5/2/2011

Oh my most beautiful family!!!


I am so sad to hear that Daryl Yates passed away! But I know that he is now with his Heavenly Father without sickness and without pain! What comfort it is to know that death isn’t the end, it is only the beginning! That thanks to our loving Savior and Redeemer that he broke the bands of death that after three days he rose again and we will too! Everyone who has ever lived and now will live on this earth we will all receive this beautiful gift! So it is hard to understand at times why these things happens especially to the ones we love but God loves us and he knows what is best for us!! I am so thankful for Daryl that I had the great opportunity to say goodbye to him before I left on my mission! He was truly a great man that taught his children and my dad how to love the Lord and how to serve him with all their heart! It is amazing to see that because of one great man he can change generations and Daryl changed my dads life and through my dad he has changed mine and that is why I am serving a mission! I am thankful that Daryl loved my dad enough to help him serve a mission and I am so thankful that my parents love me so much that they helped me serve a mission! I love you dad and I know that this must be hard for you but always remember the great man that Daryl was and is!

So I am loving it here in Nicoya. It is a cute little place. It is so so so so hot though!!! I have never sweated so much in my life!! I take a shower and it doesn’t even work because I sweat so much. Its gross but its a life of a missionary right!!! lol! My companion is awesome!! She is an awesome missionary. She has no fear and she is a power house! I am learning so much from her!! I know that we will work so hard together! This Sunday we had 7 investigators in sacrament meeting so we have been working really hard!! The branch is awesome some really great members that are so willing to help us. My companion and her other companion really changed this area so we will work hard to improve it even more!! There are two gringo families in our ward that are so awesome. They have lived here in Costa Rica for about 6 months now but it is great to have them here!! One of them is a teacher of primary and she doesn’t know too much spanish so my job now is to translate for her in primary! Which is fun! So I know that we will work hard and through our obedience we will be successful!! We are teaching a family and one night we came and the oldest son has a friend and he wanted to come in and listen as well. At first I was thinking oh no! Because he started talking to me and was saying you sing very beautiful and I was like oh he doesn’t truly want to learn just here for other things! But we started the lesson and he changed! He was really interested! Then at the end of the lesson I taught about prayer and the way to pray! After the lesson we gave him a Book of Mormon and told him to pray! So we went back another day and he was there again and he said I want to tell you something. He started to tell us that he was riding on the bus today going to my university to take an examine which I didn’t pass the first time. He said he was really nervous and he remembered that I said that we can pray for anything. He said, So I did on that bus. I prayed that God would help me on my test and that I wouldn’t be so scared! And then he told us that after he said amen he felt peace and love and he said that he did so well on his test! While he was telling us this story he couldn’t stop smiling. I know he felt the spirit! What an incredible experience. I have such a strong testimony now to never judge anyone! That he was the last person we thought would listen but he was ready to receive us! That this gospel is for everyone! What if we didn’t share with him because we just thought he would not be interested? But he was and I am so thankful that we invited him to listen and to feel of the spirit and the peace that only God can give!

I am so thankful for this opportunity to serve a mission! I am thankful for change and for the opportunity to grow and learn new things! I am going to love this area just as I loved Perez Zeledon! I am so thankful that my Heavenly Father sent me here! I love you all. Thank you for your letters and your prayers! You are the best!! Your letters strengthen me and want me to be better! I love you all so much!!

Love always and forever

Hermana Turnbaugh

Lo siento that I could send pictures! My camera died so it wasn’t able to load but I will next time after I charge my batteries!!

Oh and guess what? In this area we have bikes!!! It is awesome! I have a cute little pink California cruiser. I will send pictures of it! But can I just tell you that my legs and my backside are so sore because of it! LOL!! Well I love you have the best week ever!!!