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Cole's dinner

Cole's dinner
Hunting in Costa Rica

Monday, October 24, 2011

October 24, 2011

What up family!

 How is everything? Its all good here! I sent the link to you guys to be able to see my pics and everything! Also I'm about to send some pics of the activity that we had Saturday. It was such a fun branch activity. Each organization had to represent a different country, like the young men's represented Columbia, the young women's represented El Salvador, the relief society represented Costa Rica, the elders quorum represented Ecuador, and us missionaries represented China. It was sooo fun!! and each group had there own room in the chapel, the whole week we were decorating and everything. The sister missionaries borrowed some Chinese clothes from a member, me and my comp made a Chinese dragon and we had a presentation where the sisters were dancing to Chinese music, and me and my comp walk in as the dragon, like a Chinese parade.. it was sooo cool haha And the ward mission leader helped us make Chinese food and all this stuff, it was legit. The whole night was awesome, and one of the families we are teaching came to it, so that was a bonus.
  This Saturday,we have 3 baptisms, a family and then a single lady. I hope everything goes well!! Were gonna have another activity the 2nd Saturday of November so that will be way fun. The beach was awesome, we went to two different beaches, the one was on pday, and the cooler one we went to a baptism of a different area that the guy got baptized in the ocean. it was way cool! All the pictures are on that link i sent you.
 That's sick you finally went fly fishing dad, and actually caught something this time.. haha But are you ever gonna go hunting...fetch I'm disappointed in you!! Get out in the field man!!!! That's sick they're building a sporting goods store so big there... ill probably be spending all my time there when i get back!!
 My comp is good! hes just a lil crazy, when hes in a bad mood you just have to get him excited about the missionary work. So about the Christmas package, just some me a ton of good stuff, that calendar, and put a lil more money in my bank account cuz i think i might buy a Ipod touch for me for Christmas... we'll see tho. That's soo awesome that our neighborhood is filling up like that!! I'm excited to see the change. I hope some hot girls move in!! if there are any moving in right now, just give them a brief overview of me and that i only have a year left and ill be there to pick em up.. aight! And mom, when you said maybe ive already met my wife,, i don't think so cuz in my patriatical blessing it says i will recognize her right when i see her when she comes in my life. haha
 Yeah costaricans celebrate Halloween, it will be weird to see it here. That's not that crazy about Brennan getting into Harvard... that was a given since the get go. Hes soooo smart, and that's gonna be soo awesome!! and he get to wrestle to for them!!
 Well love you guys, Talk to you next week :)
Elder Christensen

Thursday, October 20, 2011

oct 17, 2011

Hey family, HAAPPPYYY BBIIIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE YOU!!!!
 
