Monday, January 25, 2016

no general email :(


answering some things from my email to him: 
Aaron: ok sure we can do it, march 19th. remind me. I´ll talk to president about the interview. My foot is okay. a whole week without leaving and my comp only worked a Little Tuesday and then Sunday, but it didn't go very well. The conference was good, tell him he´s dumb because yeah I knew everything they said too but the Spirit revealed things to me that I needed to know. Right now our Ward meets in a highschool gym, it´s closer to our house than the church is. The área is huge and truly I think this is the área where the members have MOST worked. it´s cool. Well, we live in an apartment above the house of some members, they give us food sometimes at night so most of the time they give us coke and some food like, hotdogs or sausage in tortillas, or they buy chicken. They give us a lot of things, and are funny. The other members too, rice and beans but TONS of coke. It´s awesome

Aaron: hi mom! How are you¨???

Mom: all week long? wow! so did the stitches come out today then? how does it look?  Did you then stay with a member all week long? is there some man there who didn't work who you could stay with? how did that work?
That's cool that you learned something at the conference - the kid I had asked was leaving to head home so maybe his head wasn't in the game.  I forgot about your ward meeting in the high school gym - I think you said that to me - because they are working on the church right?  That sounds awesome about the ward too with them doing the work.  Did you send a picture of the outside of your new apartment with the photos you sent or just the inside?  What color is it? I will look and see.  I'm glad you are enjoying your new area - I'm sorry about your toe but hopefully it doesn't hurt any more and you can get back on your feet and to work.
I will keep you posted on the countdown - that date has you starting with 138 and then reading D&C 1 then on August 4th (which you said will most likely be the day you come home).

Mom: I'm doing well :)  Happy to hear from you - wasn't sure if we would or not since I knew you had to get the stitches out today.  I think I told you already that Dad & I moved one of the couches from the familyroom out to the garage and brought the treadmill inside so we could walk (while it's cold out) - so I've been trying to build myself back up to speed - did 3 1/2 miles today - I want to get back to doing 5 miles if I can and then when spring gets here we will move to walking outside again.  Dad and I walked 4-5 miles daily last spring/summer - but fall / winter we've been lumps on a log!  So I'm trying to change that! :)

Tell me something you learned this week!!

Aaron: Hmm. Well I learned a Little bit about our Heavenly Mother and the churches stand on that principle. And I just saw today that on LDS.or they explain it. That we believe in Heavenly Parents, it was cool. And I read in the Book of Mormon the story of Abinadi, and of Alma, and of King Mosiah, and I´m at the part where they´re going to describe what´s written on the plates of the Jaredites.

Mom: oh my !! that looks awful!! is that pussy? like infected? or just bruised? cause yuck!  That's from today? Are you able to put a shoe oh yet? that looks super painful still :(
that really looks infected - do you see puss at all?  maybe you need to use some peroxide or neosporin on it or something - what did the nurse say?

Aaron: no it has a cream on it too she said it looked good yesterday Iput on a shoe to go to church, it hurt a bit.

Mom: Kara says you are supposed to go start the endorsement paperwork - you are to go to endorse.byu.edu and start it and then it will message the president telling him you need that (like a bishop would get) BUT I don't think it would hurt to message president either as you need to get it done soon.  Do you remember your BYU log in and password info? Or do you need me to send that to you?

Mom: cool picture! was that from today? or? AND most importantly - do you get much use out of the sweet tricycle (that's what that looks like in the corner on your balcony) ? haha

Aaron: No lol I actually hadn't even seen it, yeah tat picture was right now and no i don't know my info

Mom: hahaha - so did your comp run downstairs to take the picture then?  Who are you on the phone with in the shot? Cause I can see you are talking on the phone
AND you didn't notice the ride in the corner?  You could probably get 3 cm of air with that thing! :p

Aaron: lolol

Aaron: I was talkin to Elder Valles, making sure he´s still working hard. He´s the missionary that was with Elder Morales and I, that I said was coo

Mom: did you message the mission office about an interview? 
don't you message president weekly? or how does that work? - I think message the mission office for sure (do it now) telling them you need the endorsement done - and I will continue to track down info (right now)

Aaron: Found it! and I´ll do it

Mom: k - do the advice from the other parents in the group is that you need to call the office and ask - because it is a time sensitive thing - Kara says they wont even give you a registration date until you've done the endorsement - and they are sending out notices now to those who got in for fall - so soon after that registration etc starts.  AND housing fyi

Aaron: Gotta go mom. I tried putting San Jose Costa Rica an San Jose Costa Rica Este and Randy Hayes but it doesn´t show up, you can do it!

