March 17th

Okay so this week...it was a week so fun and crazy. So to start off with I'm still super sick.. but now with a super bad cold that makes me have toi breath through my mouth at all moments. haha. my comp in every prayer asked the lord to bless my nose.. so that my boogies would clear out.. she literally said it like that.. hahah. it was funny.

So tuesday we had an all day multizone conference... and it was super fun. I found out that pres now has 4 assistants and that the work is just speeding up so much here in costa rica. We were taught some really incredible stuff by president and we were able to do some awesome practice exercises and learn about the basics. He talked to us about how we should focus on mastering the basics and how that will make us what we need to be..successful in life and in the mission. As he was talking I thought about a book or maybe it was just a quote that dad uses how the best people in the world really are only 1% better at something than everyone else. and so this week we've been focusing on the basics and let me tell you that it is working out so well. hah. we have been able to see lots of blessings through focusing on the basics. Then at the end of the conference, I got a few sweet presents from a few missionary friends for my birthday. I love the friends that I've been able to make here. They just make me so happy. I'm thinking i have to do a tour of central and south america so I can go and visit them alll... who's with me. hah.

So on tuesday Hna Workman left to go to Nicaragua and we got to do a trio with hna stroud. I laugh because we are like always comps yet we've never really been comps. i think we were made to be each other's  backup support. ya know someone who is there but not alwyas because then we might hate each other or something. haha. So we spent two days with her and i saw how the lord blessed us.  We were able to see miracles as we had to work in both areas at once. We saw two of her investigators get ready for baptism and then on wednesday our own little miracle.  We were planning on having a super spiritual lesson and using all our power and authority to get Fabrico baptized and as we walk up to his house he says.. Hey I've decided I would like to be baptized on the 23 if that's okay. hah. It was so amazing. we didn't even say a word.  Truly the Lord worked in a mysterious way.  Then we went and had divisions on thursday and saw some more miracles because we were able to work with the members. ha. i love members. its so much easier with them. But literally these two and a half days with Hna Stroud were just amazingly fun. We just have a blast together!

Something has happened this week and I just want to say that I know without a doubt that in thas church and only in this church, we have the power of God. We have the power to throw out demons and to heal the sick and to preach the gospel like it says in lucas 9:1-2 and marcos 3.13-15. I know that this power is real and that when it is used with faith and diginity on both parts that miracles happen that would not have otherwised happened.

Okay so backing up a bit. So our cook is awesome but her husband is inactive, he's still awesome though. I love chilling and chatting with him. So on Monday he told me that he wanted to lose weight.. i think its because he was seeing that I'm losing weight and that im just awesome.. hahahah and since his wife has seen pictures from before the mission he say that i was fit back then and anyways..  i was like well at 5:30 every morning I run in the staduim, but its a hard run-- you can come if you want. so he was like oh sure.. I'm sure it'll be fun. So he showed up on Wednesday and was like okay.. im ready and i was like its a little bit difficult do you run and he was like i think I'm in better shape than you.. okay now this made me a little bit angry. I think mom knows what happens when i get angry and im running. I just push my self like nothing else. So we start doing the 20 minute run and i am talking and running and he's not responding and im like whats wrong.. and hes like I can't breath i can't finish and I'm like come on you can do better than this remember.. youre in better shape than me. hahaha. it was so funny because after the second set he just stops and is hacking and trying to catch his breath. so i tell him he can go rest and do abs with my comp and i go and finish my run. hah. it was so great. because he now has a little respect and the most exciting part is he's been reading the book of mormon with us everynight. I love that i was able to win his respect thanks to my mom for helping me run when i was younger and for my dad too for always supporting me. So we made a deal that if he can't finish this run this week that he has to go to church on Sunday. So I'll keep you guys up on the progress of this bet that we've got going. hah. Hes a good guy but like everyone we have our problems. some are bigger than others and the biggest mistake is thinking that we can fix these problems on our own.  We can't!  So we need to go to chruch to recieve the help that we require.

