Noviembre Sin Peregrinos (Pilgrims)

 

Training the Toyopan Stake Autosuficiencia Committee (Pilot Stake
for New Program-"Mi Camino)

 

The Missionaries from La Sabana District come into the office (there's 12
computers) every Tuesday to Email home!



With Staci Baird (study abroad student) at San Jose Temple to
do Baptisms For the Dead

 

"Skyping" with Melanie and Jeff.  Such exciting news...expected in January!

 

Abby and friends...Highmark Charter School Turkey Run



 

Ryan took over his mothers' traditional Thanksgiving Lemon Meringue Pie duties!

Black Friday may be even bigger here in Costa Rica!
Viernes Negro = Friday Black



We speak each Sunday in a different Ward, Branch, or Group all over
the Country...which helps feed our never ending passion to travel
and share our love for this amazing PEF Program.The wider the blue, highlighted
area gets, means that we've been there more than once, or multiple times : )

 

Helping Karla Zuniga, our hija Tica, (front in red) and family celebrate her birthday
in Santiago de Puriscal.



 

We invited several young friends over to meet Staci & one of her room mates, Brea.
 A person can never have enough (Tica) friends!

 

Yerling, Brea, Staci, Beatrice, Yumy, Hermana, Karla, & Darling

 

Sharing our message in the new Chapel in Aserri where we attended church
 13 years ago with Melanie  

 

With Anthony Oporta.  (The part on the right was new in 2001 when
we came with Melanie and the wing on left was dedicated last month.

 

November had it's share of beautiful skies

 

This is Elder Hoover, the current Migration Secretary. I snuck this foto of him one day.
His version, ; )  is that when he's not busy with migration issues, he likes
to keep busy. Hmmm..... that yellow streak is a tennis ball.

 

Training for the Los Yoses Stake C.A.S.
 (Self Reliance Committee) who opened
their C.A.S. (Centro AutoSuficiencia) in November.

 

Celebrating Maria Fernanda's 9th Birthday in Aserri with Bismark and Valeria
Oporta's family (converts taught by Melanie in 2001)

 

With the Riveras and family the day they kicked off the Christmas Season
(Nov.1st) and dedicated their new home.

 

Sunday in Orotina, Puntarenas about a hour west of San Jose. It took us 2.5 hours
to arrive by backroads, due to rockslides (after a mild
earthquake) on Ruta 27.

 

Had the missionaries of La Sabana district over for chili on their P day.
Actually the catalyst for the invitation, was that in the Petersen
family, Hna.Pete makes homemade donuts every Halloween.
She's not home to share them with the family, so
she  made them for the missionaries.
P.S. Halloween isn't really celebrated here.
Photo on top (27th floor) of our Apartment Tower

Hna.Pete doesn't make full meals here much, but she
did this night. Hence, the foto : )
(that's not a typo, photo is spelled foto in Espanol)

Lindsey's married name is Nochebuena. Everytime we see something
with their name, we have to send them a foto.
It means THE good night, or Christmas Eve.
Very fitting for this time of year.

 

We welcomed the Arias' (new Coordinating Couple Missionaries)
to the Office.  In back are our some of our amazing volunteers, Karla, Susan, and Ali.
Alexandria is the La Sabana Stake Self- Reliance Specialista.



 

Recently returned missionaries (& Pres. Babb-Alajuela Stake,3rd from left
on the back row) at RM Career Seminar. In countries like Costa Rica
& many others world-wide, it's so important to help these young
people,(that've just dedicated 1 1/2-2 years of their lives) know what
their options are locally for employment, education etc., so that they
can access the Perpetual Education Fund if they need or want it,
so they can get better jobs.
 



 

A new group of Missionaries getting their first companion and area
assignments.  An hour later they were off to begin their Missionary Experience

 

New missionaries this month, their trainers &

Presidente Wilkinson. Looks like Hermana

Wilkinson was dodging the camera that day.

 

Sister Garner the Mission Nurse returned home
to Mesa.  An amazing, successful full time missionary and
Mission Nurse Specialist 24/7.
 

This photo from home reminded us that it's autumn back in
Utah. Where the seasons are pretty constant here, it's
hard to remember what the seasons are doing back home.

 

A busy day at the Self Reliance Model Center the day of the RM
Seminar. Here they are, registering on ldsjobs.org

 

Sarchi, Alajuela (great place to shop) so a favorite destination
of Sister Petersen.



 

Another teaching op! 

 

Staci Baird, study abroad student from Twin Falls, the day we
met her at Los Yoses Ward.  Recent convert & was baptized in
 August at U of U. Amazingly, her Mom lives next door
to South Weber, in Layton. 



 

Daniela Chavez, friend of Melanie's & living
in the Los Yoses Ward. 

 

The Tuckers with Diana Miller at DC temple.  The
blessings of heaven are real...can't wait for January!!

 

Aserri friends from when Melanie served.  He was ward
mission leader and performed baptisms of Oporta family in 2001.
She did Melanie's laundry. Apologies to them as we
can't recall their names : ( Their other daughter
is currently serving a mission in Argentina.

 

Jorge and hija Melany Sanchez.  He tells the story of Melanie and Companion
reactivating them.  He is a participant of PEF studying as a radiologist at
Hospital Juan Dios de Ninos.   

Our 1st mariposa, up on our 12th floor balcony. 

THE IRONY......
<<SEE FOTO TO THE LEFT  

 

Lucky us, we got to spent Thanksgiving with the  Wilkinsons at the Mission Home!!
 Real turkey, stuffing, orange cheese salad, pies etc. etc. etc.
Hna.Wilkinson put a new twist on mashed potatoes. She tops them with
cheddar cheese. Don't know why we Petersens didn't think of that 1st.
Ticos didn't have Pilgrims so Thanksgiving isn't celebrated here.