The best and last.

I dont think anyone could ask for a better last week of their mission. The Lord was so good to us. Lets start from the very beginning.

Tuesday- On tuesday, President Wilkinson had a suprise ¨multi district¨ meeting. Multi-district? I´ve never even heard of that. It was so great. I gave my 3rd ¨Final testimoney¨. President Wilkinson said so many great things, and really got us pumped up to work so hard. One thing he shared that really touched me was his experience of being called as a mission president. He had a interview with Elder Packer who asked him if he had any idea why he had been called into his office. Trying to be humble, President Wilkinson said that he had no idea, even though he had recieved some promptings that he might be called as a mission president. President packer stoped president wilkinson and said ¨You have had some ideas. The lord ALWAYS goes before us, stop trying to act like you are humble and tell me some of the promptings you have had.¨ (!) Dang! Anyways, its been something I have pondered and thought about a lot this week. ¨The Lord always goes before us¨.  

Wednesday- What an incredible day! We started off going to the temple. Normally, the people going home go to the temple litterally the day before they fly home. But this week the temple will be closed for cleaning, so we got to go a week early. By some freak situations, both my companions got to come with me, and we had a great last time in the Costa Rica temple together. 

As soon as our session ended we had to RUN to Gabby´s Baptism! Thats right! Little miss ¨scared of a baptismal date¨ got in the water! We were so excited for her! She was ALL smiles. There were a couple of glitches, but it ended up being a great service and we were so happy. 

Thursday- Some good solid WORK time. Thursday was probably one of the only normal days this last week. We decided to use the time to our advantage and look for some chosen children of god (wow.... that just doesnt come out the same way it does in spanish..... let the language confusion begin.....) We found Natalie and Camila. HOLY COW THEY ARE AMAZING. Basically they are getting baptized asap. We had walked RIGHT pass their house when the spirt told me i had to go back.So I stoped my companions, Natalie comes out, and invites us into her house. They both accepted baptismal dates, and basically, I am so excited to hear about what happens with them. 

Friday - Mothers day here in Costa Rica!  Its still cracks me up that mothers day is August 15th, but its not that funny..... We decided to buy some daisys and make some cute mothers day cards for the women in the ward who make us dinners and take care of us. OBVIOUSLY they just loved it.   

Saturday- WEDDING DAY! Suprise! On sunday last week, in the middle of gospel  principles, Arielka leans over and tells my companion that she wants to get married and baptized this saturday! WHAT?!?!?! CLARO QUE SI! So of coarse, we run around like crazies planning the wedding. Saturday finally comes and we are peeling raw carrots with spoons til we get  bruises and blisters, running errands and setting up the church for a wedding. Arielka  (the bride) showed up 1and a half late (welcome to Costa Rica). Edwardo (the groom), hermana coburn and I were just about to have a heart attack. But she showed up, looking beauuuuuttttifuuuullll. Sadly, I got very few pictures because we had to start right when she got there because the lawyer needed to leave and everything just happened so fast. It went great.

Sunday- We woke up REALLY early (and if a missionary says its early, you know its early) Sunday morning to get ready and get ourselves to Edwardo and Arielka´s house to get all the little ones ready so that everyone was in the chapel in time for the baptism that HAD to start at 8 am. We were worried that we were going to have to drag everyone out of bed, but we were happily suprised when we arrived at 6:30 am and the children were already bathed and dressed and just needed some finshing touches. Everyone arrived at the chapel early, and excited to be baptized. Arielka and Edward were both baptized ( Hna Coburns first family in her entire mission) and Arielka and Yogeilans mom (Yocali´s grandma) Katalina were also baptized. It went fabulously, and we were all very happy that no one almost drowned. cough. 

In my last sunday in Costa Rica they asked me to give my ¨final testiomony¨to the ward. It went really well. I said ¨fetch¨ at one point on accident, and that was embarrasing, but I got everyone to cry, so I feel like that it must have brought the spirit. 

The ¨going home parties¨ began yesterday. First stop. The amazing Ortiz family. The best ward mission leader in the world. Second, the Isaura and Nefi with Daniela and then Cristiana, our bestie. Lets just say we were about to explode from so much food. 

Monday-  Today I had my final interview with President Wilkinson. I was in there almost an hour and a half but it flew by so fast. We talked about goals for the future and he gave me lots and lots of advice. It was a really special experience to have some one on one time with President Wilkinson and to talk about me. He is just so full of the spirit and always knows just what to say. Of coarse, I left my interview bawling and feeling like a million bucks. I am so lucky to have had the priviledge of working under him my entire mission. The Wilkinsons are so special to me and basically I plan on living with their oldest daughter this winter semster to make sure that they HAVE to keep me close. haha. 

