Week 60

Hello My amazing family and friends, Its so great to be able to write to you and I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the Christmas season. I know I am happy to see christmas approaching and happy to see lots of lights and fireworks here in Costa Rica. Costa Rica had its anual Festival of Lights on Saturday, could hear it from our area cause it was super close, all the members said it was amazing and a spectacular show. I heard that the Kolbi float won first place, no surprise, haha. This week was excellent, I did my first 5 interviews as District Leader, I was a little overwhelmed at first and wished I would have asked for help, but at the end I was glad I did them all, that family was a chosen family prepared for this time and this place to be baptized. At the end of the interviews, I was the one who got taught a very amazing lesson. I love that family, even though its a family of the Sister missionaries, I love that family, they have amazingly strong faith and I was glad to meet them. We are working super hard here in Pavas trying to help the families we have and trying to find more. We want to start 2012 off with a bang and keep it going that way all year long. I love being a missionary, I sound like a broken record, but I love sharing the gospel, its the best thing ever. I love seeing the change people are willing to make to put their lives in harmony with the gospel of Jesus Christ. I especially love sharing the gospel during this time of year, when we have the blessing of remembering the birth of our Savior. He is what Christmas is all about. Well family, I wont have much time to write this week because the computer keeps shutting off on me, so I want to write to make sure that everyone gets this letter. Just remember I love you lots! I miss you lots and I cant wait to talk to you on Christmas! Have a great week! Love, Elder Falor

Week 59

Hello Family, Wow, I cant believe another week has gone by, I didnt even feel this week pass by. We stay so busy as missionaries that the time just flies. I had so many wonderful experiences here in Pavas, many of which have humbled me beyond belief. On tuesday night the Zone Leaders asked me to prepare a lesson for the following day in Zone Conference. I felt more than humbled by the invitation but prepared my lesson and gave it on Wednesday. The Lord answers prayers and He heard mine, I was worried about my spanish, worried about teaching because some people have so much more time than me, some people know so much more spanish and have had so much more sucess in their missions, but the Lord really blessed me to get his point across. I did divisions with the Elders in Escazu and learned once again that the Lord with his mercy listens and answers prayers, my district is doing great and we are looking forward to some sucess here in District Pavas. In Pavas things are going great and we are looking forward to success as well. Today President Galvez invited the missionaries who baptized 2 families in the month on November to his house to eat and congratulate us on our work. I felt the spirit so strong and felt the Lord telling me that this man was inspired of God and he was fullfilling his calling. President Galvez is a man to be honored and deserves all of our respect as missionaries, he does all he can to fulfil his calling as Mission Presidente. I felt good to be there among those people and felt good to know that I was making a difference in the work of the Lord. Family, I read in a lot of my letters about all of your efforts to perform service this holiday season, and I just want to tell you how grateful I am for you and your example. Thanks for reminding us that this is what this time of year is about. Its about being on the Lord´s Errand and doing what he would have us do. This time of year is so amazing and what a blessing it is to be here serving lthe Lord on my mission during the most special time of year. He is what it is all about, He makes this time of year so special, and we can feel the joy of tihs season as we serve those around us and making their burdens light. Thanks for your amazing example. I am sorry my letter will be so short this week, the clock beat me this time, but I hope everyone has a great week! I will let you all know about the details of when and what time I will be able to talk to you on the 25. I love you all with all my heart! Dont forget that! Stay strong and remember how much you mean to me! I love you with all my heart. Elder Falor

