The Feet Are Getting Better

Hello Family & Friends of Mine,

So an update on my toes. We called the medic of the mission to get an appointment, but he asked me a few questions about pain level, size, and if I was taking antibiotics. He said the best option was to have someone cut the toe nails out for me if I could stand it instead of doing an operation that would put me out of commission for like 2-3 weeks. I’d rather be working so I’m trying that route. Liliana, our recent convert, does medical stuff like this for a living so I asked her and she was happy to help me. She was able to take the right one out but the left one is really deep so she is waiting until this Friday to take it out. I am going to take more oral antibiotics and a topical antibiotic that is used in hot water . That should make my toe less inflamed by then so she can take it out. The medic said if having her help me does not work or they are not getting better then to call him and they will get me in that same day. I don’t hunk I’m going to need the extra help from him though. The right one now is healing nicely and doesn't hurt at all, it also really gone down in size. I am also using shoes again so that has been nice. Walking in sandals is terrible. I should be good to get the other one out and then let them slowly grow back in.

So an update on the sister of our recent convert. If you remember, she was sick when her baptism was scheduled but now we found out she really is just having huge doubts. She is unsure about the Joseph Smith story after we told her the restoration movie was just actors. She thought they filmed all of his life and the movie was really him. Its kinda stupid, I think she just feels dumb right now because she realized that they couldn’t have cameras in the 19th century. She really felt the spirit during the movie so we are going to continue to work with her so she can fell more prepared. Here is to hoping that she will be able to get baptized soon.

As for studying lately, I got my hands on the institute manuals for the Old Testament and Doctrine and Covenants. So right now I have stared on the Old Testament. I cant study these books during normal study time, so I wake up a little bit early to have 15-30min to study the Old Testament. After wards I read the Book of Mormon for half an hour and after that I study for my investigators in preach my gospel or in the Book of Mormon the bBible etc, whatever topic they need I study.

Well this week Elder Sanchez, the other guy in our apartment, got a new companion. He is from Bogota. He was serving in Uruguay but for health reasons he is in our mission now. He has a super cool conversion story. He was basically a leader of a gang and fought and robbed people but once he heard the gospel it changed his life and he gave up all of his past life to be a member of the church. Its super cool. He still has his tattoos from when he was in the gang. Super chill guy.

So the cafe racer is looking good and makes we want to have one when I get back. Maybe it should be a little smaller so the power is not crazy, and me being a 20 year old and thinking I’m invincible I might doing something stupid and smaller would be less of a temptation. I also want to get a vintage scooter. I think a Lambretta would be the best option since they ride a bit better. Your VBB feels like a bar stool when you are not moving. Its a lot better when you are up and moving. Also you have almost had no problems with your Lambretta after you rebuilt it (which reminds me you will have to teach me how to to that) .

Well love you all lots, have a great week. Birthday shout outs to my Dad and Braden, I’ll celebrate with ya next year.

Love,

Alec

Here is a picture of me in our zone shirts we made, also the sweet glasses my 

Mom sent me for St. Patricks Day. This was my March package. I also got an April

 one for Easter she got from Dear Elder. 

Story Time With Elder Meyers

Hey Everyone,

So first off I am warning you all that the pictures below contain graphic toe pictures. You have been warned and yes, I am taking an oral antibiotic. I have plans to get permission to go see the doctor tomorrow. The swelling has really gone down, from the photos.  I am using flip flops every day now and taking the antibiotic 3 times a day like the mission medic said (the bishops wife called when I was in their house for lunch and she saw my feet). I have plans to get it taken care of with the doctor, although it may take me out of commission for a little it will be worth it to not die from something stupid. Actually the medic says it is not as bad as it looks so nobody panic but my feet do hurt. It’s been not good.

On a happy note we had 2 baptisms Sunday morning before church. One of them is Liliana, the lady that changed her date because she didn’t want to wait. The other was Sandra, we have been teaching her for a while. We had plans to baptize the sister of Sandra, Monica, but she was unable to come since she got really sick Saturday night and was unable to attend. We are going to continue to help out Monica so she can get baptized soon.

