BOGOTA SHADY BROTHERS!

The Elders in the Taxi!

We couldn't see Hugo this week because he was traveling. Alfonso is going to be blessing the sacrament for the first time on Sunday so that´s a big milestone.  The Lopez´s are doing great, Juan Jose had his birthday today, but we´re going to go over there tomorrow to celebrate, so I have to make another cake or something to take over.  In the house we all cook, at times one will make something for all of us, but usually we just cook for ourselves.  The general rule for cleaning is if you got it dirty you clean it, but if they don´t clean it within 20 minutes I get OCD and clean it, so at times some missionaries take advantage of that since I can´t study if the house isn't clean (not like OCD but I don´t like it when I go to get a glass or a fork and they´re all dirty).

As for the week, it was a good week, got a lot done.  On Sunday we got to go the house of the Dossett's to have Dinner.  We had pulled pork with Idaho potatoes, baguettes and other assorted goodies.  But the best part was the root-beer floats.  I had to have had at least 5-6 cups, just because they kept asking if I wanted more, and since it´s the first time having root beer in over a year I had as much as my stomach would allow me.  I ate way more than I normally do, but it was good home cooked american food, so I couldn't help myself.

Birthday Celebration.

I had my audits on Monday and Tuesday. On Monday I didn´t really do anything because the brother showed up to start it and we talked with him and President Andelin about everything he gave me a list of stuff to look for and left for the day to do something else.  So I spent the day doing normal things.  On Tuesday when we got to the office I had to make some trips to send some stuff and to pay for some things and then we started the actual audit.  He checked records for the houses that we have as well as all the withdrawals that the past secretaries have made with a few of mine.  He told me a few things that I have to do to better the records and things that other secretaries have done or not done that I have to now do or not do.  The audit though gave me at least 2-3 weeks of solid work to try and get the records up to snuff for future audits in case someone comes that isn't part of the church to look at or revise our files. 

On Thursday I had interchanges with some elders in my district and it was a lot of fun.  I talked with some of their investigators and they are working well.  I had 2 baptismal interviews and after we had our inventory.  It made me a little trunky because one of the elders, Elder Carriel, was saying that they were just taking my lead all day because I have more experience and time.  He said, "You have more time in the mission than the 2 of us put together" which is true since Elder Veliz and Carriel have 9 and 3 or 10 and 4 respectively. So I do have more time than them. So him telling me that made me a little trunky and made me realize how much time has already past in the mission.  18  months in 2 weeks.  It´s going by fast. 

My office space after the audit, it was super messy (kind of still is).

The Dosset´s house where we had gringo lunch (super good)

I made a cake for Elder Carballo´s BIrthday

Elder Hicken and I in front of the big Catholic Church

Today we went out and bought some ties and I bought some suspenders for when we go to meetings.  Not necessarily because I like them, but in Bogota, if we use suits, then we´re allowed to use suspenders or belts.  So for when we have big meetings, I´m going with the suspenders.  We also bought matching ties for when we go to meetings, just to have some fun.  I made some of Memaw´s little hot-dogs, since I stole the crock-pot from the assistant´s house while they were on Interchanges. They came out okay, but I didn´t have Honey BBQ or Grape Jelly.  So I had to make do with Honey Mustard BBQ and Strawberry Jelly. I still think that Memaw´s are better.  I´m also going to finish making some Cinnamon Rolls tonight, since I finally got the recipe from Sister Andelin.  :)  But otherwise everything is going well

P.S.   I didn´t even know that Allison was pregnant again, I suppose it would had to have happened at least 9 months ago, but no one tells me these things, that´s probably why I haven´t received an email in a while, 1) she's probably somewhat hormonal and doesn't want to talk to me, 2) having a baby with 2 other children and a studying husband is also very stressful and busy and 3) Just because I´m forgotten and no one loves me  :p, but really congrats to Alison (and to Cody, but mostly to Alison) for the new addition to the family.  Wow we´re getting big fast aren't we.  Congratulations on having baby Nash Cody Anderson!  

