Hermana Warburton: Costa Rica San José East Mission: December 26, 2022

Week 71

We live in Montes de Oca on a street named Calle Mormona and we live above the Bishop! Well one night this week we came back to our house ready to go to bed because we were exhausted and what do we find, a little ward get together with karaoke. We may not drink in our church, but in calle mormona they sure do know how to have fun. And we heard it all from inside the house.

Monday we were trying to look for gift for the Christmas party as well as a nice store to buy dresses, but we couldn't find a clothing store. Well, that's night we went over to a members house and in a quick messaged she had helped us find a store, maybe get one step closer to having someone cook for us and we got to prayer with her. Members are always the answer. We also finally got there with less active member family. The members told us that all of the sudden they just stopped coming. We'll we got to share a Christmas lesson and invite them to church, but they said not quite yet to the invitation, but we'll keep inviting and the husband of the family isn't a member.

Then later on in the week, I had some stomach problems, but it turned out fine because ether went away after about a day and a half. We were able to talk with the mom of a 9 year old that wants to be baptized about coming back another day to share a lesson with her, the mom. We look forward to going this week.

We had some cool lessons planned this week with new people we had found through social media and Grey points, but each one canceled just before the lesson. It was sad because la familia misionera was so excited to come with us. Luckily they are still super excited and willing to accompany us so hopefully we can reorganize with these people who left us on read. With allt he holidays everyone had other plans, so I guess it's understandable just for this week.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were great days. We got to go caroling with a 90 year old member of our ward to his neighbor who isn't a member. After it all we were just smiling and laughing so hard. Because he couldn't hear very well and was signing just a little behind the music. But it was lots of fun being ah to sing with him, and he's not afraid of sharing the gospel. We got there and be goes "Roberico (which his name was ferico haha) these are my friends missionaries of the church and they share messages about christ and his gospel." I hope when im that age I'm still sharing the gospel.

Later, we sang I am a child of God with primary aged kids and the spirit just entered the room so sweetly. Sitting at a bus stop, someone also asked us if we were Mormons, and of course we said now and provided to say the name of the Church. We'll all of the sudden the person just started bowing down to us... haha what do ya do in that situation? We both felt so weird, but luckily he finished and left quickly. We got to celebrate with a single mom, and on Christmas night, one of our friends asked to talk with us because she wasn't doing so well. So that night we called her and got to help remember her that she is a child of God and that Christ was born, died, and lives because He loves us. It was a sweet way to end Christmas.

On Christmas Day in church we sang "asombro me da." I love the Spanish translation because it is just a little different.

"Por siempre jamás al Señor agradeceré; mi vida y cuanto yo tengo a Él daré."

I will forever thank Christ and try every day to give Him my life and all that I have.

Mucho amor,

Hermana Warburton