You all are probably wanting to know about Costa Rica and everything about the culture here. So I will share all of that and a few personal experiences here.
HUNGRY- There hasn't been a day that goes by that I am not hungry. I am in Guanacaste. It's in the Northwest side of Costa Rica. In a town called Liberia. Everyday we get one meal from a cook. (Which is the best) but other than that the rest is up to ourselves and we really don't have that much money in the first place. Everything up here is super expensive.
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| Liberia in Guanacaste Province, CR |
The people here are super nice and welcoming. You really don't understand what you have at home until you have been to a place where you don't get too much. The area I am in is very dry for Costa Rica. It hasn't rained once since I got here. With that being said we don't have air conditioners running because they are really expensive and can't afford it. So I am in a puddle of sweat for practically the entire day. It's nice having cold showers here to cool off. But that is only because we don't have heated water.
It hasn't really been what I expected of Costa Rica but every area is different. So I will experience a different place every time I switch areas.
The roads here are all dirt roads that are torn apart. Not everyone has a car so there is a lot of walking and biking. And if you do have a car you probably are a taxi or very lucky.
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| Elder Cuevas and President Wilkinson |
Wednesday morning I had a really good breakfast at President Wilkinson's house. It was awesome. Found out who my companion is and he is great! Only been out here for 3 months and is from Chicago. Elder Cuevas is currently the District Leader - luckily knew Spanish before the mission and English too so it is great to communicate with him. He is an awesome Elder and I can't wait to learn from him.
My Spanish is coming along. Lots of the natives say it is really good but I don't know if they are just saying that to make me feel good.
From San Jose it is about a 4 and a half hour bus ride here. Very crazy bus ride for they are crazy drivers here. About 4 hours in I did not feel well at all. I prayed so that I could feel better and about 10 seconds later I threw up. (Didn't help with the hungry part). It is a very good thing Mom sent me two extra towels at the MTC because I threw up in one of them. (The fast drying towel). Had to throw it away. Also a good thing that Mom sent me another pair of flip flops because the other ones I have stay wet and it is very easy to get fungus here on your feet. I think God must have packed the package mom sent when she sent it because it was everything I needed. When I received the package I looked at it and thought to myself " Why did she send that?"
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| Elder Cuevas and Elder Moss |
However with that all being said. I would never want to be in a different place in the World. Even though this week has been tough, I have most definitely been humbled. Seeing the joy that the Costa Rican people have is truly amazing. They can just sit outside and listen to music and be the happiest ever. Also seeing the joy the Gospel brings to families is awesome! Everyone in the World needs the Gospel because the Gospel makes "Bad men good and good men better".
The blessings the Lord has given me are indescribable. I have become grateful for the necessities here. Food, water, shelter, clothing, family. When times get tough like they have been I think about what Jesus had to go through. Words cannot describe how grateful I am of the atonement so that I can become clean again of my sins and be made perfect like Christ.
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| Elders Lohberg & Parker. Elders Moss and Cuevas |
God loves his children. I know this to be true. Even though at times it may be tough and you might wonder to yourself why doesn't He help me. In the end he actually is. As you work to become like Jesus your weaknesses become strong through the atonement of Christ. A talk given in General Conference said, "A God who makes no demands is the equivalent of having no God". Sometimes when we think that God demands too much of us we can know that He is just being a loving Heavenly Father. Without these demands we can't learn and grow and gain truths about Gospel topics. God blesses us more then we think and once he does bless us we owe him more of ourselves. We are all beggars and need to know that if we humble ourselves to God we can become better people.
My testimony is simple but very strong and growing more and more. I know that Christ lives. I know that through Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the Gift of the Spirit, and Enduring to the End. We all can return to live with Heavenly Father again. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true church that is led by God himself. I have received so much joy and blessings from having these truths that I can't wait to share it with others and see their lives change through the atonement of Christ. I KNOW these things to be true in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
I love you all at home and hope all is great!
-Elder Moss
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