Costa Rica: Pure Life, Powerful Life

Integrity is a quality that I think is sometimes hard to measure, yet defines so much of our character. It is tied to virtue. In Preach My Gospel it says, "What you choose to think and do when you are alone and you believe no one is watching is a strong measure of your virtue." Natalie and I have been flying solo as a companionship for the past 2.5 months. It was up to decide how to act. Now Natalie is back in the United States with her family (she got permission to return early for an important family reunion) and I'm on my own! I am happy to find myself studying the scriptures, exercising, and completing my self-reliance commitments on my own. I know I can continue to improve my integrity and virtue by being more reliable and responsible in all I do.

You might think living in Costa Rica is just like being on vacation all of the time, but there is a certain level of endurance I am learning at this point being here. We go back and forth from our tiny apartment to the Institute Building most days, making phone calls, doing homework online, planning lessons and attending meetings. It sometimes gets monotonous. Sometimes the leaders and people we so desperately want to help with the Self-Reliance Initiative are not willing to take ownership of or use it. I've had moments of homesickness, missing my family, friends, my car, my dogs... even Diet Dr. Pepper! Three months is a long time to be away! So the topic we covered this week in my Self-Reliance group was appropriate for me: Persevere . We can persevere by doing four things: 1. Keep a positive attitude 2. Remember to work together 3. Replace fear with faith 4. Move forward with patience and courage Natalie has really helped me through lately with her positive at

I've learned a lot about teamwork while here in Costa Rica. Besides taking personal initiative to figure out the needs of this area related to Self-Reliance and contacting Church members to know how to help them, Natalie and I have practiced working as a companionship and as a team with our Area Self-Reliance Manager! (Sounds a lot like a mission, right?) Here are some examples of our teamwork: Natalie is excellent at making meals from whatever random ingredients we have at home; I'm great at eating them. ;) I teach English classes in the Seminary and Institute Building while Natalie works one-on-one with our manager to update records and make phone calls, especially to recently returned missionaries who we invite to our bi-monthly seminars. Natalie and I both like making friends everywhere we go! We have had multiple dinner invitations from kind people we meet on the bus. Rodrigo (our manager) is a fireball! He has this entire country to take care of as far

Natalie and I have come across several dilemmas while in Costa Rica, like: What's the deal with public transportation here? How do we get anywhere when there are no exact addresses? Where do we buy groceries? How do we understand what people are saying with this "Tico" accent and slang? How do we manage our time between working with Self-Reliance, keeping up with BYU classes online, and making friends? How connect to phone and internet service? How do we get to THE BEACH?? ;) This steps in this self-reliance principle simplify any problem in life: Identify the REAL issue. (What is your problem?) Consider the options. ACT.  (Reevaluate and try again if necessary.) We've had to do research as we've gotten accustomed to a new place, which includes asking a lot of people on the street where to go and getting recommendations from everyone we meet. Since I'm graduating from college,  I'm also at a point in my life where I'm m

This principle almost seems like a joke when I basically have $0 income while living off scholarships, doing an unpaid internship for the Church. And when groceries in Costa Rica are stinking EXPENSIVE!! Prices on a lot of things are opposite here... the most delicious mangoes you've ever tasted are really cheap, but breakfast is 3x pricier. Movie tickets are less than $3.00 each, but fast food burns a serious hole in the pocket. The week I focused on this principle with my self-reliance group, I did a better job of tracking my expenses however, and was a relief to at least be conscious of where my funds were going. I've started cooking more food at home. Natalie and I also discovered a store that is like a merciful wonderland where we can find all of our favorite things - light, comfy clothes, chocolate, cookies, disinfectant wipes etc. - for cheaper than we'd be able to find at home! The Lord provides. ;)

Natalie and I have learned a little bit about obedience here in Costa Rica... that the buses are disobedient to the schedule, birds are disobedient when you tell them to quit squawking early in the morning, monkeys are not disobedient to the rules about not stealing tourists' food out of their bags, and the rainstorms don't obey anyone one but God. We've also learned that being obedient to the principles we've learned at home, at church, on our missions, in the self-reliance groups, and in the temple truly blesses our lives. Being two American girls alone in Costa Rica is a challenge, but we've been able to stay happy and safe. In general, as we seek for blessings in life, whether it be a getting a job, learning in school or having peace in our homes, we need to be obedient to the principles that lead to those promised blessings . We can all evaluate what we want and need, and Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are overjoyed to help us do what we need to