Week 10

 A note from Mom:

Dear Elder also will send e-mails free of charge through LDS pouch mail, just go to dearelder.com and select San Jose Costa Rica in the scroll down menu, submission deadline- 12PM each Sunday. Thanks for all your support!  -Serena

   

My Most Darling Family....

I’ve been in Costa Rica for 1 month!!!!! woooo how crazy loco is that??

Oh by the way momma I got the dear elder this week. On Thursday the 31st, it might have come earlier but that was when my zone leader could get it to me, so probably dear elder is faster.

So as you’re all aware, yesterday was fast Sunday. My third fast Sunday to be exact (I only have 15 left!! how wacky is that? when you count by fast Sundays the time literally flies). And I wanted to tell you all about an experience that happened yesterday. So right now I have a branch of about 130 but only about 65 are active. I learned something yesterday that was pretty powerful for me. 

The first week I was here I loved the members because they were members. of the church

The second week I loved them because that’s what I’m suppose to do

The third week I loved them because they fed me.

But this week was different. This week I loved them because when I stood up to bear my testimony and looked out over our little congregation, I knew them. I saw their faces and I knew their names. I knew their families and where they lived. Their faces shone out to me like little light beams! I didn’t know all of them, but there were certain ones who just beamed at me and I loved them because I KNEW them! It was a very touching experience for me and one I’m not likely to forget for a long time.

Like I said I think of you fam a whole lot. As I think of and miss you I find people here that remind me very much of you, costa rican twins if you will. This week I found more of my family here!

Grandpa Baines I found you! your  twin is Hermana Miguel aguilar. He is a long time member of the church. His hair is very much like yours and he is always very calm and patient with me like you always have been. He also always has an interesting thought provoking gospel related fact to share with me! He’s very sweet, but can never replace my own grandpa. 

Grandma Baines I also found you! Hermana Carmen chacon. She is my neighbor\ landlady. She’s super fragile and has the cutest little voice just like you and is beautifully petite and gentle! And her house, wow grandma your houses are twins. She has all kinds of fun gadgets and antiques through out her house. It’s so much like yours except her stuff all has a bit of nativeish twist to it. 

Jesse! Dear Jesse I have found your twin in my own lovely companion. She is so much like you in many ways. To be honest it’s a great comfort at times cause I can just sort of pretend like its you. She has the same sense of humor and laughs exactly like you! We get a long really well because of this. She’s 25 so you guys are pretty close in age too. She also likes to twist her hair up in that twisty thing with a pen. She is very, very obedient and just the slightest bit stubborn like you :) ha-ha. You can usually find us laughing or singing, because we both love to sing! (But shhhhh your voice is better!). Were also both always hungry, so that usually works out well... We get along really well accept that their are times that she makes me do things I really really don’t want to. Oh perfect example!!

The other day we had to break up with our cook.. And you know who did it.. Yep, me! Hermana bojorque was very near insistent that I do it. Oh I could have died! ... But, now we get to have lunch in the house! Oh what a magnificent blessing is this. (p.s. mommy, thank you thank you for all eternity for teaching me to cook. seriously, this has been one of the greatest blessings of my mission.) I make a lot of the same things I made at home here... omelets, sandwiches, salads, pancakes (p.s. kammie! I need your banana pancake recipe stat!). Swedish pancakes etc. I also eat a ton of avocados because I want to have hair like the natives here ha-ha. Were going to eat a lot healthier now that we make our own lunches.

So here are a couple mission stories from this week. We saw a lot of miracles!

1. This week we taught an elderly gentleman named Manuel Antonio. He was very receptive and at the end of the lesson I extended a commitment to be baptized. He looked at me for a long time then said yes. He repeated the date (august 24th( over and over again. and said yes, yes that’ll do. no questions, no doubts, no holding back. he just accepted! he is like an investigator from the celestial kingdom!

2. Were teaching a 14 year old named kenzi. She lives with her family who is mostly members but are inactive. She also accepted a fecha (baptism date) but the real miracle was that she read the pamphlet we asked her to, all the way through! It is so so easy and clear to teach people who do their homework! We were able to explain everything from lesson one and answer all her questions in half an hour because she had done her part. Oh I love when investigators do their homework!!

3. This is a huge miracle! Yesterday our neighbor (grandmas twin) brought a friend with her to church. She sat through the first 2 hours and after that came up to me and my companion and said "I want to be baptized. Will you baptize me? How’s the 24th??? Can I be baptized then, or maybe earlier?".... Uhhhhhh yes! ha-ha out investigator put her own fecha! If that aint one of a kind. The Lord has obviously been preparing her for a long time. Oh and p.s. her name is Lillian.

As you can probably tell I've been thinking about my family this week and how blessed I am to have always had them in my life. When I was rather little my mom was inspired to write us a family covenant. It is beautiful and truly inspired of the spirit. Mommy, for you....

Convenio Familiar: 

Prometemos ser fieles unos a otros. A ser tolerantes a nuestras diferencias y a perdonar nuestras debilidades. Seremos humilde y tratamos todas personas con carino. Honraremos nuestros padres y obedeceremos a ellos en el Senor. Nuestra Familia sera eterna a medida que establezcamos las relaciones dentro de los lazos de caridad, el amor puro de Cristo.

Los Kugaths estamos en forma, alfabetizados, considerados, no dimitimos y matenemos el espiritu.

I've also been pondering what kind of missionary I'm going to be and so, like the 2000 warriors, having learned from the faith of my parents I've written this covenant to stand as a statement and witness of Hermana Kugath's Mission.

Convenio Missional:

 I now covenant to be loyal to the names I bear (Kugath, Jesus Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) and the sacred responsibility of my calling. I will be an effective instrument in the hands of the Lord as I am tolerant of others differences and forgiving of weaknesses, including my own. I will be a humble, obedient example and will treat everyone with kindness. I will honor my mission president and obey him in the Lord. I will be a good missionary, companion and friend as I focus my thoughts and efforts in the needs of my brothers and sisters. I will baptize and retain as I fortify within others the everlasting principles of the gospel, establish relationships of service and charity with those around me, and strive to fulfill my purpose "to invite others to come unto Christ". 

As a representative of Jesus Christ and A servant of the Lord, Hermana Kugath is Fir, Literate, Considerate, Doesn’t quit and Always keeps the Spirit.

I pray that all is well at home and all over the world with all of you my loved ones! I miss you and I sincerely pray for your well being and happiness. Todo bien aqui in Costa Rica!

All My Love,

Hermana Kugath