Elder Chavez Has Arrived!

Dear family of Elder Chavez,

We are happy to inform you that Elder Chavez got here to the mission Tuesday and ate lunch with President and Sister Lozano in the mission home with the rest of the group of missionaries he arrived with. Today he received his welcome training and now is ready to go out to the mission field with his trainer and work to bring souls to Christ through baptism and reactivation.

We are happy to have Elder Chavez in our mission and we are sure that he will soon become a successful missionary. (Preach My Gospel pg. 10)

In the mission the preparation day (P-Day) is Monday and is when you will receive updates from him, not this Friday.

Thank you for all your love, dedication, and help in the preparation of Elder Chavez with coming to the mission.

Sincerely,

~Élder Smith~

Secretario del Presidente

Misión Colombia Bogotá Sur

Mason With the Mission President and Sister Lozano

Leaving the MTC in 4 Days!

I got a new district this week with the Latinos it's pretty fun. I only have four more days here and then I am in the field!!  I'm really excited though! A little scared but that's what makes it fun.   But I had a few cool things happen to me this last week, one of the Elders I have become good friends with asked me to give him a blessing. My first blessing ever!!! I was really nervous. But it was amazing I had never felt the spirit like that before, I started to talk and it was like something came inside me. It was awesome, we got to go back to the temple this week which was really nice. Then we got another day of proselyting yesterday and I Got 10 contacts with my new companion, we are doing OK for not having any Latinos. haha! I was also  to finish the Book of Mormon for the first time out here! 
IT was really nice, I am picking up so much more than I ever have. I know that, that book is true! And that because it's true this whole church is true! Thanks for the pictures of the girls. I really miss all of you. But I know everything will be OK. Tell grace I'm sorry about her hand, and that I'm proud of Izzy! Both of them are so beautiful! That's crazy that summer is over I don't know where the time has gone, I feel as if I were home yesterday. I love you mom! And tell Dad I love him too!  I really miss him some days, I think about all the movies we watched or how we always goofed off with each other,  I miss it. I never want that to change!!!  Dad has been such an inspiration to me out here! When I think of him I always get lot of confidence. I love all of you so much!!!!

love 

Elder Chavez

First Discussion and Tour of Bogota

Hey!
So let's get straight to the good stuff ... we went out teaching! And we actually got to go out two times! So we went out last Friday for like 3 hours and it was crazy!!! There are so many people in this country!  But it was pretty frustrating, everyone we would go up to would say no thank you and just walk away. But then my companion and I walked like 2 miles away to this big park, and there was only one lady there and I knew we needed to go talk to her. So we walked way far over to her, her name was Emilia and we started to see what she likes to do in life and other stuff. Then I started to tell her about the church. We were only supposed to get contacts from people, but we sat and had a 40 min discussion with her on the restoration. She said she wants to know more and wants to have good blessings in her life, it was crazy! We gave her a book of Mormon and asked her to Read Moroni 10 and pray to receive an answer. It was crazy!! She was so excited when we gave it to her, her very own copy!! We got to go out again yesterday for only an hour but it was cool, my teacher challenged us to get 5 contacts and we did it!!! The first time we only got three. But one month today! It's crazy, I still remember the drive to Provo as if it were yesterday. Two more weeks in the MTC and then I'm done! It kinda scares me sometimes, I feel like I'm not ready at all but I just keep praying for strength! Funny story ... we were out doing service the other day and this lady brought up her daughter to us and was like "look how cute she is!" "Do any of you handsome men want to marry her??" We had to tell her no. hahaha!  But I guess that's pretty common down here. And then I have some good news! I wrote you guys a letter home! So you have to see if it makes it there! I sent it on Friday and I hear it takes like 3 weeks to go back and fourth so who know when it will get there but let me know if it does. Here is my new address for the mission home, so if you want to send letters and pictures to me that would be awesome. I don't think it would ever be worth it to send a package down here. Just pictures of the family will be enough.

Elder Mason Chavez

Colombia Bogota South Mission

Calle 72 #10-07, oficina 303

Edificio Liberty Seguros

Bogota, Distrito Capital

Colombia

Things here are going good! I'm just trying really hard to forget about myself and start to love others. We watched a devotional by Elder Bednar and the whole thing was about turning outward and forgetting what you want and need and help others with their wants and needs. I've been trying to do that. I miss all of you so much. I get a new companion today, we were all supposed to get Latinos but they aren't enough for all of us so I have another North American who was already here. His name is Elder Taylor. He's from Holladay so kinda close. He was friends with Paloni so that's kinda cool. Arron Wooden was here but we never were able to get a picture together, they only let us have our cameras on pday. Well I love all of you so much. It brings me to tears sometimes, I hope everything is going good at home!! I was about to cry when i read the thing with Bailey! But just let everyone know I love all of them so very much!!

Love Elder Chavez

Pictures from Mason's Tour around Bogota

This picture made me literally laugh out loud!

This is a Salt Mine that they turned into a Cathedral
Mason said it was kind of weird but really cool!

Finally!

 I am so sorry! I didn't get to email last week! We had to go to immigration on our p day and we were stuck there for like 5 hours it stunk! But I am finally writing and I have no clue what to say! I have really been missing everybody a lot lately! I have the picture of our family hung up so it's the first thing I get to see every day. I love all of you some much, I'm excited to see the girls start school next week. I want to see their first day pictures! I'm going to send some pictures today or at least try. I'm sorry I haven't sent any, it's way hard. You think and hour is a lot of time to write a message but it's not! I can't think of everything I want to say! I can honestly feel your love and prays from here. I went through a rough patch when I didn't get to write last week but I am doing so much better! I will be writing every Tuesday from now on but my p day will be on Friday! I guess what we are doing this Friday, we are going out to proselytize. haha I'm so scared but that is honestly when I feel the best out here, when we are practicing with our fake investigator and trying to change their lives. So pray for me alot on Friday I'm going to need all the help I can get!  I love all of you soo much

Love Elder Chavez

Picture of the traffic in Bogota.  Mason said the traffic there is CRAZY!

Bogota Temple

Bogota Temple

Bogota Temple

Mason and His 2nd Companion
Elder Ludwig

MTC President

They made Mason get his haircut!
I told him I liked him with longer hair but he said
"Me too, but hey I haven't had to do it for the past two weeks!"
That's Mason for you! Always seeing the positive in everything!

Outside the Colombia MTC

Mason outside the Colombia MTC

MTC

View from the MTC

Plane Ride to Bogota Colombia MTC

Mason's New Companion

Elder Ludwig

Elder Tulusteck
Mason's First Companion!

Provo MTC

Kid that Reminds Mason of His Dad!

Elder Ryan Fife
He and Mason played Soccer together
at Jordan High School