Hey family,
So i went to the mission office again to talk to John. It was good, but we didn´t really have much to say. We just talked about the mission and the living conditions. Nothing much. Well, after my call with john, i talked to my President about starting my process of coming home. He told me to email my Stake President. I did and found out that the first step in the process starts on President Gálvez´s end.
I know everyone is really upset and sad for me. I know, but i don´t think anyone understands how upset and sad i am here. I´ve talked to so many people and so many people have talked to me. I´ve prayed and fasted and prayed and went to the temple and prayed. I´ve done everything, but i still feel like i want to go home.
President Gálvez said that he´d like if I stayed until the next changes meeting. That means for another 3 weeks. He said it´s just what´s fair for the other missionaries and investigators. The thing is... i know it can be done sooner, that everyone would get along just fine without me, that the same ammount of work would go on with or without me. I feel like it´s going to be a LONG, three weeks of pure torture if i feel the way i am.
Mom, you can´t come to Costa Rica. It´d just be easier for me to come home. And I don´t know what the possibilities are for a mission in the future. If i could come home, see if the way i´m feeling goes away, and go somewhere stateside? I just don´t know if #1- I´d want that and #2- If i can do that. I just don´t have the desire to be on a missionary right now. Part that i don´t feel like a mission is all that it´s cracked up to be.
I just don´t know. Well, I know what i want, but i know it comes a big price. Well, I love you all. I hope that i´ll be seeing you soon. The thought of finally coming home is what i look forward to everyday. Sorry for all the sadness and problems I´m causing. Love you all.
Elder Adam Paulsen
Monday, October 18, 2010
John - October 18, 2010
Hola, Sorry everybody i don´t have much time to write to you all. I spent a lot of time writing adam and such. I will tell more later. well i´ve got to go. I love you all.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Adam - October 11, 2010
Hey family,
So not everything is as good as it´s been sounding. I´ve been having a really hard time here. Dealing with emotional things, physical things, and spiritual things. Last week there were E-changes to get me closer to the President so we can talk easier. I asked him to go home to weeks ago but he´s been having me wait, pray, and make sure that´s really what i want. After listening to Conference, and praying a lot, I don´t feel like i´ve gotten any answer to stay here. I know what kind of consequences there will be, and i know i´ll letting a lot of people down, but i feel for some reason that this is the best thing for me.
I don´t know really what more to tell you. I love you all so much. I know i have a testimony of the church and that i want to live the rest of my life with a wife and a family as members of the church. I just love you all so much.
Always,
Elder Adam Paulsen
John - October 11, 2010
Hello everybody,
Wow dad 2nd councler on the bishopric!! wow that is way awesome! Hah, That is so cool, i could just picture dad sitting up on the stand, next to the bishop and all. So cool. and wow your 3nd calling, it seems like more than three callings, but no your right. Oh by the way can you send me an email telling me about why you came to utah for school and not anywhere else, dad? I know you´ve told me, but i want to hear all of it. Also how you came to know this church was true. I know the outside picture, but i want to hear how it happened inside:)
Well yes things here are probably getting dryer, i never really know because as misionaries we can´t watch news or anything, so im out of the loop on everything. But it hasn´t rained here in like a week almost two, which is really wierd so it must be the dry season now. Plants are still as green as can be. I don´t know if i´ve told you before, but this place is just exploding with plants and everything. Anywhere there is dirt, basically there is something trying to grow there. Also there are a ton of raoaming dogs, the trick to get them to stop barking at you or stop approaching you is to bend down like your going to pick up a rock to throw at them, and they will run away.
Umm, so about general conference, yeah i loved the talk from Elder Uctdorf about ¨don´t enhail¨ also like all the talks in the priesthood session were awesome!
