Monday, January 20, 2014 - Last Week of My Mission

Monday, January 20, 2014

Last Week of My Mission in Beautiful Costa Rica!!!!

Sad to say Good-bye! Lots of tears shed this week! Both of happiness and sadness! Bittersweet!

 Great Family!

Great Family!

Well...I have plenty of pictures that I could easily send on to you all but then I thought...well...I'll see them in a few days and can show all my pictures then. I did want to send two pictures of blessings that we had this week. This email will be pretty short because I can tell you all in person in a few days. Pretty weird right? Well...the pictures are of two families that we have been working so hard with to reactivate. The one family with the husband is Warren, Kerlyn and little boy Matthias. The other picture is of Judith whose husband is very deep into drugs and drinking again. Well...We have been teaching them both for 3 months. We tried for a month and a half just trying to enter the home of Kerlyn and her husband was never home. Finally we got in when they changed homes. These two families are interconnected in that they are practically family and live next door to each other. The mother in the picture, Judith and her husband Kenny (into drugs) were baptized. Warren (grew up as a member) and Kerlyn (recent convert). Well...both became inactive around the same time due to Bishop issues and getting offended. I'm not kidding how long we have fought to get them to church. Well...Kerlyn decided in December to get a piercing in her nose and was thinking about some others. They had let go of their dream to get married in the temple and all the rest just fell to the wayside. Judith let her husband’s issues affect her and cause a lot of discouragement and loneliness. This past Wednesday night, the Bishop offered to go and visit families with us...thinking investigators. Well...we decided it was more important for him to go and rescue those who are already members. We went and visited Judith and taught her of prayer. The Bishop felt prompted to give her a blessing of strength and comfort. Then we went and visited Kerlyn and Warren. They were shocked to see the Bishop there. We taught them also of the importance of prayer as a family and to keep progressing towards the temple. Well.....Sunday, we arrived at church and immediately saw....all three of them there dressed in church clothes. Kerlyn had taken out her piercing in her nose and looked so happy. She hugged me and said that the only other missionaries that had taken such interest in her family were the ones who taught her. I realized right then and there that as missionaries and members, ya we need to bring people to the gospel but what about those who are already part of our gospel family? They already knew of the church, fell away...saw what was outside and CHOSE with their agency to come back and enter the church. The story of the Prodigal son took a whole new perspective for me. I couldn't help but cry and just be so grateful that no matter how far we fall, we can always come back and be welcomed in with open arms. Heavenly Father loves alllllll of His children. I am so grateful for the atonement and repentance. I depend so much on my Savior. I love this gospel so much and am so grateful that I CHOSE to serve a mission. I have learned so much about agency and what that word really means. Just a lot of lessons that I have learned on my mission. I'll tell you more in person but it was just incredible to see them. We had some other investigators there but I couldn't help but feel more proud for the less actives returning. Just a very happy day. 

Also on Sunday, the Bishop had me and two other Elders also leaving with me share our testimonies. It was so hard for me. I looked out and I felt like I was saying good-bye to family....a group of people I have come to love so much! Who would have ever thought I'd feel just as comfortable sharing my testimony in Spanish as in English. It was a very special moment. Many kept saying I have a home here for me and all of you guys. They already love all of you so much and have said...please tell your family thank you so much for letting you come to such a faraway country and different culture to share with us your smile and spirit. I've kind of been crying a bit. Just kind of like...ok...I know it's time but then it's like....really? Not yet. Ha-ha. But I know that everything will be ok. I'm excited to play and have fun with all of you! We are all going to have so much fun. I love you guys so much. I'm sure you all can relate. It's just the moving on with life. Thank heavens there is Skype and email and Facebook! Phew! Eilyn wrote me some precious words in my book. I'll share it with you when I come home. She and her family are so excited to meet you guys. You are going to love it here. I hope Ty, Sami, Landon, Kimi you all can come here someday too. When you're all making the big bucks. Ha-ha. Just know that I love my mission, I love the ticos, I love the culture, I love the language....not the food so much but everything else yes. Ha-ha. Oh by the way, I ate raw fish for the first time in my life last night. I told the guy not to tell me what it was until after I ate it or I would throw up. The thing is that as a missionary...you have to eat everything. Yep...I'm good on food for the next year. Ha-ha. But ya...it was gross. I've eaten some weird stuff. Don't worry...I'll take you to good places and show you good food here. Ha-ha. Anyway. Thank you so much for your love and support. It has been an amazing adventure here. I can say that I really have given my all. Sweat, blood and tears. I'm thankful that Heavenly Father knows me so well to send me to this country. I couldn't have imagined anywhere better for me and my personality. I'm practically Latina anyway right? Oh....don't be concerned if I listen to Spanish music. It’s actually really good! Not like what the Mexicans do...its Latin music...not salsa or dancing but their music they listen too is actually really good. I’ll show you some songs. Ha-ha. Just be patient with me and love me as I adjust.  Ha-ha. Love you guys. See you very, very SOON!  

Love, Hermana Jones