A new area and goodbyes

Hey family,

Well the news from the transfer. Well it was really hard, on Monday night we had a noche de hogar with fam. Cuellar, and I just shared my testimony and we talked and took a few pictures. It was really hard to say good bye, and Siomara (their mom) cried the whole time. It was a little funny. Cause Miguel made fun of her the whole time. But it was great I am so happy for them. I am so happy I found them. Also with Fam. Jimenez, on Monday and they were awesome too. They gave me a sweet hat as a gift, it reminds me of dad. He would love it. It is kinda like your nike golf but a brand here called Totto. It is my kind of brand, they make backpacks and that kind of stuff. So I was happy. They are a great family. Also the girls from fam. Cuellar gave me a little stuffed bear. It was cute. Then the time came and I said goodbye. Ok then Tuesday I went down in the morning and said bye to Alfonso. He is a great old man. He was sad I was leaving so I gave him one more blessing. Then we left for the terminal. Then on the way to Tunja, with elder Diaz, we got stopped, and searched, so I was once again touched by a Colombian man………..yeah don’t want to remember that. Haha but then yeah he got off in Tunja to go to his area in Buccaramunga. And I went solo to Bogota. Then I worked with the zone leaders for the day until night cause my comp was off doing busy stuff I guess. Then I got to my house and slept on the ground because elder Romero was leaving on Thursday, so it was his last night in the house, I froze! Then we went to the office to drop him off, traveling here in the city is a nightmare!! But yeah. Also the house was GROSS!! I spent all morning cleaning. I called president to ask if he would pay for the cleaning supplies cause well, there were 4 huge trash bags full of trash that I picked up. So yeah, the house is semi clean, I think it would pass a dad or mom inspection so I was happy about that. Also another cool thing, I got to eat Coastal food, at one of my lunches, so I thought of Parker, and well, we are eating the same dang thing. Haha so you will have to tell him. Also my comp is from Coasta Rica, and well he is a good kid. But doest want to work to hard, but we are none the less working. So yeah I just am studying super hard, and learning a lot. So I am good so far, except it is super cold. But I like it here, but not the big city so much. My area is called Cedros. And my address is Calle 168 #14b-45 I live in 2 big towers. It is kinda cool. Everything here is gated and private so all our investigators are references. So that is kinda cool. I had to but a new coat because I had mine stolen. I am definatly not in Kansas anymore. Well that is about it I am great. Learning lots. Loving life. Thanks for all the love and support from the ward and friends it means a lot! Love nate!

Email Sept. 21, 2009

Nate sent various pictures and just a quick email saying he was being transferred to Bogota. He is both excited to go somewhere new but sad to leave Sogamoso. He had 20 baptisms while serving there. He has learned to love many of the people there. He will be in a very wealthy area that has no investigators and a companion who goes home in 6 weeks. He is anxious to get to work. More next week (I hope)

Email Sept. 14, 2009

hi dad,
I have been doing great here and I am sad to say but I think I will be getting transferred next week, and I don't want to leave the people I have met and found here. It is a great area so we will see. Also how is work going? hopefully you are still finding it and are not having huge problems. I am as busy as a bee. So no worries there. Also this morning I started the Book of Mormon to try and finish it before the end of the year and want to challenge the whole family to do so. So i hope you will make time in your busy day to read a few pages every day. Also 2 funny stories. At the baptism, Alfonso, my 73 year old man didn't think I baptized him deep enough so he yelled out, That was it!?!? DUNK ME DEEPER!! he didn't think i had quite washed all his sins away. It was pretty funny. It also made me quite happy and all the people laugh in the baptism. And the second is my companion has been causing me a lot of grief this past week about small stupid things, so i have been just turning the other cheek and being patient, and today we played soccer, his passion, that is all he thinks about and well my team smoked his team, it was kinda my way of saying I'm not to be walked all over. and I didn't gloat or say anything just left it all on the field and he had plenty of excuses which elder Wagstaff and I laughed about over lunch. We beat him by 6. So yeah it was nice. But yeah i am doing great thanks for all your love and support. i liked the picture of you skiing. Also i am glad you are my dad, and for all the opportunities you gave me. hope you're well and will take the BOM challenge with me. with love your son nathan

