Week 13 - New Elder, Mangos Galore and He is the Gift.

Hey Everyone,

This week was fast. We got a new Elder, Elder Bernalles, he's 20 and from Peru. So not a gringo.... so no English, but that's good! That just means I'll learn Spanish faster! yeahhhh

Let's see, I love mangos. Mangos I love. Who do I love? Mangos, for they are my love. I've drank, eaten and had mangos a lot this week. I'm in love with them.

ALSO I EAT SALAD NOW. AND I LIKE IT.
What happened to me?

We also, and by we, I mean all the missionaries in the world are doing "He is the Gift."
http://www.mormon.org/christmas
check that link out to learn more.

But dang, this next month is going to be hard, but good. We will be contacting 10 people a day. New people and talking about Jesus Christ and how he is our gift. and though him, we can gain exaltation.

Love you all, keep writing, and I'll do my best to write back.

Love Elder Pead




Parts of Letter to home:

Hey padra fatherda,

Things are going fine here. We got a lot of work to do. I'll tell you why in a minute.
So, you know that know that new greenie gringo I was so excited about? well, he's not a gringo. Elder Bernalles is from Peru, but he is so cool! He's funny, spiritual and really open to listening to things. I love going on splits with him and just goofing off in the apartment.

So, no English for me, in fact, my English is changing rapidly and I have to use Spanish words when I speak English now. It's weird to forget English, but my Spanish is improving.

I also picked up the packages. Thanks for them by the way?  Just an fyi
I also had to pay 40mil (40 thousand Pesos, 19 Dollars) to receive them. I don't know why but I had money saved up for it. haha.



I'm glad you could go and watch the Lords University play haha. We have members say that all the time here about BYU haha. There are a few who are working to get in. So they are taking a lot of English classes. BYU Idaho to be exact.

To answer mom's question, I eat a lot of rice, bread, and different types of meat. Also ensalada (salad). lots. I like it know.

I REPEAT YOUR SON LIKES SALAD NOW.

My favorite is with mango in it.  Like, you dip the salad in a mango juice, a little, then you cut up mangos and you eat it. ILOVEMANGOSOHMYGOSH.

Other then that I eat regular salad with onions and stuff. That's also good.

OH my hair! We have a sister here who cuts for gratis(free). She does it well, it's just its so hot here I can't even have the time with it. So cutting it short just helps though the day and stuff.

So, that conference yesterday. Let's just say that second coming is coming really fast. haha.

During the month of December we are doing a initiative called, He is the Gift or Él es la Dádiva. We have to give out 10 cards a day to people and talk about Christ and how he is our gift and though him, we can return to Heavenly Father.

AND DANG. ITS GONNA BE BIG.

The church is coming out with it in December and all, Ensign and stuff. They bought the ad space on YouTube for December 7.... the entire ad space. So in the USA, Canada, Colombia, Brazil and some other countries you will see it!

Also they bought ads in Time Square in New York!, for the whole month of Diciembre(December). It's so legit.

Because of this, we will be working so much more, as well as keeping busy with new investigators we get through this.

We also get to help members use face book to spread it, so if they don't know how to, I'll get to show them though my face book and stuff.
SO YEAH LOTS OF NEW STUFF.

I'm so excited to work this next month, I know if my comp and I do our best and testify of Christ and that he is the gift to us, we will have eternal life.

Love you Dad and Mom, tell Jarrbear(Jarrett) I love Him. Those photos you sent are great. For real. I love them.

Love your son,

Elder Pead

Week 12- Bug Bites and Baptisms

So lots of bug bites, like tons of.  I really got to put on my repellent before I leave for the day. The worst bites are the ones on your fingers, because well, they hurt..yeahhhh.

Other than that, Transfers are this week. Elder Prieto my comp will be staying with me for another transfer. Elder Zunga will be going and We will be getting a new gringo. We don't know if he speaks Spanish or anything, so we are waiting eagerly for Wednesday.

Jose Camilo got baptized last Saturday and confirmed on Sunday. He bore his testimony about the Holy Ghost and how he was ready. Hermano Pedro baptized Jose. He is the Father of Jose's Lady Friend.  Being in class with him is also cool, we get to hear his testimony all the time!

Elder Pead, Hermano Pedro, Jose, Elder Prieto

This week we also had Ward Council Training on rescuing less active members and retaining new members. It was grand and it really got us all involved with thinking about what we could do to help the members, less actives and new converts.

