Upe buenas!‏

Pues, this week went pretty well, we ended on a really good note in my last area, I´m happy with how it ended with my companion and I think he´s ready to face the challenges of the mission, or the blessings- better stated! I had transfers and got moved to Toyopan, it´s a place in San Jose, the city is actually called Guadalupe. I was assigned to be a zone leader so I´m here learning a ton, trying to help the Lord even more in every way I can and learn as much as I can. I love getting assignments in the mission because I get to learn so much! My new companion is Elder Rivera, he has 1 change left in the mission, so I need to keep him in shape to finish strong haha but he´s actually super cool, he is from Honduras but speaks a lot of English, so I´m talking in English with him to help him out. I know that this is the Lords work, I have absolutely no doubt, I can feel it everyday and I´m grateful for the time He allows me to have here in Costa Rica, working in His vineyard. I hope and intend to try and always serve Him with all my heart, might, mind, and strength. I´ve come to appreciate more fully the Savior´s Atonement in my life, as I have studied what he did for me in greater depth, I´ve found my love for him has grown. I try everyday to be able to help God´s children here in Costa Rica come to know what I now have learned and felt. I encourage you to ponder the Savior´s Atonement, think of the role and importance he plays in your life. If necessary, restructure your life to put it in harmony with his teachings, his example, and his loving desire to ¨bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.¨ (Moses 1:39) 

I love you guys a lot, I thank you for everything you´ve done for me, and hope to be able to write you again next week! 

Love, 

Elder Lohberg

**from typing back and forth:

Mom: Tell me about transfers! Where are you now? Diego sent me a photo and told me Nopal San Jose - but I looked that up on a map and it doesn't show me anything - so where are you?  Tell me about your new comp (what you know) etc

AND how was your last week? 

Aaron: Diego took a photo last night to tell you, the ward is called Toyopan, its in San Jose, Quadalupe, or my area is called El Carmen. President called me and asked me to be a zone leader here. My companion is cool, he only has 1 change left in the mission and then he goes back to Honduras, he´s 25. The area is pretty calm, it´s not to hot or anything. We have like, 24 missionaries, or 22 in the zone. 3 districts. Gunna have to learn a lot quickly=) haha, the thing I love about assignments is learning, what i don't like is the responsibility hahaha but it´s all good, everything will help me in the end.

Mom: wow! So - would that zone be west or east mission you think?  Sending home a ZL - hopefully he will sprint to the finish and teach you tons!  I assume the new mission president will be in the San Jose area as well? So tell me how transfers went today then? Did you go earlier or just regular with everyone else? Did you meet up at central park? 

  

Aaron: It´s east mission, with the gringo president. But I´ve been thinking a lot and it would be cool to be in the mission, assuming that Elder Parker and Elder Toledo stay here haha, at least Elder Toledo. He seems like he wants to work hard still but I´m not sure. The new president in the east mission will be here in this office, in Zapote, the new one will be in a new office that they´re building in Escazu I think, San Jose but I

 can´t remember. We met up at like 9-10 in Parque Central in San Jose, and then we had to wait on our zone to leave and he came  back. It´s pretty cool here, it´s a lot of city but not to bad, i also have elders that have one of the most dangerous parts of San Jose haha, La Leon Trece, and i´ll have to go with them on divisions some time. Elder Rivera my comp told me he did divisions Thursday haha and they got robbed because  they stayed a little too late there. 

Mom: looking on the map - looks like it might be the west mission? 

Have you taken your stuff to the new apartment? What's that like?  Do you have your camera with you? Could you grab a quick picture with your new comp?

What did president say to you when he called you? 

Aaron:I do have my camera, but I forgot the cable to put the pictures on.. next week. I have a lot of pictures now but they´ll be put on super slow because they´re in a higher quality. I´ll take pictures with him this week. 

He said, Elder I have an assignment for you, I want you to go be a zone leader in Toyopan, it´s one of the biggest wards in the mission and I want to see your zone increase in confirmations, your companion has one month left so help him stay strong to the end. I only put two good missionaries together as zone leaders or Sister specialists so I expect good results, I expect baptisms and retention, I have high standards 2 months of no baptizing and you´re no longer a zone leader. And I said, okay! Haha cool stuff and all=) gotsta strive to be the example always! 

Mom: are you ok with it being such a close area? Still city?  you've not even gotten a chance to see any of the beauty of Costa Rica - just wondered how you feel about city life?

Also - I never asked you - but what did you do with the information Megan Kint gave you regarding her friend from college?  She sent his info with the suitcase stuff - just wondered what if anything happened with that.

Aaron: It´s a little boring, but it´s not ugly here or anything, just that it is city. Maybe we´ll do cool activities, who knows, anyways If I'm in the east mission i will have Limon which is one of the most beautiful parts of Costa Rica, Limon and Guanacaste (west). I totally forgot she sent me that, I will look into it again, I think I saw it and realized it would be almost impossible to find him, but I will check it again.

Mom: well this week will be interesting for you as you set out to learn a new area and a new assignment.  How many gringo missionaries are in your zone?  How many baptisms did they have last month? Are they working in that area? How was your new area last month?  What's their investigator pool look like?  Sounds like you'll have to do exchanges with other missionaries - so how does that work with being ZL? Do you always both work their areas? or does one elder go to your area while one of you will go to their area?

Aaron: I´m still learning.. I´ve asked a lot of these questions but it comes with time. I don't know how many gringos, they had 16, they´re working, my area had 2 i think, or 1, not sure, they don't have that many, gunna find a ton. I´ll be doing lots of exchanges. ZL´s do it with all their elders, like not only district leaders, so we´ll see. no, one leaves one stays.

Mom: oh and so do ZL's visit the district meetings? or do you have a district you are over as well?

Aaron: Yeah we have a district meeting, in my last zone they did.. here theirs 3 districts but the last one is just us, the sister leaders and our district leader, a little weird but meh, He told me this week is just a normal district meeting, but we´ll have zone conferences at least. 

Mom: well that's good then - so both areas will be worked not just one area.

Well I'm excited for you - excited for the change in routine - areas - comps - it will be a new start.  I look forward to NEXT week being able to hear more about what you experience this week with it all.  

I'm so proud of you Aaron and the great missionary you are!  I got teary reading your general email this week - I was reading it out loud to dad and started to cry.  So very happy - proud - full of love for you!

Aaron: It was pretty sad leaving my first area aha, but just keep swimming=) we have 3 districts, not just 2 areas, so we´ll be giving lots of followup everywhere =)=)

Mom: ya I'm sure - but change is good.

Ya I realize you have 3 districts - I meant you would be working one person in their area and one in your area when on exchanges instead of both ZL's leaving their area and working in the exchange elders area only.  

Sounds like you will be doing a lot of leg work - your area on the map doesn't look too huge - where's the building that you meet at? Will have to figure that out so I can look it up on the map :)

Aaron: oh yeah changes here is always 1 elder in each area. I don't know what the place is called but we´re their right now, it´s a pretty big building, we´re in the family history center. 

next week i will send you a ton of photos i promise.

Mom: how much more time do you have?

Aaron: Not sure like, 10 minutes or so. i think.

Mom: well - if you could tell me just one thing that you would want others to know - what would it be?  People at church ask me about you all the time - how you are doing - etc 

I always tell them you are doing well - and share what I know about what is going on with you.  

Aaron: Orrr now, I love you a lot mom!! !Stay safe and we´ll talk next week, with photos!!! =d

Tell them I´m learning so much and I love it here!! 

I LOVE YOU AND DAD AND THE SISTERS; WE¨LL TALK NEXT WEEK=D=D=D=DD= <3