Just Scatter Sunshine: fun in the sun

hey hey. so life is so good. i cant believe i'm done with training in two weeks. This transfer has FLOWN by. its crazy biz. its so hot.. i have sweet tan lines. okay so i forgot this but this happened last sunday and its sick awesome. so last Sunday Gilmer, Alejandro, and Chuma got the priesthood. so Gilmer got it first and it was crazy because the person that set him apart was one of the recent converts who got his priesthood the week before. Everyone was really excited about that because rarely do you use your priesthood that soon after getting it. Well after Gilmer got it then Alejandro got it from one of the members, and they like to have someone different give the priesthood to each of the boys so they get ready to get someone to give Chuma the priesthood and they look and say well Gilmer do you want to do it? So he had just gotten the priesthood and within 7 minutes was giving the priesthood to his cousin. It really reminded me of the pioneers and I just keep thinking how really these members are the pioneers here in costa rica. It was probably the coolest moment in my lifeee.

okay so Tuesday we had interviews with the president. It was good. Hes such an amazing guy. So he told me that this last transfer he was going to switch us all up but then the Lord told him not too.. but that he said he is definitely splitting us up this next transfer which makes me really nervous but okayy.. Its weird and i'm just praying i don't have to train. ha.i say this because my Spanish is doing really good for only 2 months in the field and hna o told president that she thinks i'm ready to train someone.. i'm like no i'm only 19 and i only have 2 months here.... no way jose. ha. But who knows. the other thing... president raised the mission standards on July 1st.. and when he talked with me and my comps he said he had special goals for us and so he raised our goals personally.. its been hard but its been really good. i'm glad for the challenge and were def feeling the work-- we're so tired all the time but we know we can do it.

So Heylen is the mom of Gilmer. Shes a really really inactive member. so we were teaching her about the apostasy because shes still going to her crazy evangelical church and so we get done explaining the church of Christ the one he established while on the earth and we ask what church has these 5 things? she wouldn't answer... we knew why.. because she knows this the true church she just doesn't want to change... so then after the lesson we said okay pray right now and solely ask if the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true church.. and so she says a prayer and says "tell me which church is true" and when she finishes Gilmer says no mom you have to ask more specific ask the right way. so she says a quick prayer and says " is the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints really your church? is it true?" and then when she's done we all just sit there. she just starts crying and she says.. i thought i knew what the holy ghost felt like.. but this this feeling... i've never felt it before.. and she said I know that this really is the one true church. it was so cool and it was such a strong spirit and just shows the importance of meditating after a prayer.

So I did splits this week and i was just with hna o again. It was good and only for 2 hours so i wasn't to worried about being just two gringos walking around santa cruz. So our first two appointments fell and we're walking to another house when I see this girl. her names michelle and we contacted her once real quick a week-ish ago. so when i saw her i just knew we had to teacher her no matter what our agendas said. so we go over and start talking and i don't know how it happens but i start leading the lesson. and instead of teaching what we had planned to teach her during weekly planning we start on just the simple topic of "I'm a child of God" it was amazing because the spirit was so strong and I know she's one of those people I was meant to find. She needs this gospel more than any one else and shes so ready for it too!

So we had a baptism on Saturday i gave a talk and got made fun of because i used the word tuanis in my talk.. it means cool. and its fun to use.. so i use it a lot. haha. anyways... yeah the baptism was really fun and really good but poorly attended because we had like a hurricane of a thunderstorm. hah.

Baptism

So we've been praying all week to find a Family.. but we've been trying to be specific so we've been praying for a family with a mom and dad and three kids over the age of 8. well all week we've waited for this and nothing... but then finally yesterday we went and contacted this lady and it was like we knew as soon as we started talking to her all of us knew this was the family. so we just did a little brief first lesson with her and her kids decided to listen to us too... she had three kids. 8,14,17 and a husband. they're catholic but super open to listening to other religions. so that was a great miracle.

okay wanna hear the funny for the week... when you walk by people you always say hello and people normally say let god accompany you. well we walk by this group of young guys and i'm just me so i'm loud and like Hola Buenas! and they're like Hello. Hola.. blah blah.. and then i hear Let God accompany you. and so I'm like Okay you too! and then were just walking away and i hear them all laughing and hna bojorque says.... they said 'we want to accompany you'...... so that was acca awkward. ha.

and to answer moms question.. im not going to cut my hair anytime soon. i've heard too many horror stories and i just wear in a pony or a bun.. so its like ill just deal with it til it too late. hah.

Love you all! The church is sooo true!!