10-27-14

Al Mundo (To the World)

So these last 2 weeks have been pretty tough for me.   Missions aren't always the easiest things, which is weird because everything is in order and it's focused on the gospel, why would their be room to doubt yourself when you know all this stuff. All I can say though, is somehow it does, Satan always works hard, and if he can get to the mind of the missionary, he has won. 

That being said this last week I got my head back on straight and I'm doing fine. Talking to President and thinking to myself, honestly this is basically the first hard thing I've done in my life that I've really tried to put my full effort to, and it didn't work right. School never was hard, getting money never was hard, getting the ladies wasn't hard (ha just kidding, that was brutal, but that's a different kind of hard) looking at it now. This is the hardest thing I've ever done, so so what if it takes my mind a while to get use to it. Figure the more I have to endure, the better the lesson ill learn. So ya I'm doing great now. Thanks for all the support everyone. It will always be a fight, but I'm on the surviving side this time. 

This week had a pair of investigators that struggled with the Law of Chastity. Looking at it from a missionary perspective when we are trying to help people, it can be a huge trap. Pornography, fornication, and those things are brutal and are so hard for people to let go. I can see now why the prophets try so hard to get people to not even think about it, it's a brutal trap.

This week Elder Soy ran out of money and so I helped cook food for him and buy him things. At first without asking I just made extra and handed him a plate. I did the same with some of the other missionaries; it helps ease my pains when I'm trying to help others, the same with my investigators to. If I'm a nervous breakdown, but because of my investigators and their problems or their lack of progress, I feel fine, even though I feel like crap. It's hard to explain, but if you've served a mission you probably know what I'm talking about. I can see how serving people for years changes the way you work; I can understand mothers better now. It's a lifetime of serving your kids and making food and doing everything for them, often without any reward or thanks in return.

This week was the bill for the electricity, and I'm a perfectionist so I payed the bill for all of us on time and expected them to pay me back, it was about 20 bucks a person. When I came home to the house no one had money to pay me and I had payed all I had for the bill. I got mad because they didn't have the money the should have had to pay the bill they new would come, but they said it was my fault for not waiting another week or two to pay it. I guess it is my problem for not asking them if the had the money, but that's where my brain just doesn't think the same as others. I understand not everyone will be the same, but from my perspective, why can't people think to do things on time. If we should pay our bills on the 24th, save your money for that bill, don't blow it and think its fine to pay it late the next month. 

Wish I could have a day to use the computers. Every once and a while when we have to make fliers on the computer, it is so rejuvenating for me. Oh what I would give to have a day to search for good music to listen in the apartment, or download the bible videos on lds.org to watch for personal studies. I was talking to some of the other secretaries about the position of secretary for the mission. They all said they would hate it, but oh how I would love that. I am the type of person that would love to have a desk job that would be amazing! Wish I could be the secretary, for only 2 out of the 150 missionaries, well I guess only about half are guys, so 80 missionaries, and I cant choose if I am or not, so if it comes, awesome, if not, sad story. 

People here are mean to their kids. I know at home in Utah quite a few parents will really yell at their kids for just about anything. If they do anything wrong its yell at them and maybe spank them. Here it's always that way, with belts and always yelling at them. I love the way I was raised with my parents. Hardly even was I yelled at, only when I did something really bad multiple times or something like that. They always handled things calmly. I truly believe that's the way to raise a family, it's with patience and kindness. Think about it, if Heavenly Father is, well our father, when we do something wrong he doesn't do something similar to yelling at us. If we mess up and talk to a church authority they don't yell at us or figuratively spank of with a belt, but with kindness and patience. I truly believe a parent shouldn't need to yell at a kid, but then again I haven't had a kidñ.

Doing better this week, Elder Soy had cambios to limon (transfered to Limon), which is the east coast. My new companion is Elder Zuniga and he is a native from Costa Rica. He is finishing his mission this cambio (transfer) and he was here in San Roque a year ago for 10 months, so we will see how this new change works, should be really different.

Elder Campbell

not much to say

Question for anyone reading my letter, I'm trying to figure out a way to cook potatoes, and so far its not working and they still taste hard when i eat them. I've tried microwaving them for 5 minutes and leaving them in a plastic bag for 15 minutes after to let the heat soak it, didn't work to well, but that's also because microwaves here don't have quite the same power, haven't tried cooking longer yet. But the key is that i don't have an oven, so if anyone knows anything about that, lemme know! 

Turns out packages can be cheap down here. One of the missionaries in the apartment got a package about 8 by 8 by 12 and the shipping label only said $22, but others have had packages for $100 to be shipped, so maybe it depends what company you are using, but it is possibly to be cheap.

