The Lord's Obstacle Course

Hey there mom. There is no need to worry about me. I’m happy and enjoying the things that I am learning here. If I’m not completely thrilled with everything that happens to me here, I have to trust that the things I have to go through are the things that the lord want me to go through to become the person that he needs me to be. I have learned more about families and marriages in the past year than I could being married for 100. I’m not gonna lie to you and say that everything is completely perfect and roses but I’m happy about the opportunity that I have to go through the lords obstacle course for me.

Things have gotten a little better. In my letter to president last week I explained about the plans that the ZLs had for our area and said that if the lord trusts in me enough to give me an area then I want my own piece of it, because if not, we would forever be stuck as being the junior companionship here. And he called the ZLs and he chopped their head harder then I have ever seen. Asking them why we don’t have our own area and why they haven’t given us a single investigator. They have a baptismal date to complete a family the 30th and he said that they are now ours to baptize. So they divided the area. I told them that it would be better for them to finish with this family, that all I really wanted was an area. So they gave me a phone number for a guy that has been an investigator for 2 years and Elder Felipe actually found him and started teaching them, but they never wanted to get married. So I called them and they’re planning a wedding so we will see when we can get them in the water.

I’ve been working hard trying to get to know the area and not get lost but we keep getting lost. But it’s good because that’s how I learn. Last night we went out with a group of 5 of the young men in the ward to show us where members and inactives live. One of the members is named Alberto and 18 years old. He was baptized in Nicaragua when he was 16 and was the only one in his family to do so. When he came here he went all alone to church and hasn’t missed a week at church in 2 years. He told us about that and I told him to take us to his house to meet his family. We started teaching his sister in law and his mom and thanks to maybe the strongest testimony I’ve ever seen in this 18 year old kid, we put a baptismal date with them for the 14th.

Other than that we’ve just been trying to contact and knock doors. The elders in the house are absolutely nuts. But it’s really entertaining. The ZLs that we share the ward with are a gringo and an elder from Honduras who just came down from being AP. He really is a champ and I like him.

I went today to pick up the package but it wasn’t there... So hopefully it will be next Monday!

Gotta go. I love you.
Elder Graham

I've Got Changes!!!

Reppin' RipCity and the "O"

Everyone always has a picture together with their flag, like all the Elders from Honduras, Panama, El Salvador, and so on. So I brought my Portland flag to take a picture with Langford. He's from Wilsonville.

These are all the Elders who came to Costa Rica with me from the MTC
This is what it looked like at Changes Meeting when they announced where I was going
I really am going to miss those kids. We had a lot of fun.

Saying Goodbye to Moravia Missionaries

Elder Gonzalez, Elder Graham, Elder Valasquez, Elder Palmer

Saying Goodbye to Ervin and Mavel and their family
Saying Goodbye to Moravia Bishop and his family

Elder Graham bought a birthday cake for one of Jeanette's children

My favorite little guys, Edilson and Emerson

We were getting so trunky for changes that we started counting down the hours
Skateboard park in a wierd part of my old area

Well mom. I had changes. It was my first time since my very first changes meeting that I received an area. I’ve only received companions. I was sooo nervous... And well I’m here opening yet ANOTHER area... My area is called Don Bosco 2. It is literally literally the center center of downtown San Jose. We literally live right off the main downtown strip of stores and such. Every time I would say that we went to San Jose we came here. So that’s the diz.

Don Bosco is the area of the zone leaders and the Lord found it fit to divide it and put 2 new missionaries here. This is the exact same thing that I did in Moravia. But this time is different. In Moravia they were preparing it for us to come and had it all set up with divisions that we worked in and the others worked in. And I come here and the Zone Leaders say that the area will just be a free for all and both companionships work in the same area with no divisions. This is the worst idea ever for us because they already know every member and work with them and are going to continue to work with them and we have literally nothing. And when I say nothing I mean literally nothing because everything is theirs. I asked if they would take us to show us around and they said that they have appointments tonight and tomorrow and they can’t, so we are literally forced to just wander around knocking doors. I was looking forward to someone showing me around. But jeez. Opening an area especially with no one helping you really is the most difficult thing I’ve ever done, and I didn’t want to have to do it again.. I’m sure it will get better, it just seems frustrating right now. We’re in an 8 man house. It will be fun being right smack dab in the middle where all the missionaries pass through. And Elder Stevens is in my zone so we can go do stuff on P Days and such. We just have to work hard and the Lord will provide a way.

