A Week of Ups and Downs, Awesome Baptism Day!

Monday
August 27, 2012

Elder Welling and Elder Belnap in the river after their baptism evening before sunset.

OK, this week had a ton of ups and downs. 
I will fill you all in on what happened here
in Buenaventura. 
 
DURING THE WEEK, it was solid. We had a 
good fun time, and were working really hard 
on a lot of things here. We didn't have much 
time to relax. Speaking of, I was the most 
tired of any week in the mish. 
 
But anyways, I had my first interviews on Wednesday.
I did 4 and they all went well. And not to mention,
it was a really cool experience for me. I loved it a 
lot. Nobody failed or anything. But it was awesome. 

Then on Thursday the APs came and helped us
finish some interviews, because we had to do 
a lot. So it was really cool hanging out with them 
and working with them, too. But overall it
was a really fun day with them. 
Then on Friday in the morning they bounced (left). 

So, then on Friday we had the English class in 
the Sena,which was absolutely crazy and fun. They 
are nuts kids, and I am pretty sure that they don't 
ever study in that school. Anyways, it was fun being 
around a bunch of college kids and trying to teach 
them English.haha 

Then, came Friday night, where we hurried and 
finished interviews and what not. Then Saturday morning 
came. The day of the baptisms. We had scheduled to have 
about 20 baptisms. But oh my gosh, somebody (we know who)
worked hard so these people didn't get into the water. About
11 people fell through,and didn't get baptized. I was super 
sad! So, Elder Belnap,and I had 5 people we baptized, and 
our other 2 awesome missionares had 4 people. So, that was 
super sad to have 11 people fall through right before the 
baptisms. But, we had 9 great people baptized, and it 
was awesome!

But we went in a Chiva. Which is like a school bus
that is all decorated out and colored, but then 
boom, we hit a huge traffic jam going to the river.
And by this time I was getting stressed,
thinking we were never going to get to the river. 

But eventually about after one hour in the traffic, 
and not moving at all, the bus finally started to go, 
which was great. Then we arrived at the river and
everything was great after that. The ordinances were 
great, and the river was BEAUTIFUL! I loved it!

Then we returned home and basically went to bed. 
But I was still sad about the other 11 people
falling through! Elder Belnap, and I had a 
long, good talk about what had happened and ya. 

But anyways, that was the weekend. 
We still had about 80 people at the church, which 
is a good problem. 
I will send all of the pics, well hopefully. 

It was like Alma in the Waters of Mormon. So awesome 
and beautiful! I loved it! This next month will be so 
much bigger and better. We just got our
feet in the water. Now we are going to dive in!!!
-- 
*Elder Tyler Welling*

Week 3 in Buenaventura

Elder Welling with Elder Belnap being transported on the rail by motorcycle in Buenaventura-Pday
Monday
August 20, 2012

Whats Up Family and Friends,

Sorry for getting this letter off so late. We were at a sick (awesome) river for pday. Let me tell you, it's not fun to not be able to swim. I wanted to go into the water so badly, but all is well, I would not ever go in.

So, starting this last week things have been really good. On Monday the 2 ZL's came and spent pday with us. Elder Tauaese is my good friend in the mish, so it was good to play soccer with them. Then he went on divisions with me later that day. He was absolutely shocked about how poor it is here in Buenaventura.

One of our investigators lives in a house, but it is not a house. I can't really describe it. Every time I leave their house after a lesson I start to cry a bit. It is absolutely amazing here in Buenaventura. Whenever I leave I think of the Sermon on the Mount. Idk, it is just nuts, and I love this humble family.

So then on Tuesday we (Elder Belnap and I) worked our tails off, because we were going to Cali on Wednesday for a Conference de Cali. So, we worked really hard. Then on Wednesday we made the 2.5 hour bus ride to Cali, which is nothing for me. But it's tough, because, we are soo close to Cali, just over a mountain basically. It is such a terrible, bumpy road and the speed limit is slow. I usually almost die every time we are driving here in Colombia, because the bus drivers are absolutely insane! But it was great.

The conference was great, too. Learned a lot of things, and it was awesome to see everybody. President asked me to talk about the Culture of BuenaVentura. haha.. It was a good time, and everybody had a good laugh. It is nuts here, because the houses are on the ocean, sometimes being held up by about 4 pieces of wood. Then inside the house they have these huge speakers, nothing like I have ever seen in the US, NUTS. On Thursday,Friday,and Sat nights everybody in Buenaventura has their music bumpin, so it was really cool to share that in the conference. It was sweet, then had the Interview with President Prince, which is nice as always. Then we went on our way back to Buenaventura later in the night. We got back at about 10pm and went to sleep.

