Eyes like a Gato, Snails, and Passion Fruit

Eyes of a Gato!

The Colombians tell me that I have eyes like a Gato, which is a cat.  You can also see that I am a little bit sunburned.  I am looking forward to and awesome tan to go along with my cat eyes!

Giant Snails!!

This is a picture of Giant Snails here in Colombia.  Whenever there is a big crunch under your foot, you know what it is.  They are huge and cool looking, I think.  They are everywhere at night, but I haven't figured out where they go in the day time.  I think they are Magic!!!!!!!

Passion Fruit

This is what you call a Passion Fruit in America.  Here it is called Maracuya.  It is really wierd to eat.  You just open it up and swallow all the seeds.  Yep, just gulp and swallow and they are gone.  Pretty good!

New Companion and My First Baptism!!!

Ok... so it´s been way crazy these past couple weeks... there's been a lot of changing and conferences and interviews... but I think next week should be a little bit better. I will write again on Monday. My new companions name is Elder Espinal, from Peru. He is about four foot eleven.  I am trying super hard to be a better person and just love him and serve him.  I have found that it is working. I guess you could say that this is something I have never tried... haha... but I really do feel like I´m changing.  Rules and obedience are becoming less of an annoyance and more of a way of living.  I have found so much power in being obedient, we can all learn from this... haha...

My companion Elder Espinal, Jose, and me before the baptism.

Another picture of me and Jose on his special day!



Here is Erica and Oscar next to Jose.  Me, Fernanda, and Sonja.

 So yea, the baptizm was great!  It was actually supposed to be next week but he was ready this week! So, I dunked him haha... I´ll have you know I said the prayer and his name in perfect Spanish.  


Although, his hand that was holding my arm, didn´t make it under the water so we tried again with perfect success haha... it was great! He is very happy and will recieve the Holy Ghost and Aaronic Preisthood tomorrow.

I am anxiously awaiting your package! I will probably cry with joy... I do that alot when I read your letters, not because I´m homesick,  just because I am happy that I have a family like I do. I really am blessed, and I know it now that I have been here in Colombia.

Oh also, you´ll notice that I am red as a tomato. I got sunburned today, so no, I don´t always look like that,  but just imagine how sexy it will be in three days!!! TAN!!! haha.. :) bueno yo nessesito ir... te amo mucho mami... tu eres la mejor! XOXOXOX



MY LITTLE ADVENTURE September 10, 2011

Hello I know you are all having a panic attack because I haven´t written. I´m sorry. ha. The truth... is that I was on an adventure.. a big one! We got a call from the assistants telling us that we had to be on a bus for Duitama at seven at night to arrive at ten. This was Thursday. The trip started off great. Nice curvy canyon road, all of a sudden, the bus stops and we look out and there is a mud slide in the road. Not just a pile of mud in the road, but half of a mountain in the road. We sat in the dark, on a bus, in the middle of the jungle for a couple hours until a tractor got there. And after watching him move dirt and slide all over we finally had enough space to pass.  

 

Remember the Laplatta hunting club? The roads there? We would take the old dodge up hunting and bounce up and down the rough road. Okay picture that, times 5, and multiply the truck by two, and add 45 people to the picture. That is how my Wednesday night Thursday morning was.. We arrived in Duitama at 5:30 in the morning just in time for our meeting with President Hacking. We had our interviews, and he sent us a big "sorry" and money for the trip back... haha... the trip back was just as bumpy! Just no mudslides in the road, and we got back here to Yopal at 12:00 last night..

 

This week I have done two things that I would never have imagined doing.. number one. I bought a baseball hat that cost about 30 dollars in the US. I argued with the Colombian man and got it for 25,000 pesos, or 12 bucks... haha. I'm good! I will send a picture of it monday. it is a Toronto Blue Jays hat. It is beautiful and very rare here in Colombia haha..

 

Second thing: Now is the time of heavy recruitment for Colombia. Trucks of soldiers drive around and unload to search for kids 17-25 without their proof of service, (you can serve, or pay to get this card). If you dont have it, you are taken immediately to the barracks... anyway, I always have my proof of foreign identity. BUT! One day it slipped my mind, and a truck of soldiers unloaded in front of me and my companion, about 50 yards ahead of us in the road. I realize I didn´t have my Cedula. I get nervous, we turn off the road, and a long crazy story short, we pretty much evaded the Colombian Military by weaving through streets and walking through patios of people... haha... it was awesome!

 

Okay... so the enterprise I told you about last time.. Out of the 12-13 people we taught, 10 now have baptismal dates for Ooctober 1st. I wish I could explain how prepared these kids are for the Gospel. Imagine, they all have families.. it´s amazing!

 

Yea, so one of the puppies is named Maverick, and the other is Goose. Dad will like those names... ha.

 

Bueno. Tengo hambre! Voy a cocinar huevos y sopa por almuerzo... I will write again on Monday, that is when changes are being made, so I will be In Yopal till Monday and then I will let you know when and where I am going. I love you and hope all is well...

