Friday, August 8, 2014
August 4, 2014
So now we did get the flight confirmed. I was just a little wrong. I leave on WEDNESDAY night and get home THURSDAY morning at 9
July 31, 2014
Hello family. You may be wondering why I´m writing today and not Saturday, but it´s with news....
So we went to the doctor Tuesday to get my cast taken off and he actually couldn´t see me. So I went to see a specialist. The specialist had them do another x-ray and he said, "it´s not an incomplete fracture.... it´s a complete fracture. They read it wrong the first time....
So that means that I have about 4 more weeks of rest... So President and I decided that it would be better not to spend those last 2 weeks around the office. So the next flight home is the 5th of August at night, but it gets to Salt Lake around 10 am.....
I will be returning home on August 5th and getting home the 6th.... I´ll still have about 3 weeks where I can´t walk on my foot... I´m getting off the plane in crutches... it will be legen.......... dary hahaha.
I love you all and I´m excited to see you! Sorry if I´m ruining the great old get home plans, but I´m excited!!! I love you!
So we went to the doctor Tuesday to get my cast taken off and he actually couldn´t see me. So I went to see a specialist. The specialist had them do another x-ray and he said, "it´s not an incomplete fracture.... it´s a complete fracture. They read it wrong the first time....
So that means that I have about 4 more weeks of rest... So President and I decided that it would be better not to spend those last 2 weeks around the office. So the next flight home is the 5th of August at night, but it gets to Salt Lake around 10 am.....
I will be returning home on August 5th and getting home the 6th.... I´ll still have about 3 weeks where I can´t walk on my foot... I´m getting off the plane in crutches... it will be legen.......... dary hahaha.
I love you all and I´m excited to see you! Sorry if I´m ruining the great old get home plans, but I´m excited!!! I love you!
July 26, 2014
So the week went well here in the office.... I´ve come to know what boredom is so when I get home I realized that I just need to work or do something because this is just ridiculous haha. But it´s okay. My cast comes off on Tuesday and then I´ll be traveling with the president to Valledupar and finally able to go out and work in our area!
So this week we were able to go and eat lunch with a member that has a daughter and son in law living in Utah. And when we went to eat luch they were there! They offered to let me come over and eat some Colombian food (arepas, coconut rice, etc.) when I get home.
Yesterday we went to our wards friendship night and it was really good. They did and awards ceremony for all of the members giving out cupcake trophies and awards for everyone.
Hope that Pioneer day went well. Love you all buh bye!
So this week we were able to go and eat lunch with a member that has a daughter and son in law living in Utah. And when we went to eat luch they were there! They offered to let me come over and eat some Colombian food (arepas, coconut rice, etc.) when I get home.
Yesterday we went to our wards friendship night and it was really good. They did and awards ceremony for all of the members giving out cupcake trophies and awards for everyone.
Hope that Pioneer day went well. Love you all buh bye!
July 19, 2014
Hello!
So I´ve been glad to read your letters and thank you all for the prayers. I know that I´ve been blessed despite the difficulties. Unfortunately I have not been able to go out and work these last few days and I don´t think that I will be able to until my time in the cast is up in about 10 days, so it´s been good to catch up on lost study time here.
I´m here in the office and there is another elder that got hurt during the soccer game so we just hang out here once everyone goes out. I´m still able to help out the president and I´ve been able to do a lot of little things that he doesn´t really have to do or worry about such as: writing security reports, updating bishop and stake president phone numbers, and calling in all of the little disobediences and talking to the missionaries to see how they´re doing.
I was however able to go out and visit Sebastian yesterday and see how he´s doing. I went with the other injured elder in a taxi and we came back in taxi. Sebastian is doing really well. He´s already in 2 Nefi 17 and said that he loves it... and these are the Isaiah chapters!!!! What a guy. But he is a little bit unsure about his baptismal date for August 9th, so if you could add him in your prayers so that he makes it to that day.
So that´s my week... I think I´ll be putting a little bit more weight on in these 2 weeks, but that´s okay haha. Love you all bye!
So I´ve been glad to read your letters and thank you all for the prayers. I know that I´ve been blessed despite the difficulties. Unfortunately I have not been able to go out and work these last few days and I don´t think that I will be able to until my time in the cast is up in about 10 days, so it´s been good to catch up on lost study time here.
I´m here in the office and there is another elder that got hurt during the soccer game so we just hang out here once everyone goes out. I´m still able to help out the president and I´ve been able to do a lot of little things that he doesn´t really have to do or worry about such as: writing security reports, updating bishop and stake president phone numbers, and calling in all of the little disobediences and talking to the missionaries to see how they´re doing.
I was however able to go out and visit Sebastian yesterday and see how he´s doing. I went with the other injured elder in a taxi and we came back in taxi. Sebastian is doing really well. He´s already in 2 Nefi 17 and said that he loves it... and these are the Isaiah chapters!!!! What a guy. But he is a little bit unsure about his baptismal date for August 9th, so if you could add him in your prayers so that he makes it to that day.
So that´s my week... I think I´ll be putting a little bit more weight on in these 2 weeks, but that´s okay haha. Love you all bye!
July 14, 2014
So it´s good to write you all! Sorry that I had to wait ´til today... So it´s been good and bad week. Last Wednesday we had the leadership counsel and it went REALLY well. We were able to give an awesome training. My companion and I on Monday night had a good come to Jesus meeting and we were able to discuss a lot of things and get a good solid training going. During the leadership counsel I felt the spirit really strong during the training and afterwards all of the zone leaders told us that it was the best leadership counsel in quite a while. YEAH!!!
I know that the Lord was able to inspire us! I felt the spirit of unity working together and getting prepared and I know that it was God´s will that we trained what we did.
We were also able in the leadership counsel to discuss a lot of the problems and solutions here in the mission.
Thrusday I went with the President to Cartagena for 3 days to help him out with the mission interviews. While he interviewed the misisonaries I went through their area books, agendas, and weekly reports of lessons to less actives... It was a good experience and humbling for some hahaha.
Now to the sad stuff..
So I already wrote that I lost everything including the most irreplaceable items such as scriptures and journal. I was pretty upset after that but I just pray and pray to know the will of God and I remember that everything is according to God´s will. (also lost my retainers... again haha)
Now to the worst part... Today we have P-day.... so we went and played soccer in the morning.... whilst playing like a latin... somebody kicked my foot pretty hard..... It really hurts and I was limping all day hiding from President and Sister Searle, but Sister Searle caught me... and made me go to the doctor.... The said i´ve got a small fracture and I´m in a cast for 2 weeks......
I don´t always understand the will of God... but I´m planning on finding out what it is in these coming days...
I´m super sad. I just want to finish strong, but they said I can´t leave for 2 weeks and I´ve got to use crutches in these 2 weeks and my foot can´t touch the ground.
Other than the sad news. Sebastian didn´t go to church, but a new investigator named Alexi did! and she liked it. After church we went to visit Sebastian and he said he slept in, but we had a great faith building lesson about how the spirit talks to us. I felt the spirit really strong at one point. We were teaching the law of chastity and he said that it´s gonna be tough, but he also said, "I understand that I´m making changes that are good for me and that I have to make them to be a new person." It just filled my heart with a testimony of the healing power of the atonement.
Well, have a great week
I know that the Lord was able to inspire us! I felt the spirit of unity working together and getting prepared and I know that it was God´s will that we trained what we did.
We were also able in the leadership counsel to discuss a lot of the problems and solutions here in the mission.
Thrusday I went with the President to Cartagena for 3 days to help him out with the mission interviews. While he interviewed the misisonaries I went through their area books, agendas, and weekly reports of lessons to less actives... It was a good experience and humbling for some hahaha.
