Hey family, how are you guys doing? I know Olive's doing good "babysitting."
I have lots of stuff to report (sorry for flaking out last week).
FRIDAY 23 OF MARCH, 2018
We flew out to Bucaramanga. In the line boarding the plane, President Laney contacted a Jesuit Priest. He invited him to the Bucaramanga Stake Easter Devotional. We got on the plane. The Barrancabermeja Fútbol team were on the flight #dope. We sat next to a dude who works for Postobon. I read the March issiue of the Avianca travel magazine for the 1st time.
Barrancabermeja futbol team
We touched down in Bucaramanga, Santander. We got a cab driven by Hernando. Exiting the Palonegro airport, theres a billboard that says: "Quien pisa tierra Santandereana es Santandereano." Interpreted: Whoever touches Santanderian ground is Santanderian. #Warmwelcome
Turns out our cab driver Hernando is BFs with Hector Elias. Hector Elias is an OG member who works in a notary and married a couple that got baptized while I was in Bucaramanga. (Elder Jaque and I were witnesses.) Hector Elias also directed the Bucaramanga Missionary Christmas Choir December 2018. (Below is Hector Elias with 2 ladies.)
Anyway, while in the cab, we made calls to different companionships in Bucaramanga to find out where we could stay the night. We cabbed all the way to this huge mall called Cacique to eat lunch. It was packed with young adults who just graduated college.
We settled on staying with Elder Torres and Elder Melendez - Area: Pinos 2.
I was with Elder Torres for the day. Elder Torres is baseball player / coder with biggest calves I've ever seen. We spent the day working hard. We knocked on one door and a young man came out and said he wanted nothing to do with us. But I told him we also can teach English or bathe his dog and he opened up. He let us inside so we taught him with his cousin! #BOOOYAHHHH NEVER GIVE UP
Later that day: Morrorico. Favelas with steepest stairs I've seen in my life.
Rance lost to Colombia en fútbol 2-3.
SATURDAY 24 OF MARCH, 2018
Multizone conference: Bucaramanga / Terrazas / Barrancabermeja
Dont remember anything.
We flew home to Bogotá and I read the March issue of the Avianca travel magazine for the 2nd time.
Flash forward to this week...
We flew out to Cúcuta first thing. (Read March issue of Avianca travel magazine for 3rd time.) I wrote you guys from there last Monday. I could see Venezuela from the Internet Cafe. I spent the day with Elder Wood and witnessed him getting his dear john #rip.
Cúcuta is pretty cray. Almost only dirt roads. Super dusty. On every street, somebody is laying concrete or doing some one-man DIY construction project.
OTHER NOTABLE THINGS
I had two splits this week. One with Elder Orr (6' 8" Alberta Canada). We contacted this preacher walking with his huge family. They were super funny. I also stocked up on 1000 bandaids this week and we have been giving them away in contacts haha.
Also had splits with Elder Thompson (who lived with me in our house in Suba). He is going into genetics and opera so we talked about Crispr and CON TE PARTIRO.
#LDSCONF
Conference was so good. We made breakfast with President Laney and Secretaries at the mission home and watched Saturday morning session there.
watching conference
The afternoon session we got #krispykreme and all watched in the offices. Got good answers to some of the questions I had.
Yeah I thought conference was super cool. Really enjoyed Bishop Causse's talk.
The week went well. I read that Thomas S. Monson never saw his dad say anything negative about anyone, and that's something I've been trying to work on this week.
Also trying to improve on listening to people. I should be better at this from a year and a half of listening to people but I still distract myself quite a bit.
Looking forward to this week. 4 splits in my area. Splits take so much energy.
Also seemed to have a vision of a NY movie. I have a new desire to make my own NY movie.
Love you guys! Already looking forward to the Mother's Day call.
Elder Blair
