Cass in Costa Rica

Semana Once: From Trio to Duo

Wahoooooo one change down!! Que Chiva!

I have become very accustomed to the smell of marijuana. Everyone and their dog smokes it.

Everyone says fetch (all the missionaries) just like in the Best Two Years! I am really trying not to pick that one up...

My garments stink so bad because of how long they sat in the bucket of water. No time to clean them. Oh well. :)

They always know I´m from the USA because of how hard I shut the car door! I never knew it was hard!!!! Do we shut doors hard??

I swear I have a letter just waiting to be sent. We never have time. I am MAKING time today.

When you say "Buenas! Como esta!" They always say "Bien bien gracias a Dios!" and forever I thought they were saying "Good thanks goodbye!" And so I´d be like oooookay.... I´ll stop talking to you. But really they are saying "Good thanks to God!" Ha. woops.

Okay in my scripture reading this week I read 1 Nephi chapter 6. Go read it yall! In it, Nephi says that he ONLY writes the things that are pleasing unto God and he gives a commandment to his posterity to ONLY write things that are of worth unto the children of men. You know what that means?? EVERY SINGLE THING in the Book of Mormon is pleasing unto God and of worth unto us!! So in your scripture study this week... find the worth of every verse!!!! I was thinking about the famous "my father dwelt in a tent" verse. You know what I realized?? Nephi and his family were rich.. they had lots of gold and silver and fine things. THey gave it ALL up to follow the commandments of the Lord. It must have been a pretty big deal to Nephi that his dad dwelt in a tent. Like the true demonstration of his faith. Food for thought! :)

Wow zero time! Ok super fast overview of the week:

Tuesday

Today we had a multi-zone conference with President. Hermana Bratt was there and when we got there we talked forever about all the things that we didn´t agree with that our trainers did. Then everything Presidente talked about was talking bad about our leaders. I was VERY humbled and realized that every assignment in the mission is directly from the Lord. OF COURSE my comps aren´t perfect!!! We all have much to improve! But they are great missionaries and when I changed my thinking from "What are they doing wrong" to "what can I learn from them" The whole week changed! We worked in greater unity then ever before and I truly feel love for these two girls! Also at the conference I met LEMUEL who is the son of LEMUEL the Cancun tour guide!!!!!!!! he said he´d seen me in a picture his dad has ha! He´s an elder in our mission!

WEDNESDAY

We have tons of Hmnas staying at our house so things are a little crazy but it´s all good! I´m meeting lots of sisters! Today we had an LPE (includes three things: Sharing a spiritual message of the restored gospel, extending a commitment such as visit mormon.org, and asking for references) with a 16 year old mom who ten minutes later called us saying she was hungry.... we bought her and her baby some bananas and crackers and juice. It is so hard here because so many people want money from us. We want to help everyone but we just can´t!

Guess what?? The food is good now!! Which is good! But also bad. Because I´m gaining weight. Yikes.

We have an investigator... Marlene... who was baptized a few weeks ago. Well she never showed up the next Sunday for her confirmation and has been running from us when we see her. She´s the mom of Jesus. Both have decided not to come to church anymroe and Hmna Marlene tried to give us back her Book of Mormon and all the folletos :( My comps were crying and I realized another thing I need to improve on. I felt sad... but I didn´t feel... ok like that scripture that says the missionaries in the BOM would quake at the thought of one soul being lost? I am noooot there yet. I think I need to work on Charity. I need to truly love these people and desire their Salvation more than anything else!!

THURSDAY

I truly feel closer to my comps than ever and feel so bad for the pride I´ve had and the way I´ve judged! We have lots to improve but I am learning to see it in a different way! As President says... Always happy NEVER satisfied!

Today we had lunch with Grama Manning. It was delicious of course!! We were late so she lectured us good and hard. Also she gave us like FIVE bowls of ice cream...!!!!

Also today we had a celebration at the church for El Dia de Madre!!!! There was lots of cultural dancing!! And lots of foood... but we had to leave before that part :( (I swear there is at least one fiesta of some sort every week!)

We had a lesson with an investigator named Paola. She is incredible!! She lives with Hermana Julia and is from Honduras. She left her four kids to come here to work so she can have enough money just to buy her fmaily a house with more than one room! She was SO excited and grateful to live somewhere so clean that she made us come see her room! It is just a plain room with cinderblock walls and a bed... completely empty otherwise. She was SO grateful and proud of that room! I am so humbled. The area I live in the houses are NICE! I am grateful for this opportunity to realize how truly blessed I am! I am so blessed to wake up every morming and preach the gospel in COSTA RICA!

