06-22-15 to 06-29-15 Baptisms!

This week was pretty good, yet normal. 

Monday night, that investigator of Dalton and Bello called me and I got to see what she wanted!  She asked me all sorts of questions like my age and if I was searching for someone, and all that jazz.  Im not sure if she was wanting to hook up with me or hook me up with her younger sister (more probable) but it was super weird!  I straight up said we dont search that stuff as missionaries and stuff.  Why is this happening to me lately?!

Tuesday we met with [two of] our investigators and told them if they don't come to church, we're not teaching them anymore.  The ultimatum.  And they didnt come so BUMMER! 

Wednesday i started out the day feeling really bummed out and stressed but i felt better when we left the house and helped some people move into their house on the floor below us.  We lifted all sorts of things, and it made me feel good to help.  They said God sent them 2 angels to help them out!  Woop! 

Thursday we had to go to Cali for a mini zone meeting where they told us about the choir we're gonna sing in on the 12th of July for the 40 year celebration of the mission for return missionaries.  It should be cool, a member in Cali wrote a special mission hymn! 

Friday was slow work-wise due to the game of Colombia vs. Argentina.  No one let us in that day!  Even our ward mission leader canceled correlation for it!  It was pretty intense though from what i got to see in the streets.  It went 0,0 the whole game and went into penalty kicks.  Colombia lost though.  BUMMER!  But Friday i gave my first baptismal interviews to Dalton and Bello's investigators Juan David and Kevin!  (they were mine for 3 weeks too haha).  But they both passed and Kevin asked me to baptize him!  I guess i did something right those 3 weeks hahaha. 

Saturday we went to the chapel early to clean it all up and get it spick and span for the baptism!  Afterwards, me and Yujra went out searching people out in an area we dont hit too much.  We found quite a few people including a pentecostal who demanded us all sorts of things in the name of Jesus Christ.  he was strange.  But that night we had the baptisms!  It was a nice service.  All the rad families from the ward came to support and made them feel like theyre part of a big new family!  Yay baptisms! 

Sunday was super long.  We had to go to Cali for choir practice and were there from 3:30 to 8.  I was tuckered out!  Lots of singing!

Concerning my new companion Yujra, he's proving to be quite a challenge.  He is CONSTANTLY doing every little thing possible to bother me.  examples being he turns off the light at night in the room where i write in my journal, he pulls my arm hairs, he pulls my tie, he pulls my chair out from under me when i go to sit, he puts my jam in the freezer, he hides my things etc etc.  And this is CONSTANT!  Ill be surprised if i dont go crazy by the end of this transfer.  So just pray for me and him please haha, 

Today i just hung out in the apartment and went to a few places with Dalton.  Love you all! 

Elder Welch

AND FINALLY SOME PICTURES!!! :)

 Baptisms!!!

06-16-15 to 06-22-15 SURPRISE! Elder Yujra is here!‏

This week has been full of surprises!

Tuesday was a good day but it was SUPER hot!  Jamundí always hits 95ish degrees in the day and the humidity on top of that is rough.  But it was a good day.  We talked for a while with our mission leader on what to do concerning our trio.  We started making lots of plans to go in divisions with members so we could work both my area and the other Elder's area.  Also that night i walked in front of a motorcycle and almost got hit!  I was just fast enough to dodge it!  Phew!  Also, that night at 11pm the APs called and said "Elder Welch!  We have a companion for you!  His name is Elder Yujra (pronounced joo hra) !"  So that was a surprise! 

Wednesday morning we left early to go to the terminal by 7am to get Yujra.  He's 20 years old, from La Paz Bolivia, he is super kind, and used to be Elder Bello's companion!  That night Colombia beat Brazil in a match for the America Cup that's going on right now and everyone went NUTS.  Everyone with a motorcyle got in a huge group and honked their horns all dang night!  They waved flags and partied forever!  That night we got a text saying we had to go to the chapel in Cali for a multi zone conference. 

So Thursday that's what we did!  It was strongly focused in family history and temples!  The mission has a new tri-weekly class for people to go and work on their family history.  It'll be cool, and hopefully will help us get some new investigators!  I was secretly hoping the whole time President Pricoli would be like "SURPRISE!  WE'RE GOING ON A MISSION TEMPLE TRIP IN OCTOBER!" or at least "WE HAVE DOMINOS!"  but nahhh.  We also got these ugly B.E.E. Missionaries jersies and yelled a lot, it was cool! 