Hah so a little story for you about how hummid it is here, well. In the States ya know how gum is really stiff and keeps its form, ha well here it is so soft and floppy. Like if i keep it in the wrapper and hold it on one end, the top will just flop down to the bottom. but yeah, also paper here is really soft, because of the moisture in the air.
well yeah, ha so this week Our compañero mayor... older companion, superior companion, no... ha sorry im having a hard time recalling what this is in english. well anyway since Elder Ramos had his nose surgery, he can´t go procoliting with us, Elder Linares and I. So its been him and me. Ha two missionaries who have the same amount of time in the mission, almost 4 months. But it seems like this whole next week he will still have to stay indoors. Wow its wierd to say i´ve been out here for 4 months. 4 Months.... wow. well i love this area im in. The family, Familia Palacios, that E. Brotherson and i baptised really likes us, they always say that we have a special place in their hearts :) They are an awesome family and i like them a lot. They have a two year old son, Alberto, and everytime we go over to teach them something i play a little bit with him. I like it, it reminds my of my days at Dimple Dale (Dell?). Anyway i like it and they say that he loves it! well... I´m not really sure what else to write... i love you all!
oh also if anyone want to make contact with me, it could be a good idea to send me an email instead of normal mail, because normal mail takes so long. Oh by the way tell the Olsen´s that i recieved Emma´s letter. ha that she sent about a month and a half ago. I doubt she is still in town.
-Elder John Paulsen-
Wow dad 2nd councler on the bishopric!! wow that is way awesome! Hah, That is so cool, i could just picture dad sitting up on the stand, next to the bishop and all. So cool. and wow your 3nd calling, it seems like more than three callings, but no your right. Oh by the way can you send me an email telling me about why you came to utah for school and not anywhere else, dad? I know you´ve told me, but i want to hear all of it. Also how you came to know this church was true. I know the outside picture, but i want to hear how it happened inside:)
Well yes things here are probably getting dryer, i never really know because as misionaries we can´t watch news or anything, so im out of the loop on everything. But it hasn´t rained here in like a week almost two, which is really wierd so it must be the dry season now. Plants are still as green as can be. I don´t know if i´ve told you before, but this place is just exploding with plants and everything. Anywhere there is dirt, basically there is something trying to grow there. Also there are a ton of raoaming dogs, the trick to get them to stop barking at you or stop approaching you is to bend down like your going to pick up a rock to throw at them, and they will run away.
Umm, so about general conference, yeah i loved the talk from Elder Uctdorf about ¨don´t enhail¨ also like all the talks in the priesthood session were awesome!
Hah so a little story for you about how hummid it is here, well. In the States ya know how gum is really stiff and keeps its form, ha well here it is so soft and floppy. Like if i keep it in the wrapper and hold it on one end, the top will just flop down to the bottom. but yeah, also paper here is really soft, because of the moisture in the air.
well yeah, ha so this week Our compañero mayor... older companion, superior companion, no... ha sorry im having a hard time recalling what this is in english. well anyway since Elder Ramos had his nose surgery, he can´t go procoliting with us, Elder Linares and I. So its been him and me. Ha two missionaries who have the same amount of time in the mission, almost 4 months. But it seems like this whole next week he will still have to stay indoors. Wow its wierd to say i´ve been out here for 4 months. 4 Months.... wow. well i love this area im in. The family, Familia Palacios, that E. Brotherson and i baptised really likes us, they always say that we have a special place in their hearts :) They are an awesome family and i like them a lot. They have a two year old son, Alberto, and everytime we go over to teach them something i play a little bit with him. I like it, it reminds my of my days at Dimple Dale (Dell?). Anyway i like it and they say that he loves it! well... I´m not really sure what else to write... i love you all!
oh also if anyone want to make contact with me, it could be a good idea to send me an email instead of normal mail, because normal mail takes so long. Oh by the way tell the Olsen´s that i recieved Emma´s letter. ha that she sent about a month and a half ago. I doubt she is still in town.
-Elder John Paulsen-
Monday, October 4, 2010
Adam - October 4, 2010
Hey family,
So I have some interesting news for you all. I got changed. I know i said i didn´t have changes, but there was an issue and they moved a few people around. I ended up getting changed this morning to a new area. The city is called Guadalupe, and it´s a pretty big city. I love it so far. There are so many more people, especially families, and actual stores. Today for my first meal, McDonalds. It´s was a nice little piece of heaven again. I love anything from the United States here, you should be grateful for what you all have.
So my new companion is Elder Squires. He´s from Idaho and he´s about 6´6. People are pretty scared of us because we´re white, and both really tall. We tower over everyone. But I´ve only been with him for a few hours. He´s really cool, and a great missionary. He´s super excited about our area and wants to work hard. That´ll be a good change for me.
