Dude I am going to send you a picture of the bat that was in the baptism font this week before our baptism. It was crazy. Also this week I forgot to tell mom but for the blog we finally got hot showers. It is sweet. I love it!
Friday, June 26, 2009
Letter to Preston
Dude I am going to send you a picture of the bat that was in the baptism font this week before our baptism. It was crazy. Also this week I forgot to tell mom but for the blog we finally got hot showers. It is sweet. I love it!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
E-mail June 22, 2009
Well this week has been a little crazy. We had transfers this past week on Tuesday and Wednesday so I got a new companion. His name is Elder Pelero, from Argentina. He is a freaking clown and I love him to death. He is just a funny funny kid. So we have 2 Gringos and 2 Argentines in the house. Williams and Jimenez didn’t get changed. So we have just been having a blast. Also, this week we had 3 baptisms on Thursday, it was great cause they are all so good. Ines, Norma, and Oscar Jimenez. Ines and Norma are sisters that live next to the church and their dad doesn’t like the church at all so it was all done in secret because he works in Bogota but was home for fathers day and the rest of the month. I felt kind of bad about it but they are both over age so we don’t need permission and they have testimonies that it is the correct decision. Oscar Jimenez is the same as before his wife is a member and he just had never talked to missionaries. Heavens he knows more then most the members, I asked him what he knew about tithing, and well that was the lesson cause he explained it all and had no doubts about it. So it was great to see him get baptized. I got to do all three and there were no mess ups. Which to me felt good cause I feel like the Spanish is getting better. So yeah. Then later in the week to try and help Ines and Norma´s father have a better impression of the church we did service there and moved a big mound of dirt with a pick and shovel and wheel barrow. Man it felt good to do some hard manual labor, but my hands have become soft, so I have 2 huge blisters, one on each hand. I never used to get them at the house, dad I have grown soft. Also with my new companion we will have Maté every day in the house which elder Williams is quite excited for. We were supposed to be going to Bogota tomorrow, but of course change of plans. I was a little disappointed, because I have officially picked a soccer team to follow, Santa Fe, and they are in Bogota and I was going to buy a jersey, but not any more. We also were going to see all the other missionaries because it was for the new mission president, but now were not going so we were all a little sad. Elder Williams especially because he was going to buy his own Maté cup and everything. He is addicted to the stuff. Nothing much else is new except our area is kinda dying, we have had trouble finding new people to teach that have a real desire. So hopefully with our prayers it will pick up. I have tons of advice for when Preston goes. Like cuffs in the pants, yeah he wont be doing that. But I am happy here with what I am doing. I also wrote Biss a letter today telling him how proud and excited I am for him. He is going to have a sweet time in Hawaii. I am just trying to think of what else has gone on this week. Companion, baptisms and that is about it. Thanks for all the love and support that you give me mom, it is greatly appreciated. Tell friends and family hello! Love you all thanks for the prayers, love and support. Love Nate
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Email June 15, 2009
Hello,
Well we had the wedding and well I bought a cake for it well 2. Never thought I would pay for a wedding before I was 50. But it was worth it I love the family and well the wedding cakes for 2 was only 30 bucks which well is relatively cheap no? haha also no baptisms this past week but we have 4 this coming week which is way exciting. I am in this moment just beaming with happiness. I found the bag I have been wanting for tracking cause we cant use a backpack and I found one today that is perfect. Also I got a hair cut that wasn’t chi chi like the one I got a few weeks ago. And the Spanish is coming along very well I am just happy. But one this is for sure is that this work is very stressful and I was a little annoyed and stressed about it then I read D&C 11 and I felt like all my questions had been answered. It was a nice relief. Also we find out tonight if about transfers. And I think I will bet getting a new comp. because mine has been in this area for 6 months now. I am not looking forward to it a lot but change is good. It will give me a lot more responsibility. Also this past week we had our last zone conference with President Camargo. It was a little sad but oh well. Also at zone conference on Tuesday I met Elder and Sister Chapman. They are senior missionaries and have been here just about a year. They are from Florida. Great people but the funny thing is I speak and understand more Spanish than they do. It was an interesting experience. But they are great. As for spiritual wise, I have learned so much about the church and about the Book of Mormon. I didn’t prepare very well for this mission and it is hurting me now so I study hard everyday to try and get caught up. But I love it. It has been hard for me to let people have their agency because I know that the gospel will bless their lives but some people just don’t want to keep commitments but right now we have one girl Jessica that is just amazing, she just wants to find the truth so she reads and prays and comes to church, she is getting baptized on Saturday and I am so happy for her. Nicholas family I got both your letters but on the same day. So I couldn't tell you what way is faster to send. But thanks so much for the love and support. AMY MORRISON I just love your sweet heart! I got your letters this past Tuesday and well they just make my day to know that I have people like you praying for me. It is also nice to get an update on what your family is doing cause well Amanda don’t write me none. I am writing people with correct paper cause I hadn’t been so letters should be coming soon to friends. Also big news in the Bosque house, WE NOW HAVE A FRIDGE. Oh it is so nice, we have cold water and ICE CREAM and mom the jello was fantastic! Also another fun detail I have gained a little weight, had to let the ole belt out a notch this week. My Spanish is coming along pretty good. I can understand about half right now and it also depends on the person talking, like English some people just talk better than others. But I am trying to work hard to just be fluent. People have a tough time understanding me sometimes cause I must have a thick accent. So I am not exactly sure how to get rid of it but it is a work in progress. Hope all is well with friends and family. Know I pray for you all everyday. So I love you so much and am glad that I am serving.
Love Nate
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
E-mail June 8, 2009
Dear friends and family
Well this past week in Colombia has been a good one. We didnt have any baptisms but we have lots of people investigating the church which is a good thing. We have a young couple Manuel and Angelica that have 2 little kids that are getting married this week!! I am so happy for them and their little boy is the cutest thing ever. But that is the big news of this week to come that we have that to plan for. So I will send some pictures of that next week if things actually go through. cause well plans here are never certain until the exact hour. So we will see. Today for P-day we went to a little pueblo called Mongui. They are famous for making soccer balls. So well I bought one that is pretty cool. It was so pretty up there. It was very high up in the top of the mtns. This past week we did service and I got to chop wood! I was quite excited because I quite like doing it. Dave save me a big stack for when I get home!! It was pretty funny cause my companion never had done it and I had to teach him. It was fun. Also we ate on Sunday after our fast so stinking much that I about threw up. Then our next appointment fed us again 2 huge plates. I was so sick on Sunday that I could hardly stand but I survived. I have just been living on the edge here and some days I wonder what I got myself into but I am having a wonderful adventure. I am so grateful for all your love and support and hope you all know I love and pray for you.
love nate
An Excerpt from the letter to his dad:
Thanks for your e-mail it is what I needed this week I have been a
little stressed cause we have high goals for lessons and contacts and
such and well just haven’t been making them cause the people here,
well like to talk so it is a little stressful but I have been getting
used to it cause now I actually understand a lot more of the
conversation. The people here are so interesting to talk to and hear
about their lives. And yes I have learned that I could live on
nothing cause well at the end of each month we live on nothing. But I
want to thank you for all the opportunities that you have given me as
a kid. I was a very lucky kid.
My mission is definitely different than I thought it would be but well I
have learned a lot about who I am and that well there are just people
that flat out don’t want to listen, and that we need the millennium to
actually do all the work that needs to be done. Our area is huge and
we track maybe 1/30 of it cause we just don’t have time for more.
I am going to send you some pictures of a man that is in the ward that
is the hardest working person I know. He rides his bike about 10 miles
everyday at 3 am for work for one of his jobs but yet is the happiest
man ever. also I got to eat a peach from one of his trees. It was
small and green but it was still very sweet and good.