Now to the sad stuff..
So I already wrote that I lost everything including the most irreplaceable items such as scriptures and journal. I was pretty upset after that but I just pray and pray to know the will of God and I remember that everything is according to God´s will. (also lost my retainers... again haha)
Now to the worst part... Today we have P-day.... so we went and played soccer in the morning.... whilst playing like a latin... somebody kicked my foot pretty hard..... It really hurts and I was limping all day hiding from President and Sister Searle, but Sister Searle caught me... and made me go to the doctor.... The said i´ve got a small fracture and I´m in a cast for 2 weeks......
I don´t always understand the will of God... but I´m planning on finding out what it is in these coming days...
I´m super sad. I just want to finish strong, but they said I can´t leave for 2 weeks and I´ve got to use crutches in these 2 weeks and my foot can´t touch the ground.
Other than the sad news. Sebastian didn´t go to church, but a new investigator named Alexi did! and she liked it. After church we went to visit Sebastian and he said he slept in, but we had a great faith building lesson about how the spirit talks to us. I felt the spirit really strong at one point. We were teaching the law of chastity and he said that it´s gonna be tough, but he also said, "I understand that I´m making changes that are good for me and that I have to make them to be a new person." It just filled my heart with a testimony of the healing power of the atonement.
Well, have a great week
July 12, 2014
I´m helping president with the interviews so I´m not really going to write today... but I´ll tell you the bad news. Last night I went to stay with some zone leaders here in Cartagena and I went with one to buy something to eat and the other one said he´d take my bags in to the house... but he forgot. They went inside the house and he later remembered that he left all my stuff outside, but it was too late. Someone had passed by and swiped it all.
I lost the following:
Backpack
Scriptures that I´ve used the whole mission
Ministers certificate
ID (colombian not american)
Camera with pictures since my 1 year mark
Two days worth of clothes
Running shoes
Preach my Gospel
and the worst................................ mission journal........
but life goes on. I´ll write more on Monday
I lost the following:
Backpack
Scriptures that I´ve used the whole mission
Ministers certificate
ID (colombian not american)
Camera with pictures since my 1 year mark
Two days worth of clothes
Running shoes
Preach my Gospel
and the worst................................ mission journal........
but life goes on. I´ll write more on Monday
July 5, 2014
So we´ve been busy with zone conferences, finishing up the transfers, organizing the transfers, welcoming the new missionaries, saying bye the the old ones, and now preparing for the leadership counsel this coming Wednesday!
Also this week we had a really fun experience. My companion and I went out to the area to work one afternoon and some appointments fell through, so we started to contact and we noticed that nobody listened so in the contacts we said, "Hi we´re missionaries and we want to sing to you," and people listened! haha. Some still said no, but the people were a little nicer afterwards. We sang families can be together forever and in the end someone finally let us in which was nice and I totally think that they can progress.
The atmosphere these last few days has also been just absolutely wild for the soccer games, especially when Colombia plays! During the zone conference in Santa Marta Colombia was playing during president´s part which distracted a lot from the spirit that was trying to be there haha. Those big loud horns blowing, loud music, cars honking, and drunk people right there on the corner screaming can be pretty distracting.
But yesterday for the Colombia game nobody had to go to work so president told us that as soon as the game starts we should all head in doors so the whole mission was locked in yesterday afternoon, but that gave us a little time to get a head start on the leadership counsel coming up. But unfortunately Colombia lost... so now we don´t have to worry as much about the world cup.
Yesterday being the 4th of July and all I did the most American thing I could think of..... called and ordered a hamburger for dinner haha. All we were lacking was the fireworks.
Today we went to the zoo and it was pretty cool. A good way to enjoy the pday.
We´re working hard with Sebastian and his mom and step dad now. So let´s pray that they can all go to church tomorrow and read the book of mormon
Also this week we had a really fun experience. My companion and I went out to the area to work one afternoon and some appointments fell through, so we started to contact and we noticed that nobody listened so in the contacts we said, "Hi we´re missionaries and we want to sing to you," and people listened! haha. Some still said no, but the people were a little nicer afterwards. We sang families can be together forever and in the end someone finally let us in which was nice and I totally think that they can progress.
The atmosphere these last few days has also been just absolutely wild for the soccer games, especially when Colombia plays! During the zone conference in Santa Marta Colombia was playing during president´s part which distracted a lot from the spirit that was trying to be there haha. Those big loud horns blowing, loud music, cars honking, and drunk people right there on the corner screaming can be pretty distracting.
But yesterday for the Colombia game nobody had to go to work so president told us that as soon as the game starts we should all head in doors so the whole mission was locked in yesterday afternoon, but that gave us a little time to get a head start on the leadership counsel coming up. But unfortunately Colombia lost... so now we don´t have to worry as much about the world cup.
Yesterday being the 4th of July and all I did the most American thing I could think of..... called and ordered a hamburger for dinner haha. All we were lacking was the fireworks.
Today we went to the zoo and it was pretty cool. A good way to enjoy the pday.
We´re working hard with Sebastian and his mom and step dad now. So let´s pray that they can all go to church tomorrow and read the book of mormon
June 23, 2014
So it´s been a totally hectic week. Tuesday I got up at 3:30 to go and pick up a new missionary and send a missionary off to Bogota and then we did an exchange with some zone leaders that went super well.
Wedneday I got up at 5:30 to get home in time to prepare for the first zone conference. We did the zone conference and we got a little behind but I´d say that it was definitely a success! Then at night we were able to head out to the area and teach some people and we taught a new investigator that is totally awesome named Over... weird name.
Thursday we got up at 4 to head out to Cartagena to do an exchange there and I stayed there. Cartagena is super hot, but it´s really pretty. It was a good exchange.
Friday, got up at 4 again to be able to return to Barranquilla and work with president here and then he decided that he needed to go to cartagena a day early due to some disobedience and so he took us with him BACK to cartagena and at night I went out to work with a companionship that had some problems with obedience and then at night I slept in their apartment and talked to them all to prepare them for their interviews with president the next day.
Saturday I got to sleep in a little (til 6) but then we got ready real fast to head over to the church for zone conferences. then at night we came back on the bus and I got SUPER car sick... but I didn´t throw up!!! haha
Sunday we slept til 6:30 and went to church. Sebastian came!!!! He´s doing great and I totally think that he´ll get baptized.
Today we went and played soccer and sebastian came with his step dad!!! so maybe he can get baptized too!
Today we´ve been working with president on transfers all day.
Well that´s the week! Love you all bye!
Wedneday I got up at 5:30 to get home in time to prepare for the first zone conference. We did the zone conference and we got a little behind but I´d say that it was definitely a success! Then at night we were able to head out to the area and teach some people and we taught a new investigator that is totally awesome named Over... weird name.
Thursday we got up at 4 to head out to Cartagena to do an exchange there and I stayed there. Cartagena is super hot, but it´s really pretty. It was a good exchange.
Friday, got up at 4 again to be able to return to Barranquilla and work with president here and then he decided that he needed to go to cartagena a day early due to some disobedience and so he took us with him BACK to cartagena and at night I went out to work with a companionship that had some problems with obedience and then at night I slept in their apartment and talked to them all to prepare them for their interviews with president the next day.
Saturday I got to sleep in a little (til 6) but then we got ready real fast to head over to the church for zone conferences. then at night we came back on the bus and I got SUPER car sick... but I didn´t throw up!!! haha
Sunday we slept til 6:30 and went to church. Sebastian came!!!! He´s doing great and I totally think that he´ll get baptized.
Today we went and played soccer and sebastian came with his step dad!!! so maybe he can get baptized too!
