Tranquillo

11/12/12

Hola Familia!

I will admit, last Monday night I was so disappointed! Auh, I sighed – they didn't call me to train again. Felt like I had just been dumped – or more realistically like a really good family night or well planned activity fell through. Dang...

Thusly I wallowed in self-pity Tuesday thinking I was so sure! It was 100%! Alas, it was not to be. But on Tuesday night I found out I was going to get my cell phone back. I thought I would die-Tranquillo-

My new Zone is called El Nogal. Which is some type of tree. Elder De Los Santos and I have 16 missionaries to care for, including ourselves. Three wards are here close and then we have 2 Puealos-Turaco – Codama (went there once) and Arjona that had sweet scenery to get to them, but like 45 minutes away. Still have a nice house, though a tiny bit smaller-but self-igniting stove!

And so my Dominican Republican comp is funny and knows a moderate amount of English.  Does a jellyfish every time you go for a high-five and never has been in a leadership position before, so he is mind to mold! We actually had the same trainer Elder Zurita – he'd be so proud!

So they threw me into a leadership – entirely new zone – opening an area –
With someone completely new in this – this'll be a fast transfer. We had four in attendance in our Elders Quorum meeting. We got some work to do!

This also meant I got to go to Concilio again and it was long, but edifying. Just some parts are like gosh! Figure it out Zone Leaders! You are supposed to be capaz!

I did not escape the Encirrros, but I did pretty much ignore it. We went all the way to Turbaco! And looked for any other excuse to leave – and in the Concilio, Barranquilla. I got some letters! Tell them all thank you! Then a different day we moved some missionaries out of our house and the cambios were all hectic. Elder Ramirez, my son, took my spot in Alto Bosque! Perfect! He's already training a newby- way to go son! I'm so proud.

As a ZL the time flies. Hoping to start this Zone off with a Bang. Got lots to improve and obviously God has given me this chance so that I'll make those improvements.

Love you all tons,
Elder Taylor

Sin Makes You Stupid

11/5/12

Hola Familia!

Sin makes you stupid – so stupid. We are entering into the most vile week of the year in Cartagena. And I'm here for it – who's up for round too? (I mean tuu, I know it's Spelled with two u's.) but seriously I feel they just put themselves in, what for me would be my own personal hell, if I were sent there. Sitting – in a bad smell – alcohol – trapped with horribly loud repetitive music more often then not inappropriate. They live in my own spiritual prison.

At least some of them want to be saved from it! Like Luz! I have no idea how she has so much faith. She's a girl that has 24 years and hasn't been taught any life principles till now. (ei. She had an 8 year old son-do the math. Another one of like five years. Lives with an aunt or something.) Anyway she's totally striving to live the gospel and came to church even though she was in a lot of pain! She asked, "If I quit living with my boyfriend, can I be baptized?" Yes – we might allow that. And yesterday Elder Webb said to me "We should go visit Luz." So we went and gave her a blessing for the pain and after she said "I knew that you guys were going to come. After church I was crying because I hurt so bad and I fell asleep and dreamed you guys came and put your hands on my head and woke up thinking it was real. Even almost asked Breiner(the boyfriend) if you guys had come." She's had other crazy dreams that have come true. Even came to our English class – making the assistance two instead of one!

We also found Jorge again, my deported ex-drug dealer friend. Totally borracho and lieno de profanidades, but he speaks English perfectly and we told him "Jorge- you said you wanted to change! Go home!" But his mind was already gone. I was tempted to punch him in the head and knock him out and carry him home, but I didn't. Next time.

I ate six fish eyes.

I'm still being shown my weaknesses a lot. With these festivals I feel just hopeless. Like how am I going to have an effective anything with this cursed noise! I can't even sleep! -Only one night, but then you just keep on keeping on. I don't feel trunky or anything, but my mind has been weak!

I've also learned from my comp that I'm still not like Christ- real Christ like attributes, if you really have them-w/stand the test. Like Christ says – it's easy to love those who love you. It's maintaining that love in all circumstances that counts. Sometimes my love just flees, for little things, but I usually try to repent.