Well this past week in Colombia has been a good one. We didnt have any baptisms but we have lots of people investigating the church which is a good thing. We have a young couple Manuel and Angelica that have 2 little kids that are getting married this week!! I am so happy for them and their little boy is the cutest thing ever. But that is the big news of this week to come that we have that to plan for. So I will send some pictures of that next week if things actually go through. cause well plans here are never certain until the exact hour. So we will see. Today for P-day we went to a little pueblo called Mongui. They are famous for making soccer balls. So well I bought one that is pretty cool. It was so pretty up there. It was very high up in the top of the mtns. This past week we did service and I got to chop wood! I was quite excited because I quite like doing it. Dave save me a big stack for when I get home!! It was pretty funny cause my companion never had done it and I had to teach him. It was fun. Also we ate on Sunday after our fast so stinking much that I about threw up. Then our next appointment fed us again 2 huge plates. I was so sick on Sunday that I could hardly stand but I survived. I have just been living on the edge here and some days I wonder what I got myself into but I am having a wonderful adventure. I am so grateful for all your love and support and hope you all know I love and pray for you.
love nate
An Excerpt from the letter to his dad:
Thanks for your e-mail it is what I needed this week I have been a
little stressed cause we have high goals for lessons and contacts and
such and well just haven’t been making them cause the people here,
well like to talk so it is a little stressful but I have been getting
used to it cause now I actually understand a lot more of the
conversation. The people here are so interesting to talk to and hear
about their lives. And yes I have learned that I could live on
nothing cause well at the end of each month we live on nothing. But I
want to thank you for all the opportunities that you have given me as
a kid. I was a very lucky kid.
My mission is definitely different than I thought it would be but well I
have learned a lot about who I am and that well there are just people
that flat out don’t want to listen, and that we need the millennium to
actually do all the work that needs to be done. Our area is huge and
we track maybe 1/30 of it cause we just don’t have time for more.
I am going to send you some pictures of a man that is in the ward that
is the hardest working person I know. He rides his bike about 10 miles
everyday at 3 am for work for one of his jobs but yet is the happiest
man ever. also I got to eat a peach from one of his trees. It was
small and green but it was still very sweet and good.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Email June 1, 2009
Well hello from Colombia friends and family,
Well first off we went through 3 giant rolls of toilet paper in the house this past week. haha yeah one of those weeks. anyway. Today I don’t have my camera unfortunately cause we are out and about. But the other 2 elders Williams and Jimenez had 3 baptisms this past week. it was cool. and well we have some real investigators. One Oscar Jimenez, his wife and 2 kids are members, and he I think will get baptized. every time we teach them I think of the Arnolds, because the wife just hasn’t pushed anything on her husband and now they will be able to become an eternal family. that is like the ultimate goal here to make eternal families.
alright you want to hear about my mission huh well I get up at 630 every day and pray solo and with my comp. then I make breakfast with elder Williams cause nobody else will in the house. then from 8 to 9 I have personal study, which is my favorite part of the day. haha then comp. study. from 9 to 10 then 10 to 1030 I study Spanish. then we have appts. for the rest of the day. and we eat lunch with a family in the ward every day at 1 then appointments til 9 I then plan with my comp for the next day, and write in my journal and pray and go to bed.
so yeah the days are long but fulfilling. Today a coke truck was turning the corner and the back tires went up the curb and it was open and like 15 crates of glass 1 liter bottles went everywhere and just coke river in the street it was pretty funny we helped clean it up.
I was happy to hear Jordan made it off on his mission and he is in for the time of his life. it is just living on the edge for 2 years. for example I bought some bread the other night and we started teaching the family that owns the bakery and well during the lesson some stray dog came in and walked off with my bag of bread. it was just like DUH it was funny. well I don’t have much more from this week. I am doing good and the language is coming along and we have our last zone conference with President Camargo this week on Friday. it is kinda sad that I only got to know him for 2 months cause he is a great inspired man. Then on the 20th of June we get to travel to bogota to meet the new president, President Hacking. so yeah that is about it from Colombia. love you all and thanks for the love and support. I pray for all (well try to). thanks nate.
OH also some huge black man today told me to get out of his country. haha I just laughed. cause well he could have torn my arms off.
Also Liz CONGRATULATOINS that is pretty big day for you and I am happy for you!!
ali thanks for sending my mom pictures. they are great.
Well first off we went through 3 giant rolls of toilet paper in the house this past week. haha yeah one of those weeks. anyway. Today I don’t have my camera unfortunately cause we are out and about. But the other 2 elders Williams and Jimenez had 3 baptisms this past week. it was cool. and well we have some real investigators. One Oscar Jimenez, his wife and 2 kids are members, and he I think will get baptized. every time we teach them I think of the Arnolds, because the wife just hasn’t pushed anything on her husband and now they will be able to become an eternal family. that is like the ultimate goal here to make eternal families.
alright you want to hear about my mission huh well I get up at 630 every day and pray solo and with my comp. then I make breakfast with elder Williams cause nobody else will in the house. then from 8 to 9 I have personal study, which is my favorite part of the day. haha then comp. study. from 9 to 10 then 10 to 1030 I study Spanish. then we have appts. for the rest of the day. and we eat lunch with a family in the ward every day at 1 then appointments til 9 I then plan with my comp for the next day, and write in my journal and pray and go to bed.
so yeah the days are long but fulfilling. Today a coke truck was turning the corner and the back tires went up the curb and it was open and like 15 crates of glass 1 liter bottles went everywhere and just coke river in the street it was pretty funny we helped clean it up.
I was happy to hear Jordan made it off on his mission and he is in for the time of his life. it is just living on the edge for 2 years. for example I bought some bread the other night and we started teaching the family that owns the bakery and well during the lesson some stray dog came in and walked off with my bag of bread. it was just like DUH it was funny. well I don’t have much more from this week. I am doing good and the language is coming along and we have our last zone conference with President Camargo this week on Friday. it is kinda sad that I only got to know him for 2 months cause he is a great inspired man. Then on the 20th of June we get to travel to bogota to meet the new president, President Hacking. so yeah that is about it from Colombia. love you all and thanks for the love and support. I pray for all (well try to). thanks nate.
OH also some huge black man today told me to get out of his country. haha I just laughed. cause well he could have torn my arms off.
Also Liz CONGRATULATOINS that is pretty big day for you and I am happy for you!!
ali thanks for sending my mom pictures. they are great.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Email May 25, 2009
Hi friends and family
Well we had a baptism this past week. It was pretty sweet. John and his two daugters Luisa and Camila. It was pretty special for me because they are the first people that I taught all the lessons too. I was pretty happy. As for others we have a good couple Manuel and Angelica. They are a young family with a new baby and a 1 year old. It is sweet. Angelica´s brother Jefferson was listening to us then just decided to stop so hopefully we can answer his doubts and get him back on track. That is about if for progessing investigators at the moment. I have really noticed how happy i am preaching the gospel. I have come to realize when you put the lord first and keep all the commandments you can be as happy as ever. Its been kinda crazy to feel like then and at the same time get fed Chicken feet or cow stomache. But we Only really eat once a day so we are happy to get it. The misión is different than how i expected. I thought a lot more people would be jumping at an opportunity to be more happy and recieve many blessings from the lord. But many people just flat out dont want to listen. This week has flown by for me. As for the spanish i feel more confident but i still dont understand a lot but i am content with what the lord has blessed me with now. Just gotta keep working hard and being obedient. I live at Calle 6 number 24-21 in Sogamoso Colombia. I don't have a picture of the house right now but i will be sure to take one soon. Tell Jordan good luck and to just endure the MTC cause it gets way better in the field. As for biss putting in his papers that is sweet stuff. The misión is so sweet. And what ever you have at home will be there when you get back cause the lord just flat out blesses you for doing his work. Also this past week we got some great advice from Pres. Camargo. He told us we need to carry our temple recommend with us everwhere we go. So as we got home i put it in my wallet, which is 4 cards with a rubber banda round them, and that night i felt just little more powerful. So i would encourage that with all of you at home. Put it in your wallet and carry it everywhere cause not everybody is worthy of this great blessing and it will help you remember the temple.
Well i love you all and thanks for all the support. I actually get letters from home so friends i would love to hear from you. Jordan what is your misión address so i can send ya a letter now and then.
Love and pray for you all
Love nate
Mom yes the Money was for the jerseys you should have gotten them by now. Stink. But oh well. Also WHY was there no letter in the Package you sent me? I was a little upset. But yes i got the first Package and it rocked. Thank you.. love you all and sorry about this letter this computer keeps trying to change all the words into spanish it has been rough to write it. I wrote a written letter today so look for one soon. Tell everyone i love them and thank you. Preston thanks for the music.