Okay so Saturday we finished a fast at 12 and we didnt have lunch until 1:30 so we were like lets make popcorn but we dont have a microwave just a microwave oven... I'm like, i think it should work and we put in the popcorn and turn it one... And its going great... until it starts exploding and growing and the bag then gets so big it touches the top and I get up and Im like hna .... hna .... HNA!! and we look and we see a fire... and its growing my comp opens the door and is like wait ill blow it out.. im the boyscout as she trys to blow and her blowing only makes it grow. I pull her back, unplug the oven and throw a glass of water on the fire.. and whew.. it goes out. hah. What made it so funny is that earlier that day our District Leader told us we were Echando Fuego. or Making Fire.. and i was like.. well compy it's true. we are literally making fire now. haha.

Okay so Sunday I dont know how but as we have opened our mouth and talked to everyone we have been able to consistently have 8-10 people at church every sunday and new people too!  So this sunday was an amazing conference and it was super awesome and we were able to have the baptism of Isamar. I was so excited! She was so happy and the other hans were able to have two baptisms too!!  I was so proud of how the work is growing and then during the baptism a young joven investigator that has listened to the lessons before leans over to me and says.. can i be baptized next weekk. i was like yes, of course. It was amazing. and so for this next week we have Harvin that kid I just told you about and Fabricio. I am so pumped!!!

But as missionaries even though I'm happy, I'm not satisfied. So my comp and I were talking about how we aren't satisfied with the work yet, expeically after hearing the our mission president baptized 18 people one Sunday.  So  I looked at my comp and she's just as competitive as me and she said. Can we start fasting and praying and working our hearts out to baptize 18 people on Christ's birthday the 6th of April. So that is our new goal .. right now we have 6 people planned for that day.. and i know that the Lord will help the other people that are ready and prepared be baptized that day too. It's a CRAZY goal.. and it's not that realistic but we have the faith and we are working with all our heart and mind and strength so I know we will meet our goal. Like it says in Moroni 7:33. whatever  we ask in faith, that is right, will be done.

I love you all!  I love the joy that I can share with all the people in San Carlos. I am grateful for a companion that is SO amazing and SO great and so just like me. hah. I love the Lord and I am grateful for his Sacrifice and his Resurecction that not only means we can rise up after death but that we can rise up from any hardship or trial through his power and faith on his name.

Love you all! Thanks for all the Love and Support.


"You are the captian of your Life, and God has prepared a plan to bring you safetly back to him to your divine Destination." Pres Uchtdorf.. Live your life so that you can reach that divine destination that is to live with your heavenly father, his son , and your family for all the eternity.

March 10th

Okay so Monday I got a Super Sweet Surprise as I was able to go "drop off" something for a family and walked into a Fiesta for my birthday, along with the cake the member made and then like the traditions say in Costa Rica I got EGGED and was wished lots of LUCK with egg yoke rolling down my face.

Okay so my comp and I ended up getting a little sick but the Lord blesses us ... we had just walked like crazy people up a mountain and back down to get to all our appointments and we were just STARVING because that day our lunch wasn't very filling... she forgot the meat... hahah. and so we were like idk what we are going to do... and its like 8:30 and as we were complaining and dying of hunger our Relief Society President drives by and says Hey! Its your birthday week come with us to get a snack. So she gave us food and I know it was just the Lord looking out for us and really what a tender mercy.  BUT, because we ate so late I was up ALL night with nasty from both ends.... . and super super bad stomach pains.. but thankfully after much fervent prayer I finally got some sleep.  Since then I have just had to be really careful with what i eat... and take lots of great tico pills. haha. i love my life here in costa rica.