But my comp is Elder Reinoza. He’s from El Salvador from the same stake as elder Garcia. He seems good. He’s got 9 months. I wanted to leave Moravia but after I heard I was leaving I didn’t want to. And going and saying goodbye to everyone and seeing them all crying is way too tough. This last week we were getting absolutely crazy waiting for the changes and Palmer and I both thought for sure that we were out. I did get changes but Palmer stayed and his companion with less time, Velasquez left.

I got the package with the iPod and holy smokes its sick! I had no idea anything like that even existed! I opened it right there in the changes meeting and no one had ever seen one and all the missionaries wanted to come around and see it. And thanks for putting all the music on it! I’m sure it took some real doing. And holy smokes a jack ton of cheese! Thank you!

I love you and I have to go. But I’m sure I’ll be able to explain more about the new area on Monday. I love you.
Elder Graham

Justine's Baptism and Scary Bridge to Write Home About!

Baptism of Justine

Justine, Maro Poveda, Elder Graham

Elder Graham, Justine, Maro Poveda, Elder Gonzalez


Playing Soccer at the Church in Coronado






The Most Unsafe Bridge Ever
Its in a weird part of our area. its kind of a hidden trail that i found to cut into a different part of my area.

Hello mother, Thank you for the words of comfort. But don’t worry about me. I really am fine. Last week we finally got Justine baptized. Justine is the girl who lost her baby way back when and her mom got baptized but Justine wasn’t ready. Well finally she’s baptized. She was baptized by one of the youth in the ward, Maro Poveda.
As a mission, we got as many baptisms in the first half of the year as they got in all of 2008 which had the record at that point for most baptisms in this country in one year. And when president told us that he wasn’t telling us to pat us on the back, he was disappointed because we’re not on pace to reach the mission goal for the year.

All the people that we’ve been teaching now have been completely avoiding us so we don’t have much more right now and I don’t really know where else to go to find people to teach. We’ve had to go knocking doors, which is the worst.
Changes are next week and Elder Palmer and I both feel pretty good about our chances of getting changed out. He has been here for 3 changes, and I have been here 3 weeks longer than that.

I called the secretaries this morning and they said that my package isn’t there yet. So I’ll have to wait until next Wednesday. I sent a letter that has my memory card in it home. So you can see all the pics and vids and such.

Jeffery and Jeanette have been attacked pretty hard. Jeffery lost his job and they don’t have electricity in the house because the person that lived there before them had a bunch of bills backed up that they never paid and don’t have the money to pay all of it. They have been almost 3 weeks without electricity.

I’ve really really been trying to hold out without getting new shoes... But the propet ones that I got from bro Remington are trash. There is a GIANT hole in the heel and are my only black shoes so i have to wear them. The Clarks are champs but the heel on the right shoe has been worn down super super far and gives me massive foot problems and now I’m having fatty knee pains because of it.. If you could manage to find me some that have good soles, it would be wonderful. I trust your judgement.

Welp, I gotta go. I love you. I won’t be on until next Wednesday and I’ll probably be in a new area.
Elder Graham

Tough Week

Cake to Celebrate Elder Graham's upcoming 1 year and Birthdays of 3 other Elders

Sisters in the Ward Who Made the Cake

I completely didn’t realize that today was the 4th of July. What are you guys doing today? And no, I don’t have an American flag.

Things are going alright. It’s been pretty tough the past few weeks. We are having a hard time finding people who want salvation. I feel like it’s about my time to leave here. And changes are in 2 weeks so we will see.