Well we had a baptism this past week. It was pretty sweet. John and his two daugters Luisa and Camila. It was pretty special for me because they are the first people that I taught all the lessons too. I was pretty happy. As for others we have a good couple Manuel and Angelica. They are a young family with a new baby and a 1 year old. It is sweet. Angelica´s brother Jefferson was listening to us then just decided to stop so hopefully we can answer his doubts and get him back on track. That is about if for progessing investigators at the moment. I have really noticed how happy i am preaching the gospel. I have come to realize when you put the lord first and keep all the commandments you can be as happy as ever. Its been kinda crazy to feel like then and at the same time get fed Chicken feet or cow stomache. But we Only really eat once a day so we are happy to get it. The misión is different than how i expected. I thought a lot more people would be jumping at an opportunity to be more happy and recieve many blessings from the lord. But many people just flat out dont want to listen. This week has flown by for me. As for the spanish i feel more confident but i still dont understand a lot but i am content with what the lord has blessed me with now. Just gotta keep working hard and being obedient. I live at Calle 6 number 24-21 in Sogamoso Colombia. I don't have a picture of the house right now but i will be sure to take one soon. Tell Jordan good luck and to just endure the MTC cause it gets way better in the field. As for biss putting in his papers that is sweet stuff. The misión is so sweet. And what ever you have at home will be there when you get back cause the lord just flat out blesses you for doing his work. Also this past week we got some great advice from Pres. Camargo. He told us we need to carry our temple recommend with us everwhere we go. So as we got home i put it in my wallet, which is 4 cards with a rubber banda round them, and that night i felt just little more powerful. So i would encourage that with all of you at home. Put it in your wallet and carry it everywhere cause not everybody is worthy of this great blessing and it will help you remember the temple.
Well i love you all and thanks for all the support. I actually get letters from home so friends i would love to hear from you. Jordan what is your misión address so i can send ya a letter now and then.
Love and pray for you all
Love nate
Mom yes the Money was for the jerseys you should have gotten them by now. Stink. But oh well. Also WHY was there no letter in the Package you sent me? I was a little upset. But yes i got the first Package and it rocked. Thank you.. love you all and sorry about this letter this computer keeps trying to change all the words into spanish it has been rough to write it. I wrote a written letter today so look for one soon. Tell everyone i love them and thank you. Preston thanks for the music.
Monday, May 18, 2009
E-mail May 18, 2009
Hello friends and family,
Well another p day down in the colombian life and i am living it. It has been a little rough this week with John, and his daughters because they can only meet with us at 8 at night and we have to return to the house by 930 and we always get started way late but it is good and they should be getting baptized this coming Saturday so I am very excited about that because they are the first real people I have taught all the lessons too. In the pictures is Eder he is elder Williams and Jimenez´s convert this past week and he is a nut. He can speak a little English and he calls himself brad pitt he is just funny. Um in the other pictures is a spider that was even bigger then the first one we found. If you can see the snail in the photo that should give you an idea how stinking big it is. And the other is us having a picnic today with HOT DOGS oh a little taste of America. But life is good here. The language is coming along well and I am just trying to soak it all up. Mom and natali thanks so much for the blog. It is good. Dad I dig the stash but it is way better when it is a full barba, or beard. I have another family that we are teaching the Mom is a member Lucy, and her son Jefferson is interested and also her daughter Angelica and her husband Manuel. So hopefully the lord will bless us with success with them. Um what else. Mom asked if other people should be writing me and I am heard with the new president that I cant write other people other than family so I am sorry to those I have been writing for example biss and Jordan but heck your both going on missions and should be having your own experences so don’t need to hear about mine. Natali that is exciting you started your new job. And I am praying for Valedictorian. Haha I love you all so much I am glad things are going good. I miss you but ya know I will be back in 2 years and not going anywhere after that. Sooooo I guess Chow for now from Colombia. Thanks for all the love and support. I pray for all and hope this letter finds you well, all who read it. Also mom I received 2 more dear elders this week from you and dad so that was awesome thanks so much. Preston and Andrew watch the mail. Haha that’s all I´m going to say. Love you 2 I miss you 2 the most (no offense natali dad and mom but brothers are just special.) preston send me another song or two I downloaded wonderwall and It is awesome. My comp really likes blink 182 so maybe a couple of their songs if it isn’t 2 much trouble. Oh and the green one is for Andrew cause they didn’t have a large in green. Love all the family dad natali and mom thanks for the e-mails this week.
Andrew good luck with baseball.
Well another p day down in the colombian life and i am living it. It has been a little rough this week with John, and his daughters because they can only meet with us at 8 at night and we have to return to the house by 930 and we always get started way late but it is good and they should be getting baptized this coming Saturday so I am very excited about that because they are the first real people I have taught all the lessons too. In the pictures is Eder he is elder Williams and Jimenez´s convert this past week and he is a nut. He can speak a little English and he calls himself brad pitt he is just funny. Um in the other pictures is a spider that was even bigger then the first one we found. If you can see the snail in the photo that should give you an idea how stinking big it is. And the other is us having a picnic today with HOT DOGS oh a little taste of America. But life is good here. The language is coming along well and I am just trying to soak it all up. Mom and natali thanks so much for the blog. It is good. Dad I dig the stash but it is way better when it is a full barba, or beard. I have another family that we are teaching the Mom is a member Lucy, and her son Jefferson is interested and also her daughter Angelica and her husband Manuel. So hopefully the lord will bless us with success with them. Um what else. Mom asked if other people should be writing me and I am heard with the new president that I cant write other people other than family so I am sorry to those I have been writing for example biss and Jordan but heck your both going on missions and should be having your own experences so don’t need to hear about mine. Natali that is exciting you started your new job. And I am praying for Valedictorian. Haha I love you all so much I am glad things are going good. I miss you but ya know I will be back in 2 years and not going anywhere after that. Sooooo I guess Chow for now from Colombia. Thanks for all the love and support. I pray for all and hope this letter finds you well, all who read it. Also mom I received 2 more dear elders this week from you and dad so that was awesome thanks so much. Preston and Andrew watch the mail. Haha that’s all I´m going to say. Love you 2 I miss you 2 the most (no offense natali dad and mom but brothers are just special.) preston send me another song or two I downloaded wonderwall and It is awesome. My comp really likes blink 182 so maybe a couple of their songs if it isn’t 2 much trouble. Oh and the green one is for Andrew cause they didn’t have a large in green. Love all the family dad natali and mom thanks for the e-mails this week.
Andrew good luck with baseball.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Email--May 4, 2009
Just a quick note. We talked to Nate on Mother's Day. It was so awesome to hear his voice!! He is doing well. The language is not coming as fast as he would like but it has only been 6 weeks!! He did not send an email on Monday so this email is old but I have not gotten it on the blog until now. Thanks for all your support. He says the dearelder letters are like gold!!
Hola Family and friends,
Well this week has been good I have been working hard to pick up the language but it is still very tough. We had our baptism fall through too which was a rough blow, and we are having trouble with getting people to attend church. They have to attend 3 weeks before they can get baptized and boy they just always seem to be `busy´ Sunday mornings. But that is ok. This past week we got some investigators to give up their coffee and cigs. It is exciting when people are willing to give up these things. The hardest thing for me here has been trying to learn the directions of the houses. They have a totally different system and had been tough trying to figure it out but I think I got it down now. The lovely shower here is just a pipe out of the wall so I get a WONDERFUL reminder of bear lake every morning after I do my daily pushups haha. Also we had a priesthood conference yesterday and we were supposed to have 9 men receive the Melchizedek priesthood but 5 fell to temptation this week with WoW. Ah it was frustrating cause Satan is a jerk, but he is our brother so love him. Also I got asked a funny question on the bus to the Conference by Sergio, Hey uds. Tienen los motos Harley Davidson en los estados unitos? Do you have Harleys in the US? I just laughed because they just have a very different opinión of us. It was humor for the day. But I am picking but the language slowly but surely and am learning a lot about how the church works by working in a Branch instead of a ward. Thanks for all the love and support. Love you all and pray for you.
Love Elder Naegle
Hola Family and friends,
Well this week has been good I have been working hard to pick up the language but it is still very tough. We had our baptism fall through too which was a rough blow, and we are having trouble with getting people to attend church. They have to attend 3 weeks before they can get baptized and boy they just always seem to be `busy´ Sunday mornings. But that is ok. This past week we got some investigators to give up their coffee and cigs. It is exciting when people are willing to give up these things. The hardest thing for me here has been trying to learn the directions of the houses. They have a totally different system and had been tough trying to figure it out but I think I got it down now. The lovely shower here is just a pipe out of the wall so I get a WONDERFUL reminder of bear lake every morning after I do my daily pushups haha. Also we had a priesthood conference yesterday and we were supposed to have 9 men receive the Melchizedek priesthood but 5 fell to temptation this week with WoW. Ah it was frustrating cause Satan is a jerk, but he is our brother so love him. Also I got asked a funny question on the bus to the Conference by Sergio, Hey uds. Tienen los motos Harley Davidson en los estados unitos? Do you have Harleys in the US? I just laughed because they just have a very different opinión of us. It was humor for the day. But I am picking but the language slowly but surely and am learning a lot about how the church works by working in a Branch instead of a ward. Thanks for all the love and support. Love you all and pray for you.