Week 58

Hello my amazing friends and family, Wherever you are, I hope this letter finds you well! I am doing exceptionally well here in Pavas. I made it through as my first week as District Leader and all went well, I wont lie it was a bit stressful, only because I dont want to let the Lord or Presidente Galvez down, they both have put their trust in me to be the best I can. But I know if I put my trust in the Lord, and pray with all my heart, He will make great things happen in my mission. After I wrote you all on Monday, the following Tuesday I had my first district meeting, I was nervous but the spirit guided that meeting and I feel we all left uplited and ready to work. My district is absolutely amazing! They inspire me. My district is 3 areas and 6 missionaries, 2 of those are Sisters. I was happy to get sisters in the district because they really make such a difference in the work, they really help and inspire us. Including this sunday the sisters in the district brought 8 people to sacrament meeting! I feel truly blessed to be surrounded by such great missionaries, and truly humbled to be called as their leaders when they are teaching and guiding me. Pavas is amazing, its also amazingly LARGE! Its big enough for 6 missionaries and here there is only 2 but we will see what happens there. We are working a lot with the families we already have and finding more for december. The mission has put the goal of 100 families baptized in the month of December, we will need all the prayers we can get to accomplish our goal and end 2011 on a high note. My companion is really cool, we get along really well and we work together really well. I have had some amazing experiences here in Pavas that its crazy, the ward is absolutely amazing! I have never seen members like this in all of Costa Rica, we had a really high attendance and it was awesome, the members made me fit right in as part of the family. I have already made good friends here in Pavas and memories that I will never forget. I hope everyone had a thanksgiving that they will remember, I reflected a lot on thanksgiving this week and many people say its just a dumb holiday where we just shove food in our faces, but I disagree, Its an amazing day to really reflect on what we are grateful for. I thought of all of you on Thanksgiving, and I gave thanks to my Heavenly Father, I dont know what I did to deserve the things I have, to meet and know the people I know and to have such great support. You are amazing! I am forever in debt with you all and especially with my Heavenly Father. I will never be able to repay you. Thank you all for your amazing examples and your support! I hope this week is a special one for all of you! Dont forget I love you all so very much. Elder Falor

Week 57 and a lot of changes

Hello Family, I am writing you all from another area this week, I have been transfered to Pavas near San Jose Central and about 20 minutes from San Fran. I have to be honest I was happy to stay in the city but sad to say goodbye to San Francisco. That area and the comps I had there absolutely changed my life and my mission. I felt as though I was saying goodbye to my family again, I felt the true spirit of the mission, where the people go straight to your heart and it even becomes hard to say goodbye to them. But I left content because I feel I had accomplished what the Lord had for me to do there. The baptism of Everth went splendid, it was a big rough at first, we were all at the church waiting for 6 to arrive and 6 arrives and all of Everth´s family arrives except him...my heart sank and went into panic mode, I talked to his mom and asked him where he was and she told me he just didnt want to come, we me and Elder Garcia went to his house and tlaked for about an hour and arrived at the church at 7 and proceeded with the baptism. It was a beautiful service and I was thankful to take part in it and to perform another baptism in San Fran. After we had an amazing activity where the ward all got together and we felt like part of a family, we gave the lesson on being Christlike and what we can do to be able, one day, to be like Christ. On Saturday morning we received the changes, it was funny, after leaving the baptism I thought to myself there is no way I can be changed, I was sure that I would stay, then on Saturday in the morning, without thinking I was writing in my journal and I wrote that I felt as though I had comleted my goal there in San Fran and done what the Lord wanted. I remember when I arrived, I said to Everth, before I leave I will baptize you, how crazy, because after baptizing him I got changed out, it made me feel good to know I did what I had to do and now I get to do it all over again. I cried like a baby in Church on Sunday and in the house of our cook in San Fran, but I know that if they stay faithful one day we will all be able to arrive in the presence of our Heavenly Father, and there we will rejoice just like we did these past 4 months, thats our hope, thats what helps us to keep going, to have the promise of seeing our loved ones again. The Gospel is amazing. Changes meeting was crazy, I feel a bit overwhelmed and really blessed. I have been called as Senior Companion and District Leader. There is 6 missionaries in my district, 4 Elders and 2 Sisters, I dont know exactly how I am going to do all this, but that is why we have prayer and revelation, the Lord will help me to bring to pass his work and do his will. I will have to rely on him more than ever, and I know I will be able to accomplish great things. Tomorrow is my first district meeting and my first baptismal interview, so I will be praying EXTRA hard for that, but I know the Lord will bless me, he always does. My companions name is Elder Aguilar, he seems pretty cool, he is from Mexico, we will get along really well. I am excited as always to go forth in the work of the Lord, and to see some success here in Pavas. It was hard to leave my comfort zone but like I said earlier the mission has become my comfort zone and I know that if I rely on the Lord I will see miracles. I trust him enough to know he has a purpose for me here and I will follow him wherever he leads me. I hope you all know how unbelievably grateful I am to all of you for your support and your love, this thanksgiving I wont be with you but I will be thinking of you and how grateful I am for amazing souls like yourselves, you are all amazing, I wish you only the best this week. I love you lots, Elder Falor