Mom: ok - so you found it?! cool!
You have to go now?  I see I'm missing an email somewhere but I see this below!  Have a great week Aaron!! LOVE YOU!! Take care of that foot - hopefully it heals up quickly and you will be good as new!! So proud of you!!!  Will keep you in my prayers - talk to you next week!! HUGS!!!! KISSES & HUGS! <3 U!
OH! And you didn't do a general email either - so NEXT week - do your general email FIRST so it gets done - it's been like 3 weeks in a row with not much of a general email - i realize that this last week you were laid up and one week your computer was jacked - but next week send something good out with your testimony :) 
LOVE YOU!!

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Subject‏

Hey! 
ouch!
This week went pretty well.. it was interesting haha. We´ve been searching new investigators trying to find some investigators that progress. My comp and I have been getting along pretty well, without problems and the area is super beautiful. We found a couple who were interested when we talked about the Book of Mormon and about the Restoration of the gospel so we´re going to go back to see if they´re willing and ready to progress in their lives right now. I love being a missionary so much and I know that this is the Lord´s work. There is no greater joy that I know of up until this point in my life than to share the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I hope each of us this new year is able to enjoy sharing the gospel with our friends and neighbors and people we meet on the spot! Have a good week! 

Love, 

Elder Lohberg

Emailing back and forth:

Tue 1/19/16 11:16 AM Aaron: hey how are you mom, no those dogs are from a new member in my last area

Tue 1/19/16 11:57 AM Aaron: blank email came in

Tue 1/19/16 12:08 PM Mom: I'm here!!
How are you Aaron? Did you do something yesterday? Was worried when you didn't get on but then thought maybe they adjusted your day because of the conference thing tomorrow.  How has your week gone?

Mom: hopefully I didn't miss you :(

Tue 1/19/16 12:33 PM Mom: I'm sad that I missed you today :(  I waited all day yesterday watching but had visiting teaching to do this morning.  I hope you are well - you've been on my mind - I actually had a dream about you last night.  Please be safe.  Be obedient and work hard.  I love you Aaron. I love you more than I can ever express to you.  I hope we will get to connect online next week - and look forward to hearing about these past 2 weeks!  Everyone has been asking about you - they missed last weeks general email (which you didn't get to write) and now with no news this week either - many will be sad.  
I Hope things are going well - I'll be excited to hear about your conference that I think happens tomorrow.
LOVE YOU!!
<3
Mom

Tue 1/19/16 12:55 PM Aaron: No mom, I´m still here but i had to move houses, to a members house. I´m stuck unable to walk for like 3 days. because I had an ingrown toenail and yesterday the doctor cut it out.

Mom: oh my goodness! I'm so sorry! was it super painful??  So 3 days of not walking for it to heal then?  
Are you doing ok?  I was so worried about you!
I'm glad to get a chance to hear from you :)
So tell me whatever you can think to tell me about your week - is your computer sucky again?  Tomorrow is the big world wide mission conference right?

Aaron:The doctor stitched it up too, like 3 or 4 stitches and next week they´re going to pull out the stitches no i gota good comp right now 
I was hoping they would find a way i could see it here but it looks like i´m going to have to take the 2 hour bus to go see it in flipflops basically, crocs, and then come back 2 hours too and everything.. it´s going to be weird. I don't know anything about the conference though

Mom: yikes - so it was bad - did you take pictures of your toe? yuck.

Aaron: Yeah, i got the surgery on video too.. it´s horrible.

Mom: so is everyone traveling to San Jose then to see the conference all together?  How far is it for you to get to Cartago? and then from there you said it's an hour to San Jose? So are you and hour north of Cartago then?
So many missionaries have had issues with ingrown nails - you are not the first - so don't worry about it.
ugh - that sounds terrible!!  So is your toe all bandaged up then?  are you on pain meds at all or just dealing with it?

Aaron: No we go to Tres Rios San Jose. It´s like 2 hours. to cartago its like an hour.

Mom: So you are with a member now then?  Is your companion with you too - home bound basically for 3 days or is he on exchanges?  How does that work when you are dealing with this?  Did you have to pay for the surgery or do we need to put money into your account or anything? Do you know?
You said you had to change houses - why?

