Robbed!!!

Nate was robbed on Friday night and had to send a letter to the mission president about the incident so he forwarded it on to Will. At the top he says "Hey my cool experience-dad tell mom all is fine!!

Well President,

What happened was, i was on splits with Elder Morris cause he was in the hospital, and they had an appointment, and the Zone Leaders couldn't split with them. So we helped out. We had gotten back late, so my comp. told me to just come and sleep there in Chia, because we also had baptism clothes they needed. So we passed by our house in Cedros about 8:30 and left to go catch trasmilennial, to catch the bus to chia, and we walked for the canal. It is about a 100 yard stretch to Calle 170, and we had always walked along there, because always lots of people, all lit with lights and never been a problem. And well the 2 dudes were just walkin on the other side of the sidewalk, and about 10 feet in front of us they took a huge step sideways and just started saying money, cell phone, NOW and so i reached for my wallet and pulled out my 9 mil which was all i had, and the other dude pulled a knife on Elder Morris and he didn't have time to just pull his money out so he just gave him his whole wallet, and they wanted the cell phone but i thought Elder Morris had it, and he thought i had it and well they wanted to be quick. so that was about it, it was over in about 30 seconds, and we were just astounded. But with the knife, we didnt want problems. After, we were talking and we think we got robbed with a butter knife, but butter knife or not, it isnt worth the money to find out. so we are fine, and all is well. ok well talk to you later, thanks for your love and concern. You may share this email with your wife. ok Love elder Naegle

Email October 19, 2009

Nate got to go to the temple this week for the first time and said it was "AWESOME" He also got to see some elders from his MTC group and so that was fun.

Well family,

Another week gone and I am doing pretty good I sent you some pictures and a voice recording, hopefully you could pick out a little bit of my Spanish, if not, well you now know a little how I have felt for the last 6 months. I am enduring to the end here, and only 2 weeks left, and well my district has been having some problems one is super down hearted cause well we are in a tough area. But yeah I answered most of moms questions in my tape. Sorry this isn’t super long. Andrew how were try outs? Preston you headed to the dance in these next few weeks? Natali, you are just flat out awesome for taking pictures for me I love being able to look at them. Also tell Eric and Denise congrats on their baby, I haven’t seen him or known about him before today. I love you all and hope you are doing great. It has been raining like crazy the last 2 weeks here, I kinda feel like Jordan in Seattle. So yeah doing good. Working when I get the chance, that is if I can get my comp out of the members houses. But it should pick up, I am going to send a letter to president here next and see what he can do for me to get my a hard working comp, cause they are going to close the other area in my district cause we just don’t have the missionaries, and it has only had 5 baptisms in the last year or so. And well I can do them both, if I get a good comp that wants to work. Ok I love you all and hope all is well love your son and brother Nate!!

E-mail October 12, 2009

Well mom,

I love you. And i know that i did spend a lot of Money on the jacket, but well it rained all day today and i was so happy i have had it for the last couple of days. So it was worth it. Ok i am doing great. Not a whole lot has gone on this past week cause we don't get a whole lot done in the week. Cause well only one here is trying to work, and it is also hard cause we have such a different mentality of what a missionary is. So well i just keep a lot a lot to myself and don't worry about a lot of things that go on. And yeah. Also i got to know one of the other elders in my district, elder Leiva. He is way cool and i think he will end up being my next companion cause they are going to close his area, maybe and we will have 2 areas cause we just don't have the missionaries that coming, like 18 are leaving with my comp. And like 8 are coming so president has to close some areas. So yeah. Yes i send robb a funny email. So yeah i am doing good. I get to go to the temple tomorrow for the first time. So it should be really good i am really happy and also i heard my Package came with my ipod so i am headed down to the office tomorrow after the temple to get it. So yeah. I am happy about that. And i am half way through this transfer, it has flown by. Also got a letter from charlie he is doing good in sacramento. So yeah. Well i gotta run. I love you all and i need a special favor, please give brother Doane a special thanks from me, truth be told had he and Steve not been my leaders i don't know if i would have come on a mission so thank them both. Ok i love you all and mom my apartment is right by the drainage canal. It is calle 168 with 14-45 there is a big drainage thing next to it. Ok love you love nate GO YANKEES for andrew tell him to update me.

Dad
Know that because of you i am a hard worker and it has come in real handy here and i am sure it
will even more after this wild ride im on. ok i love you hope things are good.
love your son nate.

