hermana rhondeau

 two of the most beautiful children. ever. like, how cute is this little boy? His name is Joshua and he doesn't want to get baptized because he is afraid of the water, but we still love him. 

hola 

My happiness is all but bursting and I don't quite know where to begin. Maybe with Mario? He came to church the last Sunday without us knowing him or teaching him or inviting him. He woke up at seven in the morning on Sunday with a need to go to God's house. He had gone there once before, one year ago when he started listening to the missionaries with his girlfriend in Cancun. He sauntered into the early morning meeting with his dark jeans and black shirt and a tired face from working late into the night just hours before. The speakers talked about eternal gifts from God and spiritual and mental burdens of depression and he stayed for the following two hours with a promised visit with us the following Wednesday. We could hardly wait for Wednesday — God had answered a prayer and fast that we had offered days before, wondering if God could really give us people (literally) for us to teach. And so he answered us with Mario, a twenty-three year old that decided it was about time to act on his faith and go to the house of the Lord. When we searched and found his house three days later, his mom answered the door and we sat down in wired chairs on his front patio. It was the easiest first lesson we have ever had. He already had the Book of Mormon and all the pamphlets and when we asked him to pray to know that all of these things were true he told us that he didn't need to pray because he already knew — had known for a long time — that it was all true. Everything and every word he had ever heard, he believed. These have been my most favorite and sacred moments of the mission, when one feels that the Gospel of Christ is good and true and then decides to act on it. We read in Matthew with him about Peter and how he had the faith to walk on water until he doubted and started to sink. Sometimes Mario doubts his belief because his mom is really, really Catholic. Sometimes his doubt over rules his fear. But we learned that fear cannot exist where there is faith, and that even though Peter doubted for a minute even though he had had faith before, Christ never doubted in him — because Christ was there with him and saved him when he started to sink and gave him the opportunity to have faith and act on his faith and grow in faith. I like knowing that Christ has faith in us even when we dont. I like knowing and seeing that Mario acts on the faith that he feels. We love him maybe a lot a lot and are really hoping that he and his girlfriend can be sealed in the temple after he gets baptized. 

Bullet points because no time: 

— Elders are coming to our area! Today! We are super excited to be sharing a ward with them and working together with them. We had been missing the energy that only elders bring. 

— lLearned how to make popsicles with a fruit that doesn't exist in the United States. That was fun. 

— We have decided that our district leader looks like the bad guy from The Incredibles, but in a good way. He is from Oregon but looks like he is from Mexico. We love him and we love our district. We have all the trainers and new missionaries in our group and we all get along just swell. 

Okay, sending all my love and happiness to you, dear family of mine --

love,

Hermana Rhondeau

Familia Caamal — recent converts who were just sealed in the temple (yay). Their little boy of one year sometimes looks like a little man (like little James in New Zealand). They are wonderful. 

celebrating mothers day, because Costa Ricans celebrate in August instead of May. 

Jose got baptized! And he was so happy!