Mario was confirmed yesterday! = D

April 27, 2009

hi, this week we had a lot of work. Mario was confirmed yesterday in Sacrament meeting and I was able to confirm him. Mario’s brother Marcos, is now staying at a place where they take care of him and feed him (I don’t know what it’s called) and Mario says it’s really nice. It’s hard to be away from his brother but Mario is glad he’s in a better place and can be taken care of and Mario always goes and visits him. Leo is awesome and rock solid. He reads the scriptures all the time and almost done with bom (Book of Mormon), comes to church, is doing his home teaching, has become friend with other members, and is sharing the gospel with all of his friends. We have started teaching one of his friends named Billy who is also pretty awesome. Leo and Billy came with us when we taught Laura this week. As far as our other investigators go, they aren’t really progressing.

Laura and Katie seem disinterested sometimes and Andrea has been acting different lately and she can’t be baptized as long as she lives with her "husband". She has a 3 year old kid, I don’t know if he’s the father. We have started teaching a girl who Bonn and I found a long time ago in Los Sitios (it’s the girl who we were going to teach when we almost got shot). When we showed up this time she seemed a lot more excited to see us and she said she was thinking about calling us. We have also found other investigators this week. One we found yesterday seems pretty solid. His name is Alex and he has 3 kids and is close to his family. We had a really good lesson with him and I think he could be golden. I think we cae him bien (he likes us *Ü*) as well because he offered to take us up to the National Park in our area (the one we tried to get to a couple weeks ago but ended up stranded on the side of the road) and we will probably do that next week.

Hermano Saenz finally made my leather tie that I designed and it turned out sickly sweet. I wore it to church yesterday and everyone loved it. Some of the members and my comp have even ordered some from hno. (brother) Saenz. My tie has the Costa Rican crest on it and says "Pura Vida". It’s kind of hard to tie, but when you tie a tie everyday, you get pretty good at it.

The members here are really awesome people, and I know most of them pretty well now. I’m even one hermana's favorite missionary (Hermana Nuyet). She wants me to tell you mom and dad that you did a good job raising me. =* }

I want more details about our School, soccer, soccer fight and who got in trouble. I know we didn’t win the state championship but who did...? We are still 4A right? But are we going to be 5AII next year? Has any new music come out? How is it? No Doubt new CD? Life? School? Good movies come out? Miss me?

Right now in Tibas, with District and ZLs. We are going to play soccer at an indoor cancha.

peace ♥

It´s been a REALLY long week! : l

April 20, 2009

It’s been a really long week. We’ve been working really hard. Since I know the area, I have more control about what we do and I have a lot more responsibility, which I like (that’s what I mean when I say I’ve been leading the area). We have a lot of good stuff to work with; we were able to get 10 new investigators this week. Leo was baptized on Saturday and received the Holy Ghost and the Priesthood on Sunday. He was baptized by a member he used to work with named Rodman, who is the guy who first gave him a book of Mormon. Rodman is also the one who baptized Leo’s friend Jimmy a few weeks ago. On Sunday Leo said I could confirm him, but somehow Bishop ended up doing it. I was disappointed at first, but I'm just glad he could receive the Holy Ghost. He’s awesome. Unfortunately, Mario hasn’t been confirmed yet. We visit him often, but he is just going through some really tough times. He has been trying to get his brother into a place where they could take care of him, so he can get a better job and won’t have to work on Sunday. He is really stressed and we are trying to find a way to get him to Church so he can have the Holy Ghost to help him. We are going to his house right after we finish emailing.

In other news, Laura got her old job back. She is a publicist. I went on divisions with my District Leader Tagliaferri last week as well and we went all the way up to San Jeronimo and walked farther up than I’ve ever been. We also explored Los sitios a little more and went all the way down a road I’ve always wanted to go down (we finally made it passed all the dogs) *Ü*

My area is so sick. The areas I explored is pure campo (Tagliaferri and I mooed at the cows again) and I also have ghetto and city areas. There are a lot of hills and a few rivers (mostly full of trash unfortunately). Elder Tagliaferri is training a new missionary named Elder Ash, from Lehi, Utah. He is really cool and I wish he was my comp. This week I finally dry cleaned my suit for the first time. We taught the girl that works there awhile ago but didn’t go back. Now we started teaching her again when I went to pick up my suit. She seems really good. The Girl at the China restaurant hasn’t been at work lately and today I found out why. The china lady told me she is pregnant. Darn it! Anyway, today we did Judo (I'm tired of it), played ping pong (we made the net out of hymn books at the church), and played soccer with the locals (we won).

