Banned from the World Cup

Hola Amigos,

So the lady that had the baptism set, the one that was going on vacation and was going to to it when she got back is one of the people that we had to drop. Its so sad. She just didn’t want to do what she needed to do to get baptized, which was to get married. She was fine with the idea, but to leave and do all of the errands to get married she just didn’t feel she had time for. Once again we have all the money and paperwork that people have to do for the government make it so they can’t get baptized. The bishop talked to everyone on Sunday about morality and how important it is. You can’t just live together just because you cant afford the marriage fees. We will see if any of the things he said will make it through to her. On a good note though, we do have a baptism planed for the 26th of July. The Sister is on vacation right now, but told us before she left that she is going to get baptized right when she gets back so we are planing to get all that set up for when she gets back.

As for an update on my feet at this point they are at about 95%. I have another checkup in two weeks, but I’m pretty sure that it is going to be the last one. Speaking of which, the appointment I had last week was fantastic. They made sure the nail was growing correctly. After cutting the nail a little, the nurse pulled out a Dremel and buffed my feet and nails with it. It was a little weird. After she finished she said ``If you`ll wait just a moment I will get the things iI need for the massage.´´ I had no idea I was going to get a foot massage, it was awesome. They had a heat lamp that they used and put body butter on my feet. They were so smooth afterwards. Sister Pitrach must really love her missionaries for having sent me there.

As for transfers last time, I’m still here. We do have a new elder in the house. His name is Elder Pulido. He is from Mexico, and get this, he was in the same high school as Elder Gomez. They were even friends. He is a really cool guy he played football (American) in high school. hHe also likes trance and house music, super chill. I was sad to see Elder Rucker go, but Elder Pulido is also great.

The food here is really starting to get me down. Sadly the best thing I ate all week was the pizza we bought last Monday. Well, I guess thats not sad for me. Its just that Colombian food is all the same. They don’t change anything ever. Rice, over cooked meat, and salad, with soup on the side some times. I have eaten those four things for all of my mission and I don’t see that changing real soon. I just miss being able to eat lots of different foods. Its not that the food here tastes bad, its just boring. 

So one crazy thing, we have to stay inside the days that Colombia plays in the World Cup. The president told us in his letter last week to just stay inside, if you have to leave for what ever reason make it quick and don’t make a scene. It is straight up dangerous for us to be in the street while they are playing in Brazil, especially if they were to lose. So its better if we just stay inside. We will just have to plan ahead.

So my friend Holland wrote me and told me about this cool game they play in her mission. Look at any thing as you are walking down the street, in your house, any where, and apply how they can teach a gospel doctrine. It really brings Alma 30:40 to life:

``But Alma said unto him: Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.``

You should try it some time its fun. 

Love,

Alec

P.S. No pictures again, I really am sorry.

Joy & Sorrow of Teaching

Hey Everyone,

So this week was pretty great even if it was a little slow though. We lost a lot of our investigators because they just didn’t want to progress. They like listening to us and learning but when it came to doing, they just didn’t want to so that is quite sad. Although the girls we were teaching have been showing a real interest in the lessons and they understand what it means. We invited them to church this last week but they said that they were unsure if they were going to be able to make it since they already had plans. Here is to hoping they will be able to come this week. We have a lesson with them on Tuesday and we are going to finish the first lesson, which will be the first vision and Joseph Smith. If all goes well then they will come to an understanding of the truth and want to be baptized. Pride really is the cause for all most all wickedness in the world and I see it a lot here in the mission. People can understand that the gospel is true, but because they are prideful, they don’t want to admit they are wrong so they never do what they should. It’s one of the saddest parts I have seen here in Colombia, that and the promiscuity of the people.

I do have some bad news. We had transfers last week and the new elder that is in our house was in the coast where I was at the beginning of my mission. He told me that my first convert has been excommunicated. She had an abortion a few months back, and that recently she was sleeping with one of the Elders in the mission so she had to have her records removed from the church and have a disciplinary council. I was really sad on Tuesday. I just hope that she will one day come back to the truth. I’m praying for her.

Well this Monday is a holiday so we are unable to do any thing for p-day and barely got to email. Everything is shut down. It’s weird here, holidays in the US are a lot different. Small ma and pa shops are closed but every thing else is open because they have the day off so they go and do things back home. Here it’s not like that. It becomes like a ghost town so we will be doing pretty much nothing today although food places are open so we are going to get like a pizza or some thing and just chill.

So as far as the soccer jersey’s go, the zone leaders said a ball park of how much its going to be to get the jersey done. The only problem is that they are going to get shorts designed to match the jerseys now and then buy a special ball that we will play with so the original price has gone up a lot. It’s going to cost any where between 80-90 thousand pesos. I was planing on like 20-30. I don’t have that kind of money to be spending out of pocket. We live on $200 a month and that normally covers everything. Will you be able to help me out? Thanks Dad!

