Oro- Tina ( pot of gold)

Hello hello!!

Thank you all for you letters! I love Mondays so much because I get to hear from you guys :)  Well, we have transfers THIS week..... We will see what happens.  Hermana Starks training will end... and I have been here 6 months... I have my ideas of what will happen.  But we'll see! I talked to a sister the other week that was in an area for 7 1-2 months! So...  Until next Monday on that topic!  Stay tuned. 

Here are some fun happenings for the week-

1.  Well the marriage date is set for Zillah and Oscar!!! Whoohoo!!  August 17 at 5:00.  How exciting is that?? And they got their rings last week :) Im so happy for them! The baptism will be directly after the ceremony!

2.  So Hermana Starke and I have wanted pizza for like... weeks.  So one night we got one for dinner... then we had an appointment at a members house after... Guess what? They had pizza for us.  Its just our luck, we never get pizza!  But... even more than that- it was such a wonderful night! They had invited some friends over, and we had brought some members with us.  We ended up having a WONDERFUL lesson about the plan of salvation, specifically what is going to happen after this life.  We were all able to learn and talk together.  And we have a return appointment with the friend :)

3. Noni.... this nasty potato like fruit that drops right and left in the streets of Costa Rica... I still cant figure out why the juice is so stinking expensive in the states.

4.  My testimony has really grown in the fact that we need to have faith in the small things for our testimonies to grow.  We get so many investigators.. and well people in general that want to know all of the detail details... its so important that our testimonies have a foundation... and then we can learn and grow... and place our trust that God loves us and that His plan for us is perfect... and that all will be just and fair in its time.

5.  Wonderful Miricle! I think I might have wrote about this a little last week- But ALL of Ingris children came to church last week- and they enjoyed it.  Well this sunday they were all dressed and ready with the picture they had colored of the missionaries in hands!!  AND on top of that... they all stayed theee whole time! And kiara and Tati went to Young Womens!! And enjoyed it!  They all came to a group night that we had later that sunday- and when Ingri left they asked if they could stay longer... so we walked the girls home.  Such a miricle! It was so hard for Ingri to get to church when None of the children would go.  So happy!

6.  Ingri is one of my heros! She has 5 kids of her own... and pretty much takes care of the other 6 that live in the same house.... Her house consists of dirt floors and a bunk bed... and she is so incredibly happy.  She dedicated her life to serving her children, and is such an example! 

7.  There is a man that lives in San Matteo.... (Hopefully I havnet told you about it)  Every time we walk past his house he comes out knowing that we have to walk back past his house again.  He has a loud preacher voice and always a Bible in hand... His eyes are red... and really dont have another color int he center... when he stretches his fingers they bend backwards... and yet he looked strangely familiar to me...... Hermana Starke nailed it one night when we were laying in bed.... the GRINCH!!!! hahaha he seriously looks like him!  We have lovely adventures with him... It usually consists of some verses in the bible, and him telling us abou the visions that he has had over what neighbors and being unfaithful and the pastors as well....   Ohhh the life we live.

Well between bank lines, and lightning storms we are doing pretty well here.  We are working A TON with the members in my rama (branch) as well as some investigators.  We are really trying to strengthen the branch... so that new ones can come, and be taken care of.  I love the quote by presdient HInkley that just talks about how precious a new converts testimony is.... with out the help of the branch... itcan die.  Coming into the church is like experiencing a whole differnent culture, of which I can relate to a little bit with the short time that I have been here in Costa Rica.  I love you all so much! Thank you for your love support and letters :)

Have a wonderful week!  I am sure you are all counting down to the school days! Enjoy the last little bit of summer :)

Hermana Anderson