Changes were today. It feels so wierd to see changes going on without me. I feel like I am just getting shuffled out. 

The elders in Purral 2 got pulled out. :( 

Our baby, Hermana Villanueva, was sent to........ ESCAZU! ahhhh! And apparently there are plans to baptized claudias mom! 

Hermana Coburns companion is Hermana Pizza from Colombia. Hna Pizza came with hermana beltran in march and is AN AMAZNG MISSIONARY! I am leaving purral in good hands! But I have already talked VERY seriously with hermana coburn that she can not love hna pizza more than me. 

Well.. .I guess I am out of time. I cant believe this is the end. My last mission email home...... wierd. wierd wierd wierd wierd wierd.

I am so greatful for this time I have had to serve the lord with all my heart might mind and strength. It seriously has been the best of times, and I have grown so much as a person. I feel like the end (4 baptisms in one week?) was the cherry on top to the mission sundae. 

The church is true, this is his work.

See you all Thursday.

 Love you all,

(for the last time) Hermana Patterson

You're Gonna Miss Me by my Hair, You're Gonna Miss Me Everywhere, Oh, You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone!

In case you don't get the title, apparently its a song from Pitch Perfect. My companion one day was singing it to herself, and now every time that she likes to pretend that she is mad at me, (or anytime that I just want her to reflect on how much she will miss me) I start singing it to her. She starts crying. 

Wow kids! What a great week. 

I feel like my mission just gets better and better every single week. 

A couple of highlights:

1. When our recent convert, Rodrigo`s, wife and daughter who supposedly HATE the church let us into their house, where totally friendly and then SHOWED UP ON THEIR OWN to a ward activity. We looked at each other and were like..... WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?!? MIRACLE.

2. The Elders asked us to come and talk to a  couple that does not want to get married so they can make up their minds and be baptized. The girlfriend, Priscilla, told us how she isn't sure that she is in love with her boyfriend because he isn´t loving enough, but doesn't want to separate for the kids they have together. We started talking about how he could be more loving towards her so that he could show her that he loves her. We asked `what are somethings that she likes?` He responded `I know what she likes! She likes Taco Bell!` WE WERE ALMOST ROLLING ON THE FLOOR DYING OF LAUGHTER. What charm! What romance! 

3. Yogeilan got baptized! Said baptized her!  (See caption under photo). Yes, when said was lifting her out of the water they lost their balance and she almost drowned. We tried not to laugh. Poor guy was CRUSHED. He felt so bad, but Yogeilan thought it was so funny.  

4. Our zone t-shirts turned out pretty good. (Once again, see photos) They are tipo souvenir shirts that has a word, and then a description of the word. Here in Costa Rica they are pretty famous because TICOS have so many funny words they use. The definition says:

Origen Nahuatl: TTEO-TI que significa Dios y pan, lugar, se interpreta al espanol como lugar de dios.

1. Un lugar en San Jose Costa Rica donde el coamp esta lista para la seiga

2. Zona conformada por cordinado, purral, moravia, montilimar, tibas, garabito, y zurqui

3. Jerga misional para el mejor zona del mundo. 

If you can´t read that, google translate that. I am running out of time.

5. MAMON CHINO IS IN SEASON AND CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP! I cant eat enough of it.

6. Repentance and feeling the atonement..... rocks. 

7. Arielka and Edwardo have a suprise for their family (Yocali, Yogeilan and Katalina) and ALL OF YOU this weekend. I could say something now, but its good to have a cliff hanger for my last email.

8. Remember Lot's Wife.  Even though its not New years, this Mormon message touched me this week. 

Only one more email left! Cant you believe that? Here´s to the last and BEST week in the mission!

The following pictures are step by step instructions on how to eat my favorite fruit here in Costa Rica, Mamon Chino, which is in season right now. HALLELUJAH HALLELUJAH!

Step one: Buy your Mamon Chino. Preferably from the back the truck that hangs out in front of the Catholic church, because the guy there sells 2 kilos for 1000 colones, O sea, 1 kilo for a dollar!

Step two: Even though it might freak you out the first time because it has weird spike things, bite into your mamon chino. But not all the way, just enough to open it up.

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Step 3: Pry open the mamon chino. Notice that there is a fruit in their that is so white that it looks like the fruit from Lehi´s dream. 

Step four: Take the fruit part out of the skin and eat it. Make sure not to bite all the way through because there is a seed in the middle that you do not want.

