And more...

Foto 1: Now that I'm back in Cucuta, I went to see Camila, one of my converts (that's not really a correct term. She's the Lord's convert. It's just the easiest term to use...) from Motilones. The last time I was in Cucuta. I left the week before her baptism, but hopefully I'll be able to be there in Bogota for her sealing to her husband next spring. :) 

Foto 2: We find lots of lizzards in and around our apartment. :) I didn't really eat it. It was nice enough to pose for the picure, and then we let it go. 

I finally have pictures!!!

Hello!

I FINALLY have pictures, so I'm attaching them right now, before I forget. We have an oven in our house right now, so I've been going to town and cooking all sorts of deliciousnesses. Apple pie, Chocolate chip cookies, etc. We had to go clear to Kingdom come to find something that was more or less like a pie tin. They don't make pie here, so it was really hard to find it. No one even knew what I was talking about. I feel like I'm from another planet sometimes. Haha. Luckily we found something, and the pie actually turned out pretty good. It was a practice run, but I liked it. :) 

The work is going ever onward. Jorge is getting baptized this Saturday! at 5. :) I'm really excited. Also, the transfer ends this week, which is absolutely crazy, but I don't think either of us are going anywhere. Pretty sure we've got lots more work to do here in Quinta Bosch. Besides, I'm just getting used to this whole 700º all day every day thing. ;) 

I've actually decided I'm not good at all at guessing when they're going to transfer me and when they're not. The last time I was here in Cucuta, I was only here 6 weeks. So...really I have no idea. But. Anyway.

Sorry I don't have much time. I hope everything is going well there at home. Send me some pictures. Of. Whatever. :) 

Love you all. :) 

-Elder Cannon

P.S. I accidentally sent an email with one picture. I'll send more. Promise.

More pictures. :)

Quinta Bosch...

So. This week was pretty bomb diggity. Even though it wasn't the best as far as numbers go. After conference, I got the song "Have I done any good in the World today?" Stuck in my head, and have been singing it a lot, and thinking about how I can help someone each and every day. It's been going well. I really really admire President Monson and all of the stories he tells about helping someone or going to give a blessing. I really want to get to the point that Heavenly Father can answer the prayers of others through a spiritual prompting I receive and follow. It's just an amazing feeling to know you've helped someone along in their way. :) Makes me happy. And I guess that's what missionary work is all about. We're here to help and serve and do everything we can to make the lives of others better. 

So, I've just been working on forgetting myself and thinking about others. It's not easy. We as human beings and natural men and women have the tendancy to think about our own personal needs before we think about the needs of others. It's kind of against our nature to give food or money or time and attention to others when those are the things that we ourselves are lacking. In Luke 18 starting in verse 18, there's a man that asks Jesus what he needs to do to get into the Kingdom of God. Jesus says that he needs to keep the commandments. To which the man responds, "All these things have I kept from my youth up." Then Jesus says, "Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven." The scriptures say that if we have not charity, we are nothing. Wouldn't charity be simply forgetting ourselves and thinking only about others? That's what Christ did. 

I know, I'm probably preaching to the choir, but these are some things that have just been on my mind. I'm gonna try my best this week to just forget myself. Think only about others. My companion, my investigators, the leaders and members of the church, etc. I didn't come so far just for me. I came this far because the Lord knows there are people here who need me. Me. My help. And if I'm thinkin about me all the time, then I'm never going to find them. ...haha...so maybe I'm the one who needs all this. Sorry for the vent. Just thinking out loud a little.

Our investigators are going well. Well...one of them, at least. Jorge is still on track to be baptized on the 3rd of November. Ramon kind of bailed on us. We taught a powerful lesson about why baptism is important and why he shouldn't wait and how it can bless his life...and then he told us that even still...he wants more time to think about it. We haven't been able to talk to him much, because he's studying at the University now. I know he has at least a spark of a testimony, but I'm not sure how to help him realize that, and then turn that spark into something bigger. 

Jorge's mom is a member. Right now after we leave here, we're going to a family night with them. He's got 4 or 5 siblings, and one sister even came to church with them this week. We're hoping we can get them all to come. 

We're also still with our goal to find lots of JAS, but we've added another goal to find priesthood in general. The ward is kind of just lacking as ar as faithful priesthood leaders go. But luckily we've got an amazing bishop and at least a few brethren who are willing to help us out. 

So. That's my week in a nutshell. Hope everyone's doing great and loving life and working and studying hard. Read your scriptures, say your prayers, and go to church. Above all, forget about yourself, and help someone else! "There are chances for work all around just now. Opportunities right in our way. Do not let them pass by, saying "sometime I'll try," but go and do something today."

Love y'all. 

-Elder Joey

P.S. Take some jelly, take some fish. Look at that sandwich, delish.

P.P.S. Sorry I STILL don't have pictures. I promise I'll get them to you next week, if I have to send them by carrier pidgeon.

If a chicken and a half can lay an egg and a half in a day and a half, then how long would it take a grasshopper with a wooden leg to kick the seeds out of a dill pickle?

Just wondering.