This week was awesome and I loved it. Pday was sick (awesome) today, and I will send pics next week. I love and miss you all. This weekend, Elder Belnap, and I are going to have 9 baptisms, that is only with 4 weeks too.....We are going to bring the light to Buenaventura in bigger ways than we thought possible before!!!! That is a thing I learned in the zone conference. Nobody knows my limits, what I can and can't do, only the Lord knows!! Bring it ONNNNN


Elder Tyler Welling

Another Absolutely Awesome Week!!

Monday
August 13, 2012

Dangit, I hate how I have to read all of the emails, because it takes forever. And it only gives me 40 minutes to write, which is not much. But weesh. what a long, awesome week. 

Elder Belnap, and I worked super hard and just went to town. We had a normal tuesday, just district meeting and everything. Then we went out to work. Came back that night and it was all chill and normal.

But on Wednesday the mission had an olympic type of competition to find out who can find the most people in 4 hours. 1-5. Elder Belnap and I started at  2, because two meetings feel through and we were just walking. But then we went to a barrio called Bella Vista, and just went to town finding people. In those 3 hours we found 20 new people to teach, got lessons to come back, and talked about the doctrine of Christ to all of them. Some accepted a date for baptism!!!! It was absolutely awesome!!!! 20 people!!! SO much fun that day. We worked our tails off. 

Then comes Thursday afternoon. we were having lunch with a super cool hermana. Her name is Maryan Rodruiguez. She is hilarious, but then all the power went out. We thought that it was just a normal power outage, but man were we wrong. The power is still out till now. Some people have generators, but for the most part after about 6:30 everything is completely dark!!!! We aren't in the street past 8, because they say it can be dangerous. 

But everything is great here. Buenaventura is absolutely the best. I don't want to know what missionary work will be like after this!!!! I am loving it here. This week we found 43 new people. Everyone is coming out of the woodwork to hear and listen to what we have to say. This morning at 7 we started to teach English at a University here. It was sweet, and things are going good. We also opened the new Casa Capilla this week. So now we have a place to have church. It is kinda small, so we will need a new house soon. But overall, it is all good. That was my week, absolutely awesome. Love you all. Hope things are going great wherever anybody is. Oh, and one more thing--

USA USA USA USA!!!!!!
WIN THE OLYMPICSSSSSS

con mucho cariƱo,
Elder Welling!
Hiking in the beautiful jungle
Elder Welling finds shelter in the jungle.
Monday
Aug 6, 2012

Heyyyy Familia y Amigos,

I am chillin here in Buenaventura in a slow internet cafe and loving life. It is going so well here in Buenaventura. I am learning a ton of things everyday. Elder Belnap is helping me with my Spanish more than my fellow Latinos, haha. And yeah, we are finding, teaching and getting ready to see some amazing things on the 25th of this month!! 

The Elders enjoying their ride to the jungle.
  
Elder Welling loving his jungle hike.
I will start with the past Monday. We went to the JUNGLE!! Like hardcore jungle in the middle of nowhere. I thought we were going to get attacked by people in the jungle or something, but we were all good. We found the river where we are going to do the baptisms and everything, it was awesome. We went on a hike basically, and it was just a great pday overall!!! Loved it!
                                       
But then, we basically went back home and got to work. This week was great, helped a ton of people, found 28 new people to teach and we are just working our tails off here trying to build a kingdom! 


Elder Welling and Elder Belnap love Buenaventura.
We finally found a house to have the church in. Our fasting and everything worked out, and we had about 50 people in all at church. They all loved it. The members helped us out a ton, making the people at church comfortable and all and everything. Just a really rewarding week! Now we need to continue finding people, but also getting those ready for baptism.    

But last night, it was cool. We had like a skype with the people in Cali, the stake priesthood conference. They all gave shout outs to the bros in Buenaventura. One of the kids gave a talk. He was from Andes, my last area. And he called me out and said, "what up Elder Welling?!!"  haha, it was great. But things here are really good. I am happy, loving it, and just learning a ton everyday from these Elders here.


We are going to start teaching English classes at a university here called Sena. So we will be talking to about a couple hundred people about Sena and the Church!!! Things are going to get big quick here in Buenaventura!!!!!


Love y'all and miss ya!!!


Elder Welling!!