I was talking to one of my family members about things i do for fun down here, and really all it is is buying food, that actually tastes sweet (everything here is bland) or drawing, so I've included 3 of some of the pictures I've drawn these past few months here. Im not good at free drawing like people, but perspective drawing like buildings or anything that has a vanishing point is fun, i never have enough ideas of what to draw though.

 

Talked with some of the missionaries here about the color code test and what colors they were. Long story short, before my mission i always tied with my colors. I was a red/white/blue with 0 in yellow, and those three tied almost perfectly every time. Maybe that goes to show that the test is somewhat flawed, which it is, but also i just blend a lot. For those of you who don't know what the color code test, a really run down version is red is leadership, its opposite is white which is like a introvertish, blue is kindness, and its opposite is yellow which is like a party person. 

Its not like im not a party person, but the test always popped me out with 0 for yellow and perfectly even for red, white ( weird because those are suppose to be opposites) and blue. Here in Costa Rica on my mission, my colors are completely different. Im a strong yellow and white. My red hardly ever comes out, and my blue doesn't really show. Its not like im a different person, but how i respond in these area doesn't reflect what i use to be. 

This is Juan Carlos,from the 9-22-14 post. Now he is getting married so perhaps he can go through the temple before Mason leaves the Country. Then Mason will be able to attend their temple sealing.

Changes are coming 2 weeks early, so next Monday will be our changes, we¨ll see what that brings, possible that i might be a trainer.  Ya, if changes were the normal day, the end of the next transfer would be on Christmas day, so we are ending it a little early to avoid that conflict. That's encouraging its soon, 

10-13-14

Went to a waterfall this P-Day, Took about half an hour to get their por bus, and then another 30 minutes to get their. It was super cool, as I've been to waterfalls in Utah, but never seen anything this size. We hiked to the top, well the Elders did, the Hermanas didn't follow us, and the river up top didn't look to big. Only about to our knees deep and about 15 feet wide at the widest part, But, because the falls were so tall, it was super awesome! Super fun, glad the mission rule is vague enough to allow the distinction about rules with water to the president. We can get knee deep, but try not to be stupid. Some of us got soaked by the end, i did, but never swam. Fun times, that was ideal Google image Costa Rica, man was that beautiful!

I've always had the mindset since I've been here in Costa Rica that i didn't have the money to buy food, and so that was why i was hungry. I've come to realize that ya if i did have more money to buy food i wouldn't be as hungry, but I've realized part of that is i just don't know how to fend for myself for food yet, I've spent my whole life with my mom  that made me food, so now that i'm making everything for myself i realized how unprepared i am. I've been able to buy some more food this week and will have a little bit extra for the month thanks to a small care package of money, and I've been able to make some more food. I have some pictures of pancakes, egg sandwich with the oatmeal i eat daily and granola, and french toast. I use to hate french toast, but now i love eat, especially with peanut butter and honey!

gallo pinto, every stinking day

Well, i'm holding up fine, guess i have 2 years to find out what works good and what doesn't though, glad for my companions and other relatives to help me out with recipes. Went on divisions this week with an Elder in our area. We were both gringos so i had a little bit of fear with how the day would go because we doth don't understand perfect Spanish and get stumped with lots of questions during the lesson. There were lots of times things could have gone better with a person who spoke Spanish, but overall id say the day went really well. We had 4 fechas by the end of the night to, which goes to show even 2 gringos can still do the obra misional.

Elder Cuevas and his new companion

With that in mind i was thinking about my training. I know that i cant hold it off forever, and eventually ill be a trainer, but after that experience i feel a little bit better about when that time comes. I know i wont understand everything, but i can get by, and i know that having a kid will make my experience progress even more rapidly than my training (i think, since every time i go on divisions i learn a lot more than a normal day.) Id love to have another cambio or two before i start training, maybe in a different area, maybe with a different companion, just to learn another style of how to teach and find, but if my mission president is inspired to have me start training after my 10 weeks of training, then "I will go, i will do, the things my {mission president} commands." Elder Soy and I have been working much more efficiently and with much more obedient after we had an interview with President Wilkinson. Every night we talk about what things we could have been more obedient with that day, and what we will do to change it for the future. We are really striving to be obedient in every aspect of the mission now!

