So life...is....busy. I've got a ton to talk about.
So, Viviana wasn't able to get to church the other day, but we are now planning on baptising her this weekend. Wish me luck (and pray for her please)!!!
Umm... Other stuff.....
I had interchanges awhile ago with several missionaries. Had one in Tocancipa with Elder Holmes. He's from Corona California and has about 2 months here in Colombia. As such, he's still working on his Spanish. It's coming along really well though, sounds more like a missionary with six months here. Also had one with Elder Glick in Chia. Chia was cool, a little underwater, but it is finally starting to dry out. It was fun working there with Elder Glick. That night I actually got to talk with one then-investigator, now-convert who is a Colombian cop. Cool, right? And better yet, when we got back to the house there in Chia I found out that they have a sauna! A sauna! It was nice, to feel heat, real heat after having spent so long in the cold rainy weather here. Yep, fun stuff.
We have been working crazy hard here and it is finally starting to show results. We've found several new families all in this past week. Now, we have been passing by and all are turning out to be really receptive. For example on lady straight up asked us for a Book of Mormon....when we contacted her. Sweeeettt. When we work hard, God blesses us for our effort. Always.
I have also been growing a lot in my personal testimony lately. I've noticed that many times now, when I have a problem, the first thing I do is always pray. And almost always, I get my answer, good and clear of what I need to do, what of all my choices is the best in any given moment. I love the relationship that I now have with my Heavenly Father. I hope to be able to maintain this my whole life. I also really want nothing more than that everyone can have the same relationship with him. Nothing is more important.
I love the people here and the lessons I have learned from them. I love you all very much too. Thank you all for your love and prayers.
I'm sorry to cut this off, but I've got things to do, places to go, and people to see.
-Elder Rallison
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
A long, long time ago---- May 18-25
Yeah, I know I am way backtracked.
Week 1 May 18-25
So we've got a baptism coming up! Yeah, you heard me, this Sunday, Viviana, the new one, is getting baptized this Sunday! So cool. =D
On Monday I had an intercambio in Bogota with Elder Thomas. So, first we had to go to Suba, a zone on the north-west side of Bogota, for choir practice for the choir in the mission conference. It was cool, though I was one of the only three bass singers there....yikes (good thing the bass voice is a lot stronger than the wannabe-men tenors). After we finished up all that, we headed out to go to work. Only thing is that he had to do a baptismal interview and so I had to go and cover a few appointments with Elder Araya. Yeah, I had an intercambio in an intercambio. Cool right. So it was way cool working with him, we went and taught a lesson to an investigator named Paola. She had a few doubts about the Book of Mormon, but after a little while and a bit of testimony she agreed to really pray and ask God if what we were sharing was true. She agreed to pray.
After that we went to share a message with a recent convert in the area of Elder Thomas, who, it turns out knew Elder Araya! Yeah, I didn't know it at the time but it turns out he had been in that area a while back. So, they just talked the whole time. Finally, got back with Elder Thomas and we headed home. But with one problem we got to the apartment and Elder Thomas realized he had left his keys inside the apartment. So we were outside the apartment for about half and hour trying to "credit card" the door, when, miraculously, it opened! Finally...., oh and his comp still doesn't know that happened..... After getting in, went and called up for pizza. And not just whatever....Dominoes! Yeah, I love Bogota, it has everything.
On Tuesday we had to go to Federman for mission conference! We got there more or less early so that we could practice more for the choir. President Hacking actually sat in the back and watch us rehearsing and started crying (I don't think it was because we were that good....quite the opposite in fact....). Then everyone started getting there. It was epic! For the first time ever, the whole mission was there in one place. So epic in fact, that we went and took a mission picture (I don't have it yet, but it should be on sister hacking´s blog). We (the chior) opened by singing two hymns "Nearer My God, To Thee" and "Christ the Lord is King". Elder Gonzalez came and spoke to the mission. It was cool cause he talked for like ten minutes on the missionary purpose then just spent the rest of and hour answering questions. It was really just an amazing experience. Also, he went and greeted each and every missionary there. That was about it for that day, after that we went back to the ZL house to spend the night.
