1000's of words (photographs)

13 October 2014
Fotos!!!!!
First let me say we have a cool zone. The entire zone is as large as my district was in Spokane. We recently did a service project to paint a school.

 

Of course the room I worked in was the best painted! 

 The Awesome Zone

Things have been going well. Here I am cleaning the baptismal font because we had some baptisms.

It is probably the coolest baptismal font I have seen. The only problem is that it takes foreverrrrrr to fill up.

Here we are about to put the font to good use!

Remember when I said I've eaten ants?  Well here is a foto of one of the little beasties, hormiga culona. People fry them up with butter. I didn't think they tasted all that good. A little crunchy.

This is kind of our backyard. Big industrial place across the river.

 And these our some of our neighbors . . . they are not very receptive

 Sorry for the last photo Mom. You don't need to worry. The alligator is busy eating ants! 

Love, Luke

On occasion I do get sick . . .

6 October 2014

Well I was thinking for a moment, "Wow, I'm not sure what to write about because I don't remember doing a whole lot this week or what happened. I realized that it was because I got sick this week and had to stay in the house for a couple days and then we had conference. Our Mission President makes us watch conference because he says that he does not want the following scene to happen, because it has in the past.

(bad missionary) Hello we are here to talk to you about how God has come down to earth with his son and called a prophet. and how God has newly blessed us with prophets and apostles.

(investigador) you are telling me that there is a prophet in our days?

(b m) Yes

(i) And he is in your church?

(b m) Yes that is what we know to be true and what we teach

(i) Wow that is amazing! What is the last thing that your prophet said to you?

(b m) Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

(i) Oh, so the man you say is a prophet must not be that important if you don't take the time to listen to him

That would be a little embarassing. So we have to know what the prophets says especially since that is one of the greatest differences between us and other churches is that we have prophets.

But yah. I was pretty sick for a few days so I did not do a whole lot. I am not sure what it was maybe the water, or the misquitos, or a bad fish that someone gave me . . . but its all good because I feel fine now. 

We are working with this girl named Shirly (who is a recent convert) to baptize her mother. So things are going really well with that. She is attending church and reading the Book of Mormon and she attended conference with us. So things are looking really good. Her baptismal date is October 25th. We have a famliy home evening with her and another family of recent converts tonight! I am not sure what we are going to teach yet but whatever it is its going to be super spiritual and powerful. A spirtual roundhouse kick to the face the will leave you and your mother weeping . . . that is the goal! (parental comment - interesting metaphor, and graphic)

 

I have been studying the life of Alma the younger and what kind of missionary he was. My goal is to become a missionary like him. He was a powerhouse. I made a list of his missionary attributes and where they can be found in the scriptures . . . but alas . . . I forgot the list. So maybe next week I will send it, idk. 

 

By the way James. I saw your youtube videos of your comics that you drew I thought they were pretty funny. But you should take a 2 year break from drawing comics and attend to the other more important things that you have to do. You should fulfill your duty to the Lord.

 

Matt 6:33 'Look first for the kingdom of God and all other things will be added to you'. If you go on a mission first and then focus on the other things the Lord will bless you with more éxito then if you had never gone on a mission and had stayed at home doing whatever it is that you do.

Love, Luke

Crazy Cuisine

29 September 2014

hey fam and friends whats up? we have played soccer every P-day since I have been here so I am getting pretty good. On another note, we basicly have no food in the house but I think that we get our asignation tomorrow. I do not know why they don't give us the money on p days so that we can go shopping like we are supposed to. Whatever. 

 

So this week was pretty awesome my companion and I sat down Thursday to do our weekly planning and we started setting goals. At the beginning of the week we didn't have anyone with a baptismal date. We set some inspired goals to help us work more effectively and now we have 3 people with a baptismal date. So that is really cool.

 

One of our investigatores invited us over to eat today so (and since we don't have any food . . .) so of course we accepted. We were given fish and arepas . . . and I realized something today . . . the water in Barranca has the same taste as fish. That  is just how fancy we are over here - the water has the same taste as the food. I am joking. I'm pretty sure that means the water is dangerously dirty. 

