July 18, 2016 - finding the people who need the gospel right now

Hi everyone!!!

It was a great week. And I don´t really know why...but I´m just feeling super happy today! I love being a missionary. 

Victor got baptized on Saturday!!!! It was so wonderful. He has such a great testimony of the Book of Mormon, and he knows so much!! He always answers all the questions in gospel principles haha. And he is such a fun guy. We are hoping that he goes on a mission in a year!! Because he would be an incredible missionary. I´ve loved seeing how excited he is about learning more about the gospel and the Book of Mormon and everything. I love the people that I am meeting here. 

Victor and his family - they are wonderful people.

Also...yesterday was just really a day of miracles! So we´ve been contacting lots and lots of different people. And I am terrible at remembering who people are. I write their names in my agenda....but I never know who they are haha. So we just have a list of numbers and people and have to call to figure out who they are! Anyway, we had talked to two couples this week...Kony and Javier, and Judith and Andres.Judith and Adres were super great. They said they wanted us to visit them on Sunday, and were interested in going to church on Sunday too. So we called what we thought was them...but we called instead Kony and Javier cuz we didn´t remember their names haha! So we were walking around outside their house and Kony said she was outside their house looking for us too...and like 10 minutes later we totally realized we had messed up with the people and had to run where Kony was! And Kony and Javier had been a different contact, where Javier immediately said that we adore Joseph Smith and he wants nothing to do with a church. But we bore our testimony to them, and Kony said she wanted to learn more! But that we waited til Javier was gone during the week to visit. But...it was actually super good that we messed up and called them instead and visited them on Sunday. Because it was a wonderful lesson. Javier said that they had been talking during the week about us, and the church..he mentioned polygamy and everything and doubts..but even knowing all that, he said that he wants her to learn for herself, he wanted her to have a Book of Mormon, and she said she would like to be baptized, but needs to learn everything. And her 10 year old grandson was there, and he loved everything, and in the closing prayer, he said, thanks for sending these girls for teaching about this religion, because I didn´t know anything about it, and I like it, and I want to be baptized...it was great. And we invited them to church, but she says she works Sunday mornings...but that she is willing to leave her work if she learns more and she likes it. And no one ever says that!!! So we are super grateful that we called the wrong couple because we honestly weren´t going to go with Javier and Kony for a long time, because he had a lot of doubts! But the Lord knows where we were supposed to go. And now tonight we´re going with the other couple, so we´re excited to see how that goes too! :)  

Also, last night we had an activity with the ward to go look all the pepole from the SIMI...I don´t know what that is called in English..but the list where all the all the members all, all the inactives from years and years. So we went and looked for people with the whole zone, and we got back to where we work like at 8, and a member had cooked dinner and was waiting for us.... But we did not want to end the day with only one lesson..... so we decided we had to at least enter another house to sing a hymn and say a prayer before we ate with the member. And we passed a house, where there were like 6 people outside and we kept walking.... but then the two of us felt like we had to go back, so we talked to them. And it turns out, that there, the dad of the family had died this last week, and he had a restaurant, and the missionaries before had eaten there, so they said yes!! and we go inside ... and there are like 30 people there!!! all the family members. And we sang and prayed and testified, and we´re going back tomorrow to teach more of the plan of Salvation. And it was such a neat experience, knowing that if we want to work, and we listen to the Spirit, we really can find people who need the gospel right now. 

And yeah! Sister Ascencio and I are just really happy and grateful for the little miracles we´re seeing. We´re hoping to see more, and see more people be able to make it to church, and really find joy in the gospel like we have.

 

And I love you all!! Have a great week!

Love, Hermana Moon 

​I LOVE FRUIT 

we just eat fruit all the time because we don´t have someone who cooks us lunch 

and we have a big fridge here... first time in the mission!! it´s like heaven 

Other notes from an email she sent:  things about my new area that are great. 

1. sunsets. I never saw a single sunset in my other areas 

2. the lady who owns the house is so cute and always stays up at night to make sure we get home good

3. well this isn´t great. but McDonalds is two minutes from my house. SO WEIRD coming from Guacimo where the closest fast food was like.... 2 hours away haha

July 11, 2016 - miracles in finding people

Hi family! :) 

It was a really fast week. Mostly...we've been trying to find new people! Haha, we find people, and then they us the next lesson they don't really want to change churches. But, it's okay, because we just keep talking to more and more people!! and we know that the people who are ready and waiting for the gospel will come, if we're willing to work and find them! 