Today we´ve been working with president on transfers all day.
Well that´s the week! Love you all bye!
June 21, 2014
We´re in zone conferences! So today we are in Cartagena and we´re about to leave to head back to barranquilla... so i´ll have to write on Monday. but I love you all! Pray so that Sebastian goes to church on Sunday!!!
June 14, 2014
Hola familia!!!
Nobody went to church on Sunday... but it´s okay I feel like tomorrow we´ll have people there! FAITH!!!
My companion and I are getting along a lot better this week and that makes me feel good, but we´re still lacking just a little.
We´ve been working quite a bit with less actives this week and we´ve been able to call a few to repentance which is pretty awesome, but we just got to keep at ´em!!!
We have a few pretty great investigators! The best one is named Sebastian! He totally has a testimony now and said that he wants to dedicate himself a little more the this church and see if it´s the real deal or not.
We´ve also been able to start teaching the cousin of our recent convert. We only taught him once this last week, but it was a really great lesson. He asked why there is so much suffering because his mom beats him and he doesn´t understand why god would let that happen, but we were able to answer his questions and now we just got to see how far we can help him.
We´ve been doing exchanges and it´s nice learning from other missionaries and their areas. We´re preparing for the upcoming zone conferences so it´s good to get out and see what´s working in the mission and what needs to be improved.
That´s me. I love you all! bye!
Nobody went to church on Sunday... but it´s okay I feel like tomorrow we´ll have people there! FAITH!!!
My companion and I are getting along a lot better this week and that makes me feel good, but we´re still lacking just a little.
We´ve been working quite a bit with less actives this week and we´ve been able to call a few to repentance which is pretty awesome, but we just got to keep at ´em!!!
We have a few pretty great investigators! The best one is named Sebastian! He totally has a testimony now and said that he wants to dedicate himself a little more the this church and see if it´s the real deal or not.
We´ve also been able to start teaching the cousin of our recent convert. We only taught him once this last week, but it was a really great lesson. He asked why there is so much suffering because his mom beats him and he doesn´t understand why god would let that happen, but we were able to answer his questions and now we just got to see how far we can help him.
We´ve been doing exchanges and it´s nice learning from other missionaries and their areas. We´re preparing for the upcoming zone conferences so it´s good to get out and see what´s working in the mission and what needs to be improved.
That´s me. I love you all! bye!
June 14, 2014
Hola familia!!!
Nobody went to church on Sunday... but it´s okay I feel like tomorrow we´ll have people there! FAITH!!!
My companion and I are getting along a lot better this week and that makes me feel good, but we´re still lacking just a little.
We´ve been working quite a bit with less actives this week and we´ve been able to call a few to repentance which is pretty awesome, but we just got to keep at ´em!!!
We have a few pretty great investigators! The best one is named Sebastian! He totally has a testimony now and said that he wants to dedicate himself a little more the this church and see if it´s the real deal or not.
We´ve also been able to start teaching the cousin of our recent convert. We only taught him once this last week, but it was a really great lesson. He asked why there is so much suffering because his mom beats him and he doesn´t understand why god would let that happen, but we were able to answer his questions and now we just got to see how far we can help him.
We´ve been doing exchanges and it´s nice learning from other missionaries and their areas. We´re preparing for the upcoming zone conferences so it´s good to get out and see what´s working in the mission and what needs to be improved.
That´s me. I love you all! bye!
Nobody went to church on Sunday... but it´s okay I feel like tomorrow we´ll have people there! FAITH!!!
My companion and I are getting along a lot better this week and that makes me feel good, but we´re still lacking just a little.
We´ve been working quite a bit with less actives this week and we´ve been able to call a few to repentance which is pretty awesome, but we just got to keep at ´em!!!
We have a few pretty great investigators! The best one is named Sebastian! He totally has a testimony now and said that he wants to dedicate himself a little more the this church and see if it´s the real deal or not.
We´ve also been able to start teaching the cousin of our recent convert. We only taught him once this last week, but it was a really great lesson. He asked why there is so much suffering because his mom beats him and he doesn´t understand why god would let that happen, but we were able to answer his questions and now we just got to see how far we can help him.
We´ve been doing exchanges and it´s nice learning from other missionaries and their areas. We´re preparing for the upcoming zone conferences so it´s good to get out and see what´s working in the mission and what needs to be improved.
That´s me. I love you all! bye!
June 7, 2014
Hola!
We had leadership counsel this week and it went very well. I was very worried on Tuesday because we hadn´t really prepared, my companion was very frustrated because he didn´t know how to prepare a training, and we also had to get ready that same day for zone conferences this Saturday, BUT I fasted and asked God to help us get the trainings ready. I was really nervous because we had a lot to do and very little time, but god blessed us. The next day president felt like he should move the zone conference to a few weeks later so that we´d have more time to get ready and we could focus on the leadership counsel. What an answer.
In the leadership counsel we were able to share two great trainings and my companion could share a little bit more and that helped him out. My companion and I have been struggling because he says he just gets frustrated because he doesn´t know what to do here in the office and then he gets upset and when we leave for the area he just doesn´t talk in the lessons and then at night tells me that I don´t let him participate. I´ve felt bad, but I´ve been praying hard to know how to help him and how I could be more humble. So every day I just look to involve him more in the office and lots of patience.
Yesterday I was on an exchange but here in my own area and I loved it because we got out pretty early and we got to knock on a LOT of doors haha. It sounds weird, but I was nervous to knock on doors, but after each door I just got more and more excited!!! Nobody even listened to us and most of them were pretty rude, but I just got so excited about the message we were sharing and the spirit bore testimony to me every time I told someone that I knew these things were true.
We knocked on a lot of doors, but at night the lord blessed us with 2 new and great investigators. Rafael´s mom! and the maid of some members who´s gone to church a lot and feels like these things are true!! God´s so great
Love, Cole
We had leadership counsel this week and it went very well. I was very worried on Tuesday because we hadn´t really prepared, my companion was very frustrated because he didn´t know how to prepare a training, and we also had to get ready that same day for zone conferences this Saturday, BUT I fasted and asked God to help us get the trainings ready. I was really nervous because we had a lot to do and very little time, but god blessed us. The next day president felt like he should move the zone conference to a few weeks later so that we´d have more time to get ready and we could focus on the leadership counsel. What an answer.
In the leadership counsel we were able to share two great trainings and my companion could share a little bit more and that helped him out. My companion and I have been struggling because he says he just gets frustrated because he doesn´t know what to do here in the office and then he gets upset and when we leave for the area he just doesn´t talk in the lessons and then at night tells me that I don´t let him participate. I´ve felt bad, but I´ve been praying hard to know how to help him and how I could be more humble. So every day I just look to involve him more in the office and lots of patience.
Yesterday I was on an exchange but here in my own area and I loved it because we got out pretty early and we got to knock on a LOT of doors haha. It sounds weird, but I was nervous to knock on doors, but after each door I just got more and more excited!!! Nobody even listened to us and most of them were pretty rude, but I just got so excited about the message we were sharing and the spirit bore testimony to me every time I told someone that I knew these things were true.
We knocked on a lot of doors, but at night the lord blessed us with 2 new and great investigators. Rafael´s mom! and the maid of some members who´s gone to church a lot and feels like these things are true!! God´s so great
Love, Cole
Saturday, May 31, 2014
May 31, 2014
We had a baptism on Saturday and it was awesome! Quite a few ward members showed up and I really felt good about Rafael. He´s a great convert and he´s already been interviewed by the bishop and I think he´ll endure to the end!
This week we´ve been doing a lot of exchanges and my companion has been getting to know a lot of the mission and I´ve been here in our area trying to find less active members and new investigators, but we´re having a little bit of trouble.
