I Can Buy Coke Now!

Hey family!

So I just opened my gifts and I loved them!  I am trying out my alpha smart to see how it works! I hope that I can write longer letters to you guys every week now as well as other people.  My companions all wondered what this thing was.

So the day ended. I am currently writing on this keyboard thingy.

We went and sang hymns at this place in the center of Cali and we wrapped up Books of Mormon and were going it give them to people. We did that but it just happened to be POURING rain. So it was a little hard to aqui estuvo Elder Pizarro. (That was Elder Pizarro. Needless to say my companions like to mess with this as well.) Singing in the rain with our hymn books and also trying to hand out Books of Mormon is not easy. You can’t put anything on the ground because it gets ruined. Nobody really wants to stop for too long so you have to grab them while they are listening! It wasn’t easy but it was so much fun. You see all these people drinking or alone or only looking for other things but the few hymns we sang over and over got some people’s attention.

As for the skype call. It was great to see all of you that I got to see!!! This call was a lot easier than last time. The last one I had a lot less time in the mission and was still learning how to love it. Now, I know how much I can and do enjoy it so it just means we will talk in May and I will be having a great time until then. I got to talk to Brittany and Ty for a little bit which was great. Reese was super busy, but when I did my Scooby Doo laugh and my ruh’ro shaggy voice he definitely heard me!

Kameron also seemed to remember me which was nice. He recognized my voice I think. He got wayyyyy to big though. He is like huge.

I want to thank everyone as well for all the things they did for me this Christmas regardless if it was a gift or a prayer. I am super grateful for everyone and this time we had to help people remember Christ a little bit more.

Shoutout to my pregnant sister and cousins. I am super excited for you guys. I doubt that all of you can hold your babies in for a few extra months but give it a shot.

So we met D in the street on Tuesday and he was very drunk. He started apologizing to us for everything and wanted to just talk to us. He kept putting himself down and talking about how he went to one of the best schools in Cali and now he basically has nothing. I stood and watched my companions talk to him and just tried to listen. I didn’t really know what for but I just didn’t feel like talking at the moment. As Elder Wright was talking, me and D made eye contact and I just couldn’t help but love him so much in that moment regardless of the mistakes and lies he had told us. I gave him a smile and he put his hand out and gave me a hug and told me that there was something different about me. I took that as my sign to talk. I then told him how I had told all of you guys about him and how awesome I thought he was and how great he was. I told him how my Mom would ask about him every week to see how he was and how he was progressing. He couldn’t hold the tears back to hear that. He agreed to let us walk him back to his apartment and we cooked him agua panela (which is a sweet drink here) and I just kept talking to him. We said a prayer and ate bread and this drink. It was a moment I will never forget. Looking around and seeing four missionaries sitting in this tiny house, not teaching, not preaching, but just being there. I remember we took his shoes off and laid him into bed and tucked him in and we shut the lights off and he was already asleep. I don’t know how this story sounds to you guys but it was one of the most powerful moments of my life.

To know that God had sent me there to specifically help him. I can promise you that Elder Wright and Elder Alcorta and Elder Eldredge are all better missionaries than me. For some reason however, God allowed me to be what he needed.

Anyways, this week was good. We had an end of year conference which was super fancy. It was on the 15^th floor of this super nice hotel. It had two levels and there were servers there all day to help us with whatever we needed. They gave us a three course meal. I liked half of it. You could tell it was super expensive because the appetizer had gross weeds on it. We watched Meet the Mormons which I had not seen (he has seen it, he just doesn't remember). It is a good movie. Now I know the Mormons. We played Jeopardy and since the office made the questions we were judges for all the zones. My zone did not win.  We had a great time and there was something amazing that President Whitesides changed this conference….WE CAN BUY COKE NOW!! For those of you that are wondering which coke because I am in Colombia I mean Coca’cola.

 Also, Elder Alcorta and Elder Pizarro would like a CTR ring like the one I have. Here in South America they cant go to Desseret Book and buy one. Please if you could I would appreciate it. A size 8 and a size 9.5!! 

That was pretty much my week! Love you guys!! Stay strong!

Con Amor,

 

Merry Christmas A Todos

Hey Merry Christmas a todos! 

I obviously didn't have transfers and I won't for a little while. The thing is that they are very stressful here in the office. 

As President's secretary I am in charge of planning the whole 3 days of it. We call it plan de ataque. I have to schedule all the interviews for the missionaries that are going home and their flights and and all the transports. 

I have to schedule a lot of transports for the new missionaries to go to all sorts of different places. I was actually stressed for the first time in my whole mission. The things I handle are very delicate and I knew that. 

I knelt down before I left on Tuesday morning to do all these things and said a prayer and just thanked God for everything and begged him to just let things work. 

As we got to the airport we said goodbye to the old missionaries and rushed to the entrance to greet the new ones. I had scheduled two buses for the airport and knew they were coming. Then I saw some guy holding up a little whiteboard with my name on it. It actually freaked me out a little but it turned out that he had a taxi for two people. 

My stomach just dropped because there were 22 people and 40 bags that needed to go to different places. It turned out that he was just to take the assistants to the house with the bags. 

Then in the notary when I asked for everyone's passports one elder started searching everywhere and he confessed that he had left it ON THE PLANE. I did not freak out or anything I just said hold on a second everything will be okay. I totally lied. I thought we were done for. 

Luckily I made some calls and they had it there at the airport. Everything worked out alright there. 

Later, we had to take more people to the airport and the lady at the airport would not accept the paper I had to pay for there bags. It had worked in the morning but this time it didn't. I was freaking out. 

We ended up paying  for them with the mission card and it will just be reimbursed. 

Then as I was looking at the passports a sister from Mexico didn't have her visa. Which meant that she had a very limited amount of time to legally be in this country. 

Turns out that they had just realized that and were taking care of it and sent me an electronic copy through email. 

Then we had to send them all off to their areas with their trainers. I had not scheduled a transport. I didn't know we needed one. We just ended up calling A LOT of taxis. Then everyone got out and everything was fine. 

At the end of all the craziness I had just gotten home Wednesday night and was laying in my bed and it hit me. 

There were problems but they were overcome. There were times I had to work more than I had planned but it worked out. 

God didn't make it easy but I didn't ask him to. I told him to allow everything to work out and it did. I got down on my knees and thanked him for everything. 

It may not seem like he is helping out but he may just be requiring a little bit more faith.

Anyways, that was my update for now! I will see you guys tomorrow I think! 

Love you all!! 

Con amor,

Grandchildren Get More Spoiled Than Children

Hey guys!

Sounds like a lot of stuff is going on! 

Sounds like you will be having a lot of fun in Oregon with Brittany and Ty this week so that will be great. You should take some pictures of your adventures for me! I have never once made a gingerbread house with you. Grandchildren get more spoiled than children. 

I hope Duke gets better. Is he still going on walks with Dad or does he not want to? Do you think he got sick at grandmas house and that is why he is acting weird? 

It sounds like you enjoy working at the temple. I miss being in the temple. Working there was something very special. 

Something interesting that we talked about this week with President and Sister Whitesides was saying prayers every now and again without asking for anything. God knows what we need regardless of what we say. He, just like any other parent, needs to here us say thank you for everything he does for us. Through doing such a simple act we can feel his love through our gratitude and maybe receive such simple answers that we couldn't find before. 

My investigators are doing alright. This week has been rough though. Elder Falabella, who is a seventy here, came to our mission and the office had to prepare so many things. Also, transfers are coming up this Monday so I have to prepare a lot of stuff for so many things and I don't have any time to go out to the area and it is hard. Sometimes you feel like you aren't fulfilling your purpose as a missionary when you aren't out teaching. I think of the people that need me but I don't have time for sometimes and just pray that they will wait for me. 

D has come back and has been very busy. We have had to move his baptismal date a couple times but we are getting there. 

This week I was in charge of getting the chapel ready for the conference with Elder Falabella. When we got there the night before the stake center had a total of 3 tables in it and we had to seat 110 people. I was not a happy camper. But, we hadn't been beaten yet. 

