Cass in Costa Rica: Semana Veinticuatro: A Blessed Sunday

We had a GREAT week!!! All our numbers have completely turned around and we have been truly blessed!! Now we just need to keep working even harder to keep the fruits coming!

Wednesday

On Wednesday we got a bummer call that said that baptisms on the 29th won´t count for this month because the thirtieth no longer counts :( No one knows why this change has been made but now the baptisms we were planning for the 29th won´t count so once again we will have a month with zero baptisms :( It´s a bummer but also it is okay because we know we are working hard and the the month of December will be full of baptisms!

Also on Wednesday I got an EXTRA call from the Assistants to the President... they told me that the mission is starting a new retention program and I have been called to be a leader in it! I am responsible for HALF THE MISSION and their retention efforts. I don´t really know exactly all that means but I am excited for a new responsibility!

Today we did divisions with members in the ward... they really stepped it up after my talk in Sacrament Meeting! We had tons of success. I went with Emily Mora.. a young woman who wants to serve a mission and Hermana Garcia went with an older sister named Gabriella. They found four nuevos and we found two! We put a baptismal date with Mariana for the 13 of Dec and then we visited a former investigator named Alina that said she had been praying in the morning and our coming was an answer to her prayers. She says she is ready to listen to us again and that she feels something is missing. I hope that she can finally be baptized! I was so proud of my little Hermana Garcia because this was her first time out alone and I was so happy when she told me all her stories and that she used all my teaching techniques and scriptures I always use :) I feel like a proud mama :)

Also we passed Andres in the street COMPLETELY drunk.. all his drunk pals started making crude comments about us and Andres yelled "HEY! Respect! These are MY people!" And then his buddies yelled "you´re all just busy mormoning!!!" So now we have a new verb... to mormon. I enjoy mormoning here in the mission! :)

THURSDAY

Another great day!! Today we had to go to the office for hoooours to get my cedula. Now I am legal and I am tica!

After the office we only had two hours to work before we had ward meetings. So we met with two nuevos that Hermana Garcia found in her divisions yesterday... Lucia and Roberto. Turns out Lucia is the mom of Sharon that I taught at the beginning of my training! She was the thirteen year old girl that had a miscarriage. The lesson was SO powerful and she and her son Roberto accepted baptismal dates for the 13th of December!

Then we had a lesson with Marlon... the son of the Family Fallas. I think I wrote about him before... He is like Alma the Younger. Except that he has done the whole change thing several times. But I have faith that THIS is the time for reals! He has a baptism date for the 29th of this month. I told him about Josh Taylor and testified of the potential he has and how he can bless the lives of others and he cried and cried... I think this time is for real!

Even though we only had two hours to work... We had really spiritual experiences! I LOVE the mission!

FRIDAY

Well today was just another great day! We visited Hermana Julia... then Andres... he was just too drunk and we can´t teach him like that :(... then we both felt like visiting Ana Munoz who was an investigator about four months ago in my trianing. She said tht she was about to leave and then ¨something¨told her to stay. Then we came! as we taught she said she felt something in her heart and accepted a baptismal date for the 20th of December.

Then we visited Marlon.. Then Fernando and Pamela... then Marlon again with the Elders.

Then we had an appointment with Lucia but she lied and said she wasn´t home even though we saw her... Her husband wont listen to us because he says that according to the bible women don´t have authority to preach the gospel...

I really really love the mission!

SATURDAY

I just love the gospel and actually feel SO MUCH love for the mission! I never want to leave and enter the world... I feel more focused and dedicated than ever before!! I love it!!

Today was great. We visited lots of people and shared the gospel with loads... even just through a short testimony.

Highlights: We visited Lucia´s husband. He said he couldn´t even listen to us because we don´t have the authority. So I asked if we could just pray with him and it turns out that according to the bible women can´t pray either! I testified to him that God loves ALL his children and wants ALL of them to communicate with h im.. He asked if I had HEARD that or if I had READ that... haha oh what adventures :)

Other Highlight was with Marlon. His family are all converts from the iglesia evangelica so they shout preached the whole lesson and it was hard to take control and even have the spirit (at one point they were shout preaching...all four at the same time... of how the spirit speaks in a still small voice and if we aren´t calm and listen we can´t hear. haha it was a little ironic) But they are GREAT people and truly love the gospel. I am grateful for all the different people I get to meet here in the mission!

SUNDAY

What a blessed Sunday!! We had NINE investigators at church! Margarita came AT LAST with her novio and daughter. Today was the primary program and her daughter participated :) They go all out for those... with matching scarves and boutenirs and everything. Daniel didn´t come though :( He said he was fatal and had to go to the doc. So his baptismal date for the 29th fell through :( But it´s okay he will be baptized in December.

Today Evida talked to us! I really think she´ll be baptized... just slower progress.

Then we went to visit Jendry... she didn´t answer either phone or the door again... we used to visit her every day... and the elders too... and now she is avoiding both of us. Something happened!

And Lucia and her husband are avoiding us too. It is so hard to tell when the excuses are real or when they are just excuses.

This week we have been truly blessed!! I am completely healed from my cold... we have had LOTS of opportunities to teach the gospel... have found 9 new investigators... we have 9 baptismal dates for December... and have 9 investigators progressing... and had 9 in church!! Looks like nine is our number :) I am so grateful for the LOVE that I truly feel for the mission and for Costa Rica and for the gospel. Thank you to all of you for your prayers and love! I´m working hard and focusing here but am so glad that all the babies and everyone were born safely! Love yáll!

PURA VIDA!