Happy Costa Rica Independence Day!!

Hey everyone!!

This week went really well!! It was another week of new lessons and chances for improvement!

You all were able to hear about P-day last week but Tuesday was really interesting! Tuesdays we have our district meetings normally. We were at the bus stop waiting to get on and go to our meeting when Elder Hansen called me telling me to turn around. Him and Elder Vasquez were there and were able to drive us to the meeting which they attended also. Hahaha, we have gotten way to used to the mission car! Our meeting went really well. The main topic was the planning that we do as missionaries and the importance of planning well. We talked about goals also. These 2 topics ended up reoccurring during the week!

After the meeting, we were able to do a visit with Ester (one of the young women in the ward). Hermana Martinez and I love her family. They are so great! Her friend is actually Alexia, our investigator, so we were able to have a great lesson with her. Unfortunately, her mom couldn't listen to us that day but we shared the message of Joseph smith, The First Vision, and the Book Of Mormon. It was a lesson like no other! We have always felt that Alexia has been prepared to receive the gospel but she continues to surprise us. We started to talk about Jospeh Smith and she mentioned how she had seen 2 of the church movies about him. She started getting excited asking questions like "is this the part when the angel gives him the plates?" when we hadn't even mentioned the first vision. We laughed and told her that that part was later haha. Then I began to quote the first vision "vi una columna de luz...." and she started to say it with me!!! I was like "wait. what?!" She comes to church every week, and because Ester is in the mission prep class, Alexia goes too and she wants to serve a mission. In that class, they are teaching The First Vision. Us 4 said The First Vision together! That never happens! Our investigators never have The First Vision memorized!

At the end of the lesson, Alexia told us about mean comments that a girl in her religion class in high school has been making to her in regards to investigating the church when she is Catholic. I felt really bad, I understand what its like to receive hurtful comments from others about the church. We shared with her a few scriptures that she can show this girl and she felt more confident. These are my personal favorites. Many people know that one of my BIGGEST pet peeves is people who judge others, especially when they don't understand!! These scriptures also appear in Mateo...

3 Nephi 14: 1-3 “And now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words he turned again to the multitude, and did open his mouth unto them again, saying: Verily, verily, I say unto you, Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?”

We visited other people with Ester but then it started getting late. We knew that I had my last doctor’s appointment the next day and that it was probably best to sleep in San Francisco again. Well, we were cutting it really tight. The bus passes 7:30 and it’s every hour. It was about 7:20 when we were running to our house to change into pajama like clothing to sleep in and to fill our backpacks with the things we needed for the next day WITH Ester. Her mom was coming to our house to pick her up. The second she got there we took off running to the bus stop around the corner. As we were running, we saw the bus come zooming down. It stopped and we saw people getting off. That’s when my companion took off sprinting like she was going for the gold in the Olympics. I couldn’t run I was dying laughing! She started waving her hands in the air screaming "STOP STOP STOP!" Yes...in English! She literally said the word "Stop." I couldn’t breathe I was laughing so hard. I was thinking "does she understand that she’s screaming English in a Spanish speaking country" and "since when does she speak English?" hahahaha, By the grace of God some guy stopped the bus as it was preparing to leave. We got on sweating, out of breath and laughing. We threw the money at the chauffeur not even worrying about the change and fell into our seats. It was probably one of the funniest and most blood rushing experiences of my entire mission! When we got to San Jose everyone said "Cartagitos!" to us as we passed them because we were both in our Cartago jerseys (like from the zone activity last p-day) gym shorts and hot pink Crocs. I am a big supporter of Crocs now! Costa Rica has converted me, haha. We ate McDonalds (I miss salads, ok) and crashed from all of the travel!

My Doctor appointment went well. I am okay!! I am really happy. I’m not going to lie, having the ball still there under my jaw bothering me made me a little nervous but the Doctor reassured me that I’m good and that I just need to be patient with my body and let it heal itself. I’m ready to let this all be in the past!!

So since all of the Latins have 2 names...the hospital thought that I did too. Hahaha they were like MICHELLE?

Friday I had to go to leadership counsel at the mission office. I have really enjoyed every time that I have gone. I love being around all of the other leaders and learning from them. Not going to lie, sometimes I feel so inadequate haha, Like they are all so good!!! This meeting was great. We talked about self reliance and the importance of making goals for being more self-reliant. We have to be more self reliant before we can help others be self reliant and it needs to happen!!! We made decisions and clarified rules. Something that I really enjoyed though was how Hermana Hayes taught us about the importance of LOVE♥ It’s something so simple but it can change everything in the mission! Our relationship with our zones, our companions, the members, our investigators, EVERYONE! What did Christ teach us? He taught us how to love! I think this lesson will never get old or lose its importance. We have to love, sincerely. You can’t fake it! EVERYONE JUST WANTS TO BE LOVED! I came back to Paraiso better than I left. I have made a lot of goals for this upcoming week and for these next few months. I want to keep progressing and being a better leader.

Leadership Counsel with Hermana Moon

With Elder Shumway

With Hermana Gividen

Today was the first day of cambios and luckily none of us had any!! Whooo cambio number 2 with Hermana Martinez!! Today, to celebrate we went on a GIANT hike to a waterfall in a part of our area named Orosi. We went with a brother from the ward named Oscar. Ok, so this hike was insane..the hardest hike I have ever done! Yes mom, I used sunscreen and bug spray. Let me just tell you, it was mud and tree branches. We also saw a few rocks here and there. I slid down half way on my stomach I’m sure. Elder Hansgen just followed behind me laughing the entire way! By the time we got down to the bottom, I was sweaty and covered in mud. But wow! It was beyond worth it. We hiked up a raging river and saw the most beautiful waterfall!!! I took in the sight of it and just thought how blessed I am to be in such a beautiful country. Seriously, it’s not every day that someone sees something that we did today. So the hard part was getting back up the hike. I did not want to go any further..I was so dead haha. I basically climbed back up on my stomach too. There was no other way to do it. I’m serious! Hold on a branch and pull up haha. We got back to civilization with it began pouring down rain. So what did we do? We finished it off with soccer!! Muddy soccer. Hahaha! I know that I will be sore tomorrow but again. It was way worth it :)