Saying Goodbye to My Colombia-Cali Mission That I Loved!

Monday and Tuesday
January 27-28, 2014
                                               

Sister Prince's fitting quote for this special and tender day!

Sister Prince-- "We celebrated and cried together through their final day...

lunch, interviews, english tests, and testimony meeting."

Sister Prince sent photos and this sweet note of their farewell with Elder Welling...She also posted these tender photos on their own fantastic blog, what a gift! We love and are forever grateful to President and Sister Prince for loving, caring, teaching, guiding, protecting, leading, and cheering Elder Welling on from day one through this last day of goodbyes. Thank you Sister Prince and President Prince - we love you and pray you will be blessed forever for all you have done! We keep you and all our Colombia-Cali Mission brothers and sisters in our hearts and in our prayers every day and always!!

Sister Prince- "I remember so well when this group was just beginning their missions

Sisters Villacis, Guzman, and Galán

Elders Alvarez, Lipe, Fuentealba, Avalos, Welling, Menendez, Rodriguez, Suarez, Zambrano, Alvarado, Guerrero, and Candia"

 Sister Prince--"And now that beginning has come to an end

and they are at the beginning of new life adventures."

Elder Welling going to hug Sister Prince good-bye.

                     

Elder Welling crying as Sister Prince tries to bring a smile to his face-he loves Sis. Prince so much! 

                                                                       

Elder Welling hugging President Prince goodbye--he loves Pres. Prince so much, too!

                                                                          

Elder Welling boarding his plane to America and home...so many tears, so sad to close this beautiful door!

Sister Prince --
"An emotional send off...glad that the pictures do not show how hard he was really crying.

We KNOW we will see Elder Welling again...and soon...easier to send him...harder to send others!

Enjoy your reunion.  He has grown into a wonderful man of God....no longer a young son!

Hugs all around,

Hermana Prince"

Last Time....EVER...Last Pday EVER!!!!

Monday
January 20, 2014

Elder Welling on his very last Mission Pday in Israel with his great comps!

 Hi Family and Friends,

I'm sitting here in the internet store hearing salsa music in the street, and I can't help but think this is my last time writing everyone as a missionary. I can't believe these two years are over. In this email I will reflect on what has happened.

I started the mission super scared on January 18th 2012. I was received by a great friend in the MTC who was standing there to greet me and walk me in. I consider him to have been an angel. Looking back I can't believe it has been two years. After a great time in the MTC I got to Colombia. I was received by the best mission president and mission mom in the world, Pres Prince and Hermana Prince. Also, I was received by the best AP, Elder Belnap.

I had a great time in my first area, Although the mission seemed super slow at first. I was excited and also scared to be there for 2 years, that's a long time. The Family Briñez helped me a ton and were like family, and huge angels in my life. I will always remember them and be grateful always.

After my first area in Cali, I went to the best new area in the world, Buenaventura, with Elder Belnap. That was the best 3 months of my mission. I learned so much and got an awesome friend through it, Love you Belnap. I learned a ton in BV. But more than anything, I learned how to truly communicate with God. My prayers changed and so did my mission. I tried to become the best I could be.

Later, after a heart-wrenching despedida with Jose and Maryam (my BV angels and Colombian Family), I went to Ipiales, where I tried to change the limits of what could happen in missionary work. I loved it there, and had some really great times with great family and another great companion, Elder Rivadeneira.

Then, I got called by President Prince, finished special baptisms in Ipiales, and went to the Mission Office to serve for the next several months. There I learned a ton serving with Elder Menendez, and especially with President Prince. He taught me so much, and I just tried to analyze him and be like him. I love President Prince.

And then, my last change. I went to an area in Cali called Israel where I am now. I have learned a lot about perseverance here, working my tail off till the end of my awesome mission, keeping my prayers strong and fighting through the challenges we have faced here in Israel.                                      

But, as I sit here, I can't stop thinking and knowing that God exists, He is our Father, He loves us and wants us to be good and happy in this life. I know I have come closer to Him, and I have felt His love for me throughout my mission. I have also learned that this is His Church. I also know that it was restored through Josepsh Smith, His Profet...spanglish...I Know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is True, I love it.