  Sorry last weeks letter was so short, the computer was being really gay and just turned off by its self and half of the letter didnt save for some reason... i was pissed and didnt have time to write it over again. So im way glad everything is ok there. Here its going great and were working way hard and everything!! Right now we have like 3 families and a couple single investigators. The problem here is pratically EVERYONEs husband is a fisherman and is never home, they leave for a couple months and then come back, so its really hard to find a complete family cuz so many men are fishermen. But we do have one family that is awesome.. i just hope they progress. Its a family of 7, the mom, and the 6 kids. all the kids ages are between 14 and 22 years old. So im way excited, they have a babtism date for the 29th of this month, so pray for them please!! We also have another family that has a date for the 29th also, Its a family of 4, but one of the daughters is a missionary that was serving here for 3 months and then is now in England serving!!! crazy huh!! and none of her family are members. The mom i know has a testimony, she just needs to act on it, so were gonna keep workin hard with them. Theres is another lady that is gonna get babtised the 29th also, she is cool, shes about 41 years old. The sister missionaries are awesome here, its soo fun working with them like a team cuz we always go to their appointments and they always come to ours.
   Thats so crazy you guys saw Chris in the temple getting his endowments out... what are the odds...!! Hes going to mexico right? I miss that kid a ton!! i bet the farewell was soo awesome. Dude has the rut started yet dad... that weather is suckin there in utah. Here its literally been raining 12 hours a day... ive heard theres a hurricane in mexico and thats why its raining so much here, cuz its non stop!!! Today were going to the beach to chill. im excited!! Were going with the sisters, a member family, they elders that live with us. Its gonna be sick!! Ill send some pics next week!!
  So the food is pretty much the same here,, i havent eating really anything new!! Its way good tho!! Yeah i get the letters from wayne, its just soo hard to write everyone back, i only get an hour, and im literally writing you guys or downloading the pictures to the computer and everything. I wishd i coulda been there for your bday dad, 44 years old... muy muy viejo!! haha my spanish is bomb, everytime i teach a new person theyre like... what... you only have 6 months here in Costa Rica.. haha its funny! Obviously theres still some random words that i dont know so sometimes i dont understand everything, but i pretty much can understand it completely. And when im writing emails to you guys, its so hard to think in english about what im gonna say, i always accidently write in spanish and stuff haha
  Yeah its crazy i have 8 months practically already. When i think about it, it went soo fast,, but also there are times where it seems like ive been a missionary my whole life.. its weird. And other times where im just like... ugh i wanna go home and just watch a good movie or something, or just rest for 5 minutes haha But its all good, you can definately tell a difference when your whole schedule is filled for the day. I hate leaving the house to work unless we have a lot of appointments.. thats why the day before you gotta work hard for the next day.. or its gonna suck.. haha I cant wait til i get home and can just go to a family party like you guys had yesterday and everything!
  So i talked to Presidente about my comp and everything. He told me all i need to do is help him, thats why he put me with him so i could help him he told me. He said i need to keep doing what im doing. Hes way cool the president. Also my comp is not so bad, its kinda crazy sometimes, cuz i think hes bipolar also cuz one minute hes so happy and the next hes pissed.. haha its crazy but ive learned how to get his happy mood back when he gets mad, its just takes a lil bit! But were doin good, he has a way strong testimony and everythig.
 Mom did you talk to dad about the cabin or what... you never answered me... you guys gotta keep makin bills baby! Did you buy that book yet.. And which calendar did you get me.. its gotta be the one from Kings Camo Bull Elk. por favor.
Well love you guys a ton!!! talk to ya next week.
Elder Christensen

oct 12, 2011

what up fam.
 Everything is going good here. My comp is still a lil weird but most of the time he is some what happy and acts like a lil 10 year old. haha when he teaching he talks so quietly and way weird haha and testifies for like 5 minutes strait and i think most of the time the investigators are asleep when hes talking haha. But its all good, i like this comp a lot better !! The other elders that we live with are awesome!! My comp is from El Salvador, the other gringo is from Idaho, and the other Latino is from Honduras. Elder Montierth is the other gringo and hes awesome!! And the Sisters missionaries that are in our same area are awesome, and were allways with them practically haha
  So this week has been sooooo rainy... it rains about 12 hours per day!! We have found some new investigators and everything, we have a family of 8 that we are teaching right now and i hope they progress but well see. My favorite lesson to teach is The Restoration!! By farrrrr its my favorite, especially the part about the book of mormon.
  Have you guys not been updatin my blog... you need too!!

