Make sure you stay hydrated!

6/4/12

Hola Familia!

Fans don't really work when they are only blowing hot air at you, and showers- the fact is also nullified by hot water( luke warm) in my current circumstances.

In fact I fasted Saturday to Sunday – normal – but I just had an unquenchable fire inside of me. I neglected preparing myself for this fast well and so received a fire inside of me that I had never before experienced and hopelessly attempted to moisten the cracked and dried ground of the garden inside of me. Filling a bucket and immersing my head, showering thoroughly and even pouring my refrigerated water on my head but to no avail. Thusly I was more tormented with little or no air from my fan as I sought rest that would not come. And it did not come, until vanquished by infernal, internal aridity and the taunting call of juco from the fridge. I arose and as the clock struck 12, I did drink. Immediately every sweat gland kicked in and I found out I needed more with in 10 minutes so I drank more. And I slept well! Weird Bodily experience. Make sure you stay hydrated!

But besides that I saw Hermona Gaviria and El Presidente this Sunday. In fact I had to teach" Gospel Principles" in front of them and all our investigators and in Spanish, but the subject was The Day of Rest, super easy. Then I was put in charge of leading the missionary choir for the Charla Folonera El Pres. had that night, I did a bang up job!

Then Jose Ricaurte came to church and he's totally sacerdocio. With his 15-year-old son. Lost his wife a while ago, like 10 years and another reference of, (a menosactivo who came back this week). Eduardo, he's totally awesome and has a reference that is a good one, not sacerdocio.

Also I had to eat a cow stomach twice this week. It's not that bad but it's definitely not good. I had a huge chunk of some part of the cow in my soup yesterday and it had hair like a scruffy chin. Like the hair I grow on my Chinnish looking. And a fat and tendon looking thing. Didn't even phase me. Ate the soup, left that thing wallowing in its own to putridity. But all the pieces of stomach surrounding it I ate – not too bad.

Comp received his visa on Wednesday and we traveled to Barranquilla – you would not believe some of the towns we drove through. Totally poor, live almost in the water. Unbelievable and so many! Little light bulbs are the only source of light. Humbling.

While I was there I got to go to the urologist! But not for me. I just accompanied elder Bean . Urologist man spoke perfect English. Asked about the underwear he used "Uh, well a boxer. " Then after he said " well 2 boxers. I wear a religious underwear and then a boxer." Funny awkward moment – I don't think I could have been avoided. "A religious underwear." True, but it made me laugh.

Then I saw Elder Arnett in the office. He's a great friend. I also found out that of all those who came with me to Colombia I will be the only gringo who survives the Columbia Barranquilla mission. The rest of my group either had difficulties and won't finish with me or were transferred by Pres. to the Midellin mission. Totally solo.

Found out my Comp is scared of toads! We did a small service and cleaned leaves and trash and branches and stuff from a members road and found toads, and he ran away! Course I caught it and tormented him with it.

Starting to really understand my purpose more. Don't know why it took me so long. I've been kind of a slow learner. Just trying to reach another deeper level of meaning in my purpose as a missionary. Especially in verification – lots of calling. The other day Elder Ramirez and I walked past an Evangelical church and all of a sudden my Comp says, in English," it's big and an abomination!"

Love you all tons,

Elder Taylor!

Ready to Dig In

5/28/12

Hola Familia!

Felicitaciones! Couple things – I’m super glad Opa’s funeral went well. I still belong to the mission Colombia Barranquilla – asi que I will not go to Medellin. Though it would have been sweet, but I no longer belong to the zona paraiso y a zone no longer is under my care. Just a new, little corruptible missionary is, hahaha!

He’s from Tabasco Mexico and a convert of 1 and 7 months- and totally awesome and kind of mouse like. Still hasn’t read past Enos in the BOM but has a strong testimony quiere trgajar and has a meta de leer todo (I mean read it all) by June 16 – 10 pages or so a day – (I helped do that) – (in English a lot more – clinica)) I have been talking to a ton of Spanish lately and it has gone way down hill from being with gringos for so long but I’m working on it.

