Buenaventura....Best Time of My Life!

Elder Welling with his Buenaventura Family, Missionaries, Pres. and Sis. Prince-Open House

Elder Welling with his Buenaventura Branch Pres. Sarmiento Family and Missionaries

Monday, January 14, 2013

Hello Family and Friends,So I will start from Monday Night. I got the call at 9:20pm that I was leaving, and going to Ipiales as Zone Leader. So I was happy, because I am going to a colder climate and everything, which is cool. Also, because I have the opportunity to lead the other missionaries here. That should be great. 

SO on Tuesday. I just ran around BV saying bye to families and everything. I went to Maryams and Joses house at 3pm, and stayed there till 4:30pm. and holy crap. Talk about a hard Goodbye. I was crying a ton and so was Maryams and Jose. Really hard to Leave that City. All of the memories I had with them and everything. I just don't think I will have an experience like that again. It was really special. 

So then I bounced. Said bye to another member of the ward in BV who gave me a pic of me and Belnap, Nasly and Fernando. SO that was great. Then went to Cali in the car crying for about 2 hours.

Then I got focused on my next responsibility, which is in Ipiales. I saw some of the other ZL's Elder Jensen and Menendez and others, which was sweet. Then I woke up at 4am Wednesday morning to get on the bus at 6am to go to Ipiales. The bus ride was 10 hours to Pasto, then another 2 hours to Ipiales. IT sucked!!! So slow. I don't think you could go faster than 50mph the whole ride, because it is just filled with turns, decents and ascending and everything. SO terrible. But awesome too. 

SO I finally got here in Ipiales at 8pm Wednesday night, and my comp is named Elder CXalle from Bolivia. Seems cool. He is the only member of his family who is a member, and his little bro too, I think. So that is cool. He is pretty cool. 

But yeah. We worked hard this week and had a great time. I feel kinda weird here in Ipiales. I think it is just cause I kinda miss BV, but that is to be expected. Things will only get better. That is my message for this week. 

Love you all and miss you all. Elder Welling.  

-- 
Elder Tyler Welling

                             

Farewell Buenaventura, Hello Ipiales!

Elder Welling loves his BV Branch Pres and Family.

Monday
January 7, 2013

Hello famiilia y amigos. Les amo mucho. this week was great. worked my tail off here in BV. We found a bunch of people. We put baptism dates together for them. And we just worked way hard. It was a great way to finish my time here in BV Gave it my all. and I have accomplished a lot since I have been here. I decided to change the email this week to say all the things I have done since my first day here in Buenaventura.

On the Bus with Belnap was the first day. We talked for 3 straight hours about our pasts, our futures and what we wanted to accomplish in BV. It was great. I remember crapping bullets and going right to work. We immediately divided the areas. Got to know the members and Investigators. We had church in a garage the first couple weeks. 

Elder Welling's beautiful Buenaventura Baptism Day in River

Went on a hike. ALmost got lost. Threw rocks in the water, found a Casa Capilla. Had baptisms in a river. Taught English in a University with a ton of Snakes! Made shirts that would fit small men or GFs. Made some more shirts, painted a bed. Cried many times!! Tripped a lot. Bought shoes, went to Cali in a crappy bus multiples times, had 10 baptisms in a month. Made life long and forever friends! Went on a Brujita. 

Played BBall, soccer football, caroled in a park in front of 200 people...no one listened.....lol. Sang at a Novena. And have had the best 6 months of my life!! Inviting people to change their lives...forever! 

Elder Welling hikes Buenaventura

This morning the assistant to President Prince called, and said I have a change along with 2 other elders here. I am leaving Buenaventura. I am leaving it, and I know I gave my all. I Loved my time here!! But, I know I will come back before this next year is over. 

Best of all, we constructed the Lord's church here in this beautiful, hot, humid, humble city of Buenaventura!!

  

Elder Welling loves his Buenaventura Branch!

     Love you all,  Elder Welling

--
Elder Tyler Welling

Now onto Ipiales, between the jungle/Pacific coast and the Andes Mtns at 9,500 feet above sea level-it's cold there, at the border of Ecuador.

A Great Week-Our Buenaventura Branch Open House

Elder Welling with Pres and Sister Prince and fellow BV missionaries at Open House

Elder Welling day of their BV Open House

Monday
December 31, 2012

Hey Family and Friends!!!

This week was hectic. But it was really rewarding at the same time. We had Pres and Hermana Prince come into town for a Open House here in the Church in BV. I was sick for 2 days and many other things.

To start off, once again didn't do too much stuff for Monday, Christmas Eve. We had Christmas Eve dinner here in BV. I am pretty sure we were all just washing our clothes in the washer machine that day, too...which I really just think spins all the clothes in a small circle in the dirty water and everything. So that doesn't get them very clean.....clothes came out smelling worse than when they went in. Which really shows me how cool dryers are. haha.

