Angels, Buffets and Big Macs...It's Christmas Time!

So first it was the Mission Christmas Party this week in Bogota.  The hotel we stayed in for 2 nights was amazing, we were so blessed to be in the hotel! It was by far one of the nicest hotels I've ever stayed in.  It was like a Five Star Marriott on the mission!  Go figure?  I had my own queen size bed.  I got to take a hot bath. I don't know why we were so blessed, but I like to think it was because we had the most prayers, so thank you for praying for us.  :)

At the hotel we got a buffet breakfast.  For dinner I had steak one night and the next night I had sandwich and fries.    And in Bogota the weather is always perfect.  It's not a million degrees like Ibague. 

After waking up in the celestial kingdom and filling my belly with delicious hotel breakfast that almost tasted like American food, we went to the temple. That was awesome. I love going there.  It's such a privilege we take advantage of in Utah.

After the temple, my comp and I visited his old area in Bogota, Soacha.  This is the same place where elder Amick was staying while we were here for the party.

Elder Amick, my pal,  had to stay in the poor part of Bogota an hour away from the activities, so he told me the first morning he didn't get breakfast, he had to sleep on the floor, and he had to wake up at 5am to get to Bogota and ride the transmilenio. I'll explain the transmilenio in a moment. Basically all the elders had conditions like these except me and my comp.

Again, a marvelous Christmas blessing.  I don't why, it's not like we deserved it....but oh how we enjoyed it.  :)

We took the transmilenio out to Soacha.  The transmileno is like a bus train.   It has two or three carts and its own lane in the road.  They pack it as full as it can get.  It's literally hard to breathe and the road is super bumpy so its kind of like wake-boarding.  Hang on and bounce around!!   Everyone is standing up so they can fit more people.   I cannot properly describe how crammed these buses are.  Anyways we were on that for an hour to Soacha.
 

For lunch that day we found a McDonalds and I had two Big Mac meals.  It cost me about ten bucks in American dollars for both (combos), and I consider that my Christmas dinner because it was soooo goood.

In Soacha my comp showed me where he got robbed at gunpoint, and then we visited some of his member friends and investigadores.  Then we went back to the hotel for the night.

Angel Story
On the way back to the hotel, in the transmilenio, there was a man crying uncontrollably.  I asked him if he was OK.  He told me he was a doctor.  He then explained more in excessive detail about some terrible things he sees as a doctor everyday and how much pain he has in his heart for the people here. I felt for him very much.  I shared with him a little about the gospel and the atonement and gave him a card with the Christmas video.   He told me I was his angel and thanked me.  It was a neat experience.

I met lots of missionaries at the party and I realized how blessed I was to have my comp, and Elder Amick and Elder Vianna in my district.  Most of the elders here are from Peru, Brazil or other South American countries and then about 50 of us from America.  There are no American sisters though, only Latinas.

Back in Ibaque
We came back to Ibague after two nights and days in Bogota and got home around 11:30pm. Friday we did a lot of contacting. My comp and I don't have a lot of chemistry contacting. I don't mean that badly, it's just that he likes to walk fast.  I don't because I don't like to sweat.  Just some little differences like that, but usually we get along good.

We taught four lessons that day, but no one showed up to church. Trying to fill out forms, remember names, and needs of people in Spanish is especially tough.  Although, my Spanish is improving very fast. I can understand most things and express myself--though usually not with proper grammar. It helps that my comp doesn't speak English so we are always talking in Spanish.

As far as mission budget its not too hard for me.  I save a lot of money because I know how to cook!  We can save money each week and spend it on food later so I'm saving up to get a good birthday meal.

We met an interesting man named J. this week.  He told us he used to live on the street. There are a lot of people who live on the street here because they get addicted to drugs and then they just use all their money on that.  They go through people's trash for food.  I try to give them cinnamon rolls whenever I get the chance, but it breaks my heart seeing kids my age looking through people's garbage for food. J. though is trying to change his life.  He lives with his mom now.  He agreed to start reading the book of Mormon, and I have a good feeling about him.

Funny Stories for the week:

Elder Amick and I tried to make some BBQ Sandwiches but the meat here is too chewy so it was literally impossible to eat.

Everyone thinks I'm related to Donald Trump (who they can't stand) because of my last name.   

In Soacha, a lady brought out  a cheese and jam sandwich.  It had no bread---just blocks of cheese with jam in the middle.  You can imagine how that went with me.

A guy started yelling at us in the street and then gave us some weird blessing or prayer to free us from demons or something.  I don't know what he was speaking, not Spanish. It was very weird.

Anyways, blessed and happy.  It was fun week.  I love the gospel.

And I love you all,

Elder Donaldson