Anyway I'm anxious to know the transfers tomorrow and who wins between Obama and Mitt!

Realizing that all this is a lifetime process – and that the mission is just like a boost. Big one.

Love you all tons!

Elder Taylor

Trying to Love and Serve

10/29/12

Hola Familia!

We've moved! YA! I have my own desk! Two bathrooms! Granite countertops! A hot tub! Not really. But it's a sweet house! God has delegated to us and we love it.

Almost as much as our investigators loved the chocolate chip cookies! We gobbled them up in an exitosa niche de hogar, at which assisted two investigator families. Although they did not make it to Stake Conference, (transporte).

My comp hurt himself again. First the toenail, then where we live there's a good park and basketball court and we can actually do exercises. We were doing some sprints – nothing hard – and all of a sudden Elder Webb is on the ground. He didn't trip or anything. His leg just gave out and he's got a nice road rash and now is missing skin and a toenail on the same leg. I just stood there dumbfounded-

La entrevista con el Pres was great! He told me he might move me to another area which would be rough, but ok and we'll see what he decided to do in nine days! This has been a super fast transfer and one where I have felt a lot of development. Just cuz of circumstances pesadas– I feel tested.

We have been visiting a Aniris and Alexander (participation in the glory of chocolate chip cookies) almost every day. Seem really excited. And if Eltas and Hilberto go well we are going to ask him to fast and pray this week with us so he'll be able to divorce and marry. Just keep the law of chastity. We reestablished contact with Eltas Scott, but he's like hard to read. But also participated of the glory of cookies. My deported drug dealer friend disappeared-for two weeks we haven't found him-sketchy.

In my free time I'm reading the Bible and I just finished Genesis. Totally sweet, but weird. I also started a few weeks ago the New Testament in my studies and it is also enriching.

I had a sweet birthday-don't you worry-Hard Rock was sweet. Played "shower the people you love with love" by none other than James Taylor. I bought myself a sweet hammock, but forgot to tell the hard rock people it was my birthday to see if they'd give me cake or something.

And they even sung to me in the night! Had a little cake! Which I frosted and put your candles in and we enjoyed pieces of cakes.

We are trying to get everything for the house. The first 2 nights we had only two mattresses. The first night Elder Webb slept in the hammock. We slept three people on two mattresses. The next night I was on the floor and still three on the two mattresses. Interesting and somewhat dorarosa.

Really trying to help my comp. I have to refine myself a bit more to help him eficazmente, but he's doing well! Trying to love and serve him. Pray for him –Elder Weston Daniel Webb.

Elder Taylor

HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY PATRICK!

10/22/12

Hola Familia!

Have not moved yet! Exasperating! God has been really testing the Christ like attributes that I've supposedly been developing in the last 21 months. Good thing I've developed them so well!

We had hardly any good solid work this week due to the toe complications and failure of member participation, but I think my area is it Asexual- keeps producing good fruits and we hardly fertilize it at all! The last three weeks new families have just come to church out of the blue! The first week the husband of a less active and she showed up. Last week the dad who's totally prepared, just needs a divorce, and his son showed up. They are sweet! Came yesterday. Also an old investigator and her brother came back from Monteria and we found them in the church. Another family was so sad they couldn't come, but she is finishing high school so I guess that's important. All this with only half the work we normally do!

Monday, Tuesday, and the better part of Thursday Elder Webb and I were stuck in the house. So horrible. With his toe he couldn't leave, and our mini missionaries were not dependable. God has really been blessing us anyway as you can see from my self fruit producing area. I really can't complain about how things worked out.

Feeling really good and working hard! Trying to help Elder Webb and he's doing really well, walking in sandals this week. Whenever I start to think negatively or feel ungrateful for my mission situation or feel like God forgot – I think of you guys and know I am so loved.

Love you all tons!
Elder Taylor

God Is Merciful

10/15/12

Hola Familia!

