Goodbye ¨chepe¨ hello Neily! (May 7, 2012)

Hello Family, To break news I will start off by telling you that I am doing just fine in my new area. I have been changed from Puntarenas to Ciudad Neily in the South Zone (Zona Sur)...My area is the last area or city, you will pass before getting to Panama it is called Cuidad Neily or Neily City. Its 6.5 hours out of San Jose, and unbelievably hot, but UNBELIEVABLY beautiful. I feel like the movie The Other Side of Heaven. It may not be THAT beautiful here, but I feel the same love for the people and the area as Elder Groeburg did in that movie. I also feel that way with the work that there is to be done here. I am the Secretary for the Corredores Branch here in Neily so there is lots to learn and lots to take in to help in the growth of our Heavenly Father´s kingdom. This week has been full of amazing blessings! I can´t believe all the great things I have experienced that I would love to share with you all. Our 2 day zone conference in San Jose was excellent as usual! President Galvez and Sister Galvez are AMAZING people. I know that revelation is true and that the LORD called them to serve in this country and at this time. I am so blessed to be around them. On tuesday morning they woke us all up at 4 in the morning to go running a 4K at the University of Costa Rica in San Pedro, that was a blast! Me and my companion (Elder Montoya from Mexico City) ran together and it was a good chance to get to know each other. At the end President turned it into a spiritual experience and really taught me alot, he taught about using our strengths and using them wisely, about never slowing down, and never giving up, finishing even when it gets hard and even when you feel like turning back. On Tuesday we headed back to Neily on bus and got home at about 10:30. My zone consists of 6 areas (Ciudad Neily, Rio Claro, Golfito, San Vito, Perez Zeledon, and San Isidro) we have 12 missionaries in our zone, I have yet to meet the new ones seeings how today was changes in San Jose. We didnt go to changes because it costs about 13,000 colones just to go there and back, and also 13 hours, haha. So we stayed here and went to Paso Canoas, and I got to be in Panama and Costa Rica. It was a lot of fun and really weird to see the use of Dollars once again. I bought a subway sandwich and paid with it in dollars...weird to not use colones. My companion is super awesome! He is in his last change in the mission and will finish with me. We have high goals and lots of excitement and faith to complete our goals as missionaries. He is an excellent missionary and is already teaching me so many things. One experience we had this week was with our new idea as a mission called ¨Questions of Impact¨ (Preguntas de Impacto) they are questions that take people off their feet, that make them question deep down in their soul and find a need for the restored gospel. We received a reference from a woman this week and decided to try out this new idea. When we showed up to the house and touched the door, my companion immediately made a really strong impact question he asked ¨what happens to the families after death?¨ there was a long silence and tears began to fall down the cheeks of a woman and 2 children who 2 days earlier had lost their mother to a terminal kidney disease. With tears in her eyes the woman looked at us and said ¨I don´t know, but I would like to know...¨ we felt truly humbled and happy to know that the message we were going to share would be one of hope and happiness in the life of this family who felt at a crossroads in life. They felt alone and discouraged, at the end of a long road without answers. I was happy to be the bearer of this good news for these people. As we testified of the power of the restored gospel my heart was full of happiness. How grateful I am to be a part of this church...to know and testify that Jesus is the Christ, that God is our Loving Heavenly Father with a plan to once again reunite all the families that for one time or another were seperated during this mortal journey on earth. The gospel is true. :) Family, how happy and excited I am to be able to hear your voices for the last time until I will hear them in person! I am so thankful for your love and support and pray and hope that all is well with you! With all the love I could possibly give you! Elder Falor PS...I will be expecting the call on the 13 at 6 pm (Costa Rica time...)

