8th Week Liberia - Guanacaste Province

Family ~

This last week has been great with a multi-zone conference! Learned lots from President Wilkinson and from other missionaries and I went home with alot to put into practice! This meeting just showed me that I am no where near where I need to be with the Gospel and I have to improve in it everyday to become a better instrument in the hands of God.

Elder Cuevas y Elder Moss

As I think of Jacob and him going home tomorrow I think about his signature thing at the end of every email which said "No Regrets". I used to think it was silly until I realized that this time we have to serve the Lord is precious and we have to give Him our all with no regrets. As I've looked back on the 3 months of my mission I see the room for improvement on where I can do better to serve others. As we are all growing here on Earth it's great to measure yourself to see the improvement, and live a life with no regrets. Not looking back and serving the Lord with all our heart, might, mind, and strength. 

A family that we have been working with that is close to my heart has changed my life.  It was Wednesday night around 7:40. My comp and I didn't have plans for the night and people here in Costa Rica go to bed pretty early, at least in my area in Liberia. We decided to go out tracting. Nothing was going right and it was getting late.  We were still walking and the street we were on came to a dead end that was super dark. I saw only two houses in this area and they were still about 50 meters off the street. One of the house that I saw had 3 dogs barking at us.  So I got closer to the house and the dogs started going crazy and jumping at my feet. I felt in my heart that I needed to talk to him. I called out for the man and he started coming. We started talking to him and he invited us in to share a message with him. We got to know him a little bit and he said that he has no job and can't read. His wife has a blind eye and its kinda blueish. He has two kids and they barely have money for food. We started teaching him and his family and it was the most powerful lesson that we have taught together. The spirit was so strong throughout the lesson and at the end the man said that life was so hard for him and he couldn't handle it anymore. And he said that God told him that he needs to be there for his family. And then later that same day 2 representatives of Jesus Christ showed up at his door. It was an amazing moment and I knew that the Lord has a plan for all of us. We left the house that night speechless not knowing what to say to each other. We talked to the family on Friday and the Father ended up finding a job the very next day. They all came to church Sunday and President Wilkinson was there for the District Conference. Something about President Wilkinson is he is an amazing speaker. He talked about a story on his mission related to the one that just happened to us and the spirit was so strong and it was so amazing! The man turned to us and said that is just what happened to me with two representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ showing up at my door in time of need. I was so happy to be apart of this moment and can't wait to see this family grow in the church. They all pray together every night now and are all planning on being baptized and I can't wait to be able to see them go through the temple and be sealed for all time and eternity! This family has the biggest struggles and had nothing going for them when we met them. As I've watched them turn to the Lord to better their relationships with Him and to better their life in general. It amazes me everyday to see them apply the atonement in their lives and come unto Christ. It was a miracle how we found them and I know that God put them in our path because they were ready and needed the Gospel so much in their lives. As they prepare to become married and baptized the Lord has blessed them so much with love and things they need. Witnessing this miracle in my life has really showed me that God loves each and every single one of his children. That we are his direct children and he knows us personally. He is our loving Heavenly Father and wants the best for all his kids. 

Liberia Elders

I love you all and hope that you have a great week and I can't wait to hear how it was to see Jacob!

Happy Birthday Jordyn

Happy Thanksgiving to all

and Happy Anniversary to the best parents in the WORLD!  Ha ha - only a month late.

Elder Moss

Great experience to see turtles lay eggs at the beach.

Liberia Missionaries

7th Week Liberia - Guanacaste Province

Family ~

This week has been great! With many progressing investigators and the work going great I am so excited to see this branch grow into a ward! We had District Conference this week and this will be the last district conference because they are sending in the paperwork to turn it into a stake! Hopefully everything will go well and then in the next two or so months this district will turn into a stake. 