Today we went to a museum called the museum of jade. It has all sorts of ancient artifacts and stuff from the Lamanites. It was pretty interesting. I really don’t have much to report from this week. I’ve been pretty down and nothing’s really happened that’s all that cool.
Well, I gotta head out now. I love you. Kiss Cohen and Molly for me.
Elder Graham

In the Jungle, the Mighty Jungle

Hey there. This last week was kind of lame. We were getting Freddy and Celina married and baptized last week but in his baptismal interview palmer interviewed him for 3 hours and in the end he can’t accept that the sabbath day is Sunday.
Last Monday we went on the most epic hike ever. It was absolutely intense. We went trucking through the jungle from 10 am to 6 pm basically without stopping. I was sooo tired but it was the most epic place ever that we went. We went deep into a national park that is protected because all the wildlife that’s in there. But holy smokes was it legit! We saw monkeys!! We were just walking and heard above us branches breaking and we look up and there’s a white faced capuchin and he was throwing branches at us, right above our heads. I don’t know why, but my comp decided to scream “hey look a monkey!” It scared him away but he just went a little deeper and we could see him watching us for a few minutes until he swung away. It was so sick to see him swinging across all the jungle trees. It was the highlight of my life. I actually got stuff thrown at me by a wild monkey.
We kept walking down down until we got to an old abandoned catholic church that was deep deep in there. We were literally as deep into the jungle as you can get and not be retardedly dangerous. I actually was getting a little creeped out in there. I tried to get good pictures but it doesn’t capture what it was actually like. The epicness is just when you’re silent and listen. There are tropical birds that just swoop in through the trees and crazy animals screaming and birds singing. It’s so ridiculously loud in there. The only way I can describe it is how alive it is, with the weirdest plants and bugs in there. We saw herd of some weird animal that I’d never seen before just run in front of us and dip out. Jeffery kept telling us about all the dangerous animals there are and that if we see any be prepared to sprint back as fast as possible.
Today we went to the zoo in San Jose. it was alright. It was cool to see the stuff we saw in the wild but as far as a zoo it was kinda lame. I was kinda expecting the Oregon zoo.
Alright. Well I gotta head out. I love you! Make sure I get pictures from Nick Hess’ baptism. Happy birthday. I am very thankful for the mother you are.

Pura vida. Elder Graham

"An Image to Remember"

Marriage of Jeffery and Jeanette (Yanet)

Moravia Missionaries with Jeffery- a happy day!

Elder Graham - Witness at Wedding

Jeanette, Jeffery and Elder Graham

Andrea, Roberto, Jeffery and Jeanette

(Roberto baptized his brother Jeffery)

Celebrating at Taco Bell

Welll this week was crazy. On Tuesday morning I called the lawyer to get Jeffery and Jeannette married and asked him the soonest he could get them married. He said that he could come and do it that night. He just needed all their information, including their social security cards and those of the witnesses. So we ran around getting everything set up and had to go to his office in San Jose to get it to him. They only had one witness so I was the other! So in a matter of about 10 hours we got them married.

We had a little wedding for them in their house where the lawyer came and did the whole shabeel. It was surprisingly nice. I did feel bad for them because I see the difference in the wedding that Allison will have and it will be her dream wedding and take like 8 months to plan. They got a wedding set up in 10 hours where not a single member of their families was there. Just me, Elder Gonzalez, Juan Carlos, Jeannette’s 6 kids and the two of them.

But since they got married last week, Jefferey got baptized on Saturday! And it was awesome because Roberto (Jeffery’s brother who was baptized 2 weeks ago) got to do it! It was a super amazing thing to see the 2 brothers together. After he was baptized, as they were getting out of the font on the steps, they were both soaking wet and they started crying and hugged each other. That is an image that I will remember for the rest of my life.

The baptism was scheduled for 5:00, but Costa Rica was playing Honduras in the gold cup and the game went into overtime, so no one got there till 630 and we didn’t actually start until 7. After the baptism, Jeffery, Roberto, Jeannette, Andrea and all of us went to taco bell to celebrate. It was great.