I don´t know much about my new area, from what i´ve heard it´s a little dangerous. I think we´ll be okay though. I don´t think any little short punk is going to try and get any money out of two guys twice his size. The members here are pretty sweet, we are big enough to even be a WARD! How sweet is that? I´ve only met one of the members, but he´s pretty sweet. He´s a recent convert of like 3 or 4 months and is planning on serving a mini-misison here in Costa Rica in December for a change or two. He´s really cool. My area is a lot cooler than Barranca. It´s really nice, and we have a doucha ... aka warm water for a shower. I´m pretty stoked to try that out. We live in a small house with two rooms. THe bathroom is super small. You kinda have to step over the toilet to get to the shower, but it doesn´t stink so thats a bonus. We have a cook that makes us breakfast and lunch here. That´ll be nice
So USU beat BYU. Thats awesome. I´m glad i´m not a BYU fan right now, that´s kinda embarrasing. USU only won like 2 games last year. I wish i was there for that game. That would´ve been awesome. I guess going independent might not have been the best idea. ha ha.
Conference was great! We got to sit in a room and listen to the conference in English. Half we watched on the computer, and half on a tv. It´s hard to pick one talk that is my favorite because they were all really good.
I got mom´s letter. Checked on the package, but it´s still not here. I guess they only check it a few days every week, so maybe it´ll be coming next week. Thanks for sending another. I´m excited to finally get something from the unted states. They just can´t do anything the same here.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Adam - September 29, 2010
Dear Family,
How is everything in the good old United States? Things here are a little tough. The weather has been pretty nasty. We´ve had rain everyday for the last 5 or 6 days. Not anything super hard, but just enough to make it a ¨gloomy day¨. It´s actually great weather for missionaries though, not too hot, and not too wet. The biggest problem is that Ticos are afraid of water or something. So we had barely anyone at church and nobody wants to go outside. But this just means more time to teach right?
So success this week... we had our baptism. Sandra finally got baptized this week. Her daughter got baptized the week before, but Sandra couldn´t. I got to baptize her and everything went... okay. Problem #1 was that the branch was having an meeting at the same time so the president of the Branch and the District both were stuck in that meeting. #2 Not many people came to support her for her baptism. Kinda depressing, not even the branch president would come sit in. I guess the meeting about Mutual was more important... :( That made E. Portillo and I a little upset. Problem #3 (a little embarrasing) It took me 3 times to actually baptize her. She just wouldn´t bend her knees. I promise it wasn´t totally my fault.
Big thing of the week (also the reason for the late email) We had changes meeting. Let me explain that real quick. So most missions have changes every 6 weeks. This is where people move to new areas, get new companions... stuff like that. Well, Costa Rica does it a little different. We have a huge meeting in San José where all the people that have changes, are going home, are coming to the mission, or just want to go. It´s like a big huge meeting in a chapel. They had all the missionaries leaving bare their testimonies, then the pres and the pres´s wife talk a little, then they put all the the pictures of the missionaries and their new comps on a projector screen. It´s like a big game and everyone just screes ¨Usshhh¨ (I don´t know its just the thing the mission does) and claps/snaps. it´s pretty fun.
Well, I didn´t get my package. I really thought It´d be at changes meeting, but i guess i´ll just have to wait a little longer. I miss you all a lot... too much actually, but i´m doing good. Working really hard. Love you all!
How is everything in the good old United States? Things here are a little tough. The weather has been pretty nasty. We´ve had rain everyday for the last 5 or 6 days. Not anything super hard, but just enough to make it a ¨gloomy day¨. It´s actually great weather for missionaries though, not too hot, and not too wet. The biggest problem is that Ticos are afraid of water or something. So we had barely anyone at church and nobody wants to go outside. But this just means more time to teach right?
So success this week... we had our baptism. Sandra finally got baptized this week. Her daughter got baptized the week before, but Sandra couldn´t. I got to baptize her and everything went... okay. Problem #1 was that the branch was having an meeting at the same time so the president of the Branch and the District both were stuck in that meeting. #2 Not many people came to support her for her baptism. Kinda depressing, not even the branch president would come sit in. I guess the meeting about Mutual was more important... :( That made E. Portillo and I a little upset. Problem #3 (a little embarrasing) It took me 3 times to actually baptize her. She just wouldn´t bend her knees. I promise it wasn´t totally my fault.