This week was much better than last week. We had much better results. And I think a record of 11 investigators in Sacrament Mtg. Awesome. :) We had lots of new investigators, and are now working on getting them to progress and such. :) 

We're still working with Ramón, but he's been a little hard to get a hold of because he started his first semester of college last week. We're hoping we can talk to him this week so that he can be baptized on the 27th of October. Jorge is our other progressing investigator. He's been to church twice now, and is really taking interest. He's got a baptismal date for Nov. 3rd. We've been working with his mother as well, because she's been a member for a long time, but inactive for almost as long. So we're hoping to get the whole family to come to church. :) 

Life here is pretty awesome. I'm always sweating. Unless I'm in the shower. It reminds me of Holes. "There's only one knob, because there's only one temperature. Cold." But it's a nice break from the terrible heat we're in all day. I've never had to spend so much time washing the collars of my shirts. But, like it says in Himno numero 16 (that's in spanish. I think it's 27 in English), "Por sacrificio se dan bendiciones." So. I'm just fine. :) 

My companion is doing great. I'm really sorry...I still don't have pictures. I mean...I have pictures, but this computer doesn't recognize my memory card. :( Hopefully I'll be able to get them to you next week. 

Anyway...I'm almost out of time. Gots to go.

Love y'all. :) 

Elder Cannon

General Conference is the best.

Hey y'all! 

How are y'all? I'm doing just dandy. :) General Conference was basically the best thing ever. I loved it so much! :) I couldn't believe it when they announced the new ages for missionaries to leave for the field! I expected that they would change it for the men, because they changed the age here several months ago. But I wasn't in the least expecting them to change the age for the women. It's so cool! The mission field is going to be jam packed with amazing sisters now. And more Elders, I wold think, as well. Here, the young men finish high school really young. Sometimes as young as 15. Normally 16 or 17. They only study until 11th grade. So in the few years that they have after school, they have a lot more time to get lost in the world. It's much better that they go early. As for the women, I'm really excited about that. Now it can be more of a plan A rather than a plan B. And if it was always plan A, well...they can go sooner. :) Haha. Anyway, basically the most exciting thing EVER! :)

Other than that, my favorite talks were Elder Cook's and Elder Holland's. The talk that Elder Holland gave is very similar to a talk he gave in the MTC in January, 2011, entitled "Feed my sheep". I've never heard or seen the whole thing, but if you ever get the chance, it's more than worth watching. Such a powerful talk. 

This week we've been working with Jorge Alvarez. Which is really funny, because that's the same name as our investigator in Bogota. :P He's 19 and he's been progressing a lot. His mom has been a member for a long time, but has been inactive for almost as long. But he's really interested in the church and has accepted and kept all of the commitments we're given him so far. 

We're still pretty lost here, but we're getting better. We need to focus on finding. Lots and lots of new investigators. Opening our mouth in every moment of every day. Every opportunity that comes up to preach the gospel, we need to take it. It's a habit we just need to get into. Or...one we need to get better at, at least. 

Anyway, love y'all. I hope you LOVED conference, because I did. I loved what President Monson said about gaining further inspiration reading and studying the talks for a second or third time. Since it's new scripture it should be read and reread just like the Book of Mormon or the Bible. 

Welp. Take care. 

Love,

Elder Cannon

P.S. A llama?!! He's supposed to be dead!!!

Cucuta, Cucuta...

I bet you'll never guess where I am right now. 

Darn...you guessed it. I'm in Cucuta!!! :D Yay. Basically, I'm really happy to be here again. I didn't really want to leave when they took me out, so I'm glad to be back. The only thing I miss is drinkable water. That and not sweating every moment of every day. Even at night, it gets down to a low of about 80 degrees. Awesome. :)

We're in Quinta Bosch, where the zone leaders used to be. I'm not District leader anymore, so that'll be a nice break. I just get to work and work and then...work. :) Love it. The ward is really supportive of the missionaries at the moment. Elder Ure, and Elder Romero, two good friends of mine were here before us, and they were just tearing it up. They're amazing, and they left us a good load of investigators, etc. So once we get a little more...ubicados (not sure how you say that in english), we're going to baptize the whole area. 

Amazing things really do happen in the mission field. We went to Ward Council yesterday (by far the most effective and efficient ward council I have ever attended), and we talked about the different desafíos that the ward has. The area we have the most problems in...or, the least support, mas bien, is the JAS. Or...YSA. So, our goal is to basically just baptize lots of JAS and families with JAS, etc. :) The coolest thing was that just yesterday, we found 2 or 3 new investigators that were JAS, or had kids that are JAS. The Bishop was saying yesterday that before, they needed an Elder's Quorum President, so the missionaries and the ward prayed and fasted that they'd be able to find one. He said that in only a month, the missionaries baptized a man that became the best Elder's Quorum President the ward had ever had. :) It's possible. We just need to pray and fast for lots of JAS, and I have faith that we'll find them. :) 

My companion's namd is Elder Salazar. He's pretty much awesome. He's tall, funny, and has a great bass singing voice. Whenever we're in the apartment, and lots of times on the street, we sing songs with awesome tenor or bass. Love it. He also speaks English really well, so I've almost been speaking more English than Spanish. :) He's only got 3 months on the mission, but he's a great missionary. We're going to have lots of success. 

As far as investigators go, we only have one baptismal date set. Ramón. He's 18 (JAS. Yeah.), and looks like he's 25. Jaja. He's a really cool guy. He's already been to church a couple times, and is reading and praying. He just needs to find that specific answer that these things are true. As of right now, he has a baptismal date for the 13th of October. Other than that...we're basically just working on finding and finding and finding some more. :) 

Well folks, that's about all I have to report. I don't have a picture of my new comp yet. I'll get that to y'all next week. Remember that you're in my prayers, and that I love y'all more than cheese. "For Philadelphia Cream, I need no longer dream..." 

Anyway, Peace out. 

Elder Joey

P.S. "Are you sure this water's sanitary? It looks questionable to me..."