Love Elder Naegle
Nate sent us this picture of his shower
Monday, April 27, 2009
Email--April 27, 2009
Hello friends and family,
I am doing pretty good here in Colombia. My mom asked me what the food was like and well to say the least it is not very good. But their big meal of the day is lunch 1 and we eat with the members everyday it just switches off. And we don’t get back to the house until 9 so we make something small for a quick dinner. So to say the least I have gotten to the point I don’t care what it is I just eat it cause I am so hungry at lunch everyday. The worst had to be the cow stomach, oh just a lovely grey sponge that is just great in your mouth. For e-mail we just go to a store on the street and pay to use the computer. About a dollar an hour to use the computer and they are like starbucks here. One or 2 on every street. As for cooking elder Williams and I do all the cooking cause well the natives just aren’t too concerned about it and the dishes too. So yeah a lot of eggs rice and potatoes in the area I am in. I am in Sogomoso, a small area at about 10,000 feet so it gets pretty cold here at night but can be pretty warm when the sun is out. Just know that I am doing great and trying to work hard. The Spanish is slowly slowing but surely coming along. We had 1 baptism this week Marta and a Tirso Cabeza a new convert of 2 months baptized her. I got to conduct the baptism, a rough but good expierence in Spanish. Ok well thank you for all the love and support and know I pray for everybody. Love nate
Hi mom
Thanks for the letter it was great and it meant a lot to hear all your advice and to know you love me. Thanks so much. I hope I answered all your questions. It is tough to get everything done needed for the week in 1 day. I wrote preston and dad so they will have more about things here but thanks for taking care of the the dog and all that stuff. It means a lot and tell dave and Maxine thank you for their help with the dog and all their love and support. Sorry it is kinda short but know I love you and am trying to work hard and be obedient. Love you very much love nate
Dear dad,
I have to write president and I am out of time, so it will be short
But thank you so very much for your letter I printed it off and will
hang it up for your encouraging words. I am glad you survived your
accident, did you let mom know about that? I am glad to hear that
Preston is a big help. I miss him a lot being able to just always
have a friend to talk to and hang out with. You realize a lot more
what you really value when you don’t have it any more. Thanks for all
your love and support dad. Know I am working hard at Spanish and
missionary work. It is hard work. I now understand hard work even
more fully. And as I sent mom the food is no longer a problem, I just
eat it and don’t even worry any more. It is just food for the day and
I will get different tomorrow. And when I get home I will get to eat
whatever I want. I laughed about your cocoa, because they drink a
drink here that is called Awapanella that is a hot drink that I didn’t
like the first few times but it is something now that I just drink and
don’t even think about it. Dad thanks for your love and support I'm
glad to be your son and for all the good things you taught me.
Love nate
Area
HUGE spider in the house
Random animals in the street
I am doing pretty good here in Colombia. My mom asked me what the food was like and well to say the least it is not very good. But their big meal of the day is lunch 1 and we eat with the members everyday it just switches off. And we don’t get back to the house until 9 so we make something small for a quick dinner. So to say the least I have gotten to the point I don’t care what it is I just eat it cause I am so hungry at lunch everyday. The worst had to be the cow stomach, oh just a lovely grey sponge that is just great in your mouth. For e-mail we just go to a store on the street and pay to use the computer. About a dollar an hour to use the computer and they are like starbucks here. One or 2 on every street. As for cooking elder Williams and I do all the cooking cause well the natives just aren’t too concerned about it and the dishes too. So yeah a lot of eggs rice and potatoes in the area I am in. I am in Sogomoso, a small area at about 10,000 feet so it gets pretty cold here at night but can be pretty warm when the sun is out. Just know that I am doing great and trying to work hard. The Spanish is slowly slowing but surely coming along. We had 1 baptism this week Marta and a Tirso Cabeza a new convert of 2 months baptized her. I got to conduct the baptism, a rough but good expierence in Spanish. Ok well thank you for all the love and support and know I pray for everybody. Love nate
Hi mom
Thanks for the letter it was great and it meant a lot to hear all your advice and to know you love me. Thanks so much. I hope I answered all your questions. It is tough to get everything done needed for the week in 1 day. I wrote preston and dad so they will have more about things here but thanks for taking care of the the dog and all that stuff. It means a lot and tell dave and Maxine thank you for their help with the dog and all their love and support. Sorry it is kinda short but know I love you and am trying to work hard and be obedient. Love you very much love nate
Dear dad,
I have to write president and I am out of time, so it will be short
But thank you so very much for your letter I printed it off and will
hang it up for your encouraging words. I am glad you survived your
accident, did you let mom know about that? I am glad to hear that
Preston is a big help. I miss him a lot being able to just always
have a friend to talk to and hang out with. You realize a lot more
what you really value when you don’t have it any more. Thanks for all
your love and support dad. Know I am working hard at Spanish and
missionary work. It is hard work. I now understand hard work even
more fully. And as I sent mom the food is no longer a problem, I just
eat it and don’t even worry any more. It is just food for the day and
I will get different tomorrow. And when I get home I will get to eat
whatever I want. I laughed about your cocoa, because they drink a
drink here that is called Awapanella that is a hot drink that I didn’t
like the first few times but it is something now that I just drink and
don’t even think about it. Dad thanks for your love and support I'm
glad to be your son and for all the good things you taught me.
Love nate
President Sanchez (Branch President), Marta, & Tirso
Area
HUGE spider in the house
HUGE MOTH
Random animals in the street
Monday, April 20, 2009
E-mail April 20, 2009
Hello family and friends,
Well this week was much much harder. Having a comp that doesn’t speak a lick of English is a testing thing for me. But I am managing. No baptisms for my companionship but for the other one in the house they had one. So it is still going stong we have one set for next Saturday so hopefully it all goes through. I don’t really know what to say other then we have about 15 investigators and there is not enough time in the week to get to them all and teach because they all say that they are to busy so we end up doing a lot of Plan B stuff so hopefully it will pick up. I am happy to be in Colombia and it is sweet to hear of more missionaries coming here there is so much work to be done. Thank you for all your prayers and support. It has been nice growing up in the church. Grandma, natives are astounded when I tell them that our family has been in the church since John C. most of the natives are 1st or 2nd generation missionaries so look for some more pictures of me in white next week.
Ok mom hi
Thanks so much for all your love and support. As you can see I took some money out of my account so I should need more for awhile. But we will see. Man I have so much advice for when preston and Andrew go on their missions just with what to bring and not. So it should be good. But first I sent a letter home via pouch but it is for Victoria, cause I don’t have her home address and by the time it gets there she will be out of school so if you could get that to here either mail it or call her that would benice. Thank you
Also see if you can send a package here. Mainly with food cause most the food sucks here. But yeah I want to see if I will get one cause If I do I might have you send me more washable pants. That is the dumbest thing we did not enough washable pants cause I cant wash my suit pants so they are just dirty. So I may buy some more here I haven’t decided. So don’t send pants unless I tell you too. But yeah I will try and see if I can find those people but there are 3 areas in sogomoso so I doubt I will find them but I will ask.
Also the cabin looks pretty dang sweet. It makes me excited for 2 summers from now. It looks good. Remember grass haha also is that our swing set or not?
My companion is now tough. Haha strange how it has changed but they latin people just think in very strange ways. So it has been a really rough week for me I have wanted to come home so bad just cause he is stressful and I don’t understand anything but I am doing to endure. Pday is good to be able to relax and we cleaned our whole house today. And got money figured out what we were going to do with food and such. Stuff is pretty cheap here well that’s a lie some stuff is but yeah it is definitely a crazy experience. But yeah that is funny about parker. He is a little slow. And also about biss he said to me in an e-mail that he is going to still go. We got all sides pushing him. So I think he will go. But yeah I love you all so much hope work is good for dad and school is good for theboys and natali. Do I still have a living 4-legged creature in the backyard? I miss bear so much there are soooo sooo many dogs just running the streets here and a lotof them need to be put our of their misery it is sad. And some of the people here are just so so poor it is hard to see and I have realized so so much how blessed we are in the US and our family. But yeah I love you all so much thanks for the prayers and love. A dear elder would be nice once in while too cause we don’t get them for a long time so they are like GOLD so yeah love you all love nate
Well this week was much much harder. Having a comp that doesn’t speak a lick of English is a testing thing for me. But I am managing. No baptisms for my companionship but for the other one in the house they had one. So it is still going stong we have one set for next Saturday so hopefully it all goes through. I don’t really know what to say other then we have about 15 investigators and there is not enough time in the week to get to them all and teach because they all say that they are to busy so we end up doing a lot of Plan B stuff so hopefully it will pick up. I am happy to be in Colombia and it is sweet to hear of more missionaries coming here there is so much work to be done. Thank you for all your prayers and support. It has been nice growing up in the church. Grandma, natives are astounded when I tell them that our family has been in the church since John C. most of the natives are 1st or 2nd generation missionaries so look for some more pictures of me in white next week.
