New Area!

May 18, 2009

Hello, my new area is called Cariari. It is in the campo in Northeastern Costa Rica. It is a pretty area. It is Hot and humid. My comp is named Elder Hernandez from Panama. So far he’s not bad. He likes to work hard which I like, but sometimes he takes it a little to the extreme. For example he wants us to only eat one meal a day and we don’t get our lunch break, so we can work more. I’m fine with not having a lunch break (after we eat lunch we usually get an hour break) but starving to death every day, I don’t think so. We walk a lot in my new area but it’s not too bad. There is only a branch here, there are many inactives. Usually about 50 people show up to church but yesterday there was only about 30. We have some good investigators that we are working with.

I was able to say goodbye to some of the members in Moravia before I left. We tried to visit Mario but he wasn’t there. We went to visit Leo, but he wasn’t there either, even though we had made an appointment with him. We ended up hanging out with his family. When we first started teaching Leo they didn’t really approve of us, but lately they’ve been warming up to us and I think they were sad that I was leaving. Unfortunately we found out the reason Leo wasn’t there was because he was drinking. We found him in the street later and he was drunk. It sucks how the last time I saw two of my recent converts they were both drunk. Fortunately Vera wasn’t drunk when I visited her. I went up on her roof and fixed some holes and replaced the tin stuff they have up there. We’ve been on many members’ roofs lately. Anyway we ate and said goodbye to Vera, Andrea, and Vera’s other daughter Helen. I left baptismal pictures with Leo, Mario, and Vera. I’m going to miss Moravia but I’m sure ill like it here in Cariari as well.

I also said goodbye to my zone and we had a final tie trade. I forgot to tell you that Elder Shrock (who is in my zone, and was going to be my comp until they found out Kamiya had already been in the area they were going to send him so they switched him and shrock 5 days before changes) is Joshua Chapel´s cousin. Today I met my new zone and we played soccer in Guapiles.

Congratulations S---------, on graduating from Seminary and from High school this week. I’m sorry I can’t be there. I miss all of you and love you. Hi grandpa and grandma. Hola Abuelito. Hi to all!

Happy Mothers Day!

May 11, 2009

These last two weeks I've been busy. I got a haircut and even though it wasn’t the best haircut, at least we got to teach the haircut lady. Last week an ex-missionary who was here a year ago, and who was borne (started mission) in Moravia also, came and he did divisions with us the whole day.

The Villarreal home was robbed last week and they took everything. Bro Villarreal still did his home teaching this month. The Tobar family had a baby this week and his name is Derek. The mother and baby are doing fine. Hno. Vargas, who’s been out of a job for a few months now, finally found one. We were at his house when his family got the news that he had a job. We all jumped up and down and everyone was pretty happy and relieved. Abigail Jimenez (the Jimenez’s 3 year old granddaughter) has been in the hospital lately because she had water in her lungs so they had to operate. They are going to put a tube in her and drain her lungs. Hno. Saenz moved this week and we helped him move. He moved to Desamparados where one of his daughters lives. That daughter’s husband just got baptized a couple weeks ago and he’s a really cool guy.

The flu porcine (swine flu) or whatever it’s called is freaking out all the members here. The members won’t shake our hands because they think we have it or something. My comp does cough like he’s dying but he’s always done that. I guess the first guy to die from porcine in Costa Rica lived down the street from Hno. Saenz. We saw a news truck and the casket carrying car pass while we were helping Hno. Saenz move on Saturday but don’t worry we’re not going to die (I hope).

Everything’s been going OK with my recent converts, but this last week they have been struggling. Mario has been lonely and stressed without his brother and he was a little drunk the other day when we went to visit, and he yelled at us. Also Leo started smoking the other day. Neither of them made it to church yesterday and Vera couldn't make it either. As you know, I have changes this week. I’m excited to get to know another area, but I hate leaving this area because I like it and I don’t want to leave my recent converts when they are struggling like this.

I have no idea where I'm going to be moved to but changes are Wednesday this week (usually Thursday) and I have a lot to do before I leave and not much time to do it. Today we played soccer with some local chapulines again. We can always just find kids on the street and get a game going. We also went to San Jose and I bought some new shoes (finally!*Ü*) and a better umbrella. Then we ate at Subway (yum). We had a good time and I’m going to miss my district (Ash, Tagliaferi, and Kamiya). Mom I’m getting hno. Saenz to make you and I some leather wrist bands I designed myself. Dad, I’m getting hno. Saenz to make you a leather tie like the he made me, except with something else added on to make it better. I don’t know when ill actually receive them, but the sooner the better.

Fue un placer hablar con todos ustedes ayer. Til next time. Chao.

Hi Mom,

Happy Mothers Day! I'm glad I got to talk to you yesterday. Sorry we didn't have more time. Can you tell me again what everyone got you. I'm sending you a leather, Anthony designed, bracelet/wrist band thing. Hno. Saenz is going to make it and then get the missionaries to get it to me and ill get it to you. Thanks for all that you've done for me and sorry for being a terrible son. I love you and hope you had a good Mothers Day.

Love,

Your awful, yet favorite son,

Pretty Good Week!

May 4, 2009

Hello, it's been a long, pretty good week. We've met a lot of new people. We got a couple inactive members, coming back to church. I took 100,000 Colones out of the new card because I was out of money and my mission card that the mission puts money on every month had some problems so they are getting me a new one.

I received the package just in time. I was out of money and would have starved so thanks. The pictures are good too. If you haven´t sent the package yet then make sure to stuff it with candy. How is everyone. I can´t write more. Out of time. I´ll try to send pics home in a CD this week, along with my blue suit and the trench coat. all you sisters keep working hard in everything you do. Congratulations on your awards and good bye.

" The real secret of happiness in life and the way in which to prepare ourselves for the hereafter is service. I am converted to the thought that the way to peace and happiness in life is by giving service. Service is the true key, I believe, to happiness, because when we perform labors like missionary work, all the rest of our lives we can look back upon our accomplishments in the mission field. When we perform any acts of kindness, they bring a feeling of satisfaction and pleasure into our hearts, while ordinary amusements pass away" ~Heber G. Grant

"El verdadero secreto de la felicidad en la vida y la forma de prepararnos para la vida venidera es prestar servicio al prójimo. Creo firmemente que el camino que conduce a la paz y a la felicidad en la vida es prestar servicio. Creo que el servicio es la verdadera clave de la felicidad, por motivo de que cuando llevamos a cabo labores como la obra misional, durante el resto de nuestra vida miramos hacia esa época y recordamos lo que realizamos en el campo misional. Cuando efectuamos actos bondadosos, sentimos satisfacción y placer en el alma, en tanto que los entretenimientos y las diversiones pasan y desaparecen." ~ Heber G. Grant