Time flies...

Every time we come or go from our apartment we enter the elevator to ascend or descend 15 floors...

There in the elevator is a large mirror.

Some days we wonder if we REALLY look that old and tired

Some days we are SURE we have aged 10 years

We are seeing time fly by so quickly....

We have flown to the north and to the south of our mission for zone conferences.

We have arrived and our suitcase has not.
We have left the house by 4am and arrived home sometimes after 10pm.

We have driven to the zones close by and have felt the hours flying by as we try to

teach, inspire, and motivate these great missionaries.

At this point we have had interviews with 126 missionaries.

While President Prince interviews each missionary, I talk with their companion.

Each one has commited to "stay in the line" of the mission rules.

Not giving into temptation and obeying with exactness is the commitment!

(I keep hoping that soon I will be able to speak on a topic other than obedience!)

One great sister missionary had to fly home for medical reasons.

She valiantly tried to carry on

The spirit was more than willing -

the knee was weak. 

Sister Leguizamon has a contagious laugh and smile.

She has served faithfully and will be missed...we do not have enough sister missionaries!

Sometimes the challenges of life are BIG. 

This past week we had to deliver the news to one of our missionaries that his father had passed away...

(unexpectedly...no medical problems)

Receiving and delivering that message was hard.

This Elder has only been in the mission field 2 weeks.

This valiant Elder was just finishing up medical treatment.

This marvleous missionary packed a backpack and flew home for his father's burial

and then flew back 4 days later with a determination to make

his mother, his father, and his Heavenly Father proud. 

What a great example for his younger siblings and for all of us.

Birthday cookies are a highlight of zone conference!

 This conference we celebrated those who had birthdays in Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb.

                                                      Calima Zone                                         Villa Colombia Zone

                               Elders Guerrero, Cisternas, J. Jensen, Bussey       Elders Almendares, Escárate, Hansen, Menendez, Paez, Ocon

                                                Palmira and Tulua Zones                                San Fernando Zone

                                       Elders Fuentealba, Chicoma, Tauaese, Salavarria, Mendoza,            Elders Rocha, Valdiviezo and Hermana Torgerson

                                                          Candia, Kennedy, Vasques, Ramos

                                           (not sure why Elder Tauaese got into this picture!)

                                                          Zona Belén                                               Zona Medellín

                                     Elders Mendez, Mendoza, Venable, Jara, Parada                            Elders Gomez, Naranjo, Allauja, Canari

     Elder Parada                                                  Zona Pasto

                                                                                                   Elders Llontop, L. Martinez, Pino, Vilchez, Gonzales, Day

We took our Choco Elders to dinner while we were in Medellín.

These Elders are probably the farthest away and the most isolated of our missionaries...

they live in the jungle - literally.

Elders Borg and Haycock are in Istmina. 

During our 2nd week of "La Semana de Siembra", these Elders found

410 new investigators to teach. 

Elders Holden and Jara are in Quibdo.

They found 60 new investigators to teach.

The people in these cities are humble and receptive. 

We are impressed at the dedication of these Elders and impressed with how they can eat!!

                             Choco Elders - Jara, Borg, Haycock, Holden            Elders Jara, Borg, Haycock

Elders Borg and Haycock - Istmina Elders

Elders Holden and Jara - Quibdo Elders


These Elders fly in and out of Medellín for zone conference.

They happened to miss there flight back...which did not make us happy.

We changed their flights for the following day and upon arriving they learned that the roads between Quibdo and Istmina had been shut down by terrorists.

  Upon hearing that news, I had the distinct impression that they missed that flight for a reason. 

 Our Elders had been kept out of harms way.

We have finished zone conference for 8 zones.
We are teaching and practicing commitments and bringing investigators to baptism.
We are trying to inspire the missionaries to teach the doctrine of Christ,
remember their missionary purpose, and help the investigators overcome obstacles.
Here are our zones....but this time will fly by fast as changes are coming soon.

Zona Villa Colombia

Zona Calima

Zona San Fernando 

Zona Tulua

Zona Palmira

Zona Pasto

 Zona Medellín

     Zona Belén

                     



How do I love thee...

33 years ago, on Valentine's Day, we were married.

How do I love thee...

....enough to get up at 5am and go to the airport

to say goodbye to Elder Christian Calderón.

and then spend 3 hours at the downtown market

followed by 3 hours of missionary interviews
(of course handing out chocolates and valentine stickers)

and an evening of missionary phone calls.

How do I love thee...

more each day

through every experience on our journey

to eternity.

We have finished interviews with 4 zones
San Fernando, Villa Colombia, Calima, and Palmira

In Palmira we went to the zone leaders house to interview

Elders Jensen and Galeano.

Elder Galeano arrived with our 25 new missionaries and 2 days into his

mission he ended up in the hospital for 5 days.

