Feliz Cumpleaños papa!

December, 21 2009

I hope you have a happy birthday. Eat a lot of Chocolate cake for me but make sure to run it off later. JK. I´ll be back for your next B-day so make sure you take advantage of this one. *Ü*

Lucrecia was baptized On Saturday. My comp Elder Cervantes baptized her. My comp almost drowned her but it was a pretty sweet baptism. On Sunday Juan Carlos Restrepo confirmed her.

Yesterday we put a baptismal fecha for this Saturday, with a woman named Elba who really wants to be baptized. She has been to church a couple times and to a few activities. We also might invite a woman named Aurora to be baptized this Saturday as well. There are a few others that we are going to invite for baptism this week as well. Presidente Galvez is planning on coming with us to do Elba´s interview. We have a lot of work to this week.

Also this last Saturday, after the baptism we had the ward´s Actividad Navideño. There was food, clowns, juggling show, piñata, a cake tasting competition, music, and lots of fun. We contacted a lot of non-member people that came, spoke with some menos activos, recieved references, and had a good time with our recent converts and the members.

The Reyes family who sells shoes, gave me new shoes yesterday. I feel bad because i was about to buy some for myself and when i wanted to pay them they just gave them to me. I think Im going to burn my old shoes for my one year Anniversary, Christmas, and New Years. *Ü*

I am going to be calling on Christmas probably in the morning. Maybe at about 10 or 11. Just have the phone with you all day.

Feliz Navidad! ★

...I'll keep trying!

December 14, 2009

YEAR

This week we knocked a lot of doors. Some of the young men in the ward came out with us to work a few days this week. Jose Pablo and Marcelo (recent convert) came with us on Tuesday and Juan Carlos keeps coming with us to prepare for his mission as well. I´ve been giving classes to Juan Carlos and Elder Cervantes (mini-missionary) on how to teach each of the lessons and its been pretty cool to help all these young men get ready for their mission. A guy from the ward named Gilber, left on his mission to Honduras last week. This next week we are also going to go to work with Bryan and Gabriel (recent converts).

This week we cooked a lot but the stove and the microwave stopped working and so now we´ll probably starve to death. JK. Thank you again Grandma and Grandpa for the package. Everything I wanted was inside. thnx.

Yes, I know Elder Ash mom. He was in my district when I was in Moravia and he was in Tibas with Elder Tagliaferi. Elder Ash is awesome.

Lucrecia is going to be baptized this Saturday. We found a lot of new investigators this week. We have recieved some references. They call someone a entrenador (trainer) when there companion is a greenie, although we don´t use greenie much here. Recently Elder Clark of the Seventy asked us to not speak with those nicknames because if someone is in a taxi, and a missionary says," I killed my father" (his trainer finished his mission when he was with him) what will the taxista think.*Ü* So we're going to have to break the habit even though I rarely speak like that, just in the emails.

I know that Jesus Christ is our Saviour and Redeemer. He is always there inviting us to come unto him. Although sometimes we don't listen, he is always there with his hand outstretched and if we take hold and follow him we can find true happiness and return with our Heavenly Father again. I know this church is the true church of Christ and his gospel and his doctrine. I Know that Joseph Smith was truly a prophet of God. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and if we abide by its precepts we will get closer to God. I know the gospel of Jesus Christ is what everyone in the world needs and although sometimes they don't accept it or want to listen I'll keep trying, because I know that when the people do listen and accept the gospel, they are blessed greatly. ♥

Called to Serve

MTC Choir

That is why I dont like saying goodbye...

December 7, 2009

My comp Elder Perez had changes today. This last week he was sad because he was sure he would have changes, and he did. We spent all of yesterday saying goodbye to everyone. There were a few tears shed,and that is why I dont like saying goodbye. Elder Perez is really going to miss this area, because he really loved it here. The people here are like a family to him. I told him not to worry because he can love every one of his areas and the Lord really needs him elsewhere. Apparently the Lord needs him in Vizcaya, in Zona La Sabana because that is where he got sent.

My new comp is a mini-missionary named Elder Cervantes. A mini-missionary is like a temporary missionary that they call when they need more missionaries. Elder Cervantes is 18 years old and is preparing to go on a mission next September. He is from Concepcion, here in Costa Rica. He will be my comp until December 24th, and then they will send me another mini-missionary.

Daniela and David are still doing really well. They are attending church and mutuals and making friends. Lucrecia also goes to church and mutuals with her cousin and she is set to be baptized on the 19th of this month (December).

Mutual this last week was awesome. We were able to get Jerson and James (some recent convert jovenes) to go with us to mutual, because they usually don't go. We also helped Bryan (another recent convert joven), who's family is having financial problems, make it to mutual as well. The young mens mutual activity plans didn't work out, but we started an American Football game going. Elder Perez was captain of one team and I was captain of the other team. In the end i think we ended up at a tied game. It was awesome. We were supposed to play just two hand touch but everyone was tackling each other so that rule got thrown out. I sacked Elder Perez a few times and leveled him once on accident. His team took it out on me a few times (especially the two times i intercepted the ball, ouch) but couldnt stop my recievers from getting a few passes for touchdowns. James went long and caught two of my passes for touchdowns. David ran super fast and made two touchdowns running the ball. Elder Perez's team got us with a few trick plays, when they pretended to hand the ball off to someone and everyone followed that guy, the guy who actually had the ball ran it in for a touchdown. Everyone also had a good laugh when I dived on the hood of a parked car while trying to tackle the guy running for a touchdown. Although it didn't hurt, it sure made a loud sound. After the young woman finished their activity they came out and everyone ate hot dogs together. In the end it was an awesome mutual because a bunch of menos activo jovenes, recent convert jovenes, and investigator jovenes, were able to come and have a good time together. The recent converts Gabriel, Marcelo, Jerson, James, David, Daniela, Bryan, etc. came. Also Eric, a inactive joven, came and is coming back to church. Even some of the younger kids, like Joan were at church so we got to teach kids how to throw a football. I think everyone had a great time. *Ü*

I got a package from Grandma and Grandpa today. Thanks!

I hope everyones doing GRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAT!

Peace.★

Thank you Grandma & Gradndpa for the Package...

Thank you Grandma for the cookies...

Gracias Abuelita por la corbata!