Elder Wadley Gets a Pedicure

Here is the weekly update from Elder Wadley:

Well i will let you know i just got done getting a pedicure to get my ingrown toenail removed and my feet feel like a million dollars!

Gross. I'd rather have the dead animal pictures.

Anyways other than that this week has been super normal. We have been putting down goals this week so we can go and teach more and do some other stuff during the day and the week. So far we have been doing pretty good and have been able to teach a lot and get a lot of work done which is good! 

We also had a ward activity this week, it was a big family home evening and it went really well. There was a decent amount of people that showed up and everything ran pretty smooth.

Anyways i am glad you had a good time in Hawaii and that you were able to go to the temple as a family thats freaking awesome! I miss going to the temple and feeling the peace that is there. It will be cool to be able to go again when i get back! 

Oh i got your valentines package this week if that kinda gives you an idea of how long they take to get here. 

Glad you are all happy and safe! I love you guys lots! Have a great week!

Elder Wadley

I caught him online and made fun of him for getting a pedicure. I think I called him a "Pretty, pretty Princess." He didn't even care because he said it felt so good. HAHA!
I asked him if he needed me to mail him out some toenail polish or some face cream.
He declined.
He sent me this view of the city of Medellin from the office that he is working in now.

Medellin, Colombia

I haven't seen his face for a while. I gently reminded him that "I HAD A C-SECTION FOR YOU" so hopefully next week.
I am just happy that he is happy.
And healthy.
And has pretty feet now.

 

Elder Wadley, Office Elder and Priesthood Blessings

After the quick transfer last week, I shared the group photo from Jayden's email to our Medellin missionary mom Facebook group. We are all kinda desperate to see our boys, so it is an unwritten rule that when you get a group photo, you post it!
I got this message from Elder Dawson's mom:

I asked my son about the picture you posted and this is what he said: "Wadley is Bigelow's other son and he came to the our zone to finish my friend Robison's training! Super hype! So since Wadley is my brother then Robison, my bff from the MTC, is my nephew lol. So we took a family picture. But then Mckinley, the secretary of registros, got sent home, he's from Mesa. And Wadley was sent to the office. And Robison was sent to a different zone so now the family is dead and we're sad"

Aha! I had Elder Wadley verify that he is assigned to the mission office now. Here is his e-mail from this week:

Well yeah i am in the office. Its really cool but its a lot of work. I am learning a lot though which is another really cool part about being here.

Anyways my week wasn't a whole lot of interesting. i am still kinda learning how to do everything so its kinda a pain in the butt but i am getting there. :) We don't get to go out and teach a whole lot which is kinda a bummer.

Sent to Mikayla, in honor of their mutual love for Ramen's.

I did have a cool experience this week when i went out teaching. I went out with Elder Opheikens and we went to this girls house and we were actually looking for another less active that lived there and we ended up talking with her and she asked us for a blessing. She then ended up telling us that she had needed a blessing for a long time but was just too scared to ask and told us that when we came to her house it was a answer to her prayers and that God really does know what we need and that as missionaries we are 

here as the Lords tools. Super cool experience.

Other than that i have noticed that getting out and sharing the gospel gets rid of all the stress i have from working here in the office. But the week has been a lot of working here and trying to get everything squared up.

Not a whole lot of interesting but its whateves! 

Hope you have a great week! Love you guys!!

Elder Wadley

I just want to take a quick couple paragraphs and testify of the power that is in priesthood blessings- like the one these sweet Elders were able to give a complete stranger. Without knowing her- they were able to ease her worries and lighten the burdens that she had been carrying in her heart. I have had priesthood blessings given to me by my husband- when he had no idea of the things that I was struggling with internally. But my Heavenly Father did. My husband has said things to me in these blessing that only God would know. My husband has been inspired to bless me with things that I didn't even know that I needed myself. But my Heavenly Father did. The priesthood that my husband holds, and that these missionaries are endowed with- is the authority to act in the name of God. This power was restored by God, through Joseph Smith. It is the same priesthood power that was on the earth when Jesus and His disciples administered to the people.

It is real.

