Even In The Midst Of Worry, My Heart Was Full Of Thanks-

Hey everyone,

Honestly, I don’t even know where to start. I think first off, I just want to thank every single person that prayed and fasted that those who live in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama could be protected from Hurricane Otto! This week was a mix of emotions but mainly I’m just grateful, and with it being the week of Thanksgiving, I think that it is fitting!

This week we had a lot of firsts…

Starting off, we had our district meeting in Turrialba for the first time which is another area here in Cartago. Remember the volcano that was exploding? Yeah, that is in Turrialba! To get there, we had to take a bus up in the mountains on a REALLY WINDY ROAD! The trip is a little more than an hour and we did it standing up! Oh my gosh, Hemana Martinez and I were going to throw up! Haha, But we got there safely and felt better. The district meeting was great but after we had to return home and it was really late. We got back with only enough time to visit one person. So, we were able to go visit Lidieth, Yudiet, Junior and Dayana. That was when we saw Otto for the first time! We got to their house and they were watching the news. We were really shocked to see a hurricane on its way to Costa Rica! I’ve never been in a hurricane so to be completely honest, I don’t think I processed exactly what was happening. Ahhhh! Yeah, I was totally calm...for the moment:)

Wednesday, we visited people as normal and we were able to serve in a lot of ways. I cooked cannelloni!!! Whoo for being Italian! They actually eat cannelloni a lot here but they put different things in them. We put tuna in these ones! I had never eaten tuna cannelloni before but it was good!! Then, when we were with Rocio and Alejandro we saw that the Hurricane had gotten a lot worse. They were saying that the hurricane was going to hit Costa Rica at 11 in the morning on Thanksgiving Day. We were able to share a message with them which was Helaman 5:12. Honestly, we were really worried at this point. Not because we live in an area close to where the hurricane was going to hit but because it was going to do a lot of destruction to the country and we worried for the people. We went to the store immediately after and bought candles and made sure that we had water. We wanted to make sure that we were prepared for any emergency.

Thursday (Thanksgiving) came and we were totally okay!! We had a moment where we were a little nervous. The wind was really strong in the morning and the tree in front of our house, the branches started breaking. However, after about 30 minutes, everything was okay. No wind, rain or fog. It was all clear! However, we kept receiving messages from the news channels saying that we needed to be careful all day. We were mostly worried about the other missionaries in dangerous areas and our converts. I was so worried about Pococi, my last area. That’s when I received a phone call from a special person. Milenna called me!!! I recognized her voice from the minute I heard it! She told me that my Mom was worried and that she had been talking with her. I was SO grateful for that! Then she told me that so many at home who had missionaries in the field had been fasting their Thanksgiving for the protection of their children. I started bawling! No joke my heart broke! I couldn’t believe what was happening. I partially felt selfish that I was okay and others were suffering. We continued praying all day that things would be ok. Especially when we heard of the earthquake that took place in El Salvador, my companion’s home. It was so strong that many in Costa Rica felt it, and the coast was put on tsunami warning.

We ate lunch with the Wilkinson family which was awesome. We were able to speak English for a while and eat good yummy stuffing, potatoes, and hamburgers!! Then at night, Sabrina invited us over for a yummy dinner! I was so happy to be eating ham!! Hahaha, I am so beyond grateful for my “family” here that looks out for us. Emotionally, physically, spiritually...I felt so loved all day! Even in the midst of worry, my heart was full of thanks-

Well, Friday we woke up with mixed emotions. We saw the destruction that caused the death of 9 people and the loss of possessions, and we felt awful. This is my second home! I couldn’t believe what had happened. However, immediately my Ward started collecting food that they could send to the people who were affected. I love the church’s focus on helping and serving! We also had a baptism this day!!

Junior, Dayana and Yudiet were baptised Friday night. President, Hermana Hayes and their daughter Haley were able to attend it. Random fact, the only other time that President and Hermana Hayes have attended one of my baptisms was EXACTLY A YEAR AGO, in Aserri! Haley was here also to celebrate thanksgiving, that’s when I met her. When they came to this baptism, I felt that everything was right. Haha, The service was so spiritual! Priests that are going to be serving missions this next year were able to baptize them. (One of them named Daniel opened his mission call yesterday and will be heading to Spain in April!) Dayana, Junior and Yudiet were nervous but excited. I am so proud of them and for their desires to follow Christ and keep learning about His gospel. I am very happy with the opportunity that we had to watch them enter the waters of baptism.

Sunday morning, I found out about the loss of a member in Pococi whom I had truly come to love. I loved her and her family! We visited them often. She lost her battle to cancer and this news hurt me so badly and still does. However, I am beyond happy to know that she was able to enter the Temple to be sealed with her family for time and all eternity on November 9th. That was her only desire, to go to the Tempe! I KNOW that she will be with her husband and their 4 children again. I know that is what calms my heart about everything that happened this week. Bad things may happen. We may have trials and challenges. We may lose a loved one. But the gospel still stands! God loves His children and He will live up to His promises. For that, we can always be happy in the end.

This scripture sums it all up perfectly…

Helaman 5:12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

I love you all and I am thankful for this past week. I am thankful for a specific day to be thankful! I am thankful for my knowledge that our Heavenly Father is in charge of everything! That we all can remember, that is my prayer♥ Let’s have a good week and start December right!

With Love, Hermana Zerilli

The baptisms of Dayana, Junior and Yudiet, with President and Hermana Hayes...