We knelt down and said a prayer for a little help and then made a phone call. The guy in charge of that stuff said he would try and get them there before lunch so that we could eat. That was our only hope really. 

So we cleaned it and prepared what we could and went home.

We woke up the next day and went there early to control the other missionaries and when we got there all of the tables were there. They were all set up with table cloths and everything. I still don't know who did it but someone did. I was so relieved. 

I got a letter from someone this week. Her name is Liliana Cartagena. She was my second baptism in the mission. She gave me a printed letter telling me how grateful she is and that it is so hard for her to know I am so close but we cant see each other. She said that her doors are always open to any Reese's so lets take advantage!

Let Adams dad know I miss him! It sounds like they have a lot of work now.

Anyways, I love you guys!! Have a good week! 

Con amor,

I Have No Fear

Hey guys!

So this week was good! 

We had another Elder in the office because he has a bad foot so he was with us all week. He is a cool guy. He is from Utah and has one transfer less than me. 

We also had interviews this week. President and me had a good talk. I had to ask him if he thought I needed to be more professional because everyone says I am always joking. He told me that he has no problem with anything I have ever done and believes that he never will. Which means I am just a lot more fun than everyone else obviously!! 

I had a two day training session this week too. The guy that is in charge of all the immigration stuff in every mission in Colombia came to Cali to teach me a few things. 

He said that when he received this position in 2014 that there were 800+ missionaries serving illegally in there missions. Almost all of them got send home to serve. His biggest worry was teaching me how to keep everyone's' archives in order. It was interesting. 

He actually told me a story that I loved a lot. At one point he had to welcome and help Elder Christofferson when he came to Barranquilla which is at the North Coast of Colombia. He said that when it rains the roads just flood and it can carry cars and buses with it so when it happens it is better to stay inside. 

As it happened to start raining he was waiting outside Elder Christoffersons room for anything he might need and just staring out the window thinking. He then felt a hand on his shoulder telling him that no matter what happens everything was going to okay. As he turned it was Elder Christofferson. He just nodded and thanked him even though he had no idea what he really meant. 

Then they left to go pick up Elder Holland at the airport. As they had already got him he was walking behind the two Apostles and Elder Holland stopped and turned around and gave Hermano R. (the guy that trained me) a huge bear hug and lifted him off the ground telling him that he loved him. 

After these two interesting events he continued with the event they had come to Barranquilla for and it all turned out okay. After it was over he got a call from his wife. The call was to inform him that his son was in the hospital for the first out of 4 suicide attempts that he would try to do in his life. Luckily he has never been successful and is now in a much better state. 

The relationship the leaders of the church have with the Holy Ghost is stronger than we can imagine. We may not always get the hand of a servant of the Lord on our shoulder with comforting words or a bear hug from another Apostle. But, there is always a way the Lord helps us. 

He has sent people here to help us in times of need. Nevertheless, there are sometimes in our lives where we have to go so far into the dark that there is only one person that can come with us. 

Hermano R. told us that the amount of strength he took from the counsel of these Apostles was everything he needed to help overcome these problems. 

As for working in the office. It is hard some days to find drive to keep doing what the Lord has asked of me. I came here to teach and preach the Gospel. President told me that everyone here in the office has been called because God knows that they can do both. 

I wouldn't say that the office is safer it is just less probable that things happen because we are out less amount of time. My area is actually really cool and pretty sketchy but I love it all the same. 

As for the campaign here it is great. I love having such an easy excuse to talk to people. I have no fear when it comes to talking to people. One of my companions is not super confident when it comes to contacting so I create scenarios where he has to talk. I hand cards to people in a group and then tell them my companion is going to explain what it is and he has no choice. 

What kind of car did Courtney (Hunter's Sister) buy? 

I hope you get better Mom. We all got colds here like 3 weeks ago and still have side affects but it is all good. 

I will pull my package out Monday! I spent some money today but a lot of it was paid back to me in cash as I bought things at once for everyone. 

I love you guys!! Have a great week! 

Con Amor,

#Lightuptheworld

Hey guys,

Sounds like Mom is liking the temple (I am volunteering in the temple once a week). I wish I could see it. The last temple I was in was the Bogota temple and it seems like forever ago. It was a very pretty temple though. There is like this huge like double open staircase in it and I love it.

D's will have to wait to be baptized another Saturday because his wife invited him home for his daughters birthday and won't be going to church this Sunday. I promise he is a great investigator though!! Also, D was the guy whose wife threw him out. 

You both told me my package was in the mail. I will not know when we are Skyping for a little bit because it is like a month away!! I will let you know with sufficient time though. 

This week we are starting the campaign #Lightuptheworld,  that the church started for this Christmas season and it is a lot of fun. If you haven't watched the video yet or heard about it do it right now!! (Click here to see the video)

We have these little cards we hand out with all the info on them and we hand them out to EVERYONE. Zones have started keeping track and we are blowing them out of the water. When I take a jeep (it is a taxi but with two benches in the back that I use to up to my area)  I always give one to everyone and explain it and on the way down or we stop by restaurants and get everyone's attention. We gave out 50 yesterday. It was a lot of fun. 

Everyone is getting so big. Madelyn (Hunter's niece) would come to me but I was like almost her last resort and the only two below me were you and Mom so now I am in last!! 

I will probably get my box sooner because the elder that handles all of that sits right next to me all day. 

We had a lot of fun at the Thanksgiving dinner. It was all dish yourself type of thing THANK GOODNESS. I ate turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy and rolls. It was perfect. It was all mostly in Spanish though so that was different. I made those rice krispies but differently because there is no corn syrup here!! 

Anyways, I love you guys a ton!! Stay true!! 

Con amor,

Elder Reese

Thanksgiving is Strange in My Mind

Hey guys!

Just another week here in the office. This week is kinda my slow week. I had finished all of the travel stuff for the new missionaries and now I am waiting for other stuff for the ones that are coming. 

I actually do remember that Filipino lady. She was super nice. They had a lot of food but I wouldn't call it all good! (We spent Thanksgiving with our daughter in Oregon and one of their co-workers ha an annual potluck that we attended; Hunter went when he was here two years ago)I have learned to eat some things I don't like but I have to just tell people I don't eat much so then I get less of what I don't like. 

So D's baptismal date got moved up one more week because he couldn't go to church, but he said he is never going to accept jobs on Sunday ever again, which is great! 

Here in the offices we are doing a Thanksgiving Dinner on Tuesday with the mission home and President and Hermana Whitesides. We are all bringing our own dishes and we will have a turkey and everything. Thanksgiving is strange in my mind.

We all take a day out of the year to be sincere and tell people what we are thankful for. Here in the mission I have tried to get into the practice of just letting people know how much I care for them or what they mean to me or just how grateful I am for them. 

Christ did so many miracles and he often got no thanks. He didn't obligate people to do anything in return, he just did what was right. In the story of the ten lepers only one came back to thank him. It doesn't say in the scriptures but I can imagine that Christ was grateful. 

As a missionary when people tell me things that are nice or make me happy I feel good and I use it to keep going. Just a thought as this holiday has come and gone, just maybe if we all tried a little harder we could make everyday a day of thanks. 

Anyways, we met this family last night that let us in for a 5 minute lesson. We started talking about the restoration of the gospel and we had been there for about 30 so I said I didn't want to keep taking time away and that we could come back but they said that we couldn't leave without explaining the rest. That made me so happy. I have really high hopes for this family. 

I am super happy Reese (a two year old nephew) remembers me! It will be a while before I meet all my new family members but it will come. 

I have no idea when I am going to do my Skype call but I will definitely let you know! Also, food is more expensive in Cali so I am spending a little more. I also am going to send a package home but it will be really small and I am not putting in things that are expensive she said it should cost no more than 30 dollars to send. 

Other than that my week has been alright. I love you guys! 

Con amor,

Did President Double Check With God?

Hey guys,

I got a lot of emails this week that I never thought I would have! 