I have personally witnessed a humble priesthood blessing, in the quiet of a Children's Hospital  uttered to a baby, so full of tubes and monitors and wires, that these men were barely able to find a place to lay their hands on that tiny head. I listened as they blessed the baby with the desires of the Lord- to be restored to full health, and I doubted. The baby, smaller than a dollar bill, with all odds against it, and bleeding on the brain- yet these men were inspired to say the words that no mortal man would have dared. I observed a phone call the next day, the brain bleed had stopped. Another call, machines no longer needed. Subsequent calls were beyond belief, as that baby thrived- and I have watched him grow up- a silent witness to the miracle he is because of a priesthood blessing.

I am humbled when I watch my dad, my husband, and all of the worthy men in my life, exercise their priesthood calling to bless others. I am grateful to have that power bless my own life. I am proud of my boy, clear across the globe in Colombia serving as a disciple and representative of Christ, and finding these people who are in desperate need of His love.

You can learn more about the priesthood HERE.

My Tender Mercy for the Week

One of my responsibilities in our church is putting together the ward newsletter.
I have a terrible attitude because no one sends me the information until the last minute. My Saturday's are as busy as anyone else's and I hate scrambling for the material for the newsletter. Needless to say, my attitude today was crap.
I was working on it, on my computer, and my cute missionary chimed in. (??)
He made an emergency transfer and his P-Day changed to Saturday as a result. I would have been so sad to have missed him this week. Because of the timing of the stupid newsletter I caught him online.

You guys- I have a testimony that the Lord knows what we need. He is aware of us. Even something as silly as a mom that needed to hear from her boy. His timing is perfect.

Here is Elder Wadley's e-mail and our little back and forth chat:

Hey sorry to screw things up a little bit but this week i was in the house on the coast and we had just finished our planning and i went to take a shower and while i was showering the ZLs busted into our house and then into the shower and told me i was leaving. So i had to pack up all my crap and take a bus back to Medellin.

It was super weird because i traveled alone and i don't know it just seemed weird. 

So i am here in Medellin now and they changed my P-day to Saturday. So you will be hearing from me every Saturday not Monday, sorry. 

So this week went a little crazy because of this whole transfer thing and the change but it has been pretty good! i hope you enjoyed the one week of dead animal pics because you are not going to see those for awhile. 

Other than that i got to work in my last area a little bit before i left and it was really cool! I was honestly really excited to be able to work and learn that area, but the Lord has other plans for me. We will see what he has in store for me here! 

Medellin is beautiful though i really do like it! The weather is just about perfect! 

I have a picture of me with Elder Bigelow, his comp, and my comp that i will send to you also a typical coast dish :)

Anyways sorry about the change! Love you guys!! Talk to you next Saturday!

WHAT THE HECK!!!! HI!!! I am sorry I didn't write you! I am sure your mission president appreciates you being flexible like this. And yes, things always happen for a reason! What a fun surprise! :) :) Who is your companion now then? And why the heck did they crash in on you in the shower??!! AWKWARD. If you are in Medellin, see if you can get a P-Day out to see that staircase mountain? I think it was close to Medellin.

Love you! Have a great week!

And yeah, that transfer was weird and weird that you traveled alone. I guess they figure you tower over anyone who would try to harass you. lol.

The rock/mountain thing is pretty far away i am sure but whatevs.

My comp is Elder Mackinlay y Elder Gerber. Cool dudes!

Do you have TWO comps? I am so confused.What happened to your last comp? Does he have someone else? Are you training? This is so weird. What a weird transfer. And bummer you had to pack up twice. lol So your p-day will be Saturday from now until the next transfer, or just this time?

So Elder Robison went to a different area in the coast with another Elder that had his comp go home.

Elder Mackinlay is going home pretty soon and thats why we are in a trio. 

My P-days will be on Saturday for the next little while:)

Are you training the other elder? is he new? It is good to see Bigelow!

No i am not training they both have more time than i have. Hey i am out for a little while love you lots mom!! Take care! Tell everyone i said hi and that i write on Saturdays now!! Gracias!

Elder Wadley, Elder Bigelow, Elder ?, Elder Dawson

Colombian food. Rice, some type of local fish, and I am guessing plantains.

