Monday, July 30, 2012

7-30-12

Dear Family,

This week was really good.  Although I am super tired and I am about to die of heat stroke...  But things are going good.  I think I am at a point in my mission where my body is just tired.  Its kind of a tired that I cant shake off.  

We have a family that we are teaching.  It is a huge family of cousins, brothers and sisters.  They live in like 3 or 4 houses and we are preparing them for baptism.  They are all really great people.  I am excited to see them progress and be baptized this month.  They are probably going to be my last true converts so I am trying not to screw it up haha.  But there are really good and will be great leaders in the church someday.

My companion is a good guy.  He is from Peru so he is kind of weird... but he is a good guy.  He is kinda like a little kid though.  Oblivious of everything going on and forgetful, but I am trying to teach him without getting impatient.

That cool, mom and dad, that you could go to Strahms homecoming.  I really was with him like 5 minutes ago haha.  

Just so you all know... and to answer a very popular question...  I am still not sure of my flight plans.  It is still a long ways away... (not really, I guess...)  but I do have a pretty good idea of what will happen.  I have a contact in the office who told me that I will likely be home at about 9:00 friday night on the 19th of October.  It isnt for sure yet.  But maybe that will give you an idea.

Thanks for your letters!!! I love every monday when I get to hear from you.  I love you lots and I hope you have a great week!!!

Love,
     Corey

Monday, July 23, 2012

7-23-12

Dear Family,

This week was good.  I think I am all back to normal.  I am really really tired though.   Here in Medellin it is super hot and my area has huge mountains to climb everyday.  So I am pretty tired.  I think my body is wearing out...

Things in my new area are going really good.  We have some really good investigators that will most likely be baptized in August.  They seem to be progressing very well and I am excited to help them along in the coming weeks.  The members are cool and everything so all is well.

I dont remember if I told you already, but my buddy Elder Strahm is my zone leader.  It is super fun.  He has a way awesome companion too.  He is from Arizona and is way funny.    On friday,  Elder Strahm goes home though... he told me he was gonna go visit you guys though.  So I think I will give him our address.  

I just found out that on my birthday, we are going to have a huge mission conference...  because Elder Christofferson is coming!!!!  I am pretty sure it is a birthday present for me...  

I dont really know why, but this week my hip has been bothering me a lot.  I think it is always something that has bothered me a bit, but this week it has hurt a lot.   I think I am just getting old or something...  I think the only way to explain why it hurts is to say that I have been walking for 2 years...

Well I am sorry my letters have been really boring lately.  I am doing good though.  I love you all and hope you have a great week!!!

Love,
    Corey

Monday, July 16, 2012

7-16-12

Dear Family,

Thanks again for the really great letters you sent me this week.  This week went a little bit better.  It was really long because of all that is happening, but things are slowly getting better.  I was in the office almost the whole week.  On Thursday, I finally got an area.  I was sent to Alta Mira.  It is here in Medellin.  It`s not quite as good as Alta Suiza, but thats ok.  I am District Leader and Trainer.  I am training Elder Castillo from Peru and all is going fine.  He is stubborn and all, but he is brand new and he is moldable.  
I am also in Elder Strahm`s zone again.  It has been a long time since we have seen each other so it is nice.  He goes home on the 27th though.  I think I will try to do splits with him this week.  
I read a really great talk this week that really helped me with all that is going on.  It is Elder Wirthlin`s talk titled, Sunday will come.  He talks about the ressurection and a lot of other things.  He talks about how Mary Magdalene and Mary the Mother of Jesus as well as the disciples must have felt that Friday when He was crucified.  He talks about how that Friday was the darkest of all the days in the history of the world.  He talks about the despair and sadness of these people and how they felt like all was lost and done with.  But then came Sunday, He rose up and mended the broken hearts and all was well.  He made everything right.  We each have our dark fridays, but Sunday will always come.

