Hello Family and Friends! And Happy Birthday, USA!
On Saturday, I was missing the states and I knew that everyone back home was parade watching, firework igniting, BBQ feasting.. and I was in Costa Rica. Haha. But, our bishop's wife is so sweet! She gifted me a pin with the Costa Rican and American flags and American-decorated candies. I love her! I've been proudly wearing my pin since then. Also, we have the instrumental version of all of the hymns from the American hymn book on CD, so I played the patriotic hymns in our house almost every morning this week. :)
This week was full of many trials and blessings. We have been trying to do more ward activities to lift up the ward here and help others come. We did a "Fellowshipping Night" in a recent convert's home. It was so much fun! Several investigators, recent converts, and less-actives came. We shared a message about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and played fun games afterwards.
This week, we tried to put into practice what President Wilkinson taught us: that if we want to baptize more, we should work with the less-actives. There is a brother in our ward who started coming back to church on his own. We got to know him a little more and told us that he lives with his sister that is also a member. We visited them this week and met her and her children. They are all so great! His sister, M, has not been able to come to church to avoid problems with her husband who is a devout Catholic. We started teaching her son, N, and he came to church on Sunday with his uncle! It was pretty amazing. We tried to set up another appointment with him, but when we would say a certain day he would say, "Well, there's a church activity that day, right? I was going to go to that." We were happy to accommodate.
Another miracle we saw this week: J. He's an investigator we've been visiting for a while who is a less-active's friend. He's been coming to church and to activities, but we never saw him REALLY interested. Until this week, he came to an activity alone on Friday. Afterwards, we were walking back from the chapel with him and a few recent converts. They were joking around with him saying that it would be cool if he was baptized on his birthday. On Sunday he commented to us that he was really pondering about baptism and said that he feels the desire to do so. We were so surprised! We told him to pray and that we would pray for a specific date. We are so excited for him!
Well this is all for this week! I love you all! Read the scriptures! Focus on the miracles that the Lord gives us every day! They are always there!
Hermana Whitman