Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Oct. 20, 2014
Today we went to the beach with a member family in our ward :) the Piña´s :) i love them and it was soo fun, and then the rain came... jajaja
Hermana Peters has had some interesting experiences this past week.  She says that Satan really is working hard to stop the work and in ways that she never expected.   
Here are her words:
 Hello Family :)
How is everyone? I really hope everyone is good! This past week I have been saying a lot of prayers, a lot. And prayed a lot for all of you. Satan is working really hard here in Santa Cruz because we are soooo close to getting a ward here, which means a stake in Guanacaste. And of course Satan doesn´t want this. And I know that he will do anything to effect the work, and also that he is working hard on all of you too. PLEASE don´t let him win. Keep reading your scriptures every day. EVERY day. And read them together as a family. Sooo many blessings will come from the. Also pray are really talk to Heavenly Father. He wants to listen and I promise that he is listening. AND he answers your prayers. Sometimes in ways that we don´t expect, but he does. Basically I just love you all so much, and I don´t want any of you to let Satan win. Okay?

Anyways... This week I experienced my first real earthquake!! Haha it was Monday night and Hermana Holmes and I were doing our planning for the next day when we heard a giant boom/crack and then about 2 minutes later everything was shaking!! It was a good 15 seconds long or so which is pretty long! But all is good and everyone was safe :) 

Also this week we had divisions again, but this time I was with Hermana Jensen who has been out the same time as me... So Ya 2 gringas with very little Spanish experience... I was scared out of my mind. But I know that my Heavenly Father knows me, knows what I can and can´t do, and wouldn´t give me anything I couldn´t handle. So I moved forward with faith, literally faith in every footstep, in every word, and in everything I do. And let me tell you, I understood and was able to communicate better that day than ever before on my mission. Honestly was a miracle and I know that Heavenly Father blessed me with that strength. :)

So I was supposed to have a baptism this past Sunday but it fell through, which happens a lot here. I was super sad though because this lady, Ivania, had become like a mother to me. As we went to go visit her, she was fine at the start, but as we started to talk to her, I couldn´t see the light in her eyes anymore, the light that we had helped her find inside was gone again. And then she started to say how she doesn´t believe in all this stuff. She doesn´t believe in Joseph Smith, or any prophet here on the earth, and just ah crazy heart breaking stuff. I don´t know what happened, and we are not going to give up on her. I know that she knows this church is true, we just need to help her find the light once more. 

Well I just want you all to know that I love you so much. I wanted to share a quote with you all the helped me a ton this week.

¨Sometimes we become the lightning rod, and we must take the heat for holding fast to God´s standards and doing His work. I testify that we need not be afraid if we are grounded in His doctrine. We may experience misunderstanding criticism and even false accusation, but we are never alone. Our Savior was despised and rejected of men. It is our sacred privilege to stand with Him.¨

Stand with your Savior and you will never stand alone.
I know that to be true with my whole heart. 
Keep working hard family :) i love you all!!

