June 27, 2011

I waited all day for him to write….He was very late today….

No package...... I don’t know when I will get it. They didn’t bring any packages because they didn’t go to Cali. We had a good meeting and the zone is improving but we are not having enough baptisms. The baptisms were great. Luz marina asked me to baptize her, She was the first person I taught here in Chinchina. Also Cielo, she understands a lot more then Luz marina and has a powerful testimony. We worked really hard so she would have a lot of friends in the ward. In this moment she is a part of the happy LDS family. The primary kids here, there are a lot of them. Every fast Sunday is a line of little kids bearing their testimony just like you would hear in the ward back home. 

I am writing late today. We were very busy today. We put together a get together with our converts and members to really help them enter the ward. It was awesome. We were in the street all day. They danced, we played soccer in the street, dodge ball, and many other games. While this was all happening we had a fire in the street with delicious Colombian food cooking. I am so sun burned!! It was probably the best p day I have had on my mission. We have some great photos but my other memory card is in the house so I can’t send pictures of that. 

This week was the big farewell of President Bolivar. Yes, it was sad to say goodbye. He is a man filled with love for Christ. HE is filled with the spirit. I hope someday I can be like him. I can also say that I am so excited for President Prince. It will be the bomb!!! Gringo president big baby! 

More news, the other two elders are getting transferred tomorrow. Things were not going well in the other part of Chinchina. We will take over the area and will be working here with just us two. I am really loving working with my companion but we need to stay on target.

love you

 If I wasn’t a missionary, I would be home with you. I think this is so funny!!!

June 20, 2011

Mother,

No package yet we will see today. I want to answer all your questions but I have limited time because we are leaving for Manizales.
What a great week it was. We had lots of people in church today. We are working in a different way now. We got sick of doing the same old thing and we saw miracles because of it. The way to do it is one by one. The same way that one by one the people came unto Christ to feel his hands and feet. We have two baptisms Saturday with Cielo and Luz marina. I feel a deep connection with them because we have been through it all and we are arriving at this beautiful day. I am so grateful for this short time I have to work in the Lords vineyard.
On a different note this week was the finals for Colombian soccer. It was so awesome!!!!! I loved it. The jersey I sent home to Sawyer is the team that won it all. It is my favorite team. I have never seen so much passion for winning the championship. The city went absolutely insane. There was a parade of motorcycles and cars of thousands completely dressed in green. They were throwing sand everywhere and fireworks all night. But here their version of fireworks is just a bomb. I saw flairs and it was so cool the only thing that wasn’t fun is having to go to the house and miss all the party hahahaha. I wanted to put my Nacional jersey on and join the parade!! It was a cool experience.

I love you all!!! Love Elder Belnap

 

June 13, 2011

Pictures: My friend Geraldo on his birthday and us cleaning the chapel

Hello hello,

I have not gotten a package. I will see the zone leaders in a week so maybe they have it. We had a good experience with Carlos and there is still light. I think he will be okay because of the faith that you have had and the fasting and prayers we have done as a companionship. We meet as a district every week here in Chinchina it’s only us four missionaries so nothing too special and about once a month with the whole zone. The main religion is catholic. Everyone is catholic. But, that generally means that they were baptized but don’t do anything. There is also a pretty strong Jehovah Witness branch and some other church I can’t remember what it is called. The president of the branch left. He moved to Chile to work so we will see who will be the new president. We do have a lot more help here then we had in Medellin. We have been taking all kinds of people to lessons with us and we are seeing the miracles here.

There is really only one thing that I want to write about. It is our friend Geraldo. He is an old man of 83 years. He was baptized two years ago and loves the missionaries. We were with him every day. He lived alone and was always looking out the window waiting for us. He loved to be with us and we loved to be with him. He came with us to an appointment on Thursday night and we took him to his house at 9:30. He had a doctor’s appointment the next morning. He woke up at 4 in the morning by himself and dressed and was leaving the house. It was dark and he walked the wrong way and fell down a flight of cement stairs. They took him to the hospital and we found out that he was there at about 1 o clock on Friday afternoon. We ran to the hospital. He was unconscious and alone in the hospital bed. They wouldn’t let both of us in so I went by myself.  It was so difficult to see my old friend lying there. They told me I had two minutes I took out my oil and gave him a blessing by myself. At first I was crying however after a few seconds I felt so much peace. Like it all was going to be okay. The doctors were looking at me like what are you doing?  It was such a powerful experience. Geraldo died yesterday morning. It is so hard and we have cried, laughed, and cried some more. I will miss Geraldo. I will never forget him. He wrote in his journal the night before he died about the missionaries. He really loved us. Today is the funeral it will be very interesting to see how they do it here in Colombia. We will be going in to the Catholic Church for mass. He was the only member in his family so they will be doing the catholic traditions. I will work harder for Geraldo. I love you all so much. Love elder belnap.

Mom I know you are sad you got released, I am too.

The picture is great of you and the new president!!!

 

pictures

June 7, 2011

No package yet mom. I am getting my dear elders and always the letters from the family and from Jackee. The temp is really nice. But, it has been raining a lot lately but that is okay. There are a few areas where we can´t go into at night and we try to avoid for the day time. But everyone knows who we are here in Chinchina well they know we are some guys that have something to do with God so they don’t bother us really. We had transfers and I am happy to be staying here in Chinchina with my companion Elder Mamani. We are getting along great. That is the truth also. (These are the answers to my questions)

So before we run out of time we had a great baptism on Friday. Marcela, she is 16 and very powerful. Her mom will be baptized on the 24th of this month. The scary part of the baptism was the confirmation. Because, she had to go to the hospital to help her grandma so she didn´t know if she could make it to sacrament. She showed up right after the opening hymn. She was confirmed. It was so great. I felt so relieved. I also bore my testimony mom. I felt impressed to bear it in English first. I simply testified that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God and the Redeemer of all mankind. It was great. I then finished in Spanish. The spirit was felt this Sunday and I pray that we can work even harder this week.

I love you all Elder Belnap.

I know you will be okay honey in Kentucky. I love you so much