Week 14 "This is Hector"

"Hector is a 16 year old young man that we have been teaching.  We actually have been teaching him and his family.  Hector has decided that he wants to be baptized on his birthday which is October 14th.  He says that he wants to go on a mission in one year.  His family is not quite where Hector is, but they are really nice and they let us teach him." 

***Hector's mom, Maribel, messaged James and I Sunday night on Facebook.  She said that they love Elijah and thanked us for having such a nice son.  She sent us this picture:

Elijah also sent us a picture of his cook.  Her and her family were able to go to the temple and be sealed together.

***Elijah finally received two packages that we mailed to him.  He was so excited!  He told us that he wasn't going to lie, he cried a little when he got it.  Inside were some of the things that he misses so much about home.  His favorites included Hershey Bars, and Hot Fries.  He said that when he went home that night he planned on buying some milk and eating hot fries!  

Week 13 "I was on the News"

Elijah had a good week.  He was a little discouraged because all the investigators that he and his companion have had, all need to get married.  It is really expensive to get married in Costa Rica and many people just don't have the money to do it.  He said many of them were ready to get baptized if only they had money to get married.  We will be praying for all of them.

He had a really cool experience.  He said:

     "I had one cool experience, I closed my eyes and said a prayer and asked Heavenly Father to send me where he wanted us to go.  I felt go three more streets and then turn left and contact this little street, so we did.  We got to the last house without anything and I knocked on the door and a 45 year old man came out.  He said Elders how are you doing????  We said good and asked him what his name was.  I then got the strongest impression that someone was waiting for him across the veil.  He said my name is Alfredo!  We asked how do you know the missionaries?  He said my Dad was a member that went to church and the temple and everything, but he passed away 9 years ago, but I'm not a member.  And then he asked when we could come by and teach him!"

He also told me that he was on the news.  He said:

     "We were contacting in the park and one of the News Men came up to me and started talking to me!  I was all Soy un missionary de La Iglesias de Jesus Cristo de Los Santos de Las Ultimas Dias (I am a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints)!!!  And then he asked me if I like Costa Rica and stuff like that and at the end he said Pura Vida Champion and I said Pura Vida!"

Week 12 "We hiked a mountain!"

Elijah had 10 investigators come to church this last week, he was so excited.  He appreciates every one's prayers and feels that they have really helped him this last week.  His excited for all the work that is ahead for him and his companion.   

Week 11 "It's tough"

Elijah had a pretty tough week this week.  He said that all of the people that he and his companion have been teaching have all decided to not continue.  He seemed very discouraged, but promised that he will continue to work hard and find some new investigators.  He told us that his zone has only had two baptisms in the last two months.  We look forward to praying and fasting for Elijah to find success in Costa Rica.

Mid Week Update.. Little Caesars

Late last night we got a message on Facebook from the Elder's Quorum President in the ward that Elijah is serving in.  He sent us these pictures.  He said that Elijah was so excited to eat pizza and wanted a picture to send to his mom.  I love this boy!  I love that he was able to eat pizza that he is familiar with!  And I love that the people of Costa Rica are taking care of him!

Week 10 "No Pictures this week, I've been too busy!"

Lij had a good and bad week this week.  The bad news for the week was that the baptism that they had scheduled backed out and she doesn't want to reschedule it. He was a little bummed about that, but he looks forward to continuing with someone else.

He told us a really cool story.  Each week Elijah writes to his Mission President to give him an update on the week.  He has written each week that he has been in Costa Rica, but was unsure if he had time to read all the missionaries.  Elijah was at a meeting the other day with a bunch of missionaries and in pops the Mission President.  He asked them to open their scriptures to Helaman 10:1-5 which says:

1 And it came to pass that there arose a division among the people, insomuch that they divided hither and thither and went their ways, leaving Nephi alone, as he was standing in the midst of them.  

2.  And it came to pass that Nephi went his way towards his own house, pondering upon the things which the Lord had shown unto him.  

3.  And it came to pass as he was thus pondering-being much cast down because of the wickedness of the people of the Nephites, their secret works of darkness, and their murderings, and their plundering, and all manner of iniquities-and it came to pass as he was thus pondering in his heart, behold, a voice came unto him saying:

4.  Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingess declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people.  And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments. 

5.  Ad now, because thous hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that ll things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will. 

He asked them what they thought was important about these verses.  He said that the most important thing was that they worked with unwearingness!  He said that there was an elder in their group that had knocked doors for eight hours one day, and was only let in one house.  The person there said that they were Catholic and that they were not interested.  The Elder worked with unwearingness.  When the meeting was over, the Mission President came up to him and gave him a big hug and told him to "keep working hard, Nephi."  Elijah told me that   he was the Elder.  I think that made Elijah feel pretty good!

Week 9 Humbling Experience

Here is a humbling experience that I had. We were walking and ran into a guy named Richard and asked if we could share our message with him. He said yes, so we went to a quanka, or in other places they are called favelas. He said Elders I am super sorry but I am really poor, then he opened a gate that was just a piece of wood. We walked in to see a mattress on a piece of wood on a dirt floor, and a tiny pot of beans on a tiny little survival kit stove on a little wood table no bigger than me and E's bathroom. We were teaching him and promised him that he would recieve more money and blessings if he came to church. We asked him Richard do you want that? He said Elders, money means nothing but blessings are everything! This is a man who is living almost homeless working 15 hours a day and sending what little he has to his son in Nicaragua. Humbling to say the least.