Week 35 "I'm back in Nicoya"

This week Lij said his Mission President brought him back to Nicoya.  After almost a week of being gone, he is excited to be back.  He is working with a few families that are progressing and is suppose to have a baptism soon.  He is grateful to still be with companion, he calls him his "hijo" and he loves him.  We love this boy and we are grateful for how hard he works.  

Week 34 "We are opening a new area"

Elder Larson and Elder Arriola got a call Monday morning telling them that they need to go to Huerca, which is on the coast to find housing for themselves.  They are going to open the area that has never been successful.  It was opened briefly last year for 6 weeks, but was immediately closed.  It sounds like they have quite the challenge on their hands.  

Lij told us that he tried coffee for the first time....actually cafe de maiz.  It's what the church gives to investagators to replace their regular coffee habit.  He said it was delicious!  hahaha....he wants us all to try it.  

He was a little bummed this week.  He and his companion went and bought $80.00 worth of food.  They hadn't had that much food in awhile.  They were a little disappointed after a long day to come home and have more than half of the food covered in ants.  Lij said that his companion almost started crying. 

He said that he will miss Nicoya.  He loves it there.  He loves the investigators and especially his cook and her family.  He said he will really miss them.

Week 33 "I love Nicoya"

Well I never told you how bad the excema is, basically the doctor told me that he can't cure me, and that it was pretty serious! I went and got needles stuck in my behind, I'm on pills for 21 days have a cream I have to use everyday till I get home from my mission andI have an emergency cream!

Todays the first time I've woken up without bloody eyes/arms in a long time! I'm feeling better.   The doctor told me that both of you have to have had excema genetically for mine to be this bad!  He said that his goal is to control it till I get home and then it will be fine!

This week I served in the most dangerous part of Costa Rica, its called the Carpio.  I basically didn't get to work too much because I had to go to San Jose for three days so that I could go to the doctor.  I taught a family and they all started bawling because I listened to the spirit.   Other missionaries visited this family over a year ago but never invited them to church, and the lady broke down and said "I have prayed everyday since I was nineteen that the Lord would send me someone, that He would answer my prayers but no one came until you all.   Why didn't anyone come?" and she sobbed sobbed and sobbed she is 65 and it was sad.  

Week 32 Another Busy Week

This week were so lucky to get a text and a picture from a dear family from Idaho vacationing in Costa Rica.  Elijah has been sick and this sister's opening sentence was "we saw your healthy and happy son."  What a wonderful blessing to our family.  Elijah is having wonderful experiences in his new area.  He is teaching a family of nine and is loving the new experiences he is having daily. Thursday he is taking the six hour drive to the capital to visit with the mission president.  

This week Elijah sent us the letter he sent to his mission president in Spanish.  We had Gera, a salesman that is like family, come for family home evening and translate it for us.  It was wonderful.  We are proud of how this boy is striving to obediently serve his Heavenly Father.  

Week 31 Elijah and his companions sing

Elijah had a great week last week.  He has been working really hard.  It sounds like he has a huge area.  There are two towns that they are mainly working and they are a two hour bus ride apart.  It sounds like the area is very rural with lots of walking and bus rides.  Most the members he works with are in Nicoya.  In order to go to the mission home, he and his companion take a five hour bus ride into the city.  

This week he and Elder Arriola had to go to the mission home, which made for a very long day.  He missed his P-Day so the Mission president let him write home on Tuesday.  He loves his mission president.  He said its like being around his dad with how strict he is.  We think its kind of funny as all the kids flee the house whenever their dad has a day off.  

We can't believe he has been on his mission for seven months.  The reality of it is how fast its gone.  We love our Tico.  

Week 30

This past week Elijah had the chance to work with his mission president in his area.  It sounds like it was a very busy week.  Elijah said the highlight was attending church meetings with his mission president.  They had an investigator attend church so they are starting to see progress!  He says that it is great to be near the beach again.  We love our boy. 

Week 29 Giraffes, Zebras and Monkeys

The Elders in his area are invited every four months to go to a wild animal reserve.  He said it was awesome.  It was the first time he has ever been able to feed a giraffe (that's his hand in the picture), see zebras up close, and if you look closely, Elijah is pointing out the monkeys in the tree.  He thought it was pretty cool.

He said that his new area is a little tough.  He said that he and his companion one day knocked on nearly 100  doors.  He said that they were let in twice and told that the people were Catholic and not interested.  As they were going home, his companion asked him if missions were always this hard.  He said that he didn't know what to say to him.  

He said the best thing about this last week was being able to see the ocean.  He said that he loved that.  He truly is in a beautiful area.  He said that while he was at the beach a man approached him and told him "thank you for serving our Heavenly Father."  Elijah said that he started to totally bawl.