Aaron: Yup. But today i have to take off the bandage. They did give me pain meds.. because it was bleeding a ton, I can send you a 3 minute video of the surgery if u want.
No I sent him with a member to go work. No I think the church pays for it, we´re fine. Because I was in our house.. and then I went to this members house to keep writing and to stay with him. cuz I Was with my comp and a member there.

Mom: sure send the video - I might get sick :/ 
I'm sorry you had to deal with this on your mission - you were doing so well - no real issues with your feet. Almost made it home too without it.
Are you senior companion then? How long has your comp been out on a mission?
OH - Lisa Henry said you need to get your ecclesiastical endorsement from the mission president for school - I logged in last night and saw you have until March sometime to get it in - but I guess Elder Henry had emailed her asking for his log in info so he could get on to do that.  So - you will need to do that as well for school in the fall.

Aaron: I cant even see the video without even wanting to throw up. I'm senor companion yeah. He has 14 months on the mission, he came my first December. okay let me do that then!!! !

Mom: "okay let me do that then!!!" meaning march? or?  I don't think you want to wait until the last minute fyi

Mom: did he pull the nail out?? I keep thinking of Elder Henry sending pictures of his "surgery" which a missionary did on his toes - he pulled the nails out with pliers I think - so gross!!  how long did it take to do?

Aaron: i'm putting it on right now. or trying. i'm putting on the photos.. no.. he cut it and then like dug the roots out.. super gross... like 45 minutes or 30

Mom: yikes!  He numbed the area I hope!! I'm so sorry you had to deal with that!! that is horrible :(

Aaron: yeah he numbed it up

Mom: so what are you supposed to do for 3 days off your feet? read? how long do you get today on here?
can you see the volcano from your apartment? did you send any pictures of the outside of your new apartment or only the inside?
Tell me the story behind the tin of wasps

Aaron: normal 1 hour and 30 but i didn't see you sent stuff because it was stuck on the draft.. Yeah i took a photo of it. only inside. the elders killed wasps and but them in the tin idk? We dumped it out though haha.

Mom: who's the sister on the ride out? is that the one from your last area? or?  these are pictures from your trip out to that area right?  Have you seen any cane sugar fields?  AND can you see the volcano from your place? You also didn't say anything about the Rawlings building - is that visible from your apartment then? is it a factory or is that a ball field?  You sent a blurry picture of a crowd - looks like they are at a game - dad wants to know if you were at a game? I told him I didn't think so - I thought you had snapped it from your apartment maybe as it was so zoomed in - details please :)
oh so the tin was in the apartment when you got there! haha!
Have you had to use your mosquito repellent stuff much? Maybe you will need it here?  

Aaron: They took my camera and took photos. Yeah from the trip in bus. Yeah i have seen sugar cane fields.. and walked next to them and everything. Yes i can see the volcano. The rawlings building is in front I think they make gloves and balls. it[s a factory. That's the stadium nearby. from Turrialba, turrialba has a team, but they[re bad. That was from a door in our house I took a zoomed in picture.
I have been using mosquito repellent and the spray because I got bit like 6 times on one ankle and 2 times on the other, so i started using it. and now i don't have any problems. But i have a TON of repellent lol

Aaron: I think I need to go now mom! I love you, it was good to talk to you again. Next week I[m going to try and write on Monday but we'll see because I have to get the stitches taken out, so i'm not sure what'll happen 

Mom: yes yes you do! haha - I planned to keep you bite free but then you never needed it! So use it freely :) share it with someone else getting bitten - especially when you are in your last area - be sure to share what you have with that stuff - no need to bring it all home with you (what's left of it - and meds wise too - the neosporin etc)
The country side looks so beautiful - very lush :)
I LOVE the tin roof lines :) if you get a chance to take a picture on a roof (like in your first area) that shows all the tin roofs - you should do that! great shot!

Mom: ok! I understand then if you don't write Monday - I'm so thankful we got to connect today - like I said you have been on my mind.  I love you!! I hope your toe heals quickly!!
Will watch for you next week :)
Have a great week Aaron!! LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YOU!!!!

More pictures from his transfer out to Turrialba










Monday, January 11, 2016

I dont like te wayhat thekeyboard writes so i won be a doing a general mail toay...

No general email this week : ( His keyboard wasn't cooperating but I got to type back and forth a bit and he uploaded a bunch of pictures :)  The top picture is of the Turrialba volcano but the then there are a bunch from his last area and THEN come the new area photos :)

Aaron: hi mom


Mom: HEY!!!  How was your first week as a "regular" missionary? Hows the new comp and area? tell me all about it!!