I’m sorry I haven’t sent baptism pics yet. Hopefully I’ll send Veras, Marios, and Leos pics soon. About the package, did you already send it. I found out the little blue book I left in Baltimore is called The Pocket Reference Book for Missionaries, Parents, and Instructors: Doctrine and Info, Inspiration, and Religions of the World. Is that the book you ordered? What books did you order? I was hoping everything would come in one package because I know how expensive it is. They don’t have good pens in this country so some pens, gummy worms or bears, and pics (recent or old, I don’t care) would be good.

Dad, when you called the mission office to talk about my card, you talked with Elder Carr. I happened to call Elder Carr 2 minutes after you talked to him (because we needed to get permission to buy a new phone, because our old phone would ring non stop and sometimes the 1 and 4 buttons wouldn’t work) so he told me right then about the card. how are you doing? how is school, life? Did we win the soccer state championship, etc... I hope to eventually send home my blue suit, trench coat, and a CD with all my pictures. We’ll see what happens. Peace.

Long Week!

April 13, 2009

Short but better that nothing! (M♡M) =* }

It´s been a long week. A lot of work. Ive been leading the area here and doing everything possible to get investigators to church. Even when you call members and arrange to pick them up with members something always goes wrong. Mario didn't make it to Church so he still hasn't been confirmed. Hannia wasn't there although we came to pick her up. We started teaching Andrea (Vera´s daughter) this week and its going really well. We also taught Laura again, she still needs to pray. Leo is doing good and I think he will be baptized this Saturday. We visit him often. We have gotten a lot of new investigators that could be good this week as well.

On p'days we've been practicing Judo. The Tapia family in our ward are good at it. The kids are all National champions in Judo. it's good and we've learned a lot. In the package can you get me a Rick's Ready Reference or the book you bought me at Deseret Book ( the blue small one), or one like it because I left that book in Baltimore. Talk later.

Changes!

April 06, 2009

This week we had changes. I have my new companion. His name is Elder Kamiya and he is from Hawaii. He has 17 months on the mission. Elder Bonn did go to 'Turialba' and his companion was the Ecuatorian guy we saw at Wendy’s. My Dl is training a new elder from Utah. Every companionship in our zone had changes except for our zone leaders. This weekend they showed General Conference at the Stake Center in 'Purral'. We were only allowed to watch the sessions on Saturday if we had investigators there. We had planned to have investigators but they didn’t show up. Even the ones we tried to pick up couldn’t go. We were able to watch the Priesthood session on Saturday and both sessions on Sunday. We took an inactive 15 year old named Luis to conference on Sunday.

Elder Kamiya baptized him like 6 months ago in another area. Luis and his family moved here in 'Dulce Nombre' and he hasn’t been to Church. I’ve been trying to get him to Church but now that Kamiya (the one who baptized him) is here it will be better. We put a baptismal date with a woman named Hannia and her daughter the other day. We have to continue working with her. We are going to set another date with Leo as well. Mario hasn’t been confirmed yet. We are going to confirm him and maybe give him the priesthood this Sunday. Vera is rock solid. Her daughter Andrea is going to start getting the lessons for herself now. This week is Semana Santa (Holy Week) so our p'day isn’t today this week. Our p’day will be on Friday, but no buses will be running so I don’t know what were going to do. We got a lot of work to do this week and I'm really tired already. If you send a package I just want some food (gummy bears and worms, cookies, candy, etc.) and some pictures from home and a pen. So Elder Anderson talked about tio (uncle) Edgar in the conference? when was it, I think I missed it. talk to you later. ♥ (It was during the press conference… Van driven by a Mission President Bolivarrrr *Ü*)

Intense Week!

