Monday, February 28, 2011

2-28-11


Dear Family,
 
This week was so crazy!  We have traveled every day to Manizales and Pereira and I have to travel every day until Thursday when I get a new companion. 

This week was good but it didn´t turn out like we had planned or wanted.  The marraige of this week didn´t happen... but we still had 3 baptisms.  But now the wedding is for the 3rd of march and the baptisms are on the 5th.  So this week we get to try it all again. 
 
The baptisms went really well.  It was a cool experience.  I will send pictures of it (and the next baptism) next week.  Sorry I lied to you...  We are in Manizales today and I don´t have my cord for my camera.  But next week i´m going to try and send a handful of pictures. 
 
We had interviews this week with Presidente Bolívar.  It was super cool.  I was the last missionary in the whole mission to be interviewed.  He told me that of all the new gringos in the newest 3 groups, that i have the best spanish.  I don´t mean to brag or anything but that gave me a really nice boost of confidence this week.  Oh and I am in the 2nd newest group of missionaries.  then after my interview, Pte. Bolívar took me and my companion out to lunch.  He also went out of his way to congratulate us on all of our baptisms.  Yeah its pretty cool to be congratulated by the Presidente. 
 
On Friday, we had zone conference.  It was super cool and fun.  It was in Pereira and it was 10 hours of training.  I got to meet a lot of the missionaries in the mission and Pte. Bolívar spoke for 4 hours about the Atonement.  It was super deep and everything but it was super awesome.  And I understood every word.  
 
I had to speak again in church yesterday.  It went pretty well.  But again, I didn´t have anytime to prepare anything.  I just got up and started speaking.  But luckily I can always rely on the gift of tounges to help me through anything.
 
I get a new companion this week.  I have to say that I´m kind of excited for it.  I´m a little nervous but mostly excited.  I just hope he is obedient. 
 
Well I think I´m pretty much out of things to say...
 
I love ya all lots and hope you have a good week!
 
Love,
     Corey

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

2-22-11

Dear Family,

Sorry this didn´t come yesterday...  We had a crazy p day and weren´t able to write.  We have been preparing an activity for the whole district (stake) in Manizales.  So today, I only have 30 minutes to write so this might be short...

This week has been pretty good.  It´s been crazy busy.  I had to go on divisions 2 times with other missonaries and we have been preparing our 7 investigators for baptism.  So yeah we have been working really hard to try to get everything ready for Friday.  

This week is going to be even crazier.  We went to Manizales for the whole day yesterday,  we had district meeting today with the President´s Assistants in Manizales,  tomorrow we have interviews with the President and we are staying in Manizales for the night because we end too late to head back to Chinchina, then on Thursday we have a wedding of one of our investigator families, Friday we have Zone Conference and 7 baptisms, Saturday the activity with the district, and Sunday we speak in church and it is Elder Alfonso´s last sunday.  That probably isn´t everything but this week is gonna be tough.  Oh and this week, Pte. Bolivar is having all the missionaries get up at 6:00am to do extra studies.  But luckily only for this week.  I´m already exhausted...

Last week I got to attend the wedding of the Fma Montes.  It was so cool.  I have taught them my whole mission and finally they are married and ready for baptism.  This is the wedding that Mom and Dad helped pay for.  Thank you so much for your help!  It was such a cool experience to see.  It was in the Notary´s office because it is cheapest there... but it was really cool.  Lots of members came out to support them so it was really cool. 

This week we have another wedding to go to...  Fma Alcaraz. They are super cool and we have overcome lots of really big obstacles with them.  So I am really excited for that.  This is the other family that is getting baptised on Friday.  

Oh, mom I received your package today!  Thank you so much!  I didn´t realize how much I missed American candy...

Despite my very busy week,  I am super excited for it.  My first zone conference, 7 more baptisms, also we have found 3 or 4 new families that we will likely baptize in March.  So things are going pretty well.  But most of all I am itching for the baptisms most.  They are so cool!

I hope everything is going well and that you are all enjoying all of your activities.  It sounds like you all have been pretty busy lately.  Love you all!!!

Love, 
       Corey



FOTOS A VENIR EL PROXIMO LUNES!!!