This week we´ve got leadership counsel on Wednesday so we´re getting prepared for that and we also start zone conferences... and we are not very prepared for that.. but we´ll get there!
We did have an investigator in church on Sunday named Julian. He´s a referral from a member and he´s 72, and does not understand a whole lot, but we´re patient with him and I think he´ll get there.
So that´s what´s new. Here are some pictures of Rafaels baptism and the transfer board since that´s where I spend most of my time haha.
Spiritual experience: we were looking for a less active and the address was wrong, but we got there and we just felt like something was there. So we started contacting and ended up finding another less active who feels bad and had been praying for a relief from her sins so.... the missionaries showed up!!!! haha. She´s already gone to church and is making major changes in her life. What a blessing the gospel is.
Love, Elder Morgan
May 24, 2014
Hello. Here we are at the start of another transfer and it´s starting off SUPER well! We had a great week last week with 3 investigators in church and we were able to teach a lot of people! It was sad to see Elder Schwab leave the office on Tuesday, but it´s been great here with Elder Urresta!
We´re hitting the area as hard as we possibly can and we´re trying to help all of the less actives and investigators progress.
On Tuesday the new missionaries arrived and that´s always fun. I love seeing the ones that are super excited and come running down the escalator, the ones who have the fear of god in their eyes not knowing what to expect (that was me), and the always so mature sisters haha.
a lot of things went wrong when they got here. We had a bus without air conditioning, a lot of traffic causing us to get there late, etc. but in the end it all worked out very well. We trained the new missionaries and it went very well and we got to help the trainers build their confidence as well.
On thursday we did an exchange and I got to work with elder Jensen from grantsville, utah. He´s awesome and we had a good day. Yesterday we told president we had to leave to got and go work early and we got out and taught like 7 lessons, it was great!
I´m sad because 2 of the brand new missionaries have already gone home as well as 2 other sick elders, but god´s work will not be frustrated.
We have a baptism today in about an hour and I´m baptizing! woohoo!!!
Love you all bye!
Sunday, May 18, 2014
May 17, 2014
So it
was great to see you all on Sunday!!! I was really happy to see that
everyone is doing well and to see grandma!!! I really miss you all a ton.
So
we´re finishing up the transfers here in the office and president just assigned
a new assistant!!! My companion Elder Schwab will be leaving the offce on
Tuesday so yesterday my new companion got here. His name is Elder Urresta
from Ecuador! He´s a great missionary! I´ve known him since the beginning of my
mission and I´m excited to work with him.
Also
this week I got to do an exchange in Santa Marta in my old area which was
fantastic! I loved it, but it made me miss my old area. I got to see the people
that I taught and baptized and they´re ALL doing great and are active in the
church.
This
week we´re working hard so that our investigator Rafael can get baptzed! He´s
so great and I love him a lot.He really has to come to know christ and
repentance and he feels that change that comes through the atonement in his
life.
We
were also able to find another young kid named Sebastian who´s super cool and
who´s already read the book of mormon quite a bit and prayed.
I
love you all! bye
May 12, 2014
So we
just talked yesterday, but all is well here. I loved seeing you all and I´m
glad to see that everyone is super happy.
This
last week we had leadership counsel and it went pretty well. We had a few of
the zone leaders train and they did really well.
My
companion went to Cartagena to do exchanges for a few days and so while he was
out I had the area all to myself. I worked with Elder Palmer one day and then I
worked with a new missionary who came in from Chile. He got here on Friday and
it was a real pleasure working with him.
He
was in this mission about 2 years ago and then he went home, but he came
back!!! It was great to feel the power of this elders testimony. He really has
just come back ready to work.
We
were able to find some great people as well, but I felt really bad. I made him
walk a lot and he got some pretty bad blisters hahaha. But that´s okay.
Today
was pday but we spent most of it doing transfers with president.
I
love the mission and there´s not a lot of time today to write. Love you bye!!!
May 3, 2014
Another week here in
the beloved Colombia Barranquilla mission and things are going forward. As I´ve
mentioned we´ve been working a lot with the less actives, we actually are
teaching a whole family of less-active members and we were fortunate enough to
have them come to church this last Sunday! They were super happy in the church
and they were very well welcomed! Everyone was happy for them, but nobody sat
by the wife, but she still said that she´ll come this coming Sunday.
We have an
investigator that´s close to baptism, his name is Rafael. He´s 19 and he´s
working hard to be able to get baptized. We had some great lessons with him
this week. He said tha from all the preparation that he´s doing he´s really
been able to FEEL that this is the true church.
Also this week one of
the intercambios that we did was with the zone leaders that are in my first
area, and I got to go to my old area!!!! We saw quite a few people that I met
there and they were all happy and said, "you´re so skinny and you can talk
now!!!!" It was great. haha
I got to see Diego,
who always left with us when I was there and it was great to be able to leave
with him again.
That´s basically how
the week went. We´re on the search for a new assistant here in the mission to
replace my companion either this transfer or the next, so we´re kind of out
checking all of the missionaries out.
Yesterday we had
an intercambio with the zone leaders in Santa Marta so we drove all the
way there early in the morning and then we came back right after, but I got
sick in the car and had to ask the driver to pull over... luckily it was just a
dry heave... but it was pretty close hahaha.
Glad that Disneyland
went well, and I´m was super happy/sad to see the picture of everyone with the
chararacters... I want to go!!!
Anyways, I love you
all! bye!
April 26, 2014
So
here we are working, just working in the work of the Lord, but we`re still
waiting for a few baptisms to click into place. We have some good people, just
need to complete some more commitments.
This week we`ve been
able to do some exchanges which has been really fun. I got to work with Elder
Palmer here in my area (our district leader and the executive secretary). We
had some great success. Yesterday I got to go to a zone called Hipordromo which
is just south of Barranquilla... It`s pretty sandy haha. I worked with Elder
Chavez from Perù. He`s a great missionary, but I feel bad because he`s pretty
sick.
As far as
investigators go... We have this one family (Lopez) that are progressing well.
They went to church on Sunday, and they liked it, but they still don`t read in
the book of mormon.
We also have Rafael
who`s doing great because he`s reading and praying and he says that he`s felt
his faith grow which is super awesome. He`s told us that he feels bad in his
house because his family (aunts uncles cousins) all are like atheists or
evagelical christians (CRAZIES) So being able to meet the nice, peaceful
restored gospel has really helped him out.
We also are teaching a
lady named Brisley that`s the nanny for a less active family and she recently
returned from a long trip, but it`s sad becasue her mom on the trip said that
she shouldn`t get baptized in the church because she`s really worldly and not
ready to make a commitment like baptism, but we`re helping her out.
The whole mission is
really excited after the Elder Waddell tour, but some missionaries didn`t
interpret his little talk right. We`ve been hearing a lot of missionaries say
that there`s no need to knock on doors or to talk to people in the street
because those would just be "numbers" (I hate when missionaries use
that word haha.) So we`re making a training for the upcoming leadership counsel
to help them focus on the people, and getting references.
Whilst meditating in
the street about whether knocking on doors was really useful or not we knocked
on a door. And for a 19 year-old kid who said he`s been looking for the truth
and says that he doesn`t feel "full" in his church.... THAT folks is
why we knock on doors haha.
Love you all bye!
April 19, 2014
Wowzers
folks!!!
So yesterday we just
finished the mission tour with Elder Waddell (of the 70) and it was an
experience to say the least!!!
We headed out early
Wednesday morning to Santa Marta because that´s where he flew in to. We got
there and it was quite the rush making sure that all the food was going to get
there on time, that the interview rooms were ready and water and just
everything, but we got it all.