Big thing of the week (also the reason for the late email) We had changes meeting. Let me explain that real quick. So most missions have changes every 6 weeks. This is where people move to new areas, get new companions... stuff like that. Well, Costa Rica does it a little different. We have a huge meeting in San José where all the people that have changes, are going home, are coming to the mission, or just want to go. It´s like a big huge meeting in a chapel. They had all the missionaries leaving bare their testimonies, then the pres and the pres´s wife talk a little, then they put all the the pictures of the missionaries and their new comps on a projector screen. It´s like a big game and everyone just screes ¨Usshhh¨ (I don´t know its just the thing the mission does) and claps/snaps. it´s pretty fun.
Well, I didn´t get my package. I really thought It´d be at changes meeting, but i guess i´ll just have to wait a little longer. I miss you all a lot... too much actually, but i´m doing good. Working really hard. Love you all!
Monday, September 27, 2010
John - September 27, 2010
ello everybody,
awesome to hear about how things are going at home. Yeah so i don´t know why the houses roofs look like they are pink. Its just he way they look. Well we had a hurricane come through these last couple of days. Hurricane Matthew. So there has been a ton of rain! i got a video of what it looks like, i think you will get a kick out of it. That is whenever i send a letter home.
This week has really been awesome! We had a wedding and then a baptism for them after. It is a family of four, but three are old enough for baptism. They are an awesome family! They are going to be a very powerful family here in El Salvador! They are a very smart family. E. Brotherson and i have seen them change so much! Its amazing what the gospel can do! Its hard to difficult to really get connected with this anyone here when you can´t speak their language very well, But i feel pretty close to this family. I baptized Claudia, daughter; and E. brotherson baptized the parents, Dimas and Yessica. They have a son who is 2, he just turned two just last sunday. Anyway they are awesome! E. Brotherson is going to keep in contact with them when he goes home, and i will try to keep in contact with them, too.
So something cool this week. I went on divisions with a other gringo in our zone, by the way our whole zone got a baptism this change so Presidente Perez is coming out to take us all out to lunch today! Right anyway so i was on divisions with E. Price in his area and we talked to one of the persons that is getting baptized next week and i talked to her sister about the book of mormon all by my self! At times it was difficult to say what i want, but i got it across the language barrier. So that was cool, I think it really opened her eyes. I hope so.
Well changes are this wednesday, so my comp is leaving for home. Hah he isn´t very "baggie", that basically means he would want to go home. But he has really been pretty focused when it really comes down to it. umm... so i wil get a new companion, probably a latino. Which is good. This will help my spanish skills explode! I just hope he likes to work hard, because in this area there are people that are ready.Well i love you all!
-Elder John Paulsen-
awesome to hear about how things are going at home. Yeah so i don´t know why the houses roofs look like they are pink. Its just he way they look. Well we had a hurricane come through these last couple of days. Hurricane Matthew. So there has been a ton of rain! i got a video of what it looks like, i think you will get a kick out of it. That is whenever i send a letter home.
This week has really been awesome! We had a wedding and then a baptism for them after. It is a family of four, but three are old enough for baptism. They are an awesome family! They are going to be a very powerful family here in El Salvador! They are a very smart family. E. Brotherson and i have seen them change so much! Its amazing what the gospel can do! Its hard to difficult to really get connected with this anyone here when you can´t speak their language very well, But i feel pretty close to this family. I baptized Claudia, daughter; and E. brotherson baptized the parents, Dimas and Yessica. They have a son who is 2, he just turned two just last sunday. Anyway they are awesome! E. Brotherson is going to keep in contact with them when he goes home, and i will try to keep in contact with them, too.
So something cool this week. I went on divisions with a other gringo in our zone, by the way our whole zone got a baptism this change so Presidente Perez is coming out to take us all out to lunch today! Right anyway so i was on divisions with E. Price in his area and we talked to one of the persons that is getting baptized next week and i talked to her sister about the book of mormon all by my self! At times it was difficult to say what i want, but i got it across the language barrier. So that was cool, I think it really opened her eyes. I hope so.
Well changes are this wednesday, so my comp is leaving for home. Hah he isn´t very "baggie", that basically means he would want to go home. But he has really been pretty focused when it really comes down to it. umm... so i wil get a new companion, probably a latino. Which is good. This will help my spanish skills explode! I just hope he likes to work hard, because in this area there are people that are ready.Well i love you all!
-Elder John Paulsen-
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