I fell in love with Pasto!

Hello,

I will start by answering some of your questions:
You asked me if I have had the interview with the 2 APs (assistant to the president) and I haven't yet we are going to have them tomorrow hopefully. I can't tell you how they are but I'm sure looking forward to the meeting then I can tell them that you are their fan ha-ha.

You asked about president Pricoli and what I like about him? He's great and a very spiritual person and that's really cool because that will help us as a mission.

You asked how our area is doing? Our area is going good kind of we need to find new investigators because we don't have anyone to baptize right now other then that family so we are on the hunt and that's kind of hard but we are working hard to make it happen.

There's cambios (transfers) in 3 weeks and I think I'm going to be changed because they always change the trainer. I know its 3 weeks away but it makes me sad because I fell in love with Pasto. I like it more than Cali. Its just so pretty and peaceful over here and the people are just awesome they are way more centered than the rest of Colombia. It's like a different country ha-ha but its cool.

This week has been a little hard because we had a family that was ready to get baptized and it fell through because one of the family member got sick and when she got better then her mom had to have surgery and they had to travel to Bogota for two weeks so we are still waiting to baptize them. I'm a little down because I think in 3 weeks I might get transferred and I won't be able to see them get baptized.

I want  to share a scripture that I like a lot that has helped me on my mission in D&C 75:29 "Let every man be diligent in all things. And the idler shall not have place in the church, except he repent and mend his ways." I have such a strong testimony now of this. When we are lazy we are never going to accomplish anything and through the lord everything is possible. Sometimes I have days where I wake up and say shoot I don't have baptisms, I don't have investigators and I just want to give up and not work because it seems too hard to find people and even more people who are ready to receive us. All my life I have lived that way if it's too hard I just don't do it. Here on the mission it has helped me a lot because I trust in the lord and I know that his ways are not the ways of giving up or being lazy so when I feel like giving up I remember that scripture and pray for help and the lord does help me. Another cool scripture is in D&C 68: 25, 28, 30 "25 And again, inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents.", "28 And they shall also teach their children to pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord.", "30 And the inhabitants of Zion also shall remember their labors, inasmuch as they are appointed to labor, in all faithfulness; for the idler shall be had in remembrance before the Lord."
This scripture is for the whole family. Till next week, love you guys.
Elder Gomez

Zone conference, cool district proselyting activity and the most amazing bishop!

Pasto Zone Conference - Estos son todos los misioneros de la Zona de Pasto
Elder Grow came and taught us.

Sunday afternoon handing out Book of Mormon's as a district at the town's plaza.

My district was a little down because everyone was having trouble finding new investigators so we came up with the idea to go to a park on a Sunday where all the families go walking on Sundays. We set up a station in the park and as a district we went and started contacting. It was so awesome I have never contacted before and it was way cool. We got a whole bunch of references. What an awesome district we are ha-ha.

On Monday we went and cooked at one of the ward's sister's house. She is a chef and was teaching us how to cook. She prepared some amazing food from Peru. I almost burned my dish ha-ha. It was a lot of fun.

My amazing district after we cooked we had to enjoy the wonderful Peruvian food. Yummy!

Gerley got baptized this week. I love this man specially the 360 change he has made in his life because of Christ's love for him.

Celebrating my ward's bishop birthday with other families from the ward. He's awesome! He is the best bishop ever really organized but at the same time funny and cares for the people. Everyone in the ward loves him. I think he will be the best bishop I will have in the mission, that's what everyone says anyways ha-ha.

I hope you guys went to see the "Meet the Mormons" movie, I want to see it so bad you will just have to tell me about it. you asked if I am enjoying being a district leader, yeah being a leader is way cool I like it a lot. It's cool to be able to help the other missionaries and my district. I love them and Pasto is very pretty. I'm learning how to play the zampoña. I bought one and a dvd to learn how to play. Pasto is really pretty I don't want to leave hopefully I can stay another cambio we will just have to wait and see. The people are a little cold at first but once you get to know them they're awesome and the members are great they help a lot in the Lords work.
Love you,
Elder Gomez
 

Conference, sickness and blessings!

Hello my awesome family and friends,

It makes me happy to hear that you're applying my suggestions in the family. I cannot express the blessing that the family will see not only in short time but in the long run as well. In the future Karo will grow to be a wonderful mother and daughter of god and we will all be more united.

I go sick this week, I was throwing up and had stomach problems. It was horrible but the good thing is that it only lasted one day. Which I'm glad because it was so boring staying in the house all day, it’s the worst ha-ha. Conference was awesome, I really enjoyed it. This conference has meant a lot to me because I understand a lot more the doctrine and the gospel of Christ. I could relate with what the apostles were saying and it was way awesome. I loved it and wow it helped me a lot. I want you guys to study the talk from Tad Callister from the Saturday afternoon and see how you can apply that in the home. It’s so true what he said and will make a difference in everything in the home if you guys apply it . I liked all of the talks ha-ha, like the one from Christianson on Saturday morning and the one from Elder Jörg Klebingat that spoke of spiritual confidence and that we need to work out always ha-ha loved that part. I also like the one from   President Dieter F. Uchtdorf during the Priesthood session, “Lord, Is It I?”. They were all really spectacular it was such a spiritual feast. I hope we will read the talks again over the next few weeks so we can ponder upon the words of our prophets and put them to practice in our lives. we will be truly blessed if we do that.

 

This P-day part of my district and our investigator Gerley who gets baptized this week and is way awesome, went visit some beautiful areas in Pasto. We had a great time admiring God's creations. Gerley is one of my best converts, the change he has made in his life is absolutely incredible and it’s been awesome to see it. It is the coolest thing ever.

 Keep working hard on creating our Zion in the home and I promise the blessings will come. I love you guys so much! Till next time.

Elder Gomez

 

Pictures of amazing P-Day in Pasto

Pasto is a very beautiful place!

 

 

My companion, myself and the sisters from my district.

A lonely wondering llama!

Fun day!

Beautiful cascade in the background.

Making funny faces for the camera the elders and sisters.

With an investigator. He is really a wonderful person!

I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world. Colombia is such a beautiful place on earth.

Amazing week!

Hola Familia!

Well my week was really good we had a lot of success during this week. We have like 7 people who have a baptismal date and my companion really wants to win Capitan Moroni so we are working hard to win it. That award is given when you have 10 baptisms in 3 months and I want to win my second one, so here we go ha-ha. We had a very special moment with a less  active  that we are teaching to come back to church. She was going through some problems and was really sad. She started crying and telling us all her problems and then we gave her a blessing so that she could feel bettter and afterwards she was so happy with us. She told us how grateful she was for us and she needed us in that moment. It was so special because we felt that we helped this person get through her problems and our work not only is to find people to baptize but to help everyone, members, less actives and the world ha-ha. That was super awesome for us. We also found this family were the wife had a real bad accident and is just now being able to walk after 4 months. She was really sad and she felt the same way. She said we came in to her life at the perfect timing because she is sad and lonely and we make her feel better. It's awesome to think how the Lord puts people in our path when they most need the gospel it's awesome. 

Family this week is conference :) I'm super excited and I hope you guys are too. This is something you guys should be thinking about all week and planing for. You need to have a prayer in your hearts all week to receive personal revelation. I know the Lord will answer through the prophets. I know it but only if you guys have that prayer in your hearts. Those questions that you need answered to be more christ like ahhh how exciting!!!!!! I hope you enjoy the word of God through the prophets and I hope you guys can learn a lot through that :) I love you, talk to you guys next week :) 

 

Elder Gomez