He showed up and he´s
about 6 foot 9 I think haha. He´s HUGE!! he said hello and then got to work
interviewing 2 or 3 missionaries and then did the special conference.
The conference was
just absolutely awesome. he taught us about WHY we´re here, WHAT it is that we
are doing, and HOW we can do it better. He talked a lot about how we need to be
working more with the less active members and that activating a less active family
is the same as baptizing a family of investigators. I loved it because he
explained to us that here it´s almost too easy to baptized, and that the goal
is NOT to just baptize... but to get people to the temple.. it was super great.
Our mission president
also gave a great talk about obedience and sister searle blew everyone out of
the water with her talk. She talked about the importance of the holy ghost.
Sister waddell was also there and she´s so loving and nice and she just wanted
to talk to us the whole time hahaha.That night we left Santa Marta and got to
our house and about 9
The next day we got up
and headed to a church here in Barranquilla for the next meeting and it was
also fantastic! And after the conference we got to eat dinner with them and the
stake president. It was awesome because we got to do some really great and
personal questions. His wife said that he loves answering doctrinal questions,
so who would pass that up hahahaha. We ate salmon and coconut rice... yumm!!!
That night we also got to go to the members meeting where he talked about how
to do a ward counsel and going "to the rescue."
It was funny because
he asked, "Elders, did you feel like I was direct and tough on the
missionaries."
"yes," we
replied, "but it was great."
He said, "just
wait til I get my hand on the members.".............
HAHAHAHAHA It was
awesome!!! He was SUPER direct and corrected every little error, but I know
that he helped.
But that´s not even
the best part. I was in the member meeting and I saw some people from my first
area, but I wanted to see members from Sabanalarga (the little town I served in
for 6 months) But I wasn´t sure I would because it´s far away, but some did
show up. I saw them and smiled and then.... I SAW THE DAD OF THAT FAMILY I
BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!! The family we baptized in January. I smiled from ear to ear
and had to hold in my jump for joy.
After the meeting we
run over and I hugged him... He was happy too and he said that he´s been called
as the ward mission leader, his wife is now the gospel principles teacher, and
the whole family is going to church!!!!
I was very content.
The next day we went
to Cartagena and the conference was also great. In the cartagena conference I
could feel so strongly the importance of why I´m here, and some things that I
need to do. It was an amazing experience.
Last night Elder
Waddell hugged us and said, " thank you elders and keep up the good
work."
I loved all the
conferences and learned new things in every one by what he said and by the
spirit.
Last night we traveled
home really late, but thank the great god above that we got home safe around 11
haha.
I love you all!
church is true!
bye!
April 12, 2014
Hello!
So we got the
transfers all done and they went really well! We got almost every zones zone
leaders changed which we´re hoping helps out with the obedience issue that we
seem to have been facing.
We saw conference and
WOW!!! It was absolutely amazing! I loved the talk by Elder Holland, Elder
Bednar, Elder Ballard and the 70 who talked about the preparation fro a 4
minute experience. I feel super excited! I love conference now! Thank you
mission! haha
My companion and I
have been fighting really hard for people in our area. We´re passing for a
tougher time proselyting wise because we´ve been in the office doing transfers
a lot. Some nights we were here until 10:30 or even a little later
haha... oops!
But here with the new
transfer we´re super excited! We´ve got the tour of Elder Waddell this week!
(he totally said the prayer at the end of the first session haha) We will be
traveling throughout the mission with him from wednesday until Friday visiting
all the cities!
My companion and I are
alos super commited to doing exchanges with ALL of the zone leaders this
transfer to see how the mission is doing. I really like doing exchanges!
On Friday we were
talking about how we need new investigators and how we need to not only teach
by the spirit, but FIND by the spirit as well. So we said a prayer just before
we headed out and asked the lord to guide us.
We found SEVEN new
investigators yesterday. FAMILIES!!!! I feel great about them! I hope and
pray they´ll progress.
We also have another
family that´s getting close to a baptismal date.
pray that we find
people who want to get baptized! haha
I forgot to tell you
guys! But like 2 months or so ago I asked you all to pray for a lady named
Alexi who was facing challenges from her other church. (i was in santa marta)
Well she got baptized and know that your prayers helped her.
I love you family and
friends and the mission is fantastic. BYE!!!
Sunday, April 6, 2014
April 5, 2014
So on Monday we had to take a missionary that´s going home to this place called Parque Tayrona. Here are the pictures. Our pday was today in the morning due to general conference tomorrow. So I just wanted to send these today, but I think I´ll have a little time to write tomorrow.
Time is going by super fast. We´re in the middle of transfers deciding where are the missionaries are going to go. It´s wild, but it´s fun. Unfortunately our area isn´t doing too hot due to the lack of work time.
We had leadership counsel on wednesday which was cool. We talked and trained about how to do the daily planning session.
The president is really worried about our emergency plans in the mission, so we´re also looking that over.
Being in the office so far has actually been pretty rough. You don´t really have time to study and the area suffers. I´ve been feeling pretty bad, but I´ve been praying a lot and I feel like the lord just gives us little miracles every now and again.
yesterday we were just walking and I just saw a door open so we rang the door bell and the lady came out and invited us in. We talked to her, her mom, and her daughter. They´re super great and want to read the book of mormon to know if it´s true. I´ve been learning a lot lately about recognizing the small blessings, but I´ve still got a ways to go.
March 29, 2014
HOLA!!!! So this week wasn´t quite as hectic. We still had a zone conference and it was in Valledupar so we got to fly to Valledupar on Wednesday morning! We flew out, did the zone conference right as we got there and then I went out to work with an elder that we´re looking at to be zone leader. It was fun because he is training a gringo in one of my old areas! It was cool to see the same streets that I walked down every day. At the end of the day we ate dinner with a family in the ward. They hardly recognized me, but they said that I´ve gotten a lot skinnier and that they´re worried haha. At night we went and slept at the zone leaders house in Valledupar and we ate a whole lot more food that we ordered and then the fun started.
So Elder Schwab and I were supposed to organize some mid-transfer transfers that same wednesday night, but we weren´t quite sure/we forgot haha. So at about 10:27 we remembered (remember that missionaries are supposed to be in bed at 10:30). But we realized that we had to call them all that night, and the worst part being that they are all sister missionaries. So we started calling them about (3 or 4) at like 10:30 and it was just an emotional disaster!!! We told them all that they had to be in the mission office at 11 the next day. One sister started sobbing, another was happy but her companions started crying, another got SUPER mad because she actually had to go home home. and she didn´t know that was going to happen so she got REALLY mad haha. It was quite the experience and the next day in the office some sister missionaries looked very upset with us haha.
With the president we just started the transfers and it´s pretty interesting. It´s tough because we have some disobedient missionaries who need strong companions, we also need district leaders, and new zone leaders as well.
We also have leadership counsel next week so we need to prepare a training for that.
There is general conference next week which makes me super excited!
And we have to start getting ready for when Elder Waddel comes in like 2 weeks to do a tour of the mission. It makes me nervous because I´ve heard that some 70´s show up to missions and just start asking a ton of questions to the assistants about the staticstics of the mission and I just don´t think I know it all! haha.
How´s home? I hope it´s good.
We also might be going to a tropical beach on Monday with all the missionaries that are going to finish their missions! President wants us to go and babysit.. haha.
Love you bye!