I am learning a lot here and it is actually really funny to see how everyone reacts. I just hope that I can live up to what people and more so what God expects from me! 

I had my ¨Welcome to the office¨ interview with President Whitesides. I asked him a little more about why I am here. He explained to me that at one point in the mission the office was a place where the President put all the disobedient missionaries to keep an eye on them but then a Seventy told them that it is not ever supposed to be like that. He said that he thinks the office missionaries are the examples as to what a missionary should be like. That when other missionaries see the missionaries here that they should see servants of the Lord. 

So I guess somewhere along the line God told President that I was one of them. I actually asked President if he double checked with God to make sure it was me. He just laughed and said it was an undeniable feeling. 

As for this week. I have learned a lot about what I do. I have gone to immigration twice to deal with these things called cedulas. It is like the Colombian version of a drivers license/ID.

I have gone to the notary as well to get some passport papers stamped and signed and learned a lot of new words that I have never had to use in the last 8 months or really my whole life. 

I spend all my time in front of a computer or updating physical files that we have here in the office. 

This week I have to call all the families of the missionaries that are going home to make sure they are okay with everything. 

I was going through the list to see who I will have to call and I was reading their countries: Peru, USA, Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil.....BRAZIL. They speak PORTUGUESE. 

I am now taking little crash courses of Portuguese to be able to talk with Elder Costas family this week so wish me luck. 

The investigators are great. We have a baptismal date, His name is D. He has had a rough go at things as of late. 

He had problems with alcohol and his wife kicked him out and sent him on a potato truck to Cali from Pompayan which is about 3 hours. He got here with just the clothes on his back and an electrician background. He has stopped drinking and he just goes around asking people if they need help with their things and that is how he is earning money. 

We went to his house 2 days ago. It was the first time I had been there and it was about the size of a small classroom in a school. The floor is not even cement it is just rock. We sat down and he said ¨Hey can I buy you guys some bread and a coke?¨ We politely declined and he did it anyways. He took this 5000 peso bill and left. 

As we were talking we asked how his work was going. He said ¨I know that with time God will help me in the part of my life but I made 5000 today.¨ 

The bread and coke we had just drank got a lot heavier in our stomachs as we realized that everything he made that day he just spent on us. All of us had tears in our eyes as we realized how much he was willing to sacrifice just to know God. 

Now we have to wonder if we can do the same. 

Anyways, he should be baptized the December 2nd. I will keep you updated on that. 

Uncle Scott did email me and I am very grateful. Who knew that he still speaks Spanish huh? 

Love you guys! Have a great week!! 

Con Amor, 

P.S. That goes on all my emails now. Please don't call the mission!

The Lord Called You to be the Presidents New Secretary!

Surprise! I write on Saturdays now!

There are a few big changes now! I was District Leader for like 2 days so that was cool but now I am something much different! 

We did not have transfers this last Monday because of this Paro. Although, it ended Monday so we had transfers on Tuesday! I got a nice little call from the Presidents Assistant at 10 o'clock on Tuesday and he said ¨Elder Reese how are you?¨ Then he made small talk for 30 seconds and after he said ¨Elder Reese the Lord has called you to have a new assignment in the mission.¨ So I told him to lay it on me! He said ¨The Lord has called you to be the Presidents new Secretary!¨ 

What does that mean? I'll tell ya. It now means I am in Cali at the mission office everyday. I am the Presidents personal secretary. I handle every flight of all the missionaries going home and every passport/identification material of every missionary in the mission. I take all the new missionaries through migration when they get here. I work very closely with President Whitesides and schedule all of his meeting and flights as well. 

When I got here on Tuesday night I asked him why he choose me and he told me that he didn't choose me but God did. He said God only puts the missionaries in the Offices that he and President Whitesides can trust the most. 

We have a lot more responsibility but also more freedom. We have a higher level of trust. There are 3 other secretaries. One handles the finances of the whole mission, one handles all the materials like the houses and the packages, and one handles all the baptismal forms and references. 

I live in a huge house with all of them and they are all gringos except for 1 of them. My new companion or well companionS are Elder Eldredge from Texas and Elder Aragon from Utah. 

Elder Aragon is training me how to do my job because I can't mess up or a lot of things can go way wrong! He will be with me for this whole transfer helping me with anything I need to learn. 

Elder Eldredge will stay with me after that and we will be companions until one of us gets switched. 

There are perks though. We have a maid!!! She washes all our clothes and and cleans the whole house everyday and also cooks us food! It is great! We just throw our clothes by the washer and when we come home at night they are all hanging up ready to be used! 

The downside is that I am sitting behind a computer screen from 10 in the morning until 6 at night. We only get to proselyte for 3 hours every day and my P days are now on Saturday! 

We have already found like 4 investigators of gold since I have been here! Not to say I am the reason that we found them but they just got found! They are neighbors and they had a bunch of questions that we answered together. 

As missionaries, we try to avoid the coffee and alcohol question until later in the lessons because we need to explain that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that he received the revelation for the Word of Wisdom. But, sometimes it doesn't quite happen that way! 

We were teaching these awesome investigators on the street and they asked this question. Me and Elder Aragon had been teaching most of everything and Elder Eldredge hadn't said much. When they asked that question I whispered to Elder Aragon ¨On the count of three both of us just look at Elder Eldredge¨ So we did and he scrambled very fast and it was very funny because he wasn't paying a whole lot of attention but we worked it out! 

I also go to the airport to see missionaries off and when the new ones come in! So I sent home my first missionary on Thursday. Her name was Hermana Solorzano. She was from Ecuador and she had a twin sister in Bogota serving the mission. They both wanted to get home on the same flight so I had to call Elder Johnson who does my job there in Bogota. We coordinated very well to schedule everything perfectly! 

Wednesday the missionaries' mother kept calling President and she wouldn't pick up when I called but FINALLY she answered me and I talked her down and told her how everything was going to go. 

That is a great tip parents. One call to the mission president is okay but unless it is an emergency you shouldn't bother him. Call the office! I get to deal with the crazy parents now! 

Anyways, Hermana Solorzano called me and asked me a favor on Wednesday before she left. She wanted me to bug Bogota to call her sister to see if she was going to wear the outfit they had picked out together. I was blown away. That is one of the dumbest questions anyone has ever asked me. I politely told her it might not happen but that I would try.  (I don't think he tried)

Alright, you all have extra time to get your emails in for next Saturday! Love you all hope you are having fun! Stay strong! 

Con Amor,

Elder Reese

I Bought a Captain Jack Sparrow hat with Dreads and Everything

Hey guys!

This week was interesting! 

That family that we have been teaching didn't have time for us this week so we were a little bummed. Then we were going back to the house and the whole family was there at our door. This was a surprise because we don't tell people where we live. They had seen us earlier and figured that is where we lived. 

Turns out they wanted to play basketball with us because my companion told them that he would love to. We had no confirmed appointments so we did. I imagine I was a pretty big let down as a gringo that cant play basketball. It turned out to be really good to get a little closer with them!  

As for transfers. There is this thing in Colombia called paro (strike), which means that no buses are available for as long as it lasts because it doesn't have a set time! The last one was last year and it was three months long. How dumb right? Luckily it ended already. It really makes no sense. For now I am with stinky feet until they tell us otherwise. One thing they did tell me is that I am the new district leader so that is cool! 

Why did the whole family show up this weekend? Was there a special occasion?

Halloween was interesting! We spent some time with a new convert and his family that we are teaching! I bought a Captain Jack Sparrow hat with dreads and everything. It was pretty great! Didn't take pics though! Sorry. 

I should have a lot more students this week in my English class though! I am excited! 

Anyways, That is about it! Love you guys! Have fun at the coolest temple in Idaho that they couldn't build before I left!! 

Con Amor,

Elder Reese

You Really Shouldn't Complain About the Stairs

Hey guys!

This week was great!! We had interviews with President and his wife! We also put 2 baptismal dates for this next transfer. I hope I stay just for that reason. I could handle another transfer with my companion to baptize some people. 

