Transferred to the Mountains of Manizales

Elder Wadley was sad to leave his last area but it sounds like this week he is super excited about his new area. I swear, I have never seen so many "!'s" in one email. And I got seven pictures! So it was a good week for me too.

Here is this week's email:

Well i think it is cool you finally had an interesting week! I had a pretty interesting week as well! Kinda funny how we both have good and bad weeks at the same time!

Well anyway like i said we got the transfers last Sunday and i am in Manizales now and it is way different than my last area! Montería was flat and really hot, and here is colder and has a lot of hills. Some of these hills are big and really steep!

So hopefully i will have really big legs and a nice toned butt when i get back hahaha!

So this last Monday was my last Pday in Montería and it was pretty sick! We got up in the morning and sent Elder Gabbitas off to Medellin because he is finishing the mission. When we got back we did all the regular Pday suff like wash the clothes and clean the house, all the good boring stuff. Our good buddy Elder Aust wanted to buy a machete so we went to centro because i know a place that sells them. While we were walking along the primera there were a bunch of monkeys and we bought a banana and fed some monkeys haha! There was this little baby one that was super chill and we could pet it and everything. 

On Tuesday we had to get up early and we took a bus to Medellin. When we have transfers everybody takes a bus to Medellin and stays in the "Casa Hotel" and then takes another bus the next day to your area. So thats what we did, it was like a 10 hour bus ride haha! We got to the Casa Hotel and just chilled there for awhile. They have a bunch of free food there that we can just chow down on. In the night i went with Elder Gabbitas to a families house just to visit. They are awesome people and everybody outside of the coast speaks so clearly haha! 

The next day we took another little bus to Manizales and when i got here i actually felt a little cold it was absolutely amazing haha! I slept really cold that night and the weather has been awesome! I use blankets, pajama pants, my slippers, basically everything i couldn't use on the coast haha! 

Oh my comp is really cool also! His name is Elder Pacaya! He is from Perú. When we got the cambios i was super excited for them! New area with a Latino comp oh man i could hardly wait! The second day in my comp said the same thing, that he was super excited as well. So far it has been really good! 

The area is pretty cool! We are up in the mountains and like i said it gets decently cold sometimes! The people are a little harder to teach and everything here but it is still really cool! My area is straight hills and some of them are monsters! Its cool though i really enjoy it! Oh and we are in a district here not a ward so its a little different. Everybody is pretty nice though which is great! Our area is a little bigger than my last area though but i love it! 

I think thats about it for my weekly update though. Everything has been good, my comp is a great guy and everything is rolling just fine!

Questions!

1-(what has been your biggest challenge this week?)My biggest challenge this week has been getting used to/learning a new area

2-(have you seen any miracles or tender mercies this week?)Definitely getting along with my comp, usually it takes a little bit to get used to someone new

3-(what are you looking forward to?)Improving my Spanish for sure!

4-(what are the biggest changes with this transfer? In what ways will it be better and in what ways is it worse?)Challenges..... hauling around all my luggage for awhile was a pain haha! Better- cooler temp Worse-hills haha!

Overall i am super excited! I hope you guys have a fantastic week! I love you all! XOXOX

Elder Wadley

Elder Wadley feeding a monkey some banana.

A baby monkey.

I love seeing his round cheeks, because he is smiling so hard.

A city view of his new area: Manizales

More of Manizales, Colombia

Some streets in Manizales. I love the colored houses!

Elder Wadley's last day in Mogambo, before his transfer. With Elder Aust and Elder Guerra.

A Wedding, A Subsequent Baptism, and a BIG FAT RAT.

When Jayden first left for Colombia, part of my "missing" him was worry. I worried that he would be lonely- off on his own, in a foreign country, not fully able to speak the language, and no one to talk to. I pictured him crying himself to sleep into his pillow. Why? Because MOMS ARE FREAKS! Most of our worry comes largely from made-up scenarios in our head that (thankfully) never even happen. But, I was/am so relieved to see him adjust, and even thrive. I am also grateful that his first two companions were gringos. While he was struggling to learn the language, he had two good-natured American boys to help him along. I will always be grateful to Elder Bigelow and Elder Anderson for their patience with my boy.
Elder Wadley's first transfer happens this week.

"I am going to Manizales!

Apparently it is at the other end of the mission:) And colder:):)"

He is also getting a Latin companion, and he is excited about it. He is excited about it because it will help him improve his Spanish. I am constantly amazed by his attitude.
Here is his e-mail this week:

Its good to hear that life is still boring as poo back home!

Hey i have good news! We had a decently eventful week and i got a lot of pictures!! 

