New Daily Schedule and Missionary Moments!

Well this week was alright!  We had a meeting and Elder Oaks announced they are changing the missionary daily schedule.   P-Day is 2 hours longer and study time is 2 hours shorter.  We might be able to stay out until 10 or 11pm and get up at 7:30am.  We are still waiting for direction from President, but I love the new schedule!

P-Day with my missionary pals.  My new Mandals--they are not the Adidas 3G superstars but I tried!

A member of our branch who had some bad health and couldn't attend church died this week.  My job at the funeral was to lead the music.  We sang, "God Be With You Til We Meet Again".  I thought about you and the family.  I imagine that's how God feels about us.  He wants us to return more than anything.


This week was interesting.  I wrote down some of my experiences in the hand written letter, but no none of the investigators made it to church again.  But I have seen people literally change parts of their lives and receive happier families when they read the Book of Mormon.  Having people attend church here is very hard, because there are so many churches here and most of them are just businesses. People ask us how much money to bring for tithing when we invite them to church. That makes it difficult to teach the law of tithing.  We keep trying every day.

I had another special experience this week during personal study.   I had read a conference talk on preparing for the sacrament.  I was pondering on what I read and felt impressed to repent, confess to the Lord little things I had felt badly about and ask for forgiveness.  I felt some overwhelming love surround me.  I can't properly describe the peace and then the love and appreciation I had for my Savior.  The rest of the week I found a new excitement to share about the great gift of repentance!   I feel very blessed.   

How different is the house without me? I imagine you guys have had time to adjust by now, more quiet?  Thank you for putting together a flash drive.  That will be so helpful.  Could you email me pictures of the shark too so I  can show it to my missionary friends as well.  We don't  have Ipads or anything like that here.  The missionaries get robbed pretty regularly so we don't carry hardly anything with us when we walk around, usually no more than a dollar in cash.   It's usually teens with screw-drivers looking for goods.  Amick got his watch stolen and some other stuff.

There are actually a lot of American restaurants here in Ibague like Subway, McDonald, Dominos, and a bunch that are franchises here in Colombia. but the Dominos pizza is pretty good.  There are other pizzas that I won't eat.

Subway lunch on P-Day

Some funny experiences this week:  One day I was fasting on my own, my comp was not.  We went to visit a lady who brought out some nasty drink.  My comp didn't want to be rude so we didn't tell the lady I was fasting.  He had to drink both of them for us!!!

Another guy we contacted really liked me so he invited me to accompany him to the "ladies of the night".  Um.....not :0!!

After lunch one day this week we got invited to go to another lunch.  Lunches here are HUGE so I was already stuffed.  When we arrived they had steak and empinadas.  I'm pretty sure I gained 10 lbs that day!

A Catholic Church in Ibague

Elder Amick has become my best friend out here in the mission.  I truly am very blessed to be able to be in the same district as him for my whole training. We have had so many funny and long days together, but transfers are this week so we will see what happens. Thanks for sending the package with the pickle ball racquets. I need to practice so Dad can't beat me when I get back... anyways.  I'm working hard and am grateful for this time to be a missionary, "it is but a small moment."  
That's all ....  til next week.  I love you all.

Elder Donaldson