Reese in Costa Rica: Week 84 - No longer a teenager

Hey guys!!

Another great week out here in Tres Rios. Every week just seems to get better and better. The rain has come back in full force this week, I've never seen so many lightning bolts in my life. Almost every morning it starts out sunny and then at about 1 it all starts going dark and by about 3 the rain comes in heavy. But I've gotten pretty good at making songs with the sounds my shoes make when they fill up with water haha I think I'll write a CD.

But anyway, on to the week!!

So after the soccer game on Monday, we spent the next few days regretting almost all of it because of how sore we felt haha. I woke up Tuesday morning with legs stiffer than a Lamanite's neck. Bending over and picking things up became big mental debates haha but Tuesday we went to Concepcion, the neighboring district for their district meeting. Got to see my buddy Elder Davis which was super fun. Miss that guy. After that, we had a lesson at the church with one of Gerardo's friends who had come to church for the past few weeks, but we hadn't been able to sit down to teach him because of his work schedule, but we finally got to see him and he was so prepared, we just ran quickly through the lesson and he basically challenged himself and put his own baptismal date haha. He wants to get baptized at the end of this month. The Lord really has an amazing way of preparing people. Everyone has their own pathway, but it always brings them to the same point.

Wednesday, we headed over to my old district in La Loma where I was over a year ago now. It was a really good meeting, focusing on repentance and how we can teach that better to our investigators. Sometimes, we pass too quickly over the importance of repentance and we need to make sure that people are aware of the miraculous blessing we have, every single day of our lives, to change who we were yesterday and move forward.

Thursday was great, don't remember much, but it was fun haha

Friday, hmmm?

Saturday the same haha sorry I'm drawing a blank right now.

Sunday, was great haha. I actually waited until my birthday to open up the package, Mom. You should be so proud haha. Loved the card also the chocolate pretzels didn't last even an hour after I opened the package, oops. Then church was great as always. We had lunch with the bishop after and he treated us to some great hamburgers. After that we had some really good lessons and finished the day up with a dinner at the house of some members who live right down the street from us. I hadn't told almost anyone that it was my birthday, so it was a big surprise when they bring out a huge cake. It was a complete coincidence and before they cut the cake Elder Vasquez yells, "Wait! Lets sing!" and they all freaked out and got super excited and almost upset that we didn't tell them, but they brought out a small candle and sang happy birthday haha.

Here in Costa Rica, it's tradition to smash eggs on the head of whoever has a birthday so after we got back to the house, Elder Hernandez, Greene and Vasquez happily carried out the tradition haha.

Then today was the monthly check-up for the trainers and their trainees. It's really fun because we get to hear about how they're doing, how their first month has gone and what they've learned. And we get to eat hamburgers. That's the best part haha.