New Companion!

Hello,

Well I'm alot better now after being sick last week and I'm back at working hard like always. Mom, I have not heard about that new virus that's going around here but yeah the mosquitos are a pain. In Pasto there was nothing because it's cold so i would never get bitten now in Tulua because its hot they're every where and they're eating me alive haha but its all good just gonna have to get used to it again. 

 Last week in Pasto was sad I really did not want to leave para nada and the people were really sad too I think more sad then when I left from Cali.  My new area is dead, there's nothing here as in investigators. We have nothing, it's like starting from new which is bad because that means we won't have any baptisms soon. We got to find them but it's cool at the same time because its cool to know that I found the people and then they get baptized even if I don't get to see it. It also means I have to work harder to find new people haha but whatever I'm excited to work.

In the zone there are 18 missonaries and I'm not gonna lie it's very different being a zone leader I'm still trying to get the swing of things. My companion is elder Joglar from Argentina, he finishes his mission in 3 weeks and I'm kind of scared because I don't know the area para nada and he leaves so soon. I'm going to have to learn everything fast like how to be a leader and get to know the area because in a couple of weeks I'm on my own. Elder Joglar is way cool, actually he was one of my first zone leaders when I got to the mission so its cool to be with him now like zone leader. 

We had a special training on Monday it was awesome, the church is doing a lot this Christmas to promote the true meaning of it. There's a video called "He is the gift" that the church made to share with all the world and we have to contact por lo menos (at least) 10 personas cada dia (people every day) and show them this video and it's world wide all the missionaries are gonna do it. All the members also osea ustedes tambien (meaning you guys as well) and its starts the 28 of November so I'm way excited to do that and to work and everything. 

 Well I love you guys a lot keep up the hard work, favorite scripture of the week is Mateo 10: 28 es tenas. I love it!

 I love you guys so much and we will talk next week :)

Elder Gomez

This is my new companion elder Joglar from Argentina. He's training me as a zone leader.

 

Week 30: Transfers, new responsibility and dealing with illness

Hey family so yeah I'm leaving Pasto :( it's really sad but change is always good. I'm going to Tulua from the cold to the hot. I heard it's like an oven over there. I also have new responsibility as a zone leader. Now I'm going to be in charge of more missionaries and I'm going to have a lot more responsibility. I will have to travel a lot. I still don't know how I feel about all this ha-ha. I'm a little overwhelmed and I don't feel like I'm ready as a missionary to be a zone leader. I feel I still have a lot to learn but if that's what the Lord wants of me its for a reason so I'm just going to trust in him and not let my mind tear me down. I will just try to be the best I can be. 

We had a baptism this week I sent you the picture. I'm happy we got to do the baptism before I leave and the good thing is that I left a lot of baptisms for my companion which is another reason I wanted to stay but it's all good I'm just happy if they get baptized. :). So yeah that's the news for this week sorry so short its just that I still have to say bye to a lot of people because I leave tomorrow morning. and there's a bunch of people I have to stop by hope you guys understand and next week I will write everything. 

 

I love you guys 

Elder Gomez

 

Awesome Missionary skit!

PS. oh also we did a show of talentos (talent show) and it was awesome. We did the first 3 chapters of the book of mormon like when they left  their house to go to the promise land but in modern version ha-ha. It was super funny, I was Laman and my companion was Nephi it was awesome. I got sick for like 2 days with a fever of 103. It was crazy they had to IV me and fill me with fluids and that made me better. Today is the first day I feel good only that my arms hurt from the IV. They are all sore haha but I'm good now ready to work :)

My wonderful district in Pasto. I will miss them.

Cooking who knows what?

Helping people come unto Christ.