So Fabricio. He PRAYEDD!!! OH MY GOSH! This is probably the biggest news of the week. You see he has been going to seminary in the mornings at 5:30 am and then he was talking to us and was like i know that this is all true and i know i have to be baptized but... i just can't pray and ask yet.. i can't get a confirmation from the Lord until i know enough.. i was like listen up bud. You just pray and you ask and then the Lord will help you out. okay.. so yeah. the next day he went to institute and one of the young single adults talked to us afterwards and was like HE PRAYED and HE GOT AN ANSWER! So at church yesterday we just had lots of fun telling him that he'll be baptized this coming Sunday... i have so much faith i know it will happen. if he keeps going to seminary and reading the book of mormon he will ask us to help him do what he needs so that he can be baptized on sunday.. hahah. I love this little 17 year old going on 70.

So MARYLIN! she got BAPTIZED! I was probably more happy and excited as well as more nervous for this baptism than for any other baptism in my life. First I know that the opposition was working against her as she left her phone in her house charging that morning.  Then she used her scooter to come to church when something fell off her scooter wheel chair and no one was around to help her and she just had to  wait.. and wait.. and almost missed all of sacrement meeting.. But she made it and we get to watch the most precious baptism.  It was also the most hilarious baptism as we were trying to get her completely under the water.. some investigators thought it looked like we were drowning her.

Her story is crazy.  Marylin is the strongest person I know. She was normal until she was 20 when she was assualted and shot in her spinal cord and was left a vegetable except her arms .. and face.. Her hands got messed up too-.. and yet she comes to church EVERY SUNDAY with such joy and such hope for the future. I wish I could be more like Marylin!!

This sunday Isamar is going to be baptized and we are so excited because she too is one of those people just prepared from our Heavenly Father. I am so excited to be able to help her because she is changing other lives as she is changing her own life.

There is so much more.....more miracles and amazing stories to tell but as always I'm running out of time... and so I'm going to just say that This is the true church. This is the only church with all of the parts of Christ's Gospel. I know that who ever reads the book of mormon will KNOW that this is the kingdom of God here on the earth today. I love being a missionary and I love being in San Carlos. I'm so excited to have 6 more weeks here!! I love my Life!  and most of all I Love the Lord!

Love you all!!

I'm twenty! Who knew......

March 3rd

Okay so this week we started out with an awesome lesson with someone named Fabricio. He started reading the book of mormon and the power of this book is working in him. He's awesome and he even came to church on Sunday and really liked it. I'm so happy for him. Hopefully we can put a fecha for his baptism really soon.

Then there's the baptism.  This week DAVID got baptized.  Unfortunately we had to put Marilyn's baptism offuntil next Sunday because her family was in town and they don't want her to get baptized. But it's going to be an amazing baptism for her. Marilyn has a disease so she is in a wheel chair and can't really use her hands but her disability is only physical and she is perfectly fine mentally. so I had this experience in sacrament meeting on Sunday.  Marilyn was in the back and I asked her to come up near me but unfortunately she didn't want to because she doesn't like people looking at her.  As the bread was being passed i noticed that she couldn't take it so again I motioned for her to come up by me and our other investigators. Then this beautiful daughter of God moved out of her comfort zone in the back and came up to sit by me as she wispered in my ear.. will you help me take the water then apologized that she didn't come up soon enough to take the bread. I felt the spirit so strong in this moment that I just wanted to cry. To see someone so pure that wants to do what is best leaving their comfort zone and coming up front to sit by me so she could receive the bread and water. It taught me alot. Sometimes we have to leave our comfort zone to receive what we really need.

Isamar. She is a beautiful daughter of God and she has been playing with our heart strings this week. Shes dropped us twice.. but finally on Sunday she came to church and stayed for the baptism and after the baptism she said... will you  tell me when my date is for my baptism because i cant wait any longer. It's true. It's all true. I just feel it.  This is so amazing because our church is a lot different then her previous beliefs and it is so different than how she was raised because she used to be Jehovah's Witness and now she's gonna be Mormon. hah.

