Missionary Work in the Big City: Moravia

Overlooking Upper Moravia

Hey there! Things are coming along a little bit here. We came into downtown for p day.

We started out here with 0 investigators. Then on Sunday we had 10 in sacrament meeting. The best one we have is named Yanet. She is probably in her low 30s and is single with 6 kids ranging from 3-12. She recently left her abusive husband and lives alone with her kids now. She’s super awesome and we are working for her baptism the 19th of this month. But we’ve got to work with her quitting smoking.

The area is good and all the members are super cool. It is really cold though. I’m fine though. I bundle up with my blankets.

We are finding our way around much better now. Elder Cabrera is cool he is pretty laid back. He just gets really discouraged over nothing. I was just sick in the beginning getting used to the different climate.

Our lady who cooks for us: her husband is Guatemalan so between them we eat different random Costa Rican and Guatemalan food.

There are some random lizards in places but not nearly as much as out where I was.
The houses here are soo weird. They’re the oddest shapes and they just fit them into the weirdest areas. If there was a small corner around a building with nothing they build a house. I’ve seen ones that are like 8 ft wide and super long. It’s weird.

Your Sunday School class sounds pretty good. (Marital and Family Relations) I would like to come listen to what you have to say. I have to give marital advice everyday and I don’t know if you knew but I really don’t have any experience in that department.

The difference in teaching in this area is just that no one here wants to listen to us. We contact families in the streets all day and no one wants to listen. Its a lot more discouraging here than out in the boonies. And people actually work so there’s not many people that we can visit before 6 at night.


I gotta go. I love you

pura vida

Elder Graham

New Area: Moravia 2

Well mom, I made it to the big city. My new area is Moravia 2. I am In Toyopan which is the northeastern part of downtown San Jose. It’s pure downtown city and super sweet. My new comp is Elder Cabrera. He is from El Salvador and he came into the country on the same day I did. He was serving in Limon and the day I went on divisions in Limon I was with him. So I already know him and he’s pretty sweet. We were both e changed and put here to open the area.

It’s extremely hard. Neither of us knows anyone nor knows our way around at all. On Wednesday morning we went early to San Jose and went to President Galvez’ house to eat breakfast. President just said “Elder Graham meet your new companion, Elder Cabrera. You’re going to open an area.” Then he took us and dropped us off in our area and I cannot explain how hard it has been to do. Our ward is part of another area so there are 4 missionaries in our ward. We live in a house with 2 more pairs of missionaries. There are 6 in the house.

This week has been so crazy. We have spent the whole time wandering around contacting people, trying to find where members live, and getting lost. It’s the most confusing place. It’s not like downtown Portland where it’s just squares. All the roads go in the most retarded patterns and have fatty fatty hills.

The lady that cooks for us is our bishop’s wife and she takes culinary classes. The food that she makes is actually amazing. The food that Hermana Pacita made was good but it was just normal house food. She makes us gourmet restaurant food. The ward is huge; there were 100 people at church Sunday.

All the families here are so amazing. I love them all already.

I’ve heard that our area is super dangerous. One of the elders in my house got robbed at gunpoint last week. No one walks around with anything. They have a cheap set of scriptures; they don’t even carry around their regular ones because they will get stolen. Yesterday we were standing waiting for the bus and these 2 guys came out of a bar with a huge mug and a bottle of crown royal and 3 guys in black suits came and followed them and in the middle of a super busy street a guy in the suits started pushing him and then hit him one time sooo good in the face. He was DOWN, bloody all over his face and he got up and started cussing at the guys in the suits and the guys in the suits took the mug and crown royal that he stole and the guys started completely beating the guy, kicking him and punching him on the ground. Then they just dipped back to the bar.. in mid day in the middle of a busy street. And everyone stood around like it was nothing. Crazy.

I feel like I’m in a completely different country. There’s a taco bell in my area. We have hot water in our apartment, and no one here even has to dump cockroaches out of their shoes anymore. It’s a different world. But there’s a super sweet little market place here and I wish I was here before Christmas because you guys would have gotten the greatest stuff from it.

Saying goodbye in la Rita was tough. I got to go say goodbye to Hermana Pacita back in Cariari my last day too.

