Week 6 - Arrival in Costa Rica

Familia!!

I'm really sorry but I'm probably never coming home. This place is absolutely amazing haha.

Getting here was pretty easy, our flight was delayed out of Salt Lake, but only about half an hour. I stepped off the plane and got blasted with heat but it felt so good after being stuck in Provo for 6 weeks. I met President Wilkinson, love him already, and then went to the office for food and some important stuff that I was way too excited to pay attention to. That night we went out to work and so we got on the bus to go out into San Jose. After I had sat down, a man sat next to me and I got super excited for my first bus contact. And the moment I start to say Hello, he puts in his headphones and boom, he's gone haha. So that was great...... Then later we were knocking doors and the first one, a older man answers and he was talking and talking and I didn't understand a word, and I was thinking, oh no I don't know this language at all but later my temporary companion, Elder Moran, said he was using a ton of swear words so it's good if I didn't understand. I slept like a rock that night haha.

Meeting his trainer, Elder Duran

The next day, we got our trainers. It was super dramatic when they walked in, like we were in Monsters Inc. when all the monsters come to the Scare Floor. But anyway, my trainer is Elder Duran. He's from Mexico City and speaks a little English which helps but for the most part it's all Spanish. He's incredibly nice and has the biggest heart. He's only been out for about 3 months, but he really knows what he's doing and it's been incredible to learn from him. I love him so much already.

I'm in a little town in northern Costa Rica called Siquirres and I love it. Our house is perfect and the people are kind and receptive (for the most part haha). It's rained every single day. Never in my life have I seen so much rain haha. I absolutely love it though. It's a pain when it starts raining and the house has a tin roof, because then we can barely hear each other, and that really doesn't help me too much haha. We walk everywhere and I've already had to bust out the moleskin, but there's so much to see it's all good with me. 

"Our backyard"

My first night we went out to teach someone Elder Duran had met a few days before. We (Elder Duran) taught him about the restoration and it was so so so incredible to finally be here in Costa Rica, teaching real people and changing the lives of real people. I barely understood anything, but I could feel the Spirit so strongly. At the end, Elder Duran committed him to be baptized and he accepted! I was so excited for him I could barely contain it haha. The rest of the night, we just contacted and knocked doors. Most of the people in Costa Rica have gates so we stand outside and say Upe Buenas (upe is like hoop, without the h and with an a on the end). On Friday night, we met with a new investigator and I actually taught a lot of the lesson, or at least I said words and he nodded and agreed so I'm assuming that counts, but at the end we committed him to be baptized and he accepted and then we taught him to pray and when he finished his prayer, he started to cry. Oh man, best moment of my mission so far. So incredibly powerful. His name is "H" and he's 22 and I just love him. He works at a deli in Siquirres and if we pass by while he's working he'll give us some food, it's fantastic haha. Also, the food, oh my, the food haha I've had rice every day and I'm honestly totally fine with that. All the food is amazing and everyone is willing to give us food. We'll be teaching a family and one of them will step out for a second and come back with dinner for us. I love these people. En serio. I'm probably going to live here someday. 

I'm just honestly so happy to be here, finally. It's been kinda tough getting adjusted and I'm still not completely able to understand people and this country is not built for people my height, but I love it so much.

Love you guys!!!!!!

Elder Hansen

At the San Jose temple

With Elder Rosander - another new missionary