Going Bananas!..these just in...

The pictures of our BANANA split party with the

Zone Leaders just arrived!

From all reviews...I think it was a success!

 The creativity was amazing

 Masterpieces!!

Our assistants didn't need any assistance in eating it all!

Elder Tauese showing off his "I worked in an icecream shop" skills!           

Elder Yapura..."I ate the WHOLE thing!!" 

Zone Leaders enjoying the output of the finished kitchen!

With the oven in place and the refrigerators loaded,

the zone leaders enjoyed the benefits of having my kitchen finally completed.

Cinnamon Rolls...hot and waiting for missionaries to arrive.

Arriving and ready to have breakfast!  

                                                                                        Elders Walton and Avalos

Some of the Zone Leaders travel 12 hours by bus to arrive,

others leave very early and have a 2 -3 hour bus ride.  

They are great missionaries and always happy to see each other.

BREAKFAST

                         Elders Avalos and Carillo

                                                              Elders Rodgriguez, Bolokoski, and Avalos

 Elders Yapura and Rodriguez

President Prince joining his leaders for breakfast.

Headed to the office for a day of training

 Our new zone leaders this transfer:

 Elders Bello, Lamoreaux, and Yapura

Our Zone Leaders!

Front:  Elders Bello, Riepl, Pres & Sis Prince, Elders Yapura, Aspajo, Camacho, y Toledo

Back:  Elders Bolokoski, Rodriguez, Paez, Jensen, Tauaese, Lamoreaux, Menendez, Walton, Hidalgo, Avalos, Baez, and Fuentealba

LUNCH!!!

 It is always an adventure getting lunch ready...here is Maria drying the lettuce...

yes...we did discover a fast way of drying lettuce by putting the clean lettuce in a pillow case and swinging it around (primitive salad spinner)...problem was the water that splattered all over the windows that Ana had just cleaned!!!

(you have to hand us one for creativity!!)

 Barbacoa pork tostadas...cafe rio meets Colombia!!

 It's a thumbs up, happy are we lunch!!

We love these happy, capable zone leaders, assistants, and our office staff!

Elders Silva, Chamorro, and Rivadeneira

Behind the scenes of our zone leader council...keeping it all working!

Motto: be flexible...plans change!

Friday, October 19, 2012

The Plan:      pick up 6 missionaries arriving at 11:05pm at the airport

The Reality:  planes are delayed.  1 Elder arrives at 1:15am. 

The other 5 miss their connection an stay in a hotel in Bogota until an early flight the following morning.

Saturday, Oct 20, 2012

The Plan:      breakfast at 8:30am for all new arriving missionaries.

The Reality:  missionaries to arrive on an 8:50am flight from Bogota...arrive late and eat purchased breakfast in the bus on the way to Cali. 

and thus went the schedule for the day...we just adjusted

learning about Finances from Elder Oliver - the financial secretary

Elders Velasquez, Calvillo, Cain, Morgan, Karren, Wilcox, and Darley

FINALLY in the mission field!

and 

with their new companions!!

                          Elders Amado and Wilcox                     Elders Darley and Lobelcho

                          Elders Rojas and Karren                         Elder Matos and Calvillo

                        Elders Rogche and Morgan               Elders Velasquez, Olguin, & Cain

    And thus is a mission...BE FLEXIBLE...lessons fall through,

lunches fall out....

Plans Change!!!!

Coming in waves...

This new group of missionaries has rolled in like the waves of the ocean...

some land with a crash 

and 

others slide in hardly making a splash.

Tuesday morning we recieved the first wave...

Elders Henostroza, Garcia, Lopez, Rendon, Vera, Pizarro, Tidei, Guevara, and Rodriguez

Sisters Rapalo, Cedano, Chacón, and Meza

After interviews in the office with President Prince

we had a welcome lunch at the mission home

and then a trip to Cristo Rey

much needed rain arrived in Cali and the city was under a blanket of clouds!

 The bus ride back to Cali...some VERY tired missionaries!!

Our night was filled with the setting apart of 4 missionaries who will begin their missions tomorrow.  

They are from the districts of Tuluá, Palmira, and Popayán.

 President Prince with Elders Pinta, Espinoza, Sanuhuano, and Imbachi

                    Elder Sanuhauno from Tuluá             Elder Pinta from Palmira

                       Elder Imabachi from Popayán          Elder Espinoza from Palmira

The sad part at this point is that we will not be here to see them return! 

They are off to Ecuador, Argentina, Bogota, and Bolivia!

The next missionary arrived at the Cali airport at 8pm Tuesday night.

He had been Visa delayed in the states and assigned to the

Columbia, South Carolina mission.

Welcome to the REAL Colombia Elder LaBar...

here he is with his new companion....in the busy-ness of the day

we didn't get a picture of him with us!!  He just slipped right in on a wave and rolled right on out to the field...til we meet again in Pasto!!

Wednesday was full of training, meeting new companions, lunch, 
and heading out to their first areas.

Training

New Companions

Lunch

And how do we survive all of this????
With the help of our office staff and able assistants.

Welcome to the team
Elder Carillo
new AP

Elders Carillo and Stutz with Pdte Prince

Our assistants DURING cambio week

Our assistants AFTER getting everyone off to their areas

AND THEN...the next wave...
The assistants went to the airport Wednesday night to meet the 11:05pm flight
of our arriving Elder Carbajal.
The plane was delayed and arrived at 1:30am!

Thursday we met Elder Carbajal at the office
for interview with the President and then training

After lunch he met his new companion, Elder Llerena, and they were off to work. 

Tonight, Friday, we are waiting for 6 more Elders to come in from the U.S.A.
They are supposed to get in at 11:05pm...
we can hope...

Here are 4 of our soon to arrive Elders with 
our Elder Brodowski who was reassigned to the MTC Call Center
because of illness.  He continues to be a Cali missionary and helps us from his new assignment.
Thanks to Elder Brodowski for sending me this great picture!!

Catch the next WAVE...as they roll on in!