Colombia Bogota North Mission

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Cucuta Week 31 January 5

Ok so this week was really good. I'll start off with new years, because it was sweet. On new years everyone was busy, and so we mostly walked around from house to house to see which of our investigators or members would let us in so we could stop walking. It would be sweet if we had bikes, but we can't have bikes or white girls in the mission, because they would get stolen, so we just walked in the heat all day. On the bright side, my forearms and part of my neck (collared shirt) are tan now. So I heard that there was snow in Temecula, I'm glad you guys got to enjoy that. I'm pretty jealous, but then again people that live in the cold want the heat. And we've got that here so maybe I'm the lucky one? So for news years here, the people make dummies and fill them with explosives and stuff and then at midnight they light them! It's so cool. And during the day on new years, the put their dummy in the street, and block off the streets and don't let the cars pass until they give them money.l AND (yes there's more) they dress up as old widows while begging for money so it's super funny. So we've got kids and teenagers, dressed up as old women, roping off the streets and asking for change, to buy fireworks to fill their life size dummy, so they can blow it up at midnight! It's an awesome tradition if you ask me. The other tradition is that everyone gets super drunk. Like waaaay drunk. so our neighbors started drinking new years eve (everyone is in the street, no one's inside) and they were still outside drinking at 12 pm the next day, and at 3 and at 5 and then everyone was outside drinking again the night of the first. A lot of people drank for like 24 hours straight it was ridiculous. They must have amazing livers here. So, the 1st had a lot of walking too. We had to go home early on the first so we borrowed some board games from a member and bought some coke. Then we sat on the balcony listening to the blasting music that was playing in the street, and watched kids blow stuff up. It was cool.

So this week I read an amazing talk by president Monson "see others as they may become". It talks about how we need to remember the potential that everyone has. We might only see they problems and flaws when we look at people (or investigators or ward members) but everyone has the ability to change. I've been trying hard this week to not count people out because of the problems they currently have. After having so many investigators not get baptized, I started seeing the problems that some of these people have, and I would lose faith in them. I would doubt that they would progress or make the necessary changes. But thankfully, God didn't give up on me even though I was making that mistake. He let me stay out here, and I learned and changed. And everyone has the chance to learn and change and come unto Christ. That's why it's so important that we are out here teaching them how to do it. I've felt a difference ever since changing that perspective, and I have faith that these people here will progress and make the changes they need to come unto Christ. I'm starting to see people as they may become, and I'm starting to love them more and want to help them achieve their potential.

That's all for our show, but tune in next week for a report on the war with ants.

Love you guys. Enjoy the cold for me,


Love Elder Downing




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