Well my sister,

I am so deeply grateful for you and those things you do for me. I am so happy for you and that you are just EXCEEDING in everything you do. Makes me proud to be your brother. Know that i am so happy for you and that i am SO happy you are not getting married, because well as your brother i want to be there. (but dont let that stop you if im not) But yes i have thought about that day when i walk off that airplane, it is so far away but yet it will be a day of SUCH GREAT JOY for us all. Know i love you with all my heart and that you are such a good example to me. You were always the righteous one in the family. And well i have actually figured out what this whole church thing is if you can believe it! Sorry mine are short to you. But i have a great sister that keeps in touch. Dont worry how much you write, i will take one line that says you are doing good. So know i love you and pray for you con mucho amor, su hermano nate
ps CONGRATS ON YOUR TEST!!

E-mail Oct. 5, 2009

hey mom sorry this is short. Ok I love you and am so happy you are my mother. I am doing great here and yes I listened and learned a ton from conference. I listened to them all in English We need to go back and study the conference talks a ton before the next one. I hope that everybody is reading the BOM with me still if not they need to cause it is such a blessing in our lives and if they don't want to go listen to Elder Hollands talk and they will be humbled. My favorite talk was by Elder Andersen he was great as well as Elder Ballard. Those were my 2 favorites. If you talk to Kirsten again tell Jake good luck and to work hard. It flys by. I must say I can't be mad at Parker cause yes I also have pictures in a dress haha but mine aren't in public! also how is my good ole friend Clark doing?
ok well i love you and know i pray for you all tell everybody hello and cant wait to hear from you next week i love you
with lots of love Nathan

New Voice Recording...& oops

Sorry for the earlier email blast, that was a really old email that I meant to delete but instead I accidentally published it, so don't be confused by reading that one.

Here is another voice recording from Nate. He bears his testimony and talks about how much he loved it. I love hearing his voice, and maybe if you miss it as much as I do, you will too.

Voice Recording October 5, 2009

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

E-mail Aug. 24. 2009

Hi mom,
Well i really don't have anything new here to report, expect i did have 2 interviews with people being district leader and all. It was AWESOME both times, I was a little nervous, as to be expected, but they both went great and it was a great spiritual expeirence. I have been struggling a little with my companion cause I have been trying to be 100 percent obedient, with everything, and well it is been hard to do so cause he is a little trunky. But we are rolling with the punches and I am hoping that with some of the new people we have contacted, the work will pick up cause our area doesn’t have anything new right now. For example, we contacted about 40 people on Wednesday and well only 2 accepted to listen to us. But that is ok cause the book of mormon teaches us that the numbers will be few. As to fam. Cuellar, they are going to get baptized this Friday, and I am so happy for them! They have so many good questions, and she has fear that she will become disanimated after time and not want to come back, but I doubt she will, she is awesome. And we have talked a ton about temples and temple marriage, and they are excited to have that expeirence. So they will be great. What else is new, as to the money thing, well I actually have a ton in cash, cause I got a ton out the last month and got a ton paid back. And well the Bogota thing was a one time thing, so no se precupa. ( don’t worry about it) I have it under control. I have decided that I need to just wait until the end of my mission to buy all that junk, cause by then I doubt I will want a lot of it. I am happy to hear that you had a good time at the cabin!! 29 people I bet was hard for you but yet a blast. Kara and Melissa both e-mailed me and said it is BEAUTIFUL and awesome. So hopefully that means they will be back a bunch more next summer. Natali didn’t get the blog updated for me but I am sure she is super busy, with school and all. So I will see them next week. I love you so much and am doing great. No problems here so no need to worry. I am glad the dog is just living it up while I am gone. Keep him around cause I would like to kick him in the butt when I get home. It is so sad cause here, none of the dogs will play with you cause they all have such a fear of humans. I feel so bad. But they go to the celestial kingdom none the less. Bear has it easy, gets fed everyday and has water and somebody to love on him. But yeah. Love you a lot from Colombia love you love your son, yes I am your favorite, love Nathan
Ps I saw the pictures of Parker, that hat he is wearing if it is original, is expensive like over 100 bucks!!!! But no worries, I don’t think I am going to buy one, cause when would I wear it!! And as to the expensive coat I bought, yeah I have worn it just about every day so it was a good buy. Haha I love you love nate

E-mail Aug. 17. 2009

Obama the sheep-he head butted me!!
Hermano Merchan
Hard Rock in Bogota
Elder Williams leaving

