June 30, 2014 Temple Again!!!

June 30, 2014

Temple Again!!!

Hola todos!

This week has been pretty cool. On Monday after I wrote, we were going to go and visit some families when we got the call that a couple other elders were gonna come and stay the night with us. And it turns out, one of them was an elder who was in the area before I got here! So we went and visited a family who was excited to see him (I had promised them i would bring ice cream that night, but ice cream is really expensive here, so I brought him instead ;)]. Then, that night, we ordered a giant pizza from Pizza Hut! And then, last Tuesday was Elder Flores' birthday! So we went over to a kind-of less-active's house and ate some great pasta and a tiny little cake! And then after that, we went back to the house, Elder Flores bought another Pizza Hut pizza from money from his parents, and I made brownies! (in cups in the microwave haha). Needless to say, I won't be eating any more this week.

The week had been pretty slow in the missionary work; lots of lessons being canceled, but nothing new. We just have to keep working! We had intercambios on Friday; the district leader, Elder Nordhagen, came here with Elder Flowers, and I went over to his area with Elder Terceros. It turns out, this day, neither companionship had anything to do, so we each went out contacting and we each found some interested people! We will see how it turns out. I was with Elder Thirds in a park when I started hearing all these like gunshots, and it turns out it was just a bunch of people playing a game that looked like cornhole! So it is called mini tejos, the only difference being that they through heavy metal pucks at the other end, where two explosisives are waiting! It was pretty cool, although all that the old people wanted from me was a U.S. dollar haha.

Then on Saturday, Colombia played their next game in the World Cup, so we were forced to be in the house from 2 until 6 in the afternoon. (We still knew what the score was based on the people screaming haha, Colombia won and is moving on!) But then after that, a family that will be starting their business (a little restaurant) invited us to have a family home evening over there! (She wanted the gringo to give a prayer to the building too haha). And we got 3 new investigators! Then as we were walking home, someone on the street stops us and tells me, "Hey, you speak English, right?" So he is a member super less active, who wanted us to come and teach his wife the gospel! So yesterday we had a great lesson with them (Douglas and Mercedes), and we expect to see some progress! 

Then today we went to the temple as a zone! Super great, as usual. Then after that, Elder Flowers and I went over to the Hard Rock Cafe that I found a few months ago! And I ate steak! The first real steak that I have eaten in almost 8 months! So now I am full, and eating too much, but I am happy haha.

Well I need to go! Have a great week! 

Love,
Elder Toombs

Steak at Hard Rock Cafe

I wonder if Nathan misses his motorcycle!

June 23, 2014 Happy Father's Day!

So this week hasn't been to exciting, but things are going pretty well in Colombia!

The most exciting thing that happened was that on Friday, we got a new missionary! Well kinda; he was a future missionary from Villa Vicencio who was getting ready to head out, so he stayed with us over the weekend. And we got to go the temple with him!!! So on Saturday morning, we went over to the temple, but didn't get there until too late for the first session, so Élder Flores and I got to do some confirmations while we waited for the next session! It was my first time doing confirmations, and it was a really cool experience. And, all of the names were Slavic, so it was fun both to try and pronounce the names and to see how a Latino does it haha.

Yesterday was pretty good too. We had a great sacrament meeting in which Elder Flores and the new elder had to give talks without planning.  Then Elder F and I taught the Sunday school class as well! I love my ward, even if it is small and the people don't have a lot of desire to share the gospel. But we will help that!

Well I have to go! Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Toombs

ps fotos! The "Casa Capilla", and like 20 250`s all together getting ready to ride!

The Church in Modelia

A bunch of motorcycles getting ready for a ride

June 16, 2014 The World Cup Has Begun!

June 16, 2014

The World Cup Has Begun!

This week has been a tough one, partially because a lot of people just want to watch fútbol and don't want to hear the gospel haha. But we are doing well here in the pupi-est (richest) part of Bogotá Sur.

I had a tough lesson with Paula on Tuesday. We went over there to check up on her reading in the Book of Mormon about when Aaron teaches Lamoni´s dad, buuut she hadn't done it. So we read over it all, and I talked about God and prayer, and how our purpose there was to help her get closer to her heavenly father, through praying. However, she pretty much straight up said that she didn't want to pray, and wouldn't until she felt a "need" for God. So, our lesson changed from how we wanted her to pray to more of "well we aren't going to come back," and it was pretty rough for me. We left her our number and the address to the church; I just hope that one day (sooner rather than later) she will feel that need for God in her life.