View from my apartment. There's always a rainbow here in Pasto

Hi,
Mom it's good that you know what our purpose here is and the whole point of being here on this earth is to live with a hope of something and that hope for you and for me is that our family can be together always and it is why we live and strive everyday to be faithful in this gospel. So keep your head up and work everyday to be the best you can be and to actually live the gospel. :)

You asked me how we are able to find people and bring them into the gospel. Well, the best way to find souls is through the members. When the members provide us with a contact those are the people that stay active. Another great way is by being an example in everything we do. You have no idea how many people we have found from people just noticing that we are different. They say things like, "you guys are different from other young men in this world or from other churches", the people are able to see a difference in us. We have to actually live the gospel not just go through the motions. When we do that we, as children of God, are happier people and we help the lost sheep come unto Christ through our example. People are able to see the difference when we are full of the light of Christ. I would never be able to have a convert that actually stays in the church and makes it to the temple if I don't live the gospel. Not only do we receive blessings but others will also. There's no greater joy than helping others. Something else that has helped us a lot is that in every moment with every person we talk about the gospel. I go to the store to buy something and I'm talking with the cashier about the gospel, in the bus I'm talking with the person next to me. Every chance I get to talk I do it. Sometimes I just bare my testimony and one day that person will say I want what that young kid shared with me and find the missionaries. Something I have learned is that we have to plant the seed, talk with everyone and who knows 20 years from now those people will remember that and get baptized.



Our investigators are good. Sometimes I get frustrated because we have a family  that we have been teaching for quite some time and they have been ready for baptism but they haven't been able to get baptized because of little trivial things ugh! Another man that we found tracking is such a gem, we gave him a BOM and he started crying and said that he knew the book was of God and that he was very happy  and he wants to be baptized.  It was very spiritual but like always there's a little "but" , he's leaving Pasto this week to go to work somewhere else and won't be back here. That really hurt    :( and we have another two people too that are ready to be baptized Natalia & Lorena and they also know that this is true but the mom can not go to church because she works and in order to be able to be to baptized they need to go to church. They're really sad because they can't get baptized and we are sad too because we want to baptize them :(. We also have another girl who was a part of a church here where the pastor would convince the girls to engage in illicit activities with him or they would not go to heaven so now she does not have any trust in churches. We are working a lot with her and its coming along. She's receiving responses to her prayers regarding the truthfulness of the gospel so that's awesome. We have another family  and they are good they have had their response that this is true and have seen the change in their family but still won't convert. They are a little stubborn and get too influenced by their family. That makes me sad but gives me the desire to keep working with them. I know the Lord will continue to help us to find the spirits that are ready and those are our main investigators.
Talk to you next week.
Love,
Elder Gomez

It's float (carroza) time in Pasto and people are starting to get ready we saw this one in front of a house.

 

APs, nature and great investigator!

Well mom your wish became a reality I finally met with the assistants to the president elder Walker and Lyle. I talked with them this week and told them that you follow their blogs ha-ha and they were like no way let's take a picture and do a shout out this week to your mom. So in their blogs there should be a pic of me and a shout out to you ha-ha. They are way awesome, we laughed a whole bunch and they are really good missionaries, I learned a lot from them in the training. It was great :).


Elder Walker (AP) with Elder Gomez

Thanks for the Halloween pictures they are awesome and how scary you and Karo look. This p-day we went hiking again, you know much I love wildlife ha-ha. It was way fun and really beautiful it just feels good to be in the nature and that's why I like Pasto so much because there's a lot of wildlife and a whole bunch of mountain biking. I always see the people in their bikes heading to trails and it makes me way sad ha-ha because I miss it but I love being a missionary.
This week we found a new investigator that's way good, his name is Jhon. He's reading the book of Mormon and went to church on Sunday. We were way excited about that because last week was not good but this week we found that person that was ready for us so we are way excited about that. :).

Well, I love you guys so much and I want pictures of Dad and Steph too please. Wow, fall is awesome and how pretty it is where we live. Sometimes we don't realize it until we are away, we should all be grateful. I love you guys, talk to you next week.

Hard working end of day!

The start of our hike

Beautiful Pasto

Me being a monkey ha-ha

Me and my companion!