Elder Bednar, My Colombian Family, Best Weekend in Cali!

Elder Welling with his beloved Colombian family from Buenaventura, the Rodriguez Family-so grateful for them!

Monday
April 29, 2013

Hey Family and Friends! 

What a super long week. As always I will start with this last Tuesday. It was solid. We went on and did things called disembarkments. It was awesome. It was so we could find a bunch of people in a short amount of time. So it is where all of the missionaries in our zone went to all of the areas and just went to find people. It was good. We found a total of 126 in three days. We only had time to work this week from Tuesday to Thursday, because we had to go on a bus Friday for a trip of 17 hours....I'll explain later....:( haha so then we did work finding people, and had a good time doing it-finding a bunch of people and growing closer as a zone. so that was overall awesome!

The Cali Mission with Elder and Sister Bednar. Elder Welling, 4th from the left on back row (I think).

Then on Friday the bus comes around..First off it was supposed to leave at 730am to get to Pasto at 930am and to be in Cali around 630-730pm in the evening.....sooo....it didn't end up showing up till about 830am. We left, got to Pasto at 1030am, and then had to wait at a bus station for about an hour more waiting for them to repair the bus, because there had been burnt wires......sooo we finally get to Pasto, and the other 16 missionaries there are obviously mad and upset..haha. Then we left at around 12 noon to go to Cali from Pasto.....so then..about 20 minutes into the drive the fun bus pulls over and seriously brokedown, again,..in the middle of nowhere, an hour away from Pasto...that was awful. We had to wait for a bus for 30 more minutes that would take us 28 missinaies to Cali. But...then a bus showed up and only could take 27 more. WOW That was so awful. So we had to split up the groups, Pasto and Ipiales. How sad, and then headed on our way finally to Cali. Overall it was a solid trip, didn't get into Cali until about 1030-11pm at night..lol But it will be a trip to remember for a long time.

Then that night we ate pizza and stuff, and had a good time with all of the other missionaies that were at the house. haha

Elder Welling with Elder Eliason, the new ZL in Elder Welling's beloved Buenaventura!

The the big great day of Saturday!! We started our meeting with Elder Bednar at about 9am in the morning and it went until 12noon. Was awesome!! He basically did questions and answers with us, then we analyzed how he was teaching us and everything. It was awesome! A really nice and spiritual time with him. He is amazing and extremely smart. So, overall it was just awesome. And at the end Elder Bednar said that he wanted to shake all of the missionaries hands and everything. SO I was basically at the very end of the line, and I shook his hand. Elder Bednar said nice to meet you, but in Spanish, mucho gusto. Then after was his wife. She didn't shake my hand, but gave me a big hug!.....AWKWARD:... lol. Right in front of an apostle! Then I talked to Sister Bednar, holding up the line for about 20 seconds. She said, "that hug was from your grandma!" haha Was really awesome and great!

President and Sister Prince with Sister Bednar and Elder Bednar, a day Elder Welling will always remember!

Then walking back to my seat Elder Edwards, my best bro in the mission right now, looked at me and said.."what the heck?"...Then I said, "bro, I'll tell you after." SO that was hilarious. Then after we ended I found Sister Bednar in the hallway again and talked to her again. All of the other missionaries were dumbfounded.....haha, I was too!

Branch President and Sister Maryam Rodriguez-Elder Welling's beloved BV, Colombian Family Forever!

SO then I talked to her, but then I looked down the hallway and saw Maryam frrom BV and then turned my head, did a double take and freaked out. Was awesome to see them again! I couldn't believe it! I talked to them for a good while, and got pictures with them and everything. I love them soooo MUCH!!! They are my Colombian Family, as are the Brinez Family in Cali!!! I LOVE BV and the Mission so much!! SO overall it was a great trip.

Elder Welling with Sister Maryam Rodriguez, his beloved BV Colombian Mom Forever-so grateful for her!

Then the bus trip back was great with all of the other missionaries this time and everything. Couldn't have been a better weekend than it was!!! The Rodriguez family and the Brinez family are the best!!!!

Love you all and miss you!!

Elder Welling