A new family came to church! They are totally beautiful, and came! Woohoo! Some old investigators showed up and want us to teach and baptize the nine-year-old son, and help him to be humbled so he'll get baptized too!

All this came in spite of a super ineficacia– God is merciful – because on top of an hour long transport both ways, an extra hour of study every day, lack of personal space and fan and searching for a house desperately. Elder Webb, well- they ripped the toenail of his big toe completely off! Incapacitated! Dang it! He had an ingrown toenail, for like a month but didn't want to go to the doctor so he kept quiet about it and just agaunted the pain till it got so bad and now he's out till Thursday and I am looking for mini missionaries. (Hard work is easy work done at the wrong time.) So I missed my first full day of work last Friday in a year and a half, for sickness-I wasn't sick-but for the toe of Elder Webb. We sat in the house all day and literally studied Spanish, so much. But I did get a chance to listen to Opa's funeral that Opa sent me. That was touching. My comp was looking at me like " What's wrong with you?" Don't worry about it! Good stuff.

We did find 2 good houses. I ask for that in every prayer. But they got rented out the day before both times. It is difficult. I seem to be the only Elder in my district who gets it. We need a house to work effectively! My zone leaders and the office got it, but the other companerismo don't. It's just frustrating – like sacrificing a few lessons now to find a house will give us more and more spiritual lessons in the future! Anyway I'm learning patience.

We did and Inter Cambio this week before the entire separation of the nail from the toe. I went with Elder Neff from Willard and he was cool. Like super cool. Only has like a week and half left in the field so I tried to talk the least possible in the lessons and let him teach and guided him in what to say and we had a dang good day! I believed I helped him a lot!

Saturday we had a couple of important appointments. Elder Webb was missing his toenail and we only had one mini missionary to babysit him. I had to find another one to follow me to these appointments. (Of our deported drug dealer friend and this great young family.) The youth would not do it! Totally unhelpful, so I start calling the older men and Jhon Jairo accompanied all day and was a power. I ended up almost scolding him about home teaching. I said, "Well it's the way God wants us to take care of his kids and we can't deny it." Cuz they are not good at doing it at all! Drives me nuts–

Just found out they approved the house! Ya! I should move by the 22 of October. That is good news. Heaveny Father is merciful – because I was going nuts. We are going to get some work done! I'm totally stoked about the house. And about the sweet early hat b – day present I bought, and about the family that came, and about the lots of references we got yesterday, at the steak activity, and the New Testament I started to study, the Bible is great, and about the challenges of the mission. This could be a time of a lot of growth.

Love you all tons,
Elder Taylor

Tall Forest

10/8/12

Hola Familia!

Totally aware and alert for three of the five sessions! Wahoo! Struggled yesterday cuz between Saturday and Sunday there was loud horrible bulla outside till like 3-ish, But can you believe that? Karlie and Shalie will be able to turn in their papers the month following my return! Not that you're obligated to go or anything. :-) But now look, as we analyze, a bunch of 19-year-old girls will be gone and all those who are 20 to 21 that were already planning on going will be gone and who will I date? Presidente Monson! You've jeopardized my exaltation! No, I'm just kidding.

So we fought to find a house this week with little luck. We got so close and it was snatched from us. It was a dang good house too. Well apartment. So we are still living in tight conditions and due to the transport, the house searching, and Gen. conference I had literally the lowest numbers I've ever had in my mission. Made me laugh.

Everything had fallen through one day and we wondered what to do. Like hasta plan fell through and we prayed and I felt we should head towards the Relief Society Presidents house. So we start heading that way and on the way during normal missionary tasks. I say to my comp "Touch that door." We go and miraculously found where 2 active members of a part member family live. And planned a family night with them. My height made their seemingly uninterested brother laugh. Really hoping we can help him.

Don't know if I told you that my areas called Acto Bosque– which means high or Tall Forest. Perfect for me right? Found out yesterday I hate big crowds of little Colombians. Or just crowds, unless I'm with dad or some other tall person. Here I just felt like– uh huh and Tu' Que'? Which being interpreted is "uh huh and you what?" But individually I love the majority of the Colombians!

