First Area: Ibague: Si and Cinnamon Rolls

My trainer and companion is now Elder G.  from Peru.  He's been out for nineteen months, and he is 27.  He has a strong testimony, and he is really funny, but it's hard to talk much because he doesn't speak English and my Spanish is still pretty limited.  We are assigned together to open an area in Ibague.  It's up near the mountains North West of Bogota.  We took a long (6 hour bus ride) to get here.

We are opening up a new area so most of the day is walking around contacting.  We have acquired about 7 new investigators this week.  The branch president is in our area.  Elder Amick, my comp from the MTC,  and his companion  are in our branch and district.  That's been cool to still serve around him.  We are great friends.  And two hermanas are also in our branch.  It's nice being all together in the same branch. 

Church yesterday was very different.  Good but different.  The most surprising thing to me was that everyone SHOUTS "Amen!"after the prayers like they do in other christian churches.   I was like, okay?.?.   The branch president is super friendly and has one of the most uplifting spirits I've ever met.  He wanted me to thank you and Dad for all your sacrifices for me, and he really is thankful.  He sat me and Elder Amick down and made us promise to thank you guys in his behalf. So there you have it.
 

The members here have a lunch schedule for us.  Yay!  We eat.  We eat really big lunches.  We don't eat dinner which I'm still getting used to. I've been having super bad stomach pains because the food is different and the time when we eat, but the more walking I do the better I feel so it's good motivation to get to work.
Every night I make cinnamon rolls for the two of us though.  Well it's just bread with butter and brown sugar.  :)  But after walking around all day it tastes like cinnamon rolls.   Dinner = Cinnamon rolls.  Works for me!

Our apartment is pretty gross and infested with all kinds of bugs, especially termites.  Yup.  Everything is tile so I'm always sweeping.  Good thing I know how to clean! We spent the first half day we moved here just cleaning trying to make it a little livable.  The shower has an electric thing that zaps the water to heat it up, and its super hot and barely drips water so I take quick showers, but it's a shower and for that I am grateful. 

The people here are interesting, humble, kind, and very friendly.  There are some really nice people I've met, and some crazy people.  :)  Some houses we go to our very clean and nice, but others are like shacks. Every house has a nice TV and radio though, no matter where you go.  Priorities.  I was a little sad that none of our investigators attended church this Sunday.  A few of them started reading the Book of Mormon and said they felt happy. The big problem here is everyone loves alcohol and drugs.  There are people smoking all kinds of things all over the place.   Many people are always willing to hear our message though, and everyone we have taught likes what we are saying, but they don't quite understand yet.  They think we are just like all the other christian churches, and I am not very good at explaining it all in Spanish. 

I have definitely been learning a lot and have been humbled too.  It's not as bad as I thought it could be, but maybe not as easy either.  That's usually how life can go.  I am getting by with my Spanish.  Most of the time people talk to me and I just say Si.  I have little idea of what they just said.  My job right now is to bare testimony in our lessons.
 

Another hard part for me, too, has been adjusting to the music all around.   Everywhere we go they are always blasting music here.  And its straight up Spanish salsa. No Jazzercise play list here Mom!  Occasionally I hear an American song, but usually it's like the Spanish channel in Brigham.

I do like it here in Ibague, however. It's a million times better than the MTC because we actually help people. I gave a homeless man an ice cream and a lady saw and stopped us and asked a lot of questions about the church. I try to find ways to serve people everyday.  Sometimes that is hard in a shirt and tie, but we try. 

Your emails this week were answers to my prayers. It honestly has been a hard week and I have felt lonely.  My companion is cool but when it's hard to communicate?   We go out and visit investigators and that helps to relieve the loneliness.   I said a specific prayer to Heavenly Father and he answered it through what you shared in your emails.  I loved hearing about your experiences from Stake Conference.  I can't think of a greater blessing for me than to know Heavenly Father gave you those special experiences.  Thank you for sharing with me.  I know the gospel is true and literally Heavenly Father answers prayers. My prayers. 

Until next week...I love you all!

Elder Donaldson