Oh and I’m in Santamarta – bastidas and it’s poor! So that’s totally different, and there are a ton of mountains. And my area can be pretty hilly or hillacious and I’m just ready to dig in. Got to train the members a little and we’ll start getting things done. In the training program now we have 2 hours of comp study and it still doesn’t seem like enough. I’m trying to use it well. I’m actually in the area where E Arnett started his mission – kind of fun, right? Also added to my prayers that we’ll find families and sacerdocio to build this ward. The missionaries before had 3 baptisms right before they left and didn’t leave a ton of investigators – like 2 really real ones so we’ll see how it goes. I’m trying to focus a lot on working effectively con cos miembros and in being direct and loving and bold like I was to Franklin – just telling what God expects of them – and with love. You guys are the best.

Love you all tons,
Elder Taylor

Gospel is Totally True

5/21/12

Hola Familia,

The mission president called me this morning I was prepared for your e-mails. I feel peaceful with regard to Opa's death and even more so knowing that he left under a priesthood blessing. Gospel is totally true.

Yesterday with a less active family around the time grandpa crossed the veil from 2 Nephi 9. Especially verses 10 and 13 and basically what I understood is that Christ round house kicked death and hell right in the face. We were reading from there and it was like I had never read it before. We walked out and I said to my companion " I had never understood so clearly the truths in that chapter and I know right where my grandpa is and why he's there and where he's going.

God prepared me a little bit and while I read your letters this morning I felt grateful, mom and dad that he died with so many tender mercies. Blessing that mom was there. Good stuff.

We struggled again to get anything super productive done. We had zone conference this last Thursday and I am not made to sit in a capilla all day. But learned some good stuff. Gotta gain a testimony more of my ability to follow the spirit. Then that night of Friday I got totally scolded by the sister missionary. Took out scriptures and made me read them over the phone and by the end I didn't respond nor did she wait for me to respond. But I did find her a mini missionary to fix the problem.

We are working a lot more with members and it is good. (They always give us food) And should be effective. Finally met with Ricardos family and he brought his daughter to church.

Transfers are this week. We'll see how it goes I'm pretty stoked and it was great to call you guys. Love you all tons and know that Opa is doing well and working hard.

Love you all tons!
Elder Taylor.

Happy Mothers Day!

5/14/12

Hola Familia,

Happy Mothers day! What an epic fail! When I left skype yesterday we went to ask the neighbors if they had a microphone and no one did so we went to a nice internet in Buena Vista and they still didn't! So I called you guys and even made the lady look for grandma's home phone on the internet to call but no one answered. What is Oma's number?

But look I could be on the verge of discovering some deep spiritual truth from this experience. Let's plan on Saturday in the morning. Like right at 10:30 am because I got a few questions.

These weeks have been slow like super not awesomely good. We've decided to try something and totally focus ourselves so that we'll start to see a little bit of a difference in our propia zona tanto en to da la zona. We'll see how it goes.

I'm really hoping I've been taking full advantage of the mission but it is hard to tell. Sometimes It's like "Dang! That's a greeny mistake I'm still making!" And you realize "Man, I got to refocus, in everything."

Then this week we had a couple skiffs and with the assistants. Did I tell you it is my old comp from Aru, Elder Candia. But I have absolutely no bonuses with him at all. We weren't very good companions. Mostly because I lacked good communication with him. Sometimes you just don't want to share your ideas and just do them but that doesn't work well in a missionary work, but ya we had a couple of differences on how to get things done faster and some other stuff. It was annoying and we did it the long way and pretty much let them do the other thing. Super ineffective.

