WOO! Crazy yet kinda
slow work-wise. So this week was new
years AND Las Carnavales.
Tuesday We ran around trying to figure out with the power
company how we could repair our light, and after a ton of searching they said
to buy a new power box and they'd fix it the 6th of January. So this whole week we've had free light
haha. The only other highlight of Tuesday
was a heart warmer. So I don't know if I've
mentioned it in another letter or not, but Yankee the dog broke his leg about 3
weeks ago and we haven't seen him since.
But Tuesday Mejia promised that through his faith we'd find Yankee and
when we did we'd buy him bread. And LO
AND BEHOLD that night we found him by a convenient store! So we bought him bread, and he joyfully
followed us around that night leg healing and all! What a good time haha. Wednesday was REALLY interesting. So in Colombia for new years there's a
few interesting cultural traditions. One
being they make giant paper mache figures of things and burn them at
midnight. I actually think it's way fun
and want to start it in the US
haha. The other I think should stay
here. There's these men called beautas
on new years eve. AKA men that cross dress
and kiss random men in the street unless you give them coins. I was lucky enough to not be targeted but my
new comp Elder Solorio who arrived the night before got one on him! Luckily Mejia had coins to give him. Ewww.
My zone leader actually got kissed that day! TWICE!
haha!! So Elder Solorio is way
cool. He's super motivated and really
nice and calm and patient. Definitely a
breath of fresh air after my other comps haha.
(I love my other comps don't worry).
That night, Me and Solorio, Bello
and Mejia, and our zone leaders Inman and Rodriguez all went to the house of
Juan, a progressing less active until Midnight and we burned a paper mache
figure and watched the fireworks haha.
It was crazy to see HUGE bon fires in the middle of the road at night. It's like a war zone on new years! SO YEAH HAPPY NEW YEARS FAMILY: my goal this year is to become the type of
missionary God needs me to be. Pretty
good goal for a missionary haha. First
of January was surprisingly easy to find appointments because everyone was
resting the day before Las Carnavales!
It was honestly kind of eerie. Everything
was closed, and there wasn't a soul in the streets. We had a cool lesson with a less active who
is preparing to serve a mission. We
taught obedience and all her questions pointed to the repentance process. So I followed the Spirit into that and she
said she felt excited and confidence to change!
It was a cool moment. Oh how
different was Friday the 2nd. First day
of carnivals meant NO ONE was home. So us
4 in the apartment and the zone leaders decided "if you cant beat them
join them!" So I bought myself a
cheap poncho, typical to what people use during the carnivals and we bought our
cariocas, a foamy silly string people war with in the street, and we went
nuts! Something else interesting was I
caught a pick pocket with his fingers in my pocket. All I had in there was my planning agenda,
but it was kinda hilarious because he didn't even run I just yelled at him in
Spanish. I saw him again later with a
black eye so someone did what I couldn't as a missionary hahaha! Saturday was actually the same except with
members. I'd love to return to Ipiales
with friends and family for the carnivals.
The parades and concerts in the park and everything are super fun! Sunday the attendance was AWFUL. People were either not at church because they
were at the carnivals, or because its literally impossible for some people to
get to church because the parade. But a cool
experience was during Gospel Doctrine, a member asked me to go out with him and
give him a blessing because his stomach was hurting really really bad. He didn't mind it was in English so I gave
him a blessing of health. After he said
"chevere (which means cool)" and "thank you" in
English. It was a cool moment. Besides that, we only found 2 appointments
that day because of all the carnivals.
bleh. Yesterday the zone leaders
told us P DAY was changed to Tuesday (today) because today is the coolest day
of the festivals aka the hardest to work as well. So we got to work and it was actually an
AMAZING day. Our first lesson was with
Viviana's family. She wasn't home but
her family actually listened to us which is rare because they're all catholic
and don't listen to missionaries. So we
taught them the Plan of Salvation, and the Spirit was so strong. Their questions were good and we helped their
knowledge a lot. Afterwards the mom and
the brother said they'd attend church with Viviana this Sunday!!!! Luis the dad
can't because he works but one day we'll get him haha. But now we're meeting with them so I'm hoping
to baptize the whole fam! The second
awesome lesson was with Gyovani and his fam.
They haven't been progressing and we've been really worried, but Mejia
said if they aren't progressing, they don't understand the restoration. So we taught that again and BOOM, Mejia was right. They didn't remember a thing or have a
testimony of the BoM. Kinda missing a
key point there right? So we taught a
really awesome spiritual lesson on that, and at the end, I asked each member of
the family to pray right there out loud on their knees to know if the BoM and
our lesson was true, starting youngest and working to Gyovani. Wow was the spirit strong. I hope that moment helped them I really
do. But I really think it did. The other one that night was with Juan, and
his mom who is an investigator. After an
awesome lesson on the Restoration we invited her to be baptized. She said she'd pray about it, and if she
feels God wants it she will. And she's
SUPER in tune with the Spirit so I know she'll be baptized. Today was half cool and half crappy. So this morning all the Elders wanted to play
soccer but Bello
and I wanted to go to the parade instead so the leaders of the zone said that's
alright. The parade was awesome! I love the culture here. The plan after that was to go eat lunch then
meet our comps at the park of 20 de Julio at 3pm, and play all day. But guess what! They didn't show up! So we literally searched until 5:30 and we
found them at the internet cafe. They didn't
even try to find us. What can we
do. So yeah, last day of carnivals! I'm honestly glad its over. It'll be nice to wear clean clothes again
without fear of getting my face painted and chalk thrown all over me. CRAZY IPIALES. I'm super excited to actually work with
Solorio too! The Mission is great! Love you all!
Elder Welch
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One other good note is that he received his 3rd and final Christmas package! My faith in the Colombian Mail System has been restored!...Somewhat :) -Wendy
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