Wednesday, August 31st 2011

Ha! I know that you don't cook anymore Mom! I knew there had to be some sort of excuse for you to be making bread...  he he.. and don't call yourself a lazy beast... even though i laughed out loud to that..

 

Oh Jakey poo! Tell him to give me some words please!... And I am very anxiously waiting for a letter from Justin "Urban Meyer" Torfin... Tell him and Heather I love them..

 

That is awesome about Dad in Jake's circle... to be honest... I have lost count of the blessings Ii have given for the sick and for comfort... and most of them have been in Spanish... the priesthood is like a big suit coat that you have to work hard to fill... I feel confident and have a very strong testimony of the priesthood... o sacerdocio.. en español. ha. I am so thankful to have a father that was able to give me blessings and be worthy of the calling... I realize now, how big of a responsibility it is...

 

The puppies! :( I am so sad I don't get to play with them and name them! Tell Tawni and Tyson I get to name one! and I mean that... I will send the name next week. I need to think hard about it... ha ha..

 

Mom I have learned since being here that when you put our Heavenly Father first... ALWAYS He will bless us 100 times more... I know that is true... with every cell in my body I know it... and so with your new calling... make the sacrifices... if you are tired as he--, and can't get up... say a prayer... and go do it anyway... and something amazing will happen for that effort and sacrifice... I invite you to try my words... you don't have to... but I know if you do you will be blessed.. and you will bless the lives of all that you work with...

 

Priorities are important.

 

And I don't want to call the car mine before I buy it....... but we found something... it might just be the reason I am here in Colombia... We found an interprise of 11-13 people... they work for an interprise... and well, they shared their interprise with me and my companion. And they invited us to teach our message with all of them... They are all young adults from 23-29 years old... They are amazing people... Really nice and just good people... They are all really great friends... anyway.... we taught them the restauracion?, restoration... I can't remember how to spell it in English ha ha... The spirit punched them all in the face really hard... and Ii asked a guy to read a scripture after, and he got choked up... it was the best! ha ha... and then we had a prayer. One of the girls said an amazing prayer saying to heavenly father "thank you for sending us these missionaries with the message we all have been looking for".... like I said.... I know what you are thinking right now.... ha ha.. 13 baptisms... but I don't know yet.. weather or not they'll accept baptism, but I know that they have received and felt the spirit of God, and they can never say that they didn't have the opportunity to join the church of Jesucristo. anyway...

 

I did receive your letters this week... I cried through all of them... I feel so distant from the family,Inot being able to write back.. i called the office and Hermana Boulter said that it is pretty much impossible to send a letter back to the US... and if I do. I won't be able to eat for 3 weeks... Mom... know that I would if I could... 

 

I will send a email to grandma Deon as well.. I received her letter Friday last week... I received your three on Monday... it was beautiful... the other Americans get packages and they say their parents use flat rate boxes or something... and it costs like 45 or 50 dollars... so maybe you could throw a nice set of American candy together ha ha... ,) I love you and miss you like crazy... things are great... we have intercambios in two weeks... so I will be letting you know what happens when I can... I love you... ciao

NEW MORONI FOR COLOMBIA TEMPLE

Hook him up!

Here We Go!

Gettin Closer!



Right Where He Belongs!

 These photos were taken by Brother Mark and Sister Linda Peterson who are also serving a Mission in Colombia.  They will LOVE seeing Moroni on the Brigham Temple when they get home to Brigham City!

THINGS ARE GREAT!!!!

         Yes, my suit is just a little big, but things are great!!! 

     Mom sent me a pictue of Tawni that she just took.  Freak! Why does Tawn look like she's forty... I don't like that! The picture is great however. Tell her congrats on making her big brother worry! Well, yesterday it rained for about 9 hours.  It's pretty wet and hot I have to say, but it's good. Yopal is so much harder than Bogota. I don't know why. Our success here is slowing down. Not exactly slowing down,  but our investigators aren't progressing as fast I guess, but we're trying.  Our area is huge! Ha, yes I got homesick from watching Avatar on the bus ride to Bogota! You try going four months without using a single part of your creative mind... and then have it explode open with a movie like Avatar... haha.. it was crazy!! I want to watch football so bad!! Actually, there is a member here that is a die hard football fan!! It's crazy cause I'm pretty sure he is the only one in Colombia besides myself!.. haha.. But we talk FOOTBALL allot.  He loves the Raiders, YUK!  I tell him to pick a team that is at least somewhat  good... haha.. We're good friends! It would be nice to hear a little news on my Ravens though: hint, hint... I hope Tyson and those other Indians win this year! Tell him good luck and I can't wait to hear the play by play!
     Well things here are good... I love my cold showers in the morning... especially when the house is close to 80 degrees by 10 am haha... It is awesome... and I am working harder than I ever have... Oh, and about my future goals? You like them? My most important one is the BMX one... I will be pro!      

    

Anyway... I love you allot... and I miss you all, and don't worry about a thing. Everything is going GREAT! Okay, tell the Grandparents hello, and that I miss them! I'm sure they are dying to hear from me... and I am dying to hear from them... haha... I love you!                                                                                          Adios,
                                                                                                         Elder Hall