But hey I just found out that Alvaro came to church yesterday! We thought no one came! But he came and he liked it a lot. He's an older gentlemen. Like 60. Son has problems but he's liking the church. Both. And we just called him and he said he liked the stake Pres's talk scolding all the jovenes not on missions. With a miracle he'll be baptized on Saturday. WooHoo! Ray of Hope!

Elder Arnett and I are totally refocusing ourselves to get the zone and us out of a slump that we have been on for a couple weeks. Months even. And should be able to arrovechar la conferencia de zona. This Jueves!

We found a new guy who speaks English pretty well named Alex and he took us to get oatmeal that was super delicious and we didn't manage the lesson very well. But the avena, oatmeal, (it's a drink here) was super duper delicious and he's got potential.

I like our investigator pool because they are all men. Priesthood and I don't feel tempted to define them (stop teaching them) every lesson, but still gotta work on getting their families. But we aren't spending time missionaries here. Gotta focus on the family. For the temple. There will be a temple here! Isn't that sweet?

So a couple of things of miscellaneous sort. Grandma and Grandpa tell them "Hi" Are you saying family prayers morning and night? Tell Jenny thanks for the letter/talk. I liked it lots. Showed my comp. I'm totally going to focus myself and live the dream mission. That is a paradoxical concept.

Love you all tons!
Elder Taylor

The Future Looks Bright

5/7/12

Hola Familia


It’s crucial to always strengthening your testimony. I feel in the MTC and in the beginning of the mission was super nutrified and then all of the sudden everything made sense and I felt a lot deeper connections into basic topics that I’d always been taught. A deeper connection to all you guys. It was super spiritually high like always. And here there are super (moderated highs- (case studies)) Highs and super lows.


I need to reach my weekly goals – particularly the little ones of service in the casa and memorize scriptures – cuz antes I always really tried to keep these goals – notes, make a breakfast, be nice, keep myself focused, but I haven’t done them for a very long time. So to put this spiritualness otra vez, I got to keep these goals and thusly complete them along with all the other responsibilities I have. The little things just help you focus and this week was a week where I realized I needed my attitude changed a little bit. I’d become a wee lax in everything – little goals.


But recently turned my comp’s bed and my bed into a bunk bed – it’s sweet – and I’m going to put my desk in my room and I’ll never have to leave again.


Monday – great. Sweet lesson in the mall with Julio – weird teaching environment – Buena vista martes servicio. The order came form the pres – Desks, mattresses, beds – for all the mission – we had to help organize it – then a little loca lady was all worried for us living here. Wednesday – all day in capilla. Thursday – also and none of the representatives of Christ stayed to help clean up. (These are always held in my church) Friday – Normal day! WooHoo. Saturday – All day getting these things delivered in 4 different houses and it rained 50 per fuerte and of course all the roads/rivers were flooded – bad planning. We didn’t start working til 6 cuz the drain in our house tampoco didn't worked and it was all flooded. The new colchones got all wet. And I had to save them. We ate lunch at 5:30 PM and then the guy in the tan car had a hard life and I don’t think I helped him very much.


I now live with 5 other missionaries who are all great- but small- All 5 gringos and a Guatamateco and all are small, except Elder Arnett- who’s normal sized. I guess that describes them. We live 6 cuz there were emergency transfers and now I have sisters in my zone again – Woo Hoo. Did I tell you my comp is the youngest of 11 kids? So fun! He’s like 40 some odd nieces and nephews. We get along super well together and I feel like he teaches really well and I learn from him lots.


Complicated week but the future looks bright. We have an awesome dad of a miembro: Alvaro y Carlos that are doin’ well. Carlos has drug problems and escaped and did drugs – sold his shoes and clothes ‘til he was going around in his boxers begging for money to consume ‘til his feet were all swollen and stuff. NEVER DO DRUGS! But his dad should be hittin’ the water pretty quick here. And Julio - he told us- and you need 2 assistances right - to be baptized? Yes – aww-man that’s what I lack. So funny.

Love you all tons –
Elder Taylor