Best Birthday Every! #Generalauthorityatmyparty

I'M 20 EVERYONE!!
Now I don't know if I should rejoice or cry. I've lived 2 decades! I'm not going to lie...I feel incredibly old. However, I think that's Satan....can I blame that on Satan? LOL. I had a moment last week where I felt as if my life was ending (hashtag dramatic). Now, I know its the contrary! I feel completely and totally motivated to take on the world! Or, for right now this area of Costa Rica that the Lord has given me. I cannot believe that I'm not a teenager anymore. For me, that means that things and decisions are getting a little more serious. But also, it's a reminder to live, to take chances and opportunities. Time is flying by. We gotta live! 

This week, we had a really fun time contacting. I don't know about you, but before the mission, I had such a difficult time giving the missionaries references. Honestly, I don't even really like the word "references". It makes people sound like numbers and I don't work like that. I don't know if it was fear of what my friends would think or if it was lack of trust. I just could never give the missionaries names and addresses of people to visit. Having said that, I have been changed and I will be better when I get home. The Lord has blessed me and taught me this week. Alan and Pamela aren't even members yet and they are already sharing the gospel! Tuesday, Hermana Velez and I went to their house to teach a lesson. We walked in to see Pamela's sister and her 2 kids. Pamela introduced us to them and said "They are going to go to church Sunday!" I was like "whatttt?" The whole family had been there teaching about the church. I was incredibly impressed. They have seen the great impact that the church has made in their lives and they want to share it with their family. Alexandra has a little friend named Fransisco. He is always around and one day he came and asked us the difference between God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost. Hermana Velez and I taught using pens. We taught that the 2 pens were God and Christ. The ink part was the Spirit and the plastic was the body. Christ and our Heavenly Father have spirits and also bodies of flesh and bone. The Holy Ghost is like a pencil. He doesn't have a body; he is only spirit so that he can dwell within us. He loved the mini lesson and he wanted us to talk with his mom. Yesterday, we went and Francisco and his mom were both home. When we talked to Francisco's mom, she was so friendly and she was interested in listening to our message because of all of the great things that Alexandra had shared with Francisco about the church. One part was so funny. Francisco whispered something in his Mom's ear and she laughed. We asked her what he said and she said "He told me that your church has air conditioning!" Hahaha. I died! We were like "Yup that's a plus!" We are planning to go back and teach her more. Francisco kept asking "Can we go to church? Can we?" I loved it! Alexandra is a great little missionary for her friend. Lastly, Steven has a friend named David...who I just learned is Alan's little brothers (mind blown). David lives down the street from them with his Mom and Dad...who are the parents of Alan haha. David has always wanted to go to church with Steven but his parents attend another church. Finally we went and visited the family. We talked with the mom, who I had been a little afraid of, and she was really open to having us come over. She wanted to know what Alan had been learning because she had seen a difference in him. We are going back this next Sunday! I really can't believe this! 3 miracle families because 1 has the courage and desire to open their mouths and share the gospel! Also, they live the gospel. I am soooo proud of them. I honestly think that the greatest way to show love for someone is by sharing the gospel with them. I know that now. I am ecstatic to work with these families!!

Well this week actually flew by. Monday we were at the beach. Tuesday and Wednesday were normal. Tuesday the Hermana who cooks for us bought me a birthday cake!!!! She sang to me and everything!

I have to recognize my district too! Wednesday when I showed up at the district meeting, Guacimo District surprised me with a little birthday party in our district meeting. Elder Henry bought birthday hats and everything (and he wore his the entire meeting). They sang to me and we ate tres leches. I was so happy! They are the best!!

Thursday until today have been crazy! Thursday, Pablo had his farewell party at church. It was really awesome. Milenna made the family cute shirts with half Costa Rica and half US flags. I think it's so cool that his mission is the reverse of mine. The entire 3 hours, I played photographer! It was really fun!! I took pictures of everyone and everything. People asked me if I liked to take pictures before the mission. I told them...."You have no idea..." Hahaha Attending events like that in the mission brings me right back to about a year ago. Saying goodbye to everyone is incredibly hard but the excitement of serving is worth it. Pablo is so ready! 

                                                    

Friday was my 20th birthday!! I woke up, left my room and BOOM! My companion had decorated our entire apartment with balloons and everything, and was recording me singing the "mananitas". It's a song that they only sing in Mexico to wake someone up on their birthday. She apparently had sacrificed her precious sleeping time to decorate our apartment. Everything that she wrote was in English too! She wanted my birthday to be like at home. It was so sweet! I was so grateful for texts and phone calls that I received during the day. We ate lunch like normal and then went out to work. It was raining. I have never had rain during my birthday!! 

 

 

At 4:30 Hermana Tere came and picked us up to go to her house. I was anticipating a little get together with just her family. We got to her house and she said that Milenna was on her way. I was like Okay! So I took the time to curl Sofia's hair and wait around.