 

It sounds like the temple is going good! Mom you really shouldn't complain about flights of stairs unless you want to get made fun of. When Grandma and Grandpa Reese complain they have valid reasons. It makes you sound really old!! Just saying!!

That thing I wanted for Christmas is called an alpha smart and it would everything easier!! Also, I thought about somethings that I haven't got yet. There are these things called gardettos and they are really good. Do you remember that HUGE bag of chips I bought at winco? That is what they are and if you cant find them just ask Tanner he knows. Also, flamin hot munchies! 

I won fantasy my first year and that was it! I miss fantasy it was a good way to trash talk.

As for Jorge. He didn't have time this week but we should see him next week! We gave this family their Books of Mormon and I am excited to see what happens with them. Some of the daughters are a lot more interested than the family. We are going to keep working with them! 

Anyways, my interviews were way better this time. They were all amazed at how much my companion loves me. I didn't know he did. OH! President Whitesides was in charge of all the temples in Idaho so we figured out he knows Robert (This is Bill's brother)! He told me to tell you guys to tell him hi! I honestly have no idea if I am going or staying this transfer but if I don't email next week it is because I am on a bus! 

So, I don't know if you guys remember Elder Kelley, my companion from the MTC, but his younger brother gets to my mission this next transfer! I thought that was pretty cool! 

Anyways, not much more to report! I love you guys! See you soon!! 

Con Amor,

Elder Reese

I Haven't Fallen Asleep Once in Sacrament

Hey guys!

Well you finally got it all cleaned out (Still talking about the bonus room that is now clean with occupants)! We talked about it basically my whole life! I am surprised you got it done so fast!(It didn't feel fast!)

I haven't fallen asleep once in sacrament since I have been on my mission!(Someone fell asleep in our sacrament meeting this week.) It is not too easy either because my ward starts at 8!! It is terrible! We always get up at 6 30 but we usually can avoid people until like 10 or 11! 

This week was good! It was filled with good news! One of the divorces that need to happen will be finalized here pretty soon and that will be two baptisms! They have been investigators for 10 years and we are going over the lessons again! Turns out they forgot a lot of it so good thing we checked! 

We stopped by their house yesterday and she told me that her brother had lost his wife on Friday and we asked if he could come over so we could talk to him and he did. 

He is catholic and he said he felt guilty for some of things he has done and things he said and didn't say to wife while she was alive! 

We started sharing the plan of salvation and everything went great and he wanted us to come back to explain the rest! I really felt like he will be baptized. 

As for the moving in! (Gretchen and Kevin are staying with us for a couple weeks while they get their house ready to move into) Sad I missed it! I had to think really hard about who Matt Banning was but I figured it out! (Matt Banning was the assistant principal at Hunter's school for a year) Is he in there ward or something? That is cool! He knew me when I was like 11 or 12. That is a while ago! Did dad talk to him?

Just so you know Dad doesn't say all the details like you, Mom, so he has told me none of the stuff you tell me! I expect Duke to remember me! He didn't recognize Abby for a few days until she was home all day on the couch and then he remembered there was a girl that used to do that a year and a half ago! 

As for this family. We have another appointment with them tomorrow! We will see how that goes! We will be giving them all a Book of Mormon which will be 6 in total! They are super nice people! 

Also, my district leader got transferred today because he is going to be a secretary in the mission office! So we don't have a district leader! The zone leaders are going to be our district leaders for 2 weeks until President calls a new one! 

Anyways, that was my week! Hope everything goes well over there! Love you all! 

Con Amor,

Elder Reese

There Was No Toilet Paper

Hey guys!

Sounds like you have had a blast!! (We are still cleaning out the bonus room) The bonus room needed to be cleaned out. Did you guys know that the term we use for that room is like only in our family? No one else says bonus room! It is a storage room for everyone else. I have no idea how we started calling it that but yea! 

Duke seems to be doing better! (Duke is learning to listen to Bill since Hunter left) He is a good dog. There are tons of dogs here. They all just run wild in the streets and eat garbage. 

There is a new Elder here from Ecuador and he is being trained by Elder Sarnowski. He is white. Anyways, Elder Sarnowski told me that his companion is deathly afraid of dogs. He always offers to pay a taxi to avoid a street with dogs on it. He is also afraid of cows and horses. Elder Sarnowski started to make up stories about the horses and cows and now his companion hides behind Elder Sarnowski every time they are by one of the three animals! 

This week we went to Popayan for a zone conference. That means 12 hours in a bus. 6 there and 6 back. Two Elders got sick this time and Elder Castro couldn't hold it and took a dump (I'm not sure this is proper missionary terminology, so please excuse him)in the bus bathroom and it stunk up the WHOLE bus. The problem was that he didn't check to see if there was toilet paper. There wasn't. 

The poor guy sat there for 1 hour and a half on the toilet until we stopped to buy some paper.

I also learned something that I thought I knew differently. My companion has told me that he has a back problem and has permission to rest every three hours. I believed him. 

At the conference I was talking the Presidents wife. Turns out that problem doesn't exist. I told her not to talk with him and that we would take care of it together. 

We got back to Pasto Friday at 1 in the morning. We slept in an hour longer because we were given permission! Then from that point on and the last three days we have not gone back to the house or taken any kind of rest and my companion has almost died. He goes to bed as soon as we get home. 

He asked me why we don't take breaks anymore. I told him that WE never did and that we did it for his back. Then I told him that I am not upset that he lied to me I just am gonna work and he has no choice now! 

Since then we have found an amazing family to teach that I love to death and that are super ready to keep going. They only have 2 lessons but I cant wait to teach them more! They have the cutest little  baby as well! 

We met a dude that is part of a Christian church that doesn't believe Christ was perfect. So that is something. 

Anyways, sounds like everything is going good over there! Please tell Grandma Reese I am getting her letters because I got another one and she said that no one has told her that I have gotten any! Love you all! 

Con Amor,

Elder Reese

God Does Have A Sense of Humor

Hey guys!

My companions name is Elder Acosta! Or Stinky Feet as some have been calling him.  (I told Hunter I couldn't remember his new companion's name)

My week was good! We found some new investigators and one of the old ones made some progress in her divorce! As soon as she is divorced she will get married again and we will baptize her and her husband! 

My companion used an example this week that I wasn't a huge fan of! It wasn't bad it was just a little awkward! 

We were teaching the Plan of Salvation and I had just explained that Adam and Eve were like children in the garden and that they needed to fall for our sake. 

My companion thought that it would be a good idea to share a little more so he asked her to imagine that I was Adam and that she was Eve. Then asked her how we would make children together. 

She then turned bright red and gave us the right answer anyways. I later told him that maybe we shouldn't use us in the example if he is going to use it!!! 

Yes I used to only eat potato pearls and without gravy. (We are cleaning out our storage room and found some potato pearls and I told Hunter they reminded me of him) That was all I would eat! They are better with gravy! 

You know I always suggested that we clean out the bonus room and that I should live in there and you all just laughed at me and now you get to do it without my help and your sick!! God does have a sense of humor sometimes!! 

I would love Grandpa Luckey's email! 

You wanted a little list of things to put in that Christmas package! 

An alpha smart would be great! 

A Triple combination in English! 

Some good cologne! Get opinions from outside sources first....(Who has better taste than his mom!?!)

I will add to that the next week but just buy what you would get me for Christmas! 

I hope all is well! Good job for sharing your testimony! As missionaries we do every fast Sunday! It is good practice! 

Love you all! 

Con Amor,

Elder Reese

I Happened To Be Present For All Of Conference...

Hey guys!

I happened to be present for all of conference so I did happen to hear that Elder Hales died . 

Conference was super great but before I get to that I will talk about my week! 

My new companion from Peru got here on Monday and we have had no problems other than the fact that everyday he just wears these steal toed work boots to proselyte and at night I want to die. The big problem is that he wears THE SAME SOCKS EVERYDAY. 

Luckily and through revelation Elder Carrion left this pet spray when he left and when my companion goes upstairs or something I drench his shoes in it. Also the room.

