Week 17!

Hey mom!!  Don't worry too much, I was a little sick but I walk everywhere and I drink a ton of water.  Hopefully I lose some more weight so I can be super in shape and lookin' good when I get back :) 

This week we didn't do much.  I feel bad because we get super busy doing intercambios and meetings and stuff that we end up not being able to do much.  I don't know.  I'm praying this week goes better.

Something I have noticed a lot that is just one of the highlights of my week is when you email me some things that happen during the week, and they seem to be EXACTLY what I have been praying for during the week.  The power of prayer is pretty crazy.   It actually almost brings me to tears sometimes, haha.  So don't hesitate to hit me with a prayer list if ya need it. :)

 

So Élder Christensen tells me you and his mom are texting! That's pretty funny, haha.  You guys will have to get together for dinner sometime or do something fun like that.  You gotta go check out Chunga´s food in Salt Lake and meet Jonny Lugo, he's a stud. His mom always treats us real well.  She even invited us and Elder Christensen and his comp to lunch this week and she is going to make her famous Mexican tacos.  So we are all pretty pumped.  

Today we had to run up to the offices to get some stuff taken care of.  So we bought ourselves some McDonald's...thanks ma. :)  I think my comp loves it when we go up there because I always hook it up with the American food.  If I'm spending too much money on the card, just tell me and I will stop.  I never know if I am spending too much or not.  I know that it was only like 10 bucks, but here that seems like a fortune...especially to a missionary, hahaha.  

We have been loving the stuff from my package!  I forgot to tell you how much I love my watch.  I love it so much.  It's such high qual.  I can feel that it is gonna last me the rest of my mission.  And its even cooler because it has the days in Spanish!  I honestly find myself looking at it just to check it out.  Sometimes I don't even need the time, I just look at it to feel cool lookin' at my sweet watch.

Today we also played volleyball as a district which was a ton of fun, and we are allowed to play soccer again so we did some of that too. We weren't allowed to play soccer for a while because another missionary got injured so we couldn't play until he got all fixed up.  The crazy thing is that like 3 of the missionaries in my zone are finishing their missions this week, and a bunch more are getting transferred.  So next week we are going to have a whole new zone.  It's gonna be pretty crazy.

This is the last week of my training!  I can't believe how fast the time has gone!  I remember thinking the CCM felt like two years alone, but now I have already completed two CCMs.  The field is so much better, haha.  The hard part is that it means I will be saying goodbye to my mission dad, Élder Sotoski.  Oh well, they say you end up getting used to it.  The ward here sure is going to miss him too.  I hope that we can work really hard this last week so he can have one more really good week here in Bosa.  

Thanks for everything, Mom! You really are amazing.  I can't wait to hear more from you guys! Sorry you lost all your helpers [regarding yardwork].  If you guys need any help don't hesitate to call the Swags and ask them to help.  You might have to make them dinner or something, but I guarantee they will help you out, haha.  Love you like crazy mom! Can't wait to talk to you again.  Happy 117 days!!!  

Week 16!

Hey! I don't have a lot of time to write because we got lost on the freaking buses and now we have no time to write.  

Good news! I got my package!!  Thank you guys so much.  It felt so good to rip it open and feel a little bit at home.  The floral ties were choice, and the letters were great!  I wish you guys could have seen my comp...he was GIDDY.  He was so pumped that he got to pick a tie, and a shave soap, and a tie clip.  It was really cool.  You guys are awesome.

Also, we went to the centro today so my comp could get some shoes, I helped him out a little bit with the card, thanks.  It's hard to find shoes in his size (like 13) so when we found some we  had to grab 'em.  The guy even gave us an extra pair free so it was pretty cool! 

We also got to play paintball today.  Which was cool...but it turned out to be that it wasn't paintball...it was rock hard rubber ball.  This place just sweeps up all the balls at the end of the day and reuses them, haha.  It freaking hurt.  