Then Milenna, Eric (her husband), Pablo, and Pablo's grandmother arrived; We talked for a long time. Especially how I am going to celebrate Pablo's birthday when he's in Salt Lake and I'm back at BYU, hahaha! Milenna and Tere took out cheesecake to sing to me but then said "we can't sing yet, the Chaverris haven't gotten here!" I was thinking, "more people?!" Oh my gosh Tere threw a dinner party and a bunch of people came. In the end, Elder Chaverri and Hermana Lauren and all of their kids got there (I can officially say that a General Authority was at my Birthday Party!!), and they sang to me and we ate chicharrone and cake, and it was all so great!! I was so happy and I felt so loved! I can't believe that they did all that for me! Well, that wasn't the end... 

Tere drove us to Prado because Xynia and Pamela had planned something too!! Pamela had made arroz con pollo, and salad and Jennifer & Xynia made me a cake!! It was really yummy but I was stuffed. They sang to me and at the end shouted "Pruebalo! Prubealo!" which means "Try it! Try it" I was like "how?" I bent down to lick it or eat it or I'm not exactly sure what they wanted, and BAM! Pamela stuffed my face in the cake!! I HAD DULCE DE LECHE ALL UP IN MY NOSE!!! They laughed so hard. I on the other hand couldn't breathe very well. Pamela luckily helped me get cleaned up. So, I was thinking how sad it was that I had destroyed the cake. Like we couldn't eat it right? Wrong! They divided it up and ate. I was not ok. EW! I mean it's my face and I didn't even really want to eat it, ahahhahaha. It was really delicious cake. Good ol Latin tradicions! My birthday was awesome!! I was surrounded by amazing people and I felt so much love!!

Saturday, the Elders from my area surprised me with a Hostess Cupcake with candles in it and sang to me! It was so good! Then at night, we had the ward Fathers Day Activity! Okay here's the summary: Primary presentation, food and soccer game. No joke haha. They projected the game for everyone to see while they waited and ate their food! I was laughing so hard! I also had a little bit of fear being the only gringa there!! USA BEAT OUT COSTA RICA UUSH!! Everyone told me "I dont like you anymore" hahaha, If your not up to date with whats happening, its the Cupa America. USA beat Costa Rica 4-0 and everyone is still butthurt. They also beat Puraguay Saturday giving Costa Rica no chance of progressing. My theory is 2 things. 1. we are better. 2. Costa Rica goalie and my favorite player Keylor Navas couldn't play, giving them less chance of winning. Say the name Keylor and you know why he's my favorite hahaha. All night long, us missionaries served food. They made carne asada and it took sooooo long. In the end I took my churrizo to go. It was a great activity though. the primary songs were cute!

Yesterday, I gave my first talk in my entire mission. You know what else? It was the day that Elder Chaverri (Area 70) was there, the Stake President was there, and we had the biggest attendance of the entire year, 143 people! I was SHAKING I was so scared. Here, you don't sit on the stand. You have to walk up when it's your turn. I got up there and saw everyone staring at me and I was praying that I would be ok. 2 weeks ago, the bishopric tried to get me to give a talk on the spot that day and I said no. I said "Bishop I will talk whenever you want me to but you gotta give me time to prepare! I want them to understand what I am saying!" That's when he told me that I would be talking the second Sunday in June. I chose my topic. I chose Conversion. I prayed about what topic I should choose for a long time and eventually I knew. I knew because of the comments of members, investigators and less actives. It's what everyone needed to hear and it was obvious. I think it was the best talk that I have ever given! I was a little strong with the ward, but I shared life experiences that have helped me with my conversion so that they understood why it was important to me. I learn best from experiences of other people. I wanted them to learn from me. My talk was a call to action and I was really happy with it. I wish you all could have heard it. Many members told me that it was good and it touched their hearts so I am happy. I wanted everyone to understand that conversion is so important. It requires CONSTANT action, doing what is right. Conversion is personal. We cannot depend on the testimony or conversion of any other person.  Elder Chaverri told me that it was really good so, I think I have a general authorities mark of approval. haha! 

 

Speaking of the Chaverris, they brought 2 people from Indianapolis to church with them! Dianne and Frank! Frank is a Spanish teacher and they brought a group of student with them to visit Valle de Sol, the Chaverris school. Dianne and Frank said that they loved my talk and when they heard California, they wanted to meet me! I had the pleasure to go with them to the classes and translate. I told them that they need to contact the missionaries in Indianapolis!! 

After church we went with everyone to the Chaverris house to have lunch and celebrate Eric, Milennas husband's, birthday!! YAY BIRTHDAYS!! We ate spicy Mexican food because right now he works there. I helped Pablo make a blog for his mission and I learned that Snapchat is a whole lot different since I left, haha. It was really fun!!

Boy do my fingers hurt...hahahaha This week was packed with exciting moments!! I don't think my words are enough to describe how I felt but hopefully you get the picture :)

Thank you for the Birthday wishes and cards from home! All of my friends wrote me Happy Birthday wishes too...I wasn't forgotten!!

Thank you family for the videos that made me cry haha. I love you all. Next week I will probably write you from a new area. I'm 90% sure I have transfers next Monday!! Milenna and tere have talked about it and practically everyone knows! I am so nervous to say bye to this area. Guapiles and Pococi have a part of my heart but I trust the Lord. "I'll go where you want me to go." 

Have a great week!!

Love You All,

Hermana Zerilli