Elder Black Costa Rica San Jose Mission: 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!!!!!