Emergency Changes

Hello Family, You are going to have to forgive me for not writing you all personally. Its 7 am here in Puntarenas, and as you can see by the subject there was a surprise this week. Because of this month being President Galvezs last full month on the mission, he is making some crazy changes. After only 5 short weeks here in Puntarenas, I have changes. We were only supposed to go to San Jose today for a Zone Counsel meeting, but on Saturday night at 945 they told me to pack my bags, say goodbye to everyone and be in San Jose at 11 to receive my new companion and new area. We dont have much time to write because we have to write President and head to the bus stop running. Every zone in the mission has changes early, and thats not all, in one week the mission will have its regular 6 week transfers meeting, there will be some crazy changes. As for right now I have no idea where I am headed, but I know and trust that the Lord put me here in Puntarenas to teach me a lesson. I feel I learned my lesson and I feel that the Lord knows that, and that is why he has called me to another area. Its hard to keep packing up and leaving from every area, but its part of the experience, and I cant help but continue saying in my head that I'll go where you want me to go. Wherever I go, I know the Lord has people that he has prepared to hear the Gospel from me, I am ready and willing to go forward and see what these next 6 months have in store. Yesterday I said goodbye to the people here in Puntarenas, it was crazy to see how many relationships could be formed in only 5 short weeks. I love the people here in Puntarenas, I am sad to not be able to work among them any more, but I feel that I have fulfilled my purpose here in Puntarenas. This week was great for us in Puntarenas, we found 5 new families, and big families. It was nice to see some of them put their faith in the Lord and attend church on Sunday. They made up the most of the Sacrament Meeting. This week as we were teaching all these families, we had 5 opportunities to teach the message of the Restoration, and every time I bore my testimony I felt it deeper and deeper inside of me that this message is true. Its more than just a story we tell, its true! It happened and the true church of Christ has been restored to the earth through a living Prophet. I never get sick of testifying the same thing to these people, and I love watching their faces light up when they hear that the Heavens are not sealed, and that God speaks and guides his people this day. Unfortunately the Zone of Puntarenas didnt complete the goal but we have some great plans and great missionaries to make it happen here. We as missionaries must learn to walk on water, to think and do what seems to be impossible and the Lord will make great things happen, he always does. Family, I am so sorry that I couldnt write to you personally, but know how much your letters meant to me! I am thinking of you always and praying for your always, I love you with all my heart. Take care, con amor, Elder Falor

iPura Vida!

Hello my amazing family and friends, I am doing great here in Costa Rica. Everyday is full of new lessons to be learned and new people to meet. We had a great week here and managed to find some new families to teach. Unfortunately we came to the conclusion that Mario and Yirlany were not ready yet to be baptized and we decided to move on. They didnt show much interest in baptism as much as they did with marriage, it was hard to do but we have to understand the concept that the Lord is preparing people for us to teach and baptize, we just have to have the faith to move forward and be diligent in finding them. He will put them on our paths. Unfortunately the zone Puntarenas hasnt completed the goal but we have a lot of faith for next month and are hoping to complete it from now on. We have learned from the things we did wrong and are looking forward to correcting them and going forward. The rainy season has started in Costa Rica, but not in Puntarenas, I dont know why when I am in the hot climates it never rains, we will se what happens in May. I am sure that once the rain comes I will wish it was gone. On Wednesday we headed to San Jose to have a multi zone conference with other zones in the mission. It was great to receive extra revelation and to feel the great spirit that President Galvez brings, he has so many great ideas and things to help the mission improve, I can really sense it that he is concerned about what we can accomplish but more concerned about who we become. He reminds me alot of Bill Betz only in latino form, haha. He is concerned about the success we have in baptisms and retention, but he is more concerned about what we learn to make us better people and better disciples of Christ. That is what I love so much about him, he is a wonderful President. I was asked to direct the meeting with all the zones, I felt a bit nervous, but like always the Lord helped me and I felt like even that was a tiny trial to help me build my confidence and faith in the Lord. This week I completed 18 months in the mission, its a big milestone and I woke up on Friday with gratitude in my heart, thankful for all that has passed in these past 18 months, and excitement for what lies ahead. I am so excited to be of good health and strength to continue my missionary service, I wouldnt trade this time for anything. This experience has been one of eternal significance. I will treasure every day, every second that I have left. I love you all with all my heart. Stay strong! Con amor, Elder Falor