Friday was a harder day.  We walked all over my area and found no body home!  Between lots of things, Im feeling super stressed and anxious right now.  But you know, what ever haha.  Mission life. 

Saturday was pretty good!  the new zone leaders Elder Donoso and Elder Cortes came to revise our house, then came with Yujra and I to find a few people in my area!  By the end of the day we had 5 new investigators!  It was a super good day!  It felt good to have a productive day, lifted the spirits. 

Sunday was fathers day!  Happy fathers day Dad!  And Grandpa!  it was also a very very strange day for me.  During sacrament meeting, one of the investigators of Bello and Dalton came, but she didnt want to come in.  SHE WANTED TO TALK TO ME.  And just me!  She said she had some specific questions.  For me!  I was so confused.  They told her we'd call her because i was sitting with investigators and she left.  I still have no clue why she wanted me, and what her questions were but we're gonna call her again tonight.  Weird!  After church a member invited us to lunch and we watched a church fireside he had and then went to ward counsel.  It was an extended counsel to make the ward emergency plan and it took 3 HOURS!  i didn't know why we were suppose to be there, but we threw in our 2 cents here and there.  The refreshment was a potato and sausage for everyone which i didnt understand but it's cool. 

Today Elder Dalton and I went to Downtown Cali today and bought some nice 10,000 peso ties (like 4 dollars and surprisingly good quality) and then some 20,000 peso Colombia jersies (like 8 dollars).  The jersies are obviously fakes but theyre nicer fakes if that makes sense.  Colombia stuff.  But man, it has been an interesting week!  I just hope we can get the area back on it's feet!  Love you all, and have a great week!

Elder Welch

06-09-15 to 06-15-15 El Trio Round 2

Tuesday was rough, all our appointments fell through and we just ended up walking a ton.

Wednesday was pretty good!  We went to the village Terranova to do some tracting and we knocked a TON of doors.  We always knock doors there just because everyone is super receptive there!  We got in a few houses and ended the day with 4 different investigators!   Something funny was when we walked up to a house, a HUGE dog ran out and barked at us and [Elder] Dalton was scared out of his wits!  While we were laughing the people inside laughed too and let us in!  Thanks dog. 

Thursday was pretty cool.  We went to a neighborhood called Amigos 2000 that's pretty far and met some dude named Alberto.  At first we thought he was super Catholic because he has a ton of imagines in his house like of the virgin and the archangel miguel crushing satan and stuff but he was super interested and even came to church Sunday!  he's a cool guy!  All the work we've been doing makes me feel a lot better this week.  Even though my legs and feet kill haha.  Also, that night i finished reading JESUS THE CHRIST!  Such an excellent book of Christ.  AND the longest book ive ever read!  792 pages! 

Friday was a bummer because i woke up sick!  I was super congested and snuffy and was sneezing and coughing.  We went out and worked for a bit and then i came back to the house to rest for an hour before our appointment that night. 

Saturday was a very good day for a couple reasons!  So we got a new investigator before lunch which is always satisfying.  On our way to a lesson we stopped at La 14, a big store and i bought a new umbrella!  Finally!  Now i wont get soaked anymore!  That night we stopped at a member named Bernardo Ospina.  He and his family are the best.  Since they lived in Canada they speak fluent English so we just spoke in English the whole time hahah.  I was kinda feeling down that day just thinking of how bad things went down in Jamundi just because of the circumstances my area is dead now.  But Brother Ospina told me that he knows im a good missionary and that im working and he said that maybe it was all part of the Lord's plan.  Just made me feel lots better.  So it was a good picker upper.  Thanks Bernardo! 

Sunday was a WONDERFUL Sabbath day.  We had 7 people attend church which was super cool.  But on top of that the youth got to bare their testimonies on the recent temple trip they just got back from!  (note they only get to go once maybe twice a year).  Wow, the youth are powerful here.  I was choked up the whole time. Easily the most spiritual sacrament meeting of my mission up to this point.  Also, I just appreciate the holiness and beauty of the temple so much more now.  It is the house of the Lord.  I would give anything to go.

