¡Hola mi familia!

Hello Family,

I hope this letter finds you well all the way from Costa Rica. Well, I arrived here about 2 pm (Costa Rica time) on Monday and it has been non stop crazy since. On Monday, as I said, we met the APs and they were really nice Elder Smith from Utah and Elder Centino from Nicaragua. Costa Rica is absolutely amazing and crazy at the same time. I cant believe I am here, but it is nothing like I imagined, don´t worry though, i am protected. On Monday we also ate dinner at Pres. Gálvez house and it was really good, then on Tuesday we went and got our fingerprints for our residency cards to live here. Then we had breakfast at the Presidents house, which also was really good, but i think my nerves are making me not very hungry, I havent ate much since i´ve been here, but i´m doing fine. We stayed with the APs in downtown San Jose which was an experience, I´ve never been in a city quite like this. I met my companion after a few hours of training on Tuesday, his name is Elder Bertrand, he is from Honduras and speaks little to no English, and I speak little to no spanish. It´s crazy, when I got here and listened to people speak, I felt like I learned nothing in the MTC, i said to myself this is a different spanish, not the spanish i learned, but I have a lot of work ahead of me if I am going to be successful with my spanish. My companion is awesome, he promised to teach me spanish if i would teach him english. They are putting more gringos togethere with nativos so that they can all be speaking two languages. My area is called Tibás I am in the City living with 2 other Elders, Elder Montierth from Boise, and Elder Nuñez from Honduras who also speaks no english. On Tuesday we took the taxi to our apartment and I put my luggage inside and immediately we were off to work, we went contacting and walking around because he isnt familiar with the area. We talked with about 4 people and made a few appointments to teach. My p-days will be on Mondays normally, but with the stream of new elders coming in on Monday we had it today after a really long but nice Christmas Multizone Conference. It was all in spanish, and I understood little to nothing, but it was good because the spirit was strong. Today I meet the Obispo or Bishop of the ward where we live, luckily the entire ward here speaks English. Its truly a humbling experience being in a completely different country where I dont understand anything, and have people look you up and down in a really weird way. Some people blatently ingore us as we come to the door and yell ¡upe! but others are really friendly. CR is the lowest baptizing mission in Central America but nonetheless they have tons of baptisms every month. Our focus as a mission is families and men who can be able to hold the priesthood, so we, as my companion says, looking for those of Gods children who look lost. I didnt say much as we contacted on Tuesday but I tried my best to communicate. Now I am sitting here in an internet cafe listening to the loudest traffic you´ll ever hear, with every body honking and yelling and speeding past. And I haven´t stopped thinking of you since I got on the plane at 5:30 on Monday. I´m so happy I was able to talk to you Mom for a few minutes on Monday, I can´t believe I cried that much, but even now I think of you and I start to get teary, when I think of all of you. I miss you a lot, and I feel very scared here in a totally different situation but I know its what Im supposed to do, where Im supposed to be. I look at my shoulder often now and I see you there cheering me on, it truly boosts me up. Well, I am happy, don´t get me wrong, I love what I´m doing it is just so different nothing I am ever used to before, but I know as my spanish improves I will be able to get into the swing of things. Mom HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW! Wow I sure do love you, and I´m sorry I couldnt be there for your birthday, but remember I am there in spirit and I will be thinking of you all day tomorrow. Remember you are loved even in Latin America by a really odd looking gringo walking the streets of Costa Rica and telling people about Jesus Christ. Haha. I hope you enjoy youre day and you all enjoy your holiday, now for what you are all probably waiting for, the call on Christmas. It will actually be on Christmas Eve at about 4 o clock CR time, i think it makes it 3 pm at home. You´ll probably have to buy a international phone card, in fact I would suggest it and you can call me at 01506(this is the number of the area) 2240-2042, I sure hope that works, and we´ll get to talk for as long as my companion will allow, but he is so chill Im sure he will let me talk for quite a bit. Once again the number is 01506 2240-2042, hopefully you can figure it out, I´m so excited to talk to you all. Well unfortunately my mission President has made a rule that we can only e-mail our families, but I will try to put little tidbits in my family e-mail for all of you! Mom, thanks for the christmas package, I can´t wait to open the letters on Saturday, but I did have to open all the presents in order for them all to fit into my bags, but i sure did like the temple calendar and the ties, thanks so much!

Maddison-thanks for all your support! I did get your package thanks so much! Unfortunately to make weight and to put everything into my bag i had to open all my christmas presents, but I loved them all thanks so much! Thanks for all your support while I was in the MTC and thanks for helping me get to CR you played a big part in getting me here, and I tell everyone here about you, even if it is in super broken spanish. It´s tough being here, I wont lie, but everytime I get sad or upset or i feel homesick, I just think about what I am here for, I am here to bring others closer to Christ who is my savior and theirs. When I think about that, all else just disappears and I am focused, It will take a little bit of time to get accustomed to a new culture, and a new language and new way of life, but I am excited for the next 22 months. Remember, I love you, you are in my prayers every night and I love the blanket! It really brings a piece of home with me. Tell your family I really appreciate their support and am so thankful to have them in my life. I´m so thankful for their examples and for yours. Stay strong and all remember I LOVE YOU! PS If you see Steph, by chance from Legacy House, tell her thanks so much for the packages, I really appreciated that.

BTW family, I you by chance want to send a package to CR, the only way that is best for you and for us is through USPS not UPS, DHL, or FedEx, they cost a whole bunch of money to drive into San Jose and pick them up, it´s just trouble, so if you want to send packages send them through USPS, ¡gracias!

Well I´m so excited to talk to you all, I know I will cry like a baby, but Im excited to hear all your voices again and get a little pick me up from home. I love you a lot! Don´t forget it. Don´t forget that our Heavenly Father loves you, that He knows you, just as He knows all His children. I love you so much! You are in my prayers!

Con amor, su hijo, amigo, y misionero favorito :)
Elder Falor