We all think that I will be here until February, so that's also nice to think about. It's weird to think I've been out for 3 months now, but hey, that's the life right?

With lots of love and scratching,

Elder Pead


Parts of letter to home

Dear Padra,

So I got one of the packets! I will be getting it next zone meeting.
I got to pay like an extra 39mil (39 Thousand Pesos or $18) on it but hey, I'll save lots of money for it. haha. Sweet, I can't wait to eat them gummies!  haha.

Let's see, This week, Jose Camilo got Baptized, and we also got news on transfers. Elder Zunga is going to a new area and my comp is staying with me.  He will be completing 6 months here by the end December. That's a lot of time in one area, so I will not have a "Mother Trainer" I'll just have a dad.  At first I was kind of mad about it. Mostly because him and I have been having problems with how rules should be and how we should go about the day, but then I realized everything has a purpose. So I will be loving him to death and trying to figure out why he is here with me for another transfer.

I'm glad Jarrett is doing good and hasn't forgotten me yet haha. Tell him I love him lots and that I want to give him a biggg hug.

Mama, yo estoy bien! solamente mucho sancudos haha. Yo manda fotos cuando yo puedo. Te quiero mucho.

Oh and by the way Dad, I hand wash all my shirts, because the collars get dirty, I also use a towel not to get myself dirty. So it's like that picture of you haha!

For your enjoyment, Here is the photo Dallin is talking about.
I had the Whitest Shirts in all the Maracaibo Venezuela Mission.
Yes, I am still very proud of that fact.

Love you lots and miss you.
Elder Pead

Mirror, Mirror on the wall Who is the fairest Elder of them all?

Rocking the short Hair

CTR

Week 11- WOW! Really?!

This last week, we have an investigator named Jose Camillo, and we placed a
Date of baptism!(Baptismal Date, Dallin's mind is thinking in Spanish. Yea!!) He is really happy and is very excited.

This week also, during Church, our investigator(also the first investigator I contacted here) asked us after Sacrament Meeting "What can I do to be baptized?" He then told us that he has felt the spirit and knows what we have taught him and what he has read is true and the Book of Mormon is the word of God. He says that he will do anything to be baptized. I was just like, Wow!! Really?! I'm so excited to help him and his wife progress. She wants to read more of the Book of Mormon but she told us she wants to be baptized as well.

Wish us luck!

Elder Pead

P.S. So my email from a few days ago, I totally messed up. We are looking
for a sister to cook for us and the mission pays her to do it. Just one sister. So I really don't know haha. (In many missions these sisters are called Pensionistas.  This should help to make sure that the missionaries have a well balanced diet.)

Hoping for the best,

Elder Pead



Letter to home

When I read that Bishop was moving, I had a jump scare! gosh darn it! (Our Bishop moved to a house a street away from his prior home.  He made everyone think he was leaving the ward.)

Well, the reason for the Christmas tree being put up is because Elder Prieto and Elder Zuniga are likely being transferred in a week, so they wanted to put it up because this has been their home for so long. haha.

And the cake... well, we had a part member family we were going to go visit because it was their daughter's b'day, but they weren't there, so we bought a cake for nothingggg. but um.... it was very very VERY good. haha. The cake here is very different, I don't know if I like it yet or not.

So  guess what, WE GOT A BAPTISM THIS WEEK!  Jose Camillo, the missionaries have been working with him for more than 2 transfers now, and he is ready! So we get the privilege to see him be baptized.

Also, Armando told us he wanted to be baptized! He said he knows this church is true because of the spirit he has felt. He even said he would get everything ready to get married, such as marriage papers and all that stuff, it's going to be a few good 3 to 4 weeks before we can actually get him baptized, but we are so excited!!! Like you said in your letter this week, He has felt the spirit and wants to become of the fold of the good Shepherd.

Thanks for singing in Spanish! It means a lot. haha.(I told Dallin I was singing the Hymns every Sunday in Spanish just for him.)

Love you mom and dad, we are finally starting to see the fruits of our labor.

Your son,

Elder Pead



Letter to Mom

Mama,

Este semana es muy bien! Nosotros tenemos un bautismo ese semana y tambien uno investgator de nostoros quiere ser bautizado! muy chevere!
Te quiero mucho mama, yo se que dos anos es largo, pero yo se que es de Dios, y yo nesesito eso. Te quiero mucho, y tambien Jarrett. Mucho abrazos y besos tambien.

