She Always Makes Fun of Me for Not Eating Vegetables

Hey guys!

So this week has been interesting. It has gone by very quickly but we have not been able to leave and proselyte as much as I would like but Elder Whiting is doing great as he is learning.

This week on Monday we had a super long office meeting and I was just looking around and listening to everything and I realized how much had changed since when I had arrived to the office. It helped me realize that the office was no longer the place for me. It doesn’t effect anyone else because they know nothing different.

I also got to go proselyte with Elder Ayala who is a missionary President set apart on Sunday and he stayed with us overnight and we got to go teach this great lesson to a new investigator. Her name is Diana and she is super interested in the Book of Mormon. Elder Ayala did a great job I was very proud of him.

Then on Tuesday we taught Diana the recent convert and her kids but it was a terrible lesson because she is watching this little girl and she is the worst little girl to have in a lesson. We just kind of hurried through the points because the spirit was not there and scheduled an appointment for another day.

That is when we went and contacted higher up in our area and found the Torres family. The husband was not home but the mom and the three daughters were. She had already received all of the lessons in Ecuador from sister missionaries and she said that the sisters helped her and her husband get married in order to get baptized but they had transfers and the sisters never came back and her and her family were never baptized.

She asked if we had a Book of Mormon to give to her because she left hers in Ecuador. We gladly gave her one and we should visit them on Saturday and see how it goes. I am very excited to see what they have to say.

Wednesday we had a zone conference and it was good but President got very serious because the number of baptisms got really low and he asked us if he thought God was pleased with that. Then he told us that he knew he was not because we are not in Europe or Asia this is South America. We should be baptizing a lot more people.

Then on Thursday we went out to breakfast for President Whitesides birthday but it was a surprise that Hermana Whitesides set up. It was really fun because President always shares these great stories and I can usually get him to say some funny stuff and encourage him to keep going.

We also bought him an oscar trophy with a plaque on it that says ¨Mejor Presidente de Misión – Presidente Whitesides¨ which as you can guess says Best mission President. He thought that was really funny and Sister Whitesides loved it.

That day we also had to make an emergency run to the airport because this sister was going to Bogotá and her mom was freaking out and had never been to an airport before and we were supposed to help them anyways but they never answered their phone so I wasn’t gonna go. But then they called. So we hurried there. It took away a lot of time.

Then for my birthday the lady that cleans our house and cooks us lunch (Sister Hermencia) is like our other mom. She is like 55 years old but I always make her laugh and she always makes fun of me for not eating vegetables but she cooked me a special breakfast with just sausage and potatoes. It was fantastic.

Then Elder Sarnowski gave me one of his favorite ties which is really nice of him and I love the tie.

For lunch she made me French fries and fried chicken stuffed with ham and cheese which is one of my favorite meals she makes. Then they put on like classic Colombian music for the whole meal which was weird but it didn’t matter.

I remember my birthday last year I got a cake from like 4 people. I was so full the entire day. We had a family home evening with a member family and they gave me cake and soda and Liliana as well gave me cake. This year it wasn’t cake but it was a special breakfast and lunch and surrounded by some of my favorite people.

Last night we got to the Collazos family's house and Clara was working on a wedding dress forrr....HERSELF!! They are getting married!! On the 19th of August which means I wont be here to see their marriage or their baptism but I am so happy for them! It makes me so happy to see them progress.

Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes! I love you all so much even though I dont know who some of you are! I am part of the old crew now! 

President and Sister Whitesides were in a zone conference on my birthday all day so we didn't do anything but it is okay they are super busy and I am not entitled to anything. 

The best part of my Birthday was getting two unexpected letters from Lisseth Bravo, the girl I baptized in Pasto. The APs brought them back just in time for my birthday. She is doing great and finishing up her last year of college. Also, her younger brother is getting baptized on the 30th of this month. 

She also said that her mom still talks about the version of I Stand All Amazed that I played and that we sang as a district at her baptism. Her mom is not a member but she is a very nice person and Lisseth knows she was impacted at least a little bit by all of her family being converted. 

I bought new soccer shoes today because my old ones were starting to rip and because Elder Chacon needed new ones so I gave him my old ones before they got totally ruined. 

Anyways, thank you everyone for all your birthday wishes I appreciate it! Be safe! 

Con amor, 

Elder Reeses