Monday
9-16-13 ** Names have been changed... again :)
Dear
family and friends,
My
baby brother, Brayden, was trying on suits and shoes for his mission! He´s
doing it!! I am so happy for him! I just wanted to tell everyone. (And I
practically did!). I just love him so much. And though it kills me a little
that I wont be able to see him for so long, it will be so worth it. *Diane
here… Yes, Brayden has hit “submit” on his paperwork to become a full time
missionary. Now, we wait for the final interviews and the big white envelope to
come in the mail. As per Megan’s request and tradition, we will be having a
large map of the world and taking guesses as to where his call will be. If you
want to join in our fun, please reply to one of us and let us know what your
guess is….!!*
Today
the sunset was breathtaking. The kind when you’re just stuck without words. How
can so much beauty exist? I found myself so grateful to be serving my mission
here in paradise. There are some missionaries out there under snow and
surrounded by giant buildings. Costa Rica is so beautiful. (9-8-13)
Wednesday
we had interviews with president-like a breath of fresh air. I felt the spirit
revealing to me ways that I can improve to be a better missionary. President
repeatedly told me how proud he is of me and the work we are doing here. He
said he wanted to send people in to observe us work. It made me feel good. But
once again I need to plead for humility. Always.
Thurs
9-12-13 Hey!
Super cool evening! David entered into the waters of baptism-miracle
number 1. Guess who baptized him? Matt. Our recent convert (and future
brother in law to David.) Who used his priesthood power for the first time.
Miracle number 2. It just made me so happy to see. Johnny and
family showed up-Johnny was even holding his Libro de Mormon. He looked just
like a little elder. Johnny said he wants to serve a mission! He said he had
to as his duty to God. So joyous to see a future missionary! It is the best
feeling in the world to see your little recent convert truly becoming converted.
I know God had been preparing his little heart for a long time. If this is my
joy, just imagine God´s joy for us when we move ourselves one step closer to
Him. Tomorrow Mike, Kathy, and Johnny can go to the temple for the first
time and I´m just so giddy for them! Okay miracle number 3-remember when
the spirit told me to grab that BOM before going to the hospital? This woman,
Stacy, showed up to the baptism today!! Italian, Giancarlos, brought her! The
first things she said when she saw me was, “you’re the one who gave me the
BOM!” Never in my life did I expect to meet her! She just seems so excited
about everything. I know God is working with her too. She called the next
day to ask if she could be baptized. eeek!
One
day my comp and I were laying in our BUNK beds. And we heard a noise. It
freaked us out a little. Thankfully our house is really small, we can see
everything. I said, don´t worry, my machete is in my suitcase next to your bed.
And then I was curious. I was like; I bet I could get it out in 30 seconds. So
we timed it. I was up top and she said go, I jumped down like Tom Cruise in
Mission Impossible ripped open the suitcase, slashed out my machete...I´m
thinking on naming it...Tom? And ta-da! 15.4 seconds, thank you very
much! So we find ways to keep us entertained.
Friday was horribly rainy. Just miserable really. The ward
planned a temple trip and we wanted to invite Steve and Joan. I hope that they
were able to feel the spirit in the waiting room and the garden area. The
temple is magnificent. Oh how I love it. Know what was demasiado joy? Seeing
our family of recent converts (Mike, Kathy and Johnny) enter into the temple
for the first time and do baptisms for the dead. I was and am so happy for
them. They´ve found their pearl of great price. They realize that they still
have to endure patiently but I love seeing how they´ve embraced the
gospel! Side note, guess who else was in the temple Friday! Yep! My mom,
dad and ward family! We were connected as if through heaven for just a night!
Yesterday was Sunday, I really like my ward in Ciudad Colon.
I realized in sacrament mtg that I’m really comfortable here. Then I felt
nervous because the Lord doesn’t like us to be stagnant or too comfortable.
He´s not a God that punishes, but a God that loves us. I look forward to the
day when I can once again sit with my mom in our ward. I realize that sentence
makes me a momma’s girl; that I want to sit with my mom at church. But I wont
always be able to be part of the Mindi Meadows ward.