Ok mom hi
Thanks so much for all your love and support. As you can see I took some money out of my account so I should need more for awhile. But we will see. Man I have so much advice for when preston and Andrew go on their missions just with what to bring and not. So it should be good. But first I sent a letter home via pouch but it is for Victoria, cause I don’t have her home address and by the time it gets there she will be out of school so if you could get that to here either mail it or call her that would benice. Thank you
Also see if you can send a package here. Mainly with food cause most the food sucks here. But yeah I want to see if I will get one cause If I do I might have you send me more washable pants. That is the dumbest thing we did not enough washable pants cause I cant wash my suit pants so they are just dirty. So I may buy some more here I haven’t decided. So don’t send pants unless I tell you too. But yeah I will try and see if I can find those people but there are 3 areas in sogomoso so I doubt I will find them but I will ask.
Also the cabin looks pretty dang sweet. It makes me excited for 2 summers from now. It looks good. Remember grass haha also is that our swing set or not?
My companion is now tough. Haha strange how it has changed but they latin people just think in very strange ways. So it has been a really rough week for me I have wanted to come home so bad just cause he is stressful and I don’t understand anything but I am doing to endure. Pday is good to be able to relax and we cleaned our whole house today. And got money figured out what we were going to do with food and such. Stuff is pretty cheap here well that’s a lie some stuff is but yeah it is definitely a crazy experience. But yeah that is funny about parker. He is a little slow. And also about biss he said to me in an e-mail that he is going to still go. We got all sides pushing him. So I think he will go. But yeah I love you all so much hope work is good for dad and school is good for theboys and natali. Do I still have a living 4-legged creature in the backyard? I miss bear so much there are soooo sooo many dogs just running the streets here and a lotof them need to be put our of their misery it is sad. And some of the people here are just so so poor it is hard to see and I have realized so so much how blessed we are in the US and our family. But yeah I love you all so much thanks for the prayers and love. A dear elder would be nice once in while too cause we don’t get them for a long time so they are like GOLD so yeah love you all love nate
Monday, April 13, 2009
MISSIONS ARE TIGHT!!
Well I have been doing great the first few days here, I hope you opened the other email first, if not or it didn’t work I was in all white so you know what that means. I GOT TO BAPTIZE 2 PEOPLE it was so so sweet. But my new companion is Elder Torres from Ecuador, he Is great and I love being with him. He doesn’t speak any English but swear words and a little here and there so we are teaching each other. But ok First when I got to Colombia I slept with 3 other elders from my district and we got here late at night andit was just crazy being in a new country. But they next day we went to get like an ID card and such and we had to get our blood drawn and I was fine during but after like 5 minutes I started getting sick and BOOM I passed out, it was the craziest feeling ever. But I don’t know why cause I have had my blood drawn before. So don’t know why. It was crazy then I was sick for the rest of the day because of it so I had an interview with President and went back to the house with 2 elders and just relaxed until they had a dinner appt. and I ate some corn soup that wasn’t bad. So the next morning I got sent to my area and a bus ride with 4 other elders until I got to a place called TUNJA and got off and 2 other elders picked me up and walked 5 minutes and they put me on another bus alone to a place called Sogomoso. It was nuts but it was kinda cool cause I got to see a lot of country and see how fortunate we are at home. I never have realized what I took for granted. But when I got to Sogomoso I was lost for like 10 minutes before some guy said hey your companions are inside the station. So I finally found them. There are 4 of us living in a house and they just moved into it about 2 weeks ago. So it is pretty nice I guess. But it is me, Elder Torres, Elder Jimenez, and elder Williams from Las Vegas. I was pretty happy to have him here because he has been here a month and can understand Spanish and I cant so it has been way good and he is exactly like me. So I am sure you will meet him one day cause he loves to be on the lake. but anyway I got to the house and took my jacket off and out the door we went to an appt. he wasn’t there but the neighbor next door was home and we taught her and her 2 sons lesson one. I was astounded I hadn’t been here 20 minutes and we were teaching. But it was good. Spanish is hard to understand but I pick more and more up every day. It is tight. But later that night we went and taugh Jose who I didn’t know but had a baptism Saturday and we taught him the WOW and Law of Chastity. Then we went to the Familia de Perez who also had baptism dates for Saturday. But I didn’t know cause I don’t understand much. But then it was a run home because we needed to be back on time.
Anyway we taught more and I have eaten some pretty sick food. It is not as good as everybody says but I am getting more used to it and being able to choke it down. Haha but yeah I got to baptize on Saturday and It was amazing. I baptized the mom and the youngest girl. I didn’t mess up either I just needed help with the names cause they have the name of both their mother and father and we have only our fathers last name. so it was tough but I did it. It was sweet.
Church here is sweet. My area is Bosque 1 and we share the Branch with the other elders and they need 2 more priesthood holders to become a ward so that is our goal. Church here is insane being fast Sunday yesterday tons of people bear their testimonies including me and everybody likes talking to me cause I don’t understand. The people here are so so nice if you talk to them. On the street they are rude.
Water is fine here for the most time cause I have been drinking it and haven’t gotten sick yet. But I still use my bottle I bought.
Thanks for all the prayers. P-day is Monday and so yeah look for letters that day.
Hope Hawaii was good. I am doing great it is was fun, hard, stressful and everything a mission is. We are trying for 30 contacts a day. I hope I answered all your questions. Love you all. I have come to appreciate where I am from sooooooooooooooooooooo much more you have no idea. They don’t have garbage cans here so its just a dump everywhere. Animals in the streets people drive like crazy. Stuff is way cheap I will get some cool stuff for you all. Tell the ward hi. Grandma and grandpa Naegle hi, nobody can pronounce my name it is funny. They all stare at me with my hair. But yeah pretty much it working hard. Tell grandpa and Marie hi. But yeah I am doing great.
Love you all thanks for the prayers sorry if I left something out but we will have eternity to talk about it. We taught the Perez family about temples and being sealed for eternity and they want to go way bad so in May hopefully. They have to talk to President Sanchez, the Branch President, he is way cool and nice. But yeah thank hope all is well. Love nate
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Colombia arrival
Good Afternoon from Colombia,
We just wanted to inform you and let you know that all of your sons arrived safely here to Bogotá. Your sons are great young men who are really ready to serve the lord. Even though they haven’t gotten much sleep these past few days your sons are eager to put their shoulder to the will and get to work! You can really tell that they have been raised by good families and we want to thank you for all your work and your support! Colombia is a beautiful country and it is marvelous place to be and especially to do missionary work! The people here are so loving and are so grateful to have North American missionaries again! They are really humble and will give everything they have so that your sons can be comfortable even if it means sacrificing for them. The relationship that your sons make will be life long, and the missionary experience will really improve their social skills. It is really a blessing that your sons are here in Colombia and will be able to learn and speak Spanish! It will be a blessing not only to the people here in Colombia, but it will be a blessing to them throughout and after the mission as they take this with them into positions of leadership in the church, and work in the outside world! We just want you to know that your sons will always be protected and that Colombia is really a safe place. We have received more than twenty North Americans here in the mission and a lot of them have already finished their mission and we just want you to know that nothing has ever happened to them, in fact most of them didn´t even want to leave! Thanks again for everything and your support will be a great help to the Elders in their development of becoming an effective instrument in the hands of the lord.
P.S. Here below I have attached a picture of the Elders after our breakfast that we had together this morning.
Una Brazo Fuerte,
Hernando Camargo
Presidente Misión Bogotá Norte
Friday, April 3, 2009
Letter March 27, 2009
Dear Family,
First off I got my flight plans! There was great joy in the district when we got them. Parker leaves the same day 5 minutes later then I. We go to Atlanta at 8:30. Parker is flying to New York but also goes to Bogota. Kind of strange we aren't on the same flight but I guess it was cheaper for him to go to NY.