So first off we had a zone meeting this last week so everybody was at our house and thats always a good time! And to make you happy one of the Elders in the zone saw the picture that you gave me ( the black and white one that was in your letter) and he thought you were my sister! Just in case you thought you were old;) 

Oh so on Wednesday we had our regular Noche de Cine and the bishop put on Avengers 2, but it was too long and we are not really supposed to watch movies like that here so we had our own missionary movie night. We set up a little DVD player and watched a church movie it was pretty fun!

Thursday my comp got pretty sick and was basically dying, he is fine now. We had Sixto's wedding on Thursday! It was pretty weird but really cool at the same time! We went to a government building and talked to a lady for awhile and they got married. The members then made a little reception thing at the church after they got done and it was really cool! 

Friday we went and got Sixto's baptism paper filled out and he was in his backyard plucking dead chickens it was pretty cool! Oh and just for you ha there has been a big ol rat that has been chilling in our shower lately. We put up mosquito netting in these holes in the bathroom and he just chills in the netting.

Saturday we had our baptism! Sixto got baptized! The whole meeting and everything was terrible but all is good now and he is a member! And on Sunday Elder Gabbitas left for Medellin for his last week with the president and everything! He finished the mission. So all the members were taking pictures and saying their goodbyes, kinda sad but it was cool at the same time.

So we got all our cambios yesterday and on Tuesday i am going to a different area with my first Latino comp! I am pretty excited! I hope that my Spanish can improve a lot this next transfer! 

Anyways thats about my week!:)

1- (Did you find out any contact information for Elder Welling's mom? Welling? (The airport kid) I have talked to welling a couple times, if you want i can get his moms info.

2- (Any miracles this week?) The marriage, we had to do a lot of crap for this marriage haha! Also there was other crap that went down before it.

3- (I am assuming you got transferred. Boy. That's a lot of change. I would like to hear all about that. About the area and your comp and your new apartment. All of that!) yes

4- (Do you feel confident with your Spanish yet?) Decently confident, this transfer will be good and hard.

5- (Chile had a huge earthquake this past week. Did you guys get affected? Hollie had to prepare for evacuation from the tsunami following it. :/ It never hit Hawaii. I think cause Nate is there. Lol.) No we all good!

6- (Have you had any issues with bugs there? Bed bugs or anything?)No not really:)

7- (Are the kids there cute? Do they wear uniforms to school?) They are just normal looking kids just really tan. They all wear uniforms to school.

8- (Have you seen any cool cemeteries?) Just the one we went to awhile ago.

Anyways i hope you have a fantastic week! I love you guys and i will talk to you later! XOXO

Elder Wadley

Sixto's Baptism!

Sixto and his wife and son, Wedding Day

The ward Wedding reception for Sixto and his family.

The day before his baptism, Sixto out plucking chickens.

Dead chicken. Oh Jayden. :/

His most disgusting photo yet. The RAT that hangs out in their shower. I would be out the door and on a flight home w/o even stopping to write a note.

"Satan is a Butthole." -Elder Wadley

Elder Wadley's email this week just may be my favorite one yet!
I am not even going to preface it with any of my own thoughts.
You're welcome.
Okay, maybe one.
I am truly amazed by how much my boy has matured and grown spiritually in the past (almost seven) months. He truly loves the people he is serving. He thinks of them more than himself. He trusts in his Heavenly Father, and he can see His hand in the work he is assisting Him in.
It makes my heart happy.
Elder Wadley's e-mail:

Well no worries about having a boring week because nothing really interesting happened this week either just another normal week!

The weeks go so fast here i swear i blink and it is Sunday already and i haven't taken any pictures or anything. This week has been really normal we have just been teaching,walking, and sweating. We have been having some really good lessons lately and trying to get people to baptism. The hard thing is that it is so freaking hot here nobody wants to walk to church. It makes it hard but its fun work at the same time!

Oh so this last Pday we went to McDonalds because Coke is doing a 2x1 promotion so we basically got a bunch of free crap. It was so great! I really don't have a whole lot to say this week,sorry.

One thing i do want to say though is that Satan works hard when you are making the right decisions. We have a couple we have been visiting forever because they needed to get married and all that good stuff before the husband could get baptized. Well their marriage is this week and his baptism as well and it has been really rough this last week. Satan knows that they are making choices that will eventually bring them back to their Heavenly Father and he is working double time to make sure this doesn't happen. Satan is a butthole. Always keep your focus on the things of the Lord no matter what happens!

