Moving on to the Libertad Stake!

So this week was transfers and guess what? They transferred me just one area over from mine, now I'll be in the stake center chapel in the Libertad stake. The worst part is that they shipped off my companion to be the new assistant. He was a real good friend, I'm sure you guys will meet him some day. So now I'm going to teach my new companion elder Amaya how to do all the zone leader stuff we do, which isn't that much. My new comp is from Honduras  but he lived in the states for the last 5 years and served in the army so he's about as American as I am1haha But he was already here in the zone and we've been pretty good friends so I'm really excited for the way things are looking! A few pictures this week. I can still tare things up even though I'm Chubby.  Have a good week, I talk to you all soon.  
Love 
Elder Chavez

literally wore some holes in my shoes!

Elder Jackman from Sandy ... He lives behind smiths on 94Th

The Martinez Family ... It was hard saying Goodbye, this family is awesome!

Conference weekend in English!

This week was really good for us, we were able to get a lot done, but as always the week of conference is hard because we pretty much are stuck in the stake center all day Saturday and Sunday watching it. But at the same time it is a huge blessing I have come to love to hear the church leaders speak. And the last few time I have gone in with questions in my life I have seen them get answered and have seen progression in a lot of things. Looks like the family had a great weekend and I have to say I am jealous of all the skiing.  I love you all and hope you all have a good week.

Love,
Elder Chavez

Watching Conference .... Best part in English!

Mason and Elder Forsyth

Sight seeing ... Catholic Church

Another Baptism!

Ok well this week was really good, kinda hard in a few aspects but at the same time one of the most satisfying weeks of the whole mission. first off Baptism! two weeks in a row , that was an awesome feeling. We have been working with this kid for a little wile and in these last few weeks he just took off and started changing his life . When I first got here, the Bishop asked us to go to his house because his mom and 4 sisters had gotten baptized a year before and had stopped attending a few months back. So I went with Elder Ojeda and we got them going again, but those first six weeks  Miguel didn't want much to do with us, but Elder Forsyth and I focused a lot on him and were able to help this change. It was really spiritual, The family has a lot of love for us. That's the best part of the mission, Getting someone to do something for the good and becoming their friend all along the way. I am so grateful for this opportunity that I have to be here, it's changed my life. -this last week was Easter, but here they do semana santa. A whole week to remember the lord, it's cool but at the same time they remember him and his death. But that's the best about Easter Sunday, I could defiantly feel the spirit when we sang asombro me da, I satand all amazed. I know our savior lives and that if we follow him we will live now and for the eternity as a family!

Love,
Elder Chavez

Miguel's Baptism

Cleaning vandalism off of the Church
With Elder Forsyth

Send more letters ...

This week was another awesome week! I feel like my companion and I are hitting our stride in everything, I have honestly been so happy but at the same time getting stressed out because the days are flying by! But this next week is going to be even better Brother Franklin and Sister Judith are getting married on Wednesday and baptised on Saturday so I'm stocked it has been a battle but we have seen the Lords hands in all things so now we just need to have patience. We have been meeting a lot of really good people in the last few day and have had some of the most powerful lessons, we have a calendar in our house with the dates that we put on people and it's getting full. We are really trying to help them focus on three thing simple things that sometimes pass over too fast. Read ponder and pray. I can see it in my own life, when we take the time to read and study what the Lord wants us to do it will also become our desire. This week I will have been out here for 20 months, I can't believe it, when I first got here I was so confused, I didn't understand what it really meant to be a missionary. But I have been blessed in so many ways since I have started and will always thank my Heavenly Father for this time of my life. I look back at who I was and it scares me to see all that I did, but I feel a lot of hope to see that my desires have come a lot closer to the Lords. I still have a long way to go but hey that's what will be awesome for when I get home, cause I have the help of my family. I love you guys so much it has been awesome with my new companion because we have been able to talk about our families a lot and I know that we will be an eternal family. it would be nice to see some more letters in these last few months, I would love to see some from my sisters and hear all about their lives. I love you guys so much!

Love-
Elder Chavez

Time Goes By To Quick!