He is also very smart but he has a very low tolerance for people that say something wrong and he knows what is right. He has four out of six years in college down of biochemical engineering. 

As for other sad news. Elder Acosta came from my old zone and informed me that Arley Martinez my old ward mission leader from a previous are and also the husband of Luceny who we almost baptized was shot in the head and killed 3 weeks ago over his motorcycle.

He fought back and they shot him in front of his 11 year old daughter and his wife.

Obviously this is terrible but faith in Christ, like explained in conference, isn't always faith that he will save us here on earth. Saving means that he can take whoever he wants to live with him once again. Faith in Christ signifies faith in his perfect plan as well. 

As for my package just more treats and some cool ties that aren't super fat!! Also, some more cool tie tacks would be cool! I have started a trend here! I put them on my back pack and everyone started doing it! I want more! I will make a list this week for more things! 

As for your lesson mom. If you would like something interesting to speak about just read the miracles of Christ and his attributes. Also, a good story is with Ammon and how all he did was serve King Lamoni. He wanted to just live there and King Lamoni offered Ammon one of his daughters and he declined and asked to be his servant instead. He continued to serve very faithfully up until the conversion of King Lamoni and his wife. 

You could use the talk of Elder Eyring this conference as well to help support that story. I believe it was the Sunday session. 

Anyways, just a suggestion! Love you all!!! 

Con Amor,

Elder Reese

It Wasn't Super Amazing, It Was Just Super Fun!

Hey guys,

So this week was interesting. 

First of all, about transfers. I am staying in the same area but a new companion is coming that I know from Palmira that has a really hard time getting along with anyone. He is famous, but not like George Washington. Which means that I have to show president again that I can deal with adversity.

Also, we had a talent show and the district of missionaries wanted to do a dance of a few mixed songs. We all voted on songs and picked them and then I somehow got around to choreographing the whole thing...

The thing is that it wasn't super amazing, it was just super fun! I will try and get the video for you guys.

We taught this lesson this week to a girl we contacted who was waiting for her sisters to get home because she didn't have keys. We talked to her and then came back the next day. We taught about the restoration and we usually take turns explaining different points of it. I got to the part about Joseph Smith and the first vision. I recited the first vision and explained.

After the first vision she couldn't take her eyes off the picture of Joseph Smith. We moved on with the lesson as usual but I felt the spirit so strong testifying to her. 

At the end I asked if she had questions. She then told us that she and her family are very catholic and that she believes in all that catholic stuff. She then started to talk about how strange the Joseph Smith stuff was and how she wanted to say it wasn't true. But, somehow she said she couldn't say it. She couldn't speak the words. In that moment she knew she couldn't deny it. 

This was an awesome experience. There are so many times as missionaries that you feel the spirit so strong and then people just deny it and you feel so upset. But these moments make up for all the bad ones. 

Anyways, I will update you guys about my first week with Elder Acosta!! 

I hope the Meridian Temple goes off without a hitch!! Love you all!! 

Con Amor,

Elder Reese

All The Gangsters Say Hi To Us

Hey guys!

The package has arrived in Cali so I just need to take it out! 

I have gained a huge testimony of the temple since I haven't been able to go back! There should be no excuses for those members at home to go at least once a month because there are people here that have to ride a bus for 15 hours just to go and they do it. It is the only vacation that some people ever get to take during the year but they are so excited to do it! 

First of all I told you that he got baptized. (I told him about a kid he went to school with who got baptized and I didn't remember that) Second of all YOU know him because he played lacrosse with me! Also, the other stories were super cool! (I told him some missionary stories I heard this week) Sometimes I just like to say little scriptures in my head to motivate me. 

One thing that I love to do is contact. I have now learned how to put my personality in Spanish. Before it was hard because I was scared that I wouldn't know and all that but now I can do it! So that means that almost everyone accepts a lesson from us because I don't take no for an answer. 

I don't have any baptisms still but we are starting to find new investigators and some are progressing! 

This week this dude named Fosoforo told us that we didn't have to worry because he had our back and now all the gangsters say hi to us on the street!

Anyways, I love you guys!! Stay strong!! Oh and transfers are next week I don't think I am going anywhere but if I don't email that is why!! 

Con Amor,

Elder Reese

Don't Come For My Birthday, Please

Hey guys!

This week was interesting. 

My companion turned 20 on Saturday! I bought him lunch today and that made his chubby self happy. 

Here is the crazy thing. This investigator we have is super nice and loves us to death and she wanted to have us over for his birthday. We told her we wanted bbq ribs so she gladly bought them. 

Thursday she told us that she had a surprise for us. I had no idea and neither did my companion. 

Saturday we headed to her house and as we got closer to her door my companion stopped and didn't want to go any further. I asked him why and he pointed at the man at the door and said because that is my Dad!!!! 

It turns out that his Mom, Dad and sister all came down to see him for his birthday!

He wasn't happy either but it all worked out. They aren't members by the way. They didn't know better. Don't come here for my birthday please. (RUDE!)

I had English classes to teach this week on Friday and just with my luck this huge storm just started about thirty minutes. We stopped by the house and I grabbed my umbrella and he (his companion) laughed at me because I had an umbrella. I walked outside and after about five seconds he started running and screaming for me to hurry up because he was getting drenched. So I walked slowly with my silly umbrella. It also took 30 minutes to find a taxi.

No one went to the classes so that was great...

I played guitar at a baptism for the other missionaries to sing along. 

Other than that this week was great. It is kind of a rough area. Elder Vernaza was here and he used to tell me how he knocked every door here and in 12 weeks he didn't even have a baptismal date. Yay!

Anyways, love you guys! 

Con Amor,

Elder Reese

 

This is what Hunter had to say about the photographs he sent this week:

 

So here in Colombia it is very common to throw eggs and flour at the birthday boy or girl and my district did it to my companion. It was way worse before the picture, but no taxi would accept us til we made him presentable. The other is him with his birthday cake and the other is my favorite dish in Colombia. It is called a Picada. It consists of a whole bunch of different meats and potatoes. It was delicious! Enjoy! 

Don't Ask Hunter to Try New Things

Hey Guys!

First things first. I ordered a hamburger last Monday and it came with a sauce that it never comes with. I decided to take the high road and try new things. It wasn't that bad. 

Tuesday waking up with a fever of 102 and the worst head and body ache was the bad part. From Tuesday until now  I have had deadly diarrhea. I have pooped over 60 times in 6 days. 

Moral of the story is Hunter doesn't try new things, so don't ask Hunter to try new things.

Now that we got that out of the way. This week has been one of the harder ones due to the dashing to the house every hour to poop. Also, we went to Popayan Wednesday to go to a zone conference on Thursday. 

I felt decent Wednesday but we had to sleep on these air mattresses and my companion was not happy because he said he was longer and wider than the beds. We had to blow them up with our mouths as well. The best part was watching my companion wake up at 3 laying on the ground blowing it back up like I told him would happen! 

Bad part is I didn't sleep at all. And I got sick again in the conference and they just let me sleep; it was terrible. 

Other than that we are starting English classes for people to come to. That should be fun! 

Other than that I have nothing to report! My companion is doing fine. I love you guys! Stay strong! 

Con AMor,

Elder Reese

6 Months Down

Hey guys!

My baptism went well. We had to improvise because the clothes didn't fit but everything else went well! 

Li's mom is a very dedicated member of another church and L. was very scared to tell her about her baptism. I shared with her all the little things that could go wrong but then all the amazing things that could go right. 

Her mom showed up at the baptism and after the ordinance she bore her testimony thanking my companion for everything he did and then continued to speak about other things. I didn't expect her to say much about me because we have only known each other for 2 weeks. but, she came back and said that she didn't know how but I came into her life at the perfect moment to help her make this decision. 

As she finished, she was crying, her mother gave her a huge hug and kiss and was crying as well so it obviously touched her. 

I didn't get to see the eclipse but oh well there will be plenty of like 3d videos of it. 

