Y mas fotos...

These are pics from the Parque Jaime Duque. it's kind of an amusement park/zoo, etc. They've got some really cool stuff. Here's me with the blue macaw (spelling?) and another with my comp in front of the giant hand holding the world. It probably has an official name, but we never found out what it was.

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Mas fotos...

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5 weeks and counting.

I've been here in Bogota 5 weeks now. It really feels like I got here just yesterday. Well, today was cambios, and my companion, Elder Balabarca, is going to Bucaramanga. They're going to send me another greenie. Haha. How fun. But as always, when the new missionaries come, President doesn't tell us who they're going to be. They just get here and say, "President told me I'm going to be with Elder Cannon." And that's when I'll find out who my new companion is. 

Yesterday Carmen was baptized!!! It was such a beautiful ceremony. I love baptisms. And I finally got the virus off of my USB, so I'll be sending pics. 

I don't really have much time to write...because my companion has to go say goodbye to the members and investigators and such. But I'm hoping to maybe have time tomorrow. 

I love you all. Don't do drugs, and stay in school. :)

-Elder Cannon

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Sup.

So...this week was pretty awesome. We didn't have the numbers we wanted, but Carmen passed her baptismal interview!!! :D I'm not actually sure how much I've told you all about Carmen. She's from Barranquilla, and recently moved here to live with her Aunt while she finds a job and starts college. Almost all of her family are members, including her mom, but her mom has been inactive for quite a while now, so Carmen never got baptized. Anyway, we've been teaching her, and she's one of those "little or no assembly required" kind of investigators. She was progressing right from the beginning, and accepted a baptismal date right off the bat. So this Saturday, she's getting baptized! :D Yay! Her Aunt Aida has really been a big support in all of this. She's a very active member, sealed in the temple, etc, that knows a lot and has a very strong testimony. We talked today in our District meeting about how every new member needs 3 things. 1. A friend, 2. An assignment, and 3. They need to be nourished by the good word of God. When we start off teaching someone that already has a friend in the church, the teaching process is much, much easier. Because when we're not there to answer a question, they have their friend. When we're not there to help them keep the law of chastity or the word of wisdom, they have their friend. And when they transfer the missionaries and others come, they still have their friend that they can always rely on. That's what happened with Camila in Cucuta. She had her boyfriend (now husband) to ask questions, resolve doubts, etc. when we weren't there for her. It's so much easier and much more effective when the members are involved.

Yesterday, we went to a park here called Jaime Duque. Pretty much the coolest place ever. They have a mini taj mahal, a zoo with all sorts of Colombian animals, monuments, museums, etc. We didn't have time to write yesterday because we got back a little late. But I took almost 200 pictures, so I'll be sure to send some when I can. I can't today, because when I put my USB in this computer, it gave me a virus... :( Is there such thing as anti virus software that I can install on my USB? That would be really helpful. Anyone? Anyone?

I got an email from my first companion, Elder Rapalino, telling me that he's leaving in a week! I can't believe it!!! Then President Hacking leaves the week after that. :( Everyone is leaving... Pero...asi es la mision. :-/

Life's good. I'll send you pics when I can. Take care, and don't forget that I love you all. Lots and lots.

-Elder Cannon

P.S. Why do you always have to be judging me, because I only believe in science?

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Hello all.

I'm writing a little late today. We had a pretty full day, and I finally have time to write. We'll be on our way to the apartment pretty soon.

This week was pretty neat. A few days ago we had the opportunity to work with some Elders from the CCM (MTC) here in Bogota. One cool bit of news is that the Missionaries from the States go for 3 weeks to the MTC in Provo, and then the other 6 here in Bogota. Neat, eh? So I got to work with an Elder from Mississippi and one from Argentina. It was a fun day. We worked hard. It's fun to have their enthusiasm for the work and their strong testimonies straight from the MTC. Not that the Elders in the field don't have the Spirit, or a Testimony, but coming directly from the MTC, they've got a kind of aura about them that just radiates energy and power. :) Fun stuff. That day, we invited 2 people to be baptized, and they accepted. Yeah! :D 

We've also been working with a girl named Carmen. She's 16 years old, and recently moved in with her Tia here in Bogota. She's from Barranquilla, and is very receptive. It probably helps that almost all her family are members of the church, but her mom has been inactive for a while. Luckily her aunt is very active, and has been bringing her to church since she got here. She has a baptismal date for the 23rd of this month, and still has a lot to learn, but we're working hard with her. Actually, today we made pizza with an hermano in our ward who's a chef. He has a daughter who's about Carmen's age, and she invited her to make/eat pizza with us, and she came. It's always wonderful when the ward members befriend our investigators. It makes the task of integrating and maintaining them in the Church much, much easier. :) Oh, and the pizza was delicious, btw's. 

This morning, we went to a park that's called Mirador de los Nevados. Apparently, if it's a clear day, you can see some mountains/volcanoes that have snow on them. There aren't many places in Colombia that have snow, so I thought it'd be really cool. Well, we woke up this morming, and it was raining...so we still went, us and a group of youth from the ward, but we didn't ever see the snow. 

Anyway, life is good. I don't have much more time. Bogota has been pretty great so far. 

Love y'all. 

Elder Joey

P.S. Let's wear our ninja stuff that looks really cool...

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Para mi family...

Aqui hay mas fotos. 

Enjoy!

Elder Cannon

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Hello my dear family!

So...you're probably all wondering why I didn't write on Monday. I have a good reason, I promise. We changed Pday to Wednesday this week, because the Bogota Temple isn't open on Mondays. We went to the temple!!! I was reading in my journal the other day, and I found the last day I had gone to the temple, while in the MTC. June 30, 2011. It had been almost a year since I had been to the temple. Wow. I'm going to attach fotos, fo sho. Anyway, it was a really amazing experience. Everything was in Spanish, but they were the same special, sacred ordinances as ever. I loved it. 

Novedades: Two of the sisters in my district left. One finally got her visa to Argentina, and another got transfered to Cucuta. So now we're down to 2 sisters, my companion, and I in our district. they will be missed, pero así es la misión. Now, the 2 sisters in my district are the Hermana Quispe, and Hermana Galvis. La Quispe I know from my district in Cucuta, and Hermana Galvis was a sister in my ward there, who had already received her call to Puerto Rico. She didn't get her visa in time, so she's here in my district until she gets it. 

Yesterday, President and Sister Hacking came to give us the last Zone Conference before they leave. :( I'm going to be really sad to see them go. It's been such a blessing to have them here. they gave us all a picture of them, and Sister Hacking told me that for when I get back, they're going to have a mission reunion every October. So I'll get to see them again. :) After the conference, I started playing the piano, and Elder Bogdan, who has an amazing voice started singing while I sang tenor. After a couple duets, everyone joined in, and we sang 5 or 6 songs. It was a really special experience. I felt at home. Haha. Everyone gathered around the piano, singing hymns. :) 

I'm about out of time, but I just want to say that I love you all, and I hope you're all doing well. Say hi to my dear Utah for me. 

Take luck. Love y'all.

-Elder Joseph

P.S. What are you stupid? Red eye flashes twice! Hehe...

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