So Elder Schwab and I were supposed to organize some mid-transfer transfers that same wednesday night, but we weren´t quite sure/we forgot haha. So at about 10:27 we remembered (remember that missionaries are supposed to be in bed at 10:30). But we realized that we had to call them all that night, and the worst part being that they are all sister missionaries. So we started calling them about (3 or 4) at like 10:30 and it was just an emotional disaster!!! We told them all that they had to be in the mission office at 11 the next day. One sister started sobbing, another was happy but her companions started crying, another got SUPER mad because she actually had to go home home. and she didn´t know that was going to happen so she got REALLY mad haha. It was quite the experience and the next day in the office some sister missionaries looked very upset with us haha.
With the president we just started the transfers and it´s pretty interesting. It´s tough because we have some disobedient missionaries who need strong companions, we also need district leaders, and new zone leaders as well.
We also have leadership counsel next week so we need to prepare a training for that.
There is general conference next week which makes me super excited!
And we have to start getting ready for when Elder Waddel comes in like 2 weeks to do a tour of the mission. It makes me nervous because I´ve heard that some 70´s show up to missions and just start asking a ton of questions to the assistants about the staticstics of the mission and I just don´t think I know it all! haha.
How´s home? I hope it´s good.
We also might be going to a tropical beach on Monday with all the missionaries that are going to finish their missions! President wants us to go and babysit.. haha.
Love you bye!
March 24, 2013
Sorry I didn´t write on Saturday.. I was in Santa Marta at zone conference we had to leave really fast and we got home at like 8 o´clock.
On Tuesday I had the great experience of doing an exchange with Elder House!!!! (MTC companion). He´s the zone leader in Cartagena so I went to his area and it was awesome. Cartagena is really hot but we had a good time together.
Lately I´ve been feeling pretty bad here because there´s a lot of disobedience here in this mission, so we´ve been having to visit missionaries and telling them to repent haha. I had to talk to a missionary in Cartagena on Tuesday and tell him to behave and he came to talk to president.
On wednesday morning I got up at 4 with elder house to get here in time for another zone conference. The zone conference went well but I felt bad and embarrassed because i was TOTALLY falling asleep up there on the stand and i saw other missionaries looking and laughing.... oh well haha.
On Friday I went back to santa marta to do another exchange with the zone leaders there. It was really fun. I miss Santa Marta a ton! I just love being there and you can see the beach and everything. The exchange went well. We taught a family that has triplets!! I didn´t even know that those existed down here. We also ordered a "salchipapa" (fries, sausage, and other good stuff put together in one dish) at ) 9:45 at night..... but it neverd showed up........ Poor elder morgan...
Then on Saturday we did the Santa Marta zone conference and that went super well. I liked it because they had dominoes for lunch.
Here as assistant one eats a LOT of food. Being a recently recovered food addict I am a little worried about the situation... but it´s okay. Sister searle has made cupcakes for every zone conference and I´ve eaten 2 or 3 at each one.... WOOHOO!!!!
Yesterday we had all of our appointments fall through and so we started knocking on doors. We were a little tired, but we just kept going. After about an hour and a half or 2 hours my comapanion said "I feel like it´s that house." We went over, knocked and she let us in. She then went on to say that she´s reads the bible and has realized that the true church doesn´t exist, but it looking for the truth. SHE´S SUPER SWEET!!!! and her cousin was there too!! He´s also pretty cool.
2 investigators went to church yesterday.
I love the mission! yay colombia!!!
On Tuesday I had the great experience of doing an exchange with Elder House!!!! (MTC companion). He´s the zone leader in Cartagena so I went to his area and it was awesome. Cartagena is really hot but we had a good time together.
Lately I´ve been feeling pretty bad here because there´s a lot of disobedience here in this mission, so we´ve been having to visit missionaries and telling them to repent haha. I had to talk to a missionary in Cartagena on Tuesday and tell him to behave and he came to talk to president.
On wednesday morning I got up at 4 with elder house to get here in time for another zone conference. The zone conference went well but I felt bad and embarrassed because i was TOTALLY falling asleep up there on the stand and i saw other missionaries looking and laughing.... oh well haha.
On Friday I went back to santa marta to do another exchange with the zone leaders there. It was really fun. I miss Santa Marta a ton! I just love being there and you can see the beach and everything. The exchange went well. We taught a family that has triplets!! I didn´t even know that those existed down here. We also ordered a "salchipapa" (fries, sausage, and other good stuff put together in one dish) at ) 9:45 at night..... but it neverd showed up........ Poor elder morgan...
Then on Saturday we did the Santa Marta zone conference and that went super well. I liked it because they had dominoes for lunch.
Here as assistant one eats a LOT of food. Being a recently recovered food addict I am a little worried about the situation... but it´s okay. Sister searle has made cupcakes for every zone conference and I´ve eaten 2 or 3 at each one.... WOOHOO!!!!
Yesterday we had all of our appointments fall through and so we started knocking on doors. We were a little tired, but we just kept going. After about an hour and a half or 2 hours my comapanion said "I feel like it´s that house." We went over, knocked and she let us in. She then went on to say that she´s reads the bible and has realized that the true church doesn´t exist, but it looking for the truth. SHE´S SUPER SWEET!!!! and her cousin was there too!! He´s also pretty cool.
2 investigators went to church yesterday.
I love the mission! yay colombia!!!
March 15, 2013
Okay! So this week has been quite eventful up until now! On Sunday an investigator like 5 investigators came to church which was awesome! We´re working pretty hard every chance we get in the area, but our time is very limited.
As as the mission goes it was an eventful week. Monday we had to get up at 3:30 to go and pick up an elder that had to go home early. He was a little sad but he said he was going to come back when he got everything taken care of.
On Tuesday we had to finish up a lot of things for zone conferences which started this week. My companion and I were a little behind so we had to finish our training and get it all practiced and help president. He was a little behind and he´s been having to work on getting a lot of sick missionaries sent home as well. He also helped us in our training. We did an example with the piano, so he we told us to come over to practice at like 9 o´clock. We got there and of course they had dinner set up for us first haha.
Wednesday was our first zone conference. I was nervous but we did get through it. I wasn´t 100% sure if we would get through it all smoothly, but we did. I felt good about it afterwords.
Thursday made me even more nervous because my companion and I decided that someone had to stay in the area (we had a lot of good appointments planned) and so he said that I´d be going to Cartagena by myself to do the zone conference...
We got up early and I headed out with president and sister searle to cartagena. It was pretty nice because we were about 20 minutes into the drive when sister Searle said, "here´s your sandwich, some cut up melon, and a bottle of water." She´s so nice haha. The zone conference also went really well, but we were there late because president had to do interviews. I got home around 9:30, but sister searle made me a pb & j on the way home haha.
Yesterday we did another zone conference but aftterwards was when the real fun began..
There is a lot of disobedience in the mission and so yesterday and today we´ve been digging all that up and we´ve found a lot of bad stuff and missionaries lying for each other. It´s very sad.
Last night we had to go with president to visit a missionary and we got home around 10:45.
On the brighter side. Our area is doing very well. We´re being highly favored of the lord and he´s prepared people in our area even though we can´t work in it as much as we´d like.
Elder Schwab and I get along great. We´ve been playing chess recently. He´s beating me 4-3... but I´ll get him.
I love you all! bye!
Elder Morgan
As as the mission goes it was an eventful week. Monday we had to get up at 3:30 to go and pick up an elder that had to go home early. He was a little sad but he said he was going to come back when he got everything taken care of.
On Tuesday we had to finish up a lot of things for zone conferences which started this week. My companion and I were a little behind so we had to finish our training and get it all practiced and help president. He was a little behind and he´s been having to work on getting a lot of sick missionaries sent home as well. He also helped us in our training. We did an example with the piano, so he we told us to come over to practice at like 9 o´clock. We got there and of course they had dinner set up for us first haha.