 

That's pretty much the update of the week. We are working and sweating and we are sweating even when we aren't working. And in case you guys are wondering if I have been eating crazy things here, here is a list of wierd things that I have eaten:

chicken feet, cow udder, cow tongue, cow liver, cow stomach, ants (hormigas culonas), and fried pig skin. mmmmmm yummy and I eat rice rice rice rice rice and more rice.

Love, Luke

The BEST mission in the world

September 22 2014
Well family, this week has been pretty much like a normal missionary week: visiting people, finding people, dropping people, being dropped by people. We had transfers this week but nothing has changed with me and my companion. However there is one missionary here who has only been here for one transfer. He is a Greeny and he is not getting along with his trainer. He was praying for a transfer and got transfered . . . and he told us 'Wow! Now I know that God answers prayers." It is kinda sad that he had such a bad experience with his first companion. But it happens. I guess its one of the ways God helps his missionary develop patience.

Interestingly enough the most common thing that I think we have had to teach this week is about polygamy. That is kinda wierd all of the members had questions about it. So we have taught all the members in our area about polygamy and temple sealings and things like that. That was thanks to Elder Joseph F Smith and the book Teachings of the Presidents that mentioned he was sealed 3 times . . . so that was fun.

But its always an adventure here. Like today for example we do not have water in the house and I have to wash all my clothes . . . but I think that it is these little trials that make life fun.

Good quote from Helen Keller: 'Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."So I figure life would be pretty boring if I had a wahing machine and water all of the time or even warm water. No actually it is so hot here that I dont think I would use warm water even if I had it. 

 

I have only had like 3 or 4 woman ask me if I wanted a wife or girlfriend or if they could come back with me to the United States. I think it is because I am in a smaller city so it doesn't happen as often.

But all and all its pretty awesome here I am pretty sure I have the best mission in the world.

Love, Luke

Has the day of miracles ceased? No!

15 September 2014

Well Saturday we had two baptisms. Let me tell you a little bit about it. So we went to the church at 10:30 to clean the baptismal font. Everything was good. We left to go visit people and find clothes for the people that were going to get baptized and other important stuff like that.

 

We arrived back at the church at 4 pm for the 5 pm baptism. We turned on the water to start filling up the font.... and there wasn't any water . . . well not exactly, the water spout was spouting out water really really slowly. And then we realized something else - there was nothing to stop the drain. And then we realized something else - I didn't have pants to baptize because I had left them in Cucuta. And then we realized that we couldn't get into the font because on either side of the font the doors were locked. And then we realized something else - the library was locked so we couldn't get hymn books. I think that about sums it up. It was not looking very good. 

 

The other 4 missionaries arrived later with investigatores of there own that were going to watch the baptisms and we told the the problems that we had. So we decided to go into the other room and say a prayer because we needed some milagros.

 

First, we found a bouncey rubber ball. I am not sure where it came from or why it was in the church but it was perfect to close the drain. Second, one of the missionaries had a pair of pants to baptize and they fit me perfectly. Third, one of the missionaries was able to pick the lock on the locked door on the men's side so we could enter the baptismal font. Fourth, one of the missionaries felt impressed before he left the house to bring 4 extra hymn books, and since every other missionary had their own hymnal we didn't need to get into the library. The water was only up to my knees but we didn't have any more time so we went to do the baptisms. The locked door to the girls side was magically (or miraculously) opened, which was really good because we were baptizing a woman and her daughter. Even though water was only up to my knees the baptisms were done without any problems.

Everything changed from the moment that 6 misionarys suplicated the Lord through prayer, for miracles. Now looking back on the event I realized saw several. I saw his hand that night. The Lord's spirit was with us in the ceremony. The mother we baptized had tears of joy as she came out of the water. 

