Kolbe: Holaaaaaa!!!!!
Mom: Hey, hey! It's my favorite missionary!
Dad: How was your week?
Kolbe: This week was pretty good!
Dad: Tell us! Things any better with what we talked about last week?
Kolbe: Ehhh not really. Honestly worse but I am just trying to get through things patiently!
Mom: Being patient definitely isn't easy at times, but is much better in the end. Otherwise the little things or big things start to really fester! I'm proud of you for staying positive with it!
I have sooooo many questions for you but first tell us about your week.
Dad: Any new investigators?
Kolbe: I'll talk about my week in the weekly! And ask away on your questions. But yes we have two new investigators. Rudy and Liz. Rudy is awesome! I am positive we can get him to be baptized. Also yes some days are super rough and I lose my patience but I bought a guitar today. Hopefully that will help with my patience.
Mom: Are Rudy and Liz married or two separate households? How did you find them? Member referral or knocking on their door or what?
And I'm glad you bought a guitar! Good for you! That will help a lot I'm sure!
Kolbe: Rudy and Liz are neighbors. Actually really cool how we found Rudy. We got Liz off a reference and we went to her house and knocked on the door and waited and nothing and this huge guy came out of the mechanic shop next door and yells "Hey she isn't home". And then he yells "Hey you guys come talk to me". So we went and talked to him and he is super awesome. Really outgoing and he told us he had a ton of questions so we set a cita for the next day and we taught him the Plan of Salvation and after I asked him how he felt and he said he had never felt like this before and I told him it was the Holy Ghost and he asked what that was and we talked about it for a little while and then set another cita for tomorrow. He is awesome!
Mom: The Lord works in mysterious ways for sure! Sounds like he was ready to hear the gospel I love it!!!
How is Andrea coming along? Is she still on track for baptism this Saturday?
We will make sure we add Rudy and Liz to our prayers. We try and pray for your investigators as well.
Kolbe: Yes!!! He told us he has had every kind of missionary and church but nothing felt right. He is awesome!
Also Andrea is unsure if she is going to be baptized this week. She is sure she wants to be baptized but wants more time. I told her if she wants to and she feels it is right then the time is now! Hopefully she follows through.
Mom: The spirit is awesome and when you feel it, you can't deny how incredible it is. I'm glad he could feel it and it could wake something up in him.
Too bad about Andrea but I'm proud of her for wanting to make sure she is good and ready. It took Pryor Harrell 5 years! 😂. Honestly though its such a huge commitment and you want them to be 100% ready for it. It sounds like it will happen eventually. We will continue to pray for her as well. I'm sure it's a scary step especially when you are the first in your family. Keep encouraging her and be her friend no matter what and let the spirit do the rest!
What did you do for P-day today? Sounds like you bought a guitar but tell us about a typical p-day. Do you get until 6 then have to work again that night or what is the schedule like?
Kolbe: Yes for sure. She is so ready. She has a strong testimony and she is doing everything she should be doing. She said she wants more answers first and so we are trying to see what we can do to help her. Her older sister is a member so I hope that is helping. We are being her friend. We played wally with her and some of our other investigators today.
Dad: Quick question before I forget. Some one asked me how high the elevation is there. Is it hot and humid or more like a Utah summer?
Kolbe: The elevation is like 9000 feet I think. We are way up here and it is hot and dry just like summer in Utah. I am getting way tan.
Dad: Any volleyball today? By the way I'm jealous about the tan. I'm a vampire right now.
That story about Rudy is very cool. How many citas do you have in a typical day?
Kolbe: I played ball with the gringos again and then we went and bought my guitar and then we went and played wally with our investigators which is volleyball with walls. It is super fun!
We generally have about 4 scheduled citas and depending on who it is, we get about 2 of those or many times none. It is very hard around here. People tell you they want to hear and then are never home or tell you they don't want to hear when you come back.
Dad: Sounds familiar. We used to place friendly wagers on if our appointments would be there or not.
Wally ball! I haven't played that since high school!
Mom: I've heard that about South American's. Even in the Spanish branch in Vernal they are flakey like that! Sorry. That must be frustrating!
So after p-day ends do you go teach again that night?
Also tell me about the lady who cooks lunch for you. Is it everyday? And is she a member?
Kolbe: Yeah it is a little rough but we are getting by. We just contact around the area if they aren't there. It is alright! Doesn't bother me that much. And yes, we have two definite citas tonight.
The lady who cooks our lunch everyday is the 1st counselors wife and she is awesome! She cooks everyday but p-day for us.
Mom: 1st counselor in the bishopric? Does she cook for other missionaries as well or just you guys?
Are you teaching people you've already taught before or are these 1st appointments you have tonight?
Kolbe: Yes! And no just us. Every other missionary has a different pench.
