On Bus People, Death, and Unreturnab​le Shavers

I've been officially told that I can email my friends, so if you want, you can post my email address on Facebook! On Wednesday, we had an appointment with one of the bus pamphlet guys. The catch was that he brought two friends from his church with him. They're all our age, and they're Evangelists. They're super well-read in the Bible and think they can use it to prove their church is the only true one. The guy we contacted on the bus was actually pretty calm and cool. One of his friends was absolutely silent, but the other... Man. He read a scripture that said contention is bad, but then read another scripture right after that says contention is good if it's to clarify the things of God. He didn't listen to us, just tried to tell us why his church is better. Bus guy had some sincere questions but we couldn't bring in the Spirit with his clowny friend there. He even whipped out a lap top at one point to try to use the Internet to prove some stuff. Luckily, the lesson was happening in the house of some members, and when G--y (she's the best. she's like a Tica April Ludgate) saw that he had a computer, she turned off their Wifi. Another member of the family, J--e, stepped in at one point too to tell the guy he wasn't listening to us, and that we had something important to share if he'd pay attention.

So that whole thing was kind of rough, but we have another appointment hopefully alone with bus guy this Tuesday. We'll see if he brings the ring leader again... But I was feeling kind of discouraged after that whole fiasco. However, we stayed for the family's FHE afterwards, and J--e gave a super powerful lesson about missionary work. I felt the Spirit so strongly and regained confidence in my authority and calling as a servant of the Lord. Everyone always asks me if I dream in Spanish. I've never really remembered or noticed, until this week. I had a dream that I definitely remember being completely in Spanish! That's probably pretty good. It's weird that it's happening when I'm in a house with two other gringos though. We speak in English all the time.

I also really learned how to effectively study Preach My Gospel and apply it to lessons this week. Sure, I learned that stuff in the MTC, but it really just clicked with me on a new level this week. The mission in general clicked with me on a new level. Love it. I studied super hard to be able to teach the Plan of Salvation clearly, simply, and powerfully, and I felt the Spirit helping me do it as we taught the lesson. Perfect Spanish grammar that I sometimes have to think carefully about came spilling out of my mouth like it was nothing. This week a guy called us and said he wanted to be baptized. We were freakin' the freak. We went to his house, and he's a dry member, meaning that he's not baptized, but knows everything about the Church and has read the Book of Mormon five times. Supposedly. His nephew is supposedly from our ward, and supposedly returning from his mission in a few weeks, and the guy wants his nephew to baptize him. We felt something weird though about the whole situation... and we asked members if there were currently any missionaries serving from the ward, and they said no. Then we looked at his teaching record and it says ''Be careful.'' at the end. Weird. We're going to continue very cautiously and aware of the promptings of the Spirit.

I already know that one day when I give my Homecoming talk, I won't have to prepare it at all to be able to fill the time haha. Yesterday we taught combined Relief Society and Priesthood on relatively short notice, and I had no problem talking in front of so many people on the spot for awhile. Oh man, we have an investigator our age called J---n, who is also basically a dry member, but hasn't been baptized yet for various reasons I still haven't been able to find out. Anyway, he received a phone call during sacrament yesterday and learned that one of his best friends had been found dead under a bridge near D----l's house. Elder Velazquez got the prompting to go out into the hall just before J---n got the call, then came back and informed me of the situation. We went outside, and J----n was behind the church, sitting on the ground, and sobbing. I've never been in the situation of comforting somebody right after a death. Neither had Elder Velazquez. We didn't know what to say. I prayed silently, but nothing came to my mouth. We just sat on the ground with him and hugged him for about five minutes. It was a super powerful experience without any of us saying anything. I think that was what he needed, just people to be with him. He left a little while later to go to another friend's house about the matter. We're going to see how he's doing tonight.

Last night we had our first lesson with the other bus pamphlet guy. In a park. He also came with a pack of friends. This time there were five of them total. We found out though that they're actually Seventh Day Adventists or whatever, and religion has nothing to do with the friendship between the bus pamphlet guys. However, these people are just as learned in their religion. BUT they are way cooler about it and even acknowledged the fact that maybe they're in the wrong faith and that God sent us into their lives as a sign. However, they also want to teach us about their church. I feel good about it though, they're way more rational. They're basically Mormons with some weird tweaks and no priesthood authority. We're going to have a more formal appointment with them on Saturday.