And in case you were gonna buy me those shoes I bought a pair of running/ random p day activity shoes so don’t worry about it.

And I would like to ask the whole family a grand favor. Sooo I had to pay for the lawyer of their wedding last week and I’m going to have to take money out again this week to pay for another wedding.. And I don’t have a TON of money.. So I was wondering if the family would be willing to donate a little to a good cause. I call it the ¨Building forever families fund¨ If everyone in the family put in a little bit of money it would almost pay for it. If everyone put in 5 dollars It would really really help these people. We were born into a forever family and don’t understand the blessings we’ve received. So it’s our turn to skip a taco bell meal and put it into the building forever families. :) Please.

The reason I’m here so early is because Jeffery is taking us up to the mountains today. It’s gonna be super sick. It’s about as thick of jungle as you can get. He grew up out there and he says he can almost guarantee that we will see monkeys today. He said that there are always toucans there and that he’s seen pumas and explained to me some weird animals that I’ve never heard of. So we will see what we find! I’m super jacked and you will for sure get pics next week.

Ok so I went to the post office that I sent the package from to figure out why it was sent back and what I could do to get it sent. And I have to spoil the surprise for the sake of the story butt It was returned because I sent a machete in it for dad. When I sent it, she asked me if it had guns or liquids and I said no. I didn’t know that I couldn’t send a machete. Soo First off they were going to charge me for the price of the return here. And then charge me again to send it to you guys. I already paid over 50 bucks, and they wanted me to spend over 100 dollars more to get it sent. I flipped crap on them because it was their fault. She didn’t tell me that I couldn’t send it and I said I wouldn’t pay them and that they were going to ship it. The lady said she couldn’t so I did moms trick of saying “ok let me talk to the manager.” I talked to the manager and he said that there’s nothing they can do for me. I then said let me speak to your manager. And he called his manager and gave me the phone. After talking to the guy’s manager, the manager talked to the guy that was there. The guy at the post office got really mad and said fine. They repackaged the package and took out the machete and shipped it free. So after about an hour of ¨theres nothing we can do¨ they did something. It’s good to see that that’s not JUST the usa philosophy of customer service.

Well I’ve already gotta go. But dad’s present was the machete and a leather holder carrier thing. The leather carrier thing is still coming but the machete I had to take out.

I love you. keep it real.
Elder Graham

More Weddings Coming Up!

Hey there. Things have been going pretty well here. We finally got to really talk to Jeffery and Yanet and we’re getting them married as soon as possible and he is getting baptized on the 25th. But I’m going to see if I can get him in the water this weekend right after they get married. They don’t want anyone to know about them getting married so they’re going to have the lawyer come to their house just to sign the papers and they’ll be married. The biggest problem is they need to find 2 witnesses to be there, and they haven’t decided who because they don’t want anyone to know.

We have been working with a family, Freddy and Celina. They’re getting married and baptized on the 25th. They used to live in Cariari and la Rita and they know a ton of the members there. They received the missionaries 12 years ago. They’re super silly and very proper. And after these two weddings I will have SIX weddings in my mission. That’s just a sign of how well they keep the law of chastity here.

Elder Gonzalez is pretty good. He’s really silly and doesn’t stop talking which is kind of nice. It’s nice to have a companion who is friendly and happy.

That makes me happy that Miami lost. I’ll have to talk crap to my bishop. He’s another bandwagon fan. Last night Costa Rica lost to Mexico 4. Picture what I’m like after the blazers lose in the playoffs or when USA lost in the world cup. Now picture an entire country. EVERYONE wore a Costa Rica jersey yesterday and everyone was excited all day. Until night time on the way home I noticed that everyone looked like they wanted to kill themselves. I didn’t even have to ask. It’s tight how united they are as a country when they play. I wish people in the US were cool like that. Not just me and Adam and Stephen in the playroom getting excited. It was tough going to church the next day after losing to Panama. I’ve gotta talk to bob and get that team into shape.

Ok I’m out. Love you. Elder Graham