On the road again...

So, the changes are here. I'm heading back to Bogota again. Yep, we got called last night and I've got a change to zone Dorada (yeah, the golden zone) and my area is Engativa (that´s pronounced in-ga-tiba). My comp is staying here and is going to train this cambio. My new compañero, well, I think his name is Elder Mendoza. I´ll be more sure tomorrow night when I get there. It's only a ten hour bus ride. Fun.....right? But seriously, I´m really going to miss it here. There's even a mall here in Floridablanca that looks exactly like one from the states. Right down to the pricing. Even had McDonald's. But ah well, moving on.

So this week was a little crazy. This Tuesday we were working like normal, teaching, contacting, more teaching, more contacting, and then...it started to rain. Qué feo. And did it rain. And better yet, we had to walk over 30 blocks in that torrential rain. Can it get worse...yes. Then the power in all the city went out. Luckily we were close to a member's house, so we taught them a short lesson and then the father of the family gave us a lift to the apartment. When we got home we were soaked to the bone.

I had an intercambio in Piedecuesta (Spanish for foothills.....now where's Ahwatukee?) on Wednesday, which was fun , but lacked something important....water! Yeah, there was no running water in Piedecuesta due to some problems with the aqueduct. Not fun. But the good part is by the morning, the water had returned. And better yet, I had my first hot shower in four months. You see, here in Tierra Caliente there aren´t the wonderful shower head water heaters. So, the water is ice cold every morning. But for some miracle Piedecuesta has a water heater shower head. It was glorious. Also, while my companion was here, he set up a baptismal date for one of our investigators. But he didn´t exactly do it. The nonmember grandma of the investigator did! How cool is that?!?

So I had a special spiritual experience this week. I was just minding my own business Friday night, when I got an impression that I should get my bags packed. I know that that sounds stupid, but really, that´s how it was. I had no idea I had a change coming, in fact the odds were against it. I only have one change here in Cañaveral after all. But I did follow it. And what do you know. It was right. Never doubt that still small voice. --After note, we also made and ate hamburgers and popcorn this night. Yum!!!

Yesterday we got to speak again in church. Yeah, the primary program fell through because almost none of the kids prepared. So we got to talk. I talked on becoming as a child (Mosiah 3:19; 3 Nephi 9:22) and then my companion talked about the Atonement. He was good. He shared that story about how one boy took the lickin' for another. I don't remember exactly what it is called, but yeah, that story. He then shared 3 Nefi 9:13 which is one of the coolest verses of all time. It reads : "O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?" Some deep food for thought there.

As for this area, well, one of the things that makes it sad to go is that we have made so much progress here. We have one investigator, Mauricio, who is getting baptized this Saturday. But I won't be here to see it. And man is he golden. We asked him in a lesson last week "What do the words 'Sabbath Day' mean to you?" He then went and taught us the lesson. And better than we would have taught it. He´ll be a good member.

I've learned a lot here, and hope to be able to continue learning and growing in this new area. Oh, and now I´m going to be senior comp. Dang. I've got to really get up and work now....kidding. All that changes is I have to call the district leader. And if something goes wrong it is my fault. Fun stuff. I've discovered that there are two things that determine if someone is a good missionary or not. They are: the Holy Ghost and initiative. If a missionary has those, he's set. If not...well he'd better work on getting them. Like I'm working on it.

Love you all, and hope you are all doing great. Keep strong and keep faithful. Show your love of the gospel in how you live.
Attentamente,
Elder (Gabe) Rallison