Popayan (Americas) - Week one

I'm in the city Popayan, but my area is called Americas. There are like 3 wards in this mission called America lol. This is the first time I've been in a branch instead of a ward! But I don't really like the city. Cali is a big city like Los Angeles, Pasto is a smaller city but still big like San Diego, and Jamundi is a city suburb like Oceanside, but Popayan is like this middle of nowhere country town. I've run out of local examples, but it's really small! I don't like it...

Anyways, we honestly didn't do that much this week because in this last transfer like 25 missionaries finished the mission and went home, but the mission only got 3 new ones! So they had to close a lot of areas. Normally, there are 4 missionaries that work in one ward, but since they took out the other 2, we have to work in 2 areas! My companion isn't really familiar with one of the areas, so we kinda got lost. A lot of what we did this week was just walking around to get to know the members in the other area, so we could gain confidence. They would show us people to teach, but the problem is, the lessons with active members don't count as lessons taught for us! so our stats were kinda low. We organized a bunch of family home evenings that all the members loved! 

Also, I guess that the missionaries in the other area baptized a family, but they kind of "forced" or pressured them to get married and get baptized, so the parents started fighting and the dad only got baptized and didn't go to his own confirmation! His baptism was like 3 or 4 weeks ago. So, we worked a lot with that family and somehow were able to convince the dad to go to church and be confirmed! So, score! 

My companion is pretty cool. He's from Ecuador, but I don't really like the way he teaches: (reads paragraphs from these pamphlets we have.) I'm pretty sure he has music from the "world" on his player that he listens to in the shower. He's a HUGE fan of Adele, like has a huge crush on her, and he always brings our dvd player/music player/photo viewer in the shower with him. I can HEAR stuff like David Archuleta singing hymns in Spanish and the Mormon choir, but I can also hear stuff like him singing Adele songs. I think he maybe lowers the volume when that stuff comes on? He's still pretty cool. Last transfer he #killed" my trainer, so I don't think they worked that hard, because that's how Elder Bello is lol.

Speaking of Elder Bello, on Saturday we had to go clean out the house that the other 2 missionaries were living in, since there's only 2 here now, and it was pretty trashed. Then, while we were cleaning, the neighbors came and started screaming at us! Apparently Elder Bello got in a fight with the neighbors and they were threatening to call lawyers and stuff. I learned a few new words LOL. 

Anyway, that's about it. We played soccer as a zone today, it makes me frustrated because I've SEEN enough pro soccer matches to know what I should do, but I lack the skill and technique to actually do it...so everyone is better than me ;(((( lol.. but yeah. 

love you guys tho

Morichal - Week twelve

So like straight up, we didn't really do that much this week, (its not like we honestly could with the copa america but USA HYPE WE TAKING IT HOME BOYS ARGENTINA SUCKS) but I did go around saying goodbye to a ton of people because I had a feeling I was going to get transferred. So I admit that I actually did go around saying goodbye (one family made me hamburgers because AMERICA) but the most special was definitely saying goodbye to the Leiton family. We had plans to go visit them on Friday with plans to teach them, but we showed up to the house and the lights were off and stuff so I said to my companion, "yeah they're probably not here..." and then they opened the door and there was literally a surprise party waiting for me! They had balloons and pizza and soda and a sign n shiz. So yeah we didn't teach anything that day, but can you blame me? Also, they game me a ton of gifts, bought me a cool shirt and like 3 pairs of sunglasses because I once made an offhand comment about wanting sunglasses. Also, they told me that the day before they spent ALL DAY searching the city for a USA jersey for me but couldn't find one. They also gave me like some nail polish to help my nails grow (they've actually been painting my nails for months now...lol its transparent). I legit felt like crying I just love them so much. Then they went to church the next day, I finally sent the husband's reference to the offices. I have faith that they'll get baptized this transfer, even without me.

They also bought a Colombia jersey for Mugsy because I mentioned that I had a small dog LOL so I guess I'll send that home soon. I love that family!

