2nd Week San Miguel, San Jose

Family ~

This week was a great week! Super happy and am enjoying the cool weather here in San Miguel! The work here has been great and am super busy here. But that is an awesome thing! Conference is this week and it's crazy to think that 6 months ago I came to Costa Rica and saw my first Conference as a missionary! Super excited to watch Conference and learn and grow from all of the talks that are being prepared. I know it's going to be a good one and that each and everyone of us can have answers to all our questions if we listen and pay close attention!

This is the investigator mom that
I was talking about. The older lady that
I love to joke around with

This Wednesday I will be going to the temple so I am even more happy to have the time to go to the temple and feel the spirit so strong! The temple is one of my favorite places on Earth to go and I love being able to spend time there!

This week I have been thinking alot about authority and the priesthood and about dispensations and the plan that God has for us. I was thinking about how great it is to be apart of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. And I don't just say that it is great to be apart of a Church that helps out the needy, that has beautiful temples, or has fun activities. What I mean is to be a member of HIS Church. That I have the opportunity to have His Priesthood and that how grateful I am that all Priesthood Keys are here on Earth. God calls men as Prophets that they may lead and guide His Church. The only true church here on the Face of the Earth. I don't mean to say that with pride or arrogance but I know with all of my heart that God calls men on Earth as Prophets. That He is the same today, yesterday, and forever. And that the authority of Him is here on this Earth. 

Leaving Liberia

Today I was staring at food and I was very hungry when a lady caught me staring she invited me and my companion to eat. It was just a great miracle and was very blessed. But after talking to her I said that I can give her the best thing I know in this world and that is the greatest gift. That gift is the knowledge that Christ lives. That he suffered and atoned for each one of us. That through revelation God calls Prophets and that we have a living Prophet here on Earth today. That the authority and Priesthood of God is here on Earth and that The Church of Jesus Christ has been restored. This is the greatest gift anyone can offer here on Earth. To share this amazing Gospel and help others come to Christ.

I Love being able to share this everyday and to be a representative of Jesus Christ. I love you all so much and hope you have a good conference week and are spiritually recharged!

Love Elder Moss

I was trying to weigh myself but the scale
was broken.

1st Week San Miguel, San Jose

Family ~

The time has come. I´ve been changed from San Roque in Guanacaste to San Miguel in San Jose, about 40 mins from mission office. It was a little sad because of all the great times I had in the 6 months in San Roque but I know that the Lord has plans for me here.

Elder Moss

My new area is great! It´s a little cold but I am out of the dry heat! I think It´s just cold to me because I am used to the heat! But I get lots of food from members and a ward that is awesome! My new companion is Elder Luna. He is from El Salvador and was companions with Elder Branham two changes ago. Pretty crazy! 

This week was a weird one because we had changes and also a devotional with Elder Maynes and Elder Duncan from the seventy. Learned a lot from them especially the importance of the Atonement and Plan of Salvation. 

Pic from a member.

The atonement is something I think I will never truly understand how powerful it really is. Not in this life at least. Jesus came down on this Earth to complete the atonement by suffering for each and every one of our sins. He is our loving older brother that has done so much for us and has given us a celestial gift that we can use throughout our entire lifetime. We are the ones who have the ability to use this gift and open it up or disregard it. Personally for me I want to use this gift. Especially because it is so powerful. 

Sorry I ran out of time trying to get the new computer to work but I love you all and hope that we can all use the gift of the atonement! 

Love Elder Moss

Costa Rica San Jose Mission

24th Week Liberia - Guanacaste Province

Experiences from Costa Rica!

Things that I have left out on my other letters that are just cool things about my area!

Every year there are fiestas here which are like a rodeo and state fair mixed together. So its a pretty big thing here in Liberia. But everyday during the fiestas there were hundreds of horses walking around the street and drunk guys riding them. Super funny to watch because these horses do like a dance walk and don't walk normal so it looks like they are just dancing in place. But one night I was walking down the street and a bunch of guys were riding horses drinking and one of the horses started going crazy because of a car and the drunk guy fell off the horse. Scarrry moment but funny after everything was okay and he got back on the horse and rode away into the Costa Rican sunset.

Another thing about my area is this season is suppppperr windy. It's also dry so you can just imagine all of the dust that gets blown everywhere. Well there is one street  in our area that is just perfect to have a huge cloud of dust get blown into your face no matter what. Not one of my favorite things but life goes on right! Well sometimes I try hiding behind my companions back so I don't get a bunch of dirt in my face. But I have to get really low because he isn't the biggest and it just reminds me of Happy Feet when the Penguins are walking through the blizzard. Except its just super hot instead of cold!

This week went great with the baptism of the daughter of the family. It was a little crazy that day but at the end of the day I was super happy and was able to take a break to think about how great of a day it actually was! 

