Todo valdrà la pena... (June 19, 2012)

Hello Family and friends, From your letters it sounds like quite the week back hom in Utah, I also had quite the week in Costa Rica. It was filled with 2 trips to San Jose, 1 trip to Perez Zeledon, 1 farewell of President and Sister Galvez, 1 General Authority, 1 New companion, and 2 GIANT rainstorms in Neily. Ha it was quite the week here but it was a great one. After I wrote you all last week we had a conference with Elder Maynes of the 70 of the Area Central America, it was a great meeting, it was short but sweet and jam packed with things we need to learn and know as missionaries, I really admire them and their determination to communicate with us in Spanish, I know and relate well with them and know how they feel haha. This week we were hardly in Ciudad Neily, after San Jose we went straight to Perez and stayed the night to do a baptismal interview. I did the interview and I love doing them, the investigators sometimes teach us more as missionaries, and thats what this investigator did in Perez. Then we made the LOOOONG trip back to Neily only to get up and do it all over again. We basically only had Saturday to get things ready for our area on Sunday, unfortunately no one came to church despite our hardest efforts. We both talked in Sacrament meeting and the members said they felt the spirit, which is something hard to feel in Neily but I think we touched their hearts and it inspired a change in them, I guess we will see this week. On Sunday night we headed to San Jose for changes meeting. It was sad to see Elder Montoya go, but he was happy knowing he had served faithfully for 24 months, he had completed what the Lord had asked and now he was to go forth. We had the most amazing changes meeting ever! It was a changes meeting but also a sort of farewell for President and Hermana Galvez. It was really emotional, the leaving missionaries formed a group with 3 of my companions, bore their testimonies. It was one of the strongest groups in the mission but it was good to see them after all this time knowing they had done their part. On top of their testimonies we got to hear from the Galvez family, their son, working at the Provo MTC bore his testimony through skype, how powerful! And then we got to hear from President and Sister Galvez, who bore some of the most powerful testimonies I have ever heard! I can´t believe how much these people inspire me. President and SIster Galvez are GREAT examples of the Law of Consecration! They have given up so much to serve the Lord, trusting in the fact that He will make up the difference and that "todo valdrà la pena" (all will be worth it) I feel that that was the theme of the changes meeting, despite all we go through as missionaries we must be willing to consecrate our lives to the Lord and His gospel, trusting only in Him and his infinite power to make everything worth it in the end. Despite some of life´s hardest challenges, we can have the surety that one day we will receive our reward and that one day, everything will be worth it. We watched a video that we as missionaries put together, everyone showing their creativity in saying goodbye to President and Sister Galvez. We got the chance to personally say goodbye and thank them for their efforts. My words do not express enough of the gratitude that I have for them and their service. I know the Lord is pleased with them and the AMAZING difference they have made in the church here in Costa Rica. I also received a new companion with the same name as my last one. His name is Elder Montoya, he is from Honduras, we have the same time in the mission and so we are leaving together. We are excited to work and to get going here in Neily. Oh yeah, and the 2 giant rainstorms, that was normal, it was just fun to see the streets turn into rivers in less than 10 minutes. haha. Family and friends, I hope you know how much I love you. I hope you know that if you find yourself amongst problems and challenges that one day, if we hold out strong, it will all be worth it. Thats what the gospel of Jesus Christ is for, its for giving us something to hold on to. Many times we just hear, hold on a little longer, what do we hold on to? The gospel of Jesus Christ, it is the life jacket, the safe boat and the helicoper that brings us safely to shore...I know that is true with 100% of my heart. I love you all with all that I am. Con amor, Elder Falor Pura Vida!