Happy Hump Day Elder Chavez!

One Year!!!! I can honestly say we never thought we'd reach this day and yet we blinked and here we are.  We miss you so much, but know the work you are doing is changing generations to come.  You have grown so much over the past year! We can hardly wait to see what this year holds for you! We love you and Miss you so much but most of all we are so very Proud of you Elder Chavez!  The people of Colombia are so lucky to know you and your testimony of the Gospel.  And just for the record Mason .... Only 365 DAYS LEFT !!!!  (I know ... stop counting!) Have Fun, Work hard and most of all Enjoy this Journey!

Love-
Mom

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