Birthday Prank. So the Sanchez family, remember they are the family that pulled the prank on us about being a naked guy. Well, we went to their house because they wanted to give me a birthday dinner and so it was friday night and we decided to pull a prank back on them.  So what we did is, we frosted a milk carton like a cake.  After dinner when it's time for the cake she gets it out and is like... okay how many pieces are we going to need? And she tries to cut it for like 5 min. we are all just laughing and she finally says what did you make this cake out of... haha. and then we shoved icing in her face. haha.

Saturday i got a sweet breakfast from Hermana Sonia the owner of our apartment. Then we did a family history tutorial and then left on a bus for 2 hours to get to our  zone meeting.  We were there all day and I even got sung to by all the missionaries and then Hna Stroud gave me a rose and Hna Workman gave me a bag of candy. It was a great day.. and I got to eat at Wendy's.. that was a nice surprise!

David got BAPTIZED!! he is so spiriutal and so seriously amazing... it was so good because two other investigators were at the baptism and the spirit just couldnt be denied!

Oaky Well I love you all so much!
Thanks for the birthday loving!

Hna Coburn

We be crazzy

Okay so my new comp is amazing. We both have the same energy to work and to do all that we can to help this ward grow and to help people change there lives and really come unto Christ. 

So heres the deal. I have been studying a lot about sacrifice and how sacrifice brings us blessings.. so i have been thinking what does sacrifice mean then? After much study I have learned that sacrifice is doing something that costs you something. Sometimes that means losing or exchanging something you want for something that is more in accordance with the Lords will and what He wants.  So this week after much talk with my comp. we decided we needed to make some changes and sacrifice something.  

So after much thought and prayer we decided to put my theory to the test.  And we decided to sacrifice sleep. So, this week we have been getting up at 4:30 so that we could have the ability to work more and get more done. as we made this change the first day. we had so much energy. Even the days that followed we had extra energy. So we knew that the lord was blessing us. with this blessing we were able to see and be apart of SO many miracles!! 

We have been able to start teaching more than 30 new people about the gospel in just this week. And we have been able to help 12 of them decide on a date to be baptized. I am so excited beccause they will be changing their lives with just simple steps of reading praying and keeping the commandments.

I am the most excited and grateful for the opportunity to teach Lucia. She got baptized yesterday and I have never seen someone so happy and full of light at their baptism. As we were singing the musical number she started tearing up and then as she got out from the font she was crying and I asked her what she felt and she was like I don't know. It just feels so good. I don't know how I can feel better than right now in this moment. This girl is now helping all 6 members of her family change and decide to be baptized. Shes just incredible.

So my comp is the best!  We did facials and we got all pretty. She convinced me to buy my new shoes... they were 10 mil or 20 dollars which is cheap here.. but i did it because it was my valentines present and I really needed shoes for church that are pretty. They aren't just pretty but really comfy. best decision of my life. hahaha. Happy Birthday to me. hah.

Okay so we went to the interview with the elders for Lucia's baptism and we walked 1 hr to get there.. us running.. because it was all up hill and we wanted to show the elders that we could do everything they did even though they were saying it was too far for sisters. haha. It was a blast. 

today was chequeo de mes. It was really really fun. i met a missionary that is really really really good friends with dads cousin who worked at snow college.

This is the true church. We had a lot of lessons with people that wanted to fight and argue and all I said every time was my testimony that I know that Christ has restored HIS church to the earth today and that we have a prophet and apostles who have HIS power.  We then left because the spirit doesn't work with contention.

Well there were lots of miracles this week. I would like it if you could keep David, Erica, Lillian, and Marylin in your prayers.   They should all be baptized on the 2nd of March for dads birthdayyy. : ))

This week just try and sacrifice a little and you will see miracles as you put the natural man behind you and begin to put your will in line with the Lords will. I cant believe how time is flying! AWWHEHAHADKSFJADFJ! Thats how I feel ..... a mess of words and feelings. haha.  Anyways. I love you to the moon and back.  Thanks for all you do and all you are.