Really thats all that happened this week, it has been super normal around here as well as back home i guess! Everything is going really good here though! We are good with all the members and the people we are working with- things are going good! Transfers are coming up on like the 20th and i am actually really sad because i think i am going to get transferred which sucks because i love the people here. Although it would be sweet to go somewhere a little less hot ;)

Now to answer your questions..

1.(Any hot girls writing you?) Nobody really :(

2.(Does Colombia celebrate Halloween? Dad said Ecuador did Dia de Los muertes? I know they do Christmas. What other holidays?)Yes they celebrate Halloween:) They have their valentines day going on right now which is a little weird.

3.(Any weird food this week?)Nothing super weird this week

4.(Any dead things?) I haven't seen any dead things for awhile...sorry

5.(Any miracles?)  Lately i have been able to see a lot of changes in people that we have been teaching. For example, we started teaching this one family and at first they wanted us to pass by maybe once a week and they were just kinda iffy (if that is a word). Now they want us to come over like every other day and they come to church and are not really shy or awkward with us. It has been cool to see really the change that this church can bring.

I think that is all for this week! I love you guys!! Have a less boring week!!

XOXOXXO

Elder Wadley

"Here is me and Anderson sitting...."

Elder Wadley and his first Baptism!

Elder Wadley and his companion Elder Anderson had their first baptisms this past Saturday! Jayden assisted a couple of months ago with a baptism when he was a companion to Elder Bigelow. This past Saturday was his real first. Beatriz, and her sister Gissell. Elder Wadley and Elder Anderson found them, taught them, and baptized them. Jayden baptized Gissell.

Every week I ask Elder Wadley if he has witnessed any miracles.
Little does he know-
HE is the miracle.

This is Jayden one year ago. He has always been a good kid- but to witness the changes in him since he has been called as a missionary has been a miracle. To see him become fluent in a foreign language in six short months has been a miracle. To know that he is washing his own clothes-IN A BUCKET- is a miracle. He is eating rice and hamburgers- MIRACLE.
It is strange to think that the Lord chooses these very young and inexperienced kids to go out into the world to preach and introduce His gospel to His children.
But, I am figuring out that these kids are perfect. They are teachable. They are humble. They have to rely on the Lord for everything- for language barriers, for cultural differences, and because they are out on their own often for the first time, ever.

“When we are on the Lord’s errand, we are entitled to the Lord’s help. Remember that whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies.” -President Thomas S. Monson

Doctrine and Covenants 84:88  "And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."

Six months into his two year mission, I am seeing the changes the Lord is making in him. He is truly putting the people of Colombia before himself. He loves them, because the Lord has allowed him to see them through His eyes. He is confident because he is doing the Lord's work- and we are never alone when we are on the Lord's errand.

Elder Wadley's email this week:

Well it is nice to see i am not the only one who has really normal, nothing really interesting weeks. But cool though i am glad you guys are all chillaxin and enjoying your time as a family:) Here has been about the same we had a couple really cool experiences this week but the rest of it was pretty normal:) This is how my week went.

Monday- We had a really fun Pday this last week. One of the asistentes of the president came down and gave a small little meeting, but since he did it in the morning it gave us permission to have the rest of the day to ourselves! Anderson and I managed to get all our laundry washed in the morning and so we had all day to do whatever we wanted basically. So we wrote home, went somewhere and ate, went to the mall, and at the end of the night we played soccer as a multizone activity. Guess who i saw?! Elder Welling! He got transferred out to the other zone and i got to talk to him this last week! He has lost a bunch of weight and is doing good! It was really good to see him!

Tuesday was normal it was teaching walking and sweating:)

Wednesday- Elder Rojas (Asistente) came down and we did intercambios with him and the zone leaders. They went with my comp in my area, it was kinda a lot of pressure on my comp but i think he did alright. I went with Gabbitas all day and it was fun we had a good time. Oh! We got our house fumigated so we don't have a ton of mosquito's in our house anymore which is super nice!! 

Thursday and Friday we did a poop ton of walking and were trying to find clothes and a bunch of crap like that it was honestly really boring and we were really tired by the end of it. We were still teaching and running to appointments also so overall it was tiring.

Saturday- We had baptisms! We baptized Gissell and Beatriz! My comp baptized Beatriz and i baptized Gissell! It was really cool it was both our first baptism that we got to do by ourselves. My tie and pants were a lot whiter than my shirt haha it looked kinda funny! Everything went good though! We had a lot of members show up and it was an amazing experience!! 

