Let it Go and Parenting Tactics

Sounds like Natalie has not been feeling too good. But I guess everyone has to get sick every once in a while. It might surprise you that even I, with my prime immune system, get a little explosive in the digestive system (at both ends as a matter of fact). So let me offer a few words of wisdom. For example, just a few week ago, I don't know what it was that I ate, but it didn't agree well with my stomach and I had such bad diarrhea. Then the next day we ate lunch, and I could barely eat anything and then we were walking and there were a grandma and a little girl behind us and then I just stopped and threw it all up. It come out my nose and mouth. I am pretty sure it grossed them it, but the lesson to be learned is just let it out. Like that once-so popular song from Frozen...Let it Go.

Parenting Tactics 101. Justin should be reaching the age of general teenager sassyness and cranky. Let me offer some techniques that my investigators use on their children to deal with such problems. For example, the father gave his son 10 bolivianos to go buy food needed for the lunch. The son returns home with the wrong amount of change and does not want to tell the truth about what happened to the money. So to encourage him to tell the truth, he chained him to the tree (by the foot). But he permitted him a chair and desk with a notebook so he would not get bored. Freedom comes when he tells the truth.

Our sly investigator made it to church. This week we didn't make the same mistake of thinking he would get there on his motorbike. This time we showed up, waited for him to shower, change, get ready, walk with him to the street, flag down the taxi, ride with them in the taxi, pay for the taxi, walk in the church with him. No room for error this time. He had a great experience at church.

Glad to hear the package is on the way, my companion was getting very worried. 

Greyson is going to Texas huh...at least it will feel somewhat at home with the same food and culture and luxuries of the United States.

Here are some photos, some people in the ward, something that I forgot, and some service in action.

Elder Gilbert

Investigator

Well, with all the changes in the mission, no one in our ward got changed. Which means I am in the same area, with the same companion. I am guessing that I will be here for the next transfer too (until April).

Church is always a hoot. We have that one investigator that couldnt come for the past 3 months for various reasons (the rain for when it didnt actually rain, not having anything nice to wear, milking his car.) So this Sunday we call him at 7.30 in the morning, go to his house and he is all ready with his hair combed, dress pants, polo, and all and we even waited for him until he and his wife were on the motorbike ready to go. Then in church his wife walks in but he doesnt and it turns out that as our investigator went to kick start the motobike his shoe broke and so he couldn't come. So close...

A member has been accompanying us to visit a less active lady in the ward and so the member out of the goodness of his heart goes to pick her up on Sunday. The thing is that the less active lady lives with her sister who isn't a member and goes to a different church. So when the member went to pick her up, he mistaken her for her sister and was like "okay it is time to go to church, get in the car." I am pretty sure he freaked her out.

We are starting into the rainy season these days. The other day it rained for 10 minutes, but the rain drops are the size of something big and it did the same amount of damage as if it were to rain all day in Brigham City.

As far as the phamphlet goes, I just the need the stories, dates, and a small picture. Nothing to stress too much about. And also throw in some candy like red licorce. It is strange the things you start craving when you dont have it. I am always disturbed by the fact that there is not even a McDonalds here.

The USB on this computer doesnt work either, so I still cant send photos.

Carry On, have fun, do something funny.

Until next week,

Elder Gilbert

Mission Changes, Cats and the DMV

Sounds like Spencer and Taylor are doing great. It will be interesting to see what they decide to do these days without me to play Pokemon with them (what they'll study and where they'll go)

This Tuesday is transfers. Lots of changes are coming to the mission. First of all there are no new missionaries coming this transfer and a lot leaving and so they will be closing areas (leaving 246 remaining). But the next 3 transfers there will be 28-30 more every transfer. The goal for the mission this year is 2037 people active in the church (which means we have baptize or reactivate this number). The last years goal was 1450 and we got 1433. So we have to work super hard this year. There are also rumors of La Paz North mission making a total of 5 missions in Bolivia.

I loved hearing the story of how Stephanie handled the cat. Here in Bolivia, people have the same tender love. The family I eat lunch with has a kitten. First they only pick it up by the neck. And when it gets in the way they pick it up like a ball and throw at the couch or in the tree. They also let it hang off the edge of the table and then pull its tail to see how long it can hang on. The funniest one is when the boy grabbed it by the back two legs and the two front legs and then rattled it around like a machine gun and it really did sound like one too. Pets here are very dispensable.

I also spent some time in Migrations this week. From 5 o clock in the morning to 3 in the afternoon. It is like DMV on crack. You have to take a number then wait in line. It didn't really help that they closed down for 2 hours for lunch. Oh how the Bolivians love their lunch.

The USB hole doesn't work, so I can't send pictures

I also need a photo of everyone because it sounds like they are changing. (Stephanie's hair falling out)

The work moves along as regular.

Continue On y seguir adelante

Elder Gilbert 

Happy New Year

Sounds like the regular old hoot back home. Natalie having sleigh rides in the so called snow., The relatives getting together to chat, scooter getting ever so fatter and older,  the groan of now having to go back to work.

It weird that Spencer n Taylor are home already. Don't be so easily impressed with their stories--you ain't heard nothing yet. I don't understand why Taylor's mission has cars but did not have cell phones. And for people sleeping in their cars, a couple weeks ago we went to collect a member to go to church (it is hard to type because 3 of my keys are missing the backspace enter and shift.)   and we found him sleeping in his truck. It took a while to get him up but he went to church.

You can also tell Spencer and Taylor that I have a new cousin here in Bolivia. It is really just a random guy that every time we walk past his house he starts shouting at me  Hey Cousin, how are you, igualitos (iquals), face to face.  And then on new years day he rip open his window and shouts happy news year, have a good year.

The barbecues that we have are called churassco. It is usually meat of chicken and or cow.  We had another one yesterday because are person that cooks our food, her soon got his mission call to Ecuador.

Yes Hermano Peredo and his associates got out of jail and now have a stronger testimony of spirit prison than ever before. The whole thing was a lie.

Here are some photos. One of the conference that we just had, a candid shot of how it looks it the mission, and a Christmas photo.