Im grateful for the example of my parents and my family. I remember right before my mission i started reading the book of Mormon a lot, and in the summer i would try to read in the mornings. Every Sunday i would read the scriptures, or try to anyways, for 2 to 3 hours. Every once and a while my parents would plop on the couch with me, not reading the same book, but be there reading their book of mormon. I also remember every night, even growing up for my first 17 years when i didn't pray every single night, i would always always always see my parents, either kneeling together or on their own, depending when i saw them, next to their bed saying their prayers. I cant think of a better example than truly being devoted than my parents. Hah, i'm typing this letter and im crying a little bit. Cant really say why, i don't understand my emotions, but thank you parents, i really could feel your love growing up, even if i wasn't always able to show it.  Ha now im really choking up, good thing i have walls next to my computer. But ya, i love my parents, so grateful for their example. 

one of the things ive learned is that often i look at a problem, but i think the solution or the source is different from what it really is. For example, in the MTC, my problem with being defensive, i thought i needed to fix how to respond to people, but my real solution was humility and what i can do to build that. For my food problem here, ya money is short, but its probably also because even if i had the money, i dont know how to completely and comfortably fend for my self, 2 years to learn that though. That goes for all problems in life though, maybe we arent looking at it in the right perspective. Same thing with people, i use to think some people were one way, but after an experience with them or after talking with them, i look at them in an entirely different way. Hope i can learn to never dislike someone, as im probably just looking at them from the wrong perspective.

Had an interview with President, and so far he had always seen like a strict figure, which he is but in a different way. After an interview with him, i realized he wasn't really strict, but loving and wanted to help us in any way he could. I also realized the reasons he did things, and from that viewpoint it didnt seem strict it all what he did, but made perfect sense for how to help them. President is a cool cat, too bad ill only get him for 1 year

I was listening to a song this week, dont remember exactly what it was called, but one of the sentences goes like this "In the hollow of the hand, as he grows from boy to man, help his understanding deepen and increase." i dont know who the singer is referring to, but for now im going to assume they mean its the missionaries. How true that is for us at the beginning of the missions and all the things we are learning here. ya this is taking a long time, and i still have 21 months to go, (sheesh i almost have 4 months already) but ill learn lots of lessons i the mean time. 

I learned the lessons this week of the different between a daily journal letter and a spiritual letter, hope i can try to start sending more spiritual letters home, but ill still be sending random Mason stuff to you all and costa rican nonsense!

Pura Vida

Elder Campbell

doing better

10-6-14

Ohhkay this week has been a bit different, but to start out i want to say this week has been better! Emotional levels have mellowed out, and ya there were still some sad times, but it doesnt bother me as bad, or they dont exist, not quite sure which it is. 

Okay stuff for the week. Oldschool technology is pretty epic here. I mean ya every once and a while people will have a PS3 Xbox 360, havent seen any of the new generations yet, but ps3 and xbox 360s are still rare. This week we were walking to a members house to do divisions, and his little brother was playing dragon ball Z on the playstation 2, its gameplay looked kinda like mortal combat, but with dragon ball z. Everyone here doesnt have to have a tv like  the brothers said they did in mexico, but everyone here has a really big sound system for their house, like 2 huge boom boxes and 4 1 to 2 foot tall mini boxes. anyways, these kids were playing and turned the volume up super loud, and every little kid on the street came running in to watch how cool the playstation 2 game was. i laughed inside comparing ps2 to newer consols and games, but hey they dont know any different, so thats high tech for them.

I talk fast in english, everyone knows that, but apparently in spanish to. Ive had some people this week start telling me that i talk really fast. i asked if it was in comparision to other gringos or spanish in general, and they said both. Looks like old habits die hard. Spanish is going good though. Elder Cuevas has a new companion who is a gringo, and so he always asks me questions because he doesnt understand the spanish or wants to understand costa rica, and cuevas only talks to him in spanish. I guess its bad that im talking to him in english, but i know what it was like to be a new gringo here who couldnt understand anything, when i was there i would have liked to have a personal translator/guide for the mission, and so ill try to help out however i can for him. By the way is his name is Elder Moss and he is from Surprise, Arizona, and his spanish is still new. My spanish i can understand lots now, id say i can easily have a conversation with anyone i talk to with one exception. i have to start the conversation. if i can control it, i understand. if they control the conversation, its really debatible whether ill follow or not.

Did divisions 3 times this week with members. One of the guys named Johan said that if we payed for a haircut for him, he would give us 3 full days for divisions, we definitely took him up for that offer. Fromed doing these divisions i learned some important things that had been bothering me for the past couple of months. While working with Johan, i really had the opportunity to do what i wanted, when i wanted, and decide how hard i was going to work. Being in this position, but for the first time i realized how hard it is to work as hard as i would have wanted. When i was with Soy, i didnt do as much work and so it felt like i had plenty of energy, but when i was directing our time for divisions, i realized how hard it really is. So that being said it doesnt bother me as much when Soy isnt using his time as wisely during the day, because i realize how much energy it takes, and i need a break every once and a while to.

Now that i can understand the investigators more, when i know what they are talking about, and listening to their stories, i get exhausted by the end. Before, i would just smile and have fake conversations with people, but it didnt take any energy out of me. So ya, i get super tired now, but Soy is better using my time, and now that Elder Parked had cambios, Soy doesnt get carried away with stuff, so now we are working really well together. 

