Cass in Costa Rica: Semana Cinco: Last P-day in America

Hola!!!

SO MUCH TO SAY AND SO LITTLE TIME!! First of all I love you. All of you!!

WEDNESDAY

This was when all the new sisters and elders came! 8 new sisters!! It was so fun. They are so cute and I love being a leader. After Dinner I got a letter from Kels and JD and Melanie. I felt so bad because she said, "we are weriting a short email because we want this to get to you by pday tomorrow" aaaaand I didn't get it in time to write back. But I'll write you this week for sure sis!

THURSDAY

Man I don't think this whole mission thing can ever get old :) Everyday is exactly the same... yet SO different! I love it and am so grateful to be part of this work.

When we started the day we realized that we had EIGHT lessons today!!! That's more than we've ever had! I'm sure it's more in the field... well I don't know. But during PSC I just knew we didn't have enough time to prepare for all of them- especially since 2 of them were DURING PSC! So we had even less time! As I started studying... I desperately prayed to Father in Heaven that He would guide my study to somehow prepare us for all the lessons we had!!

First we taught Hely and she brought her husband Jose! They were fifteen minutes late and talk a TON so we only had 5 min to share a quick message with them. They are so sweet.

Then we taught Mercedes- turns out her full name is Nayeli Mercedes. It was an AMAZING lesson. We taught the gospel then re committed to baptism and she cried as she shared with us how she has gained a testimony and even prays about little things like for her phone to work. She said she wants to be baptized but doesn't know how her family will react so she wants to talk to her mom first. I promised her that she can pray to have her Mom's heart softened and she cried and thanked us. We have NO idea if she is one of the real investigators (cuz there are a few!) But she sure seems like it! I love her!

Then we played volleyball with the new zone and ate Lunch with them.

Then class with Hmno Bliler and we taught Jaime. It was difficult but didn't go poorly.

Then Jose Luis- the first thing he asked was why Adam and Eve's fall was part of kthe plan. We tried to explain how they needed to be able to experience opposition to have joy and progress and how they couldn't have children- and then he interrupted and said, "That's the part I don't get. Why couldn't they have kids?" ... ha. So we TRIED in our poor espanol to explain how they were in a state of innocence and were like children themselves... haha he just kept saying "si pero.... porque?!?" haha it was funny...

Then we thought we were teaching Alejandro, but I think he is gone for good!

Then Dinner an dClass with Hmna Boza. We taught each other one on one acting as investigators to know how it feels.

Then we had TRC where we taught Hermana Laticia who is a member of the church IN MEXICO VIA SKYPE!! It was awesome!! And un poco awkward :)

Then Hmna Boza told us the real story of Luisa. Apparently she is a 65 year old women Hmna Boza taught on HER mission. All Hmna Boza and her comp did was be her friend and take her to ice cream every week. jThen suddenly she said she'd read the Book of Mormon and wanted to be baptized!! Sometiemes all it takes is to be a friend... follow the spirit!! Which reminds me. COLLETTE. Sometimes during the week I have a thought of somehting I should tell y'all. This week I kept thinking about that girl the missionaries committed you to become friends with.... HAVE YOU DONE IT?!?! Get on it!! :) I challenge you to just become her friend!! Invite her to 7 peaks or to watch a movie or to play with your bunny. Just be her frined!!! I love you sis. I know you can be a missionary too!!! Also, I'm going to attach some pics of Hmna Boza... EVERY lesson she teaches, she spends like twenty minutes of class drawing this elaborate thing on the board. It's hilarious.

So we ended up teaching only 6 lessons... but I tell you. The church is true and the spirit works!! And I'm STARTING to recognize it better... little by little!!

FRIDAY

Oh I forgot!! Yesterday, we were teaching Jose Luis about repentance and explained that we need to repent for the little things too- every day really! Then we committed him to repent and he said, "Yes but... I just go to work all day then come home and go to bed so I don't really do anything.." So I told him, "Well our days we spend studying the gospel for six hours an teaching others for the rest of the day and we still repent CADA dia!!" And he was like, "What really?? Well you sisters are 'angelitas' so if you have to repent I must too!!" Haha it was so sweet. When ever he prays he ALWAYS asks Heavenly Father to bless the 'hermanitas'. Adding 'ita' is a term of endearment so basically he calls us dear little sisters all the time... and little angels!! So sweet.

