to do. So we kept going with her and everything and we invited her to ponder about being baptized the 23 of may. She said that she would like to, but that she was afraid. She would always say, ¨I am completely sure that i want to be baptized, but im scared.¨ which is so frusterating to hear! But she said she would think about it and call her friend, Patricia, who is the member who told us to go visit her. Now through this whole process her friend had not been helping very much, because she never wanted to make yesenia feel pressured. But what yesenia desperately needed was the support of her friend! But her friend was scared to pressure her - so basically this situation was full of fear on both sides.

So on saturday morning, the 23rd, we just felt so strongly that yesenia should get baptized that day. So we called Patricia, the friend, to try to get her to call her and give her support. Patricia was very hesitant, because she was saying how she didnt want to pressure her friend and how we should wait and all these things. But hermana soto was awesome and was saying how Yesenia had already recieved her answer and so she should not wait. We were talking to Patricia for a good 20 minutes on the phone. We invited Patricia to say a prayer, and then to call Yesenia and help her make a decision. So after we hung up with patricia, we got on our knees and said a prayer together. Hermana soto said the prayer, asking God to help yesenia feel ready and to bless patricia with the words to help her decide. It was an extremely spiritual experience. Then after that prayer, we stayed on our knees and prayed silently for about a half hour, praying fervently and with all the faith we could muster that Yesenia would feel ready. Then, finally, patricia called us back. And this is what happened: Yesenia told her that she was scared to get baptized. So patricia said, ¨Do you have a testimony?¨ - ¨Yes.¨ ¨Do you know that all of these things are true?¨ - ¨Yes.¨ ¨Do you want to get baptized?¨ - ¨Yes.¨  ¨Then what are you waiting for!!¨ And yesenia said that she was scared because of her family. So patricia said, ¨Yesenia, your family isnt even going to know if you get baptized today!¨ and yesenia said, ¨Your right...ok then i want to get baptized today!¨ 

It was SUCH a miracle! We were so happy, just jumping up and down happy. I had been waiting sooo long for yesenia to take this step. And i seriously worried that she would never take this step. And it was all because of the phone call from her friend that she was able to feel that support and make the decision.

But it didnt end there! There was a ton of things getting in the way of the baptism that day, of course, like Patricias husband who was going to baptize yesenia was in San Jose without a phone and all of these crazy things, but we knew that God would let everything work out if it was his will! So we made a bunch of calls and got everything ready, and miraculously everything worked out! 

The best part was how happy yesenia was. She kept saying, ¨I never knew i would be this happy.¨ And that is the most important thing. I just loved seeing her happiness, because she is seriously so important to me! It was funny because as we were taking a picture together, she said, ¨Hermana Geis really fought for me.¨ And its true - i was never going to give up on her. Now we just have to fight even harder to help her stay active and go to the temple and everything else.

After the baptism i was feeling a little sad, because i never want the priviledge of being on a mission to end. But it doesnt have to end - because we are supposed to be missionaries for our entire lives.There is a talk by Jeffrey R Holland that is absolutely amazing, where he talks about Peter and the apostles after Christs death. Its called ¨The First Commandment.¨ He says that Christ was telling them, as they were returning to their old life as fisherman, ¨Wasn’t it obvious then and isn’t it obvious now that if I want fish, I can get fish?.What I need, Peter, are disciples—and I need them forever. I need someone to feed my sheep and save my lambs. I need someone to preach my gospel and defend my faith. I need someone who loves me, truly, truly loves me, and loves what our Father in Heaven has commissioned me to do.¨ And then he says, I include in that call to fixed faithfulness every returned missionary who ever stood in a baptismal font and with arm to the square said, “Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ.” That commission was to have changed your convert forever, but it was surely supposed to have changed you forever as well¨ 

So as he said, what God needs is disciples. And he needs them forever. So that is what i hope to be.

I love you all. Believe in miracles! And believe that this is the truth, no matter how hard it sometimes may be to keep going.

Hermana Geis 

Week 48- Meet the Mormons

Hello everyone!

So this week was crazy as always but good!

Its been super interesting having a mini missionary, because she hasnt been to the MTC or anything so everything is really new to her. But she is so awesome! Seriously im way impressed by all that she does. 

On tuesday we had a zone conference, and those are always really great but also sometimes stressful, because you realize all the things you arent doing right haha. So i was feeling a little overwhelmed afterwards, and asked the elders to give me a blessing. So they did and it was amazing. They blessed me with exactly what i needed, and literally right afterwards i felt an immense relief. I had never felt such a big difference from a blessing so fast. Words started going through my head like ¨Everything is going to be okay¨ and i could just feel so much comfort. So i was extremely greatful for the priesthood power that we have in the church and the love of heavenly father that we can always feel.