The guy who wanted to learn English doesn't seem too interested in our message, but his family does, so we are probably gonna focus more on them.  The guy from Medellin is doing great, but we cant baptize him yet because he isn't married to the girl he lives with.  Hopefully we can get it all figured out soon. 

That's about all that happened this week!  Sorry I can't write more.  I feel bad.  I'm pretty chapped that we got home so late.  I love you guys! Keep me posted I love hearing it all!  Tell Jackson Gardner congrats [called to the Argentina Neuquen Mission]! 

Love you mom! You're amazing! Talk to you next week.

P.S.  The only snacks I'm really craving is beef jerky (doesn't exist here) and those Cadbury eggs (don't exist here either), other than that I'm pretty good.

Week 15!

Hey mom! This week was freaking LONG.  I'm still a little sick, so I don't know what to do, hopefully my package will make me feel better :)   We spent the first few days of the week in the house again, because Élder Sotoski was pretty rough, but we are feeling good enough that we are finally out and working again.

This week we really didn't do much, so sorry I don't have any really cool pics for ya.  Saturday we were out contracting, and trying to find some new investigators.  Elder Sotoski tried calling someone to set up an appointment, and while he was talking, a guy came up to me and asked if we were American.  I explained that I am, and my comp is Brazilian.  He told us that he is studying English, and wants to practice with me.  So we tried talking a little in English which was pretty cool.  After that I explained (in Spanish) that we are missionaries, and that we´d love to share our message with him, and that I could help him out with his English. He invited us into his house, and we ended up teaching him and his family!  Really cool experience.  He called me again today, and asked if we could come back, and he hopes that we have enough time to study English.  His family was really receptive, and understood the doctrine really well.  It was actually pretty surprising.  Hopefully they will continue to listen, and understand.  

Yesterday, we got to church, and the stake president was standing in the hall with two people.  He introduced us to them, and they are 2 people investigating the church!  One of them is inactive, and we haven't gotten the chance to teach him yet, but the other has been investigating the church for a while, and he just moved here from Medellin.  He talked with us at church quite a bit, then we got to go over to his house after and have a lesson with him.  He already has super strong faith, and even told us he wants to be baptized.  Only problem is, he isn't married, but he lives with a woman.  He understands that he can't be baptized until he is married, so hopefully that gives him some motivation to get married.  Other than that little bump, which hopefully gets fixed soon, its been really cool that these investigators just kind of came into our lives! I think the Lord saw our desire to work and find new investigators, even though we were having a hard time because we were sick.

Other than that we didn't really do much this week! We got to play volleyball with our zone today, and then we got lunch afterwards, so that was a lot of fun!  I hope everything is going well at home!  Sounds like you guys had some fun for your birthday.  

You went to Beauty and the Beast? Was it a play? Or like is there a new movie? That sounds like fun.  Just so you know, I was a blubbering mess when I wrote your letter too.  It made me super homesick all week and I think that's why this week was so long.  I seriously just cried for the longest time.  I don't know why birthdays are so hard for me.  When I miss holidays its like, oh darn, I hope my family is having fun, but on birthdays I'm a freaking wreck, haha.  I love you like crazy mom!  Thanks for sending me a package :) It means a lot, I freaking love it.  Elder Christiensen and Elder Alonzo are going up to the offices tomorrow, so I asked if they could pick it up for me, so hopefully they don't forget 'cuz otherwise I gotta wait like a month for zone conference or something.  

Love you mom!  Thanks for writing me, I can't wait to talk to you again next week. :) 

Love - Elder Leishman

Week 14!

Hey! This week wasn't too interesting, because I've been a little sick with a pretty harsh cold because the weather is changing here, but getting to go to conference was great!  I got to watch it with the other gringos, so getting to watch it in English was awesome.  It's crazy how some of those talks felt like answers to my prayers.  I especially liked the Saturday evening Jeffrey R. Holland talk, and the Saturday evening Gary B. Sabin talks.  I think you should all listen to those.