I love you lots and I am so greatful for your prayers and thoughts.  I have never needed them more than I do now.  Thanks.

I hope you all have a great week.  I love each and every one of you!!!

Love,
    Corey

Monday, July 9, 2012

7-9-12

Dear Family,

I´m not gonna lie... this week was pretty rough.  I knew things would get harder but never this hard.  I´ll explain why in just a minute...

I will start chronologically....    Last Monday, I forgot to tell you that we went on a hike.  It was cool and we got to see the whole city of Manizales from the top of the mountain.  It was nice to get out and breathe the fresh air.  I really enjoyed it.  I couldn´t take my camara because it was dangerous, so I don´t have pictures to send you.

Then, on Thursday, we went to Pereira to meet President Pitarch.  He is a really good guy.  He is from Buenos Aires, Argentina.  He seems like a really good guy.  We didn´t have a lot of time with him, but he will be really good. 

The whole thing with the new mission is going alright I guess.  I don´t really like it.  It is cool and everything to be in the new mission, but everything is changing and I don´t like it.  
On Friday we had interviews with President Pitarch.  It went well.  It was short but good.  

Then on Saturday, at 11 00 in the morning,  President Pitarch called and told me they were gonna stop by in 30 minutes and that I was being transfered to Medellin....  I think it was probably the worst thing that could have happened to me in this time.  I was happier than ever, we had a baptism the same day, and everything was going really great.  I still have no idea why I was transfered, but now I am here in the office of the mission.  I don´t have a companion, I don´t have an area, and I am in some kind of limbo.  I don´t have a clue what I am doing here.  But hopefully things will change soon and I will have something to do.

It was really hard to leave Manizales.  I have never had a transfer that was so hard.  I didn´t want to leave, but I had to. 

Well, I gotta go, I love you all and I hope you have a great week!!!

Love,
     Corey

Monday, July 2, 2012

7-2-12

Dear Family,

This week was a lot better.  It has (as always...) been very interesting.  

First of all, I wanted to thank you all for your letters this week.  I really needed them.  I didn´t really realize it, but the past 2 weeks have been extremely difficult.  I have had a lot of things going on and I felt (for the first time in my whole mission) that I couldn´t move on.  I felt like I couldn´t find the light at the end of the tunnel.  I don´t know why I have felt like this and I don´t know why I have felt like this in this time.  Why now?        But I finally was able to find the light at the end of the tunnel.  I finally feel like I am able to take steps in the right direction.  I owe all this to a few things:  I was able to spend a lot of time studying and finding the answers that I really needed,  I was able to improve my prayers and make them more powerful,  I was able to think and ponder a lot,  I was able to enhance my relationship with members and friends here in Manizales, and finally, your letters were what really showed me the way out of the dark tunnel.    And as always, through these things, my trust in the Lord has grown and I have learned a lot.  He picked me up when I was down and He urged me to keep going.  He didn´t carry me out.  He didn´t take away my challenges.  He taught me that I could do it.   I know I am not done yet....  But I know I can do it.  I´m guessing (based on recent experiences...) that the hardest parts of my mission are still on their way.   But now I know I can do it.

As far as news and recent events go...  This week we said goodbye to President Prince.  He did a training meeting type of thing where he gave an awesome talk.  I think next week I will write about it, but it was really amazing what he taught us.  The meeting was really good and everything.  But it was hard to say goodbye.  He´s been a great President.  Now we belong to a new mission.  We have the privelige (sp?) to open a new mission.  I am excited to have the chance to do it.  

We haven´t met the new President yet...  I imagine this week we will.  He´s only been here for like 24 hours, so we´ll give him a minute to rest before we make him travel a lot.  I don´t really know how things will go in the new mission.  I am guessing that it will be something like a merger...  Lots of rebellion and stuff.  But I only have to put up with that for 3 more months...

Not a whole lot more to share this week...  I love you lots!!!! Have a great week!!!

Love,
    Corey