BACK TO BOGOTA!

My companion and I, and two sister missionaries, had a zone conference back in Bogota, so we traveled for 9 hours there and 9 hours back to be there... it was really fun... On the bus ride, we watched Avatar.  I admit that I got really home sick from it.. .ha ha... but i´m okay now... :)


My mom keeps asking if I have been sick and that is why I've lost so much weight.  HA, HA, I´m never sick... we just eat a big lunch and that is it for the day... and the food isn´t that appealing so I don´t crave things.  We have been running and exercising, and that helps allot too.  Yes, my suit is grossly too big, and so are my shirts and pants, but it's all GOOD! I can´t wait to hear from you again, and that will be Wednesday.
ciao mi amor,  Elder Bridger Hall :]

Hotter than Martha's Kitchen! Friday August 19th

 This place is a little bit out of town... it´s so hot... try to see the man with no shirt haha... I don´t have many pictures of here... but yes... it´s hotter than Martha Stewarts Kitchen here...



 This is Jorge... haha... yes Jorge.. the rest of his family will be baptized in 5 months when they get married... haha...



 


So, I am in my study room... I don't know if you can tell, but I´m a little thinner than you might expect...but it´s good...

 

HOT AND HUMID IN YOPAL! Wednesday August 10th

Okay, I got on the bus at 8 in the morning and we drive.....all day.....all day.....all day.....all day.....all day.....and then finally get to Yopal at night.....9 to be exact.....the bus door opens.....and I step off.....ya know that feeling you get when you open the oven door and reach into it before the hot air can escape?  That is what is was like when I stepped off the bus.....it was like hot water being poured over my body.....I looked around and the men are sitting in rocking chairs without shirts.....and the women are wearing just enough clothing to cover certain parts.....Yopal is CRAZY!  I really don;t know how to explain the climate here other than HOT and WET!  People don't close thier doors when they are home, we just walk up and yell "Buenas" or "Como Estan"!  WE have found some great families already and I know that things are going to be good because we work hard!  So, I am here and I am safe.....I love you!

ROBBED!!!! Monday August 1st 2011

Wow , this week was CRAZY mom!  Yesterday we changed companions for the night. I went with an Argentine that I really like and we had alot of fun, and then we got a call.  Apparently, my companion and the missionary he was with got ROBBED!  Sucks for them, haha!  I was so glad it wasn't me, and we were really glad that they were okay and all that was stolen was thier cell phones.  We were told 3 days ago that we are going to be here for another month and a half, but last night we got an EMERGENCY call and found out that we are being transferred to Yopal Colombia.  It is about 360 miles northeast of here.  It is really hot and humid there and we will be there during the hottest time of the year. This place is like the jungle that I thought I'd see when I firat got here, like crazy Iguanas running around and stuff.  I am so excited, but sad to leave our investigators.  We leave at 7 am in the morning, and have a 9 hour buss ride down the Mountain.  What a long day, huh.  I better go and I miss you all!   Love Elder Hall

P-Day Break

Just goofin' off on P-Day!  I know that my Mommie will like these pictures! 

This week was a harder week.  I can speak the language alright, but it is sometimes really hard to understand. I just have to keep listening until I catch on.  It gives me a headache!

I have finally found my favorite food here.  It is Aguacate (avacado).  Here they are Giant and green, none of that little small black stuff.  They are delicious with just salt!

Our investigators are doing well, and we found a new family a couple of days ago.  They are not married which is typical here.  Marriage is just a tradition that alot of people don't follow.  Without marriage, there is no baptism, and that makes our job harder.

My companion is "Nuts".  We are late for everything!  I am learning one thing, and that is patience.  I am learning that I don't have much, (haha)!  

Oh yea!  I got pickpocketed on the bus!  Don't tell my Mom. It was a little crazy!  He stuck his hand in my pocket and I turned to deck him, but he pulled it out and I didn't have anything in my pocket anyway, so I just got off the bus.  They wait until you're getting off the bus to try it so that they can get away with it! 

THE AWESOME FOOD OF COLOMBIA!

Here is a picture of the food we ate this week. It is starting to go down a little easier.  We dirnk AGUAPANELA... it is like a brown drink similar to barf...we drink it with a hot roll and a brick of cheese that you put in the drink, yum! My gag reflexes are stonger that I thought.  I am getting really good at not asking what I am eating.  I did have some chewy meat thing today that I could not identify.  Yikes!

  

This is my Campanero,  Elder Cordona.  He is from Bolivia.  He speaks only Spanish. It is really helping me to learn to speak better Espaniol.  He looks very busy doesn't he.  He helped me to color my hair one day.  It was getting a little sun-bleached.  I am just trying to fit it! HAHA!  This is not a very clear picture, but here I am, "Doin' my Doo". Sometimes, when you are a Missionary in Colombia, you color your hair in your room. HAHA!



ELDER BRIDGER HALL



This is all my Pesos.  How much do you think this is in US currency?  5000 peso is equal to $428.45 US dollars.

Seriously though,  I am loving my mission.  We just witnessed a baptism of a young girl named Stephi, and her family.  It was really awesome!  We are teaching another family and had a really great first lesson with them.  I feel they want to know more.  I had my first interview with President Hacking.  He is a great down-to-earth man, and funny as well.  It is good to know that there are still men like that here, I miss that of Idaho.  He said he was pleased with my progress so far even though the language is coming slowly.  We are taking a bus to Facatativa to help the Sister missionaries who are struggling.  I am excited to see a new part of my mission.









FINALLY MADE IT!

Bridger (Elder Hall) and Elder Ure fianlly made it to Colombia.  They left the MTC in Provo on Tuesday June 14th at 5:00 a.m.  They flew into Atlanta, Georgia around noon our time.  This is when we finally were able to chat with him for a while.  It was great to hear his voice!  He was so excited to be out of the MTC and couldn't wait to get to Colombia.  He emailed Wednesday morning letting us know that he had arrived safely.  He was met by President Hacking.  Here is a photo of the Elder's with President Hacking and his wife.  The one thing Bridger told us was that they drove 85 mph in some crazy taxi thing.  He was white knuckling it!  No rules of the road, no police to stop you,  and everyone else was driving the same way!  He is LOVING it already!!!!!!