Wednesday we were out and our appointment fell through so we started tracting. We found a really cool guy and his wife. His name is Juan and hers is Vicky. He likes to study the bible so when we talked about the Book of Mormon and how it can help him understand the doctrine better, he was thrilled. We also watched a 20 minute video with them about the restoration of the church and Joseph Smith. It was a great experience.

Sadly we have not been able to do any service recently, but we are always looking. I wish we did more.

Oh yeah, thanks for the pictures of the pins you made this weekend. I would like it if you could send me more. I have them on the inside of my suit jacket as achievements of my mission. I still need the one year badge and second transfer badge. Everything else is up to you. I like the funny pins that I have. I feel like they are bonus fun for being an awesome missionary.

Now, 

STORY TIME

with Elder Meyers

So Sunday morning as were were walking to the a members house to borrow pants for Elder Benitez. We passed by people who were drinking. So as we walked passed two of them started to fight a little so we hurried past. However one of the other drunk guys came up to us, and started telling us his story that he doesn’t want to be a drunk any more and that he is tired of fighting with people, okay thats nice. We told him that he could come to church some time to start the change he wanted in his life. Then he started talking about that he had killed 10 people and asked if he could be forgiven of that. We explained that he could but it would be a long process. We thanked him and headed off on our way however he started to follow us, not good. He went on and on about the what he liked to do with his gun (guns are illegal in Colombia). He then poured what I think was aguardiente (fire water) in to a plastic cup and told us to drink it. We told him that we don’t drink but thank you. He didn’t like that and because he was drunk out of his mind at this point thought that we were insulting him. He then told us that we needed to drink or he would kill us like he did the other 10 people. Not good at all. He passed the cup to Elder Benitez, and when he wasn’t looking poured it out. After wards I did the same thing. He  was then ``happy´´ so we went to leave but he continued to follow us. At this point we were very close to the house of a member. I said a silent prayer and we walked quickly to the house, with him hot on out tails. As soon as we knocked on the door the Brother opened it, at which point I whispered ``help us´´. He quickly ushered us in and the guy ran a way. 

This has been

STORY TIME

with Elder Meyers

Well I hope you guys have a fun week and don’t be too frightened by what happened to me this week. I’m serving God so I will have his protection for these 2 years.

Love,

Alec

These are my pretty bad feet with a couple of bad ingrown toenails. 

Don’t say I did not warn you before. Small children should look away.

Oh and the red on the floor is not my blood.

Sandra was baptized Sunday morning. She got there a little late so we couldn’t take a photo with her in the baptismal clothes. Liliana also got baptized Sunday and confirmed. We have been teaching her for 3 weeks and she has a bigger testimony then some of the members.

I don’t know why but my neighborhood has a giant fish.

Climbing Piedra del Peñol

Hola Everyone,

So first off to explain the phone call you got the other day. The phone call was from a member trying an app that he downloaded from the app store. He could call any number in the US for free but he did not have any US numbers of his own. He didn’t tell me why he need my number. He just asked for it (I should have known that he was up to no good.) I told him that I was not going to talk at all because I am only allowed to talk with you guys once a year by phone so as much as I wanted to I won’t brake that rule. You just got a quick 1 minute call from him and my comp which it sounded like you did not understand much of their spanish/english at all. You might have been able to hear me talking to them in the background but it was just in spanish so its not like you could have known. But apparently the app works.

P-day this week was awesome and also the reason I’m writing late. We went to the Piedra del Peñol (Rock of Penol). They said it was 659 stairs, well that was a lie, it ended up being 740. It was super cool  though. The view was amazing. On the little plaque it says they think it was created from a volcanic eruption. That sounds pretty sweet to me. It is also stands all alone, kinda like Devils tower so its an icon for this part of Colombia. We had to sleep in the zone leaders house because we had a bus pick us up at 7:00 am and it took 2 1/2 hours to get there. We all pretty much slept the whole way since we were all up late the night before. It was really cool to go and climb all the stairs.