And, honestly, we've seen miracles in finding people! We were just walking, and we felt like we should say hi to this girl who is like 25 who was walking in the street, so we did, and she was like, hey! Will you guys come to my house and visit me? and we're like...yes of course!! And we invited her to baptism, and she understands super super well, and really wants to do it. She couldn't go to church yesterday, but we're hopeful for next week! Also, a couple weeks ago in the bus Sister Ascencio sat next to a girl and she helped us find where we were going, and then on Saturday we saw her again in a different bus! So basically a sign from God that we need to visit with her. :)  and she says she is Catholic, and was in a Catholic nun high school and everything, but recently decided that she wants to go to a Christian church. So we invited her to church, and couldn't come yesterday...but said that next week, yes! So we're really honestly seeing miracles by being willing to open our mouth and just speak with the people around us. And we're just trying to have more faith and be happy and just love the area :) 

And the best part of last week...was going to the temple!!!! The ward in Guacimo went on Saturday, and Javier and Ivannia went for the first time so we had permission to go. And oh man. It was so wonderful to see my best friends again. I love the people of Guacimo so, so much. And it was so fun to just be able to see Ivannia, and talk to her again like we had always done in Guacimo!!! And I felt such joy seeing them in the temple, so happy and just such a beautiful family :) Honestly, every sacrifice of being a missionary is worth it seeing converts who just love the gospel and who have really decided to change their lives through the gospel of Christ. And, haha, it was super hard saying bye to them, because I don't know when the next time I see them will be. But it's okay. Now I'm motivated to find and teach and love people in Moravia as much as I did in Guacimo. 

And, another part I loved about going to the temple...it was the first time I've gone to the templ

​e with​

 having to 

​travel

 through San Jose. And it was so cool seeing members from different parts of Costa Rica taking the bus to all go to the temple early Saturday morning. I love the Saints of Costa Rica, and their faith and their testimonies. They're such wonderful people. And I love the gospel. I love the temple, and I know that it really is the House of God. Also, I love my Savior Jesus Christ, and I am so grateful for his Atonement.....that we can change and repent every day, to try to be a little better. And I have so so much work to do, to be the missionary that I know I should be, and the person that I should be....but I'm glad that Christ loves us so much and gives us this opportunity to learn and grow every day. And yeah. I'm glad to be a missionary, and I'm glad for the challenges because they help us be humble and rely more on the Lord. 

And, I love you all so much!!! And miss you all. And I hope you have a wonderful week! 

Love, Hermana Moon 

​She got to see her friends!!!​

​

Her new companion is the one in green.​

July 4, 2016 - wearing red, white, and blue

Hi family!!

It's been a great week! We've just mostly talking to everyone that we see and finding new investigators...but we've seen lots of miracles with that! We found a family that 13 years ago listened to the sister missionaires and had gone to church and still has pictures of the missionaires, and the temple...and they're super willing to listen! They had just stopped because the dad is a panadero and had to make bread always on Sundays. but now he doesn't! So we're excited to go again with them this week! Also we've knocked on lots of doors and the people say that normally they wouldn't open, but this day they felt like they should...and we have lots of spiritual lessons and they're really great people! So it's been a good week. :) 

And, we had a super great experience with our investigator, Victor. He's 24, and moved here from Nicaragua like in May to live with his family, who are members. The missionaries started teaching him in May, and he was going to get baptized a couple weeks ago...but he had said he wasn't ready. He wanted to be baptized, but just didn't feel like it was time yet. And he hadn't really read the Book of Mormon. So when I first met him, we challenged him to read the Book of Mormon every day, and he said yes, and then when we went with him 5 days later, he had read up to 1 Nephi 12, and he keeps reading and reading!!! And the next time we went with him, he said that now felt like he was ready. And yesterday in Gospel Principles, the lesson was about the scriptures, and he bore his testimony and said that reading the  Book of Mormon every day was what made him feel ready to make this decision. So we're so excited for him!!!! He is really such an awesome, happy guy. He won't be baptized this weekend, because he wants his uncle to baptize him, but the next. :) I know that the Book of Mormon really is such a key in conversion of the people. 

And...yeah! Everything is great. It's still really cold...but I"m getting more used to it haha. and I sure love my companion. She's the best. I've had so much luck with amazing companions my whole mission.  And we're meeting more ward members, and they're all super good...and just want to feed us a lot haha. 

And, oh, yeah, Happy Fourth of July!!!! I love America. We're celebrating by.....going to the office to get a more lesson 1 pamphlets because we've given all them out by finding lots of news! And wearing red white and blue. But... people also can think I'm just celebrating Costa Rica with those colors. But it's okay. the two countries are great. 

Anyway, love you all so much!! Have such a great week! :) 

Love, Hermana Moon 

June 27, 2016 - be like Nephi, not like Laman

Hi everyone!!