And just like that, he was gone.
And I finished the newsletter with a better attitude. :)

La Granja AKA La Dead Animal Habitat

Elder Wadley was transferred this week to another area, and has a new companion. I was anxious to see where he was going. It appears he is back on the coast of Colombia, he said in his letter to Sam that his area is called La Granja. He has spent the past few month in the mountains and it has been nice and cool. He is back on the surface of the sun, but his attitude is pretty great.
I got after him a little bit this past week because he has not been taking hardly any pictures, and I feel like he will want to have them later when this adventure is over. Photos are always so wonderful for your memory. He sent pictures this e-mail, but not one blessed photo of his face. He is definitely back on the coast, where it appears that conditions are not very suitable for animals and reptiles. He is back to his old antics- sending me gross photos of dead things. Here is his e-mail this week. Brace yourself for the closing photos. And be jealous of me.

Well first off i am back in the heat haha! It doesn't seem as hot as the last time i was here.

I was really bummed to leave my other area i was really loving it over there! It was kinda hard to leave but as dad always says "change is good." And it is! This transfer has been pretty weird so far but it has been good! 

I left Manizales and went to Medellin where i stayed in a little house where all the missionaries stay when there are transfers. I met up with some old friends and met some new people. We chilled there all day and ate a lot of food! That's one of the best parts about transfers is that there is a lot of food in the house. 

The next day we took a 12 hour bus ride to Montería. The cool thing is that my old comp Elder Anderson was going to Montería again so we sat by each other and talked for awhile. It was super good to see him! We are going to be meeting up one of these P days to go and visit our old area and visit our converts! 

My new area is big and i have only been there including today: two whole days. I got here last Wednesday and had one day of work and then we got a call from the ZLs saying we had to do intercambios for three days. What happened is my new comp has some problems with his thumb and had to go to the hospital and the ZL had to be with him for three days. All is good now though and i am with my comp. 

"We have to cross in a boat to get to our area."

My new comp is Elder Robison! He is from Logan! He is a super good dude! Super nice and i am freaking pumped to work with him! I don't have a photo with him yet because we haven't been together but i will take some this week i promise.

Other than that the week has been pretty normal. I am loving the food here from the  coast it is the best! I missed a lot of things from here! 

Other than that thats about all that has happened this week! Nothing too crazy!

I will send some photos as well! I love you guys!

Elder Wadley

PS I am back to the coast and back to dead things!!

The sad thing is that i saw even more dead things this same day ahaha so much crap!!!

I don't know what is going on here. Is this thing still walking around with no face? Or did Jayden PICK IT UP FOR THE PHOTO? Please no. #handsanitizer

Dog? Giant Rat? Did he open the bag for this? I am SO LUCKY.

How I feel on the regular. This just might be my Colombian spirit animal.

Not napping, just deeply pondering Lehi's Dream

The boy was a little later e-mailing this week.
I thought he might be- today was the day for transfers. He has been in his current area for a while, and I kind of guessed it would be time for some change.
Sure enough, he is heading out to a new area.
His email came while I was in the dentist chair. Again. This is what happens when you get older, you start to fall apart.
By the time Jayden's youngest brother goes out on his mission, I will probably have a broken hip or osteoporosis.
Here is the e-mail this week: No photos from him, but there is a photo! Later on that one...

Well Hi!

We got calls yesterday about our transfers and i am heading back to the heat of the coast!! Haha just when i thought i escaped it for a little while i am heading back! I am going to have another white companion and he is still pretty new in the mission and i think it will be fun! I will be in a different part-but in the same heat haha! 

Oh and that member is really cool that sent you that picture haha i didn't want you to see that photo because its super ugly haha! She sent it to a couple of other members and they all made fun of me!  No but the members here are super cool and really nice! I feel at home here which is really nice! 

(Mom interruption. I got a wonderful surprise this week. A friend request on Facebook! A sweet member in Elder Wadley's area Luzmery contacted me and said this:
"Hola soy la hermana luz mery castro, su hijo trabaja en nuestra rama, excelente misionero, y hoy estuvo almorzando con mi familia, y le dije que le iba a enviar una foto que le tome dormido después de almorzar, y me dio su nombre en el Facebook, un gusto saludarla"

Rough translation: "Hello I am Sister Luzmery Castro, your son works in our branch , excellent missionary, and today was having lunch with my family , and told him I was going to send a photo to you of him sleeping after lunch , and gave me your on name Facebook , it is a pleasure to greet you."