So I did get transferred. I'm not in Cali anymore, I'm in a city called Popayan and my area is americas. It's kinda nice here, way different from Cali, it's super quiet and small here. Small noteworthy thing: this transfer like 26 missionaries went home and we only got 3 more, so they closed a ton of areas. So now we have to work in 2 areas here. It'll be interesting.

short on time, love all

Morichal - Week eleven

So yeah. This week was actually pretty trash (aside from the baptism) because I have this disease called Chikungunya and I'm pretty much gonna die. Lol, jk. But srsly. I woke up on Thursday feeling a little light headed and didn't have much strength to move. I had to teach people though, so I walked around all day anyways. Then on Friday I was super cold for some reason even though my body was really hot and then I woke up with these red things on my body EVERYWHERE. It kinda looks like acne/chicken pox which is pretty gross/worrying, so I called Hermana Pricoli and she just told me to drink a lot of water, which I guess the only thing you can do. I feel pretty fine right now though. I just look like I have leprosy...ha!

Andrea's baptism went really well. Her cousin's husband baptized her. She was super happy before and after and just super smiley all the time, and she also shared her testimony; it was pretty great. Then, on Sunday, she asked ME to confirm her! Wow. I was kinda nervous, since I had never confirmed anyone before. I always feel like I'm not that good at giving blessings compared to other missionaries, but I actually think I did a good job...so add confirmations to the list of things I've done in Spanish and not in English. 

Besides the baptism, we had to stop teaching a lot of people this week, and didn't find anyone new. There's this one member family who lives in the same house as their cousins (the mom is a less active member and the son isn't a member). We were teaching the son with his cousin who is an active member, but when we went to go teach him this week, he said that his mom says that he can't talk with us anymore, and if he does, he'll be grounded or something like that. It is really lame since hes like 16, and his MOM IS A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH. I was legit so mad afterward

Almost every less active member I've met in Colombia have told me that they hate the testimony meetings. A lot of the active members say the same thing actually. Maybe they're rubbing off on me. But i do testify with investigators...obviously.

Morichal - Week ten

This week we did some pretty cool things. I guess that the first is that Andrea, who I think I told you about last week, passed her baptism interview and will be baptized this Saturday. yay! She's progressing so fast, and since this week was Fast and Testimony Meeting, she got up and shared her testimony! It was really good. It almost made me cry, but I had to fight back the tears because I didn't want to look bad in front of the other investigators lol.

I honestly don't remember what I've told you about the Leiton family so I'll tell you again. We've been teaching the Leiton family since April. A lot of people live in their house, (two families of cousins) but we mostly teach just 3 people: Zoraida (the mom) and the 2 daughters, Laura, and Luisa. They're really cool! But they frustrate me sometimes. We've made serious progress with them (they're the family whose dad is in New York and is always reading anti-Mormon stuff on the internet and then calls them to tell them to read the anti-Mormon stuff too). The mom was able to convince the dad to let us send missionaries to him. So, hopefully it all works out over there. Also, they just barely started reading the Book of Mormon after 2 months. The thing that I don't really understand is that Laura, the older daughter, is pretty atheist. She doesn't really believe in everything and she's always like, "but it doesn't make sense because in science..." yeah. Except yesterday, she was the only one in the family who went to church and is the only one who reads the Book of Mormon actively, which I honestly don't really understand. But she's been to church twice now. I hope that they can progressing!

We did something new and cool this week. We're teaching this family, (mom, dad, and 4 small children ages 8 to 10) but the kids always get bored and leave. So instead of reading the Book of Mormon with them we kinda did a mini play. We assigned the 4 kids the roles of Laman, Lemuel, Sam, and Nephi. My companion was Laban, I was the narrator/angel, and the mom was Zoram. We kinda just acted it out and it was super awesome, the kids loved it, and the mom did too! So we were like, "yeah there's more stories like that in that book so keep reading!" I think it's something I'm probably gonna do more often now.

They took my ukulele away because apparently you have to ask permission to buy instruments. I didn't ask for permission because I didn't know and everyone I told about it didn't know that that rule existed either. Also, I wasn't washing my clothes when they got there, I just had washed them before they got there so they were still wet. I didn't do anything wrong. But I wouldn't say that I'm in the dog house. 

Eh, I know a ton of doctrine that's probably not important to know but i think i know more about the church than you now. HA! But yeah. I'm still learning. That's the spiritual stuff you've been asking for besides the typical "I know the church is true..." yeah. 

love you guys