That day we also taught another investigator with her less-active sister, and I realized that she was pretty much sleeping while my companion was teaching her, nodding her head with her eyes half-shut, just saying "uh-huh" to everything. Just a reminder to teach people, not lessons haha.

So there was a family with the husband less-active that the missionaries were teaching a few months ago, but he wasn't progressing, so when I was with Elder Alcántara, we just kinda stopped showing up haha. But then one day we went over to visit, and he told us straight up that he wanted to come back, and that he wanted to make sure that his family was strong as well. It was pretty cool. So he went to church this Sunday, and they are all doing super good! I know we didn't do "lección franca", but sometimes it helps to make the investigators or less actives feel something missing from their lives (us!). So we have been visiting with them again, and now they absolutely love us, and give us awesome food! On Saturday we ate rice with coconut, patacones, and the best mojarra (type of fish) that I have eaten yet! And I am learning to eat fish with all the spines and bones and stuff! haha

And also on Saturday, there was the first Colombia world cup game! All the missionaries had to be inside during game time so we couldn't go and watch haha, but we always knew what was happening because everyone would just scream whenever Colombia had a goal. Then after the game, for at least 5 hours there were just people blowing their horns and honking rhythmically, and throwing flour at each other haha. But it was super cool, and Colombia won, so everybody here is happy! It is amazing how much these people get into the world cup, it makes the Super Bowl look like a joke haha.

Today, we went bowling again! I am getting a little better, with 120 in my first game; we will see what happens next time we go haha. Then we went and ate at KFC, it always makes me happy to eat American food (even though there were arepas with my meal haha).

Well that’s all I have time for! I love you all! I am so grateful for the chance that I have to be in Colombia, sharing the teachings of my savior and redeemer! Have a great week!

Love,
Elder Toombs

June 9, 2014 7 Months!

Yep! Time goes by fast doing the work of the Lord. Sorry I am writing a little late, but we didn't get home in time last night from a conference, so we are squeezing this into our schedule today.

So I got my new companion! Élder Flores is elder Mills' dad, has like 20 months in the mission, is a Mexican, and...speaks English! Not super well, but he does. I might have to ask for a companion who doesn't speak English next transfer so I will have to practice more haha. But he is a cool guy and a great missionary, and I look forward to the progress we will be making here in Modelia.

This week has had a few ups and downs. All in all, we had a little improvement in the numbers this week, having much higher than the average for the zone.

On Tuesday, Elder Lund and Elder Nielsen got up early to head over to the airport, then a few hours later, Elder Alcántara and I went over! He actually seemed really sad, he didn't cry or anything, but I could tell by his body language that he was triste (sad) to go. I will miss him, but it is exciting to see all these missionaries go have to confront the challenges of real life! So the missionaries from Fontibon came and picked me up from the airport, and we went to Quiroga to find my new companion.

That night we went to visit a less active and there were a few strangers there, so... we taught them! haha We just shared a short message, but they were interested and wanted to hear more, so we made plans to come back and visit. The only thing is, they are a couple from Cali (Colombia), and they went back on Friday night. But, we managed to teach them Wednesday and Friday. Friday night, I was feeling pretty tired (my companion likes to use a heater at night, and I couldn't sleep well because it was so hot), and when I am tired, my Spanish gets a lot less clear. But we shared a short message about the Atonement and how we need to live our lives to go back to the presence of God, and at the end, they just went out and said how much they felt the spirit, and how well my Spanish was! I know that the gift of tongues is real, and that the spirit can help us gringos to get across exactly what we need to.

On Thursday, we had a great day of lessons all planned out, and all of them fell but one. So it was like 8:30 and we were walking home, when I felt like buying something from a nearby store, and as we were leaving, someone walked in and said "Hola Élderes." I told my companion I didn't know her, so we waited outside and greeted her, finding out she is a new member in Modelia who didn't know where the church was, who also lives with a couple friends that are interested in the gospel, and who has a boyfriend who has even gone to church a couple times! It really helped me remember that as long as we are doing what we need to, God will bring us to the people that need us. Hopefully this will turn into something!