Are you still the choir director? How has that been going? And teaching the class? What exactly do you teach in the class? Whenever we feel comfortable in life the Lord will throw us into something twice as hard. I was getting pretty comfortable in my old area with everything. I thought I was pretty tight. Then the Lord said, “you think you’re pretty tight? Go open an area in the city.” I don’t think I’m tight anymore.

The whole culture is so different in the city. People actually work. Not everyone is willing to talk to you. There is actually a ward with people filling callings, not 2 faithful members doing everything.

And now that I’m in the city I can go pick up my mail every p day. So you can send me mail and I should get it sooner! I still haven’t got those birthday letters or Tracey’s package..And my companion was about to buy an iPod nano for what is almost 500 dollars. So I sold him mine. So if Nick can find a super super cheap ipod on craigslist it would be great to receive :)

It’s SOOOOOOOOOOOO COLD!! I can’t explain to you how cold it is here! I thought that in all of Costa Rica it was hot but we’re in the mountains and its freezing!!

Ok well I gotta head out. But I love you and keep being a great family!

pura vida
Elder Graham

BIG changes!!!!!!!

This is a family of recent converts in La Rita. we went and played soccer with them last week. he plays professionally on a 2nd division team here. He's sooo good.

Ronald, Rachel and Yermy

Hermana Pasita and Me. My special friend!

The only picture I have of Elder H

Well mother. I think that all your prayers and mine worked. Wednesday night late in the night President Galvez called us and wanted to talk to my companion and I just heard Elder H. stuttering and trying to explain what we’ve been doing. He was saying welll I haven’t felt well this week so I’ve been trying to rest and then he eventually broke down crying saying that its true he has been breaking all the mission norms and that he hasn’t been doing anything. I have talked to everyone and no one told president anything. In all honesty he received revelation and knew he needed to call us. He told Elder H. if he wants to stay this way doing nothing he will arrange for him to go home now so that he’s not wasting all our time, and he responded that he wants to stay here. They were on the phone over an hour and from now on, he has had to wake up at 5 every day to make up for the extra sleep he got and he has to call president every morning and every night giving him a report of what we have been doing that day. And to finish out the change he made me senior companion.

So a few days passed and then we arrive to this morning. This morning Elder H. called to have his morning check up and President Galvez gave him a little news about me. This Wednesday I have to be in San Jose because I have changes. I was taken very very by surprise by this. I have been getting mentally prepared to finish my mission here but I guess I will see more of Costa Rica. I’m half excited, half sad and half nervous. I’m not sure where I’m going. It could be anywhere in the country!

That’s legit about L Tom Perry! I wish I could have been there to meet him and that’s awesome what he said about the baby! You guys are famous! And great advice from the other authority!

Taco bell was amazing!! It’s exactly the same as in the US except a little more expensive and the menu is about half the size of the one in the states. But they do have fries and nacho fries that are pretty good.

I hope that I will be able to e mail on Wednesday but I’m not really sure. There are 6 new gringos coming into the mission. There’s a bunch of changes happening to get them all settled in so they’re also opening 3 new areas. I’ve already got a lot of time in my area and if I didn’t have changes now I’d be having a lot of time all together here.

Alright I think it’s about time to go. Quote of the week: Luis-¨were poor¨ José-¨Luis, poor is the people who don’t have the gospel.¨ words to live by.

I love you. I’ll let you know where I am as soon as possible

Elder Graham

Last week was the wedding and baptism of Kendal and Idalia in Cariari. They were the first appointment I had in my mission and I have been working with them ever since. And now the week after I leave he gets baptized and married. But it was great to be there and see them so happy together.

This past week has been pretty tough. I’m with a companion who has absolutely no desire to do anything. He sleeps till almost 1 everyday and then wants to go to members’ houses to watch movies. It has been ridiculously frustrating and I really don’t know what to do. I get up and study by myself every morning while he sleeps. When I can get him into a house to try and teach a lesson he just sits back and doesn’t say anything. Yesterday we had a district meeting in the morning and we got back at noon. We went to lunch and then he went back to the house and slept until 630. I don’t know what to do; I would like to call President Galvez, but there’s really nothing to do about it because he goes home in a month anyway. I would love to have something to report but I haven’t been able to work this past week.

My converts are doing well and this week, I’m thankful for my family and for my sister who is preparing to be a missionary. I am thankful for the interest I have obtained in studying the scriptures and church doctrine books because it gives me something to do all morning. And the good thing I see about my companion is that he goes home in a month and will be replaced with someone with a desire to serve the lord.