Love,
Hermana Peters


A young women’s activity in our tiny little church

In messages to Mom Hermana Peters wrote:
Well this week was crazy... Satan is working so hard here. And it ways that i wasn´t expecting. We have had some scary experiences with men this past week, all of us hermanas. And all of us haven´t really been able to sleep at night because we are scared. We talked to president and he wants us to find a new house. And we might have to have a man member of our ward with us in the evenings while we are out now. 
On top of that you know how Satan just plays with people’s minds, makes you think the worst of yourself all the time. Yeah it´s been a fight all week.
We are moving in 15 days... So still have a bit of time. We have 2 apartments right now. Me and Hermana Holmes live in one, and Hermana Garcia and Hermana Jensen live in one next to us. 
And well twice this week we had guys following us as we were trying to go home, asking us were we lived and stuff like that. The men here are constantly yelling stuff at us like trying to get us to come over and talk to them, but this week it was a lot more. We had a man that stopped me and Hermana Holmes and asked us to marry him. At first i just thought it was funny and kept walking but he wouldn´t leave us alone and by the end was saying how he just wants a baby, and kept saying just give me a baby. By the end it wasn´t funny and i just felt gross that he was saying stuff like that. 
Also weird things at night. Like one night this week i suddenly woke up and i thought i heard someone say my name. And then as i laid there i had a very VERY strong feeling to go shut our front window. I didn´t even know it was open. So i know I’m being protected when things like that happen, but it´s just hard feeling scared. (This is an experience like Samuel in the temple)
We have been playing hymns at night this week which helped! And thank you for praying extra hard for us. You were inspired to pray harder. And I’ve thought a lot about that scripture, D &C 84:88 " And whoso receiveth you, there i will be also, for I will go before your face.  I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in our hearts and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."  And also about Grandpa White. I really can feel him here with me, and i know that there are so many other angels here. And Hermana Holmes and i were talking and we know that Heavenly Father won´t let anything happen to us that isn´t supposed to happen. And that as long as we are obedient, we will be okay. 


Another fun Pday (preparation day) at the Pina´s home in Tamarindo!

Hermana Holmes and Hermana Peters

Words from Hermana Holmes about the week:
Dear people,
Welllll I don´t actually have a ton of time to write today, but I´ll get whatever I can into this letter.
This week has been insane. Satan is furious with us (all of us missionaries in Santa Cruz) and has resorted to just about everything at some point or another this week to discourage us. Lessons have fallen through, creepy men have followed us, dogs have almost attacked us, we have felt bad spirits try to come to our home, we haven´t been able to sleep, more creepy men, temptations to think negatively of the certain people etc. BUT all is well. We are happy because Satan is not. We are fighting and fighting for this ward here in Santa Cruz, and we´re not giving up! :)

We have talked to President Wilkinson in regards to our physical safety, and are now searching for a new apartment, but in the end, we have the promise that if we´re exactly obedient, no harm will fall upon us. I am SO grateful that I can say I am exactly obedient. I know that is keeping us safe from harm. I have felt the Lord protecting us from both the seen and unseen, and I have felt strongly the presence of His angels surrounding us. I have absolutely no doubt that this is His work. We are so so close to the goal of a ward here in Santa Cruz!!!!

This week Hermana Peters and I were able to bring some young women on visits that have never accompanied the missionaries before. In each case, the young woman had a struggling testimony and a difficult family situation. It was incredible to see the change in them at the end of the day. Both loved coming with us, the parents of both girls were VERY grateful that we would take the time for their daughters, both now have a great desire to serve missions, and both commented on the spirit they could feel in the lessons. They were a great aid to us and the investigators, but the experience for them has the potential to change their lives. I feel so strongly that this is one of the keys to strengthen the members here in Santa Cruz. Working with the members is so important! They need the blessings of missionary service just as much as full time missionaries do. It´s part of our responsibility as members to share the Gospel, and I know that few things can bring more conviction and growth to someone´s testimony than sharing it with others.

Hermana Peters is amazing, and is an incredible example to me. She is also amazing at talking to everyone--and not just that, but also talking in such a sweet and kind manner. This sister has a strong, righteous spirit, and it´s a great blessing to work with her. She and I are going to be great great friends for the rest of our lives. I have no doubt about that. :)

Oh, and Pday was awesome. We went to Tamarindo and had breakfast with the Pina´s. They took us to the beach afterwards to take pictures and enjoy looking at the water....because we can´t swim. But it was way fun! :D

Oh, and for all who were wondering, yes, Victor and Greisy came to church and were confirmed with the gift of the Holy Ghost. It was so sweet. :) :) :)
Ok, now I´m out of time. I love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have a great week! Go fight Satan and stuff! And do missionary work!
Love,
Hermana Holmes


Some thoughts:
"You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it."

"If the kingdom of God is not first, it doesn't matter what's second." Maxwell

"Today's trial is tomorrow’s testimony"

"Hardships often prepare ordinary people to do extraordinary things." cs Lewis



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