CREATED AND UPDATED BY: M♡M

People were pretty happy to see me which was awesome. ☺

January 18, 2010

Today, we had changes and Elder Hansen and I took the train to San Jose again. I got a new comp to work with me here in Heredia. His name is Elder Benedit, from Honduras. He has 3 months on the mission. He is the youngest of 14 kids and is really good at basketball.

This Saturday we had another baptism with Hansen in Barrio Flores. It was the baptism of Carlos Delgado. I had met him on divisions a couple months ago and its awesome that he finally got baptized. His girlfriend is a member and i think they want to be sealed. It was cool to hear his testimony after the baptism. He couldn't say much because of the tears, but you could feel his testimony without much words.

After the baptism there was a go away party for a guy named Abner, who leaves on his mission on Wednesday. Ive known Abner since i got here as well and he is going to Guatemala on his mission. A guy named Gilber, from the Heredia ward left on his mission to Honduras in December. Another guy in Heredia named Rolando is going to Chile on his mission next month. Anyway Abners party was sweet and we got food.

Although these last couple weeks we haven't been in Heredia much, the Lord has really blessed us to find escojidos. We are a woman named Ada Luz, who could be baptized on the 31st of this month. Her daughter Jesenia, is a member who just moved here from Nicaragua. We had a Noche de Hogar with Ada Luz and Jesenia at Hna. Lorenas house yesterday. Elba was there as well. We watched the video "Como Hallar Fe en Cristo" and we talked about if we have Faith in Christ, we will be willing to do anything he commands us (ex- palabra de sabiduria, diezmos, ley de castidad). (word of wisdom, tithing, law of chastity) It was a great night and Ada Luz has been to church 3 times now.

We also found a couple named Alejandro and Sandra a couple weeks ago. Elder Brenes and I knocked there door in La Milpa while looking for a reference (house numbers in La milpa are really messed up, so we never found the house we were looking for) and they invited us in. Alejandro has had a rough past but found God and changed his life 13 years ago. He feels there is still something missing and feels he has the responsibility of finding the truth for himself and his family. His wife Sandra says she knows we are sent from God and we found them for a reason. She told us she usually doesn't let anyone in, but something told her to let us in and listen to our message. She always tells us that she can feel the difference of the spirit when we are at her house and she really likes it when we are there. They love to read the Bible and are now reading the Book of Mormon.

Yesterday we also taught a 16 year old named Daniel for the 2nd time. He is a friend of a joven that we reactivated named Erick Diaz. Daniel has had problems with his family and with other things jovenes face. Yesterday he came to church for the 2nd time and tomorrow hes going to mutual for the 2nd time as well. Yesterday he told us that a couple weeks before he met us he had been praying to God to help him get closer to him (God) and to be happy, and that when I showed up at Erics house with Elder Brenes, and he heard our message, he knew it was God´s answer. He said he wants to be baptized but needs a little bit more time. He´s awesome.

Also we received a reference from CRE (Church organization that helps the unemployed find a job) this last week. Her name is Natali, and she feels that we were sent to her for a reason. She is a really cool lady and we´re visiting her again tomorrow.

Yesterday, Elder Hansen needed to go to Barrio Flores, for Carlos´s confirmation, and i needed to go to Heredia for church because the ward missed me too much when I didn't go to church in Heredia last week (I was in Flores and Aurora). Obviously we can´t be in two places at once so we did divisions to go to church. We woke up in San Juaquin and then Elder Hansen and Johan dropped me off in Heredia (at church with Marcelo) and they went back to San Juaquin. Church was awesome. There were 6 investigators there. Ada Luz, Daniel, Jessica and Norberto, and two single adult women named Daniela and Natali. Abraham, our ward mission leader, teaches the investigator class. He is a really cool guy and good teacher. He came back from his mission in Honduras 7 months ago. Tonight we are going to have a Noche de Hogar at his house with his family, Norberto and Jessica, and the single adult women that came to church, Daniela and Natali. Church is always pretty crazy because i have to try to put a bunch of citas and people are always trying to talk to me at the same time, but its pretty sweet. I love the area and the ward here, people were pretty happy to see me which was awesome.

I hope everyone is doing good. I'm working on sending the pictures and letters, but this week is going to be crazy. I received a package today from Aunt Evon and fam, and a package from the Wolfley fam (YM/YW). The packages are awesome. Thank you so much. Man, packages are really expensive to send. Don´t send me any more mom and dad *Ü*... But if you do, I want aRubik's cube. Ive learned the Rubik's cube and acquired some piano skills out here on the mission, but I don't think a piano will fit in the package. Elder Cervantes said he would send me one, so maybe he will and you won´t have to, I don´t know. I love all of you and have peace.

Love,
Elder Tobler