I will try my hardest to always be good, to always help others, and more than anything, to always be a missionary. The work isn't over yet. I love it. I love Colombia. I love you all. 

Elder Welling. 

-- Elder Welling 

   Misión Cali Colombia

What to Say...and Inspiration at 2 A.M. in the Morning

Monday
Jan. 13, 2014

                                                                          

Elder Welling and his great mission buddies hike on Pday

Hi Family and Friends,

So, what to say. This last week was good. It was more normal than anything. But things are going good here in Israel. I got discouraged yesterday, because a lot of investigators we are teaching said that they were going to come to church, but in the end never came. It was sad. Only had 1 investigator person there. Which I am sure he is coming to church for his girlfriend, which is so good. But it was alright.

This upcoming week will be better I hope. But as for things with my companion, they are great. We get along really well and are having a good time together. haha 

Umm, super weird and amazing experience and fact...On last Tuesday night I woke up at about 2am in the morning. I had a really bad feeling that someone was in the hospital or in bad shape. The truth is I actually started to cry knowing that someone in the family was suffering, so I got down on my knees and started to pray ferverently that everyone in the family is good and being protected, and that there was nothing wrong healthwise in the family, and that everyone is doing great. I know I received inspiration big time after reading the emails I got from some of you all this morning.

With the passing away of Uncle Robert from his terrible accident last Monday night, and also with hearing how Grandpa fell, and suffered a bleed in his brain that morning I had the inspiration I knew the Lord blessed me to add my prayers for our cousins and all of us, and prayers for Grandpa to be protected and saved and I did it without knowing what was happening at home. The Lord woke me straight up out of my sleep. When I was reading the letters this morning I became super thankful for Heavenly Father "waking me up" at 2 in the morning to pray for you all and to help Grandpa, it was an amazing experience. I hope somehow you all felt more comfort, too. I will keep praying for you!

I hope that everyone is doing ok and no one is ill now. I know this church is true and God loves us. We have always got to be ready to listen to the spirit when it comes, even if it is at 2 in the morning for our family on the otherside of the world!! This was a Super huge testimony builder to my life. I hope it is a testimony builder for all of you, too. I Love the Gospel, I know it is true.

And please. Grandpa, come on, please don't fall every again!! :) I Love you all.

Weird, 15 days. 2nd to last email. Still time left to change the world here in my Cali Colombia! 

Love you all. ttyl

--
Elder Welling

Misión Cali Colombia

23 Days Left......Great Karaoke Night and a Special Experience

Elder Welling working with an Israel member - Karaoke Night.

                                                                                   

Elder Welling leading Karaoke Night for Israel members-great evening!

Monday
January 6, 2014

Hey Family and Friends,

This last week has been good. I got my new companion on Tuesday morning. I came to Colombia with him. His name is Elder Ramirez from Peru, we get along well and are having a lot of fun together. Things are going well.

This week was good we found about 11 new people, and had a good week of teaching and stuff. But then at the end of the week, only three people came to church, so it wasn't as great as we had hoped.

For New Years we went to a members house and made tamales, they turned out pretty good, especially the one I did :) It was great!! We also had a Karaoke Night. It was awesome, we are trying to help get the members excited here in Israel, I think they weren't as happy before, but now are starting to warm up to us and helping us out, it's awesome. Things are going well.

Yesterday we went with some members to visit some members who haven't been able to go to church for a while, thanks to their age. It was awesome to go to one man's house. He said we were an answer to his prayers, and that us being there in his house made him feel really happy. He was starting to cry and just bore his testimony. It was super awesome!

I love knowing that God uses me to answer peoples prayers. It is great. It was a really emotional meeting with this older man. Everyone was crying, and we said we would pick him up on Sunday to go to church with him. So things here are great, family! I am having a blast, and trying to work as hard as I can these next couple weeks I have left. I am doing great.