october 3, 2011

Hola Familia,
 So the area is alright... we are teaching and everything and i hope the families were are teaching get babtized!! So the cool part about this area is we share it with Hermanas and they are awesome!!! We like work together all the time and stuff and if they have a really cool family we also help them if they cant teach them one day. But most of the time its just me and my comp like a normal compananship. Both the hermanas are from Honduras and they are so funny!! My comp is really weird still, and he actually has mental problems, i dont know how he passed the mental test to come on a mission... but hes here so oh well. Also the other day he was having some problems and being really weird, and all the sudden started to cry and stuff and i was asking whats wrong and stuff and he was like im having a lot of temptations and stuff right now, and he said hes scared of falling into them and going home. And i asked what kind of temptations and he was like, he was having temptations of doing things with men, and said hes gay... ugh!!!!! I dont know what is goin on but its scary... honestly i use to sleep with just garments on... but now im sleeping with my shorts on! And everytime he moves while we are in our room im scared that hes gonna come over to my bed. And the other night he couldnt sleep and the other elders were like what is he doing... and so one of them asked him why he isnt going to bed and he said cuz the temptation is too strong!! and he got all scared and stuff.
   So today for pday we had to do divisions and me and Elder Montierth, one of the elders that lives with us, went to San Jose. Hes from Idaho and is way tite, we had to go there to get mine and my comps credit cards. And when we got there, after a 2 hour bus ride from Puntarenas, we went to gringo alley. Its a street where theres little stands that are selling all sorts of souvenirs, like painting, wood carvings, handmade bags, hammocks and all kinds of cool stuff. So i bought a sick painting of a tucan, that a lil tico had made by hand. Ill take some pics of it and send it next pday. and then after we went to Price Mart, which is owned by Costco and is the exact same. We bought a ton of food and stuff so im excited. Then after we went back to puntarenas.
   The conference was awesome, you cant watch it on tv here so everyone goes to the chapels. To be honest this was the first conference i actually payed attention to every session. haha My favorite discurso was about the book of mormon. I dont remember who it was but he was like the BOM is ether the word of god or of the devil. And if its of the devil then the devil is actually destroying his own kingdom himself through the book haha it made so much sense, and its just like whoever has read the BOM and doesnt believe it is retarded!! haha But the whole conference was awesome. thats awesome you got to go to it dad. And so cool the Makanoas came up to watch it... ugh i miss them soo much!!
   I cant belive majerle thinks shes in love!! thats gay!! But thats good they girls like their school and everything!! So maddi wins a lot then? has she ever scored a goal??.
   I cant believe its still hot there... that sucks!! Mom that is not good weather, cuz that means its not good hunting!! That sucks you havent seen much lately and that the rut hasnt started yet!! You better get out this next week when it starts to get colder!! that moose story is sooo funny... i can just imagine buck running away!! hahaha
  Ugh!! you havent gotten book yet?? its called, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon!! BUY IT RIGHT NOW AND READ IT!!! its amazing!!
  So about the cabin mom.... you know that is my dream too!! But DONT buy it until i get home!! There is a lot of work before just buying any old cabin... we have to scout the land for deer for weeks and search other lots too. So just wait for me, and get ready to look for a cabin somewhere near Iowa or Kansas!! Cant wait!!
   I love you guys a ton and will talk to you next week!! I found out and easier way to send pics, you can just look at all of them through this weblink... its tite!!
Love yall.
 Elder Christensen

september 26, 2011

Familia,

 So i got some crappy news... I had changes again!! It sucks!! last saturday morning me and Morazan were planning for the day and we get a call from the zone leaders that both of us have changes... we were soooo mad at first, then after a couple hours we were just plain sad and mad. I guess the whole mission is getting all changed around, apparently last month was one of the worst months the mission has had this year so president decided to switch some things and do some changes. So both me and Morazan got changed out of there and like 20 other areas got changed too. Im soo mad! :( So saturday and sunday we just went and said bye to all the members and everything, i was only there for like 3 weeks but La Rita was harder to leave than La Leòn Trece, my last area. All the members gave us cakes and food and stuff. So the last two days ive gained some weight. haha And all 22 of our investigators that we had we, we had to leave them :( The next saturday we were suppose to have like 5 babtisms and stuff. And the best family that we were teaching that were gonna get married the same day as their babtism too!! I am really mad!! So this morning we had to come to San Jose the office and see where we were going and who our new campanions were.
  So my new area is in Puntarenas, and its call Barranca. My new comp... honestly... im really not excited to be with him. Ive heard some crazy things about him and hes worse than  my 2nd comp. I dont know why i got the two worst comps in the whole mission but i did!! This guy is crazy and so weird, hes from El Salvador. Ive heard that both him and my 2nd comp are as bad as comps as you can get. ugh!! Im really mad right now and not to happy. but we´ll see how it goes. I LOVED my last area and right when i get settled i had changes.
  The only good this is is we live with two other elders so at least at night i can get a break from my comp. And another this is is its freaking beautiful here, we are right on the beach i can see if from our house. And theres mountains and jungles and everything out here, its cool. But ugh im still frustrated!!
 Im glad everything is going so well for you guys over there!! And i just got the package today when we went to San Jose, thanks so much for everthing... especially the jerky :) Majerle went to the dance and shes not 16 yet?... WOW! Well thats good she had fun. Thats awesome that nana and papa are doing so good! I miss them both soo much!! But i cant believe that happened to Brock and Lindsay!! Ugh thats soo sad!!
  Yeah dad you and buck are losers like mom said... i cant believe you havent been out hunting in that long!!!! You have to get out there!! Im gettin out in the field and im on a mission... you guys have no excuse!! But yeah., the iguana was sooo good!! Mom, haha i love you but that is kinda weird that you went up to my room and smelt my shirts... haha But i miss you guys a ton!! Im a little trunky right now and home sick, ive heard that right from the 7 month mark to about the year mark you are just really home sick and everything because it seems like you have a ton of time still. And them once you hit the year mark it starts going fast again... i hope.. cuz im really home sick now that i had changes and everything!!
 Yes they have ice in their drinks, thank goodness, or else theyd be like boiling haha Pretty much every time we go to a persons house they give us fresco, which just means homemade juice of some fruit. EVERYONE makes home made fresco and its usually from oranges, mangos, limes, or pineapple. Its soo good!! Yeah i want you guys to keep sending videos, its just i dont think the sound works when you send them from email. I tried sending some videos last week but it says theyre to big to send, how else can i send them?? Cuz i have some cool videos, i need to start using the video camera Tonya gave me.. its just hard cuz i cant really pack it around during the day, but my camera can take videos and i have a bunch. haha
  Well Mom and Dad, and sisters.. I love you all a ton!! i hope this area gets better and my comp but we´ll see.
Love,
  Elder Christensen