Well I gotta head out. We’re going to taco bell!

I love you! Tell Allison I’m proud of her.

Elder Graham

La Rita

"hey thanks elder grahams dad¨

Jose and Luis with the soccer ball that Dad sent me and I gave to them

These are the families of converts I had in Cariari.

I love these people!

First off the computer I’m on is retardedly slow and I know I’m not going to have time to write back to everyone who wrote me but thanks everyone who wrote me! because everyone did! I really do appreciate it and I feel bad that I won’t have time to write you all back.

Good news! Remember Dayana? Well she was confirmed and is on the path to enduring to the end!!


In church I had a wonderful surprise when Hermana Pacita showed up just to see me and wish me a happy birthday and bring me candy and a card from her family. You need to know what a sacrifice that is for her to come all the way out here. She hates to leave her house and especially to come all the way out here. But other than that no one even knows it was my birthday and to be completely honest I completely forgot until Hermana Pacita came.

The box score signed by Mike and Mike may be the best present I’ve ever received. The pen is wonderful and the scripture markers also. Everything was perfect. I’ve already gotten good use out of the Calle soccer ball and I already gave the other one away to Luis and Jose. You should have seen the ball that they had before. And every time I pass by their house now they are outside playing with that ball I gave them.

This morning we went to Cariari to play soccer with Elder Bernuy and his comp and those families of recent converts we had. It was so great to see them they all came running when they saw me and all started hugging me. We were walking through the downtown Cariari and I started to cry. I wish I could explain to you how much i love that town and those people. It’s crazy how different everything is when you change companions. He kind of babies me and he doesn’t really have me do things and with Bernuy I had to do everything.

Alright I have to go unfortunately. I’m sorry that the computer is so lame today. I love you and I really am thankful for the wonderful e mail you sent and for all the wonderful e mails I got today. Tell aunt Etie that I’m sorry I couldn’t reply and that I love her too.

Elder Graham

Sometimes It's Sad to be a Missionary

Oh boy. So I got some big changes. I’m in La Rita. They divided my area so I’m just in la Rita now. We searched all last week for the house and now I’m here. Not gonna lie I have been pretty disappointed about the change. I’ve really grown to love Cariari and if I had to leave I want to actually leave. La Rita is pretty small and I feel like I’ve knocked every door here and I really don’t know what to do. Cariari was going really well and we were having a ton of success and then I am put here and we really have nothing.


I had to go say goodbye to everyone there. Last night I went to say goodbye to Hermana Pacita. I didn’t cry when I said goodbye to my family but I cried when I said goodbye to her. She was crying really hard and I was having a really tough time leaving her. It was also super hard to say goodbye to Miguel angel and Benita’s families. They were all crying before I even got there because I called them and told them before. I was there for about 4 hours saying goodbye and they wouldn’t let me go.


My new comp is elder Hernandez. He’s from El Salvador. He’s not bad. I know that I need to learn from all my companions but I’m just looking forward to the time the lord says I’ve learned enough and gives me a companion that I can be good friends with. He’s already served here in la Rita and this is the last change of his mission he goes home in 6 weeks. This means I’m guaranteed to be here at least 3 more months....

We do have someone to cook for us. I don’t know if I’ve told you about our mission leader here Gustavo but it’s his sister who cooks for us. She’s really great so that should be good.

I got my birthday packages last week and I’m not gonna lie I already opened everything. I thought I would have changes and I wouldn’t be able to carry it all with me so I opened it all last week. And wow that package was full of the greatest stuff! That Timbers jersey really is the greatest thing I’ve ever seen. It’s the best made jersey I’ve ever seen. Best quality, design, style everything. It says no pity pdx on it. So great. and the Saprissa jersey too! Everything was perfect! Thank you all soo much! I got Luke and Jenny’s. And the calendar from Tracey in your package.. But she told me she sent me a Christmas package before Christmas and that still hasn’t arrived. The chips were still good and I’m still in the process of eating everything.

Unfortunately I accidentally left my camera at Jose’s house so i can’t send pics today but I have some to send next week! Don’t you worry. Your talk sounds great! Good job! and I’m sorry your sick! Are the blazers still on a winning streak?

alright i gotta go. I love you keep it real.

elder graham

Happiest Day of My Mission....so far

Elder Bernuy~ Jose~ Carlos~ Elder Graham

Jose baptized his little brother Luis. I love these kids!

