Baptisms in the works!

Things have been going pretty sweet in Chicoral! We have the baptism all set up for this Saturday and then we have cambios (transfers) this next week, so I'm pretty sure I'm headed out because we are starting to progress. Haha just my luck but who knows maybe not. We have been trying really hard to find the chosen people and it has been so hard. haha we have been contacting like crazy and pretty much everyone has told us no. But we were able to find one new girl named Maria Jose.  She is new in Chicoral and her boyfriend from Bogota is a member so she was wanting to get the lessons. But it was sweet we met her at like 8:50 one night this week. I thought the day was going to end with nothing but she came over to a members house ans said hey I'll get baptised. haha She went to church on Sunday and is really excited, she has a date for Izzy's bday the 19th so hopefully we can get her there. This new way of teaching has been really different for me but it's allowing us to see if the people want to progress or no so our numbers are lower but we have real progression!

Things are Looking Up

Well things have been really good as of late, Our mission president has made some new normas or things that we need to be doing daily. Like find 2 new people invite 6 people to baptism every week. So we have been trying really hard to apply that to our lessons and this last week we found more people than I have since I got here, and we can see if they really want to progress when we invite them to baptism. We have one baptism that looks pretty for sure the 5 of September. the week before my birthday. haha almost 20 how crazy!!!  But her name is Judith and she is an old grandma who lives alone with another older grandma. haha All she has to do is come to church one more time and she set, she always tells us how excited she is for her baptism so I think we are going good with her. I'm doing pretty good, just trying to get things going really good in my area, I have the feeling that I'm probably headed out of here in two week so I want to leave the area perfect for my new companion so he can help out all the people we´ll leave behind. Kinda like I did in Nevia. Remember that family that I worked with for a way long time in Nevia but could never get them married. Well they got married and baptised two weeks ago and I got to talk with them this last week it was pretty awesome! they are now trying to get to the temple, so that was some pretty awesome news. I love you all so much.

Love-
Elder Chavez

A Few Weeks Behind on Posts

My area Chicoral went into its yearly parties for the weekend it was like a huge festival and it was way cool to see but absolutely destroyed the work. So it was a really slow week. I think it was the lowest amount of lessons I have ever taught in one week. Well since I had that chinkanguña thing or what ever it was But it was still a really awesome week, I got to do anintercambio with the zone leaders and that was pretty sweet because it was with one of my friends from the MTC and then on Friday I had a meeting all day with my mission president in a city called Ibague. I was there so long the meeting ended at 11:30 so I stayed the night there and got soo cold. ha ha because it's not the hot lands well technically it is but a lot colder than my area. hahah My new companion is named Elder Gutierrez. he is from Peru and it's really cool he started the mission with my first son Elder Galleguillo, So he only has like 4 months in the mission but is full of energy to work. Which has been a huge blessing the last few days. I have to say it was pretty sad to talk with some of the members this last week because there were a lot of them that told me it was a good thing that Elder Condori left that he wasn't a good missionary and that they thought he was really disobedient. It was all pretty true  but I felt bad that things went so far that they actually saw that I just hope he can figure things out in his life so that he can leave a lot better impact on the people here of Colombia. love you all!

Love-
Elder Chavez

Finally a Change

Well my companion has been changed! This morning we got a call from the zone leader and he got emergency transferred to Bogota. Haha I guess that challenge has passed me by for now. To be totally honest I feel kinda weird ... he just left and there was honestly like no feelings to me.  I just told him I hope he can be good and have the mission that he came here to have.  I hope I handled it all good, I just hope it goes better with my new companion. And that Elder Condori can do better with his. I really just want to work and that was the hardest part we were so separated that the work was almost impossible to get done. I just want to help this branch I'm  going to be here or at least four and a half months and I want to make a difference. I want to get even more lost, But it has been hard because everything was so personal with Elder Condori we could never talk about the investigators because we had our own huge problem. Haha But we actually have  someone who is progressing her name is Judith, she has the desire to be baptised but some members told us that she has come to the church in the past to look for ways to get help financially. So we'll have to see how things are going. That family that we were helping to get married totally fell apart... but I know there are people out there prepared and that the Lord is teaching me a huge lesson here for my life!

Love-
Elder Chavez

Especially my Eyes

Things were hard yet again this week, Actually pretty funny with some stuff that happened. In our companionship inventory, my companion just was not participating, and I asked him what does he need to be able to work? And he told me a new companion. So I called the zone leaders and he talked to them and they just happed to be with our mission president, so our president had a talk with us and told us we need to make plans and goals to make things better. So when we got of the phone with him, I tried to make goals and my companion told me that he just doesn't like me, expecially my eyes that he doesn't want to work with me, that everything about me he just doesn't like. So I asked him what I can do better and he said nothing, just that he wants a new companion. So that's how the week has been he pretty much has just been following me around place to place while I've been teaching. My president knows everything so don't think that he is not doing his job, i just know that there is something more that I need or my companion needs in this. I dont know if well stay together all transfer but hey it can only go up right?? haha I'm really excited for this week though because I can start doing some exchanges to help out the other elders in the district. There are only four of us and I'm the oldest one the next closest to me have four months so they have all been kinda lost in their areas. So I'm going over there to help them out. I love you all. 

