Colombia is pretty much paradise

“Colombia is pretty much paradise.

Everybody drives like me.

They have the same accent as me.

They eat like me.  There’s mangos everywhere.

Motocars are the coolest thing.

I only have good days.  A big bottle of mango juice usually fixes everything.

I have a cool companion right now.
Only thing I really miss is music. 
But it’s ok.  I just sing all my songs while we’re waling down the street, and no one knows what I’m saying.”

(Yes, he's holding a jar of Nutella. He really is in Heaven now.)

I'm teaching lessons about Christ everyday in Spanish to a bunch of random people who live in cement blocks and don't have shoes and usually don't wear shirts.  I love it.  I know it's true.  God loves you.  This gospel can change your life if you let it!

We asked: "Have you been able to use your music yet?"

His answer: "So there's no real piano in our church building.  There's this really, really crappy keyboard with no pedal from distribution.  There's two guys that take turns playing it, but it really doesn't matter, because the entire congregation is tone deaf and they don't know it, so they sing at the top of their lungs.  It's really bad...hahaha.  
You can't really hear the keyboard, so yea.  But I'm thinking about buying a guitar.  I think you are allowed to here, if you talk to President first.  He let's us use it for baptisms and meetings.  But it will depend on what I find. 

There was a baptismal service this week in our building for an investigator of the zone leaders and it was kind of sad to see what it was like.  The room was the size of a normal class room, and there were only about 20 people there, 5 of which were missionaries.  We sang 5 hymns and there were a couple of spiritual thoughts but it was nothing like what my baptism was like.  
We sang oracion de un nino as Elders for the musical number, which was better then the congregation, but still... I don't know, hopefully I find a good music shop.  

One thing that's super hard for keeping the spirit here is the sound space.  I'm not sure why, but in Colombia, where everybody is poor, there's a bunch of dirt roads, wild dogs, trash everywhere, everything is made out of cement, but yet every single freaking house has like the biggest sub speakers you've ever seen, with at least a 200 watt amp and like 50000 pirated techno songs or regge!  They blare their music super loud.  I mean like freaking loud!  And this is coming from me!!   So we're always on the front porch of some house, trying to teach a lesson, and Bruno Mars will be blasting through our lesson.  Or some dubstep song.  It's hard to understand Spanish as it is, but when you're trying to read lips in Spanish, with all the blaring music, it's ridiculous!! Yea.

We've had a family that we've been teaching the whole time I've been here named the Familia Avila.  They are really interested.  We're almost through all the lessons and the kids are all going to be baptized the 22 of August.  The Mom will be too, if she separates from the man in the house, the one she had the kids with, but she doesn't want to marry him, because she doesn't like him, and thy are cousins...  Welcome to Colombia! haha  But yea, they are super cool.

We have a ton of investigators.  It's really easy to find people here.  Only 1 out of 5 people will turn us down for a lesson in their house.  We have, I think, like 15 people with baptismal dates for August, but the problem with Costenos (the Colombian people) is that they have a hard time keeping commitments.  So I guess we'll see.  We are having a baptism this Sunday.  Her name is Karen.  There's a lot of others but I'll tell you about them next week.  

Love you Mom!  (and Dad)

Spence, just in case you're wondering, here in Colombia you get 2600 pesos for every dollar haha.  Oh, and I haven't been robbed yet. But my district leader got robbed last week, at gun point, so I guess we'll see.  Love you bro, be safe!

Brinley, I showed my companions some pictures of you, and they said you are very pretty.  Love you lots!

Braden, That's awesome you got your roll in the rapids!  Hey, for reals, be careful in those rivers.  I've thought about you in the big rivers, and it made me worry a tiny bit, just wear a helmet and stuff.  And don't drown, because then mom will sell the kayaks before I come home, and I guess I'll be out a brother and stuff ; )  haha  miss you bro!  Go study Preach my Gospel - for reals -  I wish I'd read it more in English, because now I'm trying to read it in Spanish.  Start with page 177.  Love you bro, be safe!

Love you!  I pray for you guys!  

P.S. You packed me very well.  I'm glad to have all the things I do.  Only thing I'm really missing is music--I'm on a music famine right now.  I'm kind of dying.  

Mom-Stuff I wish I had:

• more music!!
• a collar sweat guard
• lots of good pens
• a good dictionary
• a good plastic water bottle
• scripture markers
• whiteout
• scripture covers