I love you all!!!  Maddi 

Fantastic Adventures

So Noche De Hogar.. or for you gringos... family night. So we were in a part of town called Arco Iric.. or Rainbow and we must have been lost because the bus didn't come.  So I look at my tiny little companion and tell her that we are going to have to use what we've been learning in the mornings.  She's like what faith... and i was like.. no it's what we learn before the studies... we have to run. 

Our area is just hills and i mean HILLS, so we tighten our backpacks and just start booking it up one hill and then the next and then the next and then we start running down a hill until we get to the taxis. I knew we had to make it to our family night activity that we planned and we couldn't be late.  So after missing our bus and 20 minutes of sprinting with our scriptures we were able to make it to the taxi.  We were able to share a lesson with him..(the taxi driver) and make it to our family night. Let me just tell you that my companion is the best, because I'm not sure others would have done what we did. .. and I know that the lord blessed us with the promise of run and not faint and walk and not be weary. haha. This was really fun and super exciting.

Adventure number 2... So we go to visit a less active that is now being reactivated. This family is just so awesome.  When we get there we climb up the stairs to get to their house and we knock and knock and the door cracks open like an inch and a deep man's voice says.What do you want?  And I was like it's us the missionaries. He said, well the Sanchezes aren't home. So then I said ok, fine then what's your name. He said Juan.  Then I asked what are you doing here? He was like I'm watching the house. My companion at this point was like this is weird!  The door isn't opened and the voice sounds creepy but i was like no let's baptize this guy.  So I ask where the family is and he's like gone and I was like but I just saw their kids at the church.. this is when I started knowing something was fishy. So then I said where do you live?  I want to teach you about Jesus Christ and the voice gets angry and is like I told you they aren't home. My comp is like lets go but I'm like one moment something isn't right, don't worry.. and then the man yells do you want to see me in my underwear! and the door FLYS open and my comp in less than a minute moves from one side to the next and flies down the stairs and I'm just watching her run all in a matter of seconds I turn back around and I hear bursts of laughter and I see Hermana Sanchez just dying laughing. I was like oh my and my comp just about died.

 I think it would've been a funny story seeing a guy in his undies but I think her trick was something even funnier especially because of my companions reaction. If y'all  can think of ways that we can get her back it would be much appreciated. hah.

Ok family, ready for miracle number one.. We did it. we reached our goal and we had 80... I repeat 80 lpes. One of the miracles of this lpe is that we went to visit a girl who is in a wheelchair. This was our first time to visit her and she was one of the people that we just had talked to on the street. So we get to her house and we just start talking and the spirit was so thick you could cut it with a knife... it was really just incredible. We were talking as prompted by the spirit and as we started talking about baptism but before we can invite her to be baptized she says.. i want to be baptized. I would really like that. i was like in three weeks we have a baptism would you be baptized this day and she was like yes, I will.  I  know that this is true. This just reaffirmed to me that the Lord has prepared people and we just have to open our mouths and he will help us find them. So always just share little gospel truths with everyone because you never know where it might lead.

This sunday we have a baptism and we are so excited because she's so great! Her name is Lucia and she's just radiant and so excited about the gospel. 

I went to San Jose on Tuesday and got two huge suprises. one a package from Becca McCord and two a package from my poppy and of course everyone else back at home. I'm so lucky to have such amazing friends and family. I loved my valentines present and i have been very good with self control because I haven't worn my new outfit yet. I got to spend time with Hna Starke and that was totally fun. And oh yeah one of the new elders... had a teacher... and his teacher was Bethany Kimokeo. My cousin in Hawaii! Sweet! hah. 

Okay well thats all!! I love y'all lots. Thanks for the support and the love and the examples that you give me. Y'all are the best!! 

Perfect First Week

We went and picked up my little baby newbie Colombian on Tuesday. President said she was really awesome and a hard worker so i'm like FINALLY someone like me. hahah. jk.. she's better.... but only by a little bit. haha. jk. anyways, so Tuesday we spent a lot of the time in the office because we went and I got to have my interview with pres. I love these interviews because they are so amazing and because they really make my life. He talked to me and helped me feel good about having to be on my own training in a HUGE area... that is nothing like Santa Cruz. So that was really awesome. We got back and started our hard work.