Week 56

Hola mi querida familia, How is everyone doing? I hope this letter finds everyone happy and healthy and feeling the Christmas spirit! I bet the snow makes it a little more like Christmas here. Here the Ticos have began putting up Christmas decorations, my comp always says that the ticos are trunky because they are thinking about Christmas in October and November, haha. Its a cool think to walk around and see all the lights and decorations, I dont remember them as much from last year, maybe because I was so new and so scared, haha. This week here for us in San Fran was all right. We were a bit frustrated to find out that not even one investigator came to church and the attendance was really low. We are doing all we can and sometimes we have days like that, but we know that if we do all we can the Lord will make us effective in His hands. We are planning a fun activity to do with the ward to get them active and to get them thinking, studying and praying. Here in the Mission, President Galvez has made a focus on enduring to the end and 3 basic things we can do to Endure to the End, its called "El Plan Noe" Noe is Noah in Spanish and each letter has a meaning, the N is Noche de Hogar (Family Home Evening) O is oracion familiar (family prayer) and E is estudio de las escrituras (study of the scriptures), we have been able to focus on those things and the general authorities of Central America have testitfied that if we do these three things we are enduring and receiving more guidance from the spirit and able to improve every single day. That is our plan this week and we feel it will help a lot. We are looking forward to another baptism this Friday the 18th. His name is Eberth, I dont know if you all remember Brenda, my first baptism here, well he is her husband and has decided to get baptized and asked me to perform the ordinance, we are happy to see the progress here, and happy to see that all the recent converts are really strong in the church! We are satisfied with our work, but recognize that there is ALWAYS more to do. Hermana Galvez said one time that sometimes her and Presidente ask a lot from us, but she promised us she was never going to stop asking for more, because we are missionaries and capable of giving more, and always going forward. We are excited for this last week to give all our efforts and to see a family enter the waters of baptism. Next week is changes and we will see what they bring. I hope this week brings many blessings, health and happiness, remember I love you all with all my heart. Hasta pronto, con mucho amor, Elder Falor

pics! CRSJM! the best

This is the only cellphone company in all of Costa Rica and its my name. I am famous. Kolbi means frog in a native language.

Jairo and Damaris signing the deal! Nervewracking.

Mario, Genisis, and Silvia! I love this family with all my heart

Elder Centeno, Jairo, Damaris, and I just before the baptism.