District Conference with President Wilkinson

While I was sitting in the conference I looked around at all of the members and I felt an immense love for each and every one of them. They are so great and I am loving the land of Pura Vida more and more! President Wilkinson talked for all 3 sessions and it was really great hearing him talk! He really knows how to get people excited to work and to go out and change things for the better. With the area of Guanacaste being one of the fastest growing areas in all of Costa Rica it's great to see the Gospel spread more and more! I am so glad to be in this area and to be able to serve here in this area! I know that I was called here for a reason to touch the hearts in the Branch of San Roque. I can't express to you all the miracles I have seen here and all the great things that have happened. Everything has shown me that I am a Child of God. That He really does have a plan for all of us! That He loves us like we don't even know. I have gained a stronger testimony of this to know that I can make it back to live with Him again. That I can become clean through the atonement of Christ. As I find the peace and joy that comes hand in hand with the cleansing power of the atonement I want to share it with everyone that I possibly can!

District Conference

I know that Christ lives. That he directs this church. That Thomas S. Monson really is a prophet of God that guides us and helps us in our lives. I know that families can be together forever and that we all can become clean and perfect through the power of the atonement. I love you all and hope you have a great week! Don't forget to say your prayers!

Love,

Elder Moss

6th Week Liberia - Guanacaste Province

Family ~ 

The work has been going great here and it's been a great week! We were able to get to videos of Mormon Messages and I have watched alot of them and want to talk about two that touched my heart and that we shared with others in this area. 

MTC District back together after 5 weeks in
Costa Rica

The first is "What matters most". As we go about our day to day take time to be grateful for what you have. Love one another because one day you might not have them with you. 

What Matters Most

The other is "Expressions of Love" Show each other how much you love another. And how much you care for them. Life is too short to be mad at someone or not love someone. You will find so much more peace and joy in your life if you do this!

Expressions of Love

Sorry I didn't manage time good this week and ran out! 

I am so grateful for this Gospel and everything it has done for me! I have gained such a love for the world and for my Heavenly Father!

I love you all and hope you have a good week!

Elder Moss

5th Week Liberia - Guanacaste Province

Family ~

Writing late because wasn't able to write yesterday. Spent the day in San Jose and on a bus!

Funny story this week. We were walking with a member who is going to leave on his mission soon and while we were walking I hear a "buenas" which is a greeting here. I didn't know where it came from so I just yelled it back and I heard it again, so I said it again. Than the member started laughing and told me that it was a parrot who I was talking to the entire time ha ha!

Having more and more disappointments in my area. It makes it hard to keep my head up and keep working but knowing that I am doing the work of the Lord has kept me going strong. Until last night I had no idea what to write to you about. And this amazing moment for me happened on the bus ride home from San Jose.

First when we were at a break stop for the bus ride my companion and I were buying snacks when a man came up and started asking us questions. He wanted to know about our church and about us. We started talking to him and he said he has been searching for God and hasn't been able to find him yet. He said that he felt something different about us and wants to learn and go to church with us. I was so excited because not only did he say that but he came up to us and talked to us. I was so worried about buying my things that I didn't even think to talk to him but I know the Lord has been working on his heart and it was a miracle to be able to have this moment.

Elder Branham from DO Ward in Surprise.

Then on the bus ride, there was this gringo who was in the army. He was playing loud music on the bus off of his speakers and it was the dirtiest music I think I have ever heard. People on the bus kept telling him to shush so he would just turn it on louder. I didn't know what to do in that moment and I wanted the music to stop too. So what I did was just started talking to him so he would have to turn it down or off. Well I started talking to him and he started opening up to me real quick. He was in the army and decided to move to Costa Rica and has been living here for the last 17 years. He has had a very rough life with many people close to him that have passed away and he has had experiences of where he had to kill people over in the middle east for war that has just changed his life. He expressed to me that he has lost God but has always wanted to find Him again. He also said with all his family and friends dieing that he was scared of death and what was going to happen to him. He also said that he doesn't think he will ever be forgiven of what he did in the past with killing people. 

We told him that we have the answers that he is seeking for and can help him come closer to God. We told him that we know that we will return to meet God after this life and that we can be forgiven of our sins through the power of the atonement. I had the answer to all his questions. I have been blessed so much in my life for having this knowledge of the Gospel. I took for granted before that I have this knowledge because I never shared it with anyone. The man told us that he is amazed about how young we are and how much we have figured out in our lives. God has blessed me so much with the Gospel and I will forever be indebted to Him.

My area with the sunset.

I know that the Gospel blesses families. That we can return to God and live with our families forever. That we can be forgiven of our sins through the power of the atonement.

I love you all

Elder Moss