Sounds like it's been a fun week with Miharu! It's been cool living with another companionship. We share the ward. We haven't done splits yet though. I think the condition for D---l is that he has to be perfect for one week in his schooling and chores, and he keeps doing something that displeases his dad in one of those areas. The thing is, he doesn't even want to change that badly. It's frustrating. That might be the most frustrating thing in the mission. People who don't want to change. So I guess I'ma terrible electric shaver shopper and accidentally bought a trimmer, that can't even shave close enough to do anything to the hair I grow in one day. and... the store I bought it at has a ridiculous return policy which is basically that returns aren't allowed unless you say ''nevermind'' right after the receipt prints. It's fine though, I think it'll come in handy after the mission, and it was only $25.

Thanks so much for sending the package! I'm so excited for it! I think I can get permission to go to the office next P-Day if it's arrived. Love you guys! Have a great last week with Miharu. Hope the temperature continues to climb! Thanks for all the nice things you always say in your emails to me. You guys are in my prayers.

--Elder Hampton

Carthage

Fun fact of the week: Cartago means ''Carthage.'' Like the jail.

This week, I had one of those awkward moments where you say ''See you later'' to a blind person. The silence that follows is so painful, but also hilarious. There was a night this week where we were on the bus going home, and this guy walked up to our seats and asked if we were the Mormons. He proceeded to tell us that he's talked to missionaries before but lost contact with them, and wanted to learn more. He started asking us about some points of doctrine, and before long about five people were joining in on the conversation and listening to us, and two of them asked for pamphlets! We're going to start teaching them this week. I'm starting to learn my way around here. WAY faster than I did in Vizcaya. I think the mission's helping me with that stuff a ton, because I've always been awful with directions and orienting myself in big places. One thing I don't like is that although the area is so big, there are buses that can take us to whatever part of it, so we hardly walk at all. On top of that, we eat fast food way too often, so I'm probably going to put on some major pounds. Or maybe I should say kilos.

Elder Velazquez's parents joined the church when he was three years old, so he's basically been a member his whole life. He's only been in Cartago for one change before I got here, so sometimes it takes us awhile to find things. There are four of us that live in the same house. It's a pretty average-sized house for Costa Rica. It would actually be super super nice if it wasn't so nasty and poorly maintained. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a front room thing, a kitchen, and a back patio. We do have a warm shower! I'm hoping that I don't ever have to deal with a cold one again. We eat lunch at the mansion two days a week, three days a week we eat lunch with another awesome family in the ward, but for all other meals we're on our own... so we eat out a lot. It's bad. We don't pay anyone to do our laundry, but there are nice members with washing machines that let us use them, then we have to take the wet clothes back to our house and hang them to dry. Tell Miharu I say hi! She sounds super fun and nice. I'm sad I can't meet her, but I'm sure you guys will have a great two weeks. The gathering at the Neilsen home must have been beautiful. What a great man. We'll always remember him.

I bought an electric razor today! We'll see if it helps me much. Unfortunately, D----l decided to not do some homework this week, and now his dad says he can't get baptized. It's frustrating on both of their parts. They say that Cartago sure lives up to its name as a spiritual prison, that it kills missionaries' enthusiasm. Mormons are to Orem, Utah as Catholics are to Cartago. Everyone's super Catholic and nobody wants to change. I'm determined to maintain a good attitude though. All of our investigators are kind of in limbo, but we're going to work really hard this week to find some new ones. This change, 8 missionaries went home, and 28 came. I think the big influx is going to come more gradually with a ratio like that for the next few changes. There was probably at least one missionary from Orem in all of those, but I didn't recognize anyone! Man, before I thought you guys were going to be able to send the package with someone who was coming to Rica, but if that's not the case, don't worry about sending it. Isn't it completely out of control ridiculously expensive to send it the normal way? Don't worry about it if you don't want to, I don't need anything desperately. But if you do send it, I can't think of anything more I would want! Thanks so much for all you guys do for me! I love you, and think about you every day! Sorry the emails a little short. Hope you guys are doing great and loving LOST! Know that I'm alive and very well.

Till next week,

--Elder Hampton

Pictures: (top) - a famous cathedral in Cartago; (bottom) - the Costa Rica San Jose mission with Elder Christofferson who came to visit about a month ago.