May 28, 2016

Nombres este semana si fue interesante! Voy a explicar lo que pasó este semana.

WOW!! There is so much to tell you, I don´t even know where to begin. I will go by days.

MONDAY- Well, President Laboriel Invited us personally over to his house at 8:00 am to join him for breakfast with him and Sister Laboriel. It was Elder Bullecer and I, Elder Contreras and Garcia (other secretaries), Elder Kirk and Elder Zibin (APs), and Elder Post and Pache (New APs). We ate beans, eggs, sausage, tortillas, avacado, and fried cheese. SO GOOD!! Sister Laboriel is such a good cook! After, President sat us down to talk about all of the crazy things that would happen this coming week. We realized that this wasn´t just a meeting that would be recorded. This would be a training video for mission presidents and general authorities to show them how a meeting SHOULD be when a general authority comes to your mission. Its a pretty big thing, I will explain it.

TUESDAY- The Mission Department and Camera crew comes through the church doors and presents themselves to us secretaries and APs. What we found out was the DIRECTOR is Garrett Batty. The director of the Saratov Approach!!!!!!!!!! I Elder Bullecer and I took of picture with the man;) At 4:00 pm, Elder Jorge Zeballos and is wife, along with President and his wife, walked through the office doors. The Camera men prepared us beforehand to tell us what to do. They made a special presentation of the office. Elder Zeballos came up to each of us and presented himself and we told him what our job was and where we were from. After him and President went into his office to do an interview. 

WEDNESDAY- We had a Multi-Zone conference. We got their early obviously to help set up with the camera men. As we set up, Elder Cordón (first Quorum of the seventy) walked in with his wife. During the meeting, they had President and Elder Zeballos all with make-up. They filmed our whole meeting. Nobody got to hug Elder Zeballos or anything special, just shake his hand. The meeting was GREAT. He talked about how we can better teach as missionaries and what things we need to do specifically to change our results. NOW, HERE IS THE COOL PART. Elder Zeballos and President come up to Elder Bullecer and I and say "We would like to come to your house and see how you 2 are living in your apartment." RIGHT!?!? SOOOOO, Elder Bullecer and I waited outside of our house. And 5 Toyotas pulled up outside our house. It was raining so My comp and I covered Sister Zeballos and Sister Laboriel with our umbrellas. We opened up the gate, and they all walked in the gate. Our landlord happened to be outside of her house, so the 2 camera guys and the Microphone guy, went up to her and started interviewing her about how we act as neighbors. Of course she only had good things to say;) haha Then, Elder Zeballos+wife, President+wife, the director Garrett Batty, the maker of Mormon.org Steve Allen, 2 camera men, and a mic guy, walk into our house and check it. They had us explain on camera our house, what we do, how we live and things like that. Now you are probably wondering, Was the house clean??? Of course it was and still is as always;) Elder Zeballos walked up to us on camera and said, "I congratulate you two for your hard work and very clean and organized house. I know that when you are in college you will both live just fine!" ALL ON CAMERA. They will be using that footage to show the general authorities!! 

THURSDAY- There was another Multi-zone meeting. This one, we didn't enter. HOWEVER, when everything was about to start, Elder Cordón, Elder Chavarría, And Elder Zeballos all walked in. 3 Seventies in our church building. This was a huge deal. After the meeting, we had our Leadership counsel. Elder Zeballos just gave us some instruction as leaders and then the meeting ended. As he started to leave, he came up to us as an office staff, and hugged each one of us. I didn´t want him to leave. He is an inspired man the made a huge impact on this mission. After all of the missionaries left, the camera men and directors were cleaning up. I found Garrett Batty alone in the piano room. So I walked in and said "Hey Garrett, can my companion and I take a picture with ya?" "You bet!!" he said. So we took a picture with the Director of Saratov Apporach and Freetown!! AWESOME!!!

As you can see, it was a very busy week!!! Lots of things to do! Lots of things to learn. This week will be changes week! I hope that it will all go good. On Thursday of this coming week, I will be sending my trainer Elder Dale home from the Airport. It was been almost 2 years since we were together in Guacimo. Now, his time has come to an end. Along with Elder Tullis, Elder Zibin, and Elder Kirk. Elder Bullecer will be training this change because he only has 1 change left. Elder Fredrickson from Idaho will be my next companion in July. Then with only 1 change together, I will be training in august the new Migration secretary before I come home. It is so weird that I can see where the rest of my mission is panning out. It has been a crazy week, and I am so so so so so tired...but also it has been an amazing week. I love you all so much and hope that you all know that. I got your package yesterday! Thanks for the ties, the candy, and the beef jerky. One of the members was so excited to see beef jerky that he bought a bag from me for $13. He had been waiting 30 years exactly to try beef jerky again. Thank you all for your letters. I will talk again next week! I LOVE YOU!!!!!

David´s Baptism!

Remember Marbel!?

My CLEAN Desk!!!

Right now! haha

New Costa Rica Tie-Thanks

Pool with the Caldwells!

GARRETT BATTY BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!--Director of "The Saratov Approach" and "Freetown"

May 21, 2016

Well, this week will be something a little more interesting. I will basically not be doing anything migration wise. Instead I will be in meetings with President, the assistants, a general authority, and a camera crew from Salt Lake City. They will be doing about 50 hours or so of filming on our mission. I think they will be making a training video for mission Presidents and general authorities. They will be filming our Multi-Zone meetings and our Leadership council. It is a pretty big thing! I am not even sure what to expect! Wish me luck and be praying for me please:) Elder Jorge Zeballos, President of the Mission Department will be here for 1 week! 