Its seem like everyday now I’m doing tons of stairs. I don’t really even do exercises in the new place, since all of my area is a huge hill. I just choose to walk every day, I also always walk straight up the hill and not in a zig zag pattern to get the most out of it. Yep, I’m getting to be the stair master.

Any ways, some of my packages finally came. Good news and bad news. Good news, I got my Valentine's package and the birthday package. Bad news, I have a right hand Brutus in my district. The comp of the district leader opened my box “thinking it was his”, no likely, then stole the Dr. pepper and the candy you sent me. They gave it to me only after someone from the other house told me that he thinks they opened my package. Totally retarded right? At least I got most of it. I love my birthday shirts and stuff. They are sweet. My comp would really like you to send him some and would give you money to buy and mail. He never saw stuff like them before since they don’t have Think Geek here.

As for the letters people have sent to me and had returned, the office is having problems claiming letters and packages that say Elder on them. They cant say Elder on the envelope or the box if you want me to get them. That is lame I have missed stuff but hopefully that will sort it out for everyone for my last half of the mission.

Lydia’s Prom pictures are awesome. She looked really good, I don’t know why she does not see herself like that in regular life. Ya she doesn’t understand that she is “a smoking ball of hotness” (words of several latins here, not mine.) I always show missionaries the photos of my family. They always stop on the same photo and tell me that they are going to be my future brother in law. So she may be happy or creeped out by that. I tell them thats not going to happen. That Nova was way better than a limo ever could be.

Thats all for now, I have to get in to the bus again. We stopped in a small town to eat but I didn’t bring enough money for food so I am writing instead.

Love you guys,

Alec

P.S. I almost forgot about this part. I don’t know if you remember this episode of Psych but Carlton had something to keep his shirt tucked, I don’t remember what it was called, but if you can find it and its not crazy expensive can you send it to me please. And yes I am serious I do in fact want it. I don’t like how my shirts are always hanging out if I bend over.

Elder Sanchez took a photo with my camera when Elder Benitez and I were out of the house.

So I was wrong, my shoes are not going to make the full two years. I give these ones 2 months tops.

Celebrating my 1 year mark in style (They were nice and bought me pizza).

My Valentines & Birthday Packages. Sadly the “cop” of the district leader opened my box, 

unwrapped all my gifts, drank my Dr. Pepper, at my candy and then gave it to me like 3 days later.

Climbing Piedra del Peñol with my Zone, so cool.

She Let Us Teach Her

Hole Everyone,

We have been having some great success teaching lately. We taught a sister this week that was a reference from a member. She was getting her hair cut and and the member shared her testimony with her and invited the missionaries to come and talk to her. She accepted and we have been visiting her ever other day since then. She loves the message that we are teaching, she is so excited that she decided to be baptized on the 22nd. She just understands what we are teaching. I found myself asking the stupid question “Why cant every person be like her? Why don’t people just flock to the church, and have lines out the door to get in the font?” Then the spirit whispered to me ``Because truth is a small voice that whispers to the soul, where as the world is a megaphone blasting in you ear.´´ It is sad but true. I have embraced my new motto that Samson shared at his homecoming, “Embrace the suck”, because every now and again there will be someone who will be worth it and will let us teach them.

I’ve been enjoying having 4 Elders in my new flat even though its crowded. The other missionaries are Elder Sanchez (El Salvador) and Elder Gutierrez (Mexico). They are pretty chill guys. We basically just hang out at night after our long days of teaching. I am teaching Elder Gutierrez how to solve the rubics cube (because I can do that now). I would teach them English, but they already know a lot so there is not much point. Its nice to have extra people to talk to.