Okay first today... our last day of service!!!! Then class with Hmnos Meek and Bliler. While the other compships were teaching Jaime (Bliler) We would each go back one on one with Hmno Meek to discuss our goals and how we are feeling. I don't know if y'all know this about me but I have a disease where whenever someone sincerely asks how I'm doing... I break into tears. Haha even when I'm fine!!! And I was extra tired today because of service... anyway. So I go back and suddenly I felt like crying. He said, "The only reason we are here is to answer one question: How are you doing???" I said Bien- Choking back tears- and he made a funny joke about how that's all he needed and stood up to leave :) ha. So anyways he asked if I had any questions or worries. And seriously fighting the tears, I told hi m about how I REALLY felt like I don't know the scriptures enough. I want to be that missionary who can flip exactly to a scripture right when i need it!! So I asked for suggestions and we talked about it a while. THen I said I had two more. 1. I am struggling still to recognize the spirit telling me what to study, teach, and say. He promised me that as long as I am obedient and TRYING to have the spirit and follow Him, I WILL be guided in the things I do whether I realize it's the spirit or not. He also said that when we are obedient and doing what we are supposed to, the Lord doens't have to direct us in every single thing we do!! He can trust us to make our own decisions to do His work. That was comforting. Then I said that 2. The closer it gets to being time to leave... the more nervous I feel about the languagE! I feel way behind. Aaaand at this point the tears came haha. I'd almost made it. He promised that I will be fine and it will be hard but that It'll come. He said I'm better off that he was in the MTC (doubt it) and that he has ZERO worries about me. So nice. Then he said that I am an example for the whooole district- that my dilignece and humilty and willingness to learn more was incredible. It was SO nice! Of course I cried. I love my teacdhers. I just feel like I can do so much better and am too behind. But that night it was in a discouraging way. Which means SATANAS!! (haha satan is fun in espanol) There is such a difference in the want to be better from the Lord and the discouraging one from Satan. I know I can be better through the Lord and He will bless me for my efforts!!

Then we taught Jaime. GYm . Lunch. Class with Hmna Boza. Of course I loved that. Then we taught our LAST lesson with Jose Luis!! We committed HIm to baptism and said goodbye :( He said, "Noooo but you Hermanitas are so funny!" And I said, "Why because we are so bad at Spanish!??" haha it was funny. I'll miss him!

Then dinner- I got a Dear Elder from DADDy and a package from KELS AND JD!! of bran muffins and pictures of their trip!! SO NICE! I lov emy family soooo much.

Then PSC. Love it!! I think I got a scripture marking system down. Fingers crossed it works!

ALSO!!! I got my travel Itineraries today!!!! I sent a picture so hopefully that works... but if not...

American Airlines Flight 50 from SLC to Dallas Ftworth TX 8:25-12 on Jul 7

American Airlines Flight 971 from Dallas to San Jose 4:10-7:10 Jul 7..

Then I have a flight scheduled from San Jose to Atlanta Georgia on Delta Airlines on October 7..... so... apparently I'm being reassigned... ;) (I later found out that we have to do that because we are entering as travellers and will receive our visas there)

So DAD, figure out the correct times for those flights for Utah time... because I'LL BE CALLING HOME!!! I have a huge long layover so I might just call then... but I MIGHT call in the morning!! Or BOTH!! Just being around the phone all day. Dear Elder me pronto and tell me which phone to call!! And make sure you answer!! :) :) And tell the rest of the fam to be over there all day- at least for the layover.. so I can say I to everyone!! YAY!!!!

SATURDAY

It was a day like any other. Class with Hmna Boza- love. PSC- love. Class with Hmnos Meek and Boza- love. No mail- don't love. And Hmnas Kugath and Bratt singing loudly offkey while I studies and during class- don't love haha. But I DO love my sweet companions. Even when they bug me.. I see the worth of their souls in the eyes of God!!! I think theres a good reason we are only together for 6 weeks. I have learned a LOT from being with them and I do love them!

SUNDAY

Oh my. What an Amazing day. I took so many notes but I don't have time to tell you about all of them!!! I'm going to try to write them in a letter because they were all so good!! Filled with spiritual experineces.

First, Branch council meeting. Awesome discussion of the spirit!

Then We taught District meeting on Baptism. Went well!! But none of the Elders are ever keen on participating :) Then I taught a 15 min lesson on Conducting music. It was so fun!! I love teaching and know I want to do something with that when I "grow up!"

