Man, After so Many Weeks...‏

Haha! After so many weeks of writing general mails, I can´t think of ANY subject headings... someone send me a bunch of ideas so I can just start using them! This week went really well, we had two baptisms, two of the daughters of a family we found, we´re still working on the rest of them but these two daughters progressed really quickly and they had baptismal dates from the start so we were able to have their baptisms this last Saturday. My companion baptized one of them, he was super nervous for his first baptism and he had to repeat it, I felt a little bad for him but it´s not that big of a deal really, her knee came up out of the water. Then afterwards Diego baptized the other daughter and she didn't want to have to repeat it haha so she made absolutely sure she went all under, I think she was underwater like 20-30 seconds, it was crazy. But it was really good, their family came to church Sunday and enjoyed it again! 

Something I have realized lately is that really, as missionaries, if we want to baptize we can, it all depends on how much we talk to people. If we have the faith and we talk to everyone we´ll have the success. Something else I was told from a recently returned missionary hit me pretty hard, he gave us 5 references and it was like woah, you´re still contacting people on the street? And he told me that that´s how it should be, the members are really those who are supposed to find, to give people to the missionaries to teach, he also said that if they don´t do it, it´s like their own condemnation, I´m not sure exactly how true that is, but really the members are the ones who should do most of the finding! Definitely going to work harder when I get back from the mission to be a better member as well haha. Thanks for everything, hope you have an excellent week filled with all your wildest dreams and wonders coming true. 

Elder Aaron Lohberg

Gots to go, but I love you guys a lot, i´m thankful for all that you´ve done for me!!! I love you guys with everything I am. =)=)=)

 From Dad typing back and forth with Aaron:  Dad: how expensive is rice there?

Aaron: It´s cheap. But i´m like sick of rice haha, and pizza, and burgers. The cheese I buy here is american, super fake but it´s not as expensive. It´s like 12 bucks for 50 slices in cosco. Or 40 slices, I'm not sure. Yeah. If you want to live in Costa Rica you have to eat like them. Lots of rice, but as missionaries we don't, because we don't have a rice cooker, we almost don´t have a bean cooker, so we buy hamburgers in cosco!!!!! clothes are pretty cheap, food is expensive, houses are cheap, they charge extra on cars and everything it´s weird, fruit is dirt cheap. 

 (mom note: pretty sure this is Moises) Moises, our ward mission leader, he´s leaving for his mission April 1st to El Salvador.. he´s really cool haha

one month check up for Aaron's kid
Elder Contreras

 Costa Rica San Jose Mission March 20, 2015

Hmmm, I don´t think I will ever look forward to choosing the subject heading.‏

Everything is good! My companion and I are working really hard, we haven´t seen the fruit yet, but we´re right on the edge haha. We´ve been working with a family of 5, and they´ve been progressing really quickly, on their first Sunday in church all the members were passing by normally, they thought they were members already. Only a few setbacks with the mom and dad have been slowing us down but it´s okay, they have a lot of questions so we just keep answering them one by one and telling them how important it is that they know that the church of Jesus Christ has been restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. So we´re going to keep working with them and hopefully prepare them all for their baptism here soon.
Not sure how many of your heard but a volcano erupted here, not really any lava just the ash that reached pretty far. I was working with a member the first day it erupted because my companion was sick, and when we were walking all of sudden we started getting hit in the eyes by something, and it liked burned haha, he was like ¨This isn´t normal.. this isn´t normal..¨ and then we learned about the volcano and everything, it was cool seeing the view of San Jose in the distance, the ash looked like fog, lots and lots of fog. So, that was the first ash I´ve felt from a volcano, pretty awesome. =) 

Can´t really think of much to tell you guys haha, everythings good. Also the fruit of Costa Rica is the best. That about sums it up. Lots of delicious fruit. Be jealous. Also some Americans came to visit from Texas and it was really hard to talk to them in English... really hard. 

