Hello My amazing family,
I can't begin to thank you enough for all your birthday wishes and for all the love I feel. Even though today wasnt my birthday, it was pday so I decided to take advantage of it, since tomorrow we have zone meeting and have to work all day, I opened the presents you sent me! Thank you all from the bottom of my heart! I loved every single thing I received! I will never be able to repay you all for your love and support, I hope you know how much you mean to me!
This week in San Francisco was a great week, we finally got to witness the baptism of Mercedes. It was such a spiritual experience, as every baptism is. It started off worrisome, because the baptism was scheduled for 430, but people arrived not only on mormon standard time, but tico standard time, so the baptism didn't start until 545, but it was great. Mercedes felt happy to have finally made this commitment and covenant with her Heavenly Father. After it all Mercedes had a chance to bear her testimony, and as she sat there and cried and shared her story with us all I felt the spirit so strong and remembered my baptism over 2 years ago. I had the opportunity to talk about baptism at the service and was so privileged to be able to share my feelings of this sacred life changing ordinance. The next day in Sunday the family that we are teaching came to church and got to witness the confirmation of Mercedes. They loved it and felt the spirit super strong. The wife came up to me after the meeting and told me "me hacia falta, mucha falta", she got baptized when she was fourteen years old but the world took a grip on her life and turned it upside down, and after the meeting she came up to me almost in tears and told me about how much she had missed this feeling, and desired that her husband could be baptized into this church as well. We visited them at night and invited him to be baptized on the 22 of October. We are looking forward to this date and hoping he can make the necessary steps to change his life and be baptized on this date, if all works out well we will be marrying them and baptizing them the same day. I am hoping and praying that I will still be here in San Francisco to see this all turn out!
Today marks one year ago since I talked in sacrament meeting, I absolutely cannot believe how fast time is going, my mission is flying by, its the craziest experience. But its one I will never take back. I may be in the middle of the hardest two years of my life, but 2 of the most rewarding and life changing. I would never change this for anything. I cant believe I have almost hit the half way mark, befor I know it this will be over with, but what I have left, I will enjoy and use to the best of my abilities.
This change has been an excellent one and I cannot believe its almost over. Its been one of the most spiritual changes of my mission. i have learned and grown so much thanks to my companion. We have so much fun together, and together we are doing all we can to fulfill our purposes as missionaries. We are always searching for new people to teach and baptize, we are always on the lookout testifying to every person we meet and see of the truthfulness of this gospel! I love this gospel with all my heart. It is meant to bless the lives of all of God's children and to make it possible to return to his presence again. I know that its true because I feel the spirit testify to me every time I open my mouth to speak about it.
I love you all very much! I hope you never forget how much you mean to me!
Con mucho amor,
Elder Falor
STAY STRONG!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Week 47
Hola mi querida familia!
I hope this letter finds you all well! Another week has passed here on the mission and I didnt even feel it. It went by so fast I cant believe it, this change with Elder Centeno is half way done, we only have 3 more weeks. We are really kicking everything in to gear to perpare for October, we are praying and hoping that we stay together for one more change to do all we can here in San Francisco and "echar fuego" in the work here. We have made some progress with getting the investigators involved in the missionary work, yesterday at ward council they actually started fighting about who was going to go with the missionaries. Once they tried missionary work they were addicted and everyone wanted to help. We are working hard with retencion here as well (because I am the new Retention Specialist in district Zapote at your service ;) ) we have a lot of new programs to get people baptized into the church and staying there. Its a lot of work, but I love staying busy and having lots of things to do. This sunday we will be training the members of how to teach from Preach my Gospel so they can feel what we feel when we get to go out and testify of this amazing work.
This week also was independence day for Costa Rica! I loved it! They have a truly great spirit when it comes to their independence day, just like us! It made me feel at home. We had a fun activity with lots of typical food from Costa Rica! I love this country! Its so special and so beautiful! I kept walking around on Wednesday saying "Noble Patria!" they have a cool parade that they do at night on the 14 where all the children make little lanterns that have something to do with the country and its traditions and habits and they all walk down the street during the night. We happened to be at the church when they passed and we were so excited to see it, and it turns out the parade that walked past the church happened to be a parade of gringos! And not only gringos, but gringo missionaries for the Baptist Church...haha it was kinda a funny experience. At 6 o clock that night every one in the country sang their national anthem, and then on thursday we had the activity it was lots of fun.
We have a baptism this Saturday and we are preparing for that, we are again on the lookout for new investigators, and constantly hoping and praying that the people here will open their hearts and allow us to teach them. Mercedes is preparing for her baptism and has been preparing for many years, we are excited to see this and happy to see her make this amazing decision in herlife. She was a cool experiene for us, to see firsthand the change a person makes in order to bring their lives in harmony with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She has made a 360 degree change, its been cool to see. The Lord knows us and helps us change to better serve for His mighty purposes. She has a different light about her, the Light of Christ, and you can tell she knows she found the right path, the only right path that there is, back to the presence of our Heavenly Father.