What a tender little blessing for me! My heart is so full- these sweet people of Colombia are taking care of my boy. I had to have Sam translate for me, my Spanish isn't quite there yet- and I told her thank you, and why is he so lazy to just crash on her couch? One of the members commented that he might have just been pondering on Lehi's dream. HA! For those of my non member friends who read this, here is a short little video clip that explains the ancient prophet Lehi's dream, found in the Book of Mormon- and is incidentally a symbolic description of our day, and what is going on the in world right now. https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2010-12-06-chapter-6-lehis-dream?lang=eng It was nice to see his cute face, and to see that he is well loved. Back to his e-mail:)
 

This week was a little weird but went decent. We have been focusing a lot in finding new investigators and it has been hard-but we are getting there. We have done a lot of things to find people to teach; we have asked for referrals, knocked doors, asked people who they know, talked with members, and a couple of other things, and little by little we are getting more investigators.

This week went pretty normal. On Wednesday we had a special missionary devotional that was broadcasted throughout the world and we barely got to watch it because of crappy internet haha! Oh it finally rained a little bit though this week which has been nice, it has been hotter here than normal. 

Its going to be hard leaving this area. I really enjoy it here, everybody is really cool. But as dad always says "change is good!" I am excited to see what kinda of stuff i can learn and what kind of challenges i am going to face in my new area! 

I found a scripture this week that i like a lot, 3 Nephi 26:9,11

9 And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them.

11 Behold, I was about to write them, all which were engraven upon the plates of Nephi, but the Lord forbade it, saying: I will try the faith of my people.

I really liked these verses because this transfer will be a little difficult but i know it is for good reason and there is always something i can learn from these tests. I like what it says in verse 11, that Jesus wants to test our faith. To see if we really can trust Him in our times of need. I promise that whatever test we have, if we put our faith in God we will be blessed beyond measure! 

¡Preguntas!

1. For about three weeks now, you have been discouraged over your lack of a teaching pool. What kinds of things do you do to get investigators? I am not meaning this in a negative way. I am just wondering if there are other creative angles you can explore? And remember that teaching the gospel is important, but service is also. When we emulate Christ- we serve, as He would. Don't be discouraged! Just be aware, and be willing. I pray that you will be directed to people who are seeking peace. The gospel brings peace. Service brings peace. Just a smile, or opening a door, or giving up a seat on the bus can make someone feel noticed- and that the world is still an okay place. It brings peace. Anyway. The question was: How is your teaching pool, and what are you doing to get new investigators? I already kinda told you. 

2.Have you witnessed any miracles or tender mercies this week? One thing that i have truly noticed is that God knows exactly what you are going through and knows how to help you.

3. Have you learned any new Spanish words this week? Yeah a couple i need to learn more this week though.

4. It is going to be your HUMP DAY (mission mid-way mark) soon, do you have plans? Does your mission do anything for the halfway mark? Burn ties? I have know idea what we are going to do haha, sweat?

5. Are any hot chicks writing you? There area one or two:)

Anyways i love you guys and hope you have a great week!!

Elder Wadley

Elder Wadley hit 11 months today. Not that anyone is counting or anything, but yeah. :)

From Sam's email. A little back story: The Wadley family owns two bowling centers. Sam runs one, and his Dad runs the other. As a result our kids have worked at the family business since about the age of 10. Elder Wadley found a sweet six lane bowling center for p-day and sent Sam these pictures. I am sure he probably could have run that place, blindfolded.

Six lanes!

Keeping your own score.

If you look really close, you can see that they don't have machines that set the pins, they have kids behind the lane that set them up after you roll a ball.

Elder Wadley should probably be grateful he wasn't a "pin boy" back home at his job. I am glad to see he is keeping up on his bowling skills! Making the family proud!

Hiking in Los Yarumos and a Crappy Cookie

Here is Elder Wadley's email this week:

Well Happy Birthday Dad!! I hope all of your wildest dreams come true!!

Sounds like you guys had a pretty fun time in Cali! Oh and the water there looks real pretty! Things have been really good and difficult here. We had a lot of people tell us this week that they are not interested which totally blows because we don't really have anybody. But we are going to try to get more investigators this week and hopefully we can get a ton!