Then Music and the Spoken word- Independence day Special! I love music soooooo much. I can't wait to get to listen to it in the field!! Hey if "Distant Land" or "Savior Redeemer of my soul" happen to be on my Ipod I wouldn't be upset ;)

Then Relief Society. WOW such a great meeitng. Sister NEil something spoke from the general RS board or something and I took great notes I'll send!

Then Sacrament Meeting... guess what... I got called on to speak!!! I gave a whole talk IN SPANISH!! :) They said it was very well done! Then greeeeeat talk by Pres Shallenberger. Again... I'll write notes for you.

Then Leadership meeting

Interviews

Choir- but not. Because My comps are never to keen on going to choir. So I never got to do it :( also apparently there was an auditioned choir on main campus for the mission president's seminar!! They don't tell us anything way over here on the west side haha. They probably got to sing for the prophet!!

Then devo... SO GOOD!! Brother Stephen B Allen. He used all the old Homefront Videos and tied all the taglines to missionary work. Will send notes :)

Sunday Film- the Gift of tEaching by Elder Holland. Of course so good once again. You should all go watch that one. It's for all teachers in the church!

I love sundays. I am ALWAYS spiritually fed and edified and uplifted. The church is true!!

MONDAY

I am just in love with studying the scriptures. There is never enough time!! The more I study them the more I love them and want to have them with me everywhere

That's what I did first- PSC. When we were walking to do TALL we saw Jose Luis- but GUESS WHAT!??! HE IS ACTUALLY A TEACHER HERE! Wow. DIdn't see that one comin'.

Then class with Hmno Bliler. We practiced weekly planning and set goals for our LAST WEEK HERE!! One of them is to speak in ESPANOL (HSI) EVERY SECOND OF THE WHOLE WEEK!! It's dificil. In class, we ONLY talk in Espanol and for EVERY english word we say, we have to do three push ups!! I just finished my thirty for the day... I'll never speak in English again!!

Then class with Hmno Meek and Hmna Boza. We always tease them because we thing they'll get married :) We are silly immature high school girls... someday I'll grow up I swear....

We had a really nice time of almost an hour when we just got to chat wiht Hmna Boza. She said she has really noticed how strong our companionship is and we each shared what we've learned from each other. Then she told us about how she ended up in America and how her life in Peru is and what her plans are- she is seriously AWESOME and I LOVE her and look up to her mucho.

We also taught ALEJANDRO again!! I am SOOOO grateful for our teachers. They do SO MUCH for us and are CONSTANT examples. I honestly truly love every single one!!! I'll miss them!!

Today I got a postcard from Aunt Linda and Uncle Joe... A letter from Katelin!!!!!!... and a letter from Grama with some extra cash.. SO NICE!! i'M SOGRATEFUL!!

TUESDAY

PACKAGE!! Mama sent caramel corn for pday eve celebration- you always pull through Mommy! :) And extra make-up I asked for. With a little note from her and a detailed account from Kenn of her EFY experience!! I CANNOT believe she is old!! I also got a Dear Elder from Hailey Kearl- my old roommate!! AND a Dear Elder from MOM! I've never gotten one from her before and now I know why.... apparently she has sent SEVERAL to Costa Rica!!! Hahahaha you're a Hoot mom. I love you. And I'm so glad I'll have letters waiting for me in el campo!!

Wow what a great day!! PSC in the morning. Then Main Campus for a follow up appt for Hmna Kugath. We ate lunch there too!!! It was fun. THen class with Bliler until Dinner. I love him! We taught Jaime- turns out the story of Jaime is actually Hmno Bliler's brother! It's weird to go from teaching 8 lessons in one day to 1- if any!! BUt I'm kind of glad because I fell like I have sooo much studying and prep to do for the field in FIVE DAYS!! Wowza.

Then Devotional. Man Devo is always so goo.d It was a former 70- Lowell M Snow. He talked on becoming a disciple of Christ. LOVED it! Again... I'll wrte you some notes :)

PDAY eve celebration with the NEW SISTERS!!

Last PDAY today!!!!! I CANNOT believe it!! I love this gospel and I am soo grateful for the opportunity to serve. I am SO BLESSED!! I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE my family and I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE the Lord!!!!

Also I see cousin Emily every sunday in Music and the Spoken word and she is beautiful!

And The temple is closed so that's too bad.

OKAY i LOVE YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!! SEE YOU SOON! I love Costa Rica!!! (PS WE ARE ROCKIN' THE WORLD CUP i HEAR) love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!