Tuesday, May 26, 2015

New People! New Experiences!

Dear Family

I realized this week that when I decided to serve a mission I didn't have ANY idea what I was getting myself into.  It's hard sometimes, to be so accountable to the Lord.  One leaves high school where your biggest worry is if you are popular, or if you can get good grades, to a different country, where your worries suddenly quadruplify and become worries about the salvation and happiness of the people around you.  One has to grow up fast here!

I don't know how our Heavenly Father copes with agency.  This week we had two investigators, Nicole and Monserat, who had their baptism interviews and were ready to be baptized this Thursday. However when we passed by Sunday morning they told us they didn't want to come to church this week, as their grandmother, Beatriz, couldn't accompany them.  We tried to do everything possible to have them come, but nothing worked.  I wanted so much to shakle them with chains and drag them along.  It hard when people you love use their agency to choose something other than the Lord.
This week we found 25 new investigators, 13 of the yesterday. That was awesome!
One couple, Evelynn and Johnny, we walked past in the park and my companion paused to talk to them.  Evelynn seems really open and told us that she's seen our church and wanted to attend it before, she also told us that when we meet again she is going to bring two friends along with her. she and her boyfriend accepted a baptism date for the 4 of July.  They have to get married first, but they are really awesome!
Another person we found is Elisanias (or something like that).  He is the buisness partner of Nolasco, who is the first counselor in the branch presidency.  He told us that after 5 years Nolasco never had invited him to church, so we invited him and he came to church Sunday.
We also found another family that is REALLLLY interesting.  The wife, Yirlani is really quiet and her husband in the lesson wouldn't stop talking.  He told us that we have to be very frank and ask direct questions.  He also commanded us to "convince him of the truth".  They have four cute kids though, and gave us some yummy food.
About a month ago we started teaching 4 people that were related.  (Mom, son, cousin, and cousin in law).  The son, Amet, said he was a member, but yesterday we looke dup his records and couldn't find anything. We can only meet with them once a week.  When we do our lessons are always really great, and they are the perfect investigators during the lessons, asking awesome questions, accepting with only a few doubts what we say.  However they never keep committments  Every time we come by to visit more of Amet's family is there.  Yesterday we were teaching his extended family and friends, and they totaled about 10 people.  This week is district conference for Guanacaste.  The church is going to bus us to Liberia free, so we are hoping that they will join us.  They seemed really interested in coming.
Well, I'm sure I'm forgetting a lot of things, but I've got to go.  Love you all!!!!!! (Sorry, there aren't pictures this week, my computer con't send them)
Hermana Bratt

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