Sunday we got 57 people coming to church, the highest I have seen here in Modelia! (last week it was 44). Then Sunday night, we had the priesthood session of stake conference, and we pretty much covered all of the questions and doubts about every priesthood ordinance. It was pretty cool!

And yesterday, we had a strange p-day, because all of the missionaries in Bogotá North and South had to go to the MTC to see a seventy, Elder L. Whitney Clayton! It was a great time, and it was just what we needed here in the Kennedy Zone (the entire Zone is moving pretty slow). I also got to see Elder Porter, one of the 3 missionaries that came with me from the Provo MTC to the CCM in Bogotá! It was a good time. However, on the way back, we missed the stop to get off at on the bus and ended up having to switch over to another, and we didn't get back until like 8 at night (which is why I didn't write). But we got back safe and sound!

I am grateful for the opportunity that I have to be serving here in Modelia, even if the work is a little slower than most of the mission. I know that I am here for a purpose, and that if I do all the things that I need to, we will have success. I know that this church is the only one with the fulness of the gospel, with all of the ordinances that we need to achieve salvation. Talk to you next week!

Love,

Elder Toombs

Bogota Temple

Bogota Temple

Elder Alcantara at the airport

Nathan working hard!

June 2, 2014 Transfers!

June 2, 2014

Hello everyone! This has been a pretty busy week.

So Elder Alcántara is going home from the mission tomorrow! It is really weird to be the companion of someone who is finishing the mission haha, and it kinda made the week a little harder.

Last Wednesday we finally got to teach one of our investigators, Nubia. We have been trying for like a month, but every time we had an appointment planned, be couldn't get a man to go with us (We cannot enter houses without a man present), or they would always cancel. But, as we were starting to talk, and young woman came in the door, someone who lives there with Nubia. She said "Hola Élderes", so we started talking, and found out that she had received the missionaries before, for like a year! So she wants to hear our message, too. Her biggest challenge is that she doesn't really believe in God, something that is a little rare here in Colombia. She says that she has never had a prayed answered, or felt the Holy Ghost. So we gave her a super-spiritual lesson about it! As we shared our testimonies, and talked about answers from God, she had started crying; we knew that the spirit was there, and that she could feel it. It is going to be hard, but I have faith that we can help her to get faith as well.

So this Saturday, two other missionaries (gringos) came to Modelia to stay with us until they go home on Tuesday, too. So they got to the house at like 9 at night, and decided to leave Bogotá to go to Soacha, with elder Alcántara! SO the missionaries from Fontibón (the closest area) came over to Modelia to spend the night with me, and the three almost-done missionaries went to Soacha! Then Sunday morning, the Fontibón missionaries dropped me off at the Chapel (my new companion was the Ward Mission Leader), then after the church meetings I attended their church meetings, and stayed with them for the rest of the day. Then the other three missionaries were coming back to Modelia, but they didn't have a cell phone, so at 9:30 at night we took a taxi over there to  make sure they were all good, and then I went back to Fontibón to spend the night. We didn't get back until 11:30, and had to wake up at 5 this morning! But do you know why? Because we went to the temple! 

And that has been my week. I need to go; thanks for reading! And thanks for the support! I know that I am supposed to be here, and that I have been called and set apart specifically to do so. I am so thankful to be able to share about the gospel and atonement of my Savior! And about transfers: I am staying here in Modelia, and my new companion will be Elder Flores, the trainer of Elder Mills, my first companion! Bye!

Love,
Elder Toombs

5/26/14 The Piano's Back!

May 26, 2014

The Piano’s Back

Well I don't think it is the same piano that was stolen, but we got another big, old-fashioned one, along with new sound equipment too. Good thing, because I had to give a talk this Sunday!

Well I'll start with further back in the week. On P-day, we finished up our time playing ping-pong! I have gotten a lot better in the past couple weeks, and I beat Elders Nordhagen and Terceros from Fontibon (right next to us), but I still can't beat Elder Alcántara two out of three. I just want to go play micro haha.

Then Tuesday I had intercambios with Elder Nordhagen here in Modelia! We had just about every lesson fail, so we ended up accompanying one investigator, Wilmert, to the mall haha. But it was good; we were able to get to know him a little more. Wilmert is a young man (like 23 years old) who lives in the same house as a member family, along with our recent convert, Angela. He is a member of a church that believes that the Sabbath day should still be Saturday, and he has a very strong testimony of the bible; now we just need him to get that same feeling about the Book of Mormon! He ended up not going to church this Sunday, but he is still very interested and although he has a lot of doubts, I am sure that they can all be resolved as he gains a testimony of the book of Mormon.