Love, Elder Lohberg

This fruit is called caimito, it´s pretty good, it has like a white juice and you eat it with a spoon, it´s weird but really good, I have eaten a lot of fruits where you´re like, woah.. this looks like alien, but it´s good haha.

Mt. Turrialba March 12, 2015

Aaron with President Wilkinson & his companion Elder Contreras

Jonathan & Aaron

When asked if they had transfers -
Aaron: No, something different-weird this week, changes will be Friday not yesterday. Some areas heard of their changes (not sure how) but I´m not sure how it will work, we just got an email today with money we have to leave in the area if we have changes, but not who has them, and the form said changes 3-20-2015, which is weird, this Friday the 20th is a multi zone meeting with ALL the missionaries in the mission.. but i don't know where they´re going to put ALL The missionaries and all the suitcases of those who have changes... So we´ll see, won´t know until Thursday I don't think... it´s super weird and it´ll be a HUGE pain in the butt. to have to take suitcases to a place in San Jose called Los Yoses instead of just to Parque Central de San Jose.. but we´ll see, I don´t know who has changes or not, only those who are going home know for sure, and I heard, not sure, but i heard, that Elder Dale is going to come here to be the second Zone Leader. So we´ll see.

Sister Wilkinson posted on our facebook page the following regarding the meeting Friday:
Elder Maynes & Duncan are here in CR - they asked if they could come and teach the missionaries from 10-12. So entire mission is coming into San Jose. 
President didn't do changes as normal on Monday - they will be Friday because this way everyone only comes 1 time to San Jose. (Some travel up to 8 hrs). 
So no big news or exciting events. We are just really lucky that we get to have Elder Maynes & Duncan here in CR. 
We also will be taking a mission picture!

Upe buenas!‏

Hello everyone. This week went really well, I´m running out of things to tell you week by week haha. We´re working with a family now, A, R, and they have 3 kids. They´ve been progressing really quickly, we met the wife on the street walking like 3 weeks ago, and they´ve come to church every week since! Two of their kids have baptismal dates for the 21st of March. Hopefully everything goes well these weeks, we´re going to be working really hard to help them. The wife the husband will take a little bit longer, because they need to get married, but she won´t marry him until he stops going out to drink. So... with the gospel everything will work out well haha, when she told us that we were like awwww yeeaaahhhh haha. Everything will go well I believe! 

Heredia Zone SINGING for Multi Zone Conference

We bought food at PriceSmart (Cosco) like 2 weeks ago, and it´s ALL from the states, like some burgers, poptarts, some super expensive granola, etc. It´s been taking a huge toll on my companion haha, he told me Americans are weak of stomach because we can´t handle their spicy foods, so far I have been putting more chili more spices on my food then he has haha, he also has been dying from American food hahahaha. It makes me laugh all the time. Changes are coming up, but i´m not really thinking about them, I´m okay with going wherever the Lord needs me. Les quiero mucho, gracias por sus cartas, que les vaya bien esta semana y cuídense mucho. A cachete!

**from emails back and forth:

Mom: Happy that you are doing well - that your gators are progressing - you probably will get transferred - isn't transfers next week?

Aaron & his comp (right) Elder Contraras

Aaron: yeah transfers is next week, but i talked to president at the multizona this last week haha, all the lunch tables filled up minus the one where he was sitting with the elder from the area presidency, so i asked if we could sit there haha, he knows a lot he told me ¨Elder Lohberg, congratulations that you  brought 6 people to the church, when will they be baptized?¨ hahaha so i answered him with everything I had, but i think he might test what i´ve said, wait to change me until my district does well, we´re 2 weeks into this month with 0 baptisms right now.. so we´ll see, he might test meh

Mom: What does Upe mean? and then what does the last part of your letter mean? tried google translate but it doesn't translate well / :

Aaron: Upe is from the word Disculpe, out in the country here they say that when they knock on doors, so we say it too, that´s the only way i learned, it´s like this, knock on the door and then yell Upe Buenas, it´s like, excuse me, hello! and A cachete here is slang for like, awesome, or like cool

Mom: interesting - they don't translate over - but good to know what they mean - cachete in translate was cheek!

