Week 34 - Slanging with the Pachucos

Hey everyone! 

Hope things are going well in the states! Sure missing the Fall season which means football! haha but things are going well in Costa Rica baby!

So we had a baptism this week! His name is Jose and he´s super duper cool. He's chill and doesn't talk a lot but he's going to do big things in the church. A couple of weeks ago, we had a lesson with him where he talked about our Mission President and other 70's and how he likes how they take things seriously and are straightforward. I was prompted to say something direct and straight forward after but I had no idea what to say haha. So I told him (in spanish haha) "Jose I actually like to be straight forward as well. We missionaries, are here to baptize you. You need to get baptized and we'd like you to prepare for the 25th". He was shocked for a minute but the answered yes with a smile. The Spirit really is the teacher - I can read scriptures and testify but it's ALWAYS the Spirit that teaches. He had about 10 years investigating the church but hadn't committed to get baptized before we came by. And 3 weeks later, he was baptized! We don't have pictures because he wanted other elders to baptize him (that taught him a while ago) but he came back so that I could confirm him. So cool!

So to add the seccion of "Animal of the Week", we always have these big ol' cucarachas stuck on our glue traps. We found one in my companion's food and he was TICKED. He threw the rice bag and beat the snot out of this cockroach - I pretty much died laughing.

I was blessed to hear a ton of old songs that I loved before the mission! I heard Wild Boys by Duran Duran - you betcha that I love that song. And I heard Sister Christian in a little pulperia (the equivalent of a 7/11 here) and I jammed so hard!

Hey, funny story about photography. My comp DELETED ALL MY PHOTOS ON MY CAMERA... accidently but still. I wanted to kill the freakin guy. So I´m glad that I sent you guys all the good pictures at least haha. I´m gonna make sure that I keep copies of all my pictures on my USB now just to be safe haha

We have been working in the more sketchy parts of town because that's really the people who need the gospel most. We only take our scriptures and umbrellas - I leave the phone and watch with members before we head in. It's super funny to see peoples faces when they're surprised that I can actually speak Spanish! Haha their faces always light up. I can even speak slang with the Pachucos - the people who are always smoking drugs and in the streets and they love talking to me haha. 

Well, please keep praying for me and praying that I can at least stay a little dry.. haha thankyou for all of the prayers and well wishes!

Love you guys,

Pura Vida! 

Elder Stott

Week 33 - That's one way to get rid of them...

Hellooooo ladies and gentleman, welcome back to the The Pura Vida show staring Elder Stott.

Haha how have things been over in the states! I hear that Donald Trump and Bill Gates are running for President?! Hahaha just a bunch of rich people trying to buy the presidency, man, this world is just getting crazier and crazier. 

So this week was a normal week for me, but mom reminded me that a "normal" week for me is crazy for you guys, so I'll make sure to give you the good stuff: details and all haha.

So this week, some family moved in with a family in my ward. They're Ticos but they speak pretty darn good English. They all learned a bunch of slang and jokes. Get this: there's a little kid (he's like 9) that challenged me in a "Yo Mama" joke contest. And even though it's been like 10 years since I've heard those, I defended my Mama well and I won. But I'll give it to him, he was GOOD. He said that my Mama was so dumb that she tried to climb Mountain Dew and that she had an appointment with Dr. Pepper. But I know, that my Mama is WAY smarter than that ;) Haha

One of the family members who I met actually lives here too. He speaks good English too AND HE PLAY FOOTBALL HERE! I love talking about football with him and talking NFL and NCAA! He wants me to come to a practice of his sometimes but I don't think I can. But anyways, he's super legit.

Almost everyday, we pass by this bar that's by our chapel. There's ALWAYS drunks outside and they all (for some freakin reason) all try to hug me or speak in English. One guy (and I die laughing every time) always says to me in English: "God bless you every time" and it's hilarious. Well this week, I saw him but I beat him and greeted him with a good ol' "God bless you every time" and you bet your bottom dollar that he said it back - yeah baby! haha 

There's also a guy from Limon (where there are a bunch of African Americans who speak a language called patuah - English, Spanish, and french together) He likes to ask me, "Everything is good?" haha and that was pretty funny too.

I've "decided" to bring back "Animal of the Week". This week, you guessed it, is mice! We have a good sized family of about 10 in our house eating my corn drink - I was pretty ticked when I found one chillin in the flippin bag. So we bought a glue trap that smells like Peanut Butter and left it overnight. The next morning there were two mice trapped. My companion (being the tough guy he is) folded the paper in two and STEPPED on the mice. It was pretty gruesome. We bought another glue trap and the next morning when my comp got up early, I knew that he was at it again. He said we should eat them but I shot that down REAL quick haha. Speaking of weird foods - I'm going to eat sea turtle eggs and snake here pretty soon, so I'm pretty stoked for that! 

So my companion is going good! He's finally getting used to the mission life and workload (trust me, it's a lot). He told me that he wants to lose weight because he's pretty dang chunky. But he bought this big pan of a Tres Leches cake and ate it for breakfast, lunch and dinner haha - I just think to myself "good luck with that!" 

