Sunday, May 25, 2014

So long...farewell... or an everlasting beginning?

Good-bye, farewell, until we meet again,
see you soon, God speed, keep in touch...thank Heavens for FACEBOOK!

It has begun...the hugs, the tears, the thank yous, the farewells...
and there is more to come...
I am not sure I can sing ¨God be with you´til we meet again¨
one more time!!

In President Uctdorf´s conference talk April 2014 he said,
¨In light of what we know about our eternal destiny, is it any wonder that whenever we face the bitter endings of life, they seem unacceptable to us?  There seems to be something inside of us that resists endings.
Why is this?  Because we are made of the stuff of eternity.  We are eternal beings, children of the Almighty God, whose name is Endless and who promises eternal blessings without number.  Endings are not our destiny.
The more we learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ, the more we realize that endings here in mortality are not endings at all.  They are merely interruptions--temporary pauses that one day will seem small compared to the eternal joy awaiting the faithful.
How grateful I am to my Heavenly Father that in His plan there are no true endings, only everlasting beginnings.¨

Here is just a peek at some of our 
Everlasting beginnings
as we say our ¨until we meet agains¨
to the wonderful Saints of the Colombia Cali Mission
Popayan


 Pasto


 Palmira


 Cali




 Tuluá


 Liborio and Rita Jimenez!

 This is one of  Elder Prince´s converts from 1975 - 1977 during his mission!

This is just a fraction of the pictures....everyone has been so kind.
If just perhaps we have made someones journey better...our journey will have been worth it.

Until we meet again!

They MAY-ed it...the MAY group of returning missionaries...

 May 2014 group of Returning Missionaries
We had a great dinner together 
and 
three trips to the airport to see everyone off!  
(three times as hard!!)


 Elders Caja, Gonzales, and Santizo
 and joining them to head home for a minor knee surgery...Sister Sanda
We hope she gets well fast and hurries back to Colombia!!
 Safe travels!

 Elders Aldunate, Cartes, and Separovic
Many members came to the airport to say their good-byes!
 ....and they are off to Chile!

Elder Aldunate has been our assistant since mid-December.
He is an incredible teacher, a humble servant, and has a fun sense of humor.
Saying Good-bye was hard to do!
 

Off to Bolivia...until we meet again!
Elder Kendrick...headed back to the U.S.A.
 well done...we will see you soon!
He made it back home to his family!!

The Changing of the Assistants
 For a week we had 3 assistants
Elders Eliason, Aldunate, and Henao
What a powerful trio!

These two have become great friends...Elder Aldunate and Pres Prince.

 Our new assistants who will prepare the way for the New Mission President...
Elder Eliason and Elder Henao

Month Of Messages for Moms...and zone conferences...

Happy Mother´s Day 
from the Cali Mission

The missionaries had permission to call home for Mother´s Day ¨sometime¨ this month.
Most missionaries called home on or around Mother´s Day....
But as a mission we were thinking about MOM´s ALL month long.

From the Popayán zone 
to the mom´s of:
Elders Muñoz, Silverio, Nuñez, Morgan, Pardo, Sacco, Wilkerson, Rivera, Quisbert, Monteiro, Moran, Sican, Canevaro, Quinto
Elders Flores and Joglar and Sisters Galicia, Alves, DeLaO, Valle, and Lopez

 From the Ipiales zone 
to the mom´s of:
Elders Payne, Perez, Calvillo, and Bautista
Elders V. Rodriguez, Melgarejo, Estrada, Adams, Vaca, and Montalvo
and Sisters Taica and Tontaquimba

 From the Pasto zone 
to the mom´s of:
Elders Carrasco, Camacho, Rosario, Arias, Tidei, Mariñas, Medina, Hansen, Saez, Torres, Cain, Amasifuen
Sisters Cruz, Ordoñez, Chub, Lopez, Landa, Ponciano  AND  Elders Nail and Delgadillo

 From the Calima zone 
to the mom´s of:
Elders Campos, Belizario, Inman, Rendon, Jones, Didericksen, Kendrick, Dearing, Gonzales, and Munar
Sisters Osorio, Campos, THE PRINCES, Flores, and C. Hernandez

From the Costa zone 
to the mom´s of:
Elders Peñafiel, Rowley, Chantre, Montes, Rodas, S. Walker, Marquez, and Perrenoud
Elder Anderson, THE PRINCES, Elder Henao

From the Cordillera zone 
to the mom´s of:
Elders Beltran, Lang, Henostroza, Darley, K. Rodriguez, Arista, Aldunate, and Eliason
Sisters Mallea, Bordolli, THE PRINCES, A. Garcia, Villatoro
 

From the Paraíso zone 
to the mom´s of:
Elders Johnson, Alfonso, Stevenson, Mina, M. Sanchez, Garcia, J. Rojas, LaBar
Elders Armstrong, Laws, THE PRINCES, Pezo, and Andrew

From the Palmira zone 
to the mom´s of:
Elders Karren, Cervantes, Vera, E. Sanchez, Antonio, Chanca, Chumacerro, and Tolentino
Elders Martinez, B. Payne, THE PRINCES, Sisters Sanda and Segovia