I am doing pretty well here. We taught lesson 2: the plan of salvation. It went pretty well. It is pretty amazing how well we have been to learn a language here. I bet I am humbled once I get to Colombia but that is ok. Main point here is to be able to teach so you don't just sit there in lessons for the first month you are there.
I am excited to go. I have enjoyed the MTC a lot more than I thought I would. I have such a great district. We all get along well and will remain friends forever. I also have two AWESOME teachers. Hermano Farrell and Hermano Allen. They are both so good and I got really lucky in that sense. They are both very excited and enthusiastic about missionary work. It gets me excited.
Thank you for all the letters and support. I love and miss you all but this work needs to be done. There is a sign in the health clinic that says: Missionary(noun) someone who leaves their family for a short time so that others can be with their families forever.
So no need to worry I will be back before you know it. Thank you for making me work hard Mom and Dad. You can tell some people here don't like to.
Natali, thanks for always being a good example to me in living the way your supposed to. It means alot. I encouraged the boys to re-read JS history and would encourage you to do the same.
Dad I know your super busy but I hope you take the time to thank the Lord that you are so busy. You have a brilliant mind and get to use it and with the economy you still have lots of work which is awesome. Also we have to teach tithing this week. Thank you for always making it easy to pay tithing through your example.
Mom thanks for everything. You're simply the greatest!! Thanks for keeping the dog around. I know he is a pain.
Love you all thanks for all you do.
Love,
Nathan
First off I got my flight plans! There was great joy in the district when we got them. Parker leaves the same day 5 minutes later then I. We go to Atlanta at 8:30. Parker is flying to New York but also goes to Bogota. Kind of strange we aren't on the same flight but I guess it was cheaper for him to go to NY.
I am doing pretty well here. We taught lesson 2: the plan of salvation. It went pretty well. It is pretty amazing how well we have been to learn a language here. I bet I am humbled once I get to Colombia but that is ok. Main point here is to be able to teach so you don't just sit there in lessons for the first month you are there.
I am excited to go. I have enjoyed the MTC a lot more than I thought I would. I have such a great district. We all get along well and will remain friends forever. I also have two AWESOME teachers. Hermano Farrell and Hermano Allen. They are both so good and I got really lucky in that sense. They are both very excited and enthusiastic about missionary work. It gets me excited.
Thank you for all the letters and support. I love and miss you all but this work needs to be done. There is a sign in the health clinic that says: Missionary(noun) someone who leaves their family for a short time so that others can be with their families forever.
So no need to worry I will be back before you know it. Thank you for making me work hard Mom and Dad. You can tell some people here don't like to.
Natali, thanks for always being a good example to me in living the way your supposed to. It means alot. I encouraged the boys to re-read JS history and would encourage you to do the same.
Dad I know your super busy but I hope you take the time to thank the Lord that you are so busy. You have a brilliant mind and get to use it and with the economy you still have lots of work which is awesome. Also we have to teach tithing this week. Thank you for always making it easy to pay tithing through your example.
Mom thanks for everything. You're simply the greatest!! Thanks for keeping the dog around. I know he is a pain.
Love you all thanks for all you do.
Love,
Nathan
No Visa!!
Nate just called and did not get his visa so he will not be leaving Monday. The last group didn't get them either but they came on Monday and they sent them Tues. That is what Nate is hoping for. I will update when I hear. Thanks for your prayers in Nate's behalf. I will try to get last weeks letter on tonight as well.
Marsha
Marsha
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Letter-Friday March 20, 2009
Dear Family,
I'm doing great. It is hard to believe I haven't seen you in about 7 weeks. We taught again in Spanish this week the 1st lesson. It went pretty well I thought. It is still tough cause you can't just say whatever you want, but it will come. I just want to thank you for all your love and support and writing me. Thanks for taking care of the dog for me. Sounds like he is being a pill, he might be getting out by that wood pile down there. A squirrel lives down there so that could be why he is being dumb. I'm sorry.
But Andrew I hope the tournament went well and you played good. Also consider the shirt a birthday present (Preston too). Thanks for being a good brother. Get on the 125 now that your cast is off!
Preston I hope you had fun at the dunes. I hope you were careful and had a good time. There is an Elder Kuchar here from Payson who was out at the dunes once and he broke his collar bone. He has a gross scar, but he is a cool kid. How did the CRF do? I hope the new tire on the front worked well.
Also I hope you like the shirts for you and Andrew. Tell him he will grow into it. I liked them and figured you guys would like them.
Also keep bugging Chuck for me I want to talk to him. Thanks for being a good brother.
It is pretty crazy to me that I leave so soon. I am getting excited. Yesterday my companion got sick again, so while I went to call Eve back (she is my investigator in the referral center I am kind of teaching. She is awesome) I decided that I needed to sit down with my companion and lay down some reality because he doesn't like to talk about his problems and I just told him that Colombia is going to be much harder than here and a bunch of stuff, all in a loving way, but i was frank because I have been really nice and easy going when he has been struggling. So he decided to write President Shelley (our branch president) and express what has been bothering him. Hopefully that helps because I am worried for his sake in Colombia if he has a total jerk companion. Big news this week. We get along so much better now though than we ever have so that is good.
Please express thanks to family and friends for their love and support and prayers. Let Grandpa and Marie know that I saw Elder Naulu before he left. It was funny cause the first time I saw him he just started pointing at me and was like we know each other and I had no idea, then it clicked, our grandparents are married. So that was funny. He is a great kid.
It truly is really cool to be here to focus on one thing which is inviting others to come unto Christ. I hope that both Preston and Andrew will make the decision to serve the Lord. There is nothing better, and I haven't even left the MTC yet.
I want to share a scripture with you all that I found and really liked. Its 3 Nephi 17:4. The Savior is preparing to leave the Nephites and he talks of the lost tribes. To me that means he probably showed himself to other people throughout the world. How cool is that to know that we might have more scripture from maybe a lost Asian culture that believed in Christ.
I want you all to re-read 3 Nephi 17 and ponder about it. Also another cool thing I learned is how to explain why we need the Book of Mormon. He drew some dots and lines here...not really sure quite how to explain them, but I'll try. The first dot has lots of lines leading in all directions-he explains: all the lines are different churches trying to find the right way back to God. The second drawing has one dot on the left side labeled bible and one dot on the right side labeled BoM with a line in between: with our knowledge we have a sure straight line between them. It makes us stand out because that is so different.
Also this past week we had L. Tom Perry for the devotional speaker, is a large man. But he talked a lot about companionships and the importance of them. It was cool.
Okay, in closing. M7 decal, check the pouch behind the passenger seat behind Dad's truck. Also, look for my oil in my backpack, I think it might have gone home accidentally. I love you all and thank you for your support and prayers.
I'm excited to see you guys at the cabin.
Love you all!
Nate
P.S. I signed a declaration of independence saying I won't speak English anymore! Also I'm sending home my planner from the first 6 weeks.
I'm doing great. It is hard to believe I haven't seen you in about 7 weeks. We taught again in Spanish this week the 1st lesson. It went pretty well I thought. It is still tough cause you can't just say whatever you want, but it will come. I just want to thank you for all your love and support and writing me. Thanks for taking care of the dog for me. Sounds like he is being a pill, he might be getting out by that wood pile down there. A squirrel lives down there so that could be why he is being dumb. I'm sorry.
But Andrew I hope the tournament went well and you played good. Also consider the shirt a birthday present (Preston too). Thanks for being a good brother. Get on the 125 now that your cast is off!
Preston I hope you had fun at the dunes. I hope you were careful and had a good time. There is an Elder Kuchar here from Payson who was out at the dunes once and he broke his collar bone. He has a gross scar, but he is a cool kid. How did the CRF do? I hope the new tire on the front worked well.
Also I hope you like the shirts for you and Andrew. Tell him he will grow into it. I liked them and figured you guys would like them.
Also keep bugging Chuck for me I want to talk to him. Thanks for being a good brother.
It is pretty crazy to me that I leave so soon. I am getting excited. Yesterday my companion got sick again, so while I went to call Eve back (she is my investigator in the referral center I am kind of teaching. She is awesome) I decided that I needed to sit down with my companion and lay down some reality because he doesn't like to talk about his problems and I just told him that Colombia is going to be much harder than here and a bunch of stuff, all in a loving way, but i was frank because I have been really nice and easy going when he has been struggling. So he decided to write President Shelley (our branch president) and express what has been bothering him. Hopefully that helps because I am worried for his sake in Colombia if he has a total jerk companion. Big news this week. We get along so much better now though than we ever have so that is good.
