A...wedding...a..birthday....and..a...baptism!

Dear all,

I think Heavenly Father must really really really love me because every day
the miracles just get bigger and better. The mission is the best. And the
Lord is just pouring out the blessings on me down here in Costa Rica. Do I
really have to come home...?

So obviously I have to go outta here with a bang and I just love to have
fun. And its been a full week of fiestas! So like i told you all last
Monday, we had a giant ward party and it was a huge hit. We had over 150
people come and got some great new investigators also! We got rained on
(surprise, surprise) but we had a blast. We played traditional CR games,
and had CR food and a bunch of CR dances. Tica pride. I LOVE BEING TICA!

So have a told you about Yaders brother Jose David?? If not, you should
just all know that hes getting baptized on Saturday! Seeing these 2
brothers change so much and embrace the gospel has been the biggest
blessing ever and they both want to serve missions. We had the opportunity
to teach Jose David in the temple and the spirit was so strong. We started
out with a prayer and before we began teaching the lesson he lifted up his
head from the prayer and began to cry. He told us with watery eyes he felt
ready for the 27th! He gave up coffee, loves the book or mormon and is even
trying to finish it all before Saturday. He helped us out all day long
Monday making tortillas and is basically already a member. He said he feels
so loved here and feels like hes finally found a place where he belongs.


In my last interview with President, I asked him what I could do to end my
mission well and he said he found and baptized a family his very last week
in the mission. Well, since then I have been praying every day to be able
to enjoy such an experience and work hard for it and Heavenly Father has
been so good to me because we have an entire family getting married and
baptized this Saturday... Laura, Johan, Alejandro and Luciana! We are so
happy. We are so blessed!


Let me just tell you how much I love this family...


We taught them the word of wisdom and I stole all the coffee out of their
house haha. So the next day I made my companion wake up at 4:30 am to go
running with me and be at their house at 5 before the left for work and
school just to make sure they were not going to drink any coffee! We
brought them mango juice and all had breakfast together. It was way fun.
And reminded them about their baptismal goal that they still werent
completely sure of. Everyone was down except for Laura, the mom.

We then got to go to the temple together as a zone at the 7am session and
it was my last time in the CR temple. Talk about sadness... but its all
good. I will be back!

Anyway I just had so much faith this family was prepared and well I just
went ahead and started planning the wedding with invitations and all.
Because they gotta get married first. And they gotta do it before I go
home! Lauras had a rough past with men so shes been nervous about marriage
but has been praying lots. And wants to get baptized more than anything.
But Johan is so awesome and they are the greatest couple so I just knew
they had to get married to each other!


So then one afternoon she told us she had prayed and recieved and answer
and was willing to do it! Her kids started jumping up and down they were so
excited! Then Johan came home from work and Alejandro said tell him mommy,
tell him! Laura broke the news to him and he started crying because he was
so happy and loves her so much. They all started hugging and crying and its
all just too good to be true. The gospel blesses families? You bet!

Ok and just to make things even better, Hermana Vicki, the lady that makes
our lunch every day, had a birthday and turned 64 and so we threw her a
surprise birthday. Yayy! She shared her testimony and Laura and Johan
announced their happy news. And Jose David brought all the plates and forks
for the cake. Haha ahhh I just love these people so much and along with the
gospel I love teaching them how to enjoy life and make the best of it.

We also had 2 baptisms of two 8 years olds that are from less active
families we have rescued and that was also a sweet experience to be a part
of.

I have more happy news too like Juan is now an Elder and Natalia called me
saying that her son is learning how to read because they study the book of
mormon together every night as a family. I am so excited and just feeling
so grateful. Literally I cant stop smiling. I love the work! I love being a
missionary. I love working hard. I love you all.


Hermana Starke


P.s. TEN DAYS!!!!!!!!

P-day...lunch