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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Week 44- Happiness Through Trials

Hellooo everyone!

So this week was good! Its interesting that i can say that because really this week was not as successful as any other week haha. But I dont feel discouraged at all. There were days where no one let us in or no one was home, and I wasnt affected at all. I was happy. Thats a complete miracle. I couldnt be more grateful for Heavenly Father blessing me that way.

We have been working a lot with Jorge and Ines - the couple who went to church for several months like two years ago and who arent married. So we have been trying to help Jorge see the importance of marriage so that they could get baptized, but something at the back of my mind was always telling me that something else was the problem. And this week we found out what it was. He doesnt believe in the Book of Mormon at all. He thinks that it is just a book that Joseph Smith wrote and made up. So basically we have been studying a ton to prepare to teach him and help him understand and see the truthfulness of the book. But the thing is if he never prays with a sincere heart to ask if its true, he will NEVER get the answer and he will never know. So we went with him twice this week to talk only about the book of mormon - to read it, and talk about the importance of praying with the specific question of whether or not it is true. So the last time we went we read a bunch of scriptures that we AWESOME (like 2 Nephi 29). And he kept on saying things like, ¨Yeah that makes a lot of sense...but...¨ and always put another doubt in there. I felt the spirit so strongly, but he was just so unwilling to accept it. At one point he said that hes wondered why he is here and hes asked God to send him a sign to tell him his purpose and all these things. Then i said, ¨Have you ever wondered why God has sent so many missionaries to you?¨ And he just sat there thinking, and then said, ¨Yeah that could be it...¨ and we testified that God has been trying to tell him what the truth is over and over again but he hasnt been willing to accept it. So we invited him to pray with the specific question, of whether or not all of this was true, and then we left. As we were walking outside i said to my comp, ¨I feel mad, frusterated, dissappointed....but i also feel really really happy. Know why? Because i know that these things are true. Ive never known so much in my life.¨ 

Seriously, studying for this man has made my testimony rock hard. I am SO extremely happy because i feel like i am becoming truly converted to the gospel. That is the only thing i wanted from my mission - to become converted. And ive never had such a surety of these things.

Just this week i have noticed how much ive changed. And i really know why im here. To invite people to come unto Christ. If they dont want to, we wont force them. We are here to invite. And if they dont accept it they are losing the best joy and peace that they could have.

Im here because I love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Im here for them. And i know that this church is the exact church that Jesus Christ established, and that he is in charge. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, without a doubt. And that is the key to everything. We were watching a video the other day of Jeffrey R Holland talking about the Book of mormon, the talk is called Safety for the Soul. He says, ¨In this I stand with my own great-grandfather, who said simply enough, “No wicked man could write such a book as this; and no good man would write it, unless it were true and he were commanded of God to do so.”¨I testify of his words.

Oh and also we have two baptisms this week! Yesenia, who was a reference from a member from another ward, she is amazing! and Cesar. Cesar talked with the missionaries a long time ago and has always been iffy about the church. But he let us come and visit him this week and he said that he has been listening to conference talks, listening to hymns, and reading the book of mormon. He said, ¨If i didnt know all of this were true, i wouldnt have let you guys come over.¨ So that was awesome!! 

Well im so grateful for all of you and i hope you all seguir adelante and keep the faith. I love you all!

Que Dios les bendiga,

Hermana Geis 

With Hermana Castro!

Sunset! 

practicing door contacting in district meeting (it was pretty hilarious)

Week 43- What Just Happened?!?

Hello everyone!

So this was thee craziest/weirdedst week of my mission.

Literally one hour after i wrote you all last week, the assistants called us. They told us that we would be having emergency changes!!! They told hermana chatwin that she would be leaving the next day to Concepcion, an area thats about a half hour from here in Cartago. We were in a store when they called so i didnt hear what they said, but i could tell what they told her. When she hung up the phone, i was just like, ¨No hermana! I dont want to know!!!¨ But sadly she was getting changed :( and i was told that i would be training!! But they didnt know if my future comp would be coming in one week, or three weeks. Haha so it was a little confusing. so the next day hna chatwin left for her area and one of the hermanas in that area, Hna Canales from honduras, came with me, because they are in a trio there. We didnt know how long we would be together, but we figured it would be for just a week. So then even more craziness happened, because the next day (Wednesday) hna canales´ zone was going to the temple! So i got to go again!!! And hna chatwin got to go too, because thats her new zone. And then on thursday, their zone had a multizone conference with president. So we had to go to that too. So me and hna chatwin were really glad we still got to see each other lots haha but it was sad not being in my area!! But it was still a good week and we still got a lot done. But i was feeling an extreme amount of stress just because of the change and not exactly knowing what was going on. So i really just had to trust in the Lord. I have felt my relationship and testimony of the Savior grow so much and im so grateful for that. It is a lot more personal now, and although ive always known He exists and is there, I really know even more now and feel his presence a lot more in my life. I know that He is there. So im very grateful for that.

So today we went to the office early and i picked up mi hija! And saw hna chatwin again haha, because she was there to pick up hna canales. My new comp is Hermana Castro, and she is actually from costa rica! :) And i love her already. Shes way sweet. Im excited! Im way excited to train again because i know that i am going to learn so much.

So we have been working a lot with an hermana named Yesenia. A few weeks ago a member from another ward in our stake called us, and gave us her name as a reference! She said that her husband had just left her, and she felt like she was really ready to accept the gospel. So we went! And she is awesome. She has accepted everything and she and her two kids went to conference last week! But they went with the member in the other ward who gave them as a reference. One of her sons, Jason, was there the first time we went over but we didnt think much of him because he didnt seem interested. But we found out that he had come all the way from San Jose just to hear us, and he watched the conference online and has been reading the book of mormon!! And him and yesenia came to church yesterday :) they really liked it. And we had a family home evening with some members who live by them last night and it went really well. Im so excited for them! I just know that her and all of her kids will be baptized. Yesenia is the only one who has been to church twice, and her three kids only once. So we might wait until the first week of may so that they can all get baptized together. but we´ll see what happens!

Weve also been working with a mom, Lorena and her two kids. Theyve all been to church twice! And they want to be baptized, but her husband is not very supportive about it. We just hope that they can be brave enough to take this step despite what he might say.
Well i am super excited to work this week. Cartago is full of miracles and i am so excited to see even more. I will definitely need to trust in the Lord even more, because when i start thinking about all that we need to do i get a little overwhelmed. But i know that if we are being obedient and doing all that we can, the Lord will take charge and help us complete with his will.

Well i love you all! Always be grateful for what you have! Have a great week :) 

At the temple a second time! 

After our last district meeting together!

With Hermana Castro :)