Elder Wadley's First Week in the Mission Field: Mogambo, Monteria, Colombia

In Sunday school this past week, we talked about the bible story in Matthew (and John) when Jesus fed 5,000 people with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. Once the Savior blessed the limited bread and fish, and broke it up to pass out to the crowd that had gathered to be in His presence, they ate until they were filled, with 12 baskets left over.

For some reason the "until they were filled" part stood out to me. The Lord didn't just give them a bite or two to tide them over until they got home. They ate until they were filled. Maybe this hit me weird because I am dieting (stupid Cadbury Mini-Egg CRACK!)- but the Savior filled them. He was thoughtful enough to think about them being hungry, and made sure they were all taken care of, according to their needs.

The Savior is always aware of us. I think when we are hungry for whatever it is we need- He fills us.

This was Jayden's first week out in the mission field. I was excited to see how things went for him, away from the schedule of the CCM, and out on his own. His first area, as luck would have it, is the worst one in the mission! But his attitude is awesome, his companion is wonderful, and he is perfectly happy. He is filled.
He sent me 15 pictures! 15!
I am filled.
It is a good missionary week at the Wadley house.

Well first off hi how are ya? So i have a lot to tell you, i want to start with my comp in the MTC. Practically everything he had was old and beat up. The worst were his scriptures, they were falling apart and had like DI stickers on them i swear. So i devised a plan and me and Elder Velasquez bought him a brand new pair of scriptures from the distribution center. We gave him the scriptures on like our second to last day at the CCM, he teared up a little and gave us big hugs and mumbled a couple things in spanish that i didnt understand, but i hope were good:) We each wrote a little bit of stuff in the scriptures in spanish as well.

So the group to Medellin left at 2:30 in the morning and my room didnt go to bed until 12:00pm. We got to the airport and i was the only one without a ticket haha go figure. They got it all sorted out though and i made the flight just fine, but the checked my "carry on" and it had my camera in it so i dont have any pictures of the Airport. We got to our gate and it was on ground level and i thought it was kind of weird. We got on a bus and it took us to the plane, which was a small prop plane, it was pretty cool. I slept the whole flight. We got to Medellin and the President, his wife, and the assistants to the president were there waiting and helping us. Our President is way shorter than i had expected. They picked us up and we went to the mission office and had meetings with the President and his wife. They are some of the nicest people ever! After all the meetings we went to a spot and looked out over the whole city and Medellin is so much prettier than Bogota! We then drove by bus out to a church like an hour away.

When we got there they gave us a little orientation and set us up with our new comps! Yes, mine is Elder Bigelow. He is sooo awesome! I love him to death. He has been in the field for a little over nine months and his spanish is awesome! He is from Alaska, but he lived in Lehi for a year haha we went to Willowcreek together! We dont remember each other from then though, Crazy though right! 

We got set up with our new comps and they fed us, then we walked to this "hotel" a little ways away, and all the missionaries slept there and it was so hot but super cool! We all just kinda chilled and talked. In the morning we went to the bus station and got on a bus for ten hours until we got to my area. The countryside was so pretty! It honestly didnt feel like that long of a bus ride.

MY AREA! So they sent me to the coast for my first area, Mogambo, Monteria. It is the hottest place in the whole mission. From what i have heard it is the worst also. It is super fun though! I love it here! The people are so freaking nice and the food is amazing! MY area is like shack and concrete houses with dirt roads and poo canals. Basically all the liquids from the houses flow into poo canals in front of the houses and then into bigger ones later on. They smell so gross and the water is like straight black! On the bright side most everything is pretty cheap here. Milk, peanut butter, ice cream,pizza, and stuff imported from the states is expensive. So practically none of the houses here have AC it is all fans. I sleep with fans ( and a mosquito net). On average it is 35 degrees C and 70+% humidity, just to give you a general idea.Oh and there are girls down here where if the want to "do things" with you they will like hiss at you kind of like a snake haha we are going to try and teach one the law of chastity haha! A lot of the girls here dont shave their legs or armpits and it is super nasty.Other than that though i pretty much love everything about this place!

We bought some native hats here ha and they are so rad! Our mission you are allowed to where hats and glasses. Which reminds me in my jeep there were two pairs of sunglasses in it, a black pair with mirrored lenses, and another blue Neff pair. Will you send them to me?The ones here suck! 

Anyway i think that is all for now, I will send some pictures as well! Love you and miss you tons!

Your missionary

 Elder Wadley

Last day at the CCM

His District at the CCM

Last view of Bogota

Traveling to his area

Overlooking his area: Mogambo, Monteria, Colombia

His apartment

His bathroom, which is a toilet/shower combo?

His kitchen- who washed those dishes? Not Jayden.

His bed with a mosquito net.

I am assuming this is the clothes washing area.

Elder Wadley and Elder Bigelow.

Pertinent graffiti.

Some of the infamous "poo canals." And Elder Bigelow photobomb.

Elder Wadley on a bridge over a poo canal.