Monday, November 26, 2012

Hey

So this week was more interesting than usual. First we got to hear from Elder Uceda of the First Quorum of the Seventy. It was pretty cool.

San Fernando Zone with Elder Uceda, his wife and daughter
Last pday we were kinda lost with two of the other gringo elders and we passed by a big catholic church and went inside to look. I felt like I had walked into Ancient Rome in the year 1000 or something.

Oh yeah, the other day we saw a giant cockroach crawling on our ceiling. It was gross.

What else. Um... there are a lot of transvestites here. In case you guys wanted to know haha.

Oh yeah, a huge thanks for all the packages. I got six this week, haha. I want to throw a thank you out to Robert and Tammy for the candy and beef jerky and to Aunt Colleen for the Thanksgiving stuff. I got it the day before Thanksgiving. I really appreciate all the stuff you guys send. I don't know if you guys really understand how appreciated it is. Oh yeah, I am not about to request or demand that you guys send more packages (LOL), but I just wanna say that if you do at some point, please try to ALWAYS include something for my companion. The Latinos never get stuff and the gringos always do and it’s pretty sad. Oh yeah, also please don't forget to throw in some more face soap and any additional face products as they are greatly appreciated too.

In this area we just walk everywhere or we take the Mio which is like a sort of bus system. The taxis here are way too expensive.

As far as food goes, I like this juice they have called lulo. Other than that, it's just lots of rice and potatoes and beans and chicken and stuff. They have some gross juices too like tomate del arbol but I've basically become immune to tomatoes so I can at least down it now.

What else. Oh yeah, I don't know how or why but I've lost major weight this transfer. I don't feel like I have but my suit pants sag without my belt now and I have to pull my belt as tight as it can go on order for it to work. I hope I don't have a tapeworm or something.

Oh yeah I had the chance to talk to President Prince the other day and he talked to me about this next transfer he had in mind for me. He wasn't too specific but he said if it happens, it’s gonna be a step up in difficulty. I'm just really hoping and praying I don't get sent to Buenaventura. The reason being is that they eat fish there all day every day and I don't know I if I can do it. Anyways, I don't know where I'll end up or I could even end up staying here this next transfer. President Prince said some pretty nice things too. I think he trusts me a lot. He said he was trying to put together a sort of "swat team" for whatever area he was talking about. Even if it doesn't happen, it's cool that he would even consider me for something like that. Anyways I'll find out tonight what’s gonna happen and let you guys know next week. 

I'm pretty stressed out about what could end up happening this transfer but I'm just hoping I get a little help from above. Because this transfer was the last of my training, I will just be a normal missionary next transfer. Which means any amount of responsibility could be given to me including training a new companion. The thought of that freaks me out a bit. I still don't understand Spanish very well even though I am comfortable speaking. Anyways, I appreciate the prayers because I may end up needing them...haha. Later







Monday, November 19, 2012


Hey

Things are pretty much the same. The weeks just seem to roll by.

The other day we had to go to lunch somewhere up in the hills and we had to pay for a ride in a jeep and there wasn't room inside so Elder C. and I had to stand on the bumper and hold on the whole way. It was kinda sick just rolling through the hills of Colombia like that. I felt like I was in real life Call of Duty or something.

One thing that's really annoying though about this place is that everyone always asks you for money. At least once or twice a day some person will ask us for money.

Also, I don't know if you guys really need to know this because it's gross... but hilarious. One of the guys in my zone saw a lady squat down on the sidewalk and take a poop in public. Just thought you guys should know that so you have an idea of what this place is like sometimes, haha. Gross, but hilarious.

Anyways, other than that I'm just hoping for some sort of change this transfer. I'm really trying hard to get along with my comp but it's so hard sometimes. I get so bored in the mornings sitting at my desk at ten o'clock when he's still sleeping. I'll even make him some breakfast with some of the food I bought with my own money and he'll just walk in, eat the food, and go back to the room without even saying thank you. And the fact that he will do things like lie to the Zone Leaders about being late to the house and make up some story...well, it makes me angry when I look at him. All he ever talks about is how he still has 2 months left and that's "soo long before he can go kiss girls and stuff again." UGH.
Anyways, yeah, sorry, I know I should focus on the good and I really am trying, but I just had to let all that out to someone. It's just hard, I miss being able to choose the people I surround myself with. They say this helps you prepare for marriage but at least you get to choose your wife, haha.