Yesterday was a special day for me, it was my 2 year anniversary since my baptism. I kept saying all day long that I couldnt believe 2 years had passed. I know that it doesnt matter how many years will pass, that day will forever be engraven in my mind, and will be the day that changed my life 100 percent. I am so happy for the decision I made 2 years ago to follow the path my Heavenly Father prepared for me. I know I am where I am supposed to be. I have no doubts, no regrets about the decision I made 2 years ago. I am so thankful for all the people who have supported me on this journey, it hasn't been easy but its been worth it. I thank all of those people who were constantly being great examples to me and helped me find my way. I look forward to all the many years I have ahead as a member of the only true church of Jesus Christ.
I love you all with all my heart. I love this gospel with all my heart. I love my mission with all my heart.
I pray that all is well with you.
Love, Elder Falor
I hope this letter finds you all well! Another week has passed here on the mission and I didnt even feel it. It went by so fast I cant believe it, this change with Elder Centeno is half way done, we only have 3 more weeks. We are really kicking everything in to gear to perpare for October, we are praying and hoping that we stay together for one more change to do all we can here in San Francisco and "echar fuego" in the work here. We have made some progress with getting the investigators involved in the missionary work, yesterday at ward council they actually started fighting about who was going to go with the missionaries. Once they tried missionary work they were addicted and everyone wanted to help. We are working hard with retencion here as well (because I am the new Retention Specialist in district Zapote at your service ;) ) we have a lot of new programs to get people baptized into the church and staying there. Its a lot of work, but I love staying busy and having lots of things to do. This sunday we will be training the members of how to teach from Preach my Gospel so they can feel what we feel when we get to go out and testify of this amazing work.
This week also was independence day for Costa Rica! I loved it! They have a truly great spirit when it comes to their independence day, just like us! It made me feel at home. We had a fun activity with lots of typical food from Costa Rica! I love this country! Its so special and so beautiful! I kept walking around on Wednesday saying "Noble Patria!" they have a cool parade that they do at night on the 14 where all the children make little lanterns that have something to do with the country and its traditions and habits and they all walk down the street during the night. We happened to be at the church when they passed and we were so excited to see it, and it turns out the parade that walked past the church happened to be a parade of gringos! And not only gringos, but gringo missionaries for the Baptist Church...haha it was kinda a funny experience. At 6 o clock that night every one in the country sang their national anthem, and then on thursday we had the activity it was lots of fun.
We have a baptism this Saturday and we are preparing for that, we are again on the lookout for new investigators, and constantly hoping and praying that the people here will open their hearts and allow us to teach them. Mercedes is preparing for her baptism and has been preparing for many years, we are excited to see this and happy to see her make this amazing decision in herlife. She was a cool experiene for us, to see firsthand the change a person makes in order to bring their lives in harmony with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She has made a 360 degree change, its been cool to see. The Lord knows us and helps us change to better serve for His mighty purposes. She has a different light about her, the Light of Christ, and you can tell she knows she found the right path, the only right path that there is, back to the presence of our Heavenly Father.
Yesterday was a special day for me, it was my 2 year anniversary since my baptism. I kept saying all day long that I couldnt believe 2 years had passed. I know that it doesnt matter how many years will pass, that day will forever be engraven in my mind, and will be the day that changed my life 100 percent. I am so happy for the decision I made 2 years ago to follow the path my Heavenly Father prepared for me. I know I am where I am supposed to be. I have no doubts, no regrets about the decision I made 2 years ago. I am so thankful for all the people who have supported me on this journey, it hasn't been easy but its been worth it. I thank all of those people who were constantly being great examples to me and helped me find my way. I look forward to all the many years I have ahead as a member of the only true church of Jesus Christ.
I love you all with all my heart. I love this gospel with all my heart. I love my mission with all my heart.
I pray that all is well with you.
Love, Elder Falor
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Week 47
Hello Family and Friends,
I hope this letter finds you all well back home! I am so thankful for the letters of love and support you all sent me. Thanks forever for all you do! You dont know how much it means to me to feel so loved here on the mission. I am headed for 11 months in the mission! I can't believe it. Time is going by absolutely way too fast, I am happy to see what will happen in the other half of the mission. This week was a good week here in San Francisco, we are trying our hardest to find more people to teach and share the gospel. We challenged one of our investigators to baptism but he decided it wasnt for him, it hurt to hear that, but as the Lord says, "And ye are called to bring forth the recollection of mine elect; for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts", we know that the Lord is preparing people who will not harden their hearts and will accept the call to be baptized. We realized we have lots of families we are teaching that are not progressing, we felt bad but realized again we had to go and seek for those who will progress. We are being super blessed with finding people on the streets and contacting them. In the mission we say "lo que busca, hallará" or what you seek you will find. Its so true, if we have the mind set that we want to find families, the Lord places them on our paths.
