A New Family of 9 & A New Friend From California♥

We waited a good 40 minutes after our
 district meeting because it was raining so hard! This is why my mission has been sponsored by Crocs, even rubber shoes can be cute!

Hey Everyone!!
Week 1 of this cambio, and 10 cambios already done! Holy cow time is flying. I think I have said that 500 times since I got here and will probably continue saying it until my mission ends! Sunday someone got up during testimony meeting at church and said, "I love this day...because I love Christmas, and August means that Christmas is SOON!" I was like "Hermana, what are you saying?!" I love Christmas too, but I'm not ready for December!!

This week I saw incredible miracles with Hermana Martinez. First off, I am so happy to be with her! She is fun and we are a lot alike too, so it makes things more enjoyable. 

Tuesday, we went out looking for new investigators. I had a few families in mind that Hermana Pacay and I had never contacted but she had showed me where their houses were. Well, I worked with Hermana Pacay a good 3 1/2 weeks, so I can't really remember these houses that she showed me. Embarrassingly, we knocked doors asking for Rachel with no results. However, this one door we knocked, the people were really different. They were friendly and actually Rachel was their neighbor! They showed us where, and we talked with them about who we were. This family is HUGE! They invited us in and we had a lesson with 9 people. 9!!!!!!! They were friendly and really interested. We were amazed at the miracle that we had of finding 9 new investigators in 1 house!! Well, the next day they called asking if we wanted to go over to their house again for lunch!! Hahaha, That NEVER happens!  We couldn't go but we planned another lesson for Friday. We went and they had invited over extended family that lived close by!!! 4 more people!! We were shocked!! I love meeting people who truly want us to come back and teach them but not just that, this family wants others to hear too! The first week normally sets the bar for the rest of the change and I am so excited to work with this family TAN GRANDE!! 

Aside from that, we were on a roll with finding new investigators. 

Another experience that I want to share took place while we were teaching a lesson with a young woman from the ward. Her name is Ester and her friend Alexia is really interested in the church. We went to visit her friend this past week and when we walked in the house, we knew immediately that the family is really Catholic. We sat down with the girls to start our lesson and the Mom came in to listen. We started to talk and honestly my companion and I had no clue where the lesson was going. Her mom just started saying things in general about prayer and we were just kind of testifying of what she was saying, LOL. I felt nervous so I actually said a prayer in my head and heart while the mom was talking, that the Lord would help us know what to say. I finally asked her if she had ever wondered why there are so many churches in the world. If there is one God, why are there so many different churches teaching different doctrine? It got her thinking. We used many examples from the Old Testament (which I'm reading and I love). Eventually, we got to talking about the ministry of Christ and how He established the church with a Prophet, Apostles, scriptures, revelation and the Priesthood. I have those parts in a puzzle to show how the church is "built". We explained it very simply to where no one could be confused. The mom, Alexia, and Ester were all listening very carefully. At one moment it got quiet. We had laid all the parts of the puzzle on the table and my companion looked at Alexia's mom and asked "Do you know of one church on this earth that has all of these pieces?" She quietly said, fighting tears "no". In that moment I looked at my companion and I said "I feel the Spirit so strong" and she told me that she did also. Literally shaking...with tears in my eyes too, I testified of the true church. The Church of Christ that has every single one of those pieces. My testimony was strengthened beyond belief! I felt the spirit so incredibly strong in that moment and I knew that they were feeling it too. No one could have denied that feeling. The lesson was perfect. The Lord was so good to us this week! 

Not too many crazy things to tell you about this week. We visited a new friend Brenda this week. She is from OAKLAND CALIFORNIA!!! She lives near Caro and BF in the CUTEST HOME!! She has everything, like from home (California)...dishwasher, oven, Kitchen Aid!! Everything! She fed us after church, CHILI AND CORNBREAD; AND ICE CREAM SUNDAES! She lives alone. I love her and she hasn't gone to church in a few years, I want to help her!! She says that we can go over whenever we want! I'm stoked!  Haha 

Ok seriously...if you didn't know us, would you be able to guess which one of us is from California and which one is from El Salvador? Genes are so crazy!

