January 25, 2010
We found some awesome people. On Sunday a guy named Eric told us his wife and daughter want to be baptized. We visited them on Monday and found out that Eric is a member, a little less active, and he and his wife have been going to church in San Rafael. They found out they live in the Heredia ward boundaries, so they started coming here. They aren't married because they are from Nicaragua and haven´t been able to get the papers and the money necessary to get married. His wife Daisy Esperanza, and their 9 year old daughter Erica, have wanted to get baptized for awhile now, but haven't been able to. Erica says she wants to get baptized to be closer to our Heavenly Father and so her family can be united. So this week we taught them, and found them a cheap lawyer to get them married. We found out all the papers they needed and how they can get them. If everything goes well, Eric and Daisy Esperanza will get married, and Daisy Esperanza and Erica will get baptized this Saturday.
In other awesome news, we found two awesome people named Daniela and Natalia. Well, we didn't really find them, they came to church on Sunday as well. Natalia is 22 years old and she went on foreign exchange with an lds family in Oregon a few years ago. When she went to visit that family this Christmas they took her to Salt Lake City and shared a lot with her about the church. She felt the spirit and knows its true, and so when she came back to Costa Rica she decided to come to church and invited her 24 year old sister Daniela with her. This last week we had a Family Home Evening with them at the Cordero family's house (ward mission leader's house). Norberto and Jessica were also there. We watched "To This End Was I Born" and we shared testimonies about the saviour afterwards. It was a really awesome and spiritual night. Later this week, we taught Natalia and Daniela a few times. They are really awesome people. Natalia wants to be baptized, but she is thinking about waiting for her boyfriend Derek (from the lds family in Oregon) to come so he can baptize her. He comes in March, but we'll see what happens. Daniela is very receptive and likes what we share. The first night we taught them in their house, Daniela had a friend there and she wanted us to share with him. They asked us about the differences between our church and others. We told about things like the importance of prophets and modern revelation, about how families can be together forever, that Christ is the head of the church, and a few other things. Later that night one of Natalia's friends showed up as well and he asked us a few questions. He asked us about what faith is, and after we shared a few scriptures from the Book of Mormon with him, and sharing what Faith means to us, he seemed very impressed with our answer. He told us he is not very religious, but always asks that question to people and he told us that was the best answer he's received. He told Natalia later that he would like to talk to us some more. Yesterday, Natalia and Daniela brought another one of there sisters to church. Her name is Diana, and she is 20. They have one more sister who is 18, so they are a total of 4 sisters. They all live in the same house with their mom.
This was supposed to be our last Sunday in the church building in 'Heredia', because they are going to remodel and reconstruct it to make it newer and bigger. We don't fit in the building anymore, its always crowded. They were going to start today, and we were going to assist church at the building behind the Temple in 'Belen' for the next 8 months. That's still the plan, except that they moved the starting date til the 21st of February. Its good and bad because everyone was kinda excited and anxious to get it going, but its easier for us to have baptisms here. The plan is that after February 21st, on Sundays there will be a bus that leaves from Guarari at 6:45 am and makes a stop in Heredia Central (at the Fortin) and at Hypermas to pick up members. That bus will take us to Belen and Sacrament meeting will start at 8 am. This is going to be a big test of faith for the members, but it should strengthen them as a ward. I'm pretty excited, but now we have wait another month.
Sorry, I still haven't sent pictures, I'm working on it. No, mom I'm not close to the Volcano in Turrialba. The Volcano near us is 'Volcan Poas', and no, I'm not burning to death in lava or being hit with flying volcanic ash and debris. I really have no indication of whats happening with the Volcanoes and floods. There are earthquakes here regularly, but I can never even feel them. Sometimes we get to a house and they ask, "Did you feel that?" "Feel what?" we ask. *Ü*
In other awesome news, we found two awesome people named Daniela and Natalia. Well, we didn't really find them, they came to church on Sunday as well. Natalia is 22 years old and she went on foreign exchange with an lds family in Oregon a few years ago. When she went to visit that family this Christmas they took her to Salt Lake City and shared a lot with her about the church. She felt the spirit and knows its true, and so when she came back to Costa Rica she decided to come to church and invited her 24 year old sister Daniela with her. This last week we had a Family Home Evening with them at the Cordero family's house (ward mission leader's house). Norberto and Jessica were also there. We watched "To This End Was I Born" and we shared testimonies about the saviour afterwards. It was a really awesome and spiritual night. Later this week, we taught Natalia and Daniela a few times. They are really awesome people. Natalia wants to be baptized, but she is thinking about waiting for her boyfriend Derek (from the lds family in Oregon) to come so he can baptize her. He comes in March, but we'll see what happens. Daniela is very receptive and likes what we share. The first night we taught them in their house, Daniela had a friend there and she wanted us to share with him. They asked us about the differences between our church and others. We told about things like the importance of prophets and modern revelation, about how families can be together forever, that Christ is the head of the church, and a few other things. Later that night one of Natalia's friends showed up as well and he asked us a few questions. He asked us about what faith is, and after we shared a few scriptures from the Book of Mormon with him, and sharing what Faith means to us, he seemed very impressed with our answer. He told us he is not very religious, but always asks that question to people and he told us that was the best answer he's received. He told Natalia later that he would like to talk to us some more. Yesterday, Natalia and Daniela brought another one of there sisters to church. Her name is Diana, and she is 20. They have one more sister who is 18, so they are a total of 4 sisters. They all live in the same house with their mom.
This was supposed to be our last Sunday in the church building in 'Heredia', because they are going to remodel and reconstruct it to make it newer and bigger. We don't fit in the building anymore, its always crowded. They were going to start today, and we were going to assist church at the building behind the Temple in 'Belen' for the next 8 months. That's still the plan, except that they moved the starting date til the 21st of February. Its good and bad because everyone was kinda excited and anxious to get it going, but its easier for us to have baptisms here. The plan is that after February 21st, on Sundays there will be a bus that leaves from Guarari at 6:45 am and makes a stop in Heredia Central (at the Fortin) and at Hypermas to pick up members. That bus will take us to Belen and Sacrament meeting will start at 8 am. This is going to be a big test of faith for the members, but it should strengthen them as a ward. I'm pretty excited, but now we have wait another month.
Sorry, I still haven't sent pictures, I'm working on it. No, mom I'm not close to the Volcano in Turrialba. The Volcano near us is 'Volcan Poas', and no, I'm not burning to death in lava or being hit with flying volcanic ash and debris. I really have no indication of whats happening with the Volcanoes and floods. There are earthquakes here regularly, but I can never even feel them. Sometimes we get to a house and they ask, "Did you feel that?" "Feel what?" we ask. *Ü*
Hna. Patricia isn't back yet. Right now her brother Pablo and his wife Jesenia are washing our clothes. I hope everyone is really enjoying life. Til, next week.