We are preparing Mercedes, another investigator for baptism on the 24, she is a great investigator and has waited since 2007 to be baptized and has finally decided to change her life and enter into the waters of baptism. We are excited and looking forward to that day. We have many people at different stages of the gospel again, we are trying so hard to help them become closer to their savior Jesus Christ. We are working hard and doing our best to find the chosen, or escogidos of the Lord. This week the Elders from Zapote baptized and completed a family and we had the opportunity to sing at the service. We sang Come thou Fount in spanish and Elder Bagley played the violin, it went really well. While watching the service I realized how important it is that we search and find families. Its not some random task our president has asked us to do but it is a task from the Lord, that He asks us to do. We left the baptismal service ready and excited to help families find the gospel. I also thought about the wife of the man who got baptized, she had remained faithful and strong in the church, all those years in the hopes that one day her husband would come to find the truth, now they are both on the journey to the temple.
I know and feel as I testify to families that they can be forever. I now see with the eyes of our Heavenly Father, I see every family in the street as if they were dressed in white, I imagined them all back in the presence of their Heavenly Father with their families at their side. I know that its only possible through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that only in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the true authority of God is found and it was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. I dont have one single doubt about it. I know that one day, if we hold out faithful, we can all have the opportunity and the privelege to arrive and kiss the feet of our beloved Savior.
Well family, I am sorry this letter will be so short, but I will try to write more next week! I love you all very much, you are always in my hearts and in my thoughts.
PURA VIDA!
Elder Falor
I hope this letter finds you all well back home! I am so thankful for the letters of love and support you all sent me. Thanks forever for all you do! You dont know how much it means to me to feel so loved here on the mission. I am headed for 11 months in the mission! I can't believe it. Time is going by absolutely way too fast, I am happy to see what will happen in the other half of the mission. This week was a good week here in San Francisco, we are trying our hardest to find more people to teach and share the gospel. We challenged one of our investigators to baptism but he decided it wasnt for him, it hurt to hear that, but as the Lord says, "And ye are called to bring forth the recollection of mine elect; for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts", we know that the Lord is preparing people who will not harden their hearts and will accept the call to be baptized. We realized we have lots of families we are teaching that are not progressing, we felt bad but realized again we had to go and seek for those who will progress. We are being super blessed with finding people on the streets and contacting them. In the mission we say "lo que busca, hallará" or what you seek you will find. Its so true, if we have the mind set that we want to find families, the Lord places them on our paths.
We are preparing Mercedes, another investigator for baptism on the 24, she is a great investigator and has waited since 2007 to be baptized and has finally decided to change her life and enter into the waters of baptism. We are excited and looking forward to that day. We have many people at different stages of the gospel again, we are trying so hard to help them become closer to their savior Jesus Christ. We are working hard and doing our best to find the chosen, or escogidos of the Lord. This week the Elders from Zapote baptized and completed a family and we had the opportunity to sing at the service. We sang Come thou Fount in spanish and Elder Bagley played the violin, it went really well. While watching the service I realized how important it is that we search and find families. Its not some random task our president has asked us to do but it is a task from the Lord, that He asks us to do. We left the baptismal service ready and excited to help families find the gospel. I also thought about the wife of the man who got baptized, she had remained faithful and strong in the church, all those years in the hopes that one day her husband would come to find the truth, now they are both on the journey to the temple.
I know and feel as I testify to families that they can be forever. I now see with the eyes of our Heavenly Father, I see every family in the street as if they were dressed in white, I imagined them all back in the presence of their Heavenly Father with their families at their side. I know that its only possible through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that only in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the true authority of God is found and it was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. I dont have one single doubt about it. I know that one day, if we hold out faithful, we can all have the opportunity and the privelege to arrive and kiss the feet of our beloved Savior.
Well family, I am sorry this letter will be so short, but I will try to write more next week! I love you all very much, you are always in my hearts and in my thoughts.
PURA VIDA!
Elder Falor
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Week 46
Hello Family and friends,
This has been a good week, well 4 days that have passed since we last talked. The first four days with my new companion were great, he is a recent convert so we have a lot in common, we have a lot of the same struggles, and we both have really strong testimonies of this gospel. But he has had to fight a fight a lot harder than mine, and I think that is whyHeavenly Father sent him to me, because I need to realize how lucky and blessed I am. His family disowned him once he got baptized, and he doesnt receive a single letter from his family, but he continues strong. I receive numerous letters, packages, and I know I have so many people cheering me on and some times I lose confidence and faith, but he is an example that never loses faith, even though he goes to internet and opens his inbox without a single letter. He knows and has a testimony of this work, and despite the lack of letters he continues strong and does what the Lord wants done. Thats a lot of what I have learned this week, that sometimes we're fighting a fight that we think and wonder why me, but there are other people in the world with worse problems, then we realize its just a grain of sand that mountain that we are trying to climb.