Aaron: yeah, it´s because its slang haha, A cachete = cheek but they say like, you have a full cheek of food, like rich or wealthy, it´s like saying oooo that´s wealthy. 

Mom: tell me again what Pure Vida means again? We found a site that says you pronounce it: POO-DAH BEE-tha is that how you'd pronounce it there?

Aaron:  Pura Vida.. it means pure life, it´s like.. Hakuna Matata hahahhahaha IT MEANS NO WORRIES FOR THE REST OF YOUR DAYSSSS, IT¨S OUR PROBLEM FREEE, PHILOSOPHY, IT¨S PURA VIDAAAA. Hahaha, it´s like, everythings good.  (mom note - can totally hear Aaron singing this!)

Multi Zone conference with Elder Alonso of the Seventy

¨Gentleman, this is a football.¨‏

Hello everyone, yeah, the subject title is a little weird, but I´ll try and explain why I chose it. This week went pretty well. It wasn´t our best week, but we´re trying to learn, like we learned in the MTC their is no growth in a comfort zone and no comfort in a growth zone. When we´re really trying to become the best we can we won´t have comfort, we´ll be giving all we have. I´ve been thinking a lot lately on how to teach my new companion, how to train him to start his mission off well. I´ve also been thinking a lot about my district, how I can help them rekindle their fire to work and their desire to have success. In my search I found myself listening to a lot of talks, many by Elder Holland and Elder Uchtdorf, and I was listening to one my Elder Uchtdorf when he talked about a football coach. This football coach at the start of every season would take his professional players and start as such; ¨Gentleman, this is a football, this is a football field, these are the rules, these lines on the field mean this...¨ and as such. Even though these players had played football for years and years he always taught them the basics, the simplest parts of the game. He believed that mastery comes from learning and relearning the most basic principles. I too believe that this principle applies to missionary work, indeed even to just being a member. Everything starts with our faith, our belief in the Savior and in His restored gospel. We act according to our faith, doing simple things, like reading the scriptures and praying, when we fall it´s usually because we failed in doing these simple foundational actions. In our district meetings I have tried to teach the principles, finding new investigators who want to learn the gospel, teaching with members, putting goals like baptismal dates. Everything in this world that is strong is built from the ground up. That includes our testimonies. I encourage you to review the foundations of your testimonies, make sure that they´re still as strong if not stronger than when you first joined the restored gospel and church of Jesus Christ! If you find they´re not as they once were, start with the basics; read your scriptures, go to church, pray, and fast. I love the four words from Elder Holland: ¨Hope On, Journey On.¨

With all my love, 

Elder Lohberg

O Dearest 6 Months, Where Did you Go?‏

Hello Everybody, 

I hope you have all been safe and happy! This week has been really rewarding for me, M did get baptized Sunday, it went really well and she was super happy. So, that´s one family that now has the fullness of the Gospel in their lives. Hopefully they invited me to the temple in a year to see their sealing for time and all eternity, they told me they would! I´ve been thinking a lot lately, about how to help the district, how I could help these other missionaries, my companion who is new, and also myself to be excited about working hard and seeing miracles. I decided today in the morning before the district meeting that I was going to talk about faith. More precisely that I was going to talk about Alma 32. This chapter in the Book of Mormon explains very clearly what faith is. It compares faith to a seed, that we nurture and help to grow and that as it grows it will bring our lives great joy. This chapters also applies really well to missionary work. We as missionaries plant seeds in the lives of other people, we work with faith, believing that they will want to accept the gospel. We add works to our faith to show that we have faith, but also because we love these people, we want to nurture them and help them become strong. ¨Faith without works is death in itself¨ If we don´t nurture these seeds carefully, their seeds will remain dormant as though they were dead. But in the end, if we work and nurture and prune as well as we can. We will reap the reward for our labors. Or as it says in Alma 32 our reward will be the fruit of our labors, which is more pure than all that is pure, more white than all that is white (Baptismal clothes =D), more precious than all that is precious. We will see our friends and loved ones enter into the Kingdom of our Heavenly Father and of Jesus Christ here on the earth. I´m thankful for all your love and support. Have faith that God will help you in all that you do in your life. Have faith that he exists, and that he loves you. I know he does, I have no doubt. We are His children and He has a plan for each and every single one of us. Until next week!