Letter Sept. 4, 2009

Dear Family,
I thought I would send Clark a package for his birthday so I put in a letter for you. I am very happy with my decision to serve the Lord. Even though it is hard and I miss you all like crazy, I know I will see you again and I am helping the few people that I can find. Also I have learned so much about myself here. It has been a wonderful 7 months thus far. As for the companion situation, well I have had 3 GREAT companions but also a bit trying at times. I am sure glad I get to pick my eternal companion. Cause man we meet a lot of unhappy couples. But also some very happy, happy couples like Family Cuellar, Family, Merchan (the family sealed in the temple this past Saturday Aug. 29) and the bishop and his wife. I love being able to teach the plan of salvation. We know so much about what is to come and that it is not only this short period on Earth. Families can be together forever. That be one regret I have of my before mission life. Family was just family but now my most cherished memories are of vacations, Sundays, and time spent together. I was part to blame, I thought friends were more important. It seems right before I left and now you are together a lot more. I think that may have to do with age and me being gone as well. But I will not be gone forever!! But it will be hard because soon after I come home then Preston leaves. So make the most of it now. I am so happy to be a part of this "dysfunctional" family. I love you all and hope this letter finds all well.
With many hugs, prayers, and kisses
Nathan

Email Sept. 7, 2009

Nate did not send an email this week. He did send a voice recording that said he is excited about a 73 year old man that will be baptized this next week. They found him drunk on the street and he has since quit drinking and smoking and so excited to be baptized. I don't know how to put the recording's on the blog but I can forward it to anyone if you want to hear his voice. He said he was HAPPY. He also said that his good buddy Elder Williams had to have emergency surgery yesterday to remove his appendix. SCARY!! We are praying for you Elder Williams!! The
These pictures came from the bus ride to Mongui. He says they make soccer balls there and it si pretty sweet!!

Email August 30, 2009

Hi mom,
Well you want a good email to put in the news letter, well, I had 3 baptisms this past weekend!!! I forgot my camera so you will have to wait until next week for pictures but yeah we had the baptism of Fam. Cuellar. We found them in the street one day and they contacted my companion and I in English, cause they both are English professors here. They thought we were both Gringos, it was really weird to see my companion look at me when something was being said. Haha. But we later found out that Miguel is a member that has been inactive for about 20 years, and we taught them all over again, and well he got the priesthood, and baptized his wife and 2 daughters, and their youngest son is 5 so in 3 short years they will have a complete family. It was a little crazy, cause Siomara, the mom, told me she basically had the worst day of her life before the baptism. They were about 40 minutes late, and there one daughter, Camila, who is 9 didn’t want to get baptized, hence she isn’t in any of the pictures, but once she saw her mom and sister Paula, do it she wanted to. It was a crazy night. I was so happy for them. And if I am in Bogota in 1 year, I can go through the temple with them, HOPEFULLY!!! I am praying. Also, the ward went to the temple on Saturday and 2 of the families got sealed, One of them is the man that I have pictures with Obama the Sheep. He was so so so so so happy on Sunday, just grinning from ear to ear. So that was pretty cool to see. I wish I could have gone so bad, but pres. Hacking said no. other than that I am doing pretty good. I have had a really bad headache, since Saturday morning, so not so sure what that deal was. And also i have found a other friend to go to Utah state after, Wagstaff told me today that he wanted to. So that should be good. Thanks for all the love and support. If you see ali here in the next little while tell her hi, and that I e-mailed her. As for me I am just dandy. I found a wonderful talk in the October 2008 conference, that I would advise everybody who reads this letter to go and review it again, it is “Come what may and Love it” by Joseph B Worthlin. It is really good, and it brought me a lot of comfort this past week. I love you thanks for all the love and support mom. And remember, you can do it all even when you think you cant, cause you have been doing it all for the past 19 years I have been around. I love you mom! Love your son nathan

Well dad,
Thanks for your letter and support. I like to hear that your investment, is paying off the way you want it too. And before you know it I will get to enjoy it with you. That is cool that steve and Claudia were up there with you. Tell them both hello when you get a chance, and that I am so grateful for all their support over the years with soccer, young mens , and just being the parents of one of my best friends, they were practically like 2nd parents to me. As to bear, I am glad he is still around. And the blood hounds, I want one really bad, but I have well time to think around here, and I doubt I buy one of them when I get back. I have learned that I need an obedient dog, and huskys and bloodhounds are not known for that. You did give me any opportunity I ever wanted, minus the dirtbike when I was 8. Which, to be honest was a good thing. So thank you for giving me those opportunities. I think I will do things differently, in that have more open weekends to be at the cabin, or backpacking. But who knows, my kids may want to be playing baseball every weekend. That is all in due time. As to Sogomoso, right now it is the rainy season, it rains almost everyday. So I am quite happy that I had bought my rain jacket in bogota when I was there. Not much else, except it still gets to me that they don’t put their meat in the fridge. But well it goes down the hatch still the same. Also a cool thing, I found capt crunch in the store this week. I was thrilled, so I bought a box, to have a little treat this week. i love you and am so glad you are my dad. I learned a lot from, well I would say just about everything, from you and mom. I have such great parents, I like in 1 nephi, 1:1 cause that applies to me and our family. Hope all is well, and I cant think of anything new that I need answering right now. Thanks for all your love and support. I love you your son nathan