Aaron: Turrialba is super beautiful.. I haven´t been carrying my camera because I forgot my umbrella in my last área, but i´m going to take more now.. today I took a bunch. When I´m on the bus from here to Cartago It´s SOO Beautiful, you can see all the valley and it´s amazing. My comp´s pretty cool, we get along well. 

Mom: so are you at an internet cafe in Turrialba? or do you have to go to Cartago to use the internet?  How big is Turrialba?  What's the ward like? is it a ward or a branch?
Aaron: I´m technically in a members house. But i´m sure there might be a café in Turrialba, but who knows. I dont like te wayhat thekeyboard writes so i won be a doing a general mail toay... it´s pretty bigactually.. lotsof Little like neighborhoods... th Ward is about 115o  120 its pretty good, tey´r expanding the church bilding so it´s in construtionuntil like march so we meetin a chighschool


from paintball district pday activity
Mom: I can see that the keyboard is CRAZY! haha - as I'm typing that I'm typing crazy stuff too so I had to laugh! :p
Sad for no general but I understand :(
So is your apartment at a members house too?  Are you doing ok?  Sounds like the area is beautiful! 

Aaron: Yeh! We live above the members, they super awesome. I have an ingrown toenail, and Itried to pul t out and cut it but think I just made it worseb not sure.. I´t was bloody and pusy before and it´sstill like that, so who knows haa



last area


Elder Morales




Mom: yuck :(
Pull it out and put a piece of brown paper bag (like grocery sack kind) between it and your skin on the edge where it's ingrown - put lots of neosporin or use hydrogen peroxide on it maybe to kill the infection?  which toe is it? a big toe or a smaller one?
Glad you are liking the new area - try to set an example so you guys can be blessed :)
Do you have a cook in this area? or does anyone do your laundry?  Have you eaten with any of the members?  What kind of things have you had to eat?
I think this was the bishop in Aaron's ward

Aaron: No we dont have a cook. Someone does our laundry. We eat with members a lot. I´ve been given normal food. I ask them for rice and beanshahaha because Ilikeit.  

Mom: that's kinda of funny since many missionaries are like NO rice and beans - but my kid - bring'em on  baby :)
Are you doing ok then? Your messages are so short - is it just because the keyboard is bad on your computer you are using or are you upset with me?  
Aaron: No it´s cuz I type adit cuts ot like half theletters so t bugs me

Mom: ya I see it's crazy - when I get it on my end I'm missing half of what you are typing but I figure it out :p
is it a computer or is it an ipad?
Probably has a virus!!

Aaron: It´s a computer, but I think it´s just super slow

Mom; anyone you are working with? any prospective investigators?

This is the family he spent Christmas eve with - Skyped from their house.
Aaron: Theres a couple and their son, the couples waiting to get divorced and married to be baptized and we going t o work to baptize the son and anoth couple that needs to get married but are kind of poor.. butthey didnt come to church thisweek.they have like 5 times of having gone bt avent beencomingande´re not surewhy.. so we´l see.. but we found 18 new investigatorsthis week to see we findsoe good ones
New companion Elder Martines =)
cost of taxi ride from San Jose to Cartago
Mom: cool - well hopefully you will see some success in this new area.
You mentioned last week that maybe you might train next transfer - that would be cool!  How long is this transfer time frame for?  Do you know when the next transfers are?

view from his apartment I think
Aaron: transfers should be like midway through february, but the 29th of this onth ELDER COOK is cominere. and the20th there´a World wide misión broadcast.

Aaron: I think I just about haveto go mom,  I love you and dadso much. Hve a good day andweekan dI´m going to try and tak tons f phoos his wek, and righ ow i´m puti phots on dropbox
close up of what is out that window above!

Mom: wow! that will be awesome!! so you will have 2 big events this month!! pretty cool!!  Will the mission broadcast then take the place of a zone meeting?  Would i recognize any of names of people in your district?

Mom: ok Aaron - have a great week! I'm glad you are doing well in your new area!! Work hard - enjoy your time there! LOVE YOU tons!!!

Aaron: Elde Colindres, who was in my firstzoe as zone leadr, h was cool from Guatemala. Eldr Barben who came wih me and was my DL in my firs zone is my zne leader here. Elder Adams and Macias the assistants ar in tis zone. And lots of sisters that Iknow
messy new apartment 









you can see the volcano to the left

Elder Martines













views from the bus ride out to his new area


if you look behind this house you will see the volcano that is Aaron's new area :)

He finally got to see some of the beauty of Costa Rica =)