Opening New Area & New Greenie - Elder Quispe from Peru!

April 14, 2014

SOO This week has been pretty crazy! Last monday I was bugging some of the zone leaders for information about my transfer, but they didn`t budge! However, one told me that it would be something that I wasn`t expecting. 

Monday night I got a call that I wasn`t expecting. The zone leaders told me that I was going to train again and I will be opening an area in Santa Marta!  I had to wash all of my clothes and pack everything that night. I ended up going to bed at about 12 30 and had to wake up at 6 to get to the bus terminal on time! 

Rebel Roadblock

When we left Cartagena, literally not even 5 minutes on the road, we ran into a little rebel roadblock. People put  branches, boards and a bunch of stuff in the street and no one could get through, so we took a very long side way cutting through Cartagena. And in that process another car hit us so we had to wait even longer. In the end we finally made it to Barranquilla in one piece, but very late. 

Me & My New Companion Elder Quispe

We had a capacitation from the president and the assistants and then received our new missionaries. My new comp is Elder Quispe from Peru. He`s 20 years old and new in the mission. He`s a really good guy, but a little shy. 

Elder Figueroa and Elder Contreras, elder contreras is the short one

After we finished that meeting we had to wait another 2 hours for our van to arrive at the church to take us to Santa Marta. We got to our house at about 9 30 to find out that the water pump didn`t work so we had to fish out the water from an underground tank with buckets (a little like how we filled up the baptismal font of Luisel.) 

My new area is called Pando 1 and it`s a branch of about 70 to 80 people. The temperature is a lot cooler here than in Cartagena. We`ve been working really hard to get to know the area. I`m stressing a little bit because my comp really doesn`t know what to do because it`s a different culture, money system than Peru.  Also, where he lives, in Lima, it`s not hot, so that`s been rough on him. But everything is going good, I just need to get to know the area and not lose myself. 

Familia Montero, we had a family night with them.

We live with another 2 elders; Elder Figueroa from Chile and Elder Contreras from Ecuador. This Wednesday we`re going to have a conference with Elder Wadell, an area 70, so for sure for sure I`ll be getting my birthday package this week!!! 

Call me Jared.

That`s it for this week. Happy where I`m am. Ready to DO WORK. I love this new area & I'm excited.  Oh, the new missionaries have a book "The First 12 Weeks" and I don`t like it because it`s counting down my last 12 weeks. 

Love you all! Abrazos y besos!!