On Tuesday, Christmas Day, we had the whole BV Branch help us clean the church to make it great for the activity. I even held a big IGUANA........I couldn't go out Wedesday, because I was sick. So I depended on the other 4 missionaries to be able to get the message out to everybody about the Open House we had on Thursday. 

Elder Welling and his Iguana

     
So in came Pres Prince and the AP Elder Paez on Thursday around lunch. Basically did preparations for the activity that day, and at night the activity hit. It wazs AWESOME!!!!  About 130 people showed up and fit into the small house we have here for the church. And it was amazing!! I lead the mtg...hopefully everyone understood me, and then we had a message from one of the members and then Pres Prince gave a great message about the restoration of the gospel. It all went amazing. So that was awesome!! 

Afterwards I did a baptismal interview for a baptism this Saturday for a girl named Anna Maria, which was great. After that I headed down stairs, and we took pictures with Pres and Hermana Prince and all the other missionaries, then headed back to the house.

Elder Paez gave us props for the great job we did having such an amazing activity and Open House. He said that this was the most successful Casa Abierta that he had seen in the mish. He also said that a lot of the Barrios couldn't do what we did. It overall was just an excellent day!!

Then the Next day we saw the Familia Prince head off to Cali and we went back to work. It was a great couple of days! It was great to work on Friday, too. Then we worked like normal and had fun while doing it. Something that has been lacking here in BV...FUN!  I think that is a huge key to the work here in the mish...FUN..You have got to have fun when working, or you just don't have the attitude and the Spirit a missionary needs-being happy and joyful about our working together as we serve the Lord.

Then on Sunday not many people came to church, because they were all going out of town and such with the holidays, but overall it was a good day.
Here's a pic of the big iguana I found in our church :)

Love you all and miss you a ton!!

Elder Tyler Welling

                  

Merry Christmas From Buenaventura!

Elder Welling with fellow Zone missionaries receiving their Captain Moroni pins-for their good work.

Elder Welling (bottom second from the right) and his Zone with Pres. and Sister Prince-Merry Christmas.

Monday
December 24, 2012

Well, this is Christmastime in Colombia! It has been great. I will basically tell you all of the things we have done here in a list so it goes by quicker. Mainly because I am going to call you all in one hour. Sounds good....

Ok, so this past week we went caroling in Cali, was awesome. About 26 missionaries walking up and down streets, singing in grocery stores, and sharing small messages with the people of Colombia! It was amazing. I definitely felt the peace of Christmastime so much. I loved it.

We had a good time with President. He gave us a devotional during the Christmastime. It was amazing, just about the Christmastime and the story of Christ. Throughout the devotional we were singing Christmas hymns, it was really special. He and the Hermana Prince also had us write down our gifts to Christ, so during the coming months of interviews and everything we will see if we are completing our gifts to  Christ. I hope I can continue to do my best. I am loving the Christmastime here and everything.

I can truly say I have learned the True Meaning of Christmas. This Christmastime has taught me so much. We have shared the message of Christ in Lucas 2 so many times, and I learn something more every time. I love my mission, I hope i can continue to work hard, learn more, and grow to really know and have an understanding for Christ, For all His work and his glory.

Saying I don't miss you all would be a big Lie, especially because tomorrow I know there are going to be some sweet basketball games.....si o no. But I am extremely happy. I am here and sharing this message with all of the people of Colombia.

As for the work, it was hard this week and isn't the same BV it was before. There is some contention in the house and it is hard to play and be friends with both sides. The work has slowed because of it. I hope that things will get better, and I will do all that I can to help people and lift them up, to realize their potential. Love you all and miss you.

PS: Picture below of Elder Welling holding up his boots during our Christmas call...Thank you Elder Belnap for passing them onto him.
--
Elder Tyler Welling  

Elder Welling during our Christmas call holds up his boots/shoes-thank you Elder Belnap.

It's All Good...Cali and Baptisms This Week

Elder Welling and Elder Tauaese in Cali Saying "See you later."

Monday
Dec. 17, 2012                                                     

WHAT'S Good Family and Friends!
I can't believe how fast the weeks are flying by. Once again I will start with Tuesday and what we did. We basically got up super early in the morning to go to Cali and that was an experience, haha!! But we got there and had interviews with President Prince. We basically just talked about the work and Buenaventura. It was not really an interview, but nonetheless it was good to get to see some of the missionaries and meet some of the new guys. I will tell you why after.
But on Wednesday, we got some people ready for baptisms. So we went and taught the lessons to them, and made sure that they were doing well, WHICH they were. One of the men who got baptized is named was David, he is awesome - really ready for the gospel and really humble. SO that was awesome!

