Week 8 update

Dear family and friends,

A big hello all the way from Costa Rica! Another week has gone by and sometimes I can´t believe that I have been away from home for almost 4 months now. To a missionary who has 23 months that may seem like nothing, but it is a lot for me, and I am so grateful for every week, everyday, hour and second of my mission. It is such a blessing to be a servant of the Lord. Well this week was full of adventures and new things just like all the rest. This week was great, in our area and in the mission as well. Last Tuesday we had a zone conference and discussed a new way of setting dates for baptism throughout the whole mission. President Galvez instructed us on how to invite someone to be baptized with a specific date on the first time meeting with the missionaries, its amazing, we learned how to do it even as a contact at the door, in the street or wherever we find people. At first I was skeptical, thinking, how is anyone gonna want to listen to us, if we invite them to be baptized at the first time we meet them. But oh was I wrong. A lot of people here already believe in God, and believe that if he tells them that this is the right way, they will follow, and I am surpised how many people really say yes to our invitation to be baptized on a specific date, even on the first visit. We were told to do this with every person we meet and every person we contact, and if they say no, then they aren´t ready, and we must keep searching for those the Lord has been preparing. We have done a lot this week in Tibás to find people and challenge them to baptism. We have been teaching many lessons as well and a lot of people have been accepting our invitations. We are hoping and praying everything works out and we are continually working with these people to bring them closer to Christ. It´s crazy to think about it, that we are asking people to be baptized the first time we meet them, but in reality, why shouldnt we? Our purpose is to bring people closer to Christ and help them receive the Gospel through their faith in Him, repentance, BAPTISM, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and Endure to the End...we are here to baptize, and I say that with more intent than just to have numbers increase in church membership. We are here to bring people to Christ by inviting them into the door of baptism, giving them an amazing gift and lifelong guide, and providing them with a ward family and strength in knowledge to persevere until the end. We will see how all this works out and I will continue to fill this in. As for now, with all this challenging, it looks like we might have about 6 or 7 baptisms scheduled for Tibás on the 26 of Feb. but we will see how this all works out.

This week (particularly last night) I really gained a perspective as to why I am here. We have this family of investigators, I have mentioned them before: Elvis, Carolina and Tania. We have been working with them since my first week here, and we have given up once on Elvis, and once on Carolina, but for some reason we are always pulled back to them. We felt that we had seen no progress, but little did we know right before our eyes they were progressing and the Lord was beginning to stir up something in their hearts and helping them to slightly make a change in their lives. At first our priority was Elvis, but he ended up not showing up a lot of times, so we taught Carolina, his mom, and his sister Tania, at first we taught them the first lesson and invited them to be baptized, she loved the message but replied saying she was already baptized and doesnt see a need to get baptized. We continued to visit them, but everytime we went they would ignore us or not be home, so we gave up, and like I said, things happened and we ended up teaching Elvis again, he had a date for the 5th of Feb to be baptized, but told us he had somethings in his life he has to work on and change before he can get baptized. He went to church one time and hasnt gone since, but we are continuing to work with him. And yesterday before church we stopped by their house becaus they told me they were going to church on Sunday, so we showed up and they were all asleep but Tania said that they would be ready and in the chapel by 9 o clock. We waited, and waited and waited before Sacrament and they didnt show up..but at 1030 while we were in class at church, In walks Carolina and Tania. We were floored, becuase we were not expecting them to show up, especially Carolina a member of the Evagelical religion which is very strong here. She had a great experience in church and said it was really beautiful. We showed up at their house last night and were only planning on sharing a short message before our dinner appointment. In our times before with Carolina, she had always ALWAYS refused to pray in front of us, and we had always asked her to pray so she could know and feel that this was the right path for her to take. Last night, we shared the importance of another baptism, by the proper authority and by the proper way of immersion, we bore powerful testimony and witness that this was the way that God wanted her to take, and we shared amazing scriptures to back up that which we were saying. The spirit was tangible. After this, we invited her to pray and to ask God right there, right now in front of everyone if this was the true church and the way to go. After a little hesitation she finally said yes! And as we all kneeled together in her little humble home, she poured her heart to God and asked him through her sobbing tears if she should get baptized. I felt it, my comp felt it, Tania felt it and we know Carolina felt God answer her prayers. I have never, ever felt the spirit so strong as I felt it there. After the prayer we got up off our knees and sat in silence as she read a scripture we shared with her about the fruits of the spirit. We testified to her that she had her answer, that God has answered here prayer, and we all just witnessed it. We testified that the spirit was in strong abundance in this home, and that he was testifying of our message and the truthfullness of it. She agreed to a baptismal date on the 26, but said that she still needed to think and pray about this. We agreed and left on a super spiritual high.

Its lessons and experiences like those that remind me why I am here. I longed for her to receive an answer, not because I wanted another baptism, not because I wanted the numbers and I wanted the whole mission to know that our zone made our goal, but because I truly desired the welfare of her soul, I truly desired for her to feel the way I felt 16 months ago. I truly deeply wanted her to find Christ, to follow him for the rest of her days, and receive the blessings he has in store for her and her family. That lesson made me realize I have a lot to learn, but I am so excited to do it. It will take work, but I have never felt more energized than I did after that. I know why I am here, I am here to be an instrument in the hands of my God. I am here to bring His children back to him so they can both rejoice and be eternally happy.

Family and friends, I know at times in my letters, I have shared how difficult this experience has been, but I want you to know that without a shadow of a doubt, I know why I am here, and I ABSOLUTELY love being a missionary. I dont want to be anything else right now. I dont want to wear anything else than a shirt and tie and a tag with my Saviors name placed right next to my heart. I dont want anything else right now. I know I am in the right place. I know I am meant to be here. He wouldnt send me here if he knew I couldnt do it. He would never set his children up to fail. But he is not going to just give me it so easy and on a silver platter, it requires work and perseverance, just like every other member of the Church.

This experience has been hard, but as I think back on it, I wouldnt change a THING, not one day would I take out and replace with one better, they really all work together and make it all worth it.

I know that God answers our prayers, I know that he hears us, and he knows the desires and intentions of our hearts. We are his children, and I know that. I know that this Church and only this church has EVERYTHING possible to bring about the salvation of Gods children, and again, I find no shame in saying that, because I know, with NO doubt, that this is the way, and there is no other name given than Jesus Christ whereby we can be saved. I know that, and I am so happy for that knowledge. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet, I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet, I know that because I know God loves me, and he loves us, and he wouldn´t want us here in this dark and dreary world without a guide and a map leading back to our safe home.

I love you all, I love this work and I love my Savior Jesus Christ and my Heavenly Father.
Stay strong and always remember I love you.