What's Good in the Hood?

Elder Welling with Sebastian Brinez in Cali
Monday 
October 29

Whats good in the Hood??
First off, that is great about the Giants! Happy they won, But really it has been awhile since the Yankees won the world series. Need to get back in the swing of things.

So, this week was solid. We didn't get to teach many lessons, but we did a lot of important things. I will start with Monday, played Soccer and beat some Colombians 9-7 on a micro field. and then later that day went out and taught. It was great. We had a really awesome lesson with these 2 daughters of a member. We watched the Joseph Smith movie. It was amazing. I love watching things like that and seeing the first vision. I always get a testimony and feel it growing stronger every time. I know the two girls felt the spirit and the emotion in the movie. It was amazing. But they have something on their mind. I don't know exactly what it is, but I will find out.

This week BV was without water for 4 days......that was interesting. Luckily we had a reserve tank, so things were ok for us. But as for the city, it was bad!! haha. We didn't have any water to wash the dishes, which sucked. But we were lucky to have reserve water. 

Elder Welling with his fellow missionaries/companions in Buenaventura
                                                                                                                 






                                           
What else, we had a conference this week on Sunday. The area talked to us and also Neil L Anderson. It was great. He talked in Spanish, but totally sounds like a gringo, haha. It was really special though. He gave a blessing to the country of Colombia at the very end of his blessing, and it was amazing. It is so awesome that we actually have a prophet and 12 apostles today! I can't think of what the world would like be without a Guide. We, our LDS faith, would not exist had it not been for a prophet. So glad to know that we can look to their teachings to know what to do and how to receive happiness in this life.

Things are great here. As you have all seen in the pictures, Buenaventura is reallllllyyyyyy poor, and they can't grow anything here...why idk but it is difficult for Colombia to make a lot of money. So that is a problem here. But hopefully things will get better,. Colombia soccer is great and will hopefully qualify for the world cup next year. They have a good shot and oh yeah, when they play it is impossible to teach a lesson. haha Love you all, have a great day, and GO NINERS!!!!

Elder Welling.

--
Elder Tyler Welling

What Week Is It? Whoah...I Am In Colombia!!!

Elder Welling pondering many things...
  
Monday
October 22, 2012

Whats up Family and Friends,

This week was good, but also long. I will start with Monday. So this week we went to Cali reallly early on Monday morning. We had breakfeast with a couple missionary. They are awesome. They are from Idaho, so the breakfast was legit!!!! So then later that day we were in the Office, had our interviews with President Prince and stuff. Always awesome talking to him, just gaining knowledge on how to think, how to do things differently and ask for advice. So that was awesome. 



Elder Welling with new missionary couple from Idaho.
Ya, Pres Prince is having Elder Belnap, and I work in new companionships and area. I think it is because if we stayed working in only 1 area together it would be way more dominant over the other area. He said this is probably my last transfer in BV.

Then got my new companion and headed back to Buenaventura
. He is from Bolivia, his name is Elder Aldunate. He is chill, 19 years old and has about 5 months in the mission. But otherwise it is all good. Definitely hard to switch companions when I have learned so much from Elder Belnap. Just a different way to teach, and he has to get to know everybody and everything. It is just a process, but it is all good!!

So then we had divisions twice this week. and other stuff. But yeah, on
Thursday I noticed I was in Colombia again, sometimes it is weird like....Woah I am in Colombia!!!!! Lol!!!! But yeah, this Saturday we had a baptism. It was awesome. I attached a picture of the little girl who got baptized, her name is Nichole. She is sooo sweet, and quiet. But ya, so that was awesome.
Oh, on
Friday we had a goal as a companionship that we would start with finding 100 people in a day. So we went out like freaks ready to find and teach a ton of new people. But, it didn't work out to be 100. But we did in my companionship find 52 new people. Elder Belnap, and his companion found 54. So it was awesome. Really hard work. But awesome.

Then yeah, that is basically my week, have a lot of good people to teach, but won't bapti
zed for at least two weeks, so we will see how things goooooo.... Love you all. Miss you all.

--

Elder Tyler Welling

I'm in Cali...Just for the Day

Their special baptism day in Buenaventura of 10 new members.


Monday
October 15, 2012

Well, i am in Cali for the day. I just had my interview with President Prince. It was awesome. always has so much insight and knowledge in his interviews. So this week was great, but also terrible.

On Monday we didn't really do an
ything too great. We kinda just chilled in the house if i am remembering correctly. So it was a solid week. On Tuesday we had the reunion de distrito (our district meeting). It was solid, our numbers as a district were kinda down, it was a hectic week. Elder Patino gave a lesson, and finished his mission today. There were a ton of tears this weekend because of that.

So we worked hard this week. The branch is growing so fast that we have to make a lot of hard decisions
. Basically we need to pick if we need to strengthen the members if we are going to find new people, or help our investigators, which is really hard to do . So we did a little bit of everything this week. We found 13 new people to teach, but also we needed to get everything set up for the leaving of Elder Patino. That was on Saturday. he showed a great video of how his time in Buenaventura was, tons of pictures and photos of everything. So that was a really cool meeting. He was my Zone Leader in the mission, and really taught me a ton of valuable lessons in my mish so far.

