November 11, 2013 E-Mail

Buenas Familia!!!!

Well first off to answer questions....

1. Well, I deferred to the fall semester in 2014, but we will have to see what I do. I still have a ton of time here to think about it, but I am leaning towards going summer term, because I don't want to be home chilling forever haha, but I still have 7 months to think about all that.
2. I did fill out the FERPA so you guys could do my stuff
3. I still haven't had the chance to ask President about that, but I will in a little bit, I still have a lot of time left, and I don't want to already be worrying about all that.
4. Yes, there is a change in the weather here! It is raining like crazy! And it is cold freezing rain haha. I guess we are starting to eter the dry times here in Costa Rica, but it is still raining like crazy here!
5. I haven't eaten that much popcorn here. I have never had a microwave here on the mission so we can never just microwave popcorn.
6. My favorite dessert here would be fruit salad with Ice Cream. It´s super good because the fruit here is awesome!
7. We went to the Costa Rican Costco today. We just buy like sandwich materials, (it is super hard and expensive to find peanut butter here...) and eggs and stuff for like breakfast and lunch and snacks.
8. I used to eat ice cream like everyday here! But here in Tres Rios, there aren't that many little stores (here they are called pulperías...) so we have to go to the super market to get ice cream and we rarely have time to go there.
9. Costa Ricans do not have thanksgiving! They don't have Halloween either. They only celebrate Catholic Holidays here, (Semana Santa, Christmas... things like that.)

Well things are going awesome here! I love our investigators so much! We are teaching this one family, Ricardo and Alicia. They are in their 50's and are super awesome! Ricardo is from Paso Canoas, (that is the border between Costa Rica and Panama) but he recently came back to live here with his wife in Tres Rios. Alicia doesn't like Paso Canoas because 8 years ago they were robbed in the street and they shot Ricardo at point blank in the back with a shotgun!!! That is nuts! And he survived! So he is in a wheel chair now, but he is seriously the most humble, quiet, and reverent man ever. But it was really funny becuase a couple weeks ago when we first met him he was like,"Elder Taylor, want to see the scar?"  And he had a huge hole in his back! I love them so much though! They are such a great family and they have really felt the love of our ward here in Tres Rios. They will have a baptismal date for the 30th of this month.

We also have a sweet family, Joel and Yosmari. They are awesome, and they are changing so much! I really love how this gospel really changes people. Joel is a man that has a ton of peircings, (eyebrow, lip, earrings... everything) and everytime we see him he is little by little taking out all of his peircings. Those are the quiet but powerful changes we see in people when they begin to become converted. They have a baptismal date for the 23rd! They are awesome!

We are also teaching a ton of families that need to be divorced, and then remarried with their new partner! It is so difficult becuase they are so stoked about baptism, but divorces here take forever, and even worse, a lot of their ex-spouses live in other countries...(Spain, Guatemala, Nicaragua...). Basically everyone we find needs a divorce haha.

I really love the mission. I love how much God is allowing me to grow here. The most important thing that I have learned here on my mission, is the peace, happiness, and powere we feel when we follow the will of God. That is why we are here on earth. To follow the will of God. If we don't like doing His will, then how would we ever enjoy living in his presence in the Celestial Kingdom. I love my Father in Heaven, and I am learning more about him everyday here on my mission. I love you all, and I am always praying for your well-being. I hope all is well in the good old USA. Love you all!!!!

Pura vida,

Elder Taylor

P.S. Sorry I don't have any new pictures, I'll try and send some next week!!!