Well things have been really good for me as of late, besides the fact that we have been crazy busy. Being busy is a blessing and a curse. This last week we got to get a ton of stuff done and it made time fly by. But that's the curse, when time goes by too quick, I feel like I just wrote you yesterday. haha And it also has made me dead tired in the night time, we have been getting home planning and passing out! But we have had some confusion with the family and the marriage but finally it is all figured out. Last week they went to go get the date for the wedding, and their brother in law scared them out of it because the Brother Franklin was baptised with a different name than the one he has here in Colombia, so the brother in-law told him that he couldn't get sealed until he changed his name in Colombia. Which is not true. so this last week we went to their house with a brother from the ward that is a lawyer, and he explained that it's all ok and that they need to go take out the date now! haha so they are there right now and hopefully they will get the date for this Friday!! We have been fasting and praying for this so now it's down to them and the Lord!

Feb 29th ... Leap Day!

This last week was really good! My new companion is pretty sweet, he is from Ceder City and we have been getting a long great. In these last few weeks I was praying a lot about my desires to serve, I have felt like I need to get more deep into my calling for these last few months, And this last week I could see that the lord answered me, with my companion. We have really stepped it in to gear, this last week we were able to find 12 new people, that's the most Ive ever found in a week in Bogota. We had people get to church and that baptism is finally going to happen, that family is at the natay as we speak getting the fecha (date) for their wedding! So I'm pretty happy with how things are, but at the same time I want to get better, forget about me and just work. I hope that in these last two years I have changed into the person that the lord wants and needs me to be. love you all!

Elder Chavez

Staying

Things have been really good on my end, We got the transfers and I'm staying in the area but my companion is leaving. It's pretty sad he has been a really good friend, and has helped me grow a lot as a person I was hoping that we would stay together. But now I'm with Elder Forsyth, from Ceder City Utah. hahaha I met him a long time ago in Girardot, he started the mission six weeks after me. But he's a really good guy and has been Zone leader for a little longer than me so I bet there's a lot I can learn from him. But we jut got here like 3 hours ago so we are just barely starting to get to really know each other. Hope all is well. I love you all.

Love
Elder Chavez

Still Waiting On The Marriage

Well this week was a little hard because we couldn't find very many people, but it was a really cool to see people at church yesterday. We are not sure if that family is going to get married this week or the next, things are weird here in Colombia, you can't just get married, you have to plan a cita (appointment) way in advance so we are looking to see if we can have someone do us a favor or we'll have to wait a week longer. I hope not because this week is combos (transfers) again. Who knows what will happen this time! Only another 2 1/2 transfers before I will be home.  It's kind of weird and scary to think about all at the same time. Well I gotta go.  I love you all!

Love-
Elder Chavez

Getting a Family Married :)

Things have been really good here, I had my very best week ever here in Bogota, we found 11 new people to teach, and we had two people going to church. And it gets even better we are going to get a family married!! I want to ask the family a favor, my companion's really struggling with his clothing  the first time we were together he told me how poor his family is but it never showed. But know with time in the mission his clothes are falling apart. We talked to the mission and they have shirts and pants for him, but I was wondering if you could send me money to buy him shoes. The shoes he has have holes and are way too small for him I dont know what we can do but I'd like to get him some nice ones he can wear for the rest of his mission! I don't know if I'll be able to write dad very much for his Birthday but let him know I love him and that we'll have a good 6 months together when I get home to catch up on all our shows and work together everyday!  I love you all very much! 

Love-
Elder Chavez

I'm a Missionary!

It was really good week this week, but we didn't have very much time to work. This week we had a 70 visit our mission so I was with him for two days of the week and we had interviews the other day, but we had someone progressing in the area ! I learned a lot of things that I can do better this week so I'm stoked to apply them this week. We have been bless with an awesome family, Franklin and Judy, Judy isn't a member and she is super animated to find out if the church is true and got an answer this last week about the Book of Mormon and went to church so that's super exciting, I haven't had anyone progress in weeks so it's a big relief! I got to go, i love you guys! I'll  see you next week! I sure hope you are all reading and praying as a family. And that you have family home evening tonight!! hahaha I'm a missionary!!! (:

Better Late than never ...