I
had the most fun I've had in probably 6 months. I laughed real laughter and
smiled a real smile. We went to Michelle´s house where it was she and her
atheist son, Bob as we call him. He whipped out some giant playing cards and asked if I wanted
to play. I was raised with those things. My kryptonite. I decided it´d be a
good bonding moment. At first we played 21. Then I taught them how to play Go
Fish. I love that game. They loved that game. How is it they´ve never heard of
it?! Haha. Then they taught me how to play ¨Guerra Egiptio¨ or Egypt war or
something like that. Don´t worry. We talked religion too. I told him I don´t
believe atheist’s exist because we all chose to be here. He didn´t say anything
for a while. He asked what I meant. I said, ¨We all choose to follow God´s plan
and come to this earth. Atheism is not an option.¨ Anyways, this game was
incredibly fun and slightly violent. I may or may not have gotten bitten? One
accident, calm down. But I´ll tell you that story when I get home. Haha. It
took away all my stress-it was so fun! As I walked home I realized I´d learned
one of life´s great lessons. This is a family who has nothing. We didn´t spend
a penny to laugh or have fun. It is the simple things in life that matter most.
I
dropped off a conference issue of the Ensign to Sara. (Can’t believe it´s
almost conference again! like my Christmas!) I wrote her a little note inside
pleading with her to invite the Spirit to be with her as she reads and hopefully remembers the
Spirit she once felt while watching the living prophet talk to God´s children.
It´s astonishing how easily we can forget. It blows my mind that she could
accept it and then let it go. (That´s why in the BOM the word, ´remember´ appears
so much I imagine.) Which reminds me, David received the gift of the
Holy Ghost yesterday. Once again it called my attention the wording, ¨receive
the Holy Ghost. ”It´s not just a one time thing-we have to choose to receive
Him again and again and again. I hope she can remember. I hope she can act on
what she feels. (For all you back home, please remember the spiritual experiences
Heavenly Father throws your way. Write them down. Share them with others. Live
them.)
Later
we had a meeting with Roger. He´s a 30 year
old with pure dread locks down to his waist. Our bishop and Elders Quorum
president want him to cut them. They took him 10 years to grow! And actually he
looks like Jesus. (His girlfriend’s a
member, slightly inactive. they´re the cutest couple. Totally PURA VIDA!)
President Monistel, who is the former mission president in Nicaragua south,
lives in our ward now and went with us. We taught about the Book of Mormon and
how we have it today. I´m so grateful for this book in my life. I know it
answers questions of our soul. It gives purpose to our lives. I heard a convert
share her testimony about it. She talked about how before hand she didn’t have
direction in her life. She didn’t understand the point of all this. Work. Have
babies. Teach them and then what? She said it just didn´t make sense. But then
she came to learn through the Book of Mormon God´s plan for us. And finally she
got it. And was happy. What power this book contains! At the end of the lesson,
Pres. Monestel shared a bold testimony about the blessings that this gospel
brings. He said, ¨this is the best opportunity of your life.¨ And I
really liked that. I know that it´s true. This gospel is the best opportunity
of our lives. Make it count. If people just knew how amazing this message truly
is! I know that in the gospel of Jesus Christ, there is hope! There is peace.
There is acceptance. There is love. How can anyone go one more day without the
certainty and resolve of this gospel? I´m confident that if people could
comprehend that a loving Heavenly Father sent His only Begotten Son to pay for
our sins and shortcomings, if they just realized that someone is willing to
help us out of our trenches, then this world would become like the people of Enoch.
We´d all be so righteous and more prepared for the reunion with our Creator.
How beautiful that day will be. Will we be prepared?
I
encourage each of you back home to make a personal study of the scriptures as
important as breakfast. Preach My Gospel promises that if we study with the
spirit, we will find resolution to our problems, receive solace, and we will
have strength to endure to the end. Honestly, who doesn´t need these
blessings?!
Happy
Independence Day Costa Rica. We headed home an hour early for our safety.
People were asking me what we do in the states. They were like, you eat turkey,
right? I about peed my pants. Haha. No just...dog parts? Haha. And hamburgers.
MMM.. Let freedom ring. God bless America.
Anyways, that´s a slice of my joy. I love you all so much.
Thank you for your prayers and support. Para Siempre Dios este con vos.
Con
Amor,
Hermana Megan Workman
Pupusas? They´re actually freaking delicious. I wrote down
how to make them.
Fear bankrupts the spirit!
Also, I never want to be woken up by catholic bells or
roosters again. Ha.
