Okay last pday...
WEDNESDAY
pday number three!! It has been TWO MONTHS since I left home. craaazy. Okay today Hmna Davidson was my angel. Wait.... I think I said all this last week. Haha. okay well after I wrote y´all and printed beautiful pictures of my beautiful family I had a chance finally to read all your emails that I printed. All of them said something that made me realize my overall sense of negativity. If I wasn´t being negative about the culture shock I was being negative about myself and my lack of spanish skills or yadda yadda yadda. And you know what?? This is the time to change!! I need to recognize my successes! I need to have FUN! I need to realize that I am in COSTA RICA for goodness sake and for 18 months I get to do nothing but share the gospel!! What a glorious blessing!!! And so. I have instigated a new and improved program... it is called "Good Things Costa Rica" and it even has a jingle that I made up in the shower. Every day I look for five things: What I love About Costa Rica, Something Fun that happened, At least one tender mercy, a spiritual moment in a lesson, and a Way to Go Cass moment. In all honesty some days it was rooo ooo oough to find those things. But the more I looked for those things to share with you... the more I realized the hand of the Lord in the work and the happier I felt! I am happy to report that I am doing great!! I am bad at spanish and I´m still not a fan of the bugs but you know what?? I feel great. I am doing the work of the Lord and it is amazing.
Today I did an LPE all by myself on the bus where I had a full on conversation about looots of things. The sister asked me if it is hard to be away from my family and why I´m doin this if it is. I response was so quick and my answer so powerful to me that it shocked me! I told her for sincerely that I am here because I know that this is the one and only true church and it has blessed my life in such a way that I need to share it with others. And that means I can handle being away from my sweet family and enduring these challenges because the gospel is worth it. It was an incredible moment for me to remember why I am here and I am so grateful for that!
On the streets I starting thinking about Leslie and how on dates when it was awkwardly silent she would just talk about random stuff like a licence plate she saw. I decided to do that with my comps. I started just taaaaalking and talking and talking in spanish to try and have a better relationship with them and to just practice talking!! It was actually fun! I taught them fun english sentences too. Haha they sound funny. And I know that´s how I sound in spanish so its good. I participated almost equally in the lessons today!! And there was a BEAUTIFUL sunset, perfect amount of rain, I at all my food... It was a beautiful blessed day. I truly feel happy and I thank my Savior for that!
What I love: the beautiful sunset and the rain!!
Something fun: I made jokes and conversed with my comps!
Tender Mercy:I had a miracle today!!! We were sprinting for the bus because we missed it and suddenly these young men walked around the corner AHEAD of us and said "Hey, you dropped your wallet!" They ran back a few blogs and came back with my WHITE HANDBOOK which has my papers and my right to proselyte thing and my copy of my passport AND my mission debit card and forty bucks!! It was a miracle I had no idea I´d lost it!!! And how did they see it?? They were ahead of us?? What a blsessing. Also today I was happy and didn´t cry and that was a tender mercy for me!
Spritual moment in lesson: Well. I particpated tons! I don´t exactly remember a specific moment but it was awesome!
Way to go Cass: I shovelled down all my food!!! and I cleaned. WAhoo!
TUESDAY
Eeek! No mucho tiempo hoy.... so I need to do this way fast! It was a bad spanish day.. but that´s okay. I was able to just take a deep breath and say "The lord is with me, my family is praying for me, and I have work to do!" Five lessons today...
What I love: THE MOUNTAINS!! Sometimes I look and them and I´m like... aaaaaaahhh Utah! I mean. THey are slightly more tropical looking and Utah´s are slightly more grand. But they are beautiful!!
Something Fun: Hmna B and I play a license plate game where you hit eachother when there are three of the same number. hahaha it´s fun.
Tender Mercy: There was SALT on the table!! SALT!! My goodness. What a tender mercy. The food here is just waaaaay bland. Salt was amazing.
Spiritual Moment in Lesson: I was getting down and discouraged because I couldn´t understand a word and usually the investigators don´t even look at me while they are talking. I sit in the middle.. but they look from Hermana P to Hermana B and someties I feel like "WHY AM i EVEN HERE??" But suddenly I had this overwhelming feelin gthat the Lord is with me and I was not alone. So All was well!!
Way To Go Cass: I had a GREAT study hour today!!! At one moment, I was reading in 3 Nephi 27:30 "And now, behold, My joy is great, even unto fulness, because of you, and also this generation; yea, and even the Father rejoiceth, and also all the holy angels, because of you and this generation; for none of them are lost." And I wrote down, "I want my father in heaven and the Lord and Angels to rejoice because of ME!" And I had suuuuch an evenloping feeling that they ARE! I am causing my Father in HEaven to have JOY! Because I am trying. I am working hard to become better and to share His gospel!! What a blessing.
WEDNESDAY
Today we had some gringas stay over and they said my spanish was actually good!!! Ha they were probably trying to be encouraging but I´ll take it!!! Also they said that our house is the dirtiest of all the houses... I believe it. They also said we have the most ants. Wahoo!! That means that I am being prepared now with the worst so later on the bad houses will seem like castles!!
Kiosco today! oh have I told you about this?? We are one of like three missions in the world that is testing out this thing when we put a booth in the park and contact. It´s fun!
What I love: Everyone is ALWAYS outside. Always! It´s like a neighborhood party every night.
