Welcome, welcome..

Welcome to the Best Mission in the World!!!

Sister Hernandez and Elder Diaz

We welcomed 2 new missionaries this month

Few but powerful...both are from Colombia, and excited to be teaching in their beloved country.

A quick story about Hermana Hernandez:

(and by the way...we now have 3 Hermana Hernandez')

This darling sister missionary is from Cali.

When she received her mission call and opened it, 

the Bishop called President Prince and said, "I think there has been a mistake in the mission call of one of my members.  She was just called to the Cali Colombia Mission...she IS from Cali."

President Prince said he would call the mission department and see if they had any information.  He talked to a member of the missionary department who had been in the room when the Apostle assigned Lina Maria Hernandez to the Colombia Cali Mission.

He said, "I was in the room when that call was made.  I stopped the Apostle making the assignment and said, 'I think there has been a mistake.  This sister IS from Cali and you just assigned her to the Cali Colombia Mission.' 

 (lesson #1  Apostles don't make mistakes!)

The apostle in charge said,

"I know.  The mission is big enough and there are people there waiting just for her to teach them.  She has been called to the Colombia Cali Mission."

(lesson #2  I'll go where you want me to go!)

We are HAPPY to have these 2 new missionaries!

A Good Adventure...

Buenaventura = a Good (buena) Adventure (aventura)

and we are never disappointed!

On Saturday, September 21

we left Cali with President and Sister Trochez

and traveled through the mountains

to

Buenaventura!

The first thing that happened on our adventure was...

our youngest daughter, Marcie, called us

to say that she had just gotten engaged!

(it was an adventure just trying to Face Time in the mountains...

after a few dropped calls we had the full story and saw the sparkly ring!

The second good adventure was...

driving to the river.  Here are a few of the sites along the way.

 Arriving and getting ready...

 Elder Rivadeneira on the violin!

 Heading down into the water

 Giving final instructions

 The newest members of the Buenaventura Branch!

with those who performed their baptisms.

This was the most reverant baptism I have ever attended.

You could hear the birds in the trees.

There was a very special spirit with us during each of the 7 baptisms.

 The third good adventure was...

Going to dinner with the missionaries and mission presidency!

 The fourth good adventure was...

Meeting for church on Sunday with the good

Saints of the Buenaventura Branch!

The Colombia Cali Mission Presidency

Pres & Sister Trochez, The Princes, Pres & Sister Garcia

It was a "Good Adventure" weekend in Buenaventura!

We are Blessed!

The mountainside of Terron Colorado!

I love this colorful mountain!

Faith, food, and FUN...

In our monthly Missionary Leaderhip Council, 

President Prince explained Faith as a principle of power.

President Prince invited our leaders to exercise their faith 

in bringing about miracles in the lives of their investigators and their zones.

 "We understand that when a man works by faith he works by mental exertion instead of physical force. It is by words, instead of exerting his physical powers, with which every being works when he works by faith. God  said, Let there be light: and there was light.' Joshua spake and the great lights which God had created stood still. Elijah commanded, and the heavens were stayed for the space of three years and six months, so that it did not rain: he again commanded and the heavens gave forth rain. All this was done by faith. And the Saviour says: .If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, say to this mountain, "Remove." and it will remove; or say to that sycamine tree, "Be ye plucked up, and planted in the midst of the sea" and it shall obey you.' Faith, then, works by words: and with these its mightiest works have been, and will be performed." (Lectures on Faith 7:3.)

They studied how to increase their faith and exercise their faith.

We have the faith that these leaders will make miracles happen in the

Colombia Cali Mission!

I, on the other hand, ALWAYS have faith that these great missionaries

will not go away hungry.  (and I am never disappointed!)

Quick story:  

Wednesday night, after having baked cookies ALL afternoon,

 I tried to turn the oven on to fix dinner and the oven would NOT turn on. 

Now the next morning I had plans to bake cinnamon rolls for the council.

I also had to fix lunch for 48.

Quick phone call to church operation and maintenance crew.

Hermano Pelaez, an electrician, arrived about 8pm.

Power source was good...oven seemed to have a short and would not turn on.

Hermano Pelaez explained to me that he arrived with few tools...

He said, "I have these 2 screw drivers, but the most important tool is prayer"

In a few moments my oven was working.

I successfully fed everyone the following day!!

Hermano Pelaez has the faith to perform miracles!

BREAKFAST!!!

Focusing our FAITH and setting high goals!

PREPARING FOR LUNCH...

                       

FEASTING!

                       

AND GOING BACK FOR SECONDS...

and a little bit of FUN!!!

Back:  Elders Perrenoud, Rogche, Welling, Eliason, LaBar, Menendez, Edwards, Guerrero, Delgadillo, Zambrano
4th row:  Elders Faúndez, Dahlin, Hogan, Montes, Camacho, Aldunate,  Valdiviezo, Williams
3rd row: Sisters Sepulveda, Fuentealba, Guzman, Araneda, Princes, Alvarado, Lopez, Rocha, Rojas, Wilcox
In chairs:  Elders Hutchison & Cordova  Sisters Villacis & Chacón
Seated:  Elders Calle, Cha, Quisbert
Front:  Elders Amado, Morgan, Avalos, Rivadeneira

Cute sisters

Fuentealba, Guzman, Sepulveda, Prince, Araneda, Villacis, Chacón

What a FUN, Faith-filled, day of Feasting!  

We love our mission leadership!