FRIDAY

El Dia de MAdre!!!! Missionary Handbook says that holidays are the best because everyone is home with their families... which was true... but NO ONE would receive us because they were all home with their families!!! All six of our planned lessons fell and all six of our plan b´s fell too.. IT was awful! Finally we had a lesson with a young man and his mom and afterwards they had us do karaoke while they made us food.. it was so spicy I almost died. But delicious! The karaoke was Goodbye Earl... ha... memories... I finally suggested they put on the Christmas cd because I didn´t know how missionary appropriate killing Earl was...

SATURDAY

Lesson at 730 AM with Paola... seven lessons fell...ended up with six though!! Twas good.

SUNDAY

Woke up with a huge zit on my lip... so I had a fat lip. At church the kids said "que paso hermana cooook?????!?!?!" and I just laughed and said "Que feo, verdad????" Ha.

Today I participated equally in every lesson!! Well except for one with Fernando. Every time I was about to say something he would change the theme to something completely different and it took me a while to catch on! For example.. Hmna Pizza said something about the Book of Mormon and then he looked right at me and said "How many siblings do you have? Does your family support you serving a mission? Where do you live? Can I visit you?" for the rest of the night he was google DraperUtah.... youtubing alta high school... and google mapping my house. It was so weird. Also though they did find my house and I was so embarrassed because It shows the big excursion and our yard and a big house and a boat and a tramp.... It´s not even that big! But I felt so spoiled. Family- be grateful for what we have. We are truly blessed!!!

Also today... we got a call from the Zone leaders... CAMBIOS!!! (aka Transfers). Hermana Pizza is going to be a SPECIALISTA in another area and Hermana Betancourt is going to finish my training! Which means now for reals my comp knows ZERO English. Except for the tongue twisters I am teaching her. So now I will really learn spanish and HAVE to participate more!! It is so sad that finally when we get along so well, Hermana Pizza is leaving! I LOVE her!! We cried all morning ha. I feel a LOT of pressure now... like the whole area is going to crash because I have to do more without her! But she told me that she feels the same way with her new area but that President trusts us and the Lord trusts us. So we just have to trust Him! We are MISSIONARIES and can do anything He asks us to. So here we go!! A new week that is going to be VERY different!! But great!! I am a missionary and I can do anything the Lord asks me to do!!

Seriously thank you for all the love and support. So sorry I can never reply to all the emails but I LOVE YOU ALL!!! Keep being amazing missionaries at home too! The church is true!

Love Hermana Cook

I finally swept. That's only a corner.

Lemuel!!! Son of Lemuel the Cancun tour guide. We have a picture of us swimming at our hotel from 7 years ago! He is in my mission.

Hmna Sorensen! I followed her blog before the mish.

Kids playing soccer.

The lady in white is our "Grama Manning."

Sign on Grama Manning's fridge.

Strange holiday. The kids wear these heads and walk through the streets beating people with sticks.

Mattias y Jefferson - my first baptism.

Mother's Day Celebration at church.

Learning to cut a mango with the lovely instructions from mom. The internet man sure got a kick out of it!

We found an itty bitty baby lizard and trapped it in a bag.

Hmna Julia, Pamela, Fernando, Valerie, Chesny, Jerson, Joseph, Ariel and us.

Adios Hermanz Pizza:(

Semana Diez: Singing for the Ward Talent Show

My goodness. This is crazy. First of all, please post on my blog that I have a long list of people I have been trying to write every week and I ALWAYS run out of time. En serio it is the worst! Please let everyone know how grateful I am and that I really am trying to write back!! (I can´t figure out the hashtag button.. but hashtagandreasummerhaysauntmelandmanymore) I seriously love you all and am SO grateful. PLEASE forgive and I promise I will write back!!

Okay. Now I don´t just not have time during emails.... our companioship does NOT use time wisely and I NEVER have time. I am NINE days behind in my journal and it makes email quite difficult. I am going to try to just give an update on each day very quickly because today I´m sending PICTURES! So that takes lots of time and just.. . don´t hate me everyone :)

Okay MONDAY

After pday.. we went to a lesson but could find the house. This girl passing by just randomly stopped and started talking to us. We asked if we could share a message with her and we went in and shared with her whole family and they practically gave the lesson they were so prepared! It was amazing.

TUESDAY

Rough spanish day and I may have burst into tears in the middle of the street haha....However at the end of the day we had a lesson with Victor.. a menos activo. My comps didn´t know how to answer this question he had so they roughly got it into english and suddenly I had all the spanish words I needed to clearly explain the principle to Victor. It was truly a tender mercy and a little experience with the gift of tongues!