That about wraps it up, tune in next week,

Alec

P.S. Sorry I have no new pics this week. :(

Teaching English

Hello Everyone,

Well this week I was told that Braden will be getting engaged and wants to steal my car. Whats next? Is Taylor going to start watching sci fi movies with you as well. I’m going to make a petition and have people sign it, then send it to the president, this must be stopped. Well Taylor taking my sci fi move time has to be stopped, every else is just peachy. I’m excited for Braden and she seems cool but it will be a little bit weird to come home to a new family member but I can roll with it. Congrats Braden!

So my toes are doing a lot better this week. I am using a topical antibiotic twice a day and they are returning to normal. It still hurts when I jam it on stuff, but whose toes don`t? I’ll get you pictures next week so the swelling will be all but gone.

We have found some more new people to teach, its more girls from the hair salon I’ve been talking about. We have to be careful since they are kinda snakey. We are for sure going to have an adult with us every time we go and not just some one who is 18 or older, a real old person thats responsible. Their neighbor also whats to know more. He stopped and talked with us one day when we passed by. We have an appointment for them both Tuesday.

We also got sad news that the lady that had a date for this Saturday is going on vacation, so she will not be able to get baptized this week. She told us that she is for sure getting baptized the week she gets back. She told us “Clear your schedules because when I get back you guys are going to baptize me so be prepared.” I wanted to say I’m an Eagle Scout, I’m always prepared but she wouldn’t get the joke so I restrained my self.

Well for Breakfast this week I think dad is going to be jealous. I have been drinking Milo. I was debating on telling you guys, well mainly Dad that they had Milo down here but ya they have it and its great. I know its one of his favorites from his mission.

Well the best part of my week was on Saturday. I got to the church and the youth tell me that the English teacher had not arrived yet. All of a sudden I get a call from him saying that he will be unable to attend so who taught the eEnglish class? This guy! We just did a recap of the lesson from last week since hardly any were there. I also taught them how to share their testimonies. It was super cool.

Oh and Thanks Dad for designing those soccer jerseys for us. Everyone loved them. The zone leaders were kinda dumb, they said that I needed to have it ASAP but now they tell me they are going to wait until next Monday to get the process started because Tuesday is transfers. Silly people not thinking ahead.

Also I have been having problems with my companion being motivated. I am the senior comp but he only has 2 months to go and is starting to get a bit trunky but I remembered the advice that you gave me when I was in the coast. “Do what he wants to do for part of the day (with in reason), then for the rest of the day we get to work. It seems to be helping me and we are still able to do all the work that is important.

Well that is all of my adventures for this week, until next week.

Toodles

Alec

Here is my haul from last weeks p-day. 

I gave in and finally bought a Dr. Pepper.

P-Day at Parque Explora

Hey Everyone,

Well my toes are doing a lot better. I had a checkup on Tuesday and Friday of last week and I think I will be having the last one tomorrow. These guys are awesome, they didn’t even charge me for my last visit. I was talking with a member about what I paid and they said that it was super over priced but from what I have seen from their service, I am getting what I paid for. I know if i had just gone to the hospital they would of cut the nail and then just sent me home with out any check ups. These guys are super friendly and thorough plus there is a little cart outside the building that sells something called pancerote which is like calzones but deep fried. It is just delicious so I’m being treated well.

I still have not been able to cook again for that sister. We have moved it for the 20th of this month. She is just super busy all the time so on the 20th is when she is supposed to make us lunch but I will be making lunch for her instead. Its kinda lame but I will get over it.

Teaching is going really well right now. We have three scheduled for the 21st and 3 more on the 28th although one on  the 28th is a member that was excommunicated so it doesn’t count for the official mission numbers but I don’t care. We are helping him and his girlfriend to make these covenants with the lord so in my book it still counts.

The most interesting part of my week this time around was on Thursday when we taught a group of girls. We contacted one of them in a hair salon of a member and when we got there she had three of her friends over. One of them I had talked to before in the same hair salon. They seemed a little bit more interested at first in the me then the message but when I asked them if they knew why we were called the ``Mormons``they had no idea and became interested in what I had to say about the church. They had always thought that that was just the name of the church. We explained the Book of Mormon and every thing changed. They started asking questions about why did Mormons son Moroni burry the plates. We then read in the part of the introduction about when Moroni visited Joseph to tell them where they were hidden. Something seemed to click in their minds. They decided he hid the plates so we could have the Book of Mormon today and I told them that was right. It was as if the heavens opened up and poured understanding upon them. We wrapped up quickly and left them with the challenge to read the Book of Mormon. We only had one copy on us, so we said that they would have to share. Two of them asked if the next time we came by we could bring copies so that they could read it with out having to share. It was great. We have an appointment with them tomorrow so we will bring the extra books. I’m for sure bringing the member that was with us before. I don’t want to be any where near that house without another priesthood holder with us. They are just a little to friendly toward me.

