I am grateful for RELIGIOUS FREEDOM which allows me to be here serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, His Church!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!!! 

This week was incredible! I was able to see the hand of The Lord here. I know that this is where I'm suposed to be and I'M SO HAPPY TO BE HERE!

Monday, we had P-day and then at night we had one of the most amazing lessons that I have ever had. We taught the husband of a member. She and her 2 kids have been members for 16 years and he has always been Catholic. He is really hard hearted. He listens and nods his head but the missionaries are never quite sure if he's learning. His daughter is serving a mission in Mexico now and his perspective of the sister missionaries has changed. He wants us to teach him. However, he doesn't want to change. We had one of the most spiritual lessons of my mission. We taught about humility. We read Alma 5. Somewhere in the lesson I felt prompted to share Dad's story. I broke down bawling, the wife and my companion too. His face changed. He was listening.  I bore testimony of the change that the gospel can have on a person. I was 16 when my Dad was baptized. I know their situation. I know what it's like to want something so badly for someone but at the end of the day, it's their desire that is important. The Spirit was so strong in the lesson. I know that it touched his heart and so at the end of the day, we did our job. I'm grateful for opportunities to bear testimony of my life experiences. That's why I'm here, to share with people what I know and HOW I know!

Tuesday I had a crazy day! We had our district meeting and then we had divisions! WHOOT...FIRST RESPONSIBILITY AS A SPECIALISTA! The Hermanas from Turrialba (As in the volcano haha) worked in our area. I worked with Hermana Reinoso and we didn't get lost! I was so happy since I had only 8 days in my area. 

Wednesday we had a Multi Zone Reunion with our temporary Mission President. As you have probably heard, President and Herman Hayes are in Salt Lake. President needs to take some medical exams and will be returning when everything is cleared. We fasted and are praying for him and his health. The mission will not be the same without him. For now, President and Hermana Arrodando from Guatemala are here. President Arrodando is actually an Area Seventy but he'll be President Arrodando instead of Elder for now. 

President & Hermana Arrodando

Hermana Ascencio, Hermana Moon, Hermana Pacay & ME♥

Hermana Gividen

Hermana Freeze

Elder Moss

Elder Olson

The reunion was really great! IT was different, I'm not going to lie, but I know that President and Hermana Arrodando have been given the authority to lead this mission for this time. When I met them they said "Hermana where are you from Argentina?" I died laughing hahhah! I love it when that happens! Whoot, sun bleached hair and speaking Spanish! I was able to see many people that are going home at the end of this change! I was so happy! It was a giant reunion and a reminder that the mission is flying by. 

Friday, for some weird reason, every single phone in the entire mission stopped working...and they still dont work! It's a real problem. Honestly, apart from what I say face to face and this email that I'm sending right now, I have no other means of communication. It's hard not being able to call our investigators to plan lessons so I hope that it gets fixed soon!

Random fun things from this week. Yesterday we found a dog!!! There's a rule that missionaries can't have pets so we went searching for a home for this poor puppy. What happened is that we left a members house and saw a puppy almost get hit by a car. We ran and grabbed it. Then we  knocked doors handing out pass along cards and asking if the dog belonged to the person. Eventually someone said that the owner literally abandoned the puppy and ran away. We felt so bad that we brought it with us and asked members if they wanted it. We received reference after reference of families until we couldn't visit anymore. The dog slept in a cardboard box outside our home and today we let it go. It was just freezing last night and we couldn't be that cruel. We ended up naming the dog "Mae" (my). Mae is something that guys say here. It's kinda like "bro." Normally it's in the street that we hear Mae, mae, mae. So our joke was that we found Mae in the street. Everyone laughed. Luckily, we had so many lessons and met great people through having the puppy with us. We are thinking of using that finding tactic in the future hahahah, NO. 

This is Mae

Also, the Elders brought an investigator to church yesterday that was a true crazy. No joke. We have actually talked to him before and he creeps on my companion. When she saw him at church, she was worried. However he was the star of the show yesterday. He laughed all through Testimony Meeting, Gospel Principles and Priesthood. Every 5 sentences he just burst out laughing. I cant explain it...it was weird! In Gospel Principles he interrupted the teacher every 5 minutes to tell us how he lost his 2 front teeth and how he's been in and out of the mental hospital 6 times. He just laughed and laughed. The Elders had no clue that he was like that...they just invited someone to church and he came. So now when the members ask, the elders say, "Hey, he's a son of God too!" hahaha Amen!

I want you all to know just how happy I am to be here in Para Para Pàradise!! This past week we saw miracles! We worked so incredibly hard! I got here and the area was ehh. I knew that I was put here to work with Hermana Pacay to make it better. That, we are doing! This week we went from 3 people with a baptismal date to 11! Numbers are not everything but they sure do make me feel happy to see the fruits of my labor hahaha. I know that when we are willing to work with God, He will work with us!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!! I'm happy that its P-day. I am missing my country a little more than usual today. I'm grateful for FREEDOM! Especially RELIGIOUS FREEDOM which allows me to be here serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 

A few words of one of my favorites... 

"Let freedom ring, let the white dove sing
Let the whole world know that today
Is a day of reckoning!
Let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong
Roll the stone away, let the guilty pay
It's Independence Day!"

Love you all!! Have a great week! Eat a hot dog, watch some fireworks and sing at the top of your lungs. 

GOD BLESS AMERICA! 

♥TAY

ps MOM...Rocio told me "look! A bunch of pictures are on facebook of you and your family!" I was like, "That's my mom!"

Celebrating Bianca's Birthday!

Sporting my colors in Costa Rica! USA USA!!