WEDNESDAY

Today I did SEVENTEEN LPEs all by myself!! More than Hmna Betancourt!! One of our LPEs said we were her angels and she has been waiting for this message. It is amazing how many people are prepared to receive the gospel! We just have to find them! Also we wasted a lot of time... :(

THURSDAY

DIVISIONS!! My goodness the best thing of my mission so far. There have been so many things I´ve been wondering about... turns out my sweet comps don´t quite do everything right. Of course no one is perfect... but anyways... lets just say I learned a LOT and Hmna Roundy told about LOTS of things going on that aren´t allowed or aren´t effective or good. I am a teensy bit worried that I´m not learning everything I can and need to learn in my training... but I know I am learning lots from my comps in many other ways! Secretly I am praying to be the one that is transferred this change so I can learn more... but you know. The Lord knows what I need and my comps need and the area needs so all is well.

FRIDAY

Finished divisions... she gave us scarves!! So nice. I was in charge of the phone today!! I actually made phone calls in SPANISH! Woot woot. Way to go Cass moment! Wasted lots of time.... comps have tension with a capital T. I am quite the middle man trying to keep the peace and have everybody love everybody.... all is well. Did 12 LPES. I realized that I do GREAT one day and really lousy the next... theN GREAT then lousy. But you know what?? I am a FULL-TIME MISSIONARY! Not an Every other day missionary!! Time to act like it!

Saturday

Went to our farthest area.. then back to our closest... then back to our farthest... then back to our closest. Not the most efficient pero esta bien. Then we had a ward activity that was a talent show. It was supposed to start at 4 but didn´t start until 6. we were there from 4-8 and only got one reference. BUT it was good in one way... the ward FINALLY knows me!! I sang Let it Go.... they went CRAZY! Everyone was talking through everyone´s talents and everyone would just do their thing... Let me tell you... I know how to work a crowd. I took the mic and was like "How´s everybody doin??? This is for the best ward in the world!!!!! Are you ready???" wooooo! Hahaha. Then I sang and I whipped my hair out of my pony tail when Elsa does and I ripped up toilet paper as snow. Twas awesome. Afterwards this man who lived in Utah for a while came and spoke to me for THIRTY MINUTES about how I need to start my own CD and stuff. He is very serious about my calling Jenny Phillips and saying "Jenny, how can you help me?" He also wants dad to talk to the people in Nashville. Hahha I kept trying to say "Well I still have 16 months to focus on my mission but afterwards maybe I´ll think about it!!" Then later he came around the corner singing in not the best opera "cilmb every mountain" and yelled, "REMEMBER THAT ONE SISTER COOK??" Hahaha funny.

SUNDAY

Only TWO INVESTIGATORS at church. Only five progressing. How did we go from 15 to 11 to 2?!?!?!? It doesn´t makes sense. But actually it does. After divisions and everything I learned from Hmna Roundy it totally makes sense. The question is... how do we change it??? I feel like I can see all the problems... and even a lot of the solutions!! But I cannot put them into practice!!! Also today they had me sing in the primary... the I see my mother kneeling song. I tried in spanish but couldn´t do it so I just finished in english and of course I cried. I am SO grateful to be blessed with a family that is so strong BECAUSE of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are so blessed to have the gospel in our lives and for the way it has changed our family!!! All these people need it for their own families. I love you all sooooo much.

Oh well. Nothing hugely inspiring this week. Just know that all is well here. My spanish is... well I feel like I can´t see my own progress but maybe one day I´ll just get it. I´m sure I´m progressing... but I can´t tell :) I am continuing to look for all the Good Things Costa Rica and feeling your prayers everyday. The Lord is strengthening me and through Him I can truly do all things!!!! I love you all INCREDIBLY much. Please forgive me for not being able to write you all and please know how grateful I am for you!!!

xoxo

Hermana Cook

After the climb

The Elders

Me and My Companions

Gorgeous View

Cave where the Witch Asari lives. She peeled her own skin off and her skeleton and cauldron are still there!

Hermana Davidson

Milkshakes!!

Divisions with Hermana Roundy

Ward Talent Show

This one isn't that bad. We have 15 under our sink.

Elder Cude in front lives in Sandy and went to Alta! He is our Zone Leader.

Que Bonita!!

Payday!!

I love quotes - These are from Kate

We learn phrases from the US, Costa Rica, Columbia, and Mexico. It's fun!