Step five: Enjoy mamon chino. Sometimes its sweet, sometimes its sour. Eat and enjoy until all that is left is the seed. Throw away seed and begin the process over again.

Close up of mamon Chino. Just so we are clear. 

LES AMO MUCHO! 

Toyopan- Place of the Gods.... literal translation

Hey everyone,

Once again I am running out of time, so lets see how much I can type out before 15 minutes pass.....

Well last tuesday was my last leadership counsel. I couldnt believe it I gave my final testimoney and everything. Many of my good friends are excellent leaders in this misión, so it was great to see them all and to say goodbye. I honestly was suprised with how simple my testimoney was. I thought my FINAL testimoney would be this grand elegant masterpiece, but the truth is that my testimoney is of the same things, just a WHOLE lot stronger, and I understand so many things I didnt before.

We spent the entire meeting talking about weekly planning. I have pondering how the principle of weekly planning has blessed my mission, and how I can use it in my daily life to make my dreams and goals come realities. If any return missionaries would like to share how they have made weekly planning part of real life, I would love your input.

So Yogeilan will be baptized this next week. She has asked SAID to baptize her! BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! This is going to be the second time a recent convert of mine with baptize a convert of mine and we are just so freaking excited! He feels so honored. I am excited to be there! She is so determined to be baptized and I just love her. The other day we were explaining tithing to her, and explaining what we use tithing funds for when she said Sisters, I am not to worried about what the money goes to. I know this is Christs church and that it wont go to anything that isn’t worthy.

….. We were dumbfounded! Her testimony is already so strong. Also! Because she is getting baptized her mom Katalina has decided to be baptized too, and we are sure her sister Arielka will follow shortly after. IT might be after I go home…. But what is important is that it happens.

I went on divisions with Hermana Olsen this last week and we ROCKED it. The second day we had 7 lessons, found 2 new investigators and put baptismal dates with them both PLUS did 30 LPEs. I was feeling good. Hermana Olsen is from Pocatello, Idaho and has about 2 months in Costa Rica. She is SO obedient and she and her companion are working so hard! She is going to  be an excellent leader in this mission one day.

Gabby (who was so scared to accept a baptismal date) will be baptized on the 13^th! The week before I go home! My wish to have a baptism that last week will come true!

Just a few spiritual thoughts more, I have loved:

Galations 6:7-9 (Also, I loved it before I read Elder Uchtdofs message this month! Its so great!) Do not get weary in well doing!

2 Nephi 26:24

Hebrews 12:11

Well, that’s my time folks!

Love, Hermana Patterson

We went bowling for Elder Petlacalcos birthday. Hes from Cancun. He makes hysterical faces. He has made this change a WHOLE lot of fun.

Rodrigo is..... one of the most inspiring people I know.......

We do the kiosk in the rain.... a lot.

The Lord teaches us principles

Hello loved ones!

I hope you all had a great week! I am jealous of the Kenny family and their reunion! I wish I was there with you guys, but it sounds like you are all having a BLAST!!!

Okay, so just a few things:

1. Last Tuesday, I got a call from the Senior Sister missionary Hermana Coleman from the mission office. In her sweet grandma voice she said something very poisenous. 

¨Hi Hermana Patterson! I am just calling to tell you that you have an appointment with President Wilkinson for your final interview on August 18th at 2 p.m¨ WHAT!?!?!?!

2. Our buddy Oscar (pictured below) is leaving on his mission this week. He is a really cool cat. He was just baptized a year ago, and has been preparing for his mission since. His entire family is CATHOLIC CATHOLIC CATHOLIC and, you know, super against the church, but he comes every week on his own, and now is leaving for two years to serve the Lord in the Domincan Republic. He already is an AWESOME missionary. He has been helping us out with his friend and our investigator, Gabby (mentioned in previous emails and also pictured below).  Because his family is not excited the ward got together and had a great Farewell party for his friends and family members and not members. We even made him a stinkin´ sweet agenda for his first change in the mission field. Of coarse, its the sweetest agenda Ive ever made. We had a good time making it.

