Hey.

Ok, so I got transferred again. It's the third transfer and I'm in my third area already. I've been in the same amount of areas that people usually have been in after a year or so. It's cool though because I'm getting to see a lot of the mission.

So when they called us about transfers, I was thinking the one place I didn't want to go was Buenaventura because they eat lots of fish there. So guess where I've been for the last week now! Although I was freaking out when they told me I was coming here, I realized it's AWESOME here. It is by far the coolest place in the mission.

There are a few things that make this the best are in the mission. I don't remember if I mentioned this already, but President Prince had talked to me about my transfer and said some cool things. He said out of 160 missionaries, he needed to choose six who would be good for this assignment, and three were already here so had to pick three missionaries out of all of them to send here. He said he felt impressed that I should be one of them. So that was pretty cool. Another guy is a Dominican named Elder B.. The other guy who got picked to come down here was...Elder H.. hahahaha I was so stoked when president told me he was coming down here with me and he got picked too.

So some things about this place. All six of us live in the same apartment. Its pretty crammed but it's cool cause there are a lot of people to talk to. The DL is another gringo Elder W. He is way cool. My comp is Elder A. from Bolovia. He's awesome. Elder H's comp is Elder A., who was in the Bogotá mtc with us. The missionaries just got here to Buenaventura about 6 months ago. There are only the six of us in the entire city. Elder A. and I are opening a new area called La Isla. We have the island part of the city. It's not like an island island. It's basically like Balboa Island, where its technically an island but doesn't feel any different. Its way cool to be able to see the water. I feel way more at home living close to the ocean. There are a lot of black people here. 85 percent they say. The accent is so hard to understand. So there's only one branch for the entire city. Everyone here is a new member of the church except the branch president. People here don't really know how to run the church organization, so the missionaries have a way bigger role. We have to help out a lot and make sure the classes don't teach the doctrine correctly. There's no chapel so we use a building that we rent. The branch president told us that it's like the year 1820 here for the church. As if it is just starting and we have to help everyone.

There's really no other place like this in the whole mission. Elder A. said president asked them what kind of missionaries they needed here and he said they told him they needed the very best. They started looking at the lists of zone leaders and stuff and trying to decide who they thought president would send. And then president sent me and Elder H. hahah. Anyway, I think I will be here in Buenaventura for a while. Nobody has given me fish yet so that's a good thing. There is a lot of poverty here. We were walking around some pretty ghetto parts by the ocean the other day. Everyone was just staring at us and people would ask us what we were doing there or if we were lost haha. Then it started getting dark and we were kinda lost... that's when we really started freaking out. We made it out ok though. The problem is this is a new area and we don't know where the dangerous red zones are yet. I guess well find out.

Anyways, so I've been out for almost 5 months now which is nuts to think about. i feel like I've been out here forever, but also like I just got here yesterday.

Esta experiencia ha sido tan chévere. Especialmente aquí en buenaventura. Es chévere que yo esté con E'H. otra vez. Este lugar es lo mejor y sé que disfrutaré de este tiempo. Me cae muy bien mi nuevo compañero. Elder H. y yo nos gusta quejarnos de Elder C. haha. Me alegro que ese tiempo de mi misión ya haya pasado haha y me encanta me nueva parte de la misión Colombia Cali. Espero que todos estén bien allá. nos vemos en dos. Que estén bien.

y para que sepan, creo que en el futuro vamos a escribir mas temprano por la mañana. entonces cuando me escriban, escribanme el domingo para que yo pueda leer las cartas

Elder Chase

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

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

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

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.

Hey everyone.

I've been here in Cali for a little while now and things are still going really slow. I'm not exactly sure, but I think I'm in the south/south east part of Cali. The people here have a lot more money than the people in Pasto which is cool in some ways and makes things way harder in others.

I haven't had a headache since I got here. I'm thinking it may have been the altitude because I only got them in Bogotá and Pasto. I also bought a pair of cheap sunglasses like Hermana Prince told me so I don’t squint as much in the sun anymore.

So, our church building is always full of these bugs called cucarones. They're basically cockroaches that can fly. It really makes being in the building stressful and it doesn't help that everyone likes to make fun of the fact that they creep me out.

Fun fact: So the sewage system here all goes to a river thing that runs through the middle of the city. Because of this, whenever we get near it we get to smell the poop and pee of every person that has gone to the bathroom in the city. Also, apparently there are a lot of bacteria in the air because of this. It’s a miracle that I haven't gotten parasites or anything yet. Although, I did get a really bad stomach ache a week ago.

I did have the chance to talk to one of the gringos who is in my mtc group and it sounds like everyone is having the same sort of experience. Everyone has had some sort of stomach problems and the majority have had companion problems too. Makes me feel lucky for having had Elder I.

Also, I don't know if you guys realize how appreciated the packages are. They feel kind of like what I imagine a care package in the middle of a war would be. Especially the face products are appreciated. If you guys get around to sending another package, more of the same face soap would be greatly, greatly appreciated...and more of those face pads wouldn't hurt either. But seriously, the packages are great I don't trust the hygiene products they sell here anyway.


Entonces en este momento las cosas son un poquito difícil pero la cosa que me ayuda es la esperanza que será mejor con tiempo. Estoy tratando de se lo mejor misionero que puedo. Sé que esta obra es tan importante y estiy agradecido por la opurtunidad que tengo. Me alegro que estén bien. Si piensan en semanas, no hay mucho tiempo hasta que yo vuelva a casa. Pero ustedes pueden hacer las matemáticas. Listo que estén bien y sigan adelante.

Elder Chase

Hey everyone.

I got transferred out of Pasto after only 1 transfer there. I've been in Cali since last Tuesday. My new zone is called San Fernando and the area is Limonar II. I was really upset about having to leave Pasto. I wasn't expecting it. Usually missionaries stay at least 3 months in their first area to complete their training. I really didn't want to leave. For one, Elder I. is great and he stayed behind in Pasto to start training someone else. Also, we had six baptisms on the 20th that I missed out on. They were all people whom I had started out with since the very first contact.

 My new companion is Elder C. He is also from Perú. He has 20 months in the mission and will probably end it here with me. He seems okay. He loves to talk, but is a lot looser and less focused than Elder I. The worst part is that we are both new to the area because this area just got cut. It used to be the area of the hermanas but they cut it and now Elder C. and I share the ward with the hermanas. Its pretty hard because we started with no investigators, not knowing any of the members or the city. Turns out we are the first Elders this ward has had in 15 years.

On the other hand, Cali seems really cool. Its a lot warmer here. Last night we were outside and it was dark with warm wind blowing. It was pretty nice. Our apartment is a lot nicer than the one I had in Pasto, also. Its new so everything works for the most part. The only bad thing is we have no hot water.

Anyways, these next few weeks should be interesting. I've been getting massive headaches every once and awhile since I arrived on Colombia. Sister Prince said my eyes might be going bad and I should probably get them checked out.

Anyways, aside from being bummed about the transfer, I am still grateful for the opportunity to be here. I know the mission isn't supposed to be easy and I just have to keep pushing through. All the emails and stuff are appreciated. I know that the gospel is true and that it really can change people's lives.

Elder Chase