Anyway, I am happy!! The mission isn't easy but I love it! All of my friends are heading home in these days! How crazy! Maddie (my bestie from BYU who has been serving her mission in Chile) and Spencer (another amazing friend from BYU) are heading home this Monday!!!! ALL of my missionary friends here in Costa Rica went home this change too!!

'Im enjoying every day, even when I'm tired and our house is growing mold hahahahaha! I am a little worried I HAVE ENLARGED LYMPH NODES!!! ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY THROAT AND IT HURTS SO BAD...it's like a big ball, my comp was like woah! It hurts and has gotten bigger. I think ITS THE MOLD...we ate with a gringa who i loveeeeee yesterday and she said it's probably from the mold in the house I am living in! Everyone says that they can see it!! The nurse said to take cataflam?? I am praying this problem gets better, because it's really painful.

On a happier note, I have a baptism in 2 weeks!!

Love you all! Be safe and keep smiling :)

♥Hermana Taylor Zerilli

Exercising on the equipment that they put in the park! free gym!!

Cotton candy! almost a year ago, remember... just a different companion!

Ummm...remember in the scriptures when Christ got mad because people were selling things in the Temple hahahaha, that's what I thought of...

My positive thought for the week...

Do you see what i seeeee???  I bought it for 50 cents!

True Religion Capris...5 dollars. Black Miss Mes 9 dollars...hahahahahaha, I love the Americana stores here!

I have a new companion and I have decided that I am against the pants!

ROSEVILLE CA. REPRESENTED IN COSTA RICA-
Hermana Taylor Zerilli with Elder Chase Abel at Zone Conferece

HAPPY PDAY!! 

So remember last week when I kept you all hanging on the 10 things that I've learned?? I mean 12 months...and 10 things? What? I meant to say 12 things in the past 12 months!! One of the things should be that I should take a breath and slow down when I'm, typing right hahaha. well here are the other 2....

1. Coca Cola tastes better in Costa Rica (but not as good as Mexico)

2. the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way to achieve true happiness, that which money cannot buy!

TODAY WE HAD CAMBIOS!!(TRANSFERS) I'm still here in Paraiso (thank The Lord) but I have a new companion, Hermana Martinez! She is super cute and is from El Salvador. She has 9 months in the mission and has only had one area. I'm so excited to work with her! I've had a little bit of a break with the injury of my companion and all, so I'm psyched to get out and go! 

I also want you wish you all a HAPPY ROMERIA! I told you that Cartago is the area most Catholic of all of Costa Rica right? Well, in Cartago, they have the giant cathedral and every year on the 1st and 2nd of August, everyone from everywhere in Costa Rica walks to this cathedral to pray to the Virgin of Los Angeles and ask for miracles. People walk barefoot and some even CRAWL!! These past few days we have seen thousands of people walking. It's incredible!! They even have police out there, the streets look like a marathon run is taking place.  Haha there is free food and stand ups of Jesus to take pictures with. It kinda scares me, but it's actually really interesting and different. I give the Catholics so much credit for their faith! Faith is action! I dont know about the virgin but I know that the Lord will bless them. :) 

So this week I had a few really great lessons! However, I have now decided that I am soooo against the pants. Aside from singing "Ye Elders of Israel" at every meeting because the Elders think it's hilarious, I have had a few concerning comments from other people! For example, I was teaching a lesson with a member and it was going so well! We were teaching about God and his love for us. Everyone was listening until, BOOM!! "Wait you're a missionary?" "Yes, look at my name tag" "Oh, I had no clue! I thought you were a member...why are you wearing pants?!" I ALMOST DIED!! Over half way through the lesson and this guy had no clue that I  was a missionary. I wore a skirt every day following that hahaha!!

