Elder Jake Welch: 03-31-15 to 04-06-15 LA PASCUA

This week was pretty normal honestly but because of Easter or "La Pascua" and General Conf, it was pretty great!

Tuesday was normal. I saw lots of parades in the street! The Catholics like to dress in ropes and march about with Images of Christ haha so that was fun to watch. They also burn lots of sage and pine incense which smelled pretty good. Me and my comp were marching in the streets laughing how it would be to walk in the parade with them dressed as 2 Elders haha!

So Wednesday was April Fools, (which they dont really celebrate in Colombia) but my comps still got me. They took the planks out on my bed and bolted the door when we came back that night so we couldnt get in hahaha. Whatevs it was still alright.

We got a new investigator named Daniel and he's pretty cool. He's a reference from a teenage girl member in the ward. She always introduces all her friends to us which is way nice! That night i went to Abner's house because he needed help with an English test. We had a pretty good talk too on how the point of a mish is to change who you are and help others, NOT to have the "best dats" in the mission. As long as I'm putting my heart and love and sweat into the mission, I'm successful. So that was great.

Thursday was cool, i went in divisions with Bautizta and we went to a village in our area called Santender. We did it because apparently its the area of both of our companionship's. Kinda weird but whatever. We were with a member all day and we made a new investigator named Ce and his son E! But no one else was home so the member bought us icecream. Santander has lots of cool celebrations for Easter so it was fun to see the things there they do with Christ and stuff.

Friday was rough. We searched alll day using the ward directory and no one was home because it was Holy Friday. I guess bigger part of the holy week here. That night we taught our investigator P and i kinda felt frustrated with my comp. He teaches wayyy too much info and talks way too long so i could just see her losing attention and getting bored. I didn't feel the Spirit much which was too bad. Hard to teach without the Spirit.

Saturday was my first General Conference in the mission! We went to the chapel to watch and it was interesting. Obviously it was in Spanish, and they dubbed it over with translators. When we started i was worried i wouldn't understand so I said a prayer to help me and it went pretty good from there on out. I loved the talks on family, it was good! It also reminded me of my own fam. I look forward to watching General Conference again together. I also miss it in English. Its so much better to hear it in their own voices. I was honestly kinda sad i didnt get to hear the prophets real voice. But it was way great! I also look forward to watching Priesthood session with my dad again, i sure missed that! It felt kinda weird but i got a lot out of it.

Sunday was ROUND 2 and LA PASCUA! It was way cool to listen to all the testimonies from the Prophet and Apostles about the resurrection of Christ. I felt the Spirit so strong as the Choir sang hymns of the resurrection. He is Risen! It was even better with the whole congregation singing in union! I loved the words of (i think Elder Anderson?) on how everyone in the whole world was singing praises to Christ together! I can testify of that! It was beautiful. I want to add my testimony to the Prophets to say I KNOW He lives. And that because of him, we can live in Him. He was lifted up on the cross so we can be lifted up in him. He rose from the grave so we can rise from the grave of sin and mortal death. Christ is the beginning and the end and he is our only path to eternal happiness. How LUCKY are we to have this? and as it says in the Book of Mormon, "How important is it to make these things known among the children of men"? Go and share the good news because Christ is everything. I love you all, and i share that in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.