YOU SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM!

The Gomez Family

I got called to be the district leader (leader of the missionaries in my area) again, which I´m really happy about that, I love interacting with the missionaries in that calling, it´s more fun than being a zone leader, even though I do miss having lunch at the beginning of every month with president because it´s always super good gringo food, but I´m in Bogota, so it´s not hard to find good food.   I had a meeting with all the new missionaries and that is always good, I got to tell them how to use their cards, how to keep a basic budget and then what to do if something happens, and I was allowed to talk to them a bit in English, but that didn't help some of them since they don´t speak it.  We did have one good lesson this week with a reference from a member in another ward. We talked to him about the priesthood, how it was restored and by having it we are allowed to be sealed to our families.  It was somewhat difficult because many people don´t understand the great apostasy.   I´m just happy to be able to be more proactive in the meetings, giving capitations and whatnot.   I still enjoy working for the president and doing this assignment, but it only makes me realize what life is going to be like after the mission, I´m going to want to be a part of the work at home, but with work, school and other obligations, the time to truly dedicate myself to the work, will be fairly limited in what I can do to participate.  The missionary work is harder, but it is far more rewarding and the process is fairly simple.  The mission has been up to this point probably the fastest part of my life.  There are those moments when it slows down, but the time is flying, and I´m loving every moment of it.

It´s probably really hot there, really, I have no idea how to handle temperature change anymore, it´s the same climate from one month to the next without any variation, so I don't remember how to go about that, but I´ll remember it really fast when I get home. 

Me after playing soccer.

Bogota

Elder Alzamora doesn't like his Ice-cream

Sister Mantilla she just went home.

All the missionaries that went home except for me and my comp.

The district

Juan Carlos the birthday boy

IN THE ZONE!

In the zone!

My comp photo bombed me!

Oscar's Baptism!

In this area it is more about helping people where we can, you know, doing small favors, helping with groceries, etc...  Just so that the people recognize that we aren't going to force ourselves on them, but we always leave a small message that will hopefully get them thinking about the gospel or a small aspect of it so that if they see us in the future it isn't awkward or they don´t feel ashamed or feel forced to talk with us again. 

The Robles baptism.  Family I was teaching in my last area!!!

Me with my comp, who is super focused on writing in his journal

My comp and I knew each other from our time in Barranca, and I was happy to be able to work with him.  He´s from Peru, Lima to be more precise and he´s pretty chill, we get along great and we have a lot of fun.  The new area is good, but I miss the Colombian wards. This ward has too many gringos in it.  It makes me feel weird.

I've been trying to figure out how to go about making some beef sandwiches,  They don´t have pre-sliced beef like Portillos or Michaels, so I´m working on finding somewhere that will at least slice it nice and thin for me.  

Me in my new red Colombian Jersey

The District

But we did have an interesting day on Thursday.  After being told that the work we did for the past 2 weeks wasn't  necessary we went to the 3rd floor to meet with the Immigration Officer who would decide if we as missionaries would be allowed to stay in the country or if we would have to leave and come back with new visa statements, which if that happened I think I would have just asked to go to Mexico for the next 6 months since I don´t need a Visa to be in Mexico for that period of time and call it good.  But we went down and met him and watched a really really old video about what missionaries do.  So after that we didn't  hear anything until the next day when Br. Mauricio came in and told us that we were clear as far as visas went but that we now had to do a separate actualization of the archives for the mission in order to get them ready for an inspection we´re going to have on the 10th-12th.  That´ll be fun.  Otherwise we went to a few places today to buy souvenirs, I bought a new Colombian jersey that I liked, I´ll attach a photo.  And then we bought some stuffs and I think next week or the week after we´re going to go to the Gold museum and then the Emerald Museum.  Sounds interesting to me.  Love to all!

Birthdays for sisters Otero and Carrión

My first companion Elder Coronel

District in our full unchecked glory

My mema and papa sent me a bunch of stuff for Secretary's Day. 

Beautiful tree

Metal Horse