Hey

Things are going well.  We had a zone meeting on Saturday.  Pretty normal, just trying to get everyone stoked to work.

People here eat all parts of the chicken.  The other day, I saw a kid eating a chicken foot as if it were a lollipop or something.

We saw a dead horse on the side of the road in Tuluá today.  It was all inflated and its tongue was sticking out-  elder hogan got a pic of it.

Hopefully we can get a few baptisms this Saturday

Cool thing the district president said in the conference ''Don't judge someone just because they sin in a different way than you do."

Elder Chase

foto:

Playing futbol on Pday

Hey,

Things are going well.  Elder Delgadillo is getting transferred to Pasto.  Elder Cunya who is in the district with us is gonna be the new zone leader with me.  Elder Hogan is gonna be right by us in Tuluá.    

The consejo was cool.  I hadn't eaten a banana split for awhile. 

I really wish I knew what else to write about.  I think things that might be interesting to everyone else have just become so normal to me that they don't seem worth writing.

Elder Eliason from my district in the Bogota MTC is the new assistant to the president.  He's a cool guy

Sorry I don't have much to write.  It's because I have to write about the zone and send in the numbers and stuff.

I appreciate the emails and stuff.  

I'll try to write down interesting stuff this week.

elder chase

Pictures from the leadership council-

 Hey

So Saturday we had a couple baptisms,  K. and M.  First time I got to baptize in a river.  Was legit!  They're both pretty young, and we are still teaching their parents.  

I did divisions in R. on Wednesday.  I went with Elder P. from Perú.  He's brand new to the mish.  We went to a wedding of some members that was held in a circus; everyone there works as a clown.  

Other than that, not much new this week.  

elder chase

Hey

Things are going well here.  We've had a couple things in the zone.  First, the new Colombian Elder P. got his visa to Mexico.  We took him to the terminal and sent him off.  It's too bad; I liked the little rolo (rolo is what they call people from Bogotá here).  Turns out he knew Brandon Beck in the MTC.  Also, one of the sisters got transferred out for going to a circus in another city or something like that.  So what´s happening now is they sent one of the elders here in Bugalagrande to Andalucía to replace Elder P. and the other elder here is now in a trio with us.  This is the second time I've been in a trio, and both times it has been with Elder D.

So we went into an investigators house the other day and saw a weird looking plant in the backyard.  Yeah, it was weed.  The plants were pretty huge.  The family is really poor too.  I don´t think they have realized that they have hundreds of dollars worth of weed in their backyard. haha.  

People burn the grass here.  I´m not sure why.  (not grass as in "weed" but the actual grass).

In Tuluá some guy was walking through the street shouting, ''La coca, la marijuana, la coca, la marijuana.''  I´m pretty sure its for making creams and stuff that help pain, but it was still pretty funny to hear that in broad daylight.

Its been raining a lot lately and there´s thunder almost every day.

Good news...we might have 2 baptisms on Saturday.

elder chase

Hey

I am getting transferred after three months in Ipiales.  My new zone is called Zarzal and I am going to a city called Bugalagrande.  I have also been called as a Zone Leader.  My new companion is Elder D., yeah the same Elder D. who was with me in Ciudad Modelo and when I was in Villa Gorgona.  It's funny because we've already been comps (although it was a trio for only three weeks).   I'm pretty dang excited.  I've never been to the northern part of the mission and they say its awesome.  I really am lucky.  I get to go to a place I wanted to go and I already know my future comp and we get along really well.  My current comp is also leaving.  He's going to Pasto.  Elder A. is going to Palmira, which is a little dangerous.  I don't know too much about my new zone, but it consists of like four different cities.  It's too bad I won't be able to be here for the new chapel.  The missionaries that end up here are definitely going to see a lot of success because of it. 

I've figured out something about people in my time here.  I don't know if it's just Colombians or if this applies to everyone, but if you ask someone if they are going to do something and the answer is anything but a for sure yes, they most likely are not gonna do it.  

But yeah, we gotta go clean up the house for the new guys that are coming and go say goodbye to everyone.  The one thing that sucks about the mish is that you get to meet a lot of cool people but then it's likely that you'll never see them again.

I'm excited for the opportunity and extra responsibility the mission  and God have given to me.  I'm just gonna try to do all that I can to help out the other elders of my zone.

Nos vemos pronto.  

elder chase

Hey

We finally had some investigators come to church.  We had six on Sunday.

I got sick this week again.  Wasn't too fun.  I lost a lot of weight again.  I had been working out pretty hard the past couple of weeks but will have to start over.

The new chapel should be dedicated this week.  That should make the work a little easier.

