Colombia Updates

This is Will's apartment in Bucaramanga.


This is a family that he and Elder Amador are working with.

November 24, 2008

Hola mi familia,

Hope all is well in North America. All is good in Colombia. We continue to be very busy and by the end of the day, I am beat. Tons of walking and humidity and heat and teaching but I LOVE it. The Spanish continues to progress and every day I understand more. I've been here in Colombia for three weeks now. It’s still difficult to know all that the locals are saying but it gets a little easier day by day. I heard the other day that it was about 5 months before the APs could understand people and communicate well, so I know I need to be patient, but I still think I'm where I should be language wise.

Thanks a ton for all the news etc. When you told me of that returned missionary, I can see how people could feel lonely or isolated when there is so little contact with any English speaking people. At first it was a little scary for me, but really, it hasn’t been a problem. I know I’m working hard to learn and I’m where I should be so it doesn’t bother me.

I was able to send a few pictures, but I’m not sure how often I’ll be able to because its quite slow to do. But once in a while I’ll send a pic or two. This Saturday, we baptized another kid named Christian who is a friend of the kids last week. Next week we will baptize his sister who is 22.

Every week my ability to teach progresses a little more and yesterday I taught the majority of one of the lessons by myself. I’m pretty sure they understood me. I had my talk in Sacrament meeting yesterday and they said I could talk about whatever I wanted so I choose the Book of Mormon. I read some things from Preach my Gospel and some teachings of Ezra Taft Benson and then I invited everyone there to always study the Book of Mormon and bore my testimony. Lots of people told me I spoke very well and they understood everything I said. A lot of the time I was reading but I did talk impromptu tambien.

As far as p day, our President says we aren’t supposed to play sports and we are to stay dressed in our missionary clothes. There is a basketball court in Estoraques (the barrio where we do all of our work). Once a year there is a super p day where we can play sports all day. I think it’s coming up soon but I’m not sure.

I don’t have any pictures of the family so if you could send a few, that would be very nice. Everyone always asks to see my family or hear what Los Estados Unidos is like.

Ha-ha that’s awesome that you could see me on Deal or no Deal. You should try to put it on a DVD or something so it doesn’t get lost.

As far as food, we really do have humongous lunches. In Colombia, lunch is the main meal of the day. It’s a little tough to go work and do stuff after eating so much, but to do bien. Usually lunch is enough to be set for the rest of the day. Sometimes, when we are hungry there is a little pizza stand by our apartment, where a family cooks pizzas right there, so sometimes we stop by and grab a piece of pizza before bed.

I know this letter is all over the place but I just write stuff as I think of it or remember your questions. Today for P day we are going to ask people about some cool sights to go see and stop by an Electronics store. I guess the electronics are incredibly cheap here, especially for Americans.

I have a great companion. His full name is Alisandro Amador. Like I said, he is a very hard worker. He does get very stressed and worries about things a lot if something doesn’t go right. I try to tell him to relax and enjoy what he is doing once in a while. Transfers are coming up next week and there is a very good chance he will get transferred because he has been here for the usual time they keep missionaries in an area. I sure hope he doesn’t. It would be a little weird for me to only have a trainer for 4 weeks and then get a new companion, but... Ire y Hare lo que el senor ha mandado.

The other Elders in my apartment are from Chile and Peru, I really like them and they are very funny. They always sing songs from Backstreet Boys or other American artists they have heard and talk to me about the NBA and the players they like. America really does affect the whole world. They know all the music and sports and movies etc.

I know I told you, but I stick out like crazy because I am the only gringo missionary a lot of them have ever seen. ha Everyone stares at me as I walk down streets and even people driving by on motorcycles try to yell things they know in English like “What ees jour Nayme" etc.

We are supposed to give 4 hours of service each week and last week we went to Estoraques and about 10 kids fro m the school, who are in English classes, came and I helped them with their English homework for about an hour and a half. It was pretty cool.

I get to see Elder Lee every week and it’s nice to talk in English every once in a while with him. We were talking at the baptism and about 10 people just stood around us and marveled, they really think English is cool.

But like I said the work is going great. You always feel like you could have done something better or differently but we really do try to do the best we can so I feel good about it. President Uchtdorf said to do your very best and the Lord will do the rest. Also every night in your prayers, offer up everything you have done to the Lord. Then ask him to help you to lose all regrets and have comfort that you have done what you can and that you can be rejuvenated to do it again the next day.

It’s frustrating not to be able to express everything I want to, but its all good, everyday I get closer. For example the other day we were teaching a lady who gave us all these reasons she didn’t believe our church and I knew exactly how to explain it in English but I didn’t know what to say in Spanish so I just bore my testimony. Maybe it’s better that way anyway.

It’s hard to believe I’ve been out for over 3 months and in Colombia for 3 weeks already. It’s really flown by so far and I already feel settled in here. Thanks so much for all your support and prayers. I hope all is going well at home and I pray that it is every day. Thanks again, much love and I’ll talk to you next week.
Love Will