Today we got to go to Montserrate!!  It was super rad.  It's a catholic church on top of the mountains in Bogota!! Super beautiful.  We got to go with our zone so it was a ton of fun!  We had to hike like 30 minutes down in our missionary clothes, but that's alright, what can you do, haha.

After that we went to a dinner buffet, which was great because they had food besides rice and chicken.  It felt so good to get through an entire meal without rice, hahaha. I had to pay for my comp, so sorry if I blew through too much cash.  It was really fun though.

After dinner we went to a sports store, and I really blew through some cash there, haha.  I bought a Colombian soccer jersey and its super cool, but a little pricey.  If anyone else wants one, I can take orders (family only please, haha).

MOM, YOUR BIRTHDAY IS THIS WEEK!!  I don't know why I'm so excited, on dad's birthday I bawled my eyes out, haha.  I feel like I'm celebrating it with you!  I hope it is awesome, and I hope you can wait another 20 months to get your present. :) 

We got a new gringo in our district Elder Christensen! He's from Salt Lake and he's super cool.  It's weird how much we are alike.  He had the exact same situation as me in the CCM! He was the only gringo going to Bogota Sur, and his comp was going to Medellin!  He also collects antiques.  Specifically tie clips.  It's pretty cool to have a new gringo to talk to :) 

I hope we can get a little more done next week! Not a lot happened this week because of this dang cold I got.  Things are getting better.  I'm sick of the days where we can't do anything, and conference recharged my motivation so it should start getting better.

Love you like crazy!  I hope your birthday rocks, and lasts all month long like you like it to!  You're the best mom that ever has existed, and I hope you know that.  Thanks for writing me! Ill try and upload more photos and videos to google drive.  Talk you you next week.  Love you!

Week 13!

SECOND TRY SATURDAY!

I actually got my first baptism!  It was super cool.  I can't believe we got one so soon!  One of Elders was telling me he didn't get one for his first 6 months, so I guess I'm #BLESSED, hahaha.  I got to do the baptism, and it took me two tries, and it was Saturday (lol...second try Saturday) but it was really cool.  The water was freezing because we couldn't turn on the heater, and it was also green because we are in Colombia, where the water is whatever color it feels like being.  But the spirit was super strong!!!  Afterwards, her aunt (who she lives with) bore her testimony, and then she got to bear hers, but she couldn't say much because she was crying. What a cool experience.

Other than that we didn't get to do much, we spent two days of this week in norte, because someone lost my Colombian ID so we had to go get it. Which is cool, but it sucks because its like and hour and a half there, and an hour and a half back.  But that's fine because norte is sweet. I've decided that when we visit, we´ll stay in norte and just go visit the other cool places from there.  

I don't know if you can see from the pictures, but I got to meet Élder Parsons this week!  He is a nice guy, I respect him a lot.

My spirituality is great, I find myself praying for like 10 or more minutes every night.  It helps because I can see the blessings from sincere prayer.  Also, since they changed the mission rules, I have time to do personal study at night, and not just for my investigators.  So I'm getting a lot of studying done, because first I need to seek to obtain the word, then I can teach it.

We also got a new gringo in our district so that's been cool!  I'm not the newest anymore, haha, because he just got out of the CCM.  They live in our area so we get to see them quite a bit.

Other than that not much happened! I'm still convinced this is another planet, haha, but I'm loving it.

Also, we are going to the centro next week, so I will probably use the card, so just keep an eye on it.  Thanks :)  I love you.  Hopefully i will have some cool pics of the centro because its like a Spanish New York, hahaha.  Thanks for sending me pics and keeping me updated every week, I really couldn't ask for a better mom. :) I hope you know that i think you are the best.  I love my family more than anything on this planet...and my home planet...still not convinced I'm on the same world anymore, haha.  I love you, have fun on your 4 trips to Saint George since I left, lol. :) Something pretty crazy to think about, I've already downed 13 weeks...that means I have less than 100 P Days left in my mission.  I don't know how its going for you guys, but the time is flying by for me.  I hope you guys feel the spirit next week in gen conf, I'll be watching it too (in English, woo!) so in a way we´ll be watching it together.  I love a million.  Talk to you soon! (Only like one more month until we Skype, and only like 2 more weeks until your birthday!!) 