It is a lot easier now (I asked him if he was getting used to the altitude). Last week when we played soccer I almost died it was terrible. I love playing soccer for the first time in a new zone because I can always act like I don't play and then I wait for the right moment to stop pretending and I always sneak one in. 

I am jealous that you guys get to help with the Meridian temple. I miss the temple. I am closer to the one in Guyacil in Ecador here in Pasto. 

By the way I always read your emails first mom and I always write you guys first. 

I am glad your lesson went well! 

And you obviously fell asleep (when I needed to be awake). You always tell us that whole resting your eyes junk when we rent movies and then like 2 months later when you wanna see it for the ¨First time¨ we always try to explain how we all already watched it. 

Anyways, this week was cool everyone is nice to me and listens to me for some odd reason. Whenever we are together and our district leader leaves he always puts me in charge (Can you believe it?!?) hahaha. 

Anyways I love you guys! 6 months down!! It goes fast here! Stay strong!

Con amor,

Elder Reese

Getting to Know the Area

Hey guys!

I was figuring out how to get a video of Karinyas (Hunter's really good friend got her mission call this weekend) call!! I didn't read moms email because she is unable to withhold information but I knew I could trust dad! (RUDE!!!!!)

(And, she's going to ...) Brazil!! That is so cool! Just when I caught up with the dang Spanish!! 

So this week was all about getting to know the area and my investigators. My companion and his companion before didn't do hardly anything! Everyone keeps asking us were we have been! We did manage to get a baptism set for this Saturday though! Her name is L. B. and she is awesome! 

My area is all set on a hill! It is very tiring because the altitude is just a tad bit higher than normal (The altitude in Pasto is at about 8,300 feet; Middleton is about 2,300 feet)! 

Me and the district leader are about the only rule following people in our district! The others are great and all but it is hard when they aren't focused!

Anyways, everyone here is talking about this Eclipse as well apparently I will be able to see it! (I'm not sure if he meant he wouldn't be able to see it)

As for the ward, it is great! I am in a stake here in Pasto! The people are nice and there are a couple of returned missionaries so it is always fun to talk to them.

Thank you for sending me a package!! I am very grateful! I was thinking that for Christmas to save on the package you could send me money so I could buy a new suit. Everyone tells me it is a good thing to have two and that would be a perfect gift and they are cheaper here! 

Anyways not much else to report! Love you guys! Stay strong!!

Con Amor,

Elder Reese

New Area: Pasto

Hey guys!

So, it s Tuesday and there is a reason I a writing on  Tuesday. I got transferred to a zone called Pasto. It is actually a city. It is huge. It is the furthest south the mission goes. I am about 3 hours away from Ecuador. 

The thing is it took my whole P day to get here .It was like 11 hours on a bus. It was all through the mountains. Any one of the Legg boys would have needed to overdose on anti nausea medicine. 

My new companion is named Elder Carrion. He is from Ecuador and he has almost a year in the mission. He is different, but I like him. I am the senior companion, which doesn't mean a whole lot but its a step up! 

I said goodbye to Elder Vallenas which was rough but we are good friends! I came here with my friend from my old zone, Elder Sarnauski. He is cool and that made me feel a lot better. It has been a little hard but I am doing it! 

It is actually cold here. The thing is the temperature isn't very low but its a humid cold so it just eats through all your clothes. 

(I asked Hunter for a story for my lesson on Sunday) As for my story, F. V. is my 3rd convert here in the mission. He had listened to the Missionaries for over 3 years He came to church every Sunday and came to activities and was basically a member that wouldn't get baptized! 

We asked him how his study of the Book of Mormon was going. He then confessed that he hadn't been reading it. That is when we started only reading the Book of Mormon with him. We did that for a while but he wouldn't read it on his own

Then we had a family home evening. We invited him to it and it was at a members house. We had planned to share a certain video but it wouldn't work. I decided to share a different one. It is a very powerful talk by Jeffrey R Holland that you should show if you have time. He describes the importance of the Book of Mormon. 

F. V. was asked to say the closing prayer and he did but he was overcome by the spirit and ended it early and couldn't get up! 

We stopped by his house 2 days later and his daughter who is a member asked us about the family home evening. We told her and then she told us that he had started to read the Book of Mormon!! 

About 3 weeks after that he was baptized. He did everything else he was supposed to but he couldnt find the Gospel without the Book of Mormon. He waited 3 years to do what the missionaries tolf him to do the first lesson. 

Also, mom the introduction is a great thing to share as well. The last 2 paragraphs are cash. As well as Moroni 10 3-5.

Anyways I love you guys I should have more next week! 

Con Amor,

Elder Reese

The Spirit Goes Home at 9:30 and So Do Missionaries (even Elder Reese!)

Hey Guys!

So this week was interesting to say the least and a little bit of a downer.

First off, yes the zone leaders are still living with us and my companion is pretty stressed out. Me and him talk and laugh all day though!

I have a pretty cool story. We were walking home Thursday night and we have to enter the house before 9 30! We weren't really pushing for time but we didn't have very much to lose! Fairly close to our house there was a concert in the park. My companion asked me if we should go check it out and just pass by! I first said yes. We started walking there and then I decided we didn't have time and told him that the Spirit goes home at 9 30 so we should probably follow it! He agreed without argument. 

We walked in the house and we were putting our stuff down when we heard gunshots and screaming. There was a gunfight at that same concert and 3 people died. I know for a fact that somehow we would have been right there had we not changed our minds. It was a very uplifting experience! 

As for the baptism....yea that didn't happen. 

She had a problem with one of the questions in her interview. She had to have an interview with someone with the keys to do it. We did that Wednesday and she was happy and ready and felt way better! 

Thursday night before the baptism we passed by and her husband (who is a member and our ward mission leader) and her were happy and ready. 

The day of the baptism I got a phone call from the President of the relief society. She told me that they called the baptism off. There was a misunderstanding between her and her husband, so needless to say are trying to fix it! 

I also invited you to hangouts!

I wouldn't be surprised if that chair gives him back problems. It is from a garage sale not Office Depot. Also, he is old. (Bill's work chair is one I got at a garage sale and is causing him some back problems)

The introduction to the Book of Mormon is what we use a lot. There are promises in the last 2 paragraphs. It talks about what you need to do and what will happen if you do it. You will recieve a testimony of the Book of Mormon if you read it with a open heart! 

Next Sunday I will know if I am staying or going and Monday I will do my staying or going! 

As for my package. I would love an alpha smart that I mentioned (I'm still not sure what this is). I believe now there is one with applications. Don't get me that one I can't have it. Just a normal one! Hot Cheetos,Takis, jerky any other things you would like to send me! A lot of snacks! Tie tacks are always accepted as well as ties! 

Anyways, I love you guys! I am going to have to finish my emails later because this internet is closing! 

Con Amor,

Elder Reese

5 Months and I'm Doing Great!

Hey guys!

Yep I guess another month has passed by! That makes 5 and I am doing great!

I will have a baptism this Friday. She has been investigating the church since her husband was baptized in December and finally wants to do it herself! It is on Friday because that is her husbands birthday!

This week once again was strange. We are still living with the zone leaders which has its ups and downs. The problem is that they are pigs (Can you believe HUNTER is saying that!). Like I am all about not cleaning as much possible. But they take it to a whole new level! I just have to point something out and they usually take care of it.

We did a talent show this week! Us, the zone leaders, the sister missionaries, and a few people from the ward did a little skit. It was about what would happen if the angel arrived late to a lot of important things in the scriptures. If Abraham killed Isaac, and Laman and Lemuel killed Nephi, and Moroni never showed up in Joseph Smith's room. Guess who was Joseph Smith? The only white guy for miles. That's me. It was really cool! They all loved it!

Sounds like you had a good birthday Mom! I need to shoot Adam an email for Austin!

Sounds like you guys are enjoying your time with Madelyn as well! 

Our combined lesson this Sunday was very strange. The teacher chooses weird topics! It was about every office of the priesthood.