september 19th , 2011

Hola familia,
  What up! so last monday the iguana hunt was a success, the member that took us has a huge farm and a ton a property so we were just walking along the river searching the trees for the iguanas and there are tons. We only had sling shots so it was hard to kill them. But we saw a ton and finally we found a medium sized one and we hit it and it fell a lil closer to us and then we hit it again and it fell into the river and the members dogs went and retrieved it. We didnt eat them that day, but the next day the members prepared a wonderful tasting iguana dinner. It was sooo good!!! They cook the meat with coconut milk and other stuff.. so good!
  This week has been way awesome. We have found tons of new families and investigadors. We have 22 investigators total and 6 families. And all of them are soo cool! we are teaching one family of 6 people, the parents and then the 4 daughters. They are awesome and all of them are progressing. this month we hope to have at least 10 babtisms, but well see, i think we can do it. The members are so awesome and help all they can. every wednesday all of them get to together to to visiting teaching, and they all visit the less actives and everything! We are teaching a lot of people i just hope all of them keep progressing.
   My comp is awesome, hes my favorite comp ive had so far! His name is Elder Miguel Angel Morazán. we get a long great and were always laughing and having a good time. Hes from Honduras and hes been in the mission for 19 months. Most of the photos that i sent last time were all members from tibas and stuff. Only a few of them are from La Rita. Im not that close to the ocean, like i havent seen it yet bet its pretty close i hear. There are sloths everywhere. This week has been crazy here, they are still celebrating independance day and theres tons of festivals and parties everywhere haha its weird. Today we went to Guapiles which is the big city that im closest to and there were toooons of people and games and there was a giant cake about 20 by 20 feet big in the middle of the park and its for everyone to eat after the fireworks or something.
  So the other day we did divisions, and i was here in La Rita with a different elder and we were contacting and stuff. And we get to a house and start teaching the family that lives there, and all the sudden a guy comes and starts arguing with us and tell us that we are racists because we dont have black missionaries and that Jose Smith is our god and that we worship him and all this stuff thats not true and it was horrible, i was sooo mad!! i almost hit him but we just left instead haha
 Really i miss all the members in Garabito but i would way rather be in the area, its so awesome. The president of the branch is way cool, and so are all the counselors.
 So ive pretty much finished the book now. Its soo awesome, i still have like 100 pages left, but now when i read the book of mormon i know exactly where everything took place and i can know the general area of where which battle took place on the map and everything. It helps so much to understand the book of mormon geography and its sooo cool!! you guys have to read it for the 10th time now!!
 Today we went hunting again but we didnt get anything. But we did just chill in the grove of orange trees and eat like a million of them. The oranges here are so different, they are green and yellowish, and a little smaller. But a lot sweeter and better! also they eat them different here, they just cut the green part of the skin and  leave the stuff under it and just suck on the juice, its way different. But good! I took a ton of pics of the iguana hunt and everything but i dont have time to send them today so i will next week. I love you guys and i hope everything is going ok!!
Love,
     Elder Christensen