Wednesday was our first zone conference. I was nervous but we did get through it. I wasn´t 100% sure if we would get through it all smoothly, but we did. I felt good about it afterwords.
Thursday made me even more nervous because my companion and I decided that someone had to stay in the area (we had a lot of good appointments planned) and so he said that I´d be going to Cartagena by myself to do the zone conference...
We got up early and I headed out with president and sister searle to cartagena. It was pretty nice because we were about 20 minutes into the drive when sister Searle said, "here´s your sandwich, some cut up melon, and a bottle of water." She´s so nice haha. The zone conference also went really well, but we were there late because president had to do interviews. I got home around 9:30, but sister searle made me a pb & j on the way home haha.
Yesterday we did another zone conference but aftterwards was when the real fun began..
There is a lot of disobedience in the mission and so yesterday and today we´ve been digging all that up and we´ve found a lot of bad stuff and missionaries lying for each other. It´s very sad.
Last night we had to go with president to visit a missionary and we got home around 10:45.
On the brighter side. Our area is doing very well. We´re being highly favored of the lord and he´s prepared people in our area even though we can´t work in it as much as we´d like.
Elder Schwab and I get along great. We´ve been playing chess recently. He´s beating me 4-3... but I´ll get him.
I love you all! bye!
Elder Morgan
March 8, 2014
So here we are. We just got through Carnaval here in BArranquilla which was pretty boring here in the office. On Sunday we went to church (nobody came) then we just came back to the office and had to sit here in the office all day. Monday we we in the office a while, but the internet was done and president had to email some people, so he took us back to his apartment (SUPER NICE) to go and do some work. We talked about what we were going to do in the zone conferences and in the leadershiop meeting. Then him and his wife had all the office over to eat hamburgers and play uno... President and sister Searle are the best!!!!!
On Monday night president received the order to send a sick sister missionary home, so on Tuesday morning we got up and 2 to go and take her to the airport. We got there at like 3:40 and had to wait until 4:30 ´til she could pass by security, so we ended up falling asleep at a table in the airport haha..
We later got home, played basketball and then sister searle called us to come and eat breakfast. We showed up and they said they wanted to thank us for going so that they didn´t have to get up early hahaha.
On Wednesday we had to prepare our training for the leadership meeting and finally got out to work at like 7.
Thursday we had the leadership training and it went pretty well!!! I was super nervous! I have been to less of those than most of the zone leaders. Sister Searle said I looked nervous too, but we got through it all haha.
Yesterday we got up at 4 to head to Cartagena for an exchange and it was cool. Cartagena is way hotter, but it´s a super pretty city.
Then today I got at 4 again to be able to get here in time for basketball hahaha.
I´m a little tired... but I love it all!!!
On Monday night president received the order to send a sick sister missionary home, so on Tuesday morning we got up and 2 to go and take her to the airport. We got there at like 3:40 and had to wait until 4:30 ´til she could pass by security, so we ended up falling asleep at a table in the airport haha..
We later got home, played basketball and then sister searle called us to come and eat breakfast. We showed up and they said they wanted to thank us for going so that they didn´t have to get up early hahaha.
On Wednesday we had to prepare our training for the leadership meeting and finally got out to work at like 7.
Thursday we had the leadership training and it went pretty well!!! I was super nervous! I have been to less of those than most of the zone leaders. Sister Searle said I looked nervous too, but we got through it all haha.
Yesterday we got up at 4 to head to Cartagena for an exchange and it was cool. Cartagena is way hotter, but it´s a super pretty city.
Then today I got at 4 again to be able to get here in time for basketball hahaha.
I´m a little tired... but I love it all!!!
March 1, 2014
Hello! So this week has been really interesting! I got to know a little bit of the new ward on Sunday which was cool, and they are all really nice. I actually gave a talk haha. I also talked with the Elder that I´m replacing. When he spoke he told everyone that he was going home and a lot of people started to cry.
My new companion Elder Schwab and the elder that was leaving were a little sad all the last few days because they´ve been together 6 months and Elder Molina finally had to leave. He cried as he left the office to go to the airport, and in the airport he didn´t want to pass the security. He just kept saying "a little longer, a little longer." He finally had to go and then my companion cried a little. I felt bad, but now we´re in the groove of things. I wish I could say that we´ve been out like crazy, but Carnaval just started so we´re locked in the house and we can´t leave for a few days.
Elder Schwab is awesome and we´re working like crazy. Our area is one of the "tougher" areas according to other missionaries, but we just talk to everyone and we´re finding people to teach.
I´m learning a ton here and I love being able to be close to president. He´s just so great and loving and he loves talking to us. He comes in to our companionship study and just starts telling us about his life and wants to talk about how to help missionaries.
During Carnaval we´re re writing the guide book for missionaries in the mission, and we´re preparing a training for leadership counsel. It´s something that happens every month and I´m a little nervous because we train the zone leaders and the majority are experienced and I´ve only been to one leadership counsel haha. All the zone leaders have called to talk to me, but they all said they´re happy.
We also welcomed the new group of missionaries in. They seem really great. Some of them already seem a little rebellious, but we put the fear of god into them by telling them how to talk and that if they look at a girl below the eyes they´ve sinned and quit being missionaries hahaha.
I´ve been nervous to be here in the office, replacing the ever famous Elder Molina, but a missionary came and showed me Joshua 1:5 which helped.
Love you all bye!
My new companion Elder Schwab and the elder that was leaving were a little sad all the last few days because they´ve been together 6 months and Elder Molina finally had to leave. He cried as he left the office to go to the airport, and in the airport he didn´t want to pass the security. He just kept saying "a little longer, a little longer." He finally had to go and then my companion cried a little. I felt bad, but now we´re in the groove of things. I wish I could say that we´ve been out like crazy, but Carnaval just started so we´re locked in the house and we can´t leave for a few days.
Elder Schwab is awesome and we´re working like crazy. Our area is one of the "tougher" areas according to other missionaries, but we just talk to everyone and we´re finding people to teach.
I´m learning a ton here and I love being able to be close to president. He´s just so great and loving and he loves talking to us. He comes in to our companionship study and just starts telling us about his life and wants to talk about how to help missionaries.
During Carnaval we´re re writing the guide book for missionaries in the mission, and we´re preparing a training for leadership counsel. It´s something that happens every month and I´m a little nervous because we train the zone leaders and the majority are experienced and I´ve only been to one leadership counsel haha. All the zone leaders have called to talk to me, but they all said they´re happy.
We also welcomed the new group of missionaries in. They seem really great. Some of them already seem a little rebellious, but we put the fear of god into them by telling them how to talk and that if they look at a girl below the eyes they´ve sinned and quit being missionaries hahaha.
I´ve been nervous to be here in the office, replacing the ever famous Elder Molina, but a missionary came and showed me Joshua 1:5 which helped.
Love you all bye!
Monday, February 24, 2014
February 22, 2014
So... it´s all going pretty well! Yesterday the assistants called me and said that there was a problem. They said that the tithing from Sabanalarga (my last area) was lacking. And that since I was the group leader I was responsible.. I said okay and they said that I needed to come to the office in the morning early to have a special interview with the president with all my bags...
I kind of felt like they were joking but they said that I needed to give my companion my cell phone because I couldn´t be trusted. I gave it to my companion and then the assistants called him and said that I needed to pack. My companion was really nice and helped me. At night I didn´t sleep like at all.... but then I got up at 6:30, got ready, and we came here to the office.