So last week I left Guacimo. Man. Those were honestly the best seven months of my life. I love Guacimo so much I´ll probably name my first son Guacimo. it´s a cute name, right?;) No, but really Guacimo changed my life. I enjoyed every single day, so much. I fell in love with the people there, with the little city, with the dirt roads and humidity and my companions and the ward and the plants and the animals haha. And I saw so so many miracles there. I learned so much about God´s love there, and saw His hand so much. But....it was time to leave. When they told me on Friday I cried so much. And then Saturday and Sunday....I was totally fine! Haha I didn´t even cry when I had to give my testimony in church. But then Monday, I sure cried. my poor companion.  Haha someday I hope changes aren´t hard for me! But it´s okay. I hope soon I´ll be able to see my friends again. :)

And then I came..to Moravia!!!! And I feel like I¨m in a different country haha. Moravia is really close to San Jose, the capital. A lot a lot of houses and businesses and cars and people!! And therés hundreds of restaraunts instead of the two that were in Guacimo. And riding buses. And real streets. and haha it´s so weird coming from Guacimo, where I felt like I had talked to everyone and everyone knew me... to here where I´ll pass a person on the street and it´s likely that I´ll never see them again because it´s SO BIG here. And therés so many people. And here is really cold. Haha...I´m sleeping with six blankets. I had forgotten what it was like to feel cold..... but it´s okay. It´ll make it easier when it´s time to come home. 

And my companion is Hermana Asencio! She is from El Salvador and I love her a lot. :) She eats fast, walks fast, and likes to sing songs in English so we get along great. She has four months on the mission, and we´re really ready to work hard and be obedient and see miracles. Right now...we don´t really have investigators, because there were some problems before in the area , and the hermanas had been working in areas that belonged to the elders.... but it´s okay! We´re ready to work hard and knock doors and talk to everyone. :) Moravia really is a great ward, with so many super strong members,and they´re working on splitting the ward, so we´re excited to see growth here.

And, the Lord really has shown tender mercies even though this week has honestly been kind of hard. I finished the Book of Mormon my last week of Guacimo, and I had started again...and I felt bad, but I just wasn´t really too motivated to start again! Because I don´t know how many times in my life I´ve read 1 Nephi haha. But honestly...it has been such a tender mercy to be reading 1 Nephi right now!!!! Because it comletely relates to my life. Because Laman and Lemuel just complained when they had to leave their house, and then complained again in the desert, and complained again when they had to return to Jerusalem....and I realized that I was totally being like Laman and Lemuel with the changes. And...I don´t want to be like them!! So I decided that I´m going to be like Nephi, and do what the Lord commands. And, these next few weeks might be kind of hard as we get used to things, and find new people, and get used to the ward...but I know that the Lord has sent me here, that He always helps complete what He has commanded us to do. and that this really is His work. :) And that there are lots of prepared people here. I just really want to do the Lord´s will, my whole life. And so I will talk to people, and have lots of faith, and do the work He wants me to do here. And not be like Laman. :) 

Also...pray lots for President Hayes!!! He had to head home for some medical tests. And while he´s gone....Sister Hayes put me in charge of the pants. haha. Because in Centroamerica, the prophet has said we have to use pants. And since I¨m not STL here in the new zone because there´s already one here, Sister Hayes says she wants me to make sure that the STL gets pants for all the sisters in the mission. Hahaha I laughed so hard when she told me....cuz I was probably the sister most against using pants!!! But it´s okay. Cuz we´ll follow the prophet and be safe. And use pants. 

But yeah!! sorry this is long and not too well organized. I had lots and lots of thoughts this week. But yeah. I know that Christ lives, and that He loves us, and He really listens to our prayers and helps us when we´re feeling lost and alone, and I´ve really felt Hislove this week, lots of answers to prayers, and miracles and promptings. And I know the Church is true. And I¨m so grateful for all the experiences we havein life to help us learn and grow. And yeah. Love you all too!!!

Love, Hermana Moon

(STL = Sister Training Leader = Female Zone Leader)

June 13, 2016 - Saturday was a special day!

Hello!!

Saturday was such a special day! It was beautiful and rainy and cool and Javier and Ivania got married!! And it was so beautiful. And President Hayes and Sister Hayes came, and then they got baptized!!! I am so so grateful for all the miracles and the work of the Lord in this family. And I know for sure that in a year when they get sealed I'm coming back. So put it on the calendar Mom ;) But really I sure love them a lot, and I wish you could all know them!

and also..well...haha mostly we've just been looking for new investigators! But we've decided we're going to stop working where we've worked for the last...almost seven months haha. It's been funny, every time the elders try contacting people there, everyone says, öh, a Gringa and a short latina talked to us last week,"or, ÿeah, they've already talked to us, they came and shared something last week."haha they all joke that my mission call didn't say Costa Rica San Jose Este....it said Costa Rica, neighborhoods Geranios and Naranjos...because I"ve seriously only worked there for the last seven months. But yesterday, we decided to take a bus for a half hour and work in a new area, and we went with a wonderful family!! A friend of a member who years ago always went to church, but never got baptized because her husband didn't want anything. but we went with him, and he said that for the last couple weeks he's been thinking a lot about the church, and said that now he's interested, and we were able to put a baptismal date! So we're really hopeful with them. And hopefully we can find lots of other great people. :) 

And yeah. Everything is great! Love you all and miss you all so much!!! 

