So this week was
pretty crazy, kind of. I got to know Elder Avila more and he’s a really good,
serious missionary. He’s 25 years old and from Ecuador. He was the assistant to
the president and I will be his last companion as he ends his mission soon.
I’m loving it here
in Bogota and I love the weather. It’s cloudy and raining right now. I’ve been making French toast for
breakfast everyday this week! They have all of the ingredients here that I am using
to make all my favorite meals!
Elder Avila and I
are starting to pick up this area. It’s tough starting in an area with a new
companion when neither of you know it that well. We had a great Sunday and got
to know the ward and some great members.
Elder Avila and I
did some contacting in the street and park. We always run into Catholics.
Everyone says they’re Catholic! They think saying "Sorry, I’m
Catholic...", will end our conversation! Ha! So we just get around it and
invite them to just hear our message and pray and that’s how we gain
investigators. We can’t just say… "Look your church is wrong cause ours is
right." Sometimes I want to though!! The problem is that nobody reads the
Bible very much... at all here.
A man told us that
Joseph Smith couldn’t have seen God, because no one ever has... We showed him
all the scriptures that say Moses spoke face to face with God and other
prophets. As he read it he changed his words and held to his stubbornness. His
daughter and wife are members! He is really nice to the missionaries but he
just doesn’t want to look beyond his traditions.
Once we contacted
a man sitting on a park bench, and he said he was Catholic but that we could
share our message with him. So I started giving the open prayer and while I was
giving it, he started laughing like a mad man! He started interrupting our
prayer to talk to an old friend approaching and made fun of us. I ended the
prayer and we said goodbye. I felt bad for him as we left.
There are a lot of
people here that our interested in our message and want to see if its true.
These, are who we focus on. Elder Avila and I have been teaching some really
good “familias” that we are preparing for baptism… The Mercado Roa family, the
Cristancho family and the Goddoy family.
I can’t believe I
found the Goddoy family!! Elder Caceres and I found them back in my last area,
Pie de Cuesta and were teaching them, while they were visiting to sell a house.
They were such a great family and ready for our message. Caceres and I had been
teaching a less-active family and Nicolas Goddoy (13 years old) was over at
their house. The bright eyed boy ended up being the only one really paying
attention and he asked us to teach his family! Unfortunately, after a couple
golden visits they had to move back to Bogota and we lost their information.
I now have a super
strong testimony that our mission President receives revelation in deciding
what areas we serve in. I’ve only been in this new area for two weeks, Bogota
is huge, but Elder Avila and I were walking one day to a lesson and the Goddoy
family was outside their house as we were passing by!!!
The mom and son
looked with complete surprise and I looked at them feeling the same! No way!
Nicolas ran inside to tell his dad. The dad was thrilled and he came outside
running to meet us. We set up and had a lesson with them the same night. I
wrote Elder Caceres and told him that we found them!
I love the feeling
of crazy motivation that the mission can bring to missionaries! It’s the best!
I look forward to all the important lessons we have this week. Tonight we’ll be
visiting with the Goddoy family and well be teaching them The Restoration! It’s
gonna be great!
I love you all,
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