Something fun that we did this week was got to go to the Parque Explora. It was just full of science goodness. They had a physics room, mind room and a cinematography room. It was super cool. They also have a planetarium next door but we did not have time to go in. I’m so going to go one of these days. Sadly my companion hated every minute of it. I guess science just isn’t his thing which is sadness.

I did in fact this week get my money back from the zone leaders from all our remodel and repair stuff we had to pay for out of pocket. I am also very happy that I have my own shower now. Me and my comp were sharing a tiny little shower with the other elders. Now we have a normal sized shower and hot water. I also place a mirror in the shower so I can shave. I hate shaving outside of the shower. It just takes so long and leaves my skin really raw but now I wont have that problem. : )

Well tata for now,

Alec

Elder Rucker has taught me how to make a house of cards so now I’m kind of addicted.

The rest of these pictures are from our trip to the Parque Explora. 

Here is a link to my video I made playing there:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/alecmeyers/14383488415/in/photostream/

This is where we live and the blue building on the top center is the chapel.

Neon Fish.

When I saw the arch at first it was disassembled and my first thought was challenge accepted.

I love these mirrors.

Sadly no one tried to save me…

6 Good Things

Hola Everyone,

So first off, thanks for helping me out the middle of last week with money to go to the doctor. Elder Rucker really helped me out on this one, he showed a photo of my toes to Sister Pitarch (our mission presidents wife) and she was just so sad about my still messed up feet that she approved for me to go that very day. I was hoping that these new people would use pain meds or an injection because last time having someone dig out your toe nail without was a new level of pain I didn’t know existed. I am excited to report it was much better this time around. I got there and said I had two ingrown nails and they took me back to a room. When the doctor came in he looked at them and said they were really deep and asked if i wanted anesthetic. Um yeah, who doesn’t want to have anesthetic? So he gave me two shots, one in each toe, then cut the nail to the follicle so it will regrow right this time. Next a nurse came in and gave me a pedicure so that was a nice bonus. Now they are super smooth so it was a win win. I had a second appointment with them today, but I think they forgot that it was a holiday so they were not open. I will be calling them to get a appointment tomorrow in the morning and if I have any more problems Sister Pitarch said I can call her at any time to get permission to get any attention I need, she is awesome. I’m staying on top of it this time. All this walking and never having a car or bike is killing my feet. My feet feel so much better. Lesson learned, don’t be stupid and cut your toe nails wrong.

Other good news, I will be getting the money back today for all the house repairs I had to pay for several weeks ago. The problem was that it was near the end of the month so we were not prepared to be shelling out that kind of money so late in the month. We got more money from the mission on the 31st so we are good now. We have a meeting with our zone today so I will talk to them. We are going to do a zone activity too so I will have pictures of that as well next week and I will make sure to have me in them. I need to try harder at getting myself in some of the pictures, its just that I don’t like having pictures of my self, selfies just aren’t my thing. I feel vain taking them but I will just ask a elder to take the photo for me.

Sad news is that we were not able to cook with the sister on Friday. Some thing came up so she changed they day to this friday which is fine. We will just have to wait to eat more southern soul food again.

We had some fun things happen this week. First is we got to go to immigration office again. I have to change my address every time I am transferred. That wasn’t so fun, but the fun part is that Elder Cutler was there so I got to talk to him for a bit. He is just a great guy. Him and Elder Cox have become two of my best friends in the mission. I always look forward to the times we get to be together.

Another fun thing is we also started english classes in the ward. There is an english teacher in the ward that donates his time every Saturday. I am attending to help him out with questions that he or the members may have, about grammar, or how to say a word. It has been super fun helping out.

We are also going to start movie nights in the church. A member has like 80 videos of the church that we are going to show the members and our investigators. It should be great. We are going to make popcorn and just have a party and since they are movies about the church we can watch them as missionaries. Woooooo!

Last is that we are going to be playing a world cup here in the mission with baptisms being goals. We are also going to start playing against the other zones as well. I volunteered your services to design the jerseys, I hope your cool with that. We will have them made here, I just need the design from ya. I’m going to create a quick mock up and send it to you. I told them you get final creative say.

Well keep calm and carry on.

Toodles,

Alec

P.S. These happy socks you sent me in my last package are like magic foot coverings that bring joy in every step : )

I got my packages for May and June from the office this week. It’s the fastest they 

have ever gotten them to me. My loot is pretty awesome.

Our lunch canceled one day this week so instead of the usual cucumbers, beans and rice

 I got to make us sirloin steaks with mashed potatoes and grilled onions mixed in!

Here are all the badges I have earned so far from my Dad. The represent different stuff like first baptism, transfers and other cool stuff. They are on the inside of my suit jacket that I only wear to meetings. Yep, I’m pretty special.