Christmas in Costa Rica (Almost...)

Buenas Familia!!!

Okay first to answer questions...

1. So I got a letter from Eric on November 13th and a letter from Shelby just a little bit after, so I will write back! Sorry I am really bad at writing letters haha

Okay well this week was a very difficult week! All of our lessons were falling, we found out that Jimmy and Irania, two of our investigators can´t get married and baptized because Irania doesn´t have all the legal documents she needs, and there was a lot of opposition in everything we did... but it all went away on Saturday when we went to the TEMPLE! I love the temple! And the most special thing is... I was able to do the work for Allen Martin Hackett!!! It was super awesome. I did his baptism and confirmation, and the next time we go I will be able to do his initiatories and his endowment, so I am very excited for that! I love the temple so much, and I love the peace and reverence that you can feel there, it really his the house of the Lord.

I had a very funny experience when I was there though. So all throughout my mission I have used my temple clothes to baptize, and throughout the mission they have gotten a little dirty. Right on my bottom there is a huge black mark (I have no idea how I got that haha) but when I was helping out with baptisms, President Craig, the temple Pressident, stopped me and told me that when we finish he was going to help me get the big black spot out of my pants. So afterwards we went into a back room in the temple and he was trying as hard as he could to get out the huge black mark and eventually he couldn´t. So he stopped and he told me, "Elder Taylor, at the end of your mission when your Mission President asks you if you have clean hands and a pure heart, tell him yes, but that you have a giant black spot on your rear end!" It was so hilarious! Haha, but I really do love the temple, and I love all the temple workers. They are seriously the nicest people, and I love working with them.

So the temple was the highlight of my week. This upcoming week we have changes, and most likely I will be leaving (Elder Schweinfurth and I already have 6 months together and he is finishing the mission this next change) so we will see where I am going! I love you all, and I really hope everything goes well with Katie and her pregnancy. I am super stoked to see little Ryan Christian Taylor Jones Jr when I get back from my mission. I really know this is where the Lord wants me to be, and I have a strong testimony of the power of the Atonement in our lives. Christ died to allow us to change, and we just need to be willing to take those important steps to allow the Atonement of Christ to take affect in our lives.I love you all! Take care, and keep on working the vineyard of the Lord!!!!

Pura Vida,

Elder Taylor

P.S. I am trying to send photos but... there is a problem with my memory card. It is not being recognized on the computer so it says that I need to reformat my card, and I am not willing to delete all my pictures to do that, so I will try and send some pictures when I get that all fixed up.. sorry! Love you!