Also found another deported drug dealer who's really repentant and from New York. Speaks perfect English and my comp taught in a really majestic voice in English to him. It was interesting – repentant people mecaen bien. I saw Richard from a year ago! He invited me to lunch and is just a nice guy, in between sessions on Saturday. Yeah, my comp is super unique. We get along well, though our living situation is not ideal. His problem is just that when he doesn't understand me he doesn't say anything, so I'm like, Uh Elder I told you to do that. And he's like- Oh, you did? All surprised! Like, come on man! He was also trying to do surgery to himself on his feet – bad idea. I had to scold him, but with a pinch of love. Don't worry.

Love you all tons!
Elder Taylor

Totally Firm! Yes!

10/1/12

Hola Familia!

Don't know what to tell you first. So many things happen! That's slightly sarcastic. I'll tell you in no particular order! I filled up the notebook where I wrote all my letters! This is a new book! Wahoo! Luz Torres was leaving cafe' to be baptized. Wah hoo! They sent me to Cartagena again! Got here Wednesday night, but on Tuesday had a sweet experience…

For some reason beyond my comprehension they sent me at 9 AM Tuesday morning to Barranquilla. Didn't need to be there till Wednesday morning, but being obedient I complied.

Worked in Hipodromo Todo El DTal. Saw a Hermana who for three weeks I was there help us a ton! Shared a little message. Then to Loreana who is still sick and paralyzed in her little room, but we sang her some good hymns. I was really impressed with Elder Linder who accompanied me that day. Real sincere guy. That night, of Tuesday I was staying in that same house where I was robbed so long ago. I decided to go see the man Moses who lives literally two minute away. I went and I saw the new Lider Missional Del Barrio! He's totally firm after 14 months! Yes, he's the one who got baptized this Saturday after I left my first area. The only person that we found him baptized. He's telling me they just called him a week ago and he'll always be in contact with the missionaries. He's all worried because a bunch of people got baptized, but stopped coming. But not him! He's totally firm! Said "You angels who arrived at my door." Yes! He's so awesome!

So that was cool to reminisce a little bit in my old areas. On Miercoles we had a trainer's capacitation. Basically told us not to break the law of chastity and to not come back here to get a wife with someone with we flirted with in the mission. Check, message received. Is this tape recorder broken? It keeps repeating itself. We traveled the scenic 3 hour way to Cartagena instead of the scenic one hour scenic way. I met Elder Webb! My new comp. A blondie from Arizona. Lots of language stuff going on and they dropped me right into a baptism. Which he performed flawlessly. But now we are back to square one. The Arizonian just completed his first six weeks in the field. I found some great Lideres here. Hoping to get some work done. We got a lot of studying and we live super far from our area, like a 10 to 15 minute walk and 30 to 40 minute bus ride. Desperately looking for house and investigators. Been getting real wet – the streets are like rivers! Full of trash and nastiness. Still cool to watch.

Elder Webb is great – pray for him because he's got some real challenges. Not so much in the mission, but just things that are hard. He's not crying every day so he's doing better than I was! (That's mostly joking.)

Love you all tons,

Elder Taylor

Wet By Rain

9/24/12

Hola Familia!

So close! We got so close!

So, Friday night we are walking in the street and my Comp says "I got to go to the bathroom." I asked surprisingly – you can speak English and you didn't tell me?! No that didn't happen, but we went to Luz Terreo's house to ask her the favor. My comp enters and I sit where I can see the door and she asks me – "You have to listen to his gases?" You speak English too? What? I thought that was a funny comment coming from 56 your old lady. Anyway she sits opposite me and says – "You're leaving next week?" – "Well most likely." I respond . "Well, now that we are alone" she says, and my missionary senses start tingling – "I'm going to tell you something." Oh no, I think, oh no. The last thing you ever want to hear as a missionary. "Me Bautizo Manana." What? We can do that, so we try to get it all planned and we did her an interview and – drum roll please – she drinks coffee! Dang it! So close – she never told me that. She said she didn't think they'd stop her. Got some pride to tear down still, but her and her Nieto will be ready soon.