He is now having a nurse visit 4 times a day at their apartment to give injections.

After 7 days of this he is hopeful to really get started on his mission.

I love these faithful missionaries. 

Our zone leaders, Elder Coria (pictured here on the right)

and Elder Tauese (out with missionaries)

have been amazing as they have loved and taken care of this great new missionary

Friday we had Zone Leader Counsel.

We now have 9 new zone leaders who are excellent missionaries and love serving the Lord.

Elders Coria, Smuin, Stutz, Alfaro, Rocha

Moscol, Flores, Garcia, and Cachi

A day of training, spiritual feasting, and planning.

These great zone leaders are the future leaders of the kingdom!

24 Zone Leaders + 2 Assistants + 1 President + 1 Sister Prince = one long day well done!
I LOVE being with these missionaries!!

Until we meet again....

2 year ago parents anxiously sent their sons off to the faraway

Colombia Cali Mission

in hopes that they would be taken care of by people they did not know.

This morning I sent off 14 missionary sons to homes faraway

to be taken care of by people I do not know

....but I KNOW they are good people

because they have raised incredible sons!

"and they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all--they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted.

Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before Him."  Alma 53:20-21

Each time it gets harder...there was NO training for saying goodbye without crying

...not sure I will ever learn.

UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN!

3 of these great young men were valiant in their English study program...

Elder Rivas, Elder Bautista, and Elder Garrido

received their certificates for taking the English Proficiency Exam.

Elder Rivas                                                   Elder Garrido

Elder Bautista

The week in review...

40 interviews

206 plates of food prepared

3 trips to and from the airport

110 missionary transfers successfully executed

11 new zone leaders

6 hours of new missionary training given

4 exhausted office Elders

2 incredible assistants

1 lost suitcase....miraculously found

many miracles

innumerable handshakes and hugs

too many tears shed

 

Announcing...25 new missionaries...excelente!!

We feel like lucky parents to have received

25 new missionaries in one day!

All parents are partial to their children, but these missionaries

are EXCELENTE!!!

They come to us from 11 different countries:

Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, El Salvador, Colombia, USA,

Chile, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Uruguay

23 Elders and 2 Sisters

Housing them and training them was exciting, exhausting, and engaging.

We have a lot to learn from these chosen representatives during the next 2 years!

A visit to Cristo Rey to look over their new field of labor...

A baptism at night to teach that in this mission

we work with members to baptize and retain new investigators.

President Prince had the blessing of baptizing one of our investigators that night

....it was a spiritual feast!

A day full of training...our new missionaries might be a little overwhelmed...

 but together with their new trainers...they are happy and ready to go to work!!

Welcome to the best mission in the world!!!



Where do I begin...

Some days BEGIN early...(5 am trips to the airport)

On Friday, Jan 20, 2012 we went to the airport to say goodbye to

Elder Guevara



Elder Guevara was our first Financial Secretary in the office when we arrived. 

 Three of our original office crew have now finished their missions.

Saying goodbye is BEGINNING to get harder and harder!

2 financial secretaries...saying goodbye is hard to do!!

On Saturday we BEGAN the day

learning to make snickerdoodles.

Elders Ramirez, Rázuri, y Zuniga wanted to thank the members

for their work in finding new investigators this week.

 By Sunday we were BEGINNING to see the fruits of

hard work, faith, fasting, relying on the Lord and working hand in hand with the members.

Our incredible missionaries have completed their commitments with an overwhelming

1,375

New Investigators!!!

Now the real work BEGINS...

...as they love, teach, build testimonies, and help these investigators 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. 

I am BEGINNING to feel more Colombian.

On Monday night I had my first Sancocho...

A delicious soup with chicken, yucca, potatoe, plantain, and corn and
of course with plenty of rice on the side.

With the help of the missionaries and a ward member we BEGAN to share the gospel
with our friend Cristina and her family.
 It was also her sons birthday so we did a little Happy Birthday-ing as well.

Elders Hansen and Borg with Brother Loayza

Leonardo, Cristina, Cristina's mom (90) and Janeth

Happy Birthday Leonardo!

Here's hoping that this is the BEGINNING of a whole lot of happy for

this family and our missionaries!

AMAZING!!!

Our missionaries are awesome!

This week they have worked to keep their commitments.

At this moment we have

948

new investigators in the Colombia Cali Mission.

Our goal was 800...and we have 2 more days to go!!

According to Preach My Gospel New Investigators are:

"...individuals who have received a lesson AND accepted a specific return appointment."

At this moment President Prince and I have about 7 new investigators...we are turning them over to our competent missionaries to teach and bring to baptism.

The Lord is at work in His vineyard with His servants...He has prepared these people to receive our missionaries.  The members here have been wonderful. 

The missionaries could not have done it without the support and help of these great saints.