Please express thanks to family and friends for their love and support and prayers. Let Grandpa and Marie know that I saw Elder Naulu before he left. It was funny cause the first time I saw him he just started pointing at me and was like we know each other and I had no idea, then it clicked, our grandparents are married. So that was funny. He is a great kid.
It truly is really cool to be here to focus on one thing which is inviting others to come unto Christ. I hope that both Preston and Andrew will make the decision to serve the Lord. There is nothing better, and I haven't even left the MTC yet.
I want to share a scripture with you all that I found and really liked. Its 3 Nephi 17:4. The Savior is preparing to leave the Nephites and he talks of the lost tribes. To me that means he probably showed himself to other people throughout the world. How cool is that to know that we might have more scripture from maybe a lost Asian culture that believed in Christ.
I want you all to re-read 3 Nephi 17 and ponder about it. Also another cool thing I learned is how to explain why we need the Book of Mormon. He drew some dots and lines here...not really sure quite how to explain them, but I'll try. The first dot has lots of lines leading in all directions-he explains: all the lines are different churches trying to find the right way back to God. The second drawing has one dot on the left side labeled bible and one dot on the right side labeled BoM with a line in between: with our knowledge we have a sure straight line between them. It makes us stand out because that is so different.
Also this past week we had L. Tom Perry for the devotional speaker, is a large man. But he talked a lot about companionships and the importance of them. It was cool.
Okay, in closing. M7 decal, check the pouch behind the passenger seat behind Dad's truck. Also, look for my oil in my backpack, I think it might have gone home accidentally. I love you all and thank you for your support and prayers.
I'm excited to see you guys at the cabin.
Love you all!
Nate
P.S. I signed a declaration of independence saying I won't speak English anymore! Also I'm sending home my planner from the first 6 weeks.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Letter March 13, 2009
Dear Family,
Sounds like all is well and things are busy. Same goes for me here. Lots of work and study to try and be prepared to leave. We haven't gotten our visas yet so hopefully we do on time. Who Knows? I can' think of any funny experiences this week. We did teach in Spanish this past Wed. and we did surprisingly well considering my companion was sick so much. I was happy with it at least. It is really slow but simple and basically hard to believe I have been here 5 1/2 weeks. Feels like I didn't even have a life before now!! Mom thanks foe sending me a letter to keep me updated.
All is well. It is a crazy place here. It is crazy how you just make new friends here.
Mom thank all the ward for me. It has been nice to grow up in such a good ward. I definitely took advantage of it.
Preston this CD is for you. I haven't heard it but the kid (Jeff Collins) who wrote it is in my zone and people say it is good. It is on Itunes so that should mean it's OK. I want you to tell me how it is. I figured for 8 bucks and him signing it it was worth it. I hope basketball is going good. I wish I were there to play with you. I play with my 2 roommates Elder Butler from Texas is dang good and his comp Elder Morris is pretty good. We 3 make a good team. So yeah!! I want you to print me a picture of the Compensator with the boat in the lake. Thanks your a good bro. Thanks for watching my dog. Sorry he is a pain. I will watch your while you're gone.
Andrew I need you to keep me updated. Just send me a quick little email each week. Thanks little A Also I need you a picture of your cast dude.
Dad thanks for the letters and support. Sounds like work is crazy. I guess that is good especially in these times. Oh yeah there is a kid in my zone that kind of looks like you-Elder Longi He is headed to Mexico. Sounds like the cabin is going well. I am excited to see it completed.
Natali, Thanks for all your love and support and I am sorry you didn't get a break but worked for dad instead. Hope your school is going well. I miss being able to just see you and ask for help. Ic could use it with my spanish!
I love you all hope all is well!!
Love, Nate
Sounds like all is well and things are busy. Same goes for me here. Lots of work and study to try and be prepared to leave. We haven't gotten our visas yet so hopefully we do on time. Who Knows? I can' think of any funny experiences this week. We did teach in Spanish this past Wed. and we did surprisingly well considering my companion was sick so much. I was happy with it at least. It is really slow but simple and basically hard to believe I have been here 5 1/2 weeks. Feels like I didn't even have a life before now!! Mom thanks foe sending me a letter to keep me updated.
All is well. It is a crazy place here. It is crazy how you just make new friends here.
Mom thank all the ward for me. It has been nice to grow up in such a good ward. I definitely took advantage of it.
Preston this CD is for you. I haven't heard it but the kid (Jeff Collins) who wrote it is in my zone and people say it is good. It is on Itunes so that should mean it's OK. I want you to tell me how it is. I figured for 8 bucks and him signing it it was worth it. I hope basketball is going good. I wish I were there to play with you. I play with my 2 roommates Elder Butler from Texas is dang good and his comp Elder Morris is pretty good. We 3 make a good team. So yeah!! I want you to print me a picture of the Compensator with the boat in the lake. Thanks your a good bro. Thanks for watching my dog. Sorry he is a pain. I will watch your while you're gone.
Andrew I need you to keep me updated. Just send me a quick little email each week. Thanks little A Also I need you a picture of your cast dude.
Dad thanks for the letters and support. Sounds like work is crazy. I guess that is good especially in these times. Oh yeah there is a kid in my zone that kind of looks like you-Elder Longi He is headed to Mexico. Sounds like the cabin is going well. I am excited to see it completed.
Natali, Thanks for all your love and support and I am sorry you didn't get a break but worked for dad instead. Hope your school is going well. I miss being able to just see you and ask for help. Ic could use it with my spanish!
I love you all hope all is well!!
Love, Nate
Letter March 6, 2009
Dear Family,
I want to start off with a story that happened last Sunday night. We said good bye to all the old elders leaving and all got a bunch of free stuff. My companion got a ladder for his bunk bed. He put it down by me feet which was fine. That night about 3 am I woke up and thought I might as well go say bye again seeing as the older elders left at 4am so some how swinging out of bed I kicked the ladder!! So of course I let fly some expletives and having ear plugs in I said them quite loudly. I woke up everybody in my room. And after I forgot and was so mad that I didn't go say goodbye. Elder Morris shared that at breakfast and the whole zone got a nice laugh out of my choice words. It wasn't funny then but I find it pretty funny now. No offense dad but I did think of you after. I guess we are just wired the same.
I want to thank you all so much for your letters and prayers. I have learned this week with my companion being sick again Wednesday that who cares. I have no where to be so I am just living it up. My comp still hasn't' figured that out.
Also please thank the Nicholas' and Rocks for their letters and support. And tell Leslie her treats were gone in about a minute!!
I am getting excited for conference. I have grown to love it in getting to watch old conference talks.
Also Davis and Jameson got their calls I heard from Jordan. Davis to Jamaica and Jameson to Brazil. Jordan's papers are in. I have seen Josh Jackson when he got here Wed. He seemed quite excited but I am glad I don't have to stay 12 weeks. Pray that we get our visas! That is about all the news. Hope all is well and I love and miss you all.
Love,
Nate
PS
My favorite part of the MTC is hearing stories form our teachers missions. It makes me excited to leave and get to Columbia!!
I want to start off with a story that happened last Sunday night. We said good bye to all the old elders leaving and all got a bunch of free stuff. My companion got a ladder for his bunk bed. He put it down by me feet which was fine. That night about 3 am I woke up and thought I might as well go say bye again seeing as the older elders left at 4am so some how swinging out of bed I kicked the ladder!! So of course I let fly some expletives and having ear plugs in I said them quite loudly. I woke up everybody in my room. And after I forgot and was so mad that I didn't go say goodbye. Elder Morris shared that at breakfast and the whole zone got a nice laugh out of my choice words. It wasn't funny then but I find it pretty funny now. No offense dad but I did think of you after. I guess we are just wired the same.
I want to thank you all so much for your letters and prayers. I have learned this week with my companion being sick again Wednesday that who cares. I have no where to be so I am just living it up. My comp still hasn't' figured that out.
Also please thank the Nicholas' and Rocks for their letters and support. And tell Leslie her treats were gone in about a minute!!
I am getting excited for conference. I have grown to love it in getting to watch old conference talks.
Also Davis and Jameson got their calls I heard from Jordan. Davis to Jamaica and Jameson to Brazil. Jordan's papers are in. I have seen Josh Jackson when he got here Wed. He seemed quite excited but I am glad I don't have to stay 12 weeks. Pray that we get our visas! That is about all the news. Hope all is well and I love and miss you all.
