November 28, 2016 - her umbrella and shoes know she's been out longer than 18 months now

Hi family!!

This week was so, so wonderful. We just worked a lot, and felt so happy. And, we've seen a lot of members get super excited in the work, and wanting to leave with us, and it's just been super fun. 

One of my favorite parts of this week was with an investigator named Julio Cesar. We just knocked on his door, sang a hymn, and explained things like 2 weeks ago. And we have passed by a few times but never gone to talk to him, because he's always had people over. But we passed one day, and a little boy comes running after us, and says, hey come back!! And Julio said that hymn we sang has been in his head for weeks, and he wanted the boys he was with to hear it. And he is like a 55 year old man, who just hangs out with all the teenage boys in the neighborhood, so they're not in the street doing drugs and bad things. And said he's going to talk to all the moms of them so they can all go to church on Sunday!!! I just met him... but I think he's one of the greatest people I've met in all my time here. 

Also, SUCH GOOD NEWS!!! Hazel and Ariel came back to church yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!! They were the ones who had some problems with  members, and stopped coming for like .... I don't know, almost 2 months!! but we've been visiting them, and they came again!!! And always they go in like street clothes, but they came in a white shirt and a dress!!!! I was so so excited when I saw them walking down the street coming. And we've been able to teach Ariel a lot more, because before we hardly could, and we explained on Thursday the Book of Mormon, and by Sunday he'd read up to 1 Nephi 9 and had a lot of questions!! So we're so so happy that they knew it was the right thing to come back. Hazel has such a strong testimony that it's the true church.

And also, it was neat, Jessica, the girl we met last week, read up to Alma in a week!! And had lots of really really great questions. And we invited them to church, and said maybe...... But Sunday she said that her parents didn't give her permission because they're very evangelicos. But she said she's going to keep asking permission this week!! She said she woke up at 8 and thought about escaping haha. And we know that's not right, we told her just keep praying that her parents give her permission haha. But it's been neat seeing how when we met her, she said she didn't want anything to do with a Church and wasn't sure if God existed.... but now that she has so much desires to keep learning. 

And yeah. lots of other great things 

Love you all!! Have a great week!!

These aren't the only shoes and umbrella to wear out, just the latest.  Just in time.

Her crocs and umbrella know the 18 months are up (yesterday was her 18 month date). She says she's carefully rationing contact solution and shampoo and everything.

Quick note: there was a hurricane in Costa Rica last week, but Kiana's area was not affected.  She said that the day it hit was the only day she's seen sun in the last month.