I love you like crazy, Mom.  I tell people all the time that I literally have the greatest family in the world.  I miss you guys a ton.  Talk to you next week!

Elder Sotoki, Elder Leishman and Likski

 

Week 12!

This week wasn't all that interesting.  But we did get to go to the temple today which was awesome! But what wasn't awesome is that we had to get up at 4 to go, haha.  The temple is pretty far, and we have to take a Trax kinda thing all the way there.  The temple is in norte, which I've decided is where we would live should we ever come to Colombia. Its a lot safer, and it just feels like a more tropical Salt Lake that speaks Spanish, haha.  Its pretty sweet.  We got to eat Subway which was pretty sweet also.  We were gonna eat at McDonalds, but that's too expensive, lol.  Its about the same price, but it just feels too expensive here. I can tell I'm gonna be a real cheap-wad when I get home.

I finished my first cambio [we think this means transfer] this week! Hard to believe that I've already been gone 3 months man. Time flies.  I guess that's okay because I wanna see my family again.  Elder Sotoski and I are both staying in Bosa, except now Elder Sotoski is the district leader! So that's pretty cool 'cuz I get to help him with those kinds of things.

This week we got to hang out with the Baragan family, which makes me happy because they remind me so much of my grandparents. It´s kind of weird, they are like the most American Colombian family ever, haha.  They are so cool.  They always make us arepas when we go over.  They love to just sit and talk, its awesome. 

We have a baptism this week! So hopefully all will go smoothly and she´ll get baptized on the 22.  Her name is Liksi and she's super cool.  She's from the coast, so she's a little difficult to understand but that's okay because she seems really excited about her baptism! 

[In response to asking him if he needs anything sent to him...]  The only thing I can think of is if you could send more ties.  If you ever find a floral tie, please pick it up, haha. I only have one or two, and everyone wants to trade for them, but they have too much sentimental value attached because my bros and my dad at home have the same one. ;)  I told Elder Sotoski that I would ask you to send one, hahaha.  

We also found a wing restaurante in our area we are gonna try tonight so wish us luck!! I know they will be nothing compared to dad's wings but we´ll see how it goes.

Love you like crazy! I pray for you guys every day!!  Talk to you soon!

Elder Leishman

Subway!  A nice little taste of home.  

Tanner said, "It was super cool to run into you in Colombia, Dad!  Wow, what a pleasant surprise!  Hahaha!  We were walking in the street and Elder Sotoski saw this sign and goes, "look!  It's your dad!" So I had to grab a pic."

Week 11!

Hey guys! Another good ol' week in the ol' Bosa!  We have been working hard this week to bring the word of God to the people of Colombia. I just hope that there are more people who are ready to hear our message!! 

This week we did a lot of teaching again obviously, but today we got to do some service!  A family in the ward (Familia Lugo) is moving today and they asked if we could help em out.  So of course we did.  We love those guys.  They are the family that we spent all P Day with last week because they made us food for Élder Sotoski's birthday.  So that was good, plus they made us food after so you can't go wrong there.  

More good news, while we were getting a new razor for Élder Sotoski, we found a place selling straight razors, so naturally we had to get some. So now Élder Sotoski and I have ourselves some straight razors...except I'm not sure why he got one...he's too scared to use it.   But oh well, its fun.  Also, he was hoping you might be able to send him some shave soap because he thinks its pretty cool.   Just if when you send the next package maybe toss one in there that the boys aren't using.  He already has a brush so he's set.  

Good news is, I'm alive and well.  Bogota is treating me well.  I hope the states are treating you guys well.  I've had a ton of people ask me about Trump lately, so something must have gone down, lol.  Love you guys! Talk to you next week.

Elder Leishman

It was a Pedialyte kind of week!

Straight razors!