Something fun: I laughed at my mistakes!! And there were a lot of them!! Haha so lots of laughs!
Tender Mercy: The food was SELF SERVE!! So I chose how much rice and beans and fish I wanted! You may be laughing, but it truly was a tender mercy!
Spiritual moment: I bore my testimony today and truly felt the spirit testifying through me. THat´s one of the ways PMG says you can tell that you are a successful missionary!!
Way to Go Cass!: I did three LPEs all by myself! Wahoo!
THURSDAY
What I love: tiles. They have like broken shattered random pieces of tiles in the sidewalks now and then. Quite fun.
Something fun: Today we ate at Grama Manning´s house and she gave us these DELICIOUS tostadas and then we had to eat SO fast and SPRINT to Zone Confnerence and I almost died and when we got there Hmna Davidson bursted out laughing and said I looked in pain haha. It was fun we all laughed the whole way!
Tender Mercy: The food. Grama M cooks the BEST food and it was actually delicious!! which was good because I started my fast after lunch! For spanish help!
Spiritual moment: I shared a scripture daddy shared with me- Alma 7:11 and again felt the power of the spirit testifying that the Lord is truly with us in ALL of our trials of every kind!
Way to Go Cass: I had an LPE with a man that spoke ENGLISH and GUESS WHAT?!? IT WAS HARD!! I tried to say JEsucristo instead of JEsus Christ and familias instead of families and y instead of and. WHAAAAAT!! awesome.
FRIDAY
What I love: The Llightnig!! I think I´ve already talked about it but it is awesome and is literally EVERY night starting at 6 until forever. Cool.
Something Fun: LPE game!!! today I felt sick and crappy and grumpy. It was bad. I have had a sick stomach all week. And I was fasting and wasn´t seeing results. I was grumpy. Half way through the day I decided that was enough and I needed to change! So I said to myself... okay. If I get more than 10 LPEs BY MYSELF... I am buying myself Ice cream. So I started talking with EVERYBODY and the whole day completely changed!!! I actually had fun and felt happy!
Tender Mercy: So my discovery was that working makes me happier... and that was a tender mercy!
Spiritual Moment: I extended the baptismal invitation for a man named Santos and he accepted!
Way to Go Cass: Happy to report that I did ELEVEN LPEs all by myself!!! The Heladarias were all closed but I did buy myself tres leches. The goal of the day for the mission is 20 so I did more than half of them!!! Together we had over 50! (my comps are clearly good at them)
SATURDAY
Oosh I have like zero time.
Love: PARKS!! They are beautiful. look up the park by my house... it´s called Desamparados and park is spelled parque I think. Also the catholic church that the park is right in front of. Gorgeous.
Fun: I made my comps teach me how to have a latina accent. Haha I was awful and we laughed all day. Also we have a new LPE competition where whoever has the least at the end of the day buys EVERYONE helados!! haha fun.
Tender Mercy: Food was actually good (i´m noticing all my tender mercies were food haha...) I didn´t feel so sick.. I was able to feel happy and have fun!
Spiritual moment: I testified powerfully of the Book of Mormon!
Way to Go Cass: I changed my attitude today and did 10 more LPEs! Together this week we had 222 and the mission goal is only 160!
SUNDAY
BAPTISM TODAY!! Marlene. So great!! she shared her testimony afterwards and it was so sweet!!! What a glorious gospel.
Love: Rain again! And the misty clouds on the mountains when it rains
Fun: There was a bird in the baptismal font!!!
Tender Mercy: Baptismal experience, food
Spiritual: In lessons I kept having words pop into my head but I was silent... then my comps would say the exact sentence that was in my head!! I´m receiving revelation... now I just need to act on it!
Way to Go Cass: I talked to MANY members... I tried to bear my testimony... but as SOOn as the sacrament was over... twenty people walked right up to the stage and got in a literal line. So there was no time... sad.
And then today!! It was Chekeo de mes so we got to go to Presidente´s house for DELICIOUS food!!! What a fantastic week and a beautiful work.
I think bats live in my house
I read a talk you should read about the priesthood! I read it in spanish so I don´t really know if i understood it but it is called El Poder del Sacerdocio por Linda K Burton.
Will you send me updates of how much moolah I have so I know?
Hey maybe yáll could find a pinterest solution to ants!! I know there´s a thing for fruit flies with apple cider vinegar... maybe something similar is for my ant friends!
Hey I´m gonna get these cool scripture cases eventually but I need to have some pics to put on them. Eventually everyone send me your fav church pic. like of the savior or esther or a temple or something.
Did I ever tell you both my comps are 24?? So I feel quite young haha
Make sure you all feed the missionaries wherever you live. IT´s a blessing.
I have lots of CR fun facts for you but NO time. darn
I sent a letter!! Well. I WROTE a letter and will try to send!! look for it!
They freak out when I do ¨snap my fingers in a z formation" They think it´s hilarious and I don´t get it.
Oh one day I did that magic coin trick for the kids! They DIED! They love it.
Kate! I met an hmna that trained you. Vigil?
This week is mothers day here!! Or maybe next week. well this month!! Crazy. HAPPY MOTHERS DAY MOM!!!
I love my family more than words and I hope you all know what a difference you make in my success. thank you for all you do for me. I pray for you daily too!! I´m doing great and Iit is always getting better. I LOVE YOU!!
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