Hey, I learned that we have hangouts with our LDS mail accounts and we are allowed to use them, so if I have the email attached to your hangout accounts I can instant chat with you guys!

Anyways this week was great! I hope you are all doing great! Love you!

Con Amor,

Elder Reese

I Am So Tired It Is Nuts!

Hey Guys!

This week was strange to say the least. 

The zone leaders have been staying with us this whole week. I am so tired it is nuts. We can't help but stay up and talk and joke and what not. The problem is everything is in Spanish and I have to think just a little more to talk. 

I had my interviews with President and Hermana Whitesides on Tuesday last week. It was really good. I went in first with Hermana Whitesides. She knows English but we talked in Spanish the whole time! She said that she was amazed at my Spanish and that she couldn't believe it. She is so cool and very nice. 

I then talked with Presidente Whitesides in Spanish for about 15 minutes and it was a whole lot better! He asked about my family and me and everything I could think of. He is a great guy! 

It is hot here. I am kind of used to it but the problem is that it is really humid as well. 

As missionaries it is our job to make our investigators feel welcome and pair them up with someone. It is a big part of the church and of conversion. I know you might not cook a whole lot but maybe you could invite the missionaries over for dinner! Please do them a favor and buy pizza (RUDE) but I think they could be your friends! Any member that bought me pizza would be my friend.

I believe one of two things will happen to me in transfers. The zone leaders told me that I am going to get an assignment in the next transfer but I don't know if that means here or somewhere else!

OH!! I need to talk to Abby about this but I think she knows a return missionary here in Palmira. His name is Samuel Beltran. He served in Fresno California the same time she did. I haven't got a chance to meet him but I will Saturday! 

Anyways, all is well here I love you guys and stay strong!

Con Amor,

Elder Reese

Welcome to Colombia

Hey guys!!

I have been thinking about Addi all week! It sounds like she came on a Wednesday? I counted really fast so its possible that I'm wrong I couldn't take my shoes off to count my toes!  

As for this week it was fairly eventful! We had divisiones with the zone leaders. They came to our house Wednesday night and slept on our extra mattresses! There are different kinds of divisiones  and they chose to do this because Dominos delivers to our house and not theirs! The hard thing is that we had to divide our area in half and visit people on one half. It was not easy! I was with Elder Castillo. He is also from Peru! Closer to Lima. Elder Vallenas  is from Cuzco. It is right by Machu Pitchu! 

Anyways that was fun and its always a long day because both of you think you need to show each other how good of a missionary you are so you do everything insanley fast. Elder Castillo   is like 6` 2¨ and a little round, but boy he walks so fast and he didn't have a clue where we were going!! 

We taught this lady the word of wisdom because she asked about it and when we were done she told us she had a problem with some of it. We asked her which parts and she picked  up the  flower pot on the table and tipped the flowers upside down and 3 bags of cocaine fell on the table. That was new! So we took them and flushed them down the toilet with her permission! Needless say we won't eat or drink anything from her house!

Also, this week we were in a taxi and we got pulled over by the police. They made us get out and they patted us down  and asked for our papers! Then we just talked to them while they made sure we werent criminals! I thought it was cool!

A new sister missionary arrived in our district and the sisters are now a trio! We thought it was a joke at first but then it wasn't. She didn't have a mattress so the zone leaders took one of ours! We had extras but still! They just put  it on the roof of a taxi and held on to it from inside the car: Welcome to Colombia!  

They then returned  to sleep with us last night because someone  tried to break into the sisters apartment so they switched houses for now!         

I have a baptism 4 of August! 

I have interviews with President and Sister Whitesides tomorrow so that will be my time to talk to them! And yes I can print them off! Also, transfers aren't for another 3 weeks!

I love you guys I hope all is well and thank you for the pictures she is adorable! Stay strong!

Con Amor, 

Elder Reese

New Mission President!

Hey guys!

Sorry I didn't send any pictures last week! My adaptor thing didn't work for some reason but I bought a new one! 

This week was pretty great! 

Wednesday, we had a family home evening scheduled as well as another disembargo! This time it was in the area of the zone leaders! They had every companion take over a part of their area. Me and Elder Vallenas went to an area and he wasn't really up for talking too much so I did it all. I would walk up to people and just talk and he would say his name and I would do the rest. I'm not complaining though! I love my companion. 

The family home evening was the best part. We got there and it was more of a scripture study session! It was at the house of the V family. F is an investigator of 3 years. We all talked and afterwards he was asked to share. He started talking and he is funny and then he started talking about how he knows he needs to be baptized and so he set a date for that Saturday!! His daughter and me both started crying! She has been a member for as long as he has investigated! This man was my very first appointment in the mission field. For some reason he wanted to be baptized! 

Thursday, we got to meet President and Sister Whitesides! They are very nice and suave cito! Me and an Elder Tingey left to go get some breakfast before it started and they were there!! It was pretty funny! 

Sister Whitesides is from Cali Colombia. President Whitesides came back after his mission and then they started writing and got married. He was some sort of accountant for the church and lived 9 years in Bogota, 3 years in Russia, and 3 years in Guatemala! They are great. Hermana Whitesides is very funny and also very spiritual! 

Saturday we had the baptism and it was great! Everything went well! Sunday he was finally confirmed a member of the church! 

I also met a guy that lived in New York for like 24 years and he loves talking English with me but his English is SOOOO hard to understand. I learned that my brain is hardwired to Spanish as well because I answered in Spanish without really trying. Also, all my dreams are in Spanish as well! 

I hope everything is going good! OH! I got one of Grandmas letters finally! I am going to write her back! Anyways stay strong family I love you all and I hope everyone is doing okay!

Con Amor,

Elder Reese

Somehow Missionaries Have All the Answers!

Hey guys!!

This week was pretty good. It was also not too good and I will tell you why!! 

We have investigators that are only available at night like 6 until 8. This week Every night we had some form of activity! I felt so bad there were so many investigators that we didn't get to see!! 

We had a desembargo on Tuesday. That pretty much just means our whole zone goes to one area to find new investigators for the missionaries in that area! It was cool. My companion went with Elder Cadena to a little more dangerous area. I went with Elder Lopez. He is so funny and one of he nicest guys. He is from Guatemala. He is also about 5 feet tall so I knew if something went wrong I could outrun his short strides. 

We had something Wednesday but I don't remember what it was. Thursday we had a family home evening with a lot of people! The message was a video and it was ANCIENT. I think I saw one of the prophets from the old testament. It was 30 minutes long. You know that thing I would do when I had to talk about something I knew nothing about but I would just pull something about of my butt and it wouldn't stink? Yea I do that in Spanish now. They ask our thoughts and we have to answer because somehow missionaries have all the answers! 

Saturday....WE HAD A BAPTISM!! She asked me to do the ordinance so I did. It went fantastic. She was so great. Her husband and her daughters all came and I think her husband will follow her footsteps and be baptized in the coming weeks. All the women brought something to cook. It looked like they all cooked vegetables and accidentally threw a piece or two of chicken in with it. You want to believe I ate it. You would be wrong. 

Sunday she was confirmed a member of the Church. After that she was the first one to bear her testimony. She said that she has always been a member of some church searching for the truth but never found it. One day she got down to pray for help from God and when she said amen there was a knock at her door. On the other side were some handsome missionaries. Elder Reese and Elder Vernaza. She was skeptical to let us un so she let her husband decide thinking he would say no. For some reason he said yes and she was surprised. She then invited us back. 

We were sent to her door. As missionaries we are sent everywhere we go but people have agency. We always have to remember that good 'ol agency that we love using so much. 

As for my mission president I will meet him on Thursday. We have another zone conference. I think I will love him! 

Yes mom I am eating okay. Dominoes is really cheap here! I am pretty sure you can send me clothes. I will ask Elder Robinson he is in charge over all that. My camera works great. 

Wait, who is the new Colonel? I'm assuming its your other boss! 

As for Dad drawing on that hunt, I legit waited 6 years for us to draw on that hunt. If you don't kill something that is gonna be a bummer and for the rest of our lives I'm just gonna say that if I was there I could have killed something! We have a baptism scheduled for August 4th. 

