Week 48 "I Got A New Companion"

"Elder Biasi is going home in two weeks, so he needs to train his replacement to be the new Finance Secretary.  So right now I am in a trio.  My new companion is Elder Powers and you will never guess where he is from!  Alamagordo,
 New Mexico.  He is the only other missionary that is from New Mexico.  He told me that he went through the Albuquerque Temple a month after I did, and he is three months behind me.  Here is a picture of the office staff.  He is the blonde.  We have been busy in the office but have still had time to teach a few discussions.  Also, something interesting, Elder Renlund is coming to our mission next week.  That should keep us really busy".  

Week 47 "Mother's Day Call!!!!!"

He called!!!!  We were so excited.  We got to spend 45 minutes with our boy and it was wonderful.  He looked and sounded great!!!

Elijah said that this week has been extremely busy in the office.  There are a lot of new missionaries coming in and paperwork had to be filled out for all of them.  He said that hopefully he can finish all of it up this next week.  

He told us that this last week, he and Elder Biasi had 11 investigators at church on Sunday.  When they told President Laboriel, he said he nearly fell out of his chair.   Lij said that they are teaching a few of those investigators.  

Lij told us a funny story.  He said:

"Ok so I have all the pictures that you guys have sent me on my desk.  You know the pictures I'm talking about.   The printed out ones!  So super funny, I was gone and the AP's and my companion where sitting there and President sees the pictures.  He saw a picture of me at prom on top! and we aren't allowed to have girlfriends!  So President says UHHHHHUUUUHHHHHHH and then goes and is looking at all my pictures! He made some hilarious comments.  The AP's explained that she isn't a girlfriend she is just a friend, but president ended up looking at all of my photos. 

Funny comments:

Grandpa with the elk, "He killed that poor animal!"

Olivia and E with the squirrels, "Even his little sister is a killer!"

You me and Liv asleep, "What the heck!"  They explained to him that I love you a ton

and just a bunch of hillarious stuff

Week 46 "I had some sketchy stuff happen this week"

Elijah had a stressful but good week this last week.  He wrote the following:

"Well I got a call from the Church saying that something went wrong and that a sister was going to be deported out of Costa Rica.  The man that called from the Church was like "Elder you need to get this fixed now!"  Needless to say this sister had to serve in her home country awhile and the other secretary didn't send her papers with her.  Anyway, I got everything fixed.  President called me and said "Elder, you are a good missionary!"

He told us that Elder Alonso came from the Quorum of Seventies.  Lij said that was a special experience.  

No pictures this week.  He said that there is not much to take pictures of when you work in the office!

Week 45 "In the Office Every Day till 8"

Elijah didn't have too much to say this week.  He said that he has been so busy in the office that there is little time to teach.  But that is okay.  They are working hard.  

He said:  "Well, 15 new missionaries got her and then I got a call saying that two more were reassigned to our mission as an emergency.  So basically I've been in the office the whole week.  Also, I went and took all of my buddies to the airport and we all bawled together.   It was sad."

We are very excited to talk to him this Sunday.  It will be Mother's Day and it can't come soon enough!

Week 44 "Javier was Baptized"

Elijah was super excited to tell us that Javier got baptized.  It was really special.  Javier had a good friend Eddy, who introduced him to the church. Elijah was lucky enough to teach him and baptize him.  

Elijah told us that this week he took one of the AP's around town to buy gifts for his family.  He is about to go home.  Elijah said that he has become good friends with the AP's and have know them since he came to Costa Rica.  He said that it will be really sad when they leave.  

He told us the following story about his week:  "I was doing a money balance of $2000 that I used for immigration.  It was to show the church that I wasn't stealing any money.  And I was missing $40.  I was so upset!  For eight hours I was looking through everything to see if there was another receipt or something that I missed.  Then after millions of prayers I felt as if I should look at the conversion receipt.  The bank destroyed me in the conversion!  I had to go from dollars to colones to dollars to colones and I got destroyed!  I was so relieved! hahahahahaha"

He also told us that he has been working hard in the office and will be there late every day because they are preparing for a General Authority to come.  Elder Alonso is coming and the missionaries in the office are preparing everything.  It should be very exciting.