Last week, I also went to the referrals database, a website where I can see all of the electronic referrals for Modelia. I was looking at all the names, and my companion didn't even recognize half of them, so we started calling! One of them said she had been waiting like over a year for the missionaries to call, and that she wanted to get baptized! She doesn't live in Modelia anymore (sigh), but we made sure that the missionaries over in Villao found out. And we should be having a visit with someone else from the list tomorrow! We will see!

So it also turns out that a brother of the Mission President lives here in Modelia, and he called him the other week to see if he would receive us! Right now he is out of town, but he seemed more than willing to let us come over.

On Saturday we got a call from the Sisters that are in Fontibon that there is a less active that lives in our area who wanted us to visit him right away! Unfortunately, he lives in the part of Modelia furthest away from where we work. So we went all the way over there, in the sketchiest part of town, at night (like 7:30), and then the street lights all went out. And we looked at the houses, and they were without power too! All of the power had gone. So we were looking around, using the light from car headlights to see the signs, and ended up finding a different less active family´s house, so we stayed there for a little until the lights all came back on. It was a fun little experience!

Then yesterday, all of the missionaries were told by the Mission President to get in their houses by 5 in the afternoon. Elections were yesterday, so the president was worried about rioting in the streets and that kind of thing. Although we couldn't get as many lessons in (the best time to teach is after 6), it was cool to be able to come home and relax for a bit. I ended up making 20 arepas to help me survive during the week, and set the smoke detector off because of all the smoke coming off of the pan haha.

And that was my week! I was reading a talk from Dallin H Oaks about the different reasons why we serve, and how there are pretty bad reasons, like to get worldly gain or power. He said that the best reason, which we should all strive to have, is just out of our Christ-like love for God and for the people in our lives. I have been working hard on developing this attribute, and I suggest you all do too! It is worth it, as not only can we serve better, but our relationships with everyone can improve. I love you all!

Elder Toombs

5/19/14 Elder Pastillas

May 19, 2014

Elder Pastillas

So... My name is Toombs, and in Spanish, Toombs is written "Tums" in Spanish, and tums are a kind of pill, and pill in Spanish is "pastilla," so... Some call me Elder Pastillas now haha.

The time is going by fast here in Modelia! Hard to believe, because we don't have any progressing investigators, the ward is a little slow to work, and my companion has been telling everyone exactly how many days he has left haha (15 days!).

One notable thing that happened this past week is that the church got robbed! So here in Modelia there is a casa capilla (Chapel house? no idea, but it is a rented building haha). And, they found rats downstairs a couple weeks ago. So the church called some guys to fumigate, gave them the keys, when they were done they returned the keys, and yeah. But last Wednesday, we got a call from the Bishop asking if we had given anyone the keys we have, or if they had been lost. A couple days later, we found out that probably on Tuesday, someone with keys came in and stole the tv, the sound amplifier, a clock, 36 chairs, and the nice, full-size piano! They changed the keys immediately, and are guessing that it was the fumigators, that they copied the key and came in; however, there are no cameras, and the nearest camera for an outside building doesn't have a good enough view to see. Hopefully they will be able to find whoever did it!

We have been looking to find a new building to have our chapel in for a while, partly because of the rats, partly because the current chapel is outside our area, partly because right now we have to be there at 7 in the morning. We found a few places while searching one day, and it looks like we might start meeting in a daycare building! The house is great; big, with a park next door and plenty of space to park (members have cars here!). But I expect that we would have to repaint the outside walls; they are painted with princesses and characters from Sesame Street haha.

We officially rescued two more members this Sunday! Adriana Reyes, a separated mother, and Andés (I don't know his last name), who is a 13 year old who's mom was just reactivated a few weeks ago. He now wants to serve a mission when he gets older, and he is trying really hard to get to church early on Sunday to be ready to help with the sacrament! It is super cool to see them get back and active in the church.

I know that this church is true, and love the chance that I have to be in the mission! I have spent a lot of time thinking about how many blessings I have, and about how my challenges here are helping me. I know that every challenge and test that we face helps us to grow, and is part of our purpose here in this life! So be grateful for the difficulties that you have :)

Love,
Elder Pastillas