Love, Elder Lohberg. 

G & M on M's baptism day 

Wooooooooopppss, almost forgot to send a general email!‏

¿Como están rasticos? Hello!! This week went well, we worked really hard with M, G´s wife, and the plan is that she will be baptized this Sunday before church! We also started working harder with J´s family, J was baptized in December I believe, and he has been awesome! He´s been sending messages and talking to all of his friends, asking if they want to listen to us haha, it´s funny how he does it, he sent one message, ¨Mae, pregunta a su mama si ella quiere escuchar dos maes de la Iglesia.¨ We need to help with that, haha. Translation is like, ¨Dude, ask your mom if she wants to listen to two dudes from the church.¨ But what´s really cool is that he is talking with all his friends, he has this desire to share what he now holds dearly. We invited him last Saturday to invite his family to church (They aren't members) and he told us, ¨I already did, S (his brother) says he will come.¨ 

I love being able to see how different J´s life is now that he has the gospel, and how much he wants to share it with others. J is only 14 and he goes door to door with us talking to the people and sharing his testimony. I always wish I would have done more before I came out here haha, that I would have gone out with the missionaries more, tried to help more in the Lord´s work. I encourage you all to do so now, do what you can, talk to your friends, talk to your family and then talk to the missionaries, they will help you as best as they can. Have a desire and then act on it. 

Love, Elder Lohberg!  

What do missionaries do on preparation day (p-day) you ask? Well they play ping pong! They play basketball or soccer.  They take random pictures with ginormous zebra's (:

Allo mis Amigos y Peeps

Aaron and his "kid" Elder Contreras

Well good day my beloved friends. I do indeed hope that you have enjoyed this delightful week that has now slipped from between the very tipsies of our little fingers. But yeah, this week was pretty cool... lots of stuff happened, I´ve been super busy haha. Monday and Tuesday I had to take an Elder as my companion to the office, because he was going home, finished the mission. And then Wednesday I got my companion, Elder Contreras from Mexico. He´s pretty new... has a lot to learn, but then again all of us do, ehh? 

Having a new companion has put a lot of stress on my shoulders, added with being district leader and I was really struggling for a time with everything. I decided that I was going to relieve this stress by working as hard as I could... I don´t know why I thought that would be a good solution but that´s what I did. When Sunday came the results for our labors during the week weren´t where I wanted them at all... but I talked to a really good friend of mine here, a member, and he gave me encouragement and helped me out.. after that I worked harder with only one goal. I´m going to work as hard as I can, become the best as I can, but i´m not going to stress too much when I fail. I´m just gunna get back up and keep working. I´m grateful for all the support you guys give me, I hope you have been safe and are enjoying every day of your life=) one day we will meet again, and as the Sons of Mosiah, I hope we are all strong in the Lord. =D 

Love, 

Elder Lohberg!

**from typing back and forth this week:

Aaron: haha sorry, we were in Alajuela for a multi zone conference with president cordon... fetch.. my life is so hard now, haha... training and to be district leader sucks all my time... it´s super tiring, doesn´t look like we´re going to hit the goal again and they gunna cut meh head off.. i´m thinking about just going ham to help them prepare for march. 

Mom: what is going "ham"?

Aaron: going ham is like giving it my all

Mom: well then - there you go - go HAM big time - as that's really all you can do.

Aaron:  I gotsta go mom, but i love you, love the family so muchhhhh!!!! :D :D :D: :D we´ll talk, Ima work hard and have lots of faith