The next day we went to another session of mission conference. It was also a great experience. The choir sang again at the request of President, then we got to listen to President Hacking cut heads at the whole mission. He was just taking advantage of the chance to talk to everyone at once. I think....
After everything, we had a temple trip as a zone on Thursday. We were heading there (me and my comp) but when the TransMilenio bus we were on stopped there, we weren't able to make it to the door on time. And wouldn't you know it we had such great luck as to not have another stop until the downtown, and on a weekday morning. We got off the bus at the station and entered a world where everyone was in there packed like sardines....no, correction, tighter than sardines. We finally broke out of that and got to a world were we could move....kind of. Got on the bus going back the way we had come and finally got to the temple. It was a great session. After the temple we went to the chapel of the zone leaders to make Chilean hot dogs and play soccer. In the end we got back here, but without any time to spare.
All in all, life is good, but very busy. Love you all lots, keep strong, do what´s right.
Elder Rallison
Temple/ zone activity
Week 1 May 18-25
So we've got a baptism coming up! Yeah, you heard me, this Sunday, Viviana, the new one, is getting baptized this Sunday! So cool. =D
On Monday I had an intercambio in Bogota with Elder Thomas. So, first we had to go to Suba, a zone on the north-west side of Bogota, for choir practice for the choir in the mission conference. It was cool, though I was one of the only three bass singers there....yikes (good thing the bass voice is a lot stronger than the wannabe-men tenors). After we finished up all that, we headed out to go to work. Only thing is that he had to do a baptismal interview and so I had to go and cover a few appointments with Elder Araya. Yeah, I had an intercambio in an intercambio. Cool right. So it was way cool working with him, we went and taught a lesson to an investigator named Paola. She had a few doubts about the Book of Mormon, but after a little while and a bit of testimony she agreed to really pray and ask God if what we were sharing was true. She agreed to pray.
After that we went to share a message with a recent convert in the area of Elder Thomas, who, it turns out knew Elder Araya! Yeah, I didn't know it at the time but it turns out he had been in that area a while back. So, they just talked the whole time. Finally, got back with Elder Thomas and we headed home. But with one problem we got to the apartment and Elder Thomas realized he had left his keys inside the apartment. So we were outside the apartment for about half and hour trying to "credit card" the door, when, miraculously, it opened! Finally...., oh and his comp still doesn't know that happened..... After getting in, went and called up for pizza. And not just whatever....Dominoes! Yeah, I love Bogota, it has everything.
On Tuesday we had to go to Federman for mission conference! We got there more or less early so that we could practice more for the choir. President Hacking actually sat in the back and watch us rehearsing and started crying (I don't think it was because we were that good....quite the opposite in fact....). Then everyone started getting there. It was epic! For the first time ever, the whole mission was there in one place. So epic in fact, that we went and took a mission picture (I don't have it yet, but it should be on sister hacking´s blog). We (the chior) opened by singing two hymns "Nearer My God, To Thee" and "Christ the Lord is King". Elder Gonzalez came and spoke to the mission. It was cool cause he talked for like ten minutes on the missionary purpose then just spent the rest of and hour answering questions. It was really just an amazing experience. Also, he went and greeted each and every missionary there. That was about it for that day, after that we went back to the ZL house to spend the night.
The next day we went to another session of mission conference. It was also a great experience. The choir sang again at the request of President, then we got to listen to President Hacking cut heads at the whole mission. He was just taking advantage of the chance to talk to everyone at once. I think....
After everything, we had a temple trip as a zone on Thursday. We were heading there (me and my comp) but when the TransMilenio bus we were on stopped there, we weren't able to make it to the door on time. And wouldn't you know it we had such great luck as to not have another stop until the downtown, and on a weekday morning. We got off the bus at the station and entered a world where everyone was in there packed like sardines....no, correction, tighter than sardines. We finally broke out of that and got to a world were we could move....kind of. Got on the bus going back the way we had come and finally got to the temple. It was a great session. After the temple we went to the chapel of the zone leaders to make Chilean hot dogs and play soccer. In the end we got back here, but without any time to spare.
All in all, life is good, but very busy. Love you all lots, keep strong, do what´s right.
Elder Rallison
Temple/ zone activity
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