Sunday was normal we taught and walked. We went to go see how Gissell and Beatriz felt and all that good stuff! They are doing good and they are all happy and good!:)

I am sorry that my e mails every week progressively get shorter and shorter and that there is a HUGE lack of dead things lately. If you want to know anything about here just tell me and i will tell you whatever you want to know:)

(1- Have you tried any new food/fruit in Colombia? Elder Anderson's mom sent me a picture of you guys eating what looked like pinchos! Also another missionary mom said you guys have booger fruit there?) 1-New foods? I had carrot and lentil ( beans?) juice and surprisingly they tasted really good! I also ate cow stomach soup:) Booger fruit¡ All that i can thing of is mamones. I don't know if thats how you spell it but they are kinda boogery.

(2- Have you seen any miracles this week?) 2-Miracles, The baptism was probably the highlight of the week.

(3- Do you guys read newspapers or keep up on local news? What is the most dangerous thing there?)3-The local newspaper here isn't really the best to keep up on news sooo no..

(4- How is your health?) 4-Health is good!

(5- is there anything you miss from home or wish you had that I could maybe mail out for Christmas?)5-I miss you guys and American food. A Little Caesars pizza sounds awesome right now! Other than that though i am totally fine! No worries!:)

That is it for this week, sorry i am super boring!!

Love you! This email is really short.....

Elder Wadley

Puking Cats, Drunks, and Street Meat

This week was excellent timing for P-Day, it fell on my birthday and literally nothing is a better gift to a missionary mom than hearing from your missionary! I love my other kids too, don't get me wrong- you just miss the one that is out of the nest.
When Jayden left, I was walking through Deseret Book, and I was struck by this painting of chickens of all things.

The artist is Liz Lemon Swindle. It hit me on such a personal level. My first chick was escaping the reach of my big fat wings- and I didn't realize how hard that is to let this happen. But, we don't experience growth unless we leave our comfort zones. For as hard as it is- the joy of watching the growth is worth it. I am sure, on a much deeper level, this is what the Lord feels when He boots us into mortality.
I dropped the cash that day, and the painting came home with me. I don't normally impulse buy like that, but just look at the panicky desperation on the face of that chicken!
Mama chicken, you "get" me.
Here is Elder Wadley's email this week:

Hey!! Happy Birthday MOM!! I cant believe you turned 29 already that's crazy!!

It is good to hear that everyone is doing good and that you are all enjoying yourselves! It always makes me happy to hear that my family is doing good! 

It is weird to think that Colton and Bailey are back it seems like they didn't leave all that long ago!

Nothing really too weird happened this week.

Basically has been a normal week here just full of teaching and visiting people. There are a couple things that happened this week which have been good. Me and my comp have had some really good lessons lately, just back and forth perfect lessons. It was cool to see that we are able to switch off and have good lessons like that. 

One of the lessons we had this week was nuts haha! We were teaching a less active family and we were getting towards the end of the lesson when their cat started making really weird sounds. We all kinda stopped and looked at what the poop it was doing and then it puked everywhere! Like a huge pile of puke and it stunk super bad so we finished with a prayer and got the poop out of there! Other than that the week was normal we had a couple good days and a couple not so good days. 

The other Elders in Edmundo Lopez lost their phone so now they have our phone and it really sucks not being able to call people for stuff. Like this morning we couldn't call to have the person pick up our washing machines so we had to carry them down the street. Other than that the week has just been normal, hot and a little bit hotter. 

I have no idea really what else to say, sorry my emails are short. We are planning to have some baptisms hopefully pretty soon! 

The question and answer part:

1(1- Was it hard for you to give up your electronics and social media? How did you help yourself to do it? Do you miss it?)-Giving up electronics wasn't really that hard. There are some times where it would make some good Instagram moments but other than that it wasn't very hard.

2-(What kinds of things do you do on Sundays?) On Sundays we go to Ward Council and then church. Once we are done with church we go and visit people like any other day.

3- (Have you seen any miracles this week?) Miracles, Same as last week really that The Lord puts people in our path to teach. That and the fact that me and my comp are having good lessons together.

4-(How is your Spanish? Your health? (My usual questions! :) )) Getting better i think:) Its all good!

5- (How are your clothes/shoes holding up?) Well i got my package today! I got my Shoe Goo so these shoes will last until the end of the mish;)

6- (What have you been doing on P-Days?) Sweating:)

7- (Have you done any service? You said you offer and people don't take you serious. Sometimes you need to just force service on people! HA!) Still nothing i actually even tried forcing it on some people but nothing.

Anyways i think this is all i love you and i miss you!! Have a great week!!

XOXOX

Elder Wadley

Elder Anderson and Elder Wadley eating questionable looking "street meat" Photo stolen from Elder Anderson's mom.

Jayden and some fish. Oh my. I am missing his regular dead things photos. This is....ugh.

Jayden and "his favorite drunk."