That same night, transfers came!  They were honestly super anti-climactic.  Im staying in Jamundi and im still with Elder Dalton and Elder Bello in a Trio!  Bummmmer haha.  I honestly wanted a new comp and maybe even a new area.  But ill do what the Lord asks of me.  Good news is i just inherited a lot of good investigators!  So i'll get to baptize in Jamundi!  USA!

Today i went with Elder Dalton to his old area (in the limits of our zone) and said bye to his son (the missionary he trained) who's going to Ipiales!  I also got to send with him letters to H and Mag, Antonio and the Vidal family!  So this week was much better.  The Trio lives on, and we're gonna kill it this transfer!  Love you all!  Hope your week goes well!

Elder Welch

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No pictures AGAIN! I'll have to beg I guess...

06-02-15 to 06-08-15 El Trio!

So this was a pretty good week!  Ive enjoyed working with Elder Dalton and Elder Bello. Tuesday we had to go to Cali for our district meetings and mine district meeting was honestly comical haha.  My district consists of me, bello and Dalton.  We did the whole thing in English to help out Elder Bello and it was actually really hard for me!  I'm so used to the Spanish vocab of things!  An interesting lesson we had was with the mom of one of my investigators that the other Elder's are teaching, and she's super great!  But her dad is 93 years old and has lost his marbles.  He's hilarious!  He told us he's 130 years old and has been to heaven twice!  He told us he met the holy virgen, and drank beer with Jesus!  He's hysterical!  

Wednesday was cool.  We started the day going to Armando's finca, or i guess in English, farm.  We discussed the probability of Paul and other apostoles having wives.  it was a good time.  He also taught me a bit how to play Stairway to Heaven on the guitar so my dreams are nearly realized!  That night we had a lesson with Bello and Dalton's golden family and they were pretty great.  We taught the plan of salvation and they were super receptive.   

Thursday was fairly average but good.  We got a teaching pattern down together and now i get to talk more!  Finally!  Also, Dalton and I were discussing how Elder C leaving has really just ruined our attitudes and we've been kinda down lately so i just said "WE NEED TO STOP" and walked up and knocked on some door.  they denied us but i didnt care!  I tried!  So we're trying to get back into our grooves.  Something great about the mission is it straight up screams in my face all my weaknesses.  For example, i always thought of myself as an outgoing confident person, but i guess i'm kinda scared to street contact!  But these weaknesses being so clear to me help me to grow and learn!  RAD!

Friday was Tayler and Stephen's anniversary!  I remembered!  Happy anniversary you two!  Honestly Friday kinda bummed me out.  So we had a zone meeting at 2pm in Cali so we had to leave at 1pm to get there on time.  The meeting was kinda focused a lot in where we're failing which was honestly kinda hard on me for some reason.  Its just been kind of a bummer since C left, and being told we're not doing enough was rough.  But we also learned how to work as a team which was really good.  Something nice is i always reflect on where i need to be better at meetings like that.  But man it was kind of a rough day for me.  I just felt like ive been coming up short a lot.  I also found out my best investigator probably won't get baptized so I dont know.  Just a harder day of the mission.  Don't have many of those! 

Saturday was a good picker-upper day.  we had 5 lessons!  Something interesting was that one of our investigators has a daughter with Schizophrenia, so she came in screaming profanity at her mom and things about how she is getting money from the U.S. and how she doesnt deserve it then 10 min later she came in all normal and laughing at nothing!  I wasnt sure what to do but it was okay.  Sad to see things like that.  But it was a pretty good day. 

Sunday was great!  Between our 2 areas, we got 8 investigators to come to church!  It was exciting!  The chapel was also so full that the deacons were scrambling about to find chairs for everyone!  pretty good problem to have i say.  Yesterday our best lesson was that night with an investigator named Vi.  He's a super cool dude and we taught him the restoration.  Him and his girlfriend were honestly kind of skeptical but said it make's sense and that theyll pray and read.  I think theyre good and ready.   Also, last night was nuts in the streets!  Cali's big soccer team Deportivo de Cali beat Medellin in some final and everyone was going crazy partying!  Everyone was dancing in the street waving flags of the team, music was blasting every where, people were lighting off tons of fireworks and every with a car, motorcycle, or trumpet was making a whole lot of noise!  They went all night.  It was crazy! 