Even though I don't talk about it much, when it rains here, it POURS! You can have a nice umbrella but you'll be soaked up to your thighs with these dress pants - they're really good for soaking up water. And then the water runs down into my socks - so much for waterproof shoes haha.  

On Costa Rican Independence day, there was this super rare cloud phenomenon that everybody was freaked out about.  Some people were saying it was the end of the world, or a sign from God.  I got a cool picture of it.  It was a cloud with a rainbow coming out of it.  It's called cloud iridescence.  SO COOL!!

I bought a big thing of powdered Gatorade (I bet Dillon's jealous) that makes 9 gallons of lemon lime Gatorade so I'm pretty stoked for that.

A guy that we taught showed off all his pistols that he has as well as 30/30 ammo which is illegal here! 

Well that's about all this week! Hope everyone will have a great week this week! Take care and go out and serve someone!

Pura Vida

- Elder Stott

Week 32 - Semi-dangerous

Hey everyone, hope things are going well in the USA! Woohoo haha

So I won't lie, this week was pretty average.. It flew by, but nothing really interesting happened haha

I did give a talk yesterday that had the congregation in tears as well as my Stake President. He told me after that he really wanted to talk but that the Spirit prompted him to have me take his time too.. I had to talk for 20 minutes! haha but it I guess the Spirit can speak Spanish because I don't think I can ;) 

So my area is semi-dangerous.. haha we had a bunch of appointments in a place called the 25th of June (I don't know why it's called that) but to say the least, it's pretty sketch. People are selling cocaine on the corners but hey, everyone needs the gospel! So we were headed over to this part of our area (and we were super close too) when a member called us and told us not to go over there. A guy that just got out of prison was shot a bunch of times and was killed right by all of our visits. Turns out that I kinda knew the guy too... He was pretty rough but I'm glad I got the chance to talk with him about Christ. Well, they closed the area so our WHOLE day was ruined haha but hey, I guess things happen sometimes.. but not sketchy things.

We're hoping for a baptism this week and for 2 the next week. The members work really well with us and give us lots of references - it's super stressful sometimes but it's better than 0 references! 

Kinda cool: So we have our mission hymn that's super cool. Well I was playing it in the President's house today on the piano and he asked me if I could somehow put what I was playing on sheet music for the mission. One of the medical assistants told me after that they're going to try to copyright the hymn and everything and that my name will be on it if I can get the music! Pretty sweet huh?! Also - President told me that when he asked for me to open this area here, that he felt that there were "big things planned for me". uh oh... we'll see what that means haha.

Well I hope everyone is doing well! I miss everyone but I love hearing how everyone's doing. Remember that it's the little things that count - a compliment or just a smile; it can change someone's day completely.

Love you guys,

Pura Vida!

- Elder Stott :)

One of my best friends - Elder Black

Week 31 - The train is still rolling!

Hey everyone! 

Things are going pretty well here in good ol San Jose Costa Rica! Hope everyone's had a great week this passed week!

So not much happened this week but I'll try to make it sound interesting!

So first off, people are feeding me way too much...But this will be a good thing! We don't have a mamacita who cooks us food everyday so a different member is assigned each day to give us lunch and so far, it has always been super good! It's usually a ton of meat with a cabbage salad that I like. And I'm proud to say that I am finally used to rice and beans now. It still doesn't taste like anything but I'm used to that!

A lady made us tamales too which were pretty good! They're really doughy here but they really fill you up. They're super thick and heavy so I only need one to be full haha.

We had a baptism this week too! Her name is Jeimy and she's this little girl who's 9 but she seems like she's 12 or 13 haha. I don't know what it is about Costa Rica, but everyone seems super mature for their age. One time, I asked this girl how old she was - I thought she was about 22. She told me she was 13 haha. So now, I don't guess people's age.

But yeah, the baptism was great and she's super excited to be a member.

This week I got to see one of my most favorite people in Costa Rica! The sweet little old lady from Alajuelita.  She still always tells me, "shut uf baby face" - that's how she pronounces it too haha. She tells me that she wants to meet my family and kids when I have them someday. She's pretty much my grandma here in Costa Rica :) 

Sometimes when we're walking in Hatillo, people I know from Alajuelita will pass by in cars and yell hi to me. I just like to shrug and tell my comp that I don't know them and that I'm just famous here haha.

The other day, this random girl who looked about my age came up to me and asked if I was "JoshtheStott" from Twitter and Instagram. I had no idea who this girl was. But she recognized me and said that she liked my pictures and how I sang. To say the least, it was kinda weird. But it did give me the opportunity to share a little something with her. I gave her a church pamphlet and told her that if she was a true fan of mine, she'd read it. Haha 

Things are going well here in Hatillo - although it's still a little stressful. It's really an area that could be split into 3 or 4 good-sized areas.  We walk a LOT and have a lot to do. Me and my companion are doing well and I'm hanging in there. I'm still losing weight dang it. But otherwise I'm happy and healthy and that's what matters! 

Thank's for all the prayers and well-wishes! Hang in there everyone

Pura Vida!

- Elder Stott :)