a cachelte lleno

Dear family and friends, I hope, as always that this letter finds you well. This week was a great one here in Puntarenas, its going to get even hotter than it already is! But I am getting accustomed and getting to love the weather here, but I will be honest I am dreading the rain. They say that when it rains here, EVERYTHING floods, we will see how that goes. So far it hasnt rained, but like I said earlier this week its going to go waaaaaay past 100 degrees. This week was a lot of fun, thats what I love so much about missionary work, you can serve the Lord and be diligent but have fun doing it. This week the assistants came to Puntarenas and me and Elder Bertrand worked in our area, it was so great to be together again, but weird to think the last time we were together I had 2 months and he had 6, now I have almost 18 and he has 22. Time flies, and it doesnt stop. We must make every moment count, because the time is flying by every second. This week Mario and Yirlany didnt get baptized in our area because it is a difficult situation there, but we are always going forward and always looking for new families who are willing to drop their nets and follow the Savior. Elder Bertrand and I found an example of that. We found a family and shared with them the Restoration, it was such a strong moment when the mans face lit up as he pondered the idea of a living Prophet. He loved the fact that CHRIST had restored his church and had called Prophets to lead us and guide us. He told us he was willing to drop whatever net that was holding him back and follow the savior. it was a truly humbling and amazing experience. This week I had the chance to be in contact with some of my converts from Pavas, as I heard of their successes and their difficulties, I hung up the phone feeling so different. i questioned myself, how cuold I have grown to love these people so much. Its to the point where I hurt when they hurt. I wish they knew what they have when they have the gospel in their hands. If they only knew that the gospel is the answer to all of lifes questions they would never part from the path. I really got to see the change in my when I felt preocupied about their challenges and happy about their successes. I feel as though I could once again see through Gods eyes, how happy he is when we choose the right, and how much it hurts him when we turn our backs and walk the other way. The mission is so amazing, only the Atonement of Jesus Christ could have made this change in my life, and only through this mission experience could I have grown so much in my testimony and my relationship with my older brother and Savior, Jesus Christ. Its so amazing. Well fam, all is well here, I am constantly learning and growing and changing to become a better person than when I left, and to leave the mission better than when I found it. I appreciate your prayers and your love, thanks for everything you do. Love, Elder Falor

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

Hello from....

PUNTARENAS! Hello Family, As you all know I had changes today and a lot has changed. Like normal they took me out of my area and put me in a new one that is on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica! YAY! Finally the ocean! I am really close to the ocean and to the beach. Its SO hot, but different than Guacimo. Its such a beach town and I know the Martins would be all over it, haha. My new companion is Elder Cacseres from Honduras. He has 19 months in the mission...the reason we have such close time in the mission is because I was called as Zone Leader for the Puntarenas zone...Its another big responsibility but the Lord has proven to me that whatever is thrown at me I can conquer and I will succeed if I put my trust in him. I know there is lots to learn and lots to do, I just have to be humble and teachable and the Lord will teach me and make me what he wants me to be. This week in Pavas before leaving was excellent. I left some pretty sad members there but know that they will be all right. Its hard to say goodbye and I feel like I am leaving home every time. But every good thing has a beginning and an ending. I know that I fulfilled my purpose in Pavas and am very pleased with everyone there. I know my companion will take good care of everyone and do a lot of great work. On Sunday we had a Family Home Evening with a bunch of members where they sang to me and asked me to bear my testimony. I was happy to know that in someway the Lord had used me to bless the lives of the people gathered around me. I am happy to have been an influence in some way to help people come closer to Christ. That is the ultimate present. There is nothing of more worth on the mission than that, knowing that becasue of you, one person is one step closer to the Savior. Thats all I want. I realized its not about the baptisms or the numbers, its not about the callings or recognitions. Its about serving the people, and doing it in a way that they turn around on the path they are on and begin to follow Christ. It may sound cheesy but its something only a missionary could explain. Its beyond words and beyond my comprehension. I love it. So here I am in Puntarenas (by the way, the same place where I went in September to translate for the US navy) and ready to do my best, I know Presidente has put trust in me and I hope I dont let him down. I know I can do it if I put my trust in the Lord. The first thing I thought of when I saw my picture is that I would be spending a lot of time on my knees praying for the strength to make it through and be successful. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I absolutely love teaching it. I love you all with all my heart. Please take care and I will see you soon. con amor, Elder Falor PS, Bishop Durrant, the Costa Rican postal system is somewhat of a joke seeing that today I recieved a letter from March of 2011 when I was in San Ramon, you asked me to figure out what Area 51 was and because I never got the letter I never checked it out...I dont remember anything too sketchy in San Ramón, haha, but I just thought you should know so you didnt think I was ignoring you or something. Thanks for all your letters and support!