This week was spent searching for new people to hear the gospel, we had struggled everyday to find new people to teach, when fast sunday came around, the Lord continued to bless us with miracles and we found a family who was super interested in our message. We are looking forward to the baptism of Mercedes, (the mother in law of Brenda, my last convert) who has been preparing for her baptism for over 7 years and has finally made the decision to change her life. We are working also with Javier and challenged him to a date this month on the 17th, he knows he needs to pray and accepted the invitation to do so. We are super lucky, and super blessed. The Lord always has His hands in this work, and He does what He needs to to have his work come to pass.
We are now in September, and this month has brought on a lot of reflections, this month two years ago my entire life was changed. I bore my testimony in church on Sunday and shared my experience of my baptism, it was so spiritual that it almost brought tears to my eyes, there were many people in the congregation waiting to take this amazing life changing step, I hope my testimony helped and reassured them that baptism is never the wrong path, especially if its baptism in the only true and living church on the face of the earth. I am so grateful for my baptism, the day that I was born again and the day that changed me. I thank the Lord for placing certain people on my path that brought me the gospel. I am grateful for the thousands of missionaries, those full time and those who are just great and amazing people, who helped me on this path. I know I am where I need to be, I am on the path back to my Heavenly Father, I wont stop until I arrive at His presence once again. I know the Gosple is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The same church that He Himself organized nearly 2000 years ago. I know my Heavenly Father knows me, among my billions and billions of other brothers and sisters, He knows me and He knows you all, personally, and is willing to bless you if we choose His path. I know that the gospel is a gospel of sacrifice and sometimes suffering, but at the end it is all worth it. At the end of it all its more than worth it. I know and with forever testify of these things.
Thanks for all you do for me, never forget how much you mean to me.
With all the love I can give,
Elder Falor
This has been a good week, well 4 days that have passed since we last talked. The first four days with my new companion were great, he is a recent convert so we have a lot in common, we have a lot of the same struggles, and we both have really strong testimonies of this gospel. But he has had to fight a fight a lot harder than mine, and I think that is whyHeavenly Father sent him to me, because I need to realize how lucky and blessed I am. His family disowned him once he got baptized, and he doesnt receive a single letter from his family, but he continues strong. I receive numerous letters, packages, and I know I have so many people cheering me on and some times I lose confidence and faith, but he is an example that never loses faith, even though he goes to internet and opens his inbox without a single letter. He knows and has a testimony of this work, and despite the lack of letters he continues strong and does what the Lord wants done. Thats a lot of what I have learned this week, that sometimes we're fighting a fight that we think and wonder why me, but there are other people in the world with worse problems, then we realize its just a grain of sand that mountain that we are trying to climb.
This week was spent searching for new people to hear the gospel, we had struggled everyday to find new people to teach, when fast sunday came around, the Lord continued to bless us with miracles and we found a family who was super interested in our message. We are looking forward to the baptism of Mercedes, (the mother in law of Brenda, my last convert) who has been preparing for her baptism for over 7 years and has finally made the decision to change her life. We are working also with Javier and challenged him to a date this month on the 17th, he knows he needs to pray and accepted the invitation to do so. We are super lucky, and super blessed. The Lord always has His hands in this work, and He does what He needs to to have his work come to pass.
We are now in September, and this month has brought on a lot of reflections, this month two years ago my entire life was changed. I bore my testimony in church on Sunday and shared my experience of my baptism, it was so spiritual that it almost brought tears to my eyes, there were many people in the congregation waiting to take this amazing life changing step, I hope my testimony helped and reassured them that baptism is never the wrong path, especially if its baptism in the only true and living church on the face of the earth. I am so grateful for my baptism, the day that I was born again and the day that changed me. I thank the Lord for placing certain people on my path that brought me the gospel. I am grateful for the thousands of missionaries, those full time and those who are just great and amazing people, who helped me on this path. I know I am where I need to be, I am on the path back to my Heavenly Father, I wont stop until I arrive at His presence once again. I know the Gosple is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The same church that He Himself organized nearly 2000 years ago. I know my Heavenly Father knows me, among my billions and billions of other brothers and sisters, He knows me and He knows you all, personally, and is willing to bless you if we choose His path. I know that the gospel is a gospel of sacrifice and sometimes suffering, but at the end it is all worth it. At the end of it all its more than worth it. I know and with forever testify of these things.
Thanks for all you do for me, never forget how much you mean to me.
With all the love I can give,
Elder Falor
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