Today, I would like to start my email with the same introduction as the crazy lady at the bus stop the other day:
¨Señores, Señoras, jovenes, ancianos!¨ (¨Men, women, youth and old people!¨)
How are ya doin´? Pura vida? Pura vida.
What a good week we had.
The most important thing that happened was Carolina and Carlos´s baptism. What a special day it was for all of us!
When some members from my companions last area (Ojo de Agua) heard that Hermana Delgado had come to Ezcazu, they asked us to visit Carolina and Carlos, their family. The first time we went to go find them we were REAL lost. We were walking up and down the street, asking everyone we met and we could not find them. We actually even rang their doorbell, but they weren´t home at the time so we thought that it wasn´t the house. We were sad that we had gone all the way up the mountain and not found them.
Carlos and Carolina live really close to the edge of the mountain where there is a BEAUTIFUL view of the San Jose Valley. When we realized that we weren´t going to find them we were about to turn back and go home, but being the spaz that I am, I got really excited about the view and ran down the street to see it. My poor companion and the member that was with us were surely both rolling their eyes at me. While we were looking at the view, we saw two women walking up the dirt road. I decided to ask them if they knew Carolina. They looked surprised, and then one responded ¨Um… I am Carolina.¨ I was so glad that my spontantiusm (is that a real word… doubt it) found them!
As we began to teach Carolina we realized that she is one of those people who have the spiritual gift of faith. She drank everything we said in and really understood the doctrine without much explanation. She wasn´t afraid to read, to ponder, or to ask god if it’s true, so of course her testimony came easily.
We also felt it was important to teach her husband Carlos at the same time. Basically from the second lesson we had Carolina was determined to be baptized, but Carlos wanted to be absolutely sure about what he was doing. But, he too, was willing to keep his commitments and pray with real intent. When he had a special dream, he knew it was his answer and quickly committed to baptism.
They are both so excited about their new and strong testimonies. They are anxious to raise their children in the gospel and be sealed as a family in a year. Like with Claudia, I am grateful for the opportunity my Heavenly Father gave me to be part of their conversion experience. Knowing Carlos and Carolina has made me a better missionary and a better person. They are examples to me of faith and of willing to do whatever the Lord asks without excuses. (They forgot to push the button to drain the font after the baptism, so I almost feel in trying to push it with this rod.)
Seriously, sometimes I think that Lord is changing my life more in the mission than changing the life of others. I am so grateful for this time I have to focus 100 percent on the blessings of the gospel and serving others. I am grateful for the incredible blessing of have the Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life and more importantly, having a testimony of it. I know it is the only way to true happiness.
The church is true the book is blue! Read it, and you´ll know just like Carlos, Carolina and I.
Love,
Hermana Patterson
PS-enjoy pictures of me enjoying Costa Rica!
eating wild raspberries on the mountain side.
After hiking for HOURS, we finally got to the cave.
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