This week was pretty normal. All the leaders went to Medellin for a conference and we had another Elder with us for like 2 1/2 days. We got to work in his area for a day and it was pretty fun. We haven't done really a whole lot of interesting things this week. Last P-day we went to a park: Los Yarumos.

It makes me laugh how they just slap their name badge on wherever on P-day's

Neature. It's pretty neat.

It was pretty cool we went on a little tour thing that they had set up and learned about the planet ha! It was pretty cool though. We also went on another little neature walk. 

(No, "neature" is not a typo. Jayden and Brendan had this weird obsession with some YouTube series that referred to nature as neature, because nature is "pretty neat." So ever since then they have both called anything outdoors "neature." I realize that I have raised weirdos.)

Other than that we haven't had a whole lot happen.

I am almost done with the Book of Mormon and its been great! I am excited to start it up again! Oh i wanted to share a scripture with you guys in 3 Nephi 18:21.

"Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed."

If you weren't doing family prayers, better start. 

I will attach a couple photos as well:)

Las Preguntas

1. You mentioned a couple letters ago that you did a secret Santa thing? Tell me about that? I forgot to ask about it. Well it was a normal secret santa. We had a person and had to buy them something. I had a sister missionary and bought her a sick spiderman scarf;)

2. Have you finished reading the Boof of Mormon yet? What is your favorite story? Our family is in third Nephi. Just plugging along. :) Almost done. I want to finish it this week:) Something that i really did like when i was reading a little back was the example of Moroni. The dude is a stud ha! We should all try to be a little more like him. 

3. What have you done for PDay lately? Anything fun? The park and i think we are going to do something fun today as well.

4. Have you had any more incidents since you changed your locks? Nothing:)

5. I am sending a package soon- let me know if you need anything. I'm sending you a new journal in it. I am all good thanks!:)

Love you guys!! Talk to you next week!

Elder Wadley

I will leave you all with a photo of Elder Wadley's attempt at making a cookie. In a pan. On the stove. 

Sorry Betty Crocker.

When I asked him what kind of cookie it was supposed to be, he answered with "a burnt one."
I think I see some little sacrificial chocolate chips in there.
Sad.

PB&J for the USA

Goodness! I almost completely forgot to post Elder Wadley's e-mail this week. Sam and I took off for California WITHOUT kids, and I guess I was a little too giddy about ditching the "mom" title for a few days. It is funny though, how when your kids aren't physically THERE with you, they are still always with you.

Thinking of my boy in Carmel, California

 Hey fam!

Sorry this email isn't going to be very long or interesting either because i don't have a lot of time! Our week has been better! The area is slowly getting better which is good and we are starting to find more people to teach. There is still a lot to do but we are slowly getting there! 

This week went pretty normal.We did have a pretty good activity on Saturday, where we all prepared typical foods from our country and a bunch of people came! Other than that we had a pretty normal week. 

I caught him online and what do you think I asked him? Yep. What food did he fix to show off the United States for this food festival? I swear, boys are not the best communicators. Nor is he good at representing the USA! He fixed...get this: PB&J sandwiches. Strong work, Wadley.

Sorry to here about your crappy dentist week that totally sucks! Tell Mikayla to brush her freaking teeth! 

Also today i don't have anything to send pictures so i don't even have pics for you this week.What a failure of an email ha! 

Anyways i will finish off with your questions:

1-When are next transfers? 25th

2-Do you add anything to your Aguapanela? Like lemon juice? I don't really anything to it. 

3-What is the gospel principal that members and investigators in Colombia struggle with the most? Tithing? Word of Wisdom, (with the coffee)? Word of Wisdom and Chastity 

4-How is your teaching pool? Any new investigators? Do you knock doors in your area? Do you have any creative door approaches? We knock a lot of doors haha! Door approaches, well we use the whole "we are not from around here" and stuff like that.

5-Do you need anything? Nah i am all good here:) 

Well sorry again for a poopy email, i will try to make next weeks a little better:)

Love you lots!

Elder Wadley

I know I have said it before- but I am not bugged by the short e-mails from my boy. This just means that he is busy doing the work that he was sent to Colombia to do. His thoughts are occupied with the people there, and the work. The first few weeks that he left, when I still hurt, I never thought I would reach this point of not missing him. Don't get me wrong. I still miss him- I just don't worry about him. And I am particularly proud of him for being such a successful little chick outside of the nest.