There's this thing called LPE.. lecciones para encontrar. or lessons in order to find. They are really easy to do if both missionaries are doing them. It's basically just talking to people and the goal is to do 10 every day.Well I've never heard of a missionary meeting the goal of 70 a week. I've heard of a high being 30-40.. so me and my comp.. starting on Wednesday decided that since its a fresh start why not. So we end up talking to EVERYONE and I mean everyone whether they want it or not. We knock on the doors of huge houses and we talk to everyone that we see and with this there is the promise that you will find new investigators... well this week we have found 3 new families!! And they are all married and we were able to get 22 new investigators (from just Wednesday to Saturday) hah. It was amazing.The Lord really blessed us. I know that talking to everyone,will help you find the people God has prepared for the message of the restoration.

My comp is Hermana Zapata.. she's awesome! she's bubbling and loves to work. She is 23 and she makes fun of my Spanish and its cool because i make fun of her too. Shes teeeny tiny. and she's just the most adorable thing. She's got 7 brothers and sisters so that's always really fun and its a blast getting to train her! She's gonna be a rockstar leader right after her training. So there is a thing you say to get into a house its Ope- its like the doorbell.. well there's also the word Tuanis... which means cool. so these words are only here in Costa Rica so i was trying to explain them to her and she goes up to a house and yells as loud as she can TUANIS!! and i just died laughing it was so funny. 

So We got to finish the elders work in this area and got to see Ruth be baptized this past Sunday. It was beautiful and with her baptism and teaching her we've been able to put fechas for 6 of her relatives and they are all getting baptized on the 16th. it'll be a white Sunday. Ruth is one incredible girl! It was a perfect end to the perfect first week here.

Okay so we are teaching a guy who's a little special. I think he has autism or something but at the end i was like, "When can we see you again?" and he said as serious as possible.. In the reincarnation........ i died. my comp couldn't hold it in and left laughing/crying and I had to make up a lie for why she walked away so that he didn't feel bad. but he'll be baptized on the 16th as well.

We got lost so much this week, but every time we got lost we were able to find people. It was so incredible that all accepted the challenge to be baptized. It was an incredible tender mercy.

My area is so beautiful. and my hot showers are so great! They aren't like hot but they're like real american hot showers. Also I get to see hna Stroud every morning as we get up at 5:30 and go to our private stadium.... haha. It is so beautiful! and I love it. I get to do the 20 min. interval run and then i get to do push ups and abs and I get to really work out in the perfect climate in the perfect field with super awesome comps.. wanna here the best story.. I DOUBLE lapped my comp.... hahahaha. i'm getting into such great shape here. not just with working out in the morning but all we do is climb hills and walk up steep streets. hah. its great. and my cook, she's great and we actually eat really yummy healthy food. haha. 

Today we went to this awesome WATERFALL!!!  and we went with some members and with a menos activo. HE SAID HE'D COME TO CHURCH! so that was awesome. and it was just so beautiful. i'm in the best area seeing SO many miracles and I'm so grateful.

This is the good life. I love the mission. I love the work of the Lord. 

Lets just say that when I got to call and report my numbers, no one. .I mean everyone.. was thinking that we were going to have some awful or just below average numbers for the week. When i called in the district leader was like----- whatttt----- you just dropped an atomic bomb.. (So I could get a big head) but the thing is i don't think it matters who the missionary is, if there obedient they can be an instrument in the hands of the lord and i know that this is only possible through the lord.  I love that I just get to apart of this work and help people in there lives...

Alma 26. 

Sweet note from members in her area

Our family loves your daughter/sister!  She is a rock star of a

missionary and we are so lucky to have her in our little branch in Costa

Rica!

Love, 

The Blanchards