Monday, February 14, 2011

2-14-11


Dear Family,
 
This week has been pretty good.  Pretty hectic, but good.  We have been working really hard in preparation for our baptisms.  We had to change the date to the 25th of Feb. but the families are both ready, they just need to get married.  (oh did i tell you that no one in colombia is married?)  So this friday we have la familia Montes wedding which was paid for by mom and dad (they are really grateful by the way...) , and then next monday or tuesday we have another.  So we are getting really close to bringing 2 really awesome families into the gospel!  I´m really excited.  But we had a heart breaker yesterday...  Ubaldo -the one that wanted to serve a mission and everything- rejected us.  It was super unexpected but on saturday night he told us that he had made a promise to his girlfriend that he would attend her church.  We talked to him a lot and he had told us that he recieved the answer from God that we have the true church.  He was our golden investigator.  But we pretty much ended up telling him that this choice he had to make is not choosing between us and his girlfriend but between God and his girlfriend...  So yesterday, he chose his girlfriend...  Its hard for us, but I read a scripture in D y C that says something like - when you are rejected, shake the dust off of your feet and don´t look back.-  So... now its his call.
 
Speaking of Doctrina and Covenants,  I finished it this week.  Actually I finished it and the Pearl of Great Price.  Holy cow!!! They are so awesome!!!  I learned so much.  Now, I am reading the Old Testament... Yeah thats right, the Old Testament...  Its hard but kinda cool.
 
We finally moved!!! We now live in a spacious apartamento and have fresh air from real live windows!!! 
 
I went on Divisions with my zone leader this week.  Elder Martinez is from Paraguay and is super cool.   It was so fun to serve with him.  Its amazing how much I can learn in just one day with another missionary. 
 
Speaking of other missionaries... my companion is still fairly disobedient.  I like the guy a lot as a friend, but not so much as a missionary.  Honestly, I can´t quite figure out how we have 7 baptisms this month.  But I figure for now while I am learning, I will be as obedient as I can and work really hard.  Now I am super excited to have a new companion in 3 weeks (mas o menos) because I have a lot of plans on how to change this area and organize it. 
 
Spanish is going really well.  I finally feel like I am learning it and being able to speak and actually progressing.  But as a side affect, I can´t speak or write english worth a dang..  I can read it but thats about it..
 
Well I gotta go.  Have a good week!
 
Love,
    Corey
 
p.s.  mom i will probably get your package soon.  I can only get mail and packages when someone comes from cali.  Which is once per transfer usually..  (and every transfer.)

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

2-8-11

Dear Family,

This week has been pretty good.  We have had some interesting things happen...

Oh and I fogot to tell you something that happened in church last week.  So we went to church and were sitting in preisthood meeting when the counselor came up to me and asked me if I was ready to speak in sacrament meeting... I wasn´t ready, but I said yeah of couse we are ready.  Elder Alfonso wasn´t too happy about that but we did it anyway.  So I had to go first... I got up not knowing what I would say but I just started talking.  It was pretty good spanish too.  But I started talking about testimonies.  I had realized in fast and testimony meeting that the members testimonies were pretty weak.  So for some reason I pretty much told them that.  I went on for about 20 minutes.  So that was kind of cool.  And then yesterday, in fast and testimony meeting, it was different.  They were speaking from their hearts rather than saying memorized kid testimonies.  I don´t know if I had anything to do with it, but maybe...

So this week we worked really hard and now, we have at least 8 baptisms for sure on the 19th of this month.  They are all really cool and all ready for baptism so i´m really excited.  One of the investigators, is Ubaldo.  He is golden.  We have taught him 2 lessons and he told us that he wants to hurry and get baptized so he can serve a mission.  He is 24 almost 25 so we really have to hurry so he will be able to serve. 

Then on Saturday,  we had to go to Manizales to Interview some people for baptism.  We usually take a medium sized bus.  But we decided to take a small van.  One thing about these buses...  Every time we take one, it is more exciting than the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland.  It is pretty similar too.  We go through this big old canyon with steep death drops on both sides and the drivers are nuts.  So the fact that we might crash is always on my mind.  So on Saturday, it became a reality.  Luckily, we didn´t fall down the death drops but we definately nailed the car in front of us pretty hard.  But then I looked behind us only to see a huge semi truck screeching to a stop behind us.  Keep in mind that we are in a very small bus...  The semi screeches to a stop and very miraculously stops within a few inches of us, sparing our lives...  Then everyone in our little bus files out without a word, and we all get in another bus and drive away.

Anyways, I´m doing really good and learning spanish pretty well.  Its tough but its coming.  I hope everyone is doing well and is happy.  Have a good week.

Love,
    Corey
P.S. mom, I havent gotten your package yet... Maybe in 10 days or so...