Love,
Nate
PS
My favorite part of the MTC is hearing stories form our teachers missions. It makes me excited to leave and get to Columbia!!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Letter-Friday February 27, 2009
Hello Family,
We woke up this morning at 6:00 to make it to the temple but my companion didn't feel well so we aren't going. I was disappointed, but I have plenty of letters to write and 3 extra hours to do them! I am praying that my companion and I will become better friends and he'll start to trust me more. I don't want to sound like I am complaining, just informing. I am okay with him not telling me stuff and we are slowly becoming better friends, so it is good.
I just wanted to thank Mom and Dad for making sure I was a good cleaner. When we did service this past week we had to clean windows, mop, and vacuum. And others in the group like to just do it quick and be done but I am always slower and sometimes ended up redoing some of their sloppy stuff. I also wanted to thank Dad for making me go up on ladders. For the windows I had to be up on the top of one. My companion hates heights so had I not been comfortable doing it it would not have gotten done. I didn't fall either.
It has been kind of a sad week for me because the oldest group is leaving Monday. I like all of them alot but I have become fast friends with Elder Simpson from Oregon. I told Preston a little about him. But I will share more. He is 24 and only been a member for a year and a half. He had a rough life, his dad was murdered and he watched his uncle have a heart attack. His mom is a recent convert too. But I think we get along so well because he is so into speed like I am. He races both street and dirt bikes and has a degree as a diesel mechanic. He used to like to turn bikes over every few months, buying broken ones and fixing them. He worked at a machine shop that was half trucks and half yamaha. So he got parts for cost. Parts he said are about 100% markup.
He is great. We have already planned for him to come stay when we both get home so he can try Miller out as well as ride some Utah trails. He is just a great guy.
I am doing well here. It is cool feeling the Spirit almost all day every day. The spanish is coming along. I can understand a lot of it by piecing things together and can also say a lot. So in due time.
Hope everyone is well. Sounds like you are all busy.
Love you all
Love Nate
(We finally got pictures! I'm putting the two up of Elder Simpson, the Elder he talks so much about in this letter)
We woke up this morning at 6:00 to make it to the temple but my companion didn't feel well so we aren't going. I was disappointed, but I have plenty of letters to write and 3 extra hours to do them! I am praying that my companion and I will become better friends and he'll start to trust me more. I don't want to sound like I am complaining, just informing. I am okay with him not telling me stuff and we are slowly becoming better friends, so it is good.
I just wanted to thank Mom and Dad for making sure I was a good cleaner. When we did service this past week we had to clean windows, mop, and vacuum. And others in the group like to just do it quick and be done but I am always slower and sometimes ended up redoing some of their sloppy stuff. I also wanted to thank Dad for making me go up on ladders. For the windows I had to be up on the top of one. My companion hates heights so had I not been comfortable doing it it would not have gotten done. I didn't fall either.
It has been kind of a sad week for me because the oldest group is leaving Monday. I like all of them alot but I have become fast friends with Elder Simpson from Oregon. I told Preston a little about him. But I will share more. He is 24 and only been a member for a year and a half. He had a rough life, his dad was murdered and he watched his uncle have a heart attack. His mom is a recent convert too. But I think we get along so well because he is so into speed like I am. He races both street and dirt bikes and has a degree as a diesel mechanic. He used to like to turn bikes over every few months, buying broken ones and fixing them. He worked at a machine shop that was half trucks and half yamaha. So he got parts for cost. Parts he said are about 100% markup.
He is great. We have already planned for him to come stay when we both get home so he can try Miller out as well as ride some Utah trails. He is just a great guy.
I am doing well here. It is cool feeling the Spirit almost all day every day. The spanish is coming along. I can understand a lot of it by piecing things together and can also say a lot. So in due time.
Hope everyone is well. Sounds like you are all busy.
Love you all
Love Nate
(We finally got pictures! I'm putting the two up of Elder Simpson, the Elder he talks so much about in this letter)
Sibling Letter Excerpts-Friday February 27, 2009
Dear Natali,
Thank you very much for your letter this past week. It was awesome, I read it many times and you are right, a hand written letter is better and means a lot. So again I think you. I hope you are doing well and happy with life. That is pretty crazy that you will be getting ready to graduate in 9 months!! I won't have even been gone a year! You said in your letter that you are glad you aren't married; well I'm glad too. You can marry Elder Simpson now! Naw, I'm just teasin but it has been nice to have you around without some weird dude. So, don't pick a weirdie. Pretty sure you won't but just in case....
I hope you know I love you and want the best for you. Hope all is well and you are living it up for me. Love you lots!
Love, Nate
Dear Preston,
How you doing bro? Thanks again for your letter and I am sorry that it has taken me two weeks for me to write you. It is hectic on P-days. But I have extra time today because we didn't go to the temple. It sounded like you are doing well though. It really is cool to be here and experience it all. I am not sure how you will like it here. I think that if things were different for me I would like it more, but I have learned a lot about myself and I must have needed that.
I hope you're doing good and I would again ask you to start a study journal in seminary and for mission prep. It is just a good idea that I have found I wish I would have done. Keep preparing to go by going to mission prep and going on splits with the missionaries if you get the opportunity. It will only help. Hope all is well and I thank you for looking and for my dog. He is a knucklehead but I promise I will make it up to you someday. Keep livin it up at BHS.
Love, Nate
What's Up Little A?
Well I just wanted to see how you were doing with that broken arm? I like it. Guess it just goes to show that I am a better boarder than you are cause I have never broken my arm! But don't worry you have 2 seasons to catch up. I won't lie I bet you're pretty good on a snowboard, surfboard, and ski when I get back which is good cause it will make me work hard to be able to be as good as you.
I hope you're taking good care of my dog by letting him sleep in my room. You can sleep with him in there if you want cause I know you don't like hair on your bed. Remember I want you on the TT-R as soon as possible.
I hope you're having fun as well as working hard at school. It is important whether you think so or not. Please tell Mrs. Robb hello for me will you?
I just want you to do one more thing which is start reading your scriptures. I waited way too long to start. Just try and read a little bit each day and if you already are that's AWESOME. Hope you're doing good. I miss teasing and picking on you!
Love,
Nate
P.S. Don't kiss too many girls...but write me when you do kiss them
Thank you very much for your letter this past week. It was awesome, I read it many times and you are right, a hand written letter is better and means a lot. So again I think you. I hope you are doing well and happy with life. That is pretty crazy that you will be getting ready to graduate in 9 months!! I won't have even been gone a year! You said in your letter that you are glad you aren't married; well I'm glad too. You can marry Elder Simpson now! Naw, I'm just teasin but it has been nice to have you around without some weird dude. So, don't pick a weirdie. Pretty sure you won't but just in case....
I hope you know I love you and want the best for you. Hope all is well and you are living it up for me. Love you lots!
Love, Nate
Dear Preston,
How you doing bro? Thanks again for your letter and I am sorry that it has taken me two weeks for me to write you. It is hectic on P-days. But I have extra time today because we didn't go to the temple. It sounded like you are doing well though. It really is cool to be here and experience it all. I am not sure how you will like it here. I think that if things were different for me I would like it more, but I have learned a lot about myself and I must have needed that.
I hope you're doing good and I would again ask you to start a study journal in seminary and for mission prep. It is just a good idea that I have found I wish I would have done. Keep preparing to go by going to mission prep and going on splits with the missionaries if you get the opportunity. It will only help. Hope all is well and I thank you for looking and for my dog. He is a knucklehead but I promise I will make it up to you someday. Keep livin it up at BHS.
Love, Nate
What's Up Little A?
Well I just wanted to see how you were doing with that broken arm? I like it. Guess it just goes to show that I am a better boarder than you are cause I have never broken my arm! But don't worry you have 2 seasons to catch up. I won't lie I bet you're pretty good on a snowboard, surfboard, and ski when I get back which is good cause it will make me work hard to be able to be as good as you.
I hope you're taking good care of my dog by letting him sleep in my room. You can sleep with him in there if you want cause I know you don't like hair on your bed. Remember I want you on the TT-R as soon as possible.
I hope you're having fun as well as working hard at school. It is important whether you think so or not. Please tell Mrs. Robb hello for me will you?
I just want you to do one more thing which is start reading your scriptures. I waited way too long to start. Just try and read a little bit each day and if you already are that's AWESOME. Hope you're doing good. I miss teasing and picking on you!
Love,
Nate
P.S. Don't kiss too many girls...but write me when you do kiss them
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