Week 55 Words fastest Wedding Ever

Hello everyone back at home, I dont know how to put this week into words, it was absolutely crazy, but I will try my best. So as I mentioned last week we were looking forward to a baptism of Carlos. We actually found out his real name is Jairo, but everyone calls him Carlos. So on Monday everything was pura vida and Tuesday he had his interview, what we thought at first was only a baptism turned into a wedding and a baptism. He had a girlfriend who lived in Paso Ancho (neighboring town) and they seperated because she got baptized and didnt want to break the law of chastity, so he moved here to San Francisco, but it turned out that when we got to the church after his interview, him and Elder Garcia were outside talking on a public telephone. Garcia told us that he wanted to get married and we were going to be planning a wedding for this Saturday (the 5th). We were super excited to plan another wedding, we have become specialists in weddings and baptisms now. So on Wednesday Elder Centeno and Elder Bagley went to the Nicaraguan Embassy to request for a Provisional Passport and I went to the office to help with the Retencion of Recent Converts in our zone. They arrived from the Nicaraguan Embassy with the passport and still everything was pura vida. Then on thursday we had interviews with President Galvez. We are in the middle of training meeting and President comes in and asks to talk to Elder Centeno and I. We go out and he tells us that the elders from Paso Ancho are calling and complaining that their recent convert doesnt want to get married and we were pressuring her. So we made a phone call with President to talk to the elders and explained the whole thing, President and the missionaries decided to call off the wedding. We went and talked to Jairo and told him the news, he said he had been in Paso Ancho that same day and Damaris (his girlfriend) was all excited and happy to be married. So we were confused, but decided to follow President's counsel and called off the wedding. We began to console Jairo and in come the other two Elders from Zapote and they told us that Damaris had called the house and was still hoping to be married. We ended up settling all the confusion and had a meeting Friday in the morning with Jairo and Damaris to settle all the final details. Saturday we had the wedding as planned and it went really great. Despite the fact that it was all SUPER fast everything turned out well, the members brought a cake and made food and brought drinks, it was a wonderful service and I was glad to see it all work out. It was super funny too, everyone said it was like a Soap Opera. When Jairo arrived at the church he was super nervous, we gave him a blessing and a glass of water to calm him down and proceeded with the wedding, when the time came the Lawyer asked them to stand up and say they accepted the other person as their spouse (basically the I do moment) and it went completely silent when he asked Jairo if he wanted Damaris as a wife. Everyone stopped breathing for almost a minute as Jairo sat and thought about it. Us, the missionaries, were FREAKING OUT, and finally "Si" broke the silence and everyone cheered, it was super dramatic but super awesome! So what started out as a baptism turned into a baptism and a wedding to complete a family. 2 families and 2 weddings in 2 weeks, we are on a roll. When we bore our testimonies in church we didnt hestitate to offer our resources for being Specialists in Weddings, Baptisms and managing the Nicaraguan Embassy, it was quite a rollercoaster ride. But that is what I love about the mission, everything can change in an instant, but we always have to be on our toes and expect the best. It was proof to me the thing I have heard lots on my mission "there is a solution to EVERY problem" and thats so true, if we work hard and put in our faith, there is always a solution to be found. It was a wonderful surprise to arrive to the chapel on Sunday and see Mario behind the sacrament table ready to bless it (oh by the way I conferred upon him the Aaronic Priesthood in the office of a Priest last sunday) I was so amazed at his courage and strength to go forth and do something he wasnt exactly comfortable with, but he did it because he understood the importance of the Priesthood. He inspires me. And then at the end of Priesthood, Jairo said the closing prayer, even though they may just be minor details like blessing the sacrament and saying a prayer, I remember at the beginning of my gospel process it took me so long to get comfortable to doing things like that, and here are my recent converts teaching me and showing me what the gospel is really about. It was an unexplainable experience. Mario, Silvia, Jairo and Damaris, have came to be lifelong friends, and I hope that one day we will all be able to find joy in the presence of our Heavenly Father. Thats the goal. I dont know what will happen at the end of my mission, if I will be able to enter the temple with Mario and Silvia, maybe I'll have to stay in the country for 10 days extra, haha who knows, but whatever happens, I know that if they stay faithful, the Lord will bless them to achieve their goals. I love this work. Its so amazing. It's changing my life and I love it. I am in the middle of the hardest thing of my life, but I couldnt be happier. The Gospel has to be true, it only makes perfect sense to see how the Lord truly puts the little details together to make the puzzle work out in favor of the Gospel. Its been a great week and a great 12 months, I can't wait to see what the Lord will have in store for me. I hope this week is a great one for you all, I hope you know I love you all with all my heart! Stay strong! Love, Elder Falor -- Pura Vida!