Hello friends & family!
Its a little crazy writing today since I was able to talk to my family yesterday on Facetime but there is still so much to say!
This week was actually so amazing! Tuesday, we had a Zone Conference with Zone Limon. President and Hermana Hayes, and the assistants came. It was really great and I enjoyed it a lot. It ended up being about 7 hours long starting at 9 and not ending until about 4. President Hayes talked a lot about what we are all here looking for. Very rarely are we here because we want to preach the gospel. He got to the point that we are here looking for happiness! Happiness comes from the gospel and only the gospel. If we want to be happy in the mission and in life really, we need to live the gospel. We need to be obedient and in my case, I need to open my mouth and share the gospel. I am grateful that Hermana and President Hayes care about our happiness in the mission. They want us to enjoy this time and they are helping us to see that if we work hard, we will be the happiest! I know that it's true.
During the conference, President and Hermana Chaverri came and President/Elder Chaverri talked to us. He spoke about his mission and about the importance of having a vision. He knew why he was serving and what his purpose was. His stories were incredible. One month he had 13 baptisms in one day...not to say things are about numbers, but wow!! He had a lot of faith that if his prayers were sincere and he worked hard, the Lord would show him miracles. President Chaverri then showed the importance of working together in companionship. He called Hermana Velez and I up specifically, because he knows us, to show an example. It was really fun for me to learn about missionary work from my Stake President! I'm grateful to know the Chaverris. Another surprise, guess who got called on randomly to get up in front of everyone and teach a principle of the gospel. Haha, me. I was so nervous in the beginning when they told me but I am soooo happy with how I did! I taught about the importance of enduring to the end! I used Helaman 14-16 to show how the Lamanites were converted and then fell away and couldn't recognize the signs of Christ because they hadn't continued reading the scriptures or doing the things that would have strengthened their testimonies. I felt really confident talking in front of everyone and it was so fun! I Love to share my testimony and I hope that the zones learned something from me. Overall, the Zone Conference was super great and I'm happy that we had it this week!
Thursday was Andres and Maria's baptisms!! I really can't explain to you their excitement. All of their friends who are members came. The whole program went really well and after the baptism you could just see a change in them. Normally Maria gives hugs that are ehh, but this time she didn't want to let go! She was in tears! Something different was that after they were baptized, the bishop got up and said that they were going to be confirmed!! The same day! That never happens! Well, officially Andres and Maria became members of the church Thursday! Yay!! I have been able to have the privilege to watch as their lives have changed. In one year they will go to the temple and that is the ultimate goal!
The next day, Friday, another wedding! My companion did my hair for the Elders wedding, like "Frozen"! It was another beautiful wedding!
Me & Tere
Me & Hermana Velez
Saturday was amazing...Milenna and Pable took us to Subway!! Yes, Guapiles has a Subway now...prayers have been answered!
Yesterday, Domingo! It probably was one of the craziest days of my entire mission. My companion and I woke up at 5:15 to get to the church at 6:40 am. It was the big Stake Conference that everyone had anticipated. We got their just in time to save the last row of soft benches. The conference started at 10 and every 30 minutes we watched at buses came bringing wards from the stake. The building is small and so people had to watch Conference on TVs from all of the classrooms and even the parking lot! Steven's family, and Maria and Andres sat with us, and we had room for Milenna and Pablo. Well it turns out that Pablo was already there saving room so they didn't need it anymore. But hey everything happens for a reason. Hermana Anna Lauren Chaverri, President's wife, came with her daughters and there was NO WHERE to sit! Luckily we had that room right up close. We got to sit with Anna Lauren and with Tere, both the Chaverri wives haha!
The Conference was incredible. Elder Alonso of the Seventy, and Elder Camey, a new area seventy from Guatemala, came. The purpose was to release President Chaverri (from Stake President), now Elder Chaverri (of the area Seventy), and to realign the Stake Presidency. The Conference started with the new callings. They called soooo many new stake leaders. A new patriarch from our ward! Then it came time to realign the Stake Presidency. The 1st counselor became the President, the 2nd counselor became the 1st Counselor and Hermano Alejandro Chaverri, Teres husband and Elder Chaverris little brother, got called as 2nd Counselor. There's a new President Chaverri!! Tere was so happy! It was really special watching him, Alejandro, walk up there with Elder Chaverri smiling big. After that, it was a giant 2 hour testimony meeting from all of the new leaders. Hermana Lauren even got up to share her testimony after Elder Chaverri. It was really powerful hearing every leader testify of Priesthood authority, the temple ordinances and ultimately a living Christ.
The new Stake Presidency...President Alejandro Chaverri on the right side of the photo.
President Hayes had the opportunity to speak. When he did, he asked all of the missionaries to stand up. Hermana Velez and I were right in front of Elder Alonso and I felt like he was staring into my very soul hahahah. President Hayes wanted us to stay standing his entire testimony because he wanted to testify with us! He said the most amazing things. He said that we are the Lords team here in Guapiles, to bring others to Christ. He asked that others could forgive us for things that we have said or done that have not been correct. We are young and we are doing our very best! He bore testimony for and with us. That was probably one of the most spiritually powerful moments of my whole mission. I looked at my fellow missionaries standing behind me and I felt support and love. We are a team! After the leaders, Elder Chaverri called on random people from the congregation to come up and share their testimonies. Pablo was one of them! He got up and spoke about his mission in 36 days. His testimony was incredibly strong. Watch out Salt lake City South Mission, he's coming! haha Elder Alonso finished us off, speaking last. He has so much energy and bore special witness of Christ. I know that He lives. After the Conference, everyone was smiling and crying and hugging and taking pictures!!
Milenna and Pablo drove us to Tere and Alejandro's for lunch and to talk with our families! Milenna wanted me to call her when I spoke to mine because she wanted to say hi, and they were going to be eating next door at Anna Lauren and Luis Claudio's, haha! The biggest blessing in the world is the opportunity that we have 2 times a year to Skype/Facetime our families. That 45 minutes is the fastest that I have ever experienced but its amazing!! I couldn't fight tears. I guess I'm not as much of a tough missionary as some of the others who say that they don't miss their families, I do. I needed that 45 minutes!! I am so grateful for Milenna and Tere who were there, probably crying more than me haha, to comfort me. I am blessed!
Right after the Facetime, we got in the car and headed back to church!! Alexandra (Steven's sister) was baptized!! She was incredibly excited and I could see the Light of Christ in her. She is beautiful! She has such a desire to make good choices and to continue learning!! She wears her Haz Lo Justo ring that I gave her every day!! Pamela and Alan want to be baptized so bad and we are working so hard to get them there. I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to have one more transfer in this area! 6 more weeks! I'm going to work so hard to finish what the Lord wants me to here!!
This week was such a big one for me. I can't believe everything that has happened. The Lord is blessing me and helping me to be strong even when I know that I am weak. I love you all so much! Thank you for your prayers and support!
Hermana Zerilli
When you can't find the keys for the baptism font...and you have to climb over....it was for a good cause!
We did weekly planning in the primary room, waiting for the baptism font to fill for Maria and Andres Baptism. Our Ward Mission Leader wanted it all the way full because Andres is really tall!
Lessons with Steven's family
Sebastian (6) Janpul(2) Alan and Alexandra (8)
Love this family♥
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