We usually teach at least a few lessons a day.  The majority of the time it's either the Restoration, the Gospel, or sabbath day.  I'm trying out this new idea where I've got a sheet of questions that is answered by one of the lessons.  For example, if the person chooses the question "Why are there so many churches today and how can a know which is true?" we teach them the first lesson on the Restoration.  Or if they pick "Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where will I go after dying?" we teach the 2nd lesson on the Plan of Salvation, etc.

Our focus lately has been bringing members to all the lessons.  It's not always easy, but it's a lot easier for the members to hermanar(?) [fellowship] them when they already know who the person is and it's not just some name on a progress report. 

Vamos bien por aquí.  No me puedo quejar de nada.  Tenemos cambios la semana siguiente y es probable que me den otro compañero.  Que estén bien.

elder chase 

Things are going alright.  As far as the work goes, were struggling a bit.  We're in a weird situatuion where we've baptized all the people who were really interested in the gospel and now we are left with the more challenging investigators.   Other than that. really everythñing is the same-  Elder Scott Grow of the Quorum of the Seventy is gonna come but we won't be able to attend porque it's kind of far away.  We are gonna have to just watch on a a video conference.

We played soccer today.   I slid on the concrete and now my legs are killing me.

Transfers are at the end of the month.  I'm pretty sure I'll stay here, but I will probably get a new companion.  legs still hurt

elder chase

So today was pretty dang nuts.  Today was the last day of carnivales in Nariño and since it was pday, we went to watch.  The line lasted more or less 5 hours.  We were so dead by the end after standing for so long, but it was cool.  What everyone does is buy these canisters of foam and spray it on everyone.  It doesn't matter if you know the person or not, you just spray them in the face.  They also take flour and throw it in your face or cover their hands in paint and just nail you by rubbinbg their hands all over your face,  it was nuts!. 

Other than that though, the carnivales have been making life pretty rough as far as the work goes.  Nobody is coming to church  and all the members are in Ecuador at the temple, and plus, they are finishing up anew chapel so everyone wants to wait until they finish it before coming to church.

I'm trying to finish out these last 6 months strong.  I hit the year and a half mark...pretty dope-  in the fourth quarter.

later

elder chase

Christmas was pretty sick.  We ate at the bishops house with most of  the missionaries.  I appreciate all the gifts.  So far I got the Frisbee, which I used today,  the pants, the puzzle,the suspenders, the jump rope, and the candy.  Thanks!

This week starts the carnivales in Nariño.  It's gonna be nuts.  I got a free carnivales poster.  There's lots of super cheap stuff you can buy in the streets.  I love it.  It's like a giant swap meet. I bought a laser pen.  It helps keep the dogs away.

This Sunday I hit a year and a half...  crazy stuff.

Hope things are going well.  Things are fine here.  We're just chugging along like usual.

elder chase

Fernanda got baptized last week.  It was really cool because she has been investigating for like a year and all  her kids are members of the church.

 

The Capitan Moroni award is for getting 10 baptisms within 3 months.  I'm pretty stoked because it's one of those goals that all the missionaries in the mision have and I finally got it.  Pretty sweet.

Elder A. comp,  Elder R. (J), is leaving and Elder C. from Argentina is gonna be his new comp.  He was in my district in Pasto when I first arrived here.  He and Elder A. have had some issues in the past.  Hopefully everything works out ok.  Elder A. (former comp) is the new Assistant to the President.

élder chase

Captain Moroni award recipients

Zone Christmas gathering

Talent Show

We had some baptisms last Saturday.  Pedro P., Gloria N. and Heider Dubán P..  Pedro and Gloria got married on Friday and baptized Saturday.  I baptized Dubán. We got really lucky with him cause without knowing beforehand, we set the baptismal date for his parents on the 7th and it just happened to be the same day Dubán turned 8.   I got to baptize Dubán and confirm Gloria.

I think maybe God wanted me to learn something  because the first half of my mission I was only able to baptize 10 people and now, in the first 5 months of the second half, I've been able to baptize 15 more (if I counted right).  Maybe God needed me to seed a bit before harvesting.  Who knows... but it's nice to be seeing a bit of success.

I hope Joey Johnson does alright.  And hope his family is okay. 

I played mircosoccer again today.  Woot. I scored a couple goals again.  Nice.

I ate rabbit for the first time yesterday.  It was alright.  I sent a picture of Cuy (guinea pig) and potatoes. 

Por el momento todo está bien.  Solo trabajando como siempre.  Voy hacia los 18 meses.  ya casi en la última cuarta del partido jaja.  Nos vemos.

Élder Chase

Today was a crazy pday.  First we went to this giant catholic temple a little outside of Ipiales called Las Lajas.  I'll send pics.  Then, we played soccer against the Pasto missionaries.  I saw Elder A.

We also sold lunches to both zones.  It was absolutely insane, but we are raising money for a couple so they can get married and baptized this Saturday with their 8 year old.

 Elder Chase