Week Report
Tuesday we rolled over to San Gil. San Gil is a colonial city out in the boonies and the whole area had been closed for about 2 years but they just opened it up again about 3 weeks ago. The elders are staying in a hotel right now (lol) because there is no available missionary housing. The branch is also having their meetings in the hotel as they get the new chapel prepared. It's pretty funny because the elders get fresh towels everyday + packaged soap. But they live over 2 hours away form everybody so I think they've been feeling isolated.
Anyway, I spent the day in San Gil with Elder Torres. His Mom is from Bogota and his dad is from NY. His aunts live in Bogota and have visited him like 5 times haha. Elder Torres is awesome though. He has the most massive calves I've ever seen. We went beast mode all day in San Gil. We found an elderly couple of door makers. Jorge has been making doors since 71. I asked him if he made wood doors and he glared at me and said "never." Wrong question I guess...
San Gil also has like 10 tiny pueblos that you have to bus to but count as being part of the area. I convinced Torres to take me to one of them. We rolled up to BARICHARA. Pretty sure we were the first missionaries to ever go there. It's a white city. One of the best looking towns I've seen in Colombia. Look up BARICHARA. It's famous for stone sculpting. So we hung out and contacted in Barichara. Then we bussed back and contacted this dude. We asked him if he wanted to come to church. He said "when they give me my freedom!" ...#housearrest. Torres asked what he did for work and the dude was like, "I don't talk about that on busses."#yikes
But I got to know Elder Torres way better. We're buds now.
Wednesday
Cant remember anything.
Thursday
So Julian and Angelica have been our key investigators. Angelica is an environmental engineer and Julian is a vet. Power siblings. Every lesson started with them questioning us about the Isaiah chapters of the BOM. But some of the most thoughtful people. Angelica prayed for a signal to know if the BOM is true. Opened the book up to 3 Nephi 12 and she read the last half of verse 2: Yea, blessed are they who shall believe in your words, and come down into the depths of humility and be baptized, for they shall be visited with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and shall receive a remission of their sins.
They had their baptismal interviews on Thursday. Our district leader Elder Skinner did the interview. Elder Jaque stayed with him. I went with Elder Quiñonez (rapper from Guatemala) back to his area. We had a pretty crazy lesson with his Bishop and this Mother and Daughter they are teaching. The daughter is 17 but has a 30 year old boyfriend and the lesson ended with her breaking up with him. It was crazy. Won't say anything else.
But me and Quiñonez rolled back to their house and made burritos. Quiñonez is a trooper. None of his family writes him so we are trying to be his best friend.
Friday we had splits in Piedecuesta (Foothills). I was with Elder Hulet. Piedecuesta has been a dead area for awhile so we rolled up and worked like dogs. Had a crazy visit with this radio guy. His wife had told the missionaries, "I don't care if an angel comes down and tells me your church is true, I'm never getting baptized." Gotta respect the commitment but still...
Next morning we made arepas and french toast. Then we rolled back to my area. Baptism day. We cleaned the font and ran 50 errands to get the clothes ready and the chapel ready and keys to the font and all this other crap. Baptism went dope. Good showup. I baptised Julian and Elder Jaque baptised Angelica. They will be good Latter Day Saints. Have become family.
After the baptism, I was changing clothes and suddenly realized I had to throw up. There was like 10 people in the bathroom but #gottadowhatyagottado. Kind of embarrasing lol. I STILL don't know where the food poisoning came from. But that's the mission: CLEAN FONT - BAPTIZE - THROW UP. Julian and Angelica brought me soup (best friends). Elder Jaque was a beast comp. He had to force me to stay in bed. That was a horrible night. Throwing up takes all your strength. Sorry to talk so much about puke.
Sunday was awesome. Julian and Angelica got confirmed. We went to gospel principles. I lasted 5 minutes and felt like I had to pass out. Longest hour ever. I would have left earlier but...idk. Brother Aranguren saw that I was bad and gave us a ride home early. He's such a good dude. We baptized his best friend and have become bros with him. We got back to our house and I collapsed on the bed and slept till 7 at night.
Woke up, rolled over to a FACE TO FACE event. Elder Oaks and Elder Ballard gave a program to the youth of the church. We went with Julian and Angelica and it was good because they got to know all the youth of the stakes.
Today we played soccer.
Really grateful for mission life. I feel like so much of life before was about comfort and the easiest way out. Love the mission for pushing me.
Miss you guys more than I can say!
And thus it is written,
Amen
Elder Blair