P-days in my new area are pretty laid back just like the other places. Today we played basket ball at 5 am which was fun. Then we played it again with two other zones at 10 am so I am super tired right now. Usually we just hang out and shop for our groceries, email and do laundry stuff.

Dad, thanks for telling me about your lesson on Lot in primary. We had the same lesson here and its a cool story. We talked about what it meant that she looked back. It wasn’t that she just look back, she wanted to GO back, her heart was in Sodom she wanted to return to her old life which is why she was turned in salt. That is cool that scholars say the valley  where the dead sea is was where Sodom & Gomorrah would have been. That really explains why that entire area was completely destroyed. Wickedness never was happiness and the dead sea is a pretty good example of that.

Oh, and I got my contacts replaced this week. Thanks you so much for buying them for me. I know they cost like 1/3 of what we paid in the states but I know mailing them that they would probably never make it. Thanks so much!!!

Love you guys,

Alec

P.S. No new pics. I’m really sorry.

Our Great Ward in Medellin

Hello Everyone,

I am loving my new ward here in Medellin. It is pretty big, I would say it is almost the size of our stake and the stake we are in is half of Medellin. Medellin itself has about 6 million people, its kinda crazy. SLC only has 2 million people living there so its much bigger here but a lot more poor in places too. I feel really good about all the members and how much they do their callings, its like a ward from the U.S. I feel as if when I bring people to church they are really going to enjoy it and that when I leave that they will continue to grow and come.

I’m liking having a lot more places to buy stuff to. I went shopping last week on p-day but I only bought a tie, although I did find cologne from ``John Varvatos``. We are going back today and I am going to buy the cologne because this is the cologne that I wanted to buy back in the States. It is a lot cheeper here, hopefully its not because it is stolen or a fake but I cant know for sure.

The Dr. Pepper quest is going good. I have located it and all I need to do now is go and get it. I think I will be doing this next week. I got so much stuff to do this week for p-day plus the longer I wait the better it will be. The thought crossed my mind that I could wait until the end of my mission to partake of its goodness, as a gift to myself like ``good job me, here have a drink on me`` so that also might happen. I don’t know if going so long without it will happen but I am already half way there anyway.

Still no packages, but my zone leaders when to the office last week so I hope I will have my goodies soon, fingers crossed. Still have not seen my birthday present or anything since the beginning of December but at leasI got my Christmas stuff on time. Its just nice getting the stuff at all even if I have to wait.

Oh and Dad, nice knot in the same tie Sunday picture you sent me Don’t feel bad it to you so long to tie it. The first time I did that knot it took me the same amount of time. I can’t wear it here very much but sometimes I will for a special mission thing. I like that you took the pic by my mission plaque. Funny story about that plaque. I choose Romans 10:13 but what it say in 13 isn’t really true. We are not saved by grace, but if you read Romans 10:13-15 it is the best mission scripture ever, Like EVER.

So Dad has betrayed the U? How could you? Nah its fine. I have heard from a lot of people that BYU Idaho is amazing and doesn’t have all the gooberness of Provo. I’m really excited Lydia knows where she is going now and loved her tour up there last weekend. I had thought of looking at going there after my mission actually, since I am thinking I no longer want to go in to science (personal revelation). I don’t know what I’m going to do, but that is the ``deal`` I made with God before I left. If I serve a full time mission, that he would guide me to what I’m going to for the rest of my life once I get back. Being up there with Lydia would be awesome!!!!! Did that just blow your mind, because I think it might of ( I do apologize if I did indeed blow your mind).

Thanks for shadings the pics of the mini golf hole you made for the work activity and the part you mocked up for the scooter. So what is your plan with the mini golf course? Are you going to save it? Is going to be a permanent part of Origin from now on? Give me the 411. Skills are just great to have. People are shocked how much I can do, I always tell them that you should see my family. I think working with our hands runs in the family.

Love you guys lots,

Stay Classy Salt Lake!

Alec

I bought this tie on monday, then changed the size on Thursday. 

Skinny ties are the best.