 

Well the biggest challenge of being a missionary in Colombia is . . . one moment to create suspense . . . wait for it . . . duh dah - La Unión Libre. The prophets have prophesied that the plan of Satan is to destroy the family and make a mockery of the law of chastity. And he has been rather successful here in Colombia. The missionary who can help the people have the desire to live the law of chastity will have great success here in Colombia. I am not able to express my feelings about this. I wish you guys could see and hear what I see and hear. Anyways I am not going to talk anymore about this today.

 Love, Elder Luke

Photos from Barranca

8 September 2014

So for my birthday some of the members did a little party so that was cool.

My comp and I are fighting evil (Here's a picture to worry mothers)

I just want you guys to know the only reason I send goofy photos is because the only time we have to take photos is when we are goofing off. So here's a picture of my new companion. We work hard. We work when its time to work and we goof off when its not time to work

 

 This is what I caught a few minutes ago

These final pictures Luke stated, "We might have had to take out a few drug lords."

(Luke seems to be really enjoying this.)

I'm sure this is the local soldiers thanking the Elders for their fine work.

Don't leave your keys in the door lock . . . just saying

1 September 2014 (Luke is now one year older - Happy Birthday Elder Rallison 8/31)

Hey fam and friends so this week has been pretty fun so I would like to share a few things that have happened in the course of this week. So this week started off really well. We have a family here (they are recent converts) and they are introducing us to all of their friends and neighbors and their other family members. So that is really awesome. On Monday we went and visited them and it was awesome. And then we got a call from our zone leaders.  Our zone leaders told us that we could not visit that family any more because a missionary (8 months ago) kissed the lady and got sent home . . . so that was not fun to hear especially since they give us more referencias than anyone else. Disobedient missionaries ruin everything. 

We have been working with a woman named Patricia and this week we had a few good lessons with her. She has a difficulty that I wont share with you guys but she broke down and just started to cry and cry and cry and so we did what I think all missionaries do in that situation. My companion and I looked at each other and we started praying in our heads and the spirit started guiding us and by the time we left she was calm and there a peaceful feeling in the room and she had a the resolve to overcome everything and we were all feeling really good.

The next day we visited Patricia to see how she was doing and she was super happy and smiling and laughing and we confirmed that she was going to come to church with us and she said that she was. And then she asked us a question I have never had anyone ask me. "¿Do the people sing alabanzas and clap in your church?"

" Umm no . . ."

"¡Whhhaaaaaat! ¿Why not? How can you worship the Lord without clapping your hands?

She was super confused and I am not sure why but focused on that and so we talked a little bit about that. She finally said, 'well I guess I can't judge a church before going and seeing how it is. And so I give you my word that I will go with you guys this Sunday. Because it is the spirit that will convince me.' 

So Sunday we show up at here house to show her how to get to the church because it was her first time. As we were walking up to the house, she came out, all dressed up ready to go to church. and then a car pulled up and she got in and left (but she didn't see us). so my comp and I were like what just happened?¿?¿?¿? 

We called her and she said . . . Oh sorry something came up and . . . then she hung up sooooo we are going to visit here tomorrow to find out what the what with her.

Later that night we walked by a house and the keys to the house were still in the door knob. in Colombia (at least where I have been in santander) there isn't a door knob on the out side just a key hole and the key is used to open the door. And someone left the keys in the door. 

So my comp and I thought he we can do a service here, knock on the door and tell the person that their keys are in the door and then we can try to contact the person. So we knocked on the door someone came to the window saw us (didn't know that we saw them) and went back to doing what they were doing. 

So I was like what the heck! That person just rejected us before they had the chance to hear . . . that we were there to serve them . . . So I opened the door and stepped in the house. In the front room there were 6 people watching TV. I scared all of them I'm sure. I said you left your keys in the lock and put the keys down and left . . .

But the look on all of their faces when I entered their house was pretty funny.

But hey, there are lots of people who reject us before the know why were are there. I guess they reject the Lord more then us because we are there to represent Him. But here is the thing: 

Getting rejected for the Lord's sake is much better the being accepted for the worlds sake.

Love, Elder Luke