It is so
amazing how the church has come to together so perfectly here in BV...new members coming out of the bushes, people waving us down saying they want to talk to us and everything, it is just nuts. We had one baptism this last Saturday, and we're having a few more baptisms this Saturday.

So I had my interview with President today which was great. He always helps me a ton
. One thing he said is that he feels closest to the Savior when he reads from the 4 gospels. Just the thought of the apostles there writing down everything. It is all true. We need to always follow the example and the teachings of the Savior. People that were there when the things the Savior did happened.

But also, he told me some really bad news...... Elder Belnap, and I have a division!!!! But not really, he is changing areas and I am staying in the same p
lace. so that was super sad. But, we are both still in BV, so i guess it is ok. 


Things are great here, though. I will continue to work hard and be the best that I can be, going for the grand slam. Love it here, Cali is awesome. Today, we aren't really doing anything, just chillin in Cali, then heading back to BV on a 3 hour bus ride... Love you all, thanks and write me some letters!!!!! Please!!!!!
LOVEEEEEE
-- 

Elder Tyler Welling




What's Up? Conference, Iguana and Jesus Lizard

Monday, October 8, 2012      


Iguana like the one on their church.

Hey FAMILY!!!

Whats up! So this week was busy and filled with a ton of stuff to do. We didn't get to do much teaching and things like that, because we were getting the church ready for General Conference. So basically on Pday we don't do much here....well, because there is not to much to do in Buenaventura. But it is still Awesome!

We were going to go to Cali for today, but plans changed so we didn't head out. But anyways, with this week we had to get the church ready and make sure everything was fine. We got cable put into the Church, which was a hassel, the guy that was supposed to put it in said he would be there two times, but was never there. So we could never really do it, and we would be waiting on him. It just wasted some valuable time.

Then later, we had to somehow make it so our Church had Water. The church only gets water in the afternoon, so that is kinda terrible and gross. Basically the bathrooms wouldn't work...get the picture?? So basically, we did a lot of running back and forth the whole week to make sure everything would turn out GREAT! During Conference over the weekend, Elder Belnap, and I were watching  the Conference talks in a different room of our Casa Capilla. Then BOOM, I saw a huge IGUANA on the roof of our Church house. It was pretty awesome, then it ran away.

One time we had one of those JESUS LIZARDS in our house! It totally ran on its hind legs. It was hilarious, Good Stuff!!  Also, in the neighbors house this week there was a big Snake. Soooo....now I am scared to go into the Church First...haha...lol!!! 

But things are great, Conference was awesome!! I had to watch the Priesthood in Spanish, but overall it was awesome! I loved President Monson's talk in Priesthood. But overall, I really loved Pres. Uchtdorfs talk on the first day. That was my favorite! 


In the Book of Mormon, I love Alma 23-26 when the people get a real repentance, and in Alma 26 when the sons of Mosiah talk about their Missions. Oh and man, I was shocked at Pres. Monson's announcement that missionaries can go at ages 18 for boys and 19 for girls now...haha Elder Belanp was like....why nowwwwww??? haha


But yeah, that is basically my week, love you all, miss you all. Hope everything goes great!!!! Elder Welling.

--
Elder Tyler Welling    

What's Up? An Earthquake and 10 New Members!

Elder Welling is 3rd from the right at their baptism with his fellow Elders and their 10 new members.
Monday
October 1, 2012

What up family and friends!

Chillin here right now in the computer store, frying from the heat here in BV right now- today. Tried to make chocolate chip cookies earlier, but the oven broke. The city smells bad, and it rains everyday. But man, I am LOVING IT HERE in this TOWN! I have had so much fun with great experiences, and it is just getting started!

So Elder Belnap, and I finished this month with 10 baptisms for our companionship here in BV :) We learned that no one has had 10 baptisms in one month in over 3 years here in our Cali, Colombia Mission! So, we were stoked, but we also know that some of our plans fell through, and we can work harder and do better!

Our 10 awesome new members we baptized are Christian, Emma, Maira, Michael, Johan, Junior, Christian, Ruby, Elkin and Marvin. We worked hard with them, and loved it!  All of these great people wanted a change in their lives, and realized that this was it - to be blessed with the Gospel!  It was AMAZING!  


Not to mention I am stoked, because the 49ers finally snapped out of their playing and dominated! Wooo!  But I am doing great here!!

We have some huge plans coming up for the next months, and I am just loving life here! A lot of the people who were also going to get baptized this week didn't, because their parents said, "no." It is different here that way, because their parents are already members of the Church, and everything. But I don't know, it's different that way.

YES, I DID FEEL the EARTHQUAKE, it was soooo AWESOME!! I like things like that! Why? I don't know!  But it was cool!  It was during the second hour of church, and some of the people and members were freaking out and everything. But it was fun to me, and I enjoyed it, haha! Also, on a serious note, some bad things did happen from the earthquake. Some houses of our members are falling now, because of it. And there are other problems now, too, such as the water.

Know that I am having fun, and love doing our missionary work. And I am loving Buenaventura!  I never want to leave here!!  There is nothing like this town!  Turin Turan!  But what else... today we didn't do anything special for pday, because there is nothing to do. But it is all good!

The kids here in the city are funny, because they say something in English, and we talk back. And of course they just look at us with a blank face. It is so funny:)

I Love you all! This was my week, next week will be better! Peace Pelados!



--
Elder Tyler Welling