iHOLA!

Hello Family, I hope this letter finds you all very well! I am doing great here in Puntarenas. This week was Holy Week in Costa Rica, its a tradition throughout central america where they celebrate the death of Jesus Christ. It was a great experience going around and sharing about how Christ lives. He died and that is something we cant, deny, but maybe the most joyful part of the Atonement of Christ is His glorious resurrection. We know that because of this great act, we will all be resurrected beings one day too. It was a great experience and for us to remember the atonement of Christ all week long. This week the Asistants came to Puntarenas to get to know the family we are teaching, their names are Mario and Yirlany, they had plans to get married on the 8th, but werent able to but we put the date for the 14 and are looking forward to that. I really like them, they are really nice and you can see the change they have made in their lives, they were big changes but thats what the gospel is for. Its to take our rough edges and smooth them down and make us better. I can see now that Puntarenas will require a lot of work, I am ready to work and to make a difference in the branch here. The Branch President is going to call us 3 as the young mens presidency (My comp, President and I) to help the young men prepare for missions and to be more serious in the Gospel. This area requires a lot of work, but I know that nothing great was achieved without hard work, I know we can do it and I know the Lord has a purpose for sending me here, I hope I dont let Him down. So last year, I got a taste of Costa Rica rain, in San Jose...I never imagined it would be different in Puntarenas, yep it is. The rain here is INSANE! Every time it rains its an absolute torrential downpour! The roads literally turn in to LAKES and it makes it so difficult to work but the work always must continue. The rainy season is starting up, it will be a good chance to get back into the hang of swimming, hah. I am learning a lot in my short time here in Puntarenas. I know that the Lord wants me to learn something to become better and more refined in His service. He has a purpose for me and expects me to complete it, but like the Prophet Thomas S. Monson says "Who the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies"...I know that is true, I know the Lord wants me to learn patience and humility, something like I told dad, that I really need to improve on. Well fam, I was planning on sending pictures of all the amazing experiences I have had here so far, mostly with the food (for those of you who know me, I was never big into eating fish, well now was the time to get over that......) but with many other amazing things, but I left the camera at home. I hope you know I love you and I will be sending pictures home soon! Have a great week and I am always praying for you and your safety. I love you with all that I am. Elder Falor--Pura Vida!

UPE Buenas...

Hello Family, This week was wonderful here in Puntarenas. One week in and I love it. Being a zone leader has its respoinsibilities but they are what make us strong. I don´t see myself as any better missionary than all the others in my zone, I only hope and pray that I can be an example to them, to teach, lift, inspire and bless them in their missionary service. This week was SO hot. Its Holy Week in Costa Rica, and its apparently the time when EVERY area gets hot, so in Puntarenas its like an oven. Take Las Vegas heat, times that by 6.5 and then put in the humidity and you got Puntarenas. But I wouldnt change it for the world. I wouldnt rather walk around with a bathing suit, I prefer to walk around with the name of my Savior. I know that if it gets too hot or too hard or too scary that the Savior has experienced that all before, he knows better than anyone how it is to face things that are harder than what we think we can accomplish. To top off the heat we are in the only area in the mission with bikes, so while I am sweating my face off, I am also losing the 12 pounds of fat I gained in Pavas, haha. My zone consists of 5 areas, Quepos, Barranca 1, 2, Orotina and Puntarenas, we have EXCELLENT missionaries and we are looking forward to lots of success. There are 10 missionaries in my zone, 4 from utah, 3 from Honduras, 1 from Idaho, 1 from Panama and 1 from Mexico. Like I said last week Puntarenas is right by the beach but unfortunately the ¨sea is sick¨ as the ticos say. The ocean is sick and in this time of year the fish all die and turn the water blood red. Its quite discusting, but looks kind of cool. We have a bunch of families we are teaching and we are hoping to bring them to the waters of baptism and help them enter into the only door that leads to eternal life. Today we traveled to the home of the Asistentes and had Zone Counsel where all 11 pairs of zone leaders meet to discuss the status of the mission and the zones and missionaries. It was great to be among such amazing missionaries and especially Presidente Galvez. The best part was hearing Presidente speak to us with such power and such authority. He always teaches us something amazing but so simple about the doctrine of Christ, but its enough to leave us with our mouths open, and our hearts and spirits up and ready to work. He is an amazing man, I know the Lord is so pleased with his work. I have never met anyone so dedicated to the service of the Lord. I hope that one day I can be able to emulate his diligent attitude and be as he is. This week General Conference was AMAZING! After every conference I shouted inside TRUE CHURCH! If anyone who wasnt a member of the church listnened to that conference with a pure heart and a contrite spirit, there is no way they could have missed the powerful influence of the Holy Ghost testifying that THIS IS GODS KINGDOM ON EARTH. We are led by a Prophet, the man who is a true disciple of Christ, who dedicates his life and his entire being to the building of the church, to help reach God´s goal to bring his children back to him. The talks were all spent and focused on family, they usually are, but this conference really called my attention, I have never had such a profound love for the family. Its a fundamental part of God´s plan. He wants us to have time together, to study and read and pray to him together in families, he wants us to be strengthened and built up upon gospel principles that can only be gained in a home established on the teachings of the Savior. How lucky we are to have the restored gospel, how lucky we are to see the face of the Lord through his chosen Prophet and seers and revelators. I hope you can all get a chance to read the conference talks or listen to them again. Family, I love you with all my heart and I hope all is well with you. I hope you can stay strong and always have the faith necessary to receive the blessings the Lord has in store for us. I know this church is true. I cannot and will not deny it. With love until next week. Elder Falor