And so we go. Leaving this area with having gotten wet by rain, nothing else. No baptisms. But hopefully leaving some good stuff. Still feel like I am trying to figure out all this stuff. Like how to make things happen.

But the people, even if they don't progress, are cool. I have a friend named Jorge, but we call him Fred and he knows a lot about English so I gave him an English Book of Mormon and he liked it. Also Juan Ochoa got a job so we haven't found him again, but dropped off a book of Mormon. Jesus and Elisette are struggling going to church, but she's got a ton of faith. Been trying to get references and stuff and excited to see how the Combio goes. Thanks for writing.

Love you all tons!
Elder Taylor

Like DUH!

9/17/12

Hola Familia!

I learned an important lesson this week. If your teeth hurt you go to the dentist, if your bum hurts- proctologist, eyes- the eye doctor, and the more sacred parts of your body – urologist! We unnecessarily took Elder Hill to the hospital where they did all these unnecessary and costly procedures, including an ultrasound. Just so they'd tell us to go to a urologist – like DUH! Don't know why that slipped all the ZL's minds but whatever. I got to be translator!

I don't know if I did right or not – possibly employed a little bit of Satan's plan. Jesus and Elisette set finally came to church. I feel like Sunday is game day, where real opposition comes in the most harmless looking forms. "O, a friend came to visit.", or "I've felt laziness", or whatever their excuse. I always say to my investigators, if we look for excuses we will always find them – "Don't look for them!" There are no excuses. Anyway, I went to their house and just waited as they got ready and we went in a taxi Juntos – Coste'nos else. Can be difficult. But Elisette loved to the church, so it all turned out good.

Cambios are on the 26th of this month and it's probable that I'm going to leave! My house is small. My comp is also. Got to do better at building him, but I do tell him I love him every night. Gave him a sweet keychain for Dia Del Amoryamistad. Comp study has been difficult – got to do better this week. He's coming off five baptism in his other area and it's been hard because no one's been really progressing. Coming on 4 meses here and squat. Hoping I'm not doing something wrong, but look on the bright side – haven't baptized any menos actives!

I'm in the war chapters of Alma again and it's amazing to me how often it talks about being free and the priorities they had. It is so simple. Nothing really matters in your life if your family's not going good. Why that has become so hard to understand I do not know. God is first and foremost our father.

Love you all tons!
Elder Taylor

The progress of a real conversion is not easy.

9/10/12

Hola Familia!

Jess, I know how you feel. I'm sorry. I now find myself with someone who is exactly like I was when I had 12–14 years. I was not easy to love! And a little bit full of blasphemy. But that's why I am here, too quitar the apostasy from myself and all those who surround me. But he's good, always wants to improve and stuff. Humble and that's important. So this week was super normal which is great. Some major difficulties in getting people to church and after four months here still no one is close to be hitting the water. I haven't been finding as much lately and I feel just kind of like stuck. Like "Alright how are we going to get things rolling?" I want to do activities and such, but the church is far away – like a 25 minute walk. Part of why there are lots of less actives – or at least some of them use it as an excuse. But I feel like we are lacking a base, because a select few are diligent or effective home teachers and our leaders of the Rama aren't super effective either. For example, they put a goal of 10 baptisms for this month when two people are prepared and willing. I think critically, "Why on earth would you baptize ten if you're not even willing to home teach them after?" I've been praying to find real converts: that will pay their tithing, attend church, and do their home teaching. I'm still looking.

The progress of a real conversion is not easy – it was never meant to be – it requires time in most cases! It requires that you give your whole heart! It requires that you never give up! I am in that! Feel like I should be right there with the Lords investigators, sword in hand, so hopefully that'l come.

Yet, I'm still a Nino'. Last week I ate so much and drank so much that I totally barfed after lunch and was in maze at a burned bloated dog I found in the street – strange –

Love you all tons!

Elder Taylor