This week it started to rain! And its a lot different from the rain in nicoya. Here its suuuper windy and suuuper cold. So as it was downpouring we were walking up a huge hill to a recent converts house and we were just completely drenched. So she dried our clothes for us haha and gave us hot chocolate.

Yesterday we were blessed with a very special experience. Last week hermana chatwin did a contact in the bus with a man named Carlos. He started telling her his life story about his sick wife and how he really needed help and comfort. So she invited him to church, and guess what, he totally came to church! And he lives super far away. So he came to church last sunday and he just loved it, and everyone was super nice to him and he said he felt very ¨gozoso¨ or joyful. Me and hermana soto went and visited him on wednesday, and he lives in a beautiful place called Pacayas. Its completely green mountains and its so beautiful. His wife has MS, and she is in extreme pain. She has been in bed for 12 years and they are both affected a lot mentally and emotionally. They were saying how sometimes they wish she can just pass on so she wont be in pain anymore. We went and taught them a lesson and they loved it, and both accepted to be baptized. Carlos had originally said that his wife wouldnt accept anything, but she told us, ¨Its like our eyes are closed, and when you come its like they are opening little by little.¨ 

So last night we went with some members who live close by. And it was an extremely spiritual experience. The members talked about how even though this is an extremely hard trial, it can bring their family together and they can have an even stronger love for each other. Carlos was saying how he wanted to be able to share experiences with his wife and take her out and all these things, but they cant do that. The member promised Carlos, through tears, that when they both pass on to the next life, he will be able to look back and see that it was all worth it, and say that he would do it 100 times over again to be with her forever. He then gave them both a blessing of comfort, and it was extremely spiritual. Its moments like those where i realize what an important mission we have here, and that we can change peoples lives and give them a hope that they have never felt before.

Last night, as we were totaling up our numbers for the week i was feeling really bad, and feeling that we could have done so much better. So as we were praying i asked Heavenly Father to forgive us for what we hadnt done. And as i said that, i felt such a strong feeling of warmth and peace. It was soo strong. And i felt like i didnt deserve that feeling! Because i really felt so bad for our efforts. Because even though i tried, i felt like i really fell so short. But i realized that Heavenly Father wasnt mad about what we hadnt done. And of course He is never going to angry with us, but sometimes we feel that way you know? The only explanation for why i felt that is because he loves me. Even when we dont deserve it, He loves us. So that was an extremely special experience for me, and i know that even when we make mistakes and arent perfect, He will be there with loving arms, ready to embrace us when we ask Him.

Today for Pday we got to go to the mission office and watch Meet the Mormons! Oh my gosh i love that movie so much! There are so many amazing people in this world. If you havent seen the movie, please go watch it! It tells amazing stories of different people from all around the world. And it made me miss america! hahaha watching the part about the football coach made me miss football so much... so then after the movie i got to hang out with hermana chatwin again! We always think we arent gonna see each other for a long time but then we always see each other! Haha its great.

So anways things are good :) learning lots as always. Learning a lot of priceless things that i will never forget. Thank you all for everything and i really love you all a lot!

Con muchisimo amor,

Hermana Geis

Zona de Cartago (Cartago Zone)

With Hermana Soto

In foggy Pacayas!

Week 47- Companionless!

Hello everyone!

So this week was without a doubt the craziest week of my entire mission. Why?

Because my companion went home :( 

She was just really sick, and had to go home. It was really really hard, but i know that everything happens for a reason.

So thankfully i was able to go with hermana chatwin and her companion in their area! It was soo fun to be back with hermana chatwin. The office was trying to find a mini missionary (a member from the country who could go on a mission for a short amount of time) and they found one, but then they cancelled, and they had no idea what they were going to do with me! So hermana chatwin ended up being able to come with me to cartago for a few days! While her companion stayed with other missionaries in their area. It was seriously the weirdest thing ever, to be back in cartago together again. So crazy. But i was SO grateful because we had a lot of spiritual experiences and saw some miracles. I was so grateful to have a friend through all this. We had no idea what was going on or how long we would have to wait to get me a comp or anything. But finally they found someone willing to come out for a month! So we went to the office today to pick her up :) And she is seriously the cutest thing ever! She is SO excited to be here, and i am so lucky to have her as a companion for this short time. She just got her mission call a week ago, to New York New York! That is extreemely rare for someone from central america to get called even out of central america, so we know she must be very special! So she is super excited to learn english, and really wants me to help her with that haha. She already understands and speaks a little bit so she will be great. She dropped a lot of things to come out here for just a month, so i am very happy she made the decision to come.