It's super busy and I just wish I had more time to be able to do absolutely everything but at the end of the day I just don't have the time to be able to go talk to everyone that I want to. But hey that's a good thing. Sometimes

One of my favorite missionary scriptures is 

4 Missionaries that live in same apartment.

Doctrine and Convenios 4. 

1 Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.
2 Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.
3 Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;
4 For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;
5 And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work.
6 Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance,patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility,diligence.
7 Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Amen.

It was great to here that awesome story from back home about the devotional! It just reminds me about this scripture and how the field is white already to harvest! A marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men is right now. I have seen this here in Costa Rica and heard about it from back home. Every member is a missionary and has a responsibility to share this wonderful message with the world. We have the knowledge that others don't have that will bring peace, love, and happiness. We have the restored Gospel that we can share and help one of our brothers or sisters return to the presence of God. We all can feel this joy from sharing this Gospel and I invite each one of you to be an example and share the light with others. I love you all and can't wait to hear about all of your experiences!

Love Elder Moss

23rd Week Liberia - Guanacaste Province

Family ~

This week we had a zone conference with Elder Alonson. Was pretty great, got to learn from a Seventy and how I can better myself and better my area. So we went to San Jose and stayed the night there and came back the next day so we lost some time on the bus but that's okay.

Where we eat lunch with the other Elders 

Everyday I get to represent Jesus Christ as I get to teach others about the restored Gospel. How great is that? I can't express how wonderful it is to be able to be here in Costa Rica serving and helping the Ticos learn about the restored Gospel. I have been able to see how much God loves us here and how really He will bless us if we follow His commandments. He blesses us infinitely and we constantly will be blessed and need His blessing like King Benjamin said in Mosiah. I Love you all and hope that we can all get on our knees everyday to talk with our Heavenly Father who loves us like no other. We don't understand absolutely everything but we can show our Faith in Him and do everything He asks. 

Elder Mora opening his mission call.
Going to Monterrey Mexico Oeste!

The Gospel is here for everyone. It is to make bad men good and good men better. Everyday we can apply the atonement in our lives and become better people. I know that Christ lives and that he suffered for everyone of us. That Heavenly Father loves us and that He is a God of miracles. I am so very grateful for this opportunity to be a missionary and to be able to learn and grow here on Earth. 

Love you all

Elder Moss 

22nd Week Liberia - Guanacaste Province

Family ~

It has been a great week working for the Lord! We had an opportunity to do a service Project here and it was to dig out 5 poles that were in concrete and then dig a trench. The concrete poles were very difficult because we had to break apart the concrete and then take out the poles. Not only that but the ground is super hard here. It hasn't rained in forever and is super hot so it is just dry as can be. So I got to work eager as can be! Started with the first pole. It took an entire hour and by the time I was done I had blisters ripping from my hands. I still had 4 more to do but the pain in my hands was starting to bother me. I didn't have any protection for my hands or gloves of some sort. I had forgotten work gloves at home that would protect my hands. Feeling a little disappointed in myself I got back to work and finished the job. When I finished my hands were just ugly. They were nice and soft before because all I have been doing is using them for scriptures but after I worked with a shovel and pick for four hours they grew blisters and tears in them. I then thought "How can I relate this to the Gospel?" Then came to conclusión.  

I left the house in the morning without any protection. I didn't bring the gloves to protect my hands. I knew that I would have to dig holes and use tools that would hurt my hands. But I just left the house without them. I then got to work and suffered from not thinking and getting the gloves for my hands. Everyday we all leave the house and have the devil attack us. We have to leave the house to get to work and do things. But will we leave the house without the protection of God? We all have a promise to if we keep the commandments of God we will be protected from worldly temptation. We have the scriptures and prayer that are going to help us put on the "armor of God" everyday. We can choose to use these tools to keep as spiritually close to God everyday. Or forget about them and get hurt and not be protected from worldly temptation.  In Ephesians 6:11 it says, "Put on the whole armour‍ of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." Everyday in the world there is a battle. A battle against the devil and temptation. But God has given us armor to protect us from the enemy.  In Mosiah 2:41 it says, "And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy‍ state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed‍ in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful‍ to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it."

1st of 3 Zone Conferences with Elder Alonso

I know that if we keep the commandments of God that we will be blessed. That we really can be protected through the power of God and that we can be happy through the Gospel of Jesús Christ. I have a testimony of how powerful scripture study and prayer can help when temptation comes. That really praying and reading can be a solution to many problems that we have. I am so very grateful for this opportunity to serve God and His children and to have this opportunity to come here to Earth to learn and grow. I know this all to be true and say these things in the name of Jesús Christ, Amen.

Elder Moss

P.S.  Funny story. Sometimes my tie slaps my companion in the face. He is the perfect height and it is super windy so my tie is always flapping around. I get a REALLY Good laugh when that happens ha ha!