Anyways, none of our investigators are really progressing right now. Although something cool was that last Saturday the sister missionaries had 3 baptisms and I got to be the person to baptize them. That was cool! I have pictures but we haven't found and internet cafe thing where I can send them yet.

Estoy tratando de segir adelante. Extraño a Elder I. y Pasto también, haha, pero está bien. Sé que Dios me bendicirá y les bendicirá tambien. Nos vemos en dos.

Elder Chase

Monday, November 12, 2012


Hey everyone

Things are going okay. The missionary work is going pretty slow. Our ray of hope was this one family Juan Carlos and Paola, but we found out the other day they aren't married so we can't give a baptismal date until they get married. That should be an interesting conversation.

So every Sunday the three zones in Cali get together for choir practice and I get to talk to a couple of the guys who were in my district in Bogotá and Elder L., who was my 3rd MTC comp. I'm just learning that not liking your comp 100 percent is just part of the mission. I at least have some relief knowing that I'm not the only one who's going through this and that everyone gets homesick sometimes or just has those days where they just don't want to hear another word of Spanish (haha). I'm just trying to focus on the positive and just push through and enjoy the mission. It’s like President Uchtdorf said, "we don't listen to a song just anticipating the end, we listen to it to enjoy the song." That's the attitude I'm trying to have, although I'm not gonna lie, it's hard sometimes (haha).

Entonces, poco a poco trato de llegar a ser un misionero mejor. Por lo menos creo que mi español es mucho mejor que antes en el CCM (MTC) haha. Aunque todavía no entiendo todas las cosas que me dicen las personas, más o menos puedo decir lo que necesite. La obra y ser misionero no es fácil, pero sé que El Señor bendice a sus hijos cuando obedecen los mandamientos y dan su mejor. Nos vemos en dos.

Élder Chase

Monday, November 5, 2012


Hey everyone

So I haven’t send any pictures yet cause the truth is I haven’t really taken any cause there hasn’t been much to take pictures of or time to take pictures. Although I think we are supposed to go somewhere today where I can.

Also the other day our zone went down to the stake center to do something about some choir. I don’t really know what was happening and I didn’t really want to be a part of it ESPECIALY when the lady started making us go up to the piano one by one and go la la la LA LA la la to whatever notes she was playing. It was dumb and embarrassing but what I didn’t know is that was basically like tryouts to see if we were good enough to be in the multistake Christmas choiring. And apparently I did good enough to where I get to be in it. I didn’t really care at the time but turns out not all of the missionaries get to do it. So then we had the first practice yesterday and it was awesome. I was with the bajos, or the basses which is fine with me cause the low notes are way easier to hit. Anyways so yeah the 3 songs we are singing are like 3 of my favorites. Santa La Noche, Din Don, and Qué hijo es este. which are Holy night, Ding Dong, and What Child is This. I’m not really all about choirs and stuff but it was actually pretty fun and A nice break from the usual routine. I got to see Elder E. from my district in Bogotá and Elder L. my 3rd MTC companion which was pretty cool. so yeah imp pretty glad I get to be in it cause all the missionaries who didn’t make it had to just sit there and watch for 2 hours.

That’s cool about Holmes Clark and Hammer being ZLs. I finish my training this transfer and after that I can be anything which is a scary thought cause I don’t feel prepared to be even a DL.

As far as everything else goes I’ve just been trying to keep a positive attitude which is really freakin hard sometimes. The mission is way harder than I ever imagined it would be but at the same time I’m glad I’m here. I’m just trying to enjoy every moment cause I know it will all be over someday and just be a bunch of memories. I’ve learned that the busier you are the faster the time goes by but when you don’t do anything that day it goes by soo slow. Spanish is coming along ok. I’m just glad I speak as much as I do cause I met another elder this week from Arizona who’s been here 8 months and speaks worse than me so yeah it could always be worse.

se aprende mucho durante la misión. Ya he tendido experiencias buenas y malas y todavía estoy en el principio. Trabajo más duro que he trabajado en toda me vida. No les voy a mentir, a veces estoy tan aburrido especialmente por las mañanas cuando debemos tener estudio compañerismo y mi compañero esta dormido. Pero ya llevo cuatro meses en la misión y se que va a pasar rápido. entonces espero que estén bien y gracias por escribirme. nos vemos en dos.