Tu hijo

Elder Pead
(His Spanish is getting better, we give him two thumbs up for this)

It's a Broadcast

Hey everyone! Today we have a special broadcast via internet, and we are on break for like, 10 minutes, so I just wanted to write and say hey! Today in the Mission Conference Broadcast the President talked about a new change in the mission, and that is with almuerzo!(Lunch)

Starting in December it looks like, from what I could understand from the conference, we are going to have  Almuerzo with just 1 member a week, but we will help prepare it with them for the week. So i guess that's cool! We can get to know the families better i guess haha? But really I'll write more about it next week, because I'm still a little confused.

We also had a review on rules, receipts, transportation, food, medical and so many new things. So many things, but it's really good to know.  Now I'm not as so confused on these things.

Just wanted to say I miss you guys, and write when you can!  Love you all!

Write to you on Monday!

Elder Pead

Week 10- Mosquito Nets and Subway Sandwich

Hey ya'll! 

It's like the something week number I've been here! I really forgot! This week has gone by fast. Like, really, a lot. Haha that's good right? This week we realized that we needed more investigators. So we've been really trying our best to do that! It's weird trying to talk to people on the street because I get like, reallllly scared. It's like I just say hi, we are missionaries! Then die... It's really a problem haha. But really it's been a fast week.

This week, one of our investigators, the couple that is golden, the wife told us in private that she would like to be baptized pretty much. and what we can see is that the husband wants to too. He came to church the other day and bore his testimony during testimony meeting! It was so grand!  He has such a strong knowledge of the gospel now and he really wants to learn about the priesthood!  He also asked for a tithing slip to start paying tithing! The next lesson we will be talking about marriage and how it can bless their lives.

That's another thing about Colombia, many people who have been together for over 20 to like, 50 years aren't married. So when we talk about eternal marriage and familias, it really gets them interested.

We have a lot of new contacts we need to teach, so wish me and Elder Prieto luck!

With love and lots of lemonade,
Elder Pead

PS. We now have mosquitoes with malaria! So we have a net to protect us at night! It's only my area of Jamundi and Buenaventura that needs them in the mission. AREN'T  WE LUCKY!

PSS. I learned how to make juice. All kindsssss yeah


Excerpts from letter to home.

I KNEW YOU WOULD DO POPCORN I KNEW IT HAHA!(We did our Annual Halloween Trick or Treat popcorn and candy handouts) That's great you guys got to have that great day! Halloween here is very... hard to be around. We just have to look at the sky a lot.(I guess lots of interesting things to see) haha. 

We have transfers in a few weeks and its weird to think I could get a new companion, but I know the Lord does what he needs to.

DAD ITS GETING HARDER TO SPEAK ENGLISH. I talk to Abner, a member who speaks very well, and it's kind of hard to talk sometimes.(That is a sign that he is thinking in Spanish more.) We also have a family of 6 who all speak English. They are from Canada and the 14 year old told me, how Colombia is so different and hard to get adjusted to, especially not having hot water.

I just said to him, putting my hand on his shoulder. Bienvenidos a Colombia.

Sweet! I'm glad you're sending candy.(We told him we had sent a package with candy) I've been dropping weight haha. I was at 105 kilos when I got to the mission, now I'm 100 kilos going on 98. Lots of walking and drinking water helps haha.

I'm really happy that I get to be here now, I'm bonding with the members and the investigators are progressing. I think we will have one baptism soon, a young man named Juan Giago. He is ready, just needs to be interviewed. 

I really miss you dad, talking to you and just seeing you, as well as Mom and Jarrett. I saw a kid a few days ago and I really thought it was Jarrett and I started to cry a little. I miss him dearly. It also doesn't help when you see a Caillou book in Spanish haha. (Dallin would read those books with Jarrett)
Love you guys. I'll keep working hard as long as you guys do!

With all my love, your son,


Elder Dallin Travis Pead

I love to make funny faces

Look what I found

Rainy Season

Christmas starts in November

Yea Mosquitoes

During study time, came across this photo of my Uncle Dallas' Good friends
 form his mission in Guatemala 

Photo from the Liahona Magazine

Yummy

Subway Eat Fresh

Must be the first of the month.  Have money to eat out.