This week was the week of sacrifice! And trust me, it was a lot of sacrifice. I had to work, in Migration and in the office. It was so stressful and difficult. On Thursday morning AND Evening, I had to bring missionaries to get their IDs. I am not one to be late to appointments, so when the missionaries get to the office late, i get really mad and nervous. So when the 2 companionships came late, I had to pull them aside and chastise them because they came 30 minutes late! There are some people in the mission that don´t really like that I do that, but that is what President has told me to do. This mission is a mission of discipline...

I will let you all know how everything goes! I also have a baptism tonight at 7:30! Our second this month! Wish us luck! I love you all!! I will send pics of last weeks baptism!!

I did not take these pics, however this is the volcano that is really close to erupting here in Costa Rica right now! Crazy right?? It did the same almost 2 years ago when I was in Guacimo. The ash is hitting my area! #breathingash

 

Jose's Baptism

Mexican and Guatemalan Food!

Culture night! Missionaries cooking

May 14, 2016

Buenas Tardes!!!

This week was very interesting. I don´t know if it´s the same thing in the states right now, but this week was something that they call, "Family Week". So this week, they had lots of activities for the members to do and to bring their non-member friends with them to participate. ( Alot of the members didn´t even try to bring anyone, which helps us out alot...) However, some did!! And they loved it. We are hoping for lots of investigators in church on sunday because 1: We worked like crazy this week to get people in church. and 2: We have a baptism tonight, and a confirmation tomorrow!!

The boy´s name is José Antonio Corrales. He is 14 years old and is the cousin of a now Active member. His cousin´s name is Brayan Corrales. Brayan will actually be baptizing his cousins. One will be baptized tonight, and the other on the 22nd of this month. José actually this week broke his arm!! So we are going to put plastic bags on his cast and baptize that boy! 

Yesterday we had a ward talent show! I sang "Prueba la Promesa" for everyone and they loved it! They weren´t expecting it because they only think of Elder Bullecer and I as the "Office Elders" Next week is the week of sacrifice, and like always, I will have to work on migration stuff. On Thursday, I will be at migration from 10:00 am --1:00 pm and again from 5:00 pm --7:00 pm. Crazy right? It will be interesting. We will be working specifically to Find people that are ready to listen to the gospel. So please pray for us to find those "Chosen of the Lord". 

Today in Costa Rica it is really hot! However there is a slight wind! Green like always and crazy as ever. We just got done tossing around a football with the Ward Leaders. Something that came into my head yesterday and again today, is that the Costa Ricans do not rely on their schooling. They don´t think it is very important to them. They act like they can go on through life, beginning Poor, and expect to make more money in the future not going to school. They don´t have money, so the solution they have is to drop out of school and try to work. THEN, they can´t find a job that will accept them because they didn´t study. So then they are in an even bigger problem! I am grateful for diligent parents that, even though I am stubborn, made me go to school. You can literally SEE the difference in the people. You can teach someone something in the simplest way and they still don´t get it because they never learned how to process things inside their mind. I never thought I would say it but, SCHOOLING IS IMPORTANT! I see everyday, the results of non educated people, and it hurts to see them this way. That is why the Prophets have ALWAYS taught us to "Gain as much education as possible". There is a reason for it. 

I love you all so much. I hope that you all invite non-members to church activities because without your help, the missionaries will never reach their potential. Have a great week and I love you all so much! I am praying for you daily!

Skyping with the family on Mother's Day!

May 7, 2016

Buenos Dias!! Just to let everyone know, I will be Skyping at 7:00 pm tomorrow. It is the same time! so don't worry! I will get the same time, like 45 minutes.

My Buddy!

Cockroaches!!

April 30, 2016

Hello there everyone! I have been tired this whole week! Yesterday, Elder Bullecer was like, "Bro, go to sleep, you have huge bags under your eyes!" I was like, "Thanks man!"

This week we had our Leadership Counsel with President! We found out that Elder Zeballos from the Seventy is coming to our mission to do some special things to make us the example for Central America. They will be recording our meetings and a couple of missionaries (not me) for special things. It´s kind of like another one of those Preach my Gospel videos, but not as fancy. It will be interesting!

I went to Migration last week to make an ID appointment, and the lady there rejected us because she was "too busy". So I was like "okay, fine!" So I called the Lawyers! I said, "Look, I am not working on her schedule! She is supposed to help make these missionaries LEGAL in this country and she is preventing it from happening. Can you please make some changes in the Appointments?" and they DID!!! So know I am making special appointments for the missionaries. I just made things a lot easier for the next secretary. They had been working with the same lady for years!! And they always had problems, so I was just like, "To heck with it, we will work more efficiently." Speaking of Migration, I think that I have changed what I want to study. I feel like the Lord has blessed me with the ability to learn Spanish and work with migration really easy. I feel like I need to work with something in this field. I am going to be sitting down with my lawyers and I will be asking them what requirements are needed and things like this. I will be asking Lissa (the lawyer), to give me a recommendation letter so that I can use it when I get home. Let me know your thoughts!

Thank you for all that you all do! I can´t wait to talk on Mother´s Day! It will be my last time before coming back home to Utah! Enjoy it! ha, ha It will be at 7! I love you all! Have a great week!!!

The Costa Rican DREAM!!

Wild Raspberries

SLOTH HUNTING! We didn't find anything...