Popayan (Recuerdo) - Week nine

I think the truth is is that as much as I love Colombia and serving the Lord where he has called me, I (and almost all of the other missionaries) am getting kind of tired of how the mission leadership treats us and all of the crazy stuff that goes on here. I try not to tell you or anyone else about the negative things that go on around here, but its taking its toll, and I think that might have an effect on how I'm writing these emails (aka, not very well) but I'm going to try and share more spiritual things instead of just saying, "I know more than you" (which probably isn't true anyway). 

I think that the mission has made me a more humble person. You know that almost all of my companions have been difficult and I think that there's something the Lord wants me to learn. When I was a district leader I went around saying "District Woodmansee wooo!" which is something that I shouldn't have done, and maybe that's one of the reasons I'm not a leader anymore. Even if that's not really the reason why they lowered me (it was fighting with the Zone Leader), but maybe the Lord wanted me to learn something from that.

When I was in Jamundi, I had 4 baptisms and we were teaching so many cool and prepared people. Meanwhile, the other missionaries there couldn't  find people to teach, even though they were probably working harder than we were. I think what happened to them is happening to me right now. We try and try to find people and try to get them to church, but nobody ever goes, even when we try to be more obedient or contact more people, the people don't want to hear us. I think maybe the Lord teaching me to be humble was in preparation for this moment. When our numbers were the highest in the district, I bragged to the other missionaries, but now our numbers are the lowest and the other missionaries make fun of us for not having good stats. But now I don't get offended or anything, which might be a fruit of this humbling process. I think I'll still have to keep working at it though.

I think that one of my gifts and talents has always been getting along with all kinds of people, but I think the lord might have something planned for me after the mission later in life, because those talents have been refined and perfected in the last 21 months. I've also learned to see the good in everyone and to bring out the best in them. My companion the other day was discouraged, but I was able to help him realize his strengths and how he excels in places where I struggle. Since then he's been taking more advantage of his strengths. I think maybe I've passed through the refiners fire and now I just have to help others. Maybe that's why I finally have a good companion. It's something I've developed in the mission. Sometimes I get in arguments with my Pensionist about doctrine and I always end up winning, but he truth is that I read a lot of church books that I shouldn't.

Nobody went to church. We're still working hard and hoping that things go better this week.

Ethan hasn't been converted yet because nobody invites him, not even Dave. Once in high school, his car broke down and he asked me to take him to school.  I said that he would have to go to seminary and he went for a month because I took him! He could have said "no, I'll ask someone else," but he didn't. I never invited him again when his car was working, so he didn't keep going. It's kinda the same thing. Nobody really invites him to do these things. Not even I do. Michelle also said that she was going to church when I get back. Let's take advantage of that!

Today my companion bought me breakfast, then we had a little party in the chapel with (almost) all of the zone. We sang and ate cake, played some volleyball, basketball and soccer. Now we're making pizza with the Pensionist (using my Little Caesars experience!) We took a little break to write home, but we're gonna go back and have birthday round 2. It was a pretty good day overall. I'll try and see if I can get the pictures up on drive!