Hermana Starke: 3 Cheers for the red, white and blue!

Dear all,

No one celebrates the 4th here but it sure felt like it on Saturday when
everyone was getting pumped up for the big game! And that sure made me
happy :) Everyone rocked red white and blue and let me tell you... you
would never know we lost because the whole world celebrated anyway. My
companion and I may have gotten chased by an old, shirtless, drunk guy
tooting a whistle in his mouth and waving a beer can in both hands hahaha.

The mission had changes this week, but we didn't! We were super surprised.
Hermana Ponce and I both end the mission together so one of us has to get
taken out this next change in 6 weeks and put in an area for the last
change to "die"! Hope it's not me... I love Belen and will be just fine
dying here. Being here so close to the temple is the biggest blessing.
Every morning we run laps around the temple and I just smile. It's the best!
I know I am going to miss this place so much. So for now, I am just trying
to soak up every moment and enjoy it all.

My hijita, hermana Contreras, got taken out of Ciudad Colon and is now a
hermana specialist with me. Sooo exciting! I love that girl. She's growin up
so fast!

This Tuesday we had our leadership meeting and oh my goodness I learned so
much and it was so incredible... I could go on for hours, seriously. But to
keep things short, President talked about miracles and promised us that the
heavens would be open if we made more sacrifices. Our entire life is about
choosing to make sacrifices with the only true thing that is really ours...
our will. When we sacrifice our own will, THATS when we see blessings. And
not just blessings, miracles.

So we are teaching this kid named Brandon. He's 15 and super A.D.D. but he's
awesome. He's come to church 2 times now and also to all the mutuals... and
get this, even SEMINARY at 5am. He just goes by himself because he loves it
all. He is progressing so fast and going to be baptized on the 19th. He was
one of the kids that came to the soccer activity last week that we had and
this week we were able to start teaching his family as well. His mom is
super super super evangelica. Like I have never met a lady so evangelica
but we had the coolest experience with her...

So she's talking and going on about how much she loves her church and how
she's never going to change but respects whatever decision her son wants to
make. But she has a crazy strong testimony of prayer and knows God listens
to her. So we invited her to pray in that very moment and ask God if she
could come to church with us on Sunday. She agreed and after the prayer
just stared at us. After what felt like forever she said...

I feel peace. I feel a lot of peace. I see a tree... the leaves are so so
green. And the fruit is white and so delicious. I want to eat it. I'm going
to come to church on Sunday.

Whoa right?! So we left her with a book of mormon and an invitation to read
1 Nephi 8. She opened it and started reading the chapter before we even
left! Hiiiiii Lehi's vision!  https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/8?lang=eng

So we showed up Sunday morning to her house at 8:30 for church and she
starts putting a ton of excuses but we knew the real reason is that she
wanted to go to HER church. Luckily I had been praying for her all week
long specifically and Heavenly Father answered my prayers, because we got
her to come!!!

And wow did she choose a good day to come because Elder Godoy of the 70
decided to visit our ward (cool right?!) and he shared his testimony and it
was just incredible. Also a family that got baptized 6 months ago shared
their testimonies and just happened to go to the same church as her before
they were baptized. Ok and the icing on the cake is that her neighbors just
happen to be a family of awesome members in the ward too. So they came up to
us after church and said hermanas! We are so so sorry. And we were like,
what? Why? We know the investigators that you guys brought today and we
never ever thought they could change but now we know that miracles happen
and we want to start working more with you and introduce us to all our
neighbors and friends. When can we?!

Yayyyyyyyyyyy. Obedience and sacrifices really bring miracles. I love the
Lord. I love this work!

Here is the scripture we put on our cute little handout FRUIT candies we
made for all the members this Sunday... found in Alma 26:

* 30 And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that
perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our
joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some.*

* 31 Now behold, we can look forth and see the fruits of our labors; and
are they few? I say unto you, Nay, they are many; yea, and we can witness
of their sincerity, because of their love towards their brethren and also
towards us.*

Love you guys,
Hermana Starke

P.s. DAVID ARCHULETTA was in Belen filming a music video at the temple this
week... I think Belen is turning into the mormon Hollywood of Costa Rica.
Hahaha it's so great, right?!