Ah! No Time!

Sorry! The buses took forever today going to the temple, and now we're left with hardly any time for internet! I'll just give you some very quick and short highlights:

1. I tried Mondongo (cow rectum) this week unknowingly because of a setup by Elder Baca. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting, but I still hope to never have to eat it again.

2. The Light of Christ is amazing and awesome when you really study it to find out what it is and its function in our lives.

3. Being a missionary and teaching feels more natural than ever. I'm so content to be here. Not content to the point that I don't want to learn and progress, but I like where I'm at, and want to keep improving.

4. A man fainted on our bus coming from Big Fish Village yesterday and we had to stop for 40 minutes and wait for an ambulance in the middle of the mountains because everyone thought it was a heart attack.

5. What's up with this Ice Age Live business? Is it happening in the states too? Looks ridiculous.

Love you! The gospel is true and I know it. We went to the temple today and I received some great revelation. Also, a family I was close to in Vizcaya is getting sealed on Saturday. Hopefully Elder Baca and I can go! You'll hear from me again on Monday! Changes are next Thursday.

--Elder Hampton

Unconnected Thoughts...Again

Whenever I see or hear gringos in the street, I just shout the word ''English!'' Though they rarely react. I realized that probably makes me sound like someone who doesn't speak English, so I'll have to start yelling something to make them realize I'm gringo. There are lots of Ticos that look gringo but are definitely Tico and don't speak a word of English. I did meet four gringos in two hours the other day! In Big Fish Village strangely enough.

We were in an inactive member's house the other day, and there was this frail, black, grandfather in a wheelchair in the corner, and he yelled random phrases in English every few minutes. Nobody ever explained who he was or why he was there. I used to be one of those people that's like ''AH THERE'S A BIG BUG ON ME'' when there are big bugs on me, but now I just calmly grab them and toss them away because it happens so often. Roaches, mosquitos, ants, other insects I've never seen before...

People here love the Red Hot Chili Peppers and it really annoys me since I do not like that band at all really. Oh yeah, happy father's day dad! I really do hope it's awesome for you. Relax and don't worry about anything and just think about how great of a father you are, because you're amazing. Turns out we actually are going to the temple really soon! Next week! On the 19th. I'm assuming that'll also be our P-Day. Yesterday I had a genius movie idea: the guy who made that weird Romeo and Juliet, Moulin Rouge, and the Great Gatsby, makes his interpretation of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. Sorry, short on time today. Love you guys!

--Elder Hampton

 

 

"Here are the Juice Box Shirts! Jared, you should totally put this on Facebook on the Juice Box page!"

"Some members went crazy and spent like 20 minutes brainstorming Juice Box logos haha"

 

 

 

 

It's About to Get Moldy Up In Here

Last Monday was a big step for me. Throughout the day, and especially in the night, I had another click. I've mentioned that a few times on my mission so far. Every now and then, I just make a huge chunk of progress. I had one of those on Monday, about the mission and about life. I'd kinda been wallowing in the weeks before about the National concert and other little things that were getting me down, but on Monday I had this shift where I had a desire to be a sort of martyr as a missionary. I can't even remember what sparked it, but somehow I got thinking about the sacrifices people make for their testimonies, and I realized that if so many people have remained faithful to the point of death for the gospel, I can miss a concert and not be sad about it. I know it seems like a really obvious principle, and it was something I'd always known, but had never truly internalized till this week.

There's a new exclusive Costa Rica line of Juice Box T-shirts being printed as I type this! Haha, Elder Baca put it together. He made a logo for Juice Box and let everyone in the zone know about it. Twelve people are buying shirts! Our whole zone knows what the band is and always makes the hand signal that Elder Lundberg made up. It's been great. This week has been great. I'm just missionarying it up all the time. I literally shouted a baptismal invitation down the street one night.

I've changed a lot in Cartago. A lot. In good ways. I've learned more in these four months than in my whole life. Maybe. I'm just a much more rational person. Most of the time at least. Unfortunately, the rain season also began this week. It's been rough and soaked. My Bible is all soaked and half ruined. Obviously the Book of Mormon held up just fine though. It gets kind of cold here sometimes. Also, We can deny it as much as we want, but I feel very strongly that the foot fungus is about to make a hideous, full-throttle comeback. I still have heard nothing about this earthquake so it must have been nothing haha.

 

We found lots of new people to teach this week, which was awesome since we were struggling with that. I'm guessing we'll go to the temple again around the time of my birthday. I'll be in Cartago for my birthday if I don't get changed in three weeks. I'm jealous about all these summer trips! I hope you find the 80's music, and I'm totally gonna use FrontRunner like a psycho when I get back. We have zone conference next week. They happen once a month. Anyway, guess that's it for this week. Love you guys!

 

Elder Hampton

 

Denzel's Baptism

"Chillin' in the streets with Moises."

 

The Month of May

We have been slackers this month and have not gotten up the past three emails from Jake! He is doing great and loves his current area, Cartago. Here is a short summary of the emails we've gotten from him:

Fasting rules! I sometimes forget how powerful it really is. I don't know why I don't fast for more things. I've seen time and time again how powerful and quickly we can experience blessings from fasting. I fasted this Saturday/Sunday that one of our newer investigators would be able to come to church on Sunday. We called him Saturday night with no answer. Then on Sunday morning he called us to ask if we could meet him in the central park to show him where to church was, because he was already walking on his way there! We went to the park and he was all dressed up in a suit and carrying his Book of Mormon. Great moment.

This email will basically be a bunch of short, unconnected ideas. Last week, some investigators asked me where I was from again, and when I said Utah they were like ''That's it! Oh my gosh! There was just a huge tornado there and a bunch of people are dead!'' So I thought you guys and everyone I know were all buried under wreckage and bleeding while they turned on the news and waited for the international part just so I could find out the investigators had mistaken Oklahoma for Utah.

 

Speaking of families, we had a couple get married this past week so the wife can get baptized! The husband is already a member. Kind of returning from being inactive. I'm so happy for them. I love their family. The guy speaks English. I can't wait for you guys to meet them someday! I went on divisions to Los Santos (Big Fish Village) this Friday unexpectedly, and we had this great moment of eating pizza in an empty little wooden restaurant while it poured rain outside and 70's rock played in the background.

 

Elder Hampton

 

"The view from the missionary apartment in Big Fish Village."

"Just one of those pics."

"Me and piglet."