Conferencia General. I thought i would have to listen to everything in spanish, but seeing as we had a generous member in the branch who spoke english, he knew our struggle and pulled up LDS.org on his laptop and hooked it to a tv in the back room for all 8 gringo missionaries that are in liberia. I was mostly focusing on the talks for investigators, so i dont have to many stories for myself that i learned, but i figure i can read more in depth when it releases to the Liahona next month.

 I did have to say Bednars talk for investigators was perfect, and the talk that applied to me the most i dont remember his name. But he talked about the story of the guy whose life was going great, but changed when a friend asked him if he kept on that same road, would he achieve the blessing promised him in his patriarchal blessing. The same thought applies to me, but also for my post mission goals. I have lots of stuff i have written down about who i want to be and what characteristics i want to have when im done with my mission, but im not exactly changing my every day actions and hoping on the path to lead me there. So that was a really good eye opener, and ill try to work on personal things more often.  That being said, all the family members that feel close enough with me to ask my parents for a copy of my patriarchal blessing, i give you permission to read it and hontesly and truly give me some feedback about what i am lacking. 

I know that is kind of a personal thing, but a mission is a personal deal, and will be a rutter for the rest of my life as far as who i am. So that being said, i am coming to anyone reading my letter with a broken heart and a contrite spirit willing to accept any feedback or critizism that can be given. I dont have to many ideas of what i can do to change, but i do know that who i am right now isnt the ideal of what i want to be post mission, so theres things i know i need to change, but i dont know quite what. So ya, that being said, but if thats something innapropriate to ask for, which i dont quite know if that is, then dont worry about it, but send me feedback about things i could work on to improve anyways without reading it, as the principle still applies. i want to change, i just dont know what i need to fix or improve on.

Salad rumor about salads with thousand island here are true, but not common, especially here in guanacaste. People have salads occasionally, but i dont know what kind of lettuce it is, its nasty though, and they just use crap tons of salt or a limon for it, super nasty.

Okay food.

This has been the black whole of my mission and is still causing crazy problems. So, im going to describe my food situation, but also my request from you all. I think i have figured out a way to budget my food, but now my problem is figuring out what to eat. And i dont want to buy fast food every day, as a) that wont help me in the long run. b) im not learning anything, and c) its a lot more expensive. so. im going to first list what i currently eat, and then explain what id like from you all

For breakfast i can have an egg sandwhich, which has eggs, bread, mayo, mustard, salt and pepper. Parents, i remember you made saltine eggs which tasted really good back at home. i tried cracking eggs, putting some saltines, and a bit of milk in a cup and mixing it, but it doesnt taste the same. If you could let me know on that recipe, that would be great! I also have a bowl of granola, which has milk and yogurt. PArents, i also forgot for this one the ratios. i know it uses those 3 ingrediatens, but i dont remember if it is lots of yogurt and little milk, or vice versa, or what. I can also make instant make grannola, but it tastes nasty. the grannola here come in bags with absolutely no flavor, and when you put them in the microwave they get super mushy. i add brown sugar , a little bit of milk, and have tried maple or cinnamon with it, but it still tastes nasty. think ill scratch that idea from my breakfast.

Top roman is 40 cents a package here, which i know it doesnt have nutrition, but it also is food and is cheap, so i generally have one of those for my pre lunch or dinner. i also make a pb and honey sandwhich to take with me throughout my day. peanut butter is about 6 dollars for the little jiff jar here, and 4 dollars for a small container of honey, expensive, but its better than nothing. Milk here is always powdered. if you buy the container, almost none of them have preservatives so they only last 3 days before they get a little bit chunky and smell bad, but lots of people here dont mind so no one sells milk with perservatives, i mind though, and know rotten milk when i taste it, so i still to the powerder milk which i have to make every morning. I add sugar and a little bit of vanilla for flavor, and that helps, so ive got that.

Fruits are crazy expensive here, apples are like 75 cents a piece, and the only cheap ones are the ones that are like snacks and dont do anything, like coconuts, or mamon chinos, ill have to tell you about those later.

Okay this is where im asking for your help

I believe i can make food and feed myself a little bit better with my limited money, if i dont buy premade stuff. So, id like to ask all of you that have served mission, lived in college and made your own food, or whoever you may be for advice for making food. What kinds of things for a person on a mission with limited resoureces can i make for breakfast, snacks throughout the day to bring with me, or dinner.

I have a microwave, and fridge, and a stove, but no oven. Im looking for anything with recipes, combinations that taste good, or really anything at all that you guys can think of that i could apply. Anything you people did that you liked on your mission, or really anything at all im willing to try. So please send me your ideas, and dont feel like your sending me to much, the more ideas i have the merrier. I'll check back next week with all your ideas. thanks!

And nothing really else that i have to say, so talk to you next week

Elder Campbell