March 30, 2009

Hello, This week was pretty intense. We had 3 day divisions. I went to Leon XIII (ghetto) and my district leader came to Moravia to do the two baptismal interviews for Leo and Mario. I was with Elder Nuñez for divisions and we taught some good lessons. We challenged a couple to baptism but they need more time. We told them, all they need to know is that is true and be ready to change. We’ll see what happens. We also taught half of 1st lesson about restoration and left a pamphlet with a teenage guy in ‘La Peregrina’. After we left he ran after us and asked more questions like why he doesn’t feel the spirit in his bible class (he wants to be preacher) and that he is confused. We told him about Joseph Smith and went good. We set up an appointment with him for next week but I won’t be there because it’s not my area. It should be good. I got back to my area Moravia on Friday night after meeting my comp and the District Leaders at Wendys in Centro San Jose. We had to move the two baptisms (Mario and Leo) to Sunday morning before Church. Unfortunately, Leo lost his job this week and then he drank and smoked so he wasn’t able to be baptized. We will keep working with him and he will be baptized but he has to stop drinking and smoking. Mario didn’t show up for his baptism so we were disappointed, but he did show up to Church. He had been running late. We made sure he was still ready to be baptized and we had his baptism after church. Elder Bonn baptized him and the whole baptismal service was awesome. There were many members there and they showed a lot of support. Mario is awesome and he was very happy. He burst into tears when he bore his testimony. I am going to confirm him and he will receive the Holy Ghost next Sunday in Sacrament. I forgot my camera today so ill send Vera and Mario’s baptism pictures next week (hopefully).

My companion, Elder Bonn has changes this week. I am staying in Moravia. Changes are Thursday and I hope I get a cool companion. We already basically know where Elder Bonn is going because we went to the office today to say goodbye to the AP Elder Crowther who is going home. While in the office we put many clues together and we basically know he is going to Turialba. He really wanted to be close to the beach but at least Turialba has campo. He’s been in Moravia for 6 months and wants a change. We also kind of know who his comp is as well. We saw him at Wendy´s and were pretty sure it’s an Ecuadorian Elder who is kinda new. Every companionship in our zone has changes except for the zone leaders (Elder Howl and Elder Siballa). Elder Nuñez is finally leaving his area and so is Elder Jones. Elder Fallevai (awesome, strong, humble, Tongan dude who has learned English and Spanish on his Mission and was going to play for the Tongan National Rugby team (he taught me some Rugby tips the other day)) is also leaving the zone. Changes should be interesting. I am glad I’m not leaving Moravia yet because there is a lot of work to do. We have been so busy and are going to be busier. We still need to baptize Leo Alvarado. We need to work with recent converts Vera and Mario. We need to work with Vera’s family. Vera is trying to work with her husband. Vera’s daughter Helen is ready to be baptized but needs to get married. Work with her kids Luis and Francis. Vera’s other daughter Andrea is interested in baptism and wants us to teach her and her "husband". Leo’s mother, who was against him being baptized, told elder Bonn the other day that she can see the change in Leo and she likes it so maybe she will listen to the lessons. We also want to work with Mario’s brother and other family. We also have investigators like Laura and Jose Mario and Jose Robles. We also have many people in the ward that need support right now. Hno (brother) Saenz’s wife just died and Hno Vargas lost his job. We also have some inactives and we received 3 references that are golden.

Anyway how’s everyone doing? I took money out because I ran out for the month. Rent went up a little bit but I don’t think we’re moving. I haven’t seen much wildlife here yet. Just a few spiders, lizards, lots of dogs and cats and birds, etc (like the dogs and cats we can hear behind our house. they are the weirdest sounding dogs and cats I’ve ever heard. they sound more like aliens. sometimes we think there is a fantasy world behind our house because we hear the strangest sounds back there and we can’t see anything because there is only one tiny window, that is close to the ceiling in our room, that looks behind our house. There is a weird sounding bird that always wakes us up back there as well). The scriptures are really interesting, especially when you use the seminary workbooks to help you understand better. Mom, if you send a package I want gummy worms, cookies, candy, and I don’t know... ask me again next week. Oh, by the way, it’s my companion’s Birthday today. Goodbye.