Marlene's Baptism

Hermana Geis and I matching at Chekeo de Mes

Semana Nueve: "Good Things Costa Rica"

Well HOOOOOOLAAA!! Holy Cow can you believe I´ve been here a whole month today?!?!? I can´t!! It has FLOWN!! Wowee wow wow. Okay writing is going to be weird today because Usually I write you with my journal open but enserio I had zero time for journal writing this week. I wrote little notes in a teeny book about what happened so I´ll be usin that. Man I love you all. You are one incredible family, did you know that?!?!?

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!!

Semana Ocho: Whoa whoa whoa earthquake!

Hola Familia!! Do you realize I have been on a mission for two whole months!!!?? Wowza. It´s going by fast!!!

Okay this week is a little funky. I´m going to say some things first that I have been meaning to tell you since day one... that hopefully have time to reply to other emails... and than MAYBE have time for the big day to day-er. Esta Bien!? The day to day ones will become much much better once I understand things... Right now... just know we have lessons every day and I have lots of ups and downs every day... :) Oh also, If I don´t reply to your email... Know that I´ve printed them all out and I´m reading them and will reply next week or write a letter!!! Love you all!

Okay. First of all they are AWFUL singers here. Terrible. But they LOVE to sing. Every single person has a hymn book and they decorate them and mark them and put pictures in them. The works. We sing before every single lesson and meeting and everything and they always have me sing it first to get the tune... though it doesn´t help haha.

I can truly feel your prayers. I am so gonna be okay. This is good. I am so grateful for you all and for your love and support and wisdom. THANK YOU.

The first thing Hermana Wilkinson said when I was assigned my companions was "Did you get rid of the lice yet???" Yikes. Apparently our house has had lice TWICE. Good thing we bought teatree shampoo!!! I guess it´s because our house is an actual house.. not a little apartment or room like the others. Ours is a big house with like 25 beds.. with five or so beds to a room and several matresses in the hall haha. Because our house is closest to the Mission Office so all the sisters stay there when they need to go to the office. And they bring lice with them. Yay. Apprently it is way messier and dirtier and buggier too because it is such an old big house that no one can take care of because we are out preaching the gospel. My friend Hmna Davidson said that they have ants... but NOTHING like our house. They are literally covering every single surface. I am not exaggerating for once in my life. They are EVERYWHERE. And My goodness there are cockroaches in every corner and under every bed and just on the walls. Bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh. But esta bien....

In the mornings for exercise we do Jillian Michaels workouts!! Sometimes she gives me great wisdom for the day like "You´ll never change if you don´t get uncomfortable!! " So then when I am out talking to strangers I repeat that haha. We also do zumba DVDS.. The workout aspect of it isn´t NEARLY as hard as Kelseys... but it is way harder for me because it is real latin dancing and I´m doing it with latinas... hahaha... theres a picture for ya.

My face is still breaking out. grr.

My bag has been PERFECT from trace!!! I absolutely love it. Buuuuuuut it kiiiillls my shoulder and bag and all of me. So I bought this bag a sister makes here that has the costa rica flag on it and it goes across your body and straps across your middle. It´s a life saver. But don´t worry trace. .. I still use yours which is much cuter on sundays and baptisms.

I got the dear elders my first week here!!! Haha so nice to read everything you meant to tell me a month ago... Sorry I didn´t know about the gluten free challenge and how you wanted me to send my letters home... that would have been nice... haha woops.

I spray my bed and my clothes and me every single night and morning with bug spray... I just want them away... I am half way out of all my spray soooo... eekers.

I hope pictures worked today!!! Let me know

Every night we pass the art studio with amazing art and the dance studio with fun latin dancing

The wardmembers talk about me and the priests looked us up on facebook. It´s weird. Also one of them said he had a dream about an Hmna Cook on my first day here... super weird.

I have a pic of Kels and Jd on my wall.. and all of you. But EVERY time a new sister comes to stay... which is several days a week... she says "HERMANA COOK!!! USTED TIENE UN NOVIO????" Hahaha and I have to explain that NO i do NOT have a boyfriend... that is my brother in law with my SISTER. Hahahaha Apparently we do look alike!

I was thinking perhaps I´d like pancake mix for christmas. But until then perhaps some easy easy recipes for breakfast?? I dont know... something that doesnt need many ingredients?? Right now I don´t eat breakfast because i cant handle the ant filled cereal. And for lunch... you know... its... you know... then we eat crackers for dinner... so I could go for something good to eat!! Any ideas are more than welcome.

I dont have a picture of the whooole fam from our lexi photo shoot. puede enviar me one???

Mom and dad I printed your emails last week and literally read them every day. Very comforting and helpful. I am doing the same today and maybe I´ll have time to reply to them- and to all other people that wrote me!! I am SO GRATEFUL you have no idea!

We finally bought a mango1!! SO YUMMY!! But will someone teach me how to cut them?? thanks.