From the Villa Colombia zone 
to the mom´s of:
Elders Hogan, H. Sanchez, Gomez, M. Ruiz, Ore, Wilcox, and Pizarro
Elders Farinango, Checo, Correa, Mejia, Robbins, B. Rojas, and Mitchell
Sisters Quispe, Baca, B. Hernandez, THE PRINCES, Barahona, and Jachacollo


From the San Fernando zone 
to the mom´s of:
Elders Chavez, Lyle, Musselman, Galvez, Jolley, Acuña, Dahlin, Whitney, Mosqueira, Sanhueza, Donoso
Elders Mancilla, Romero, Nail, R. Lopez, Cartes, Lawrence, Jara, Gavilla, Separovic, Rebolledo, Gallardo, Longorio, Miranda
THE AAGARDS, Sister B. Hernandez, THE PRINCES, Elders Pancheri and Santizo


From the Tuluá zone 
to the mom´s of:
Elders Cunya, Albornos, Guevara, Coca, Xochicale, J. Walker, Viza, Tobar, Llerena
Sisters K. Garcia, Espiritu, Sanchez, THE PRINCES, Cruz, Avila, Ortiz

From the Zarzal zone 
to the mom´s of:
Elders Rocha, Morales, Bedoya, Chamorro, D. Perez, Chase, Peart
Sister DeLeon, THE PRINCES, Sister Rosales


Meanwhile...May was also zone conference month.
VISION - GOALS - PLANS - ACCOUNTABILITY
were the key focus of the mornings
while
OBEDIENCE and RECEIVING REVELATION
took up the afternoon.

We played together, prayed together, learned together, and celebrated together.
Zone conference is always an enlightening time.

Some interesting Zone Conference facts that you might not know:
1.  We stand and recite our missionary objective
¨Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through
faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost,
and enduring to the end.¨
2.  We review rules from the Mission Manual (white handbook)
3.  We have testimonies given in English by our Latin Missionaries...it is a spiritual experience.
4.  The zone leaders choose what they want for lunch and are in charge of organizing it!
5.  We celebrate birthdays!
6.  We focus on Preach my Gospel and practice, practice, practice to be better missionaries!

We started on Saturday, May 10 with Popayán
We left Cali EARLY in the morning...can you tell?
Popayán Zone
Learning
Celebrating 
Birthdays in April, May, June, and July
  Re-fueling

Planning
 Smiling

On Tuesday, May 13, 2014 we flew to Pasto.
It was Elder Eliason´s birthday...we flew first class all the way...what a gift!

Arriving at the Pasto Airport!

Pasto Zone
 Ipiales Zone

Awarding - New Captain Moronis
Elders Vaca, D. Payne, Rosario, Adams, Estrada, and V. Rodriguez
Learning
Celebrating
Birthdays in April, May, June, and July
Re-fueling


 lunch provided by the Rodriguez family! 
Smiling - with our beautiful sisters!


Saying Good-bye to Pasto...
 Jorge has been our faithful Taxi driver and friend
 The last time checking in at this airport

 The last time having breakfast in this airport restaurant...they have my favorite arepas.
 The last time flying back to Cali in this little plane!

On Friday, May 16, 2014 we had 3 zones together in Cali.
Our missionaries from Buenaventura left early to arrive on time 
for our 9am conference and they still arrived about and hour and a half late.  
We are glad they made it!

Calima Zone
 La Costa Zone
 
Cordillera Zone
Learning



Awarding - new Captain Moronis
Elders Peñafiel, S. Walker, and Anderson
Celebrating
Birthdays in April, May, June, and July

Re-fueling


Smiling...

 Good-bye Buenaventura...until we are together again!
 4 Box Elder High School Graduates...one of them is A LOT older!!

Our mini-missionary had his first transfer...
Elder Chantre was helping us in Buga and just went to Popayán to help.
I am always so impressed with these young men and young women who are preparing
to put in their mission papers and want to have the mission experience to better prepare!

On Saturday, May 17, 2014 we headed over to Palmira where we had 2 zones waiting!
Palmira Zone
Paraíso Zone
Learning
(not looking too excited!)
Awarding - new Captain Moronis
Elder B. Payne and Elder Armstrong
Celebrating
Birthdays in April, May, June, and July
Re-fueling

Smiling!
This investigator family helped us with dessert today.
They love their missionaries and are preparing to be married and baptized!

On Wednesday, May 21, 2014 we had our largest two zones in Cali together!
Villa Colombia Zone
San Fernando Zone
(which includes our office staff)
The Office 
Learning

Awarding - new Captain Moronis
Elder  Sanhueza, Miranda, Farinango, Robbins, and Mancilla
Celebrating
Birthdays in April, May, June, and July
Re-fueling




Smiling!
with our beautiful sisters!

Our VERY LAST Zone Conference was in Tuluá on Saturday, May 24, 2014.
Tuluá Zone
Zarzal Zone
Learning
Awarding - new Queen Esthers
(like the Captain Moroni award, but for the sisters....10 or more baptisms in 3 consecutive months)
Sister DeLeon and Sister Rosales
Celebrating
Birthdays in April, May, June, and July
 and we had some future missionaries with us...3 have their calls and will leave in June
Re-fueling

Smiling!
Our beautiful sisters!

It was a LONG month...which deserved a LONG post!
If you made it to the end you are probably about as exhausted as we are!