On Friday,the leaders of the zone came and did the baptism interviews with us, they both went great. But then the night time came, and let me tell you, impossible to sleep in the house with 8 missionaries, haha!!!  But it was solid and a good day overall. Then on Friday night we got to watch the conference of the missionaries singing in Cali for Christmas. So it was a pretty chill day.
Then Saturday came, and we had 2 baptisms, David, and a kid named Christian. I wore a pretty cool tie too...........shoutout!! ................

Elder Welling's Baptism Day for David and Christian in BV

Then on Sunday, yesterday, one of the elders got sick, and he is still feeling under the weather, which bring me to my next point... I am now in Cali!!  We woke up way early this morning, because tomorrow we have a Conference for 1 hour with President Prince, and then we will head back to BV.

Today was sad, though. It was great but sad at the same time.... We were playing sports and my other best bro in the mission is going home. Today was the last time I was going to see him again, so of course I cried again!  I don't like that part of mish for that reason, saying bye to people, it's hard to say goodbye!  But it will be great, because I will see him again soon.

The mish is really starting the fly by now! I can't believe it. I'm loving it and I will def miss the One and only Elder Tauaese!!!

Love you all, hope you have a great day! Now I am going to go sing to people in random parks.....O Holy Night!!!.....Another shoutout Bnap...all my family and my awesome friends, you know who you are!!   

Love you all.

--
Elder Tyler Welling

Slow Week...But Good

 Elder Welling with his 5 new missionaries in Buenaventura

                                              
Monday
December 10, 2012

Hey Family and Friends,

Hmm, what to say what to say. This week was good, but long also. I felt kinda lost in the area.

I will start with Tuesday, we had the normal district meeting. It went well. We put some dates up for some events that we want to do here in the branch in Buenaventura. One is that we are going to do a huge open house. PRES. PRINCE IS COMING TOO, ON THE 27TH in the evening to do the open house with us here in Buenaventura. We are thinking of more ways to invite a ton of people here in BV to come to the church. Hopefully this will work, our goal is to have over 200 people join us. I think we will do it, but it all needs to be planned out. 200 won't just come unless its planned well. Everything must be planned in the mission, that is something that will help me a lot in the future.

As for the week, it was hard, a ton of the meeting that we had arranged fell through. So that was a bummer and kinda disappointing. But that means we just have to change some things up, change the way we work. We want this great open house activity to have so many people that the church breaks......ok not really, but we want a lot.

Things are good though. The house, as in the missionaries that I live with (3 missionaries-my companion from the Dominican Republic and 2 newer gringos) was a little tense at times because people sometimes just get mad for little things. But it was good, because later we had a talk altogether, like an inventory meeting to get everything straightned out. So things went great after that!

Then on Sunday, the attendance dropped. I don't think we had quite 100, but it was still a good day. I gave a talk on the birth of Christ. I hope it went well. Everybody was saying to me that my Spanish has gotten a ton better, so I am super happy and thankful for that. Now I am typing on the computer the things I did last week, so I am going to stop typing now, haha.

Love you all and miss you. Hope your week's were great. And that is so awesome that my family got to see, meet and hear the best companion in the world, Elder Belnap, talk at his church yesterday!

Elder Welling
--
Elder Tyler Welling

Transfers.....

Elder Welling with his 5 missionaries and Branch President

Monday
December 3, 2012

Hey family and friends,

This week was alright. Weird having our house without Elder Belnap. SUPER weird!  But on Wednesday the new missionaries came, two new gringos, they have about 5 months in the mission and one dominicano, my comp, who has about 13 months in the mission. So, they came and we went out and got to meet all of the members and everything. Started to get going with the work here again.

I kinda ¨lost the fire¨ for the last week. IDK why but it was hard for me to get going again. But overall the week was good. My comp is cool and chill. He's from the Dominican Republic, his name is Elder Borg. I'm getting used to new Elders and getting to know them, the things they do, the things they don't do, the way they study and just everything. always an interesting process. But its all good.

Then, the other two gringos are cool, too. One if from California and the other is from Utah, Elders Chase and Hogan. They seem pretty chill, different from the way I am, but overall cool guys. I hope I can help them in the mission the way Elder Belnap helped me.

We had a great Sunday, there were 20 investigators at church overall, but we reached a total of 106!!!!!! That was amazing, the church was packed full!!! Also, one of the new gringoes can play the piano, so he played the piano and we actually had music. So that was amazing. I got the fire back during the hymms we were singing. And I am ready to attack this week in BV and do big things here again.

I hope that you all had a good week, sad my niners lost...lol, don't know what more to say. We are going to play soccer right now, but to be honest, I didn't really want tooo....idk why. lol.

Love you all, miss you all. Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!

btw, I want to change the way this mission does work, i want it to be smarter, better, faster, strong...na na na na now that that don't kill me, will only make me stronger. haha Kanye! . I will change it. :)
--
Elder Tyler Welling