I got sick this week and so did my companion. It was quite terrible. But we are alive right now so its all good.

Also, dad I used my card in various places today. I had to buy a ball pump, lunch ( you will never believe what I ate and it was delicious) I think that is it. 

I love you guys stay strong and I will always be praying for you guys!

Con Amor,

Elder Reese

Someone's Gotta Watch Their Kids!

Hey guys!!

My birthday was great! I actually forgot it was my birthday until my companion said something!! 

I have pictures I will show you!! 

So this week the president of our branch called and said ¨hey you guys have a day of freedom on Monday right?¨ 

We said ¨yes¨ 

¨oh great that works out perfectly because we have an activity Monday and we need your help!¨

¨Fantastic. What can we do?¨ 

¨All the adults are coming to learn about how to store food so someones gotta watch their kids¨

¨Okay....how long is the activity?¨

¨10 until 4¨

So that was pretty much what my p day consisted of today. They also popped my soccer that I bought. I didn't really care. We tried our best to entertain them!! 

As for the other days of the week nothing too extraordinary happened!! The sister missionaries called me tuesday night because they had a baptism this Saturday and they wanted me to baptize her! I said of course! 

I met her wednesday and Elder Vallenas gave her an interview for a little while. After the interview the sisters asked her who she would like to baptize her. As soon as they said that I knew It was going to go another direction. The sisters said that almost positive she would choose me. She chose my companion! I really didnt care I just knew she was going to be baptized by someone with the authority anf that is all I cared about!! 

I learned something cool from a return missionary here. She said that theres these things called alpha smarts that we are allowed to have in the mission. it is literally just a keyboard and a tiny black and white screen. It stores what you type and you can download it onto a usb and send it. I would like one. She said they arent very expensive and that way I can write during the week. 

Yes my investigator came to church and she will be baptized this Saturday!! WOOHOO!! 

I hope all is well and I totally didn't realize I had hit four months! only a couple more!! The new mission president arrives this week!! 

I love you guys and I hope all is well!

Con Amor,

Elder Reese

I All of a Sudden Understand!

Hey everyone!!!

Thank you for the happy birthdays!! I am excited to pass that milestone! 

I did share with my companion! Both of them actually! I have some stuff left! Thank you so much once again! (I sent some stuff in his birthday package for his companion)

As for this week! It was interesting. I all of a sudden just understood everything people say. It just kind of clicked! It was great. Elder Vallenas is a little quiet but he talks when he needs to teach and he talks to me a lot in the house and and when I talk to him. 

Yes the camera works! I haven't taken very many pictures because I am not in the habit hahaha. 

Our baptismal date for June 24th got pushed up to July 1st! She couldn't attend church so we couldn't baptize her this week. 

We have another one for August 4th. She wants to get baptized on her husbands birthday. Which is cool and all but why couldn't he have been born tomorrow or something cool like that? 

We had a zone conference today in the morning. It was really cool because I understood all the things they said. It was more of a goodbye to President and Sister Pricoli because we probably won't see them again. They will leave in the next 10 days or so. 

My companion told me one day this week that when he was training another Elder that Sister Pricoli told them they could rest of they needed to because this other Elder was in training. I could tell he wanted to rest but I just looked at him and said I wasn't tired and that we don't need to rest. It was a great feeling knowing that I had the opportunity to do something seemingly harmless but I knew I would rather teach people. 

I had no idea that the stuff inside my package were from other people as well! Tell your friend from work that I'm very thankful for what she did!! I will email Grandma too!

Elder Robison told me that a lot of times letters take a long time to get here and its kinda lame but its true.

If at all possible I would appreciate my blue suit jacket and my other pants! Also I really loved that john Bytheway track! Those are really cool!

Thank you so much for the happy birthday I love you all and I will talk to you next week!

Con Amor,

Elder Reese

(He sent pictures and this is what he said about them)
One of those was a failed attempt by my zone leader to hurry and press all the buttons in time! I am currently the only gringo in my district! What a treat!

He Got HIs Package!

Hey guys!

So this week was a little strange. I did get my package though and everything was in it. My camera, mp3, speaker, 4 bags of hot cheetos, 2 bags of jerky, 1 bag of jerky sticks, 2 things of pixie stix, goldfish, zone bars, smarties, fruit roll ups, my ring and necklace, and the three boxes of candy. 

Thank you so much it made me so happy! I am trying to make them all last! 

As for my week...Elder Vernaza got sick Monday night and stayed sick until Saturday morning. He kept going out though! Except for Thursday and Friday. I got to study a lot. I love that John Bytheway track it is very cool. It is really fun studying your scriptures in depth as a missionary! You can always think about the situations that you could use the scriptures you have! 

As for my letters from grandma I haven't seen a single one! I will have to ask the office about that and see if there is something special we need to do. 

My baptismal date got moved up to Saturday the 24th of June. She went to see family this Sunday and didn't attend church so we cant baptize her until then. 

Not much happened this week because Elder Vernaza was sick but it was still a good week.

Now, about transfers. Elder Vernaza got transferred to an area called Popoyan. I stayed in Prado where I have been. My new companion is Elder Vallenas from Peru! He speaks Spanish like a gringo because he has had a lot of gringo companions. A big trial has come into my life with this cambio. Wannna hear it?

So he arrived in Palmira and I took us to the house and then I said I needed to cut my hair so we got ready and left. While the dude was cutting my hair he was talking about a lot of church stuff and his opinion on things and I was staying with him pretty well. Elder Vallenas didn't say a whole lot but i figured it was fine. He told me earlier he has like 1 year and 2 months in the mission. After the haircut we were talking and he told me that he still doesn't understand everything people say!!!! I was like are you kidding me!! We are like two deacons short of a quorum here. I know that this is God saying I am about to have to learn how to step up my game.

He is very nice and a little quiet but I can fix that! He plays the guitar beautifully! It was hard to say goodbye to Elder Vernaza but it is part of the mission. 

I hope everyone is healthy and strong and being good. There is not a temple in my mission. I now know what it feels like to enter the temple and I don't know why anyone would decide not to go there regularly. Please try and make it a goal to go at least once a month or more!! I just know it will bless you guys! I love you all so much! Stay strong!

Con Amor,

Elder Reese

No Package Yet!

Hey guys!

This week was good. Not a whole lot happened but it was still good. Every week is what you make it!

As for my package...no. I should get it this week on Thursday possibly Wednesday! 

I haven't ran into a lot of mosquitoes while I have been awake but they sure visit me at night dirty turds. It is rainy season here so they aren't as lively I don't think. 

As for investigators. In South America you almost always have investigators. I have another baptism the 17th of June. She is amazing. Her Book of Mormon is marked better than most members. I have another investigtor who has taken the discussions for 3 years and his baptism is very close. He finally started reading the Book of Mormon which is the reason for his dramatic change. We have some others but they aren't keeping all of their commitments.

I have heard a lot of different things about the new mission president and when he gets here so I don't really know when he gets here for sure. 

As for Grandmas letters...I have yet to receive a single one. So you might want to check with her on what address she is using and things like that.

 

As for new friends, yes mom, I always make friends with whoever I can! All the Elders are my friends and all my investigators as well. (I asked him if he was making any new friends)

Bishop Black emailed me so I can email him back through that! 

There is a series called The District where camera crews followed around missionaries. I have to watch it as part of my training. One of the sister missionaries on there had 2 months in her mission when her brother died. She said something that caught my attention that I really like. She said that there comes a point in everyone's life where they have to have God because they have nothing else. In our lives at some point, we will be in a place that only one person can go with us. That is God. Always remember that. 

Other than that it was a basic week. We have transfers next Sunday. I think Elder Vernaza will leave and I will get a new companion. I don't think I will go but you never know. If I don't email on Monday it is because I got transferred and I have a 14 hour bus ride somewhere. 

Anyways I love you all and stay faithful!

Con Amor,

Elder Reese