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!

The time has come...the time is now...

One of the oft quoted sayings of the missionaries is:

"I can't believe how fast the time is going by"

and before they know it,

it is their turn to pack up, retrieve their passports, and return to their homes.

Elders Canari, Aleluya, Rocha, Almeida, McKay, Peek, Rázuri, Almendares, and Patino

I can't believe this great group of missionaries has gone home...time is going by too fast!

We had the "last supper" and celebrated Elder McKay's 3rd birthday in the mission field!!

The best gift was having Elder McKay's parents arrive at the Mission Home to pick him up from his mission.

 What a pleasure it was to hand this son back over to his parents.

It is a treat to feel the strength of the parents who have loaned their children to the Lord for 2 years.

At the airport the following morning, Elder Rivadeneira brought his violin to serenade them home.

Our assistant, Elder Stutz, said good bye to 2 of his former companions

Elder Patino and Elder Almendares

The time had come to say good-bye to this faithful assistant.

Elder Almendares, or Dr. Almendares as I call him, has been an incredible missionary.

He is happiest dressed in white at a baptism.

He is inspiring as he encourages the other missionaries to do better.

He has helped me with more than one sick missionary and been the confidence they needed to stay on their missions.  He has grown into a wonderful teacher and has a wonderful future ahead of him.

We will miss Elder Almendares!

The time has come...the time is now... 

 a tender moment...

Elder Rázuri ready to go....

The time always comes..ready or not!

moments in time...

We started the month of October by 

interviewing all of the missionaries in the mission.

While President Prince talks with one missionary,

I visit with his companion.

I always have Banana Bread for the interviews...

...guess who they like to talk to most?  President Prince of course!

I ask them the hard questions like:  

Are you practicing your English? (my gringos have little trouble with this)

and

Do you have your Reserve? (some how money management isn't a strong suit for missionaries)

But I love this one on one MOMENT to share with them (even if it is only 15 minutes or less)

This time I shared with them 

My Gospel Standards 

(from the Primary booklet Faith in God)

I memorized these 13 points in Spanish before coming on our mission.

I believe if the missionaries will apply them in their lives

and

teach them to their investigators, converts, and members...

We will all have stronger testimonies and become more like little children

even if just for a MOMENT...

and here they are in Spanish for those who want to take a MOMENT  to memorize them!!

(Bogota Colombia Temple)

Mis Normas del Evangelio

Seguiré el plan que nuestro Padre Celestial tiene para mí.

Recordaré mi convenio bautismal y escucharé al Espíritu Santo.

Haré lo justo. Sé que puedo arrepentirme si cometo un error.

Seré honrado con mi Padre Celestial, con otras personas y conmigo mismo.

Usaré con reverencia el nombre de nuestro Padre Celestial y el de Jesucristo. No usaré un lenguaje indecente ni malas palabras.

Haré durante el día de reposo las cosas que me harán sentir cerca de mi Padre Celestial y de Jesucristo.

Honraré a mis padres y haré lo que esté de mi parte para fortalecer a mi familia.

Mantendré mi mente y mi cuerpo sagrados y puros, y no participaré de cosas que sean dañinas para mí.

Me vestiré modestamente para mostrar respeto por mi Padre Celestial y por mí mismo.

Solamente leeré y veré cosas que sean agradables para mi Padre Celestial.

Solamente escucharé música que complazca a mi Padre Celestial.

Buscaré buenos amigos y trataré con bondad a los demás.

Viviré de tal forma que sea digno de entrar en el templo y haré lo que esté de mi parte para tener una familia eterna.