Love, Hermana Moon :) 

baptism of a beautiful family!

making tamales earlier in the month

wedding of beautiful couple before baptism

June 6, 2016 - we went to the beach!

Hi!

It was a good week! Super fast. And I don't really remember what happened. But it was good! And sorry this email will be super lame because we don't have very much time today...because we went to the beach!! It was so pretty. I don't really have words to explain how perfect it is there! And I feel bad because I'm terrible at taking pictures so .... the pictures can't really explain it either haha. But anyway.....we live in such a beautiful world!! 

And the best part of this week...Javier and Ivannia and Cristy and Dilam had their interviews yesterday, and Javier and Ivannia will be getting married, and all of them will be getting baptized on Saturday!! So I hope time flies this week too. We are so excited and so so happy for them and so grateful for all the miracles we've seen with this family! 

But yeah. I hope all is well, and I love you all so much! :)

Love, Hermana Moon

hi mom! we went to the beach!

I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world Heavenly Father created for me!

district

zone

I was so so so excited to see monkeys but then....they were actually terrifying!! Hermana Zerilli gave a pretzel to one of them and then I wanted the rest...because I haven't eaten pretzels for a year!! but then it kept staring at us, and following us, and then it charged after us for the pretzels! So I had to throw the bag and we had to run. Then they just kept stealing food from everyone!

May 30, 2016 - 12 Things I've Learned in 12 Months as a Missionary

volcano

Hey everyone! :) 

So this week I finished one year as a missionary! And it feels the same haha. But, anyway, we celebrated by painting rocks and eating papaya, so it was a good day. I've been thinking about the last 12 months of my life, so....here's some things I've learned! 

12 Things I've Learned in 12 Months as a Missionary: 

1. God is our Loving Heavenly Father. I"ve felt so much closer to my Heavenly Father in this time, and felt His love so much, and seen His love for the people here, and His tender mercies. 

2. The Gospel Blesses Families. There is such a difference in a family who lives the gospel principles, who prayers together and reads together and goes to church, than the families who don't. And that's why we really have the gospel...so we can achieve happiness as families in this life, and be able to be with them throughout eternity. God has such a beautiful plan for all His children!

3. Heavenly Father Reveals His gospel in Every Dispensation....haha well yeah. I've studied and understood more that. but that's not something I've really learned haha 

3. Hair grows. But sometimes really really slowly. so be really really careful before chopping off a lot of hair

4. It's completely fine to eat rice and beans for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And it actually is enjoyable...now if I don't eat rice for a day I feel like something  is really missing in my life

5. Also, it's totally normal to eat rice and beans with spaghetti. or with potatoes. And eating all three together is super normal too. who needs vegetables....

6. The people of Costa Rica are so wonderful!! I have felt so, so much love from people that I've only known for a few months, or even just days. I love Ticos. They're pretty pura vida. 

7. Sloths are the cutest animals. And lizards are a close second. 

lizard

8. The Church is true!!! and it's growing. Hearts of people are being prepared every day, and the Lord literally puts people in our path. The field truly is white, and ready to harvest. 

9. It feels like Christmas every time we get the new Liahona every month,  

10. Spanish. well. mas o menos. I sure try at least!;) 

11. People have their agency. And sometimes they use it in not the best of ways. And it can be really, really hard to realize that. The hardest part of the mission isn't leaving your family, or learning a new language. It's heartbreaking when people you love say that they're not coming to go back to the church, that they don't want to hear more about the gospel. This week that happened with Marvin and Marcela....and it was really, really sad. But it's okay. Because I have faith that one day two missionaries will knock on their door and this time they'll accept! I know that the time is different for every person, every family. 

12. And...people have their agency! and lots of times they use it to make wonderful decisions!! :) And there is so, so much joy in seeing people change their lives, feel the Spirit, receive answers to their prayers. The First Presidency Message at the beginning of Preach My Gospel says, "More happiness awaits you than you have ever experienced as you labor among His children." And, a year ago, I didn't understand that statement at all, and I don't know if I really believed in it! But now I know. There is so much joy in sharing the gospel. And I have been happier this year than ever in my life. I know that this is the work of the Lord, that the gospel brings so much happiness to our lives. and I am so so grateful for the choice I made in serving a mission. It's changed my life, and I have felt so much joy and love for my Heavenly Father and His children. 

And....yeah! sorry the list is kinda random I don't really have time to write it well haha. but yeah. things really are great here. And I hope everyone has a wonderful week!! :) 

Love, Hermana Moon!