One family we are going to tonight is an old investigator that we contacted again without knowing it and they invited us back and the other is the daughter of a recent convert that wants to be baptized so we are just teaching the lessons and then she will be baptized.
Mom: I love the experiences you are getting!
So when you go to an internet cafe to chat are you dressed back in your missionary clothes ready to go or do you go back home and eat dinner and then go out?
Kolbe: I am too. They are amazing. And right now we are in p-day clothes but last week we were dressed and ready because we had an early cita. We are going to go home and change and then head to our citas.
Dad: Are the computers up to date or are they dinosaurs?
Kolbe: They're a little in the middle!
Mom: Got it! So it just depends on the schedule it sounds like! Do you cook dinner at nights or get something already prepared or what? I had a dad tell me there were mini markets everywhere and you just buy your groceries daily. Is that true?
Kolbe: Yes! Just depends on the day. And yes most nights we cook dinner when we get back at 9. Although since my comp doesn't really care about that rule, it is usually later. And yes we buy all of our food and stuff in mini markets. I have a pic I will send! I took a billion pictures this week!
Mom: Awesome I'm excited to see pictures.
Kolbe: One weird thing about Bolivia is they don't put the toilet paper in the toilet. They put it in the trash can and that has taken a while to get used to.
Mom: Yes you told us about that your first week there. I would have a hard time with that. Does it stink?
How's the language coming along? Grandpa told me if you want to learn it quickly talk to the kids because they will laugh at you when you make a mistake and tell you what you said wrong.
Kolbe: Yes it stinks everywhere but it is cool! And the language is coming great! Super good honestly!
Mom: I'm so happy about the Spanish. We pray every night it is getting better for you!
Kolbe: I'm going to respond to your letter in our chat mom.
That is super awesome about the job!!! I am super happy for you. Discovery Ranch is Steve's company right? One thing I've learned is the spirit works on us until we are ready and the spirit never leads us astray. That is super sad about Jaxson's friend but what an amazing story. It made me tear up but the funny thing is that I shared the poem Footsteps in the Sand in Spanish from memory to an investigator this week. I shared it with nearly perfect Spanish and I really felt the truth of it when I said it. The mission is so hard but Christ is carrying me through it.
Mom: Yes it's Steve's company. And I get all teary thinking we both had an experience with the Footprints in the Sand poem this week. Makes me realize that even though you are so far away you are still so close and connected to us in Spirit!
Kolbe: Yes it is cool! I will send photos soon. My comp has my card.
Mom: Why does he have your card? Do you share your camera?
Kolbe: Basically. He makes me take pictures of him on my camera.
Mom: How funny! Okay I just read your weekly group letter. What a cool experience with that boy. I can't wait to see what happens with him. And I love what you said about following the Spirit. I think we miss some awesome experiences because we "doubt" it came from God. Thank you for that advice. I'm going to try and be better about going with it!
Kolbe: Yes for sure! Honestly I am bad at it too. But I am learning to get better at it!
Mom: You are doing so good and have grown up so much! It's been so neat to watch your journey and growth.
Kolbe: Honestly I am not gonna lie, I feel like the most inadequate missionary here. But I am just trying to better myself every day. But thanks for all the support! You guys get me through the week no lie!
Dad: Let me say feeling inadequate is something I've struggled with my whole life. Don't beat yourself up! Stay positive and I can't wait to read your letters and hear from you next week.
Mom: You get me through the week too! It's the best to hear from you! And I agree with dad. Feeling inadequate is normal but you are doing the best you can and that's all that's asked of us!
Kolbe: Every week this gives me the strength to do it all over again. Love you guys so much!
Oh by the way, we are going to the temple on Thursday! Stay tuned...
Dad: Us too! And love your guts!
Mom: Love you the most! Can't wait to hear about the temple. I'll go look at all your photos as well when I get home! Good luck with everyone and everything this week! Sounds like you have great things ahead! Love you kiddo!
Kolbe: Okay! Love you! Thanks and I'll talk to you next week! Ciao ciao!!
We occasionally drink the water out of these bags
This is a Bolivian instrument that I really want to learn how to play. I can't remember the name.
The view from our house of the city!
A picture of a Cholita!
Trufi (The van we ride around in). They are driven by random people. A lot of people use them for their jobs. You pay 2 Bs to ride in them.
Briss and Sdenka. Briss wants to be baptized but Skenka thinks the catholic church is more true and fights us on it
Our Church building
Elder Stringfellow!
Elder Grossen!
This is Sharlit! She is the same age as Bailey!
A gift from a member
Wally Ball with our investigators
This is Andrea
My pench, Hermann Moya, and her family
Elder Allred, Elder Clark (who I hope is my mom, there is a good chance of that), and Elder Stevenson. We were waiting on the soccer field for our comps
The guitar I bought!
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