3. Gretel. I have a special place in my heart for Gretel. I don´t think I have talked about her in these last few weeks, so I will share her story now. A few weeks ago, Hermana Coburn and I were walking down a street that we walk down about 5 times a day, but this time a street I had never noticed before caught my attention. I looked very nice with houses that had cute little gardens outside. We were walking in a hurry, but we made mental notes to return to what we would later refer to as the ¨little old grandmas street¨ (on account of how cute little old grandmas have nice houses and cute gardens). The next day we had a lesson with a member present and then we were planning to go contact on that street. The member had told us that she would only be able to join us for the one appointment, but when the appointment ended, she said she could accompany us for a little more time. She tried to explain that we would be just knocking doors, and we doubted she would take us up on it, but suprisingly she did. We were super close to the ¨grandmas¨ street, so we crossed to road and started trying to see where the spirit was leading us. I became very suprised to realize that the street was not actually as nice as I remembered. It just had ONE house that was sweet and had a cute garden outside, when I thought there had been various. Well we decided to ¨upe¨ and see what happened. Gretel came out. We explain that we are missionaries for the church and we are here to share a message about Jesus Christ. She invites us in. We then go on to have an EXCELLENT 10 pts (How to begin teaching) lesson using my favorite video and long story story short, she begins crying telling us that she has been praying for God to send someone to help her come closer to him and accepts a baptismal date. Woooo!
So since that first day, its been a little hard to see Gretel, because come to find out, she is almost never at home. She is always on the run. But POR FIN this week we got to have, not one, but TWO lessons in with her! She was excited to come to church. Yesterday (sunday) morning I was a little worried because I told her we would stop by on the way to church to bring her with us. When we were calling her in the morning she wasn´t answering her phone (which, anyone who has served a mission can tell you isn´t a good sign) but we decided to go anyway. Usually, one of two things happen : 1- They make up some excuse in the doorway about how something came up or how they are sick out of the blue and dont come or 2- they are barely waking up and you have to wait about 30 minutes as they run around like crazy people trying to get ready for church. But as we get to the door, her husband is on his way out to a baseball game he is playing in (side note, they have baseball in costa rica? who knew?) and says she is on her way down. She was totally ready and excited for church. Also she loved it. With gretel I feel a special connection with her. I feel like she might have been one of the people I promised in the pre-earth life that I would find and bring to the gospel. I LOVE HER!

4.Yogeilan- She is still just SO great. I love her so stinkin much. This week was kind of hard for her because she had to change where she was living, and got in an ugly fight with some of her sisters (other investigators), but she has decided SI O SI that she will be baptized on the 9th!! When she told us that she started to cry she was so excited! AAAAH! She is the best! We are so excited for her! Basically we feel like she is our best friend. We laugh and cry and feel the spirit in her grummy gambeling place. Its, hysterical. Also, she has the hots for Said, which basically just makes our lives complete. I would LOVE if two of our converts got together.... okay.... so not important.... 

5. I love studying about the restoration, because its something I just SO didn´t understand before my mission. Like, AT ALL. And now my testimoney of it is so strong and I get so excited helping people understand it. My companion gave me this talk this talk and it just BLEW ME AWAY. Enjoy ;)

6. I thought I would let you know a good spiritual experience I had last week. In our district meeting Elder Hernandez talked about using inspired questions inspired questions, which is something i LOOOOOOOOVE. When it came time for the practice he decided that rather than doing a practice with a missionary pretending to be an investigator, that we would use inspired questions to get to know the missionary better and try and teach a principle according to the missionaries needs. I won´t lie. I was very skeptical to begin. We started first and shared something with Elder Hernandez and Elder Reed and I had thought that the practice was good. But then came their time to use inspired questions on us. It started out normal, talking about what we had learned on our missions and what hoped out of life. At some point the topic changed to Christlike attributes and both Hermana Coburn and I shared how the attributes that I feel like are my weaknesses are her stregths, and vis-versa.  To be honest, I can´t even remember what the inspired question was, but the spirit hit me so strong that it brought tears to my eyes.  The year before my mission was the hardest year of my life. I cried a lot and spent a lot of time miserable. But in that district meeting the spirit touched me and let me know that everything I went through that year was necessary and that it taught me how to become more like christ. Although I am no where near close, I learned so much that I would NEVER had been able to learn in any other way. My heart swelled with gratitude as I learned once again that my Heavenly Father knows me better that I know myself. He knows what I need to learn for my future and even when I am passing through hard times, its necessary for my own salvation.

7. Something I love that President Wilkinson has taught me recently is that the Lord wants us to learn principles so that we make right choice. Likewise, we should teach others (sisters in our zone, our companions, investigators, future or current children) correct principles and let them govern themselves. We can not force anyone to do anything.

I am excited to see this next week! I know its going to fly by! Tomorrow we have Leadership Council, and I will be giving my final testimony to many of my peers and favorite people. Then, Thursday we have another Zone meeting and before I know it I will be back at this computer!

Love you guys! Have a good week! 

Hermana Patterson