On the move again...

Two weeks late...but we have missionaries traveling again from North to South!

It is transfer time or miracle week as we call it.

(it is a miracle that everyone ends up where they should be!)
and even a bigger miracle if they don't lose a suitcase in the shuffle...don't ask!

We decided to pack everything into one day...

New Missionary Training

Missionaries began arriving at the mission home before 10am.

Their trainers arrived at the mission office at 10am.
(or that was the plan...they all arrived, but not quite as planned!)
And then they all met together at noon for lunch and training.
Here are our 12 February missionaries with their trainers...due to the delay in transfers
some are meeting the trainers for the first time and others have already been working hard with their trainer (just lacking formal training from the office)!

Elders Anderson and Flores                      Elders Cha and Sican

 Elders Dahlin and Campos

Elders Jones and Martinez                Elders Garcia and Galvez

Elder Karren and Vaca

Elders Mancilla and Jolley                 Elders Laws and Medina

 Elders Quisbert and Peart

 Hermanas Medina, Mendoza, and Guzman

        Hermanas Galan and Flores         Hermanas Sepulveda and Gonzalez 

LUNCH TIME
Pizza, Salad, Drinks, and an ice cream sundae

 And sometimes you just want to hide when it is all said and done!!

Proselyting Training with trainers and new missionaries

Learning to use all the proselyting tools...keeping commitments!

Showing what it is to make a commitment...how many push ups can you do...si or si??

Pres Prince leads the way

 one more...one more...

 They all exceeded their commitments!

Watch out Cali...here they come!
The compromiso was 157 new investigators by Sunday...si or si!

Happy to report that they all ended up where they were supposed to tonight!

Zone Leader Council

10 new zone leaders

Elders Alvarez, Alvarado, Eliason, Montes, Aldunate, LaBar, Rivadeneira, Zambrano, Valdiviezo, and Rogche

 A lot of counseling in council

24 Incredible Zone leaders
We just created 3 new zones for a total of 12 zones
left to right
Back: Elders Novoa, Stucki, Lamoreaux, Welling, Eliason, Menedez, Montes, Edwards, Aldunate, LaBar, Borg, Jensen, Valdiviezo, Zambrano
Middle:  Riepl, Alvarado, (TIRED President and Hermana Prince), Amado, Rodriguez
Front:  Alvarez, Calle, Inga, Cordova, Rivadeneira, Rogche

We are on the move again...
"For in HIM we live and move...for we are also HIS offspring"
Acts 17:28

The Power of Prayer...

As seen in my last posts, the coffee and trucker strikes 

have been headline news in Colombia.

We are blessed to have the gospel...we believe that the Lord hears the prayers of those praying for their missionaries.  No pictures in this post...but I wanted to share the following emails that have warmed our hearts and increased our faith.

Received on Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Dear Hermana Prince...

I belong to a wonderful Missionary Mom site for our Colombia missionaries (including all our Cali Missionaries). We have been communicating today about your situation with all the strikes going on.

I wanted to let you know that we are all praying together for you all to be safe, protected and well, for peace and for the strikes to end.
We are all holding a Fast tomorrow together for you all. We are also putting yours and Pres. Prince's names and your mission on the temple prayer rolls. 

This night we learned that they lifted the truckers stike and opened the road to Buenaventura.

Received on Thursday, March 7, 2013
Dear Hermana Prince, 

I just wanted you to know that we (all parents of your missionaries, our familes and friends) Fasted and Prayed together for you all yesterday. We also put your names (the temples let us put Colombia Cali Mission and you and Pres. Prince) on temple prayer rolls around the world, including some in South America. We had and still have faith together that Heavenly Father will bless you all with safety, well being and a peaceful strike settlement soon - we will keep praying and having faith!

We love you all! 

This night we learned that the coffee strikers and government came to an agreement and will move the blockades on the roads....The strike is over.  


Colombia news reports:
"Never in the history of coffee has there been an agreement like this," said the Minister of Agriculture Juan Camilo Restrepo.

I like to believe that they have NO IDEA how powerful missionary moms and prayer can be.
"...they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them....We do not doubt our mothers knew it."  Alma 56:47-48

A side note:

We did evacuate 20 missionaries from Popayán over the course of Thursday and Friday.  They were flown into Cali via Bogotá...a fun adventure for them.  We now have them working hard in Cali and waiting a few days until we move everyone back.  Buses are started to move from our Southern cities.

It looks like transfers will happen on Wednesday...only 2 weeks late!!  

Strike two...but who's counting?

If the coffee growers strike wasn't enough to keep us guessing,

now the truckers have gone on strike.

Strike two...

The road in and out of Buenaventura is now blocked.

The miracle was that we went to 

Buenaventura this weekend

 for training and the first Buenaventura Branch Conference.

On the way there we experienced a roadside car wash...don't ask!

 Arriving at the chapel we were greeted by Over, the Elder's Quorum President

Traveling with us from Cali were Sister Trochez, Pres Trochez, Pres Rincon, and Amy Carolina

We found the missionaries and members happy and well.

Elders Chase, Hogan, Matos, Wilcox, Aldunate, y Faúndez

 With Hermana Rodriguez...the mission mom of Buenaventura!

 We imagine this is what Elder Matos looked like when he was younger...his look alike!

 A little rain...always a little rain in Buenaventura!

 A Relief Society Birthday Celebration for those who had birthdays in Jan and Feb...

Elder Chase had his birthday on Sunday, March 3...so he was included in cutting the cake!!

 We love these faithful members...there were 124 in attendance at our conference.

This branch was created only about 8 months ago!

So grateful for the help of President and Sister Trochez!

(counselor in the Cali mission presidency)

We left after meetings Sunday and arrived back in Cali

 before the road was blocked.

There is always something beautiful to see on the roadsides in Cali!

The strikes in Cali may slow down the traffic, but...

"....the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent

'til it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, 

swept every country, and sounded in every ear

'til the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the 

Great Jehovah shall say the work is done."

The Power of ONE...

"I am only one, but still I am one.

I cannot do everything, but still I can do something;

and because I cannot do everything,

I will not refuse to do something that I can do."

Helen Keller

This ONE Elder (Elder Paez) finished his mission today.

His energy, inspiration, and focus on his missionary purpose will be missed.

He knew that things could be changed 

if he could change the way the missionaries thought...

Just ONE missionary touched the lives of the whole mission.

Elder Paez...you are already missed!  Hasta  Ver!

Well it's Hard to say Goodbye and let go...

And it's hard to see it end
When the mem'ries we've just made
May never happen again...

singing "Hasta Ver"..."til we meet again"

as Elder Paez leaves

And the mission continues to be in good hands

The perfect transition of assistants...

Elders Camacho and Avalos

Two VERY capable assistants!