I got four letters this week!!! Everyone was freaking out saying I had a MONTON of letters haha. Thank you for the love. Seriously. They were from Grama Baylie Kate and Lettie!! I am going to try out the mail system here and reply to yáll that way.. esta bien!??

Okay highlights of every day maybe

MONDAY

For family night we went to the Family Fallas´s house where all the children are that love me. We taught about talents and afterwards cute jeferson cried while he bore testimony that he now knows he has a talent and is so happy haha it was sooo cute!!

TUESDAY

Today we found out that one of the sisters... Hmna Beltran who I went on divisions with my first day. with hmna davidson. Has to go home because she is very sick. My comps are good friends with her and cried all morning. It was so sad.

Then Hmna Bratt came to sleepover!!!¡¡¡¡ YAY! To go get our fingerprints tomorrow. IT was SO nice to talk to her IN ENGLISH about all our problems and struggles and help each other. I truly love her.

WEDNESDAY

All the gringos had to go get fingerprints so aaaalll morning and afternoon we got to talk in english and compare areas and it was just so nice. I´m struggling a little more than them with the language I think but esta bien. I´ll learn.

Also there´s a lot of creepy men here. they LOVE blondes. They call me names I don´t understand and yell at me all the words they know in english which is usually "hiiiiiiii! I love yoooooou! I babyyyy!!!!!! How are yoooooou" Super weird. We call them geepers. I don´t know if thats how it is spelled. One of the geepers turned into a new investigator!! Haha. But eekers. I hate it.

Cockroach in Hmna B´s shoe.

THURSDAY

Happy Birthday Trace!!! And happy pioneer day!! I´m pretty sure they celebrated here. There were HUGE explosions that shook our house all day that started at seven am. And it sounded like there was a mariachi band during study time. Also... get this... MY FIRST EARTHQUAKE!!! AAAAA!!! It was just a tiny little wave but still. I felt it. Did you feel it? I felt it. Alright Janet!!! Haha... anybody? anybody? Dad??

Marlene doesn´t want to be baptized anymore :(

FRIDAY

Tried to get Marlene to go to her bap interview. Finally did. Turns out she is still drinking coffee. She wants to wait till next week to be baptized but we don´t really know if she is ready. She says things that sometimes make it seem like she jsut wants help from the church financially..

Sang let it go with the chillins. They loooove it. Seriously they go crazy.

passed a woman on the street that said she knew me.. I didn´t remember her at all. Apparently I talked to her on the bus my first week! Story from the MTC says that even if they reject you... they will ALWAYS remember your face. So true!

SATURDAY

Had a dream that there was another earthquake. WASN´T A DREAM!!! All I remember was yelling " whoa whoa WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA!!! " kind of like when I get a charlie horse in the night. Haha Hmna B said I was just screaming in english and she tried to tell Hmna P that there was an earthquake and Hmna p yelled "WHERE?!?!" and Hmna B yelled "HEEERE!!!" and I yelled "WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA!!" hahahahaha. Apparently it was a longer and stronger one!! Keep an eye on them!! I live in Desampa Centro and work in Gravilias all the way to Dos Cercas...

Broke down in practice today. I am SO bad at this ... but that´s okay because I truly know that the Lord will help me!!! A scripture that was really helpful for me this week was Words of Mormon 1:7. Dice, "And now, I do not know all things but the Lord knoweth all things wherefore he worketh in me to do according to his will" I´m so grateful for that. I don´t know a thing. but the lord does!!!! He will help me accomplish what he needs and in him i cannot fail!!

SUNDAY

Sick stomach... quite painful. Another geeper at church. So hungry that we snuck to the stage to eat tee hee. And Sister Davidson came to stay with us until she gets a new comp becasue Hmna Beltran left. I LOVE Hmna Davidson. She is like my best friend in the mission. She is from canada and knows a bunch of stringhams and all my friends from EFY. I love her.

You know what, every week gets better and better. I learned that I´ve been prideful in thinking that I´ll learn the language faster than everyone else. I might even learn it slower!! But that´s okay. I´m giving it all I´ve got and the Lord WILL help me. Even if I´m not recognizing my progress now... I know I´m getting better every day and eventually I´ll be able to teach with the power and authority of the sons of mosiah!!

I truly truly love you all more than I can say. I have learned that you are a great missionary tool hee hee. I love to testify about my family. The gospel has blessed my family in SO many ways. I know that the gospel brings strength to families that so desperately need it here.. and everywhere!! Families are forever. Cherish our family... we are so blssed!!! I LOVE YOU ALL!

The church is true. Go bear your testimony to someone :)