Love,
Elder Chavez

Many Blessings

Well we had combios yesterday, well technically today ... and I found out what I will be doing for the next six weeks. Well ... I'm staying in Chicoral and with my companion!!! I was pretty sure that we were going to get a change, He has drove me up the wall as you have all seen but, I have been given many blessings in the last week. I have started to see the Lords hands playing a bigger part in my own personal life, I have started to lose myself more than ever. Today when they called with the new I was hoping for a change and I did get one! I have been called to be a district leader again! And I honestly have felt so good all day. I know the Lord is giving me another chance to help my companion in this transfer and me to help the other Elders out. I'm getting really excited for this transfer I hope and pray that I can be guided to help then with their needs. It's going to be fun!

Love-
Elder Chavez

Keep on Praying

Well things have been going alright. I can't say better cause I don't want to lie but that's how it's been. I've been super tired because I am literally doing everything. But I'm proud. I'm proud that I have started to love all of this stuff, it hurts me to see that my companion doesn't feel the the same. But this week has some really good parts too. We got to meet President Baquerizo, who is awesome and reminds me a lot of my father. He brought three kids here to the mission with his wife and they are an awesome family. I could honestly feel his love from the moment he hugged me. I was able to have my first interview with him and it was a little different, because we didn't say a word about me, we just talked about what was going on with my companion well what's still is going on. Haha President Barquerizo told me he doesn't know why my companion came or why the lord sent him here. But he said he does know that the Lord trusts me and that I can change this Elders life. And I can honestly say I have tried so hard this last week. I sit him down like every other day and we talk about the problems he has, still I am really confused. He doesn't like me to teach with the scriptures because he doesn't believe in them. I set goals with him to pray and read and be obedient and then in the next hour he tries to go and take a nap or sleeps in or comes to study late, that's when it hurts, he's choosing not to do his part, it's like I'm living with an investigator. But the work isn't all bad I hope you guys don't think that I'm sad or what ever because I'm fine. I actually had a really good week with the members that have taken a little notice of the situation and have started to help me more, I have made some really good friends here. Friends that I will have forever. I wish I could write more but I hope all is well I'm printing pics of the dogs because all the members are way excited to meet them. Haha i love you and dad does look hubba hubba! Haha have fun and take care..

Love Elder Chavez

Mason's Dog Sophie had puppies on July 2nd!

Lots of Prayers Needed

Mason Has asked for our prayers,  He is having some issues with his companion.  His companion has told him that he doesn't believe in Heavenly Father or Jesus Christ and also that he does not believe in the scriptures more that he believes in the science behind things.  Mason is meeting with his mission president tomorrow for interviews and will discuss everything with him but for now he has asked that we pray for him,  that he can be an instrument in the Lords hands and help his companion.  He is a new companion ... a new missionary and has only been out 3 weeks.  Please pray for him.  Also one of Mason's close childhood friend's Dad committed suicide last week.  His other close friend emailed Mason this week asking for Prayers for the family. It's been a tough week For a lot of people.  May we remember them in our prayers and help ease their burdens. Mason says thank you for all your love and support.

A Day late

Ok well I couldn't write you yesterday because Elder Galleguillo got emergency transfered. They called us and said he was going to Bogota, so all day we were running around trying to get him ready to go, but the thing that killed me is that there are a ton of parties right now in this part of Colombia so when we went to write there was not even one store open. I was worrying about you last night I knew you would probably freak out so I'm sorry I tried my best. So anyways I got a new companion he came this morning, I had to stay the night with some other elders in the next town over from us. But his name is Elder Condori he is from Peru. He's 25 years old and has two weeks in the mission. haha so I'm training again. hahah another adventure, but he seems really cool we've only been together for like 5 hours now but we are already getting along great. This last week was pretty slow again, but we were able to do some pretty cool things. We went to Ibague one day because my mission president is going home. Today is his last day here and our new president gets here tomorrow. It was really sad to see him go. I still remember when I started and I didnt like him ... I thought he was a jerk for telling me not to write Courtney, but man to I love that guy. He has always been there to help me and love us. He told me how proud he was of me when he gave me the last hug goodbye. Wish I would have gotten to spend more time with him. That's the down side of the hot lands, you don't get to see the people like you do in Bogota. But hey I'm going to complete one year here in the hot lands and hopefull the next year too. Haha if I dont die of sweating to much. hahahaa! I love you all.