All that has happened has made me feel a little bit of stress, and if theres one thing i have learned you cannot be stressed and happy at the same time! So i am trying to just trust the Lord completely and do my part. Something that hermana Chatwin and I realized is that even though we may make a lot of mistakes and even if we are not the perfect missionary, we have learned how to be good members of the Church. I have learned that literally nothing matters, except for what Heavenly Father wants us to do. I have seen a lot of people that we have taught let fear of the world or selfishness get the best of them. I just know without a doubt that if we put God first in our life, he will bless us. It doesnt matter what we think or want...it only matters what He wants. We should never justify breaking a commandment or putting the things of the world over that of the things of God. 

So anyways i hope you all put God as the first thing in your life. You will see the blessings of it, i promise you.

I love you all sooo much and thank you for everything :)

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Geis

With Hermana Chatwin again!

Talking with the fam on Mother's Day

With my new comp, Hermana Soto!

Week 46- Trust in the Lord

Hello everyone!! 

So this week was good, a little more stressful than usual, which is not good! Because we should not be stressed on the Lords errand! But it happens...thats when we just have to remember that the Lord is in charge and that He will take over if we do all that we can. 

So last week on wednesday, we had the trainers meeting and breakfast. President has a meeting with all the new trainers, and then everyone goes to his house to eat breakfast. then they have a big reveal where the trainer goes to the middle of the room, not knowing who their comp is going to be, and then president announces who they will be training. Its pretty exciting haha. But it was pretty funny because obviously me and hna castro have been together for two weeks...so i was the first one called to the middle haha. So anways the meeting was reallyyy good. President reminded us of the importance of our assignment and gave us some really good advice. So i left feeling motivated and ready to improve!

The next day, thursday, President Wilkinson came to cartago to have an interview with one of our investigators so they could get baptized - jason. It went really well. We have been preparing him and his mom yesenia right? And they have been way excited about everything. But Yesenia just got the opportunity to work on sundays. So we were talking about the sabbath day and faith and how if we do exactly what God wants even if we dont understand it, he will bless us. We testified so strongly and even shared an experience of a member who got offered a job that she LOVED, but they said she had to work on sundays. So she quit the job without hesitation, and was without work. Then the next week they called her and offered her an even better job with higher pay and everything, and only had to work monday to friday. So we were trying to help her understand the concept of faith and trust, and she understood everything, but in the end always said, ¨But i have to go to that job.¨ So it was very frusterating. But President said to us that she is just starting in the gospel, and is like a baby learning to walk - her faith is not so strong yet. So that really changed my perspective. We just have to help her realize that God will not let her suffer if she keeps His commandments.
That is one thing i have learned that i will never doubt: If we do EXACTLY what the Lord wants, even if we are scared or if it isnt logical, or the world is telling us to do something else, He will bless us. He will give us everything we need.

We are teaching another awesome family Marvin and Maritza and their two daughters. I think i wrote a little about them last time. They are just so excited about everything we share and have so much faith, i love it. They say that they have been looking for the truth and feel like they are really finding it. I cant wait to see their progression and what the Lord has in store for them.

Well things are always crazy but great! Time is flying by sooo much. Cant even believe it. 

I love you all - thank you for your prayers and support. Que Dios les bendiga.

Hermana Amy Geis :) 

Week 45

Hello Everyone!

This week was kinda crazy like always.

We had our multizone conference on Tuesday with President Wilkinson and it was really good. He taught us how to plan better lessons. And thats not just saying, we´re gonna read this scripture and explain this part...its planning with the investigators are going to do in the lesson. Planning what questions to ask, what to tell them to look for, how to capture their attention, when to use what examples, etc etc etc. Basically he said that all of that ¨cuesta.¨ Or in other words, it is really hard. And it requires a lot of patience and energy - he says that planning a lesson like that is a lot harder than walking around knocking doors all day. And its true! But we have been trying to do it :) its really awesome planning that way. Because its a lot easier to have spiritual experiences with the people that way and that is how they are going to become converted to the gospel. 

So ive realized that we do not have success in the areas close to our house so we have been traveling more. So a lot of buses, but a lot of prepared people as well. Weve found some great families in an are that i had never really gone before. We were actually in the home of one family and the wife Angie went outside for a minute to talk to a neighbor, and then she came in and told us, ¨My neighbor asked if you guys could go visit them.¨ So we went right after haha and they are AWESOME. We had an awesome lesson explaining how Christ organized his church and how we have the same church today. The wife Maritza said that she feels as if she is searching for the truth and hasnt found it yet. We told her that she doesnt have to search any longer, because God sent us to her. 

So things are going great, always trying to improve and do more of what the Lord asks of us. I hope you can all push a little harder everyday to do what the Lord wants, and not what we want. Im so grateful for Christ and for what He did for us, and for all that we can accomplish with His help.

Thank you all for your support - Les quiero mucho!

Con mucho amor, 

Hermana geis 

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