Love you all and miss ya'll....but not too much. haha..cuz I'll see you soon! 

--
Elder WellingMisión Cali Colombia

Oscar's Special Baptism Day

                                  
                                                                   

Special baptism day for young Oscar in new Israel area. 

Monday
December 30, 2013

Hey Family and Friends,

First off, it was great to see you all, family, on Christmas Day. It was awesome skyping and seeing everybody. I had a blast seeing you all, but it was super weird, because I will be seeing you all in less than a month....what!!!!!!! ahhh nuts.

Well, last week had another baptism. It was a young boy whose name is Oscar. He is great! I will send you all a picture of that. He is a cool kid who is really tender and accepting of the gospel.

This past week, aside from the baptism, was slow.- we didn't teach many lessons, but tried our hardest. Hoping this next week will be better. We will still be focusing a lot on the less actives and helping them get their testimony back.

On other news, my companion returned home to Argentina today....So, I am going to be getting a new companion tomorrow. That'll be different, haven't had that happen to me until now. But other than that, things are going well. Still lovin the mish, and I am working as hard as I can every day. 

 

Love you all. Hope you are all doing well, and will put some great goals together for this coming year and work hard to complete them. Many try to put goals on things we can do to become more Christ like and come closer unto Him.

Just so you all know, I want to go to a MoTab concert when I am back..haha. You never thought I would say that. :) They are awesome!!

Love you all, ttyl

--
Elder WellingMisión Cali Colombia

4 1/2 Weeks Left......Ahhhhhhhh!

Monday
December 23, 2013

4 1/2 weeks....ahhhhhh

Hey Family and Friends,

So this past week was really long, but things are going well. 

Elder Welling and new missionaries.

We went to go pick up the new missionaries this past week on Tuesday. And we had the normal super long day where we take them around Cali to some cool touristy spots and some other stuff like that. Then during the night time I went to go say goodbye to some of the people and converts that I had worked with in the area San Fernando. It was sad to say bye to them, but I am thinking of saying bye to them again in about 5 weeeks......that is so weird...Anyways, on Wednesday we had the training and it went pretty well. And then we went off to our areas....

Elder Welling surprising Elder Frias.

Before we left it was super hard saying bye to President Prince, and I started to cry saying bye to him...ugghh He is the best mission president in the whole world. 

Then I got to my new area in Cali. The other elders that are here showed us around the first couple days. And that night on Wednesday we had a cool meeting with the bishop who really looks awesome and wants to use us a lot. So that should be great. 

But these past couple days we have been focused on finding a lot of new investigators, people who want to hear our message.....We found about 11 people in these first 4 days and some seem great and others... But looks like we should have a good transfer. The work continues. Got to go hard all the time and do my best these last few weeks.

Love you all and miss you all...not too much now cuz I'll see you all soon..., but I miss y'all...haha

--

Elder Welling

Misión Cali Colombia

Time to Leave the Office, and Transfer for the Last Time

Saturday
December 14, 2013

Hey Family and Friends,

So this past week was awesome. We finished off all of our conferences with the mission, so it was cool to see everybody there and say goodbye, too, I guess. But they were all great and I loved every single one. It was awesome to be able to watch the movie, Ephraim's Rescue, like 3 times. I loved it. I feel like I am a lot like Ephraim in the movie. You'll have to watch and see why. But it was awesome. I got to share my testimony at the last meeting. It was awesome, I could feel the spirit so strongly. Was great. The end of the week was normal.

This is going to be my last transfer and it will be weird. But, I am going to be studying the attributos de Cristo. I am going to try my hardest to become as Chrsitlike as I can during the next couple weeks. Not much time left. I am on the last straightaway, want to give it my all. Lay it all down on the line.

Love you all and miss you all. sorry the letter is so short...there is just not much else to write. 

Love you all

nos vemos. 

--

Elder Welling

Misión Cali Colombia