President talked to my companion and said that I should wait. Then they pulled me in with the financial secretary and he gave me a paper about bad use of funding saying that I needed to fill out the process in Sabanalarga and sign the paper. They asked me what I did wrong and I said nothing. (But to be honest I thought they were joking and then later on would say I was the new financial secretary or something...) They then sent me away for a minute and then brought me back to sign the paper but the paper said "Welcome NEW SECRETARY!!!!" They recorded it all and said welcome and everyone congratulated me.... but then they said that president wanted to talk to me and congratulate me. I went in and he said.... congrats, but I just talked to your mom... and I didn´t tell her that you´re the finance secretary.... I told her that you were the new assistant....
Then everybody started yelling and they showed me the big board with all the missionaries and there was my picture.... I´m still in shock haha
It´s weird, but obviously the Lord feels like there are things I need to learn here.
I am a little sad because I´m going to miss my area in Santa Marta, but it´ll be cool here too.
I´m nervous, but I just gotta´ pray haha
I love you all!
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I kind of felt like they were joking but they said that I needed to give my companion my cell phone because I couldn´t be trusted. I gave it to my companion and then the assistants called him and said that I needed to pack. My companion was really nice and helped me. At night I didn´t sleep like at all.... but then I got up at 6:30, got ready, and we came here to the office.
President talked to my companion and said that I should wait. Then they pulled me in with the financial secretary and he gave me a paper about bad use of funding saying that I needed to fill out the process in Sabanalarga and sign the paper. They asked me what I did wrong and I said nothing. (But to be honest I thought they were joking and then later on would say I was the new financial secretary or something...) They then sent me away for a minute and then brought me back to sign the paper but the paper said "Welcome NEW SECRETARY!!!!" They recorded it all and said welcome and everyone congratulated me.... but then they said that president wanted to talk to me and congratulate me. I went in and he said.... congrats, but I just talked to your mom... and I didn´t tell her that you´re the finance secretary.... I told her that you were the new assistant....
Then everybody started yelling and they showed me the big board with all the missionaries and there was my picture.... I´m still in shock haha
It´s weird, but obviously the Lord feels like there are things I need to learn here.
I am a little sad because I´m going to miss my area in Santa Marta, but it´ll be cool here too.
I´m nervous, but I just gotta´ pray haha
I love you all!
2 gringos... never happens haha
February 17, 2014
This week we were working all week long getting our 2 investigators Angie and Katelyn ready for baptism and all was going pretty well! But unfotunately Katelyn didn´t get baptized. Her family is all less active and the night before the baptism we were teaching and we just felt like they were only talking to us because they wanted financial support from the church, and the dad wasn´t even going to be there for the baptism, so we said we were going to postpone the baptism just one or two weeks until the dad could be there, that actually made Katelyn a lot happier, but the next day they didn´t come to church and the mom kind of exploded saying that all the church leaders are liars that say they´ll help and don´t.... The branch president said that he would advise us not to go back for awhile...
Anyways, Angie is great! She was excited and nervous all week long, but she made it! The day of her baptism she was excited and the brach here is awesome for baptisms. A lot of people went and some even went early to decorate! The only problem was that they were repairing the water tubes outside..... that means that the water wasn´t crystal clear... it was more of a black color haha. We felt SOOOO bad, but she was okay. So it was more like getting baptized in the Jordan River like Christ did haha.
Also being zone leader means that we don´t just do exchanges with the missionaries in our zone... but the assistants do exchanges with us.... On Friday we woke up at 4:30 to get to Barranquilla and change companions and then I came back with Elder Schwab (Gringo from Iowa who lives in North Carolina) to work here in my area. I felt a little stressed haha, but we taught some great lessons. He teaches well and we found some good new investigators including a family of 6!
At night he did give me some pointers and things I can do better. He said that our zone could be doing a lot better than it is, so we´re gonna work harder! Then the next day we woke up early again and I went to get my companion back.
Other than that it was a pretty average week. Love you all bye!
Anyways, Angie is great! She was excited and nervous all week long, but she made it! The day of her baptism she was excited and the brach here is awesome for baptisms. A lot of people went and some even went early to decorate! The only problem was that they were repairing the water tubes outside..... that means that the water wasn´t crystal clear... it was more of a black color haha. We felt SOOOO bad, but she was okay. So it was more like getting baptized in the Jordan River like Christ did haha.
Also being zone leader means that we don´t just do exchanges with the missionaries in our zone... but the assistants do exchanges with us.... On Friday we woke up at 4:30 to get to Barranquilla and change companions and then I came back with Elder Schwab (Gringo from Iowa who lives in North Carolina) to work here in my area. I felt a little stressed haha, but we taught some great lessons. He teaches well and we found some good new investigators including a family of 6!
At night he did give me some pointers and things I can do better. He said that our zone could be doing a lot better than it is, so we´re gonna work harder! Then the next day we woke up early again and I went to get my companion back.
Other than that it was a pretty average week. Love you all bye!
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
February 10, 2014
So this week was pretty busy and now I´m not very happy because every week seems to just fly by haha. On Wednesday morning we had to wake up at 4 to get ready and head down Barranquilla for the leadership counsel. It´s all the zone leaders, asistants, and sister leaders. It was cool, spiritual and a little scary haha. But it was awesome. The do it the first Wednesday of every month. They called us the night before and said to bring our area books.... Our area book wasn´t too bad, but we could have done a little better.
A van picked us and the other zone leaders up and we got there at like 7:30. They gave us a lot of trainings and things to share with our zones. They had us review each others´ area books and point out how we can do better. The mission president shared with us some concerns he has about the mission and that apparently there is a LOT of disobedience in our mission. Another zone leader (Elder House, MTC companion) told me that president went to his zone and started chewing out quite a few missionaries.... BUT my zone is good haha. After the counsel they fed us Subway and gave us all the packages and materials for our zones to take back. We didn´t get home until like 7:30. I was pretty tired the next day which was weird because we didn´t even work in our area and we were in air conditioning all day long haha.
On We´ve been really blessed as far as our investigators. There aren´t a ton, but the ones we have are progressing well. We have 2 baptisms for this Saturday. One is the daughter of a less-active family and the other is a girl that started coming to church with her less active friend haha. YAY less actives!!!
We have a great investigator that is the future husband of a less active member. He´s called Norveis, and he´s funny, and we gave him a white shirt and a tie on Saturday, but he didn´t come to church.... It´s because they were moving. We´ll get ´em next week!
Got my package from the family! Thank you! I´m excited to listen to the CD, but our DVD player is broken.... so I´m looking for one to be able to listen to the CD haha.
Love you bye!
A van picked us and the other zone leaders up and we got there at like 7:30. They gave us a lot of trainings and things to share with our zones. They had us review each others´ area books and point out how we can do better. The mission president shared with us some concerns he has about the mission and that apparently there is a LOT of disobedience in our mission. Another zone leader (Elder House, MTC companion) told me that president went to his zone and started chewing out quite a few missionaries.... BUT my zone is good haha. After the counsel they fed us Subway and gave us all the packages and materials for our zones to take back. We didn´t get home until like 7:30. I was pretty tired the next day which was weird because we didn´t even work in our area and we were in air conditioning all day long haha.
On We´ve been really blessed as far as our investigators. There aren´t a ton, but the ones we have are progressing well. We have 2 baptisms for this Saturday. One is the daughter of a less-active family and the other is a girl that started coming to church with her less active friend haha. YAY less actives!!!
We have a great investigator that is the future husband of a less active member. He´s called Norveis, and he´s funny, and we gave him a white shirt and a tie on Saturday, but he didn´t come to church.... It´s because they were moving. We´ll get ´em next week!
Got my package from the family! Thank you! I´m excited to listen to the CD, but our DVD player is broken.... so I´m looking for one to be able to listen to the CD haha.
Love you bye!
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