So this week we had our Zone Conference. I had to give a capacitation....um I don't know what that is in English..maybe a training?? But anyway, my theme was how we can find happiness in the mission. OK LOVEEE THAT THEME! I was so stoked about it but also really unsettled and nervous.  I kept on going back and forth between ideas. Honestly, there is no section of Preach My Gospel that talks about this. I was on my own! I though about how a lot of missionaries base their success on numbers and baptisms, but I mean if our numbers are bad...does that mean that we aren't happy? So, Just like you'd imagine (mom)...I based my training on my friend Kaityln Dias' (personal friend & Voice of Riley) Disney movie, "Inside Out" I talked about everything in the mission that makes us mad, sad, jealous, and scared; and everything that the Gospel gives us to fight those bad emotions and to be happy. All of those bad emotions come from Satan. We are missionaries of the Lord Jesus Christ, we should be HAPPY! The capacitation was really different but in the end I felt like I was myself and that the zone understood my point. They weren't bored that's for sure hahaha :) I wish Kaitlyn could have heard me, as Riley I know she would understand, LOL. I was also glad that I got to listen to President and Hermana Arredondo again before they left. They are so wise and gave me a very different perspective on the mission. That's what I love, every one is different and there is always something different to learn.

Saturday we had our leadership counsel....PRESIDENT IS BACK!!!!!! I REPEAT PRESIDENT AND HERMANA HAYES ARE BACK!!! And they brought their daughter Lizzie who I missed so much!!!!!!!!!!! They walked in and Hermana Hayes and Lizzie ran straight up to me! I bawled!!!! President was standing there waiting to shake my hand laughing hahaha. I am soooooo happy that they are back! They were so happy too and looked great! I had an interview with President Hayes and he told me that he is much better. I'm so grateful to everyone who prayed for him and that God heard out prayer! They told us about how they were able to see many missionaries at home and how they missed us so much. They worry about us even when they aren't here in Costa Rica. That's the difference between Elder Arredondo and President Hayes. They are both really great but they have different focuses. Arredondo wants success in numbers which is awesome but Hayes wants success in missionaries. He wants us to grow into good human beings! He wants us to go home and continue to have the Spirit with us. I loved what he said when he spoke to us. I know that is part of why I was called to this mission is for President and Hermana Hayes.

LIZZIE IS BACK!!!

I really cant believe that it's already August! I have exactly 5 months left...that's scary!!!! I am super excited for what this month holds. Thank you for your love and support. You all are the best. Always remember that I love you and that God loves you! 

Pura Vida,

Hermana Zerilli♥ 

Meet Hermana Martinez from El Salvador...and the worlds most random first companionship picture....LOVE NUTELLA♥

SHOUT OUT TO MY LAGUNA FAMILY...I MADE IT!! ITS MY LATINA NAME TAG! HERE THEY USE 2 LAST NAMES SO I WANTED TO DO IT IN HONOR OF MY LATINA FAMILIA♥

Cartago banner and armor (Zone Conference)

Our cook made us tres leches! YUMMY!!!

I washed my Dora the Explorer Pillow Pet...It's so damp here in Cartago, everything is molding, INCLUDING POOR DORA!! She's clean now, hoping she is able to fully dry and make it through the next 5 months with me...come on Dora!!

I actually had tears when I saw Hermana Moon again at Zone Conference...

the Assistants drove us home the other day...

Hermana Pacays last day!  President Hayes arrived Saturday and she had cambios to the area closest to the Mission Office. Today she's going to have another exam while he's here and he will have the final call...I think she will probably go home, she is hurting so badly:(

 Hermana Pacay and Fabiola

My favorite baby Tiago

On our way to have cambios (transfers)

Hermana Freeze and Hermana Mendze bought us these "mae" hats! MAE!! hahaha Pronounced "my" and it means "bro" or "dude", it's a slang that is used a lot here in Costa Rica!

Hermana Stevens and Elder Nunez

 Elder Nuñez

We ate with the family Cy yesterday. They speak English. Actually Julius (the dad) was born in the US. He speaks Tagalog (which is what Filipinos speak I think?), English and Spanish. I loveee this family! Their oldest son is currently serving a mission in riverside, California!!