Iguana for dinner!!

Wow. This week was nuts. Friday was the happiest day of my mission and yesterday may have been the saddest day of my life. Friday we had the baptism of Luis first and José did the baptism so that was great. Then afterward we had the greatest baptism of Benita and her family. It was the greatest and happiest baptism. They were so happy and all the members were being so great and supportive.

Then on Sunday I was in Cariari and for some reason we switched up church so that Sacrament Meeting was the last hour. I was fine with that because the family needing to be confirmed was late. I saw the boys outside during class so I ran out there and they were all there but Dayana (the 15 year old girl who had just gotten baptized Friday.) I asked where she was and she used to live with her boyfriend who was abusive and he left her so she moved back into her house with her mom and there were several times she broke down crying telling us about it. They said that she left with him and I immediately asked for their phone to call her. I called her and she thanked me for everything I had done but said she realized that she loved him and was going to move to San Jose with him. The branch president was right behind me and took the phone and told her we were coming to get her. So we went with her mom in his car and went to her house and she wasn’t there but the mom knew where the boyfriend lives so we went there. We waited outside while Benita went inside and we just heard screaming and crying and her mom was dragging her outside and the boyfriend who was a 4 feet tall, 40 year old creep comes out saying that they love each other and that they need to be together. The branch president was calm and was just saying, you’re 40 and she’s 15. That’s against the law and her mom still has responsibility over her. I can’t explain how sick, angry, depressed, so many emotions I felt. So we get in the car and leave and the little rat comes chasing us on his bike and stops us to tell her that he loves her and to tell us that he doesn’t want her to try and fool us that they slept together that night. Everyone was bawling and we went back to church in time for sacrament meeting to start. She calmed down a little bit but was obviously a little out of it. We had the confirmation of her brother and mom and then they went back home after church. So we went straight to their house and just tried to talk to her I was thinking so much about what to say when we saw them and I literally had no idea. But I was thinking hard about it and prayed hard about it and I decided to talk about the importance of families. I showed the picture of our whole family and explained that because my parents decided to make the right decisions we are all blessed and because of the example my parents set my siblings have followed the same example. And I promised her that in 40 years I would have a picture like that with my wife and all my kids and grandkids. All because my parents made the right decisions. I explained temple marriages and how she can have a picture like this. And her kids too and her kids kids. But satan knows how much good that could do so he sent that creep and the exact right time to fall and if she continues like that she will end up with nothing. and her kids with nothing too. Everyone was crying and she knew everything she did and was committed to change. at that time we really didn’t know what she would have to do we thought she might have to wait a while and be rebaptised but we made her mom take her phone so that she couldn’t talk to him and it ended pretty good. then we went next door to Miguel angel and Abrahams family and they are all best friends and have lived next door their whole lives and they were livid and saying that they are never talking to them again and that Dayana is of the devil and they just went off on us. But we talked to them for a while and calmed them down and convinced them to go to the house of Benita and we would share a quick message for all of them so they would calm down and be cool. They finally agreed and we went and I just shared a message about missionary work and wanted to get everyone’s mind off it. and it went fine but really awkward between them and at the end the dad blows up on dayana and the mom got in to defend her and everyone was screaming and crying and I had to get between them all and shut everyone up and the dad stormed out a few times and I had to go get him and bring him back in and calm them down. I have played a lot of roles on my mission, but this was the first time I had to be Maury Povich. But we were seriously there almost 7 hours and in the end everyone was fine. Today we went back to play soccer with all the little kids so that we could help take care of them. But I called President Galvez to ask about what we should do and he said that if she really has a true repentance and understands what she did then she can be confirmed this Sunday. That was a relief but I really can’t explain how sick this all made me.

Went over to Idalia’s house and they had a fattttt pile of iguanas. We sat there watching him skin them and cut them up. most nuts thing. You cut off the head and they still flail around. Every part of the body will be cut in pieces and still flail around. Just the tail alone would freak out on the floor. He completely skinned one and took of the head and all limbs and the skeleton was still moving around. freakin nuts!

President told us he’s splitting la Rita and Cariari this change so we might be divided there. I really have no idea what’s going to happen. But the next time I email to you will be next Wednesday and I will be wherever I am then!

Alright its time to go. I love you very much and everyone else too.

elder graham