Una Vida Linda en Costa Rica: FELIZ NAVIDAD!

Dear Family,

First off Feliz Navidad! And secondly, they are splitting the mission! Next June/July Costa Rica is going to be 2 missions! We are all super excited, and I'm going to be here to see it! President Wilkinson said that a member of the Twelve is going to reassigning each missionary personally to Costa Rica East or Costa Rica West mission. OOOSH (That's what we say here when something awesome or cool happens)

Well I mailed mom already about this, but I'm going to call home TOMORROW at 12 pm my time. I hope that works for you all. I'll be using Skype.

I received your tape yesterday. It was fun to listen to it, although EVERYONE had very deep voices and you all sounded like strangers. The only one that sounded normal was Kash because is voice is so high.

Well, this week in Sacrement Meeting Axel was confirmed. We have 3 baptisms planned next week. Maryori, Britani, and Diana. Maryori and Britani are family. Britani is 9 years old and is so so special. She is so sweet and good. She's had to go through a ton with her mom and so she is really mature for her age. When Elder Sub, our district leader talked to her Saturday he started crying! This Saturday we had our ward Christmas party and during it Britani said that nothing, nothing, nothing, was going to stop her from coming to church the next day. Sunday morning Britani, her mom, and her grandma had to move houses early in the morning, but they made it to church!

Right now are trying to concentrate a lot on the Mom of our recent convert Axel. She's Evangelical/Cristiana and likes her church so doesn't want to leave it, but we know she's been prepared by the Lord. We feel like we are in a tug-o-war with Satan over her, because one day are lesson is so great and the Spirit is testifying so much and the next lessons Lin is against everything we are saying. But I know she's going to be baptized someday. I just hope it's before I leave Turrialba.

Another miracle we had this week is that we received a referral from a soon to be missionary, Justin. The referral was a family that lives behind Justin's house, Luis, who was inactive and his wife Evelyn. One day Justin went to tell them about his mission call (to Guatemala) and then started talking about the church. Last week we showed up to their house and Justin had already taught them almost all five lessons. We didn't know what to say the whole lesson! Evelyn is excited to be baptized and marry in the temple, but she has to divorce and marry first so it's going to be about 3 months before she can be baptized. We entered their house and Evelyn had a bunch of LDS pictures up on her wall. She's had a super rough life but already knows the gospel is true and we haven't even taught her anything! She can't go to church this month because of work, but starting next month she's worked it out that she'll always be able to go to church. It's amazing how the Lord has prepared his children to receive the gospel.

We had 10 lessons one day this week! We were super happy. Although a few of the lessons were short because we were showing the video of He is the Gift. If you haven't seen it go to LDS.org and watch it. It's great.

This week I've learned how important it is to demonstrate love to your investigators. One of our investigators, Marjorie, has a few problems emotionally and wasn't progressing much, but one day we were teaching the lesson and in the middle of it I just stopped, got up, and went and hugged her for five minutes, speaking softly about Jesus Christ and the Atonement. She has improved so much since then and is really changing her life around, albeit slowly, in order to be baptized. There are so many people in this world that don't feel like they are special in any way. But if we can show them how special they are then we unlock the door of eternal life for them. After that all they have to do is push it open!

I'll end with this scripture: Moroni 9:25

"My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever."

I know that there are always disappointments in the mission and in life, but Christ can lift us up if we are faithful in Him. That He must rest in our minds forever!

Hasta mañana,

Hermana Bratt