Today for PDay we went to Cali and played soccer with a ward then we went and I ate McDonalds again.  Its such a treat to eat a Big Mac i'll tell you what.  But yeah that was my week.  It was a lot of up and down, with a lot of reflecting.  But it was good.  Im glad i have time to think a bit about how im going in my mission.  Love you all!  Adelante!

Elder Welch

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Almost every week, Jake answers questions I email to him and this week I asked why he bought the backpacking chair that he mentioned last week. This was his response. He cracks me up :)

" ive already used it sooo much!  lots of people here dont have enough chairs for all of us so i just tell them, "NO SE PREOCUPE SOY PREPARADO!  SOY UN BOY SCOUT!""

Translation: DO NOT WORRY I AM READY! I AM A BOY SCOUT!

05-25-15 to 06-01-15 Where's Elder C?!

This week has been an adventure to say the least. 

So something i forgot to mention last week is H's oldest son David got baptized on the 23rd!  And H got to baptize him!  It's easily the best thing that's happened in my mission up to this point.  I couldnt be happier.

 

Tuesday was my first day with Elder C.  It was normal but pretty fun!  I got to see how Elder C works and teaches.  He's a really cool kid.  He's half Brazilian half Peruvian, and speaks fluid Portuguese.  it was a good time with him haha.  He's really good with the people and was pretty obedient. I really like the kid!

Wednesday we had a leadership training meeting where i learned how to help my district better as district leader.  It was a cool presentation and i learned quite a few things.  We wanna plan for some cool ideas to find references.  if anyone has ideas shoot them my way!  That night the AP Elder Rojas called and said Elder C might have to go home which was a bummer. 

Thursday was a pretty good day.  We had a good lesson with a large family that consists of active members, less actives, inactives, and an investigator.  it was pretty productive haha.  Later it started pouring rain while we were passing Parque del Cholados, so we stopped and ate cholados.  thankfully it stopped in about half an hour and we could go and find one more lesson. 

Friday was fun, i went in divisions with Elder Dalton.  As district leader i like to do divisions every week to help us all learn and stuff.  We knocked on lots of doors but for some reason no one let us in.  That night my comp seemed pretty down and said he was feeling guilty for something he did in his first area.  I offered a blessing but he turned him down.  I was feeling sad for him.

Saturday was hard.  My companion packed his bags and said he was set on leaving Monday.  He didnt really want to work that day and i was dragging him every where.  I just felt so sad for him!  He is a good kid, but kind of a lost puppy too in a way.  He is just confused right now.  I also found out about Elder Perry passing away, so i dont know, it was sad. 

Sunday was the CRAZY day.  So i woke up normal at 6:20am and looked over at my comp's bed, and he wasnt there. I figured he was ironing like he always did early when i noticed his suit cases were gone!  I ran out into the front room and the DOOR WAS WIDE OPEN.  ELDER C  ESCAPED IN THE NIGHT!!!  So i called president and all morning we were asking people where he went.  The assistants found him around 11 and called me during church.  I guess he left about 3 or 4 in the morning running, took a bus north for Zarzal and they found him on a farm near the border of the mission Cali and Medellin.  Freaking C!  I was kind of mad honestly.  He robbed me 170,000 pesos to do it and i felt love and sorrow for him.  But like i said, he was confused and scared and guilty.  Just wasnt thinking.  His plan was to find his uncle about 10 hours-ish away.  So dumb.  So that consumed the majority of my day besides church.  Now im in a trio with Dalton and Bello (again)!  haha funny how things go down.  by far the craziest thing that's happened to me so far.

Today we had to go to the misson offices in Cali so i could drop off the stuff C left behind like his name tag and other small things.  I got to give them to him in person.  I straight up told him he was stupid and screwed up and needs to repent, but i also told him i love him and want him to change and stay active.  His lineage is from the tribe of Levi so i jokingly told him i wanna hear in 5 years that he took his rights as a Levite and is a 25 year old bishop hahaha.  So i rebuked him and hugged him all in one.  He's got a good heart.  Just needs to figure things out.  Afterwards we went to McDonalds and to a huge store and i bought a five dollar portable backpacking chair hahaha.  Crazy week.  Now i have to wait 2 weeks for transfers to get a new comp and all that jazz.  But i'm all good, and the mission goes on!  Still love the mission!

Love you all! 

Elder Welch