Love-
Elder Chavez

No Change This Transfer

Well we had another 6 weeks of transfers already here in the mission and nothing is changing for me.   Elder Galleguillo and I are the only companionship in the whole zone who didn't get a change, but that is what I thought would happen. This week was really slow with the work, we lost a lot of time planning our baptism. Yes we had a baptism in the very last week of the transfer! (June 14,2015) But you are going to be mad at me ... I couldn't take any pictures, haha we had it Sunday morning and we were in such a rush we forgot. Haha I feel really bad for Elder Galleguillo I had him do the baptism for his first and we didn't even take a picture! Haha but I guess that's fine. I took some pictures of our church and some of the families in our area so I hope you enjoy.  I love you all!

Love-
Elder Chavez

The Church House

Bathrooms

Inside the Church House

We Are Seeing Our Prayers being Answered

Things have been getting a lot better here in Chicoral, we were able to teach a lot of people this week and we have a chance to have three baptisms too this Saturday!  We still haven't gotten the papers for the marriage so we might have to wait another week to baptise them. I can already see Satan tempting them to not go though with it but we are constantly showing them it's the right thing to do. We have another lady Claudia, she's investigated the church for like 5 months and has wanted to be baptised but has needed to talk to her husband who is in the jungle, we made plans to fast and pray that he could call her and he did!!! That's been awesome in this area, we have really seen our prayers being answered. So Saturday should be fun, or at least pray it will be! Things got a lot better this week with my companion, I sat him down and we just talked for like two hours about what we want to do to help each other and everything has been better and this weekend was awesome our lessons got a ton stronger. I've been thinking a lot about time lately, but not in a bad way but I have been trying so hard to the conversion for these people, investigators and members, this week I was trying to see about my conversion, have I really changed? Or am I the same person I was? I've been focusing a lot on becoming an instrument in the Lord's hands so that he can change and use me the way he needs to. I hope I'm doing OK. I hope you all are well I love you!

Elder Chavez

Slow week

It was a slow week, We didn't get to teach as many lessons as I would have liked. But we did get to have our investigators come to church! We have a baptism planned for next week, but it's going to come down to the wire. We are helping a couple get married so we had to have the lady's papers sent here from an other place far away, so if the papers get here on time well have the wedding and the baptism!! And if not ... it's going to get postponed. Things are alright with my companion, I've just come to realize that we aren't the same type of person and that's fine, I just always thought when I trained someone it would be like Elder Mizari and I ... really good friends! But I guess not. Haha it's more important how the people are not us. I got on late today, we lost track of time cleaning the house.  So I will make it up next week by sending pictures.  I love you all.

Love-
Elder Chavez

I Need More Time!

Things are actually going really good with the investigators. We have two that want to get married and have a date for three weeks from now. We just have to go get the papers sent from another state sent to us then it's a done deal! So that will be fun ... a wedding and a baptism! The area is awesome I'm just going crazy ... there is so much to do here. Haha and we have almost been here for a month, which I don't like ... I need more time to work! Hahaha! Love and miss all of you.
love,
Elder Chavez

McDonald's never tasted sooo Good!

I'm doing pretty good, this week was kinda a long one. But things have been picking back up again. I got to go to a sweet city this week for a leader meeting even though I'm not a leader, My president says I need to get prepared for when the call comes back. So I don't know what that means?? And ... You'll never believe what I got to eat in this city!! MCDONALDS!! haha it was soooo good! I  had my first big mac in over 10 months!!! Times flying. I  just want to stay more focused. Being a trainer has been hard, I've been pretty stressed. Just because he doesn' know how to do anything, but we are getting better. We didn't start off with the best relationship but we've gotten a lot better. He just was very quite when we started but now we talk alot more. I actually had my very last interview with my mission president this last week. I was pretty sad we get a new president in a month. He told me that I have progressed a lot in this time, so that made me feel good. I hope that doesn't stop! I want to come home a changed person. I want to have a personal conversion that's my main goal! I love you all so much.

Love-
Elder Chavez

I Have News ...

I have News,  I am going to be transferred!  I will be going to Bogota but for only one day.  I have been called to be a trainer so I will go to Bogota to pick up my new companion or my Kid as they say here in the mission.  We will be opening a new area together which is named Chicoral,  Which is in the zone of Girardot.  So I'll be going back kinda close to my first area.  But this place is like a farm town.  They don't have a chapel there they have what's called una case capilla or a house that is a church. Haha! It's going to be hard I already can feel it, but I am excited.  I have come to learn that it is pretty fun to put your faith in the Lord and when you put in your part he will always help you!  So thats what I am going to be doing with my hijo (Son).  So today I will be going around and saying goodbye to everyone and it will be hard.  I called a few people and they already told me that they will cry when I leave so today should be interesting. Haha! I can't wait to talk to everyone in a few days.  I love and miss you all.

Love-
Elder Chavez