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