So this last week was pretty sweet. I'm stocked to be with Elder Ojeda again, we already have a sick unity. But this week was awesome for the spirit that we felt, our area has nothing, but we just went out and started looking, we have a lot of potential this week. But I want to tell you a cool experience I had, I have been praying a lot harder lately to have a confirmation that Jesus really is our Savior, and that the church is true, and the other day I had a dream. I had this dream that I was walking and the all of a sudden I was walking with Grandpa, and Grandpa told me in the dream that I had been forgiven , that I was worth it and I was working in the work of the lord. I've never had a dream like that before, I'm pretty sure the lord gave me that confirmation. But this week had so many other spiritual experiences it was awesome. My friend Elder Haralson read a talk one time about dreams and he said that when the lord gives us an answer it will be through someone we trust. So that's my Grandpa!!! Well I gotta Go ... Love you all!

Elder Chavez

In the Liberty Zone

Well I got moved.. hahaha I'm with my old companion Elder Ojeda from Neiva! It's pretty sweet I am now Zone leader in the zone called La Libertad. My area is called Casablanca and it's in the Liberty zone (in english I'm really excited, I think there's a lot of things here that I can do better, in my last zone I was still learning how to help a lot of missionaries, but here I think I can come out more as a leader for them. So I'm actually opening a new area with my companion, so as of now we have nothing.. haha but that will make things more fun, we are already really good friends, He's the companion that I baptized a lot with in Neiva. I like opening a new area because it's really just between you and the lord, he will guide us I know it. So I have some pictures to send but this place today doesn't have an adaptor for the memory so Ill send them next week. (: gotta go ... I love you all.

Elder Chavez

I will be coming home ...

This week was kinda hard not going to lie, well the end of the week was just super sad. Then Thursday night I was doing a baptism interview with some guy and my companion came in and said we had to leave right after I had finished the interview, because there was an emergency in the zone. Apparently one of the Zone members has been in some trouble and we had to go get him and bring him to our house New Years Eve, so he didn't get into more trouble. The next day we had to take him to our presidents house and we found out that he was getting sent home, and that we have to take care of him until they get him a flight. So our whole weekend we were with these elders. Really hard to watch, he started the mission with me. So it was really hard to work with them following us around.  So I have some news about the date ...I will be coming home ....... on the...  wait for it.... June 22nd! Well there are cambios this week so there is a chance I could leave, Ive never just stayed in an area for 2 transfers so I think it would be way weird if they got me out but I don't know what will happen. Well I gotta go, I love you all.

 Elder Chavez

a Birthday and 17 Months!

I'm doing good this week, tired.haha We have been working hard, but it's been super fun as of late. We also played soccer on a big field today and I got the testimony that I have gotten fat and out of shape.hahaha! I don't have much time today.  Just wanted to tell you all that I love you!  We will talk more next week!  Tell Gracie Happy Birthday from her big brother and tell her I love her and that she better be staying away from the boys or I will come home early to hurt them! haha  Wednesday is a special day not only Grace's bday but I also hit 17months in the mission!  I love you all so much.

Love-
Elder Chavez

I went to the hospital this week

Well I went to the hospital this week. With my companion he got sick so I had to take him there Friday morning at like 2 in the morning. hahaha Sorry for the scare!! My companion is super sensitive to stuff here and has been sick like all his mission so we ate fish the other day and then in the morning he was like dying from a stomach ache and we had to like sprint to the hospital because he has problems with his stomach in the mission so we didn't know what it was. Beside that this week was really long with all the dumb stuff we had to do. We were able to find five new people this week which was good but nobody went to church which is really frustrating but we'll get them this week. But that one kid that we were going to baptised is still going to get baptised but it looks like in the Bogota north mission, because he called us this week to let us know that he moved and that he was hoping it wasn't a problem so it's not so much but kinda a bummer that our baptism is in a different place but I'm happy that he´ll still get to that important part in his life. My companion is fine after we spent 5 hours at the hospital.  It was just better to be safe than sorry.  He almost left a few months ago because he is having so many problem.  So I am glad it was nothing.  I won't be able to call this year.  so we need to plan now for skipping on Christmas.  My companion wants to do it after lunch so around 2:00 our time 12:00 your time.  Well I gotta go, I love you all so much talk to you soon.

Elder Chavez

Crazy Day!

