I'm a Tica!

Dear Family,

This week we had to go to San Jose or Cartago three times, it was awful! Because when we return we always feel tired or sick from the curves in the bus.  The trip to Turrialba is like an amusement ride...only not so amusing!

This week we had a lot of problems with our investigators and I just kept on thinking "I'm only 19!  How am I supposed to solve all of these crisis'?" A little lost about what to do I decided to read my notes about Captain Moroni and how to be a leader (an assignment from my mission president that he gave us).  The first thing I read was that he was called to be the captain of the entire army at age 25!  It was a light slap in the face from Heavenly Father I think :)

Wednesday Alejandro called us and said that he'd had a really bad day, but realized why and that we was going to be confirmed Sunday.  We were super happy and he was too...until he called us Friday during a weekly planning session and said that he wasn't going to be confirmed anymore because he wasn't going to live in Turrialba anymore and he had to work, etc., and that if we wanted to talk to him we had to go to his house right then.  Frustrated we dropped what we were doing to visit him.  His reasons for not coming to church were good excuses, but they were still excuses.  And well, I got so frustrated with him that I started crying and yelling at him at the same time!  Okay, I wasn't exactly yelling, only practically.  After five minutes of pounding him with my words I turned to my companion and said "Do you have anything to say?  No?  Okay then we share this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.  Hermana Gretel can you  offer the prayer?"  And then we booked it out of there!

I also said things like "I didn't waste four months of my mission for you not to be confirmed" and "If you don't get confirmed you won't enter the kingdom of God!"  It was pretty bad.  He called us yesterday and apologized for his attitude, I apologized too, but I don't really feel bad for what I did.  I was so frustrated with him!  But that's why I still have a year left on my mission, to learn to have more Christlike attributes.  Obviously I'm still working on having patience.

Other quick things that happened:

• We had five investigators in church.  Yay!
• We have a new investigator that keeps breaking out in religious songs when we teach him.
• I received my cedula!  I'm a Tica!
• Gretel's mom is going to be baptized this coming Sunday!  She used to be Evangelist?  Evangelica, and even though we've taught her how to pray correctly she still bursts out with "Sí Señor, Sí!  Bendicelo Señor, Bendicelo!" during  all our prayes, including the ones said during sacrament meeting!

One thing I love is about my life is that more and more often my companion and I are speaking with the Spirit and in unity.  The feelings I get when the Spirit is testifying through me are amazing!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!!!!!!!!! I love you, love you, love you!  Thank you for EVERYTHING!

Hermana Bratt

My Companion...well she's trying to cook panqueques!

Soy Tica!