Semana 32: Semana de Milagros: Valentine's Day Edition: 2/20/17

Hola everyone!

I officially have 2 full weeks here in Santo Domingo and I think I'm finally getting the hang of things here.  Still don't know a lot of the area/people but I´m getting there.  The members here are great (especially the leadership) and they´re all really happy and willing to help out the missionaries!

This week we had the Semana de Milagros for the month of February and the first day of the week was Valentine´s day! We decided to have our zone activity on this day. For the activity we went to a super busy park in Heredia (not in our zone haha) and contacted people for like 3 or 4 hours.  I went with one of our zone leaders who is from Texas and it was super great! We contacted over 50 people (talking to them and inviting them to listen to a message) so that was interesting but super fun as well.  We had a bunch of decoration sort of stuff with us for Valentine´s, including a giant heart that one of us was wearing the whole time haha.  The rest of the week was pretty normal besides that.  But we found one guy this week that seems really awesome! We didn't get to share much with him because he was just washing his car, but he´s from Limon (the other mission) and speaks Spanish and English! Plus he speaks a dialect from Limon that is pretty similar to English.  But he said we could come by again and he'd invite us to come eat so I'm excited to see where that goes haha. 

We also had a Multi-zone conference this week with just our zone and the other zone that is in Heredia (Belen which is Bethlehem in Spanish).  It was super awesome and I learned a bunch.  We have high expectations for these next 2 months and they basically gave us training on how we can more easily accomplish it.  We have tons of sayings in the mission and one of them is that every time that someone asks us how we´re doing we have to say/get to say "Vivo y Dinámico!" Or in English "alive and dynamic!" President Laboriel says that we need be vivo y dinamico in every moment and that he´s preparing us to be the future leaders of the church (or leaders in general).  And that if we arrived to the mission shy, we´re going to leave the mission not shy (vivo y dinamico).  I really liked that thought and how it can apply to all of us.  If we´re always vivo y dinamico (always on top of things and looking for ways to better ourselves and those around us) we will have success and more happiness in our lives.  I invite all of you to be VIVO Y DINAMICO (we shout that every time President asks us how we are as a group of missionaries) and look for ways you can be more/ do more than you currently are! 

Miss you all and hope you have a great week this week!

Elder Smith

Pics: Semana de Milagros!, our cook here in Santo Domingo is awesome! (appears on a cooking show regularly), the sisters and I in a lesson, sunset!

Semana 31: New, New, New: 2/13/17

Hola everyone! Another great week here in Costa Rica! 

Santo Domingo is super different from Puriscal but I'm loving it! Just about everything is different because I don't know the area and so it feels like I'm starting the mission all over again a little bit haha.  I have a week but I'm sure I would get lost very fast still if I didn't have my companion who already knew the area.  

Santo Domingo is a lot closer to San José (the capitol) so it's a lot more like a city than Puriscal was.  Puriscal was still a city, but far from everything and a lot more spread out in the mountains.  It's been interesting to adjust but it helps having Elder Canul who I was already companions with for 4 weeks.  The sisters in our area are new as well so Elder Canul has been teaching all 3 of us the area, the members, and the investigators.  It was a little bit different working this week because hardly any of us knew the area, but we had another baptism! Technically it was the sisters baptism (all baptisms are the Lord´s) but Elder Canul is the one who taught her so he was the one who baptized her! We have an actual church building here in Santo Domingo so the baptism was inside haha! It was great to be there for that and the members here in Santo Domingo seem awesome! They're still a branch, but are going to be a ward very soon because the attendance is a lot higher (around 100).  

Anyways, not too much else to report on but I hope everyone has a great week this week and a Happy Valentine's Day tomorrow! 

Elder Smith  

Pics: First Sunday in Santo Domingo!, Santo Domingo!, Baptism!

Semana 30: Transfers!!!: 2/6/17

Hey everyone!

I hope everyone had a great week this last week! This last week was crazy! But to start off... I finally got transfered from my first area! I´m headed for Santo Domingo (Holy Sunday) de Heredia!!! And guess who my companion is... Elder Canul!!! My companion that I was with before Elder Navas.  I thought the zone leaders were just kidding when they told me.  I wasn´t expecting to get transferred at all because Elder Navas is going home, but that´s why transfers are crazy.  I´m writing to you from San José so I can´t tell you how my new area is until next week because I still haven´t been there yet haha. 

But apart from that, this week was really good, but stressful as well.  We had to travel a bunch this week for different stuff so I was barely in Puriscal.  But... We had 3 more baptisms this week!!! Technically they were baptisms for the Sisters in our area, but they were my investigators orignially.  They´re named Yaosca (try to prounouce that), Alison, y María Milagros.  Yaosca is 23 and has been baptized like 5 different times so it was a little challenging to convice her that she needed to be baptized again, but she´s super awesome and is going to be a great member of the church.  Alison is her sister who is 9, and María Milagros is the friend of Alison and is 8.  And all of them are friends with Jennifer and Elizabeth (the two girls that we baptized back in December on Christmas). 

Other than that nothing too exciting happened.  It was my birthday on Friday! I didn´t really do anything the day of but I got to celebrate a little bit the next day.  I had cake, and then they cracked eggs over my head (apparently that's a thing here).  I had a video but I accidentally deleted it... But thank you so much to everyone that wished me a happy birthday!! I feel old (20 years old) haha. 

I hope everyone has a great week this week!

Elder Smith

P.s. Probably won{t be able to respond to many of you sorry!! But thank you so much for writing me!

Pics: Baptism!, Elder Navas, Gerald, and I, and Elder Navas with a family in our branch our last day in Puriscal (can only send like 3 pics without the computer freaking out, sorry)

Semana 29: Baptisms and a Wedding!!!: 1/29/17

Hola everyone! Long time no talk! 

I hope everyone had a good last 10 days! This week was AWESOME! So much happened this last week and a half, but the best part is..... We had 2 BAPTISMS!!! Moisés y Christopher!!!

We didn't know if or when they were going to get baptized the last time I wrote, but they both got baptized this last Saturday, the 28th.  And guess who showed up? My mission president and his wife!! I was a little nervous at that point haha, but it all turned out great! I also had the opportunity to baptize and confirm Christopher which was a super awesome experience for me! First time I have done either, and I did it in Spanish! 

Moisés is 16 and is super awesome.  We first taught his mom and sister back in November, but didn't meet Moisés until Elder Navas showed up in December. He always had a super strong desire to learn more and we shared quite a few laughs teaching him as well.  

Christopher is 10 and was a miracle.  I had always seen him at church since I first got to Pursical but never knew he never got baptized.  We went to eat at the house of his Grandma one Sunday and simply asked when he got baptized, and he said he never was... His mom is a member and lives in our area, but an hour away and so she doesn't come much.  She almost always sends Christopher to church though with his Grandma.  We were more than happy to teach him and prepare him to get baptized (even though he has a little fear of water).

We also attended a wedding right before the baptism! Roberto and Francela! Roberto is a recent convert and is super awesome and never misses a Sunday.  I swear we did other stuff in the last 10 days, but all the super exciting stuff happened this last Saturday! 

I love and miss you all and I hope everyone has a great week this week! 

Love,

Elder Smith

P.s. I took a TON of pictures and videos this week but can only send 4 without the computer freaking out

Pics: Elder Navas and I with Gerald, the wedding!, E. Navas and I with Gerald and Moisés, E. Navas and I with President, Moisés, and Christopher