Things have been crazy today, things got changed around as of late. WE had transfers this week, but now we have transfers on monday instead of tuesday. So my Companion left and I have been at the stake center all day sending and reciving missionaries, which has been super boring. haha My new companion is Elder Smith, he is from indiana and he has been one of my good friends all mission, we are from the same group. He was my zone leader in Girardot for like 4 months and now we are together. haha But this week has been good we have been doing a lot as of late so that's really good. So I should be having a baptism kind soon I think and hope. His name is Andres he is 22 and is from the coast, and was progressing a ton a few weeks ago but he got a new job so we lost complete contact with him for like 2 weeks but this last week we found him again and he came to church and he says he knows he needs to be baptized so that is really cool. he only needs one more attendance and then he can get dunked so I'm getting excited for that, but besides him we need to find more, That's why I'm exctited for my new companion, he really likes to work hard so I think we can kick some butt this transfer!

Love,
Elder Chavez

Last weeks letter ... this week

The work has been hard as of late, we need to make some changes, WE are working alone here. we keep finding people but they don't progress because the don't know anyone to help them out. We have a leadership conference with out presiente this Wednesday and I think that can help us out a lot. I have started to feel better here though, those first few weeks I got kinda stressed out like normal. But this last week I felt the spirit a lot! I was able to go on an intercambio with Elder Mcgee, my good friend and we killed it. WE and the people were crying in like every lesson. haha it was really fun
Love you all 

Elder Chavez

A Crazy Story of Course

This was a good week but still pretty hard. Things here are quite different in Bogota. The people are a lot more closed off, so we have had a really hard time to find new people. It's way weird too because everyone works until night time, So we really don't have visits until like six and i really don't like that. haha In tierra client I always worked with the members but here it is hard because they hardly have time to let us in. But I have noticed that the people here are really faithful. When we leave them an assignment the actually do it. So that makes it easier to find investigators who actually progress. I have times when I really miss my old branch, but I know with the time I'll make some good friends here too. We actually had a baptism this week and it was crazy. Sorry I didn't give you an update ... we didn't really know what was going on with the lady but we got her and her daughter in the water. But with a crazy story of course, so we had our baptism service after another group of elders, but those other elders didn't know the water was emptying after they baptised the guy, so when we went to do our baptism there was no water, so we had to fill it up and the water storage pump in the church is all out of water so we had to wait like an hour to have it fill up again. It just barley had enough water to get to like my knee. so hardly any. But the worst part is that the water was freezing cold. So when I went to baptize the little girl she freaked out and  we had to do it twice. haha but the best part is yet to come. The water level was like too low to baptize the mom so my mission president told me to sit down in the water while my companion was baptising her to make the level go up! So we were all in there together in freezing cold water. But we got it done. hahah Have a good Week I love you all!

Love-
Elder Chavez

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween. This last week was pretty crazy and kinda hard to be honest but I was able to have some really awesome experiences. First off today, I went to the TEMPLE for the first time in over a year and it was awesome it was something that I really need, I was able to renew these awesome convenios with the Lord, I love that we can do that. We also had an emergency stake conference this week. And I was able to meet two 70s one was Elder Godoy who is in the area presidency  I have really admired him after he gave that talk on patrical blessings the one I sent you. So that was awesome and the conference was so powerful. Halloween was pretty fun here I have some pic's so I hope you all enjoy!
Love-
Elder Chavez

Halloween 2015

Good Friend Elder McGee

Life has been turned upside down

Yeah! So my life has been turned upside down in the last week. Bogota is like a whole different world. It's been fun but at the same time kinda hard on me, I have been a little home sick for my branch in Chicoral. It was so hard to say goodbye down there, I went home on the last night crying like a little baby. We worked really hard this last week and we did some good things here, but it's hard because I still have no clue where I am or who the people are and everyone here is busy so it not like you just have time to bond really we teach and then we leave, they are all in a rush. It's been really spiritual though especially yesterday in church they talked about the atonement a lot and it was something that I need. I had felt a little alone in the week and stressed out with all these new responsibilities but hearing more about my Savior helped. That's why this week I want us to ponderize 2 nephi 25 : 23. It talks about the grace, the help we get from God, but it says we have to do every thing we possibly can first. I know it might be hard here at first because it's a big change, but I know if I keep going forward doing everything I will receive the grace of God. So I hope you can all keep going on too! haha I've had to use my arteyrx jacket all week cause I've been so cold. haha but I'm already getting used to it the first night I had to sleep with like 3 shirts on and my jacket. haha love you all!

Elder Chavez