Saying goodbye Elder Lohberg! I am so sad...we will miss him but he has valiantly served his 2 years! Have a great time at BYU Elder Lohberg, I will see you there in January!

The Sisterhood of the Missionary Pants, Yes They Have Arrived!

I HAVE A YEAR IN THE MISSION!!!! 12 months as a Missionary!!! I CANT BELIEVE IT!!

...So here are 10 things that I have learned:

1. No one can say the name ZERILLI correctly in Spanish!

2. It is possible to eat rice everyday for 365 days

3. It is impossible to teach the gospel without the Spirit!

4. The sun dyes hair for free in Costa Rica

5. If you don't know a Spanish word...you can kinda just make one up and the people will go along with it!

6. It takes more than a year to read The Book of Mormon in Spanish (I just got out of 1st Nephi, uush!!)

7. I love teaching The Great Apostacy (is that what its called?)

8. Time flies when you're having fun!!

9. The mission is NOT about numbers

10. God loves and is aware of all of his children, even those here in this little country of Costa Rica. I can feel his love and I see his hand every day!

I seriously LOVE being a missionary!!! It's amazing and I wouldn't have traded this last year for anything...not even Disneyland! 

So this week started out a little rough. Tuesday, we went to the hospital for Hermana Pacay. Her knees were so inflamed that we had to go. The doctor ended up injecting steroids into both knees and put her on medication and a 15 day rest. SOOOO Hermana Zerilli was a little out of work all this week. We tried really hard to work with members. Hermana Pacay would stay at a members house and I would work with someone else. I am so grateful for loving members who wanted to help us out and are going to continue helping us this week!! It was tough though, not to work all the time. Not gonna lie, the stress is getting to me but I know that the lord knows my desire to work and I just need to be patient. 

Friday I celebrated my one year in the mission, and we had the opportunity to do 2 service projects! In the first, we helped members build a house!! We nailed and painted! It was really fun. My poor companion had to sit there and watch :( Then in the second...we sanded down walls so that they could paint. Yeah it sounds like real labor haha but we turned it into a fake Color Festival and threw dust on each other...that's how you make things fun!! haha After, my companion bought me a pizza for dinner. I was happy haha!

The Sisterhood of the Missionary Pants, yes, our pants are in! Don't hold back the cheers! They are definitely different, LOL! I will be proud to say that I was here in Costa Rica when the church laid out a historical plan for Sister Missionaries to wear pants to help protect them against deadly diseases! Also thankful to the Elders who don't mock the fact that they may be a little short...

Sunday was amazing! We ate lunch with Carol and BF...2 gringos!!!! I love them!! BF actually used to live down the street from VINCE GILLS FAMILY IN LOUISIANA!!! I about died!! We talked country music and ate Sloppy Joes and hot dogs!! I love their accents!! They dont speak very much Spanish and just came here to retire. They live right near waterfalls! We took advantage and I was just like Jane from Tarzan...umbrella and all:) It was slippery and I ALMOST died. Almost, haha. 

Ready for the surprise...so I got a phone call while we were at their house from Pamela and Alan. THEY WERE IN PARAISO!!! THEY CAME TO VISIT ME!!! We ran back (on a bus haha) and they were in the park waiting to see me. I was so surprised and happy!! Pamela was wearing the dress that I left for her and everything!! I love them so much! They told me all about the ward and Hermana Velez and her new companion. Steven is going to seminary. They are so active and I was so happy to hear about all that they are involved in. I can't explain the love I felt and have for them. This is the mission! What a way to end the week!

Last Monday, we were blessed to have Family Home Evening with a sweet gringo family visiting Costa Rica on vacation! These are their beautiful children...it's always great to practice my English, LOL:)

So that was this week's summary. Sorry it's not a lot. This next week will be better I promise :)

Love you all. Look for miracles this week...and write them down! 
PEACE LOVE AND PURA VIDA♥