Hi mom,

Well yes another P-day. This week was eventful with Jimenez and Williams leaving. As well as i got to go to Bogota on friday. It was just all a big adventure. We got 2 new elders in the house, Elder Bastidas from Ecuador, and Elder Diaz from Dallas. And the old AP elder Coro, is in the other Sogomoso House with elder Burns. It is cool to see new gringos, cause it shows how much i have learned and grown. As to biss, haha I remeber those days with a companion that was totally opposite from me. But I learned a ton and am glad now I had that experience with Elder Sorenson. He is a great kid. I bet biss is glad he only has 3 weeks in the MTC! That is sweet for Jay, he will be great in Brazil, and i am also very glad that i have six months under my belt and am not just starting. As for my Package, just surprise me! But one thing i do want is beef jerky. As to the Cabin, from what it looks and sounds like it has been a sweet place to get away and have some fun. So don't stress to much about it. A little side note, we are in internet, and it is owned by an inactive member and she just tagged her kid on the head cause he bumped her. she is insane. But yeah if you saw on the pictures we had a good time in Bogota! it was cool, but man i was lost. Salt lake is little! but yeah it was a good time. I am so happy that most of my friend have decided to go on missions because you learn so much about yourself as well as the lord and it is a great experience! I hope both my brothers decide to serve the lord for 2 years, cause it is a wild ride! Sorry this is a little short but you have 2 voice recordings i am doing great and time is flying by here. i love you thanks for all your love and support. as to the shopping i did in bogota, just put it on my tab. love you
your son nate
ps my scripture and thought for this week is 2 Nephi 4:15-16

Email August 10, 2009

Just a quick note I called the mission department and the pouch is still available. I guess they mailed out a letter that confused everybody so there were questions. You can still send Nate letters through dearelder. That is the best way to get mail to him!! Thanks to all that write him!!
Marsha

Well mom,
Thanks for the letter and all the support. It was great to hear from you. And well like you said, transfers are upon us. Well Both Elder Williams and Elder Jimenez se van. I am very sad about it because i have lived with them both from the time i got here. Williams is headed to hot country in San Gil and the Jensens are there. Jimenez is headed to Bogota to be a Zone Leader. He never has had a leadership position and isn't to excited about it, but truth be told he is one of the best missionaries in the entire mission. As for me and Elder Pelero, nothing has changed, except i am the new DISTRICT LEADER!! I cant even believe it, I am doing to die. I don't have to do a whole lot except the thing i am a little worried about is the fact i have to do all the baptism interviews in my district, and we should be having a ton in the next little while. And i am only worried about that cause my spanish. But it should improve as we have 2 new latins that are going to be living in the house, so no more english. But in the Area of Sol, we are getting a newbie, and elder Coro will be training him. Elder coro is the old assistant, and he is a great missionary so i will have lots of help to be district leader. In talking with elder morris today, i have had the most success out of my group with the MTC and none of them are getting transfered as well. I have 17 baptisms that i have been here for, and 10 are ones that i have found and taught all. So i should be pretty happy with that i guess. But yeah that is about all for that matter. As for crazy stuff around here, well i got to take a trip to the doctor on Tuesday. Cause well elder Williams gave me fleas, and they got really bad with us both so President had us go to the doctor to get something for it. So we went and met the ZL´s there as well as elder Wagstaff. Cause he has fleas too. And we got all checked out and well we got to receive a little shot for the dang things!! Well they don't do it in the arm here, so we 3 got to drop em´ and we got shots in the BUTT!!! So I have lived the life here. Elder Williams and i just took a quick step back and looked at what we just did. Yeah, we remembered that we are in COLOMBIA! So yeah. The doctor here is an adventure. So yeah, that is the big news of the week, transfers and getting shot in the butt!
As for stamps, i would like you to send me some stamps. I think it would be really easy to send it in a big envelope like you did the pictures, cause i want some more. I need and would like one of the family, one that mary took right before i left. Please and thank you. That is about it, so yeah, i have been doing good. We have a new family, Fam. Cuellar that we have a baptism date for the 22. Miguel, is a member that has been inactive for more than 20 years, and he has his wife and 3 little kids. So it has been cool to see them come back to the church. They both are english professers here, so well they speak really good english. They just came up to me and started talking to me and my comp in english cause Pelero looks Gringo. And we found out later that he is a member. It is sweet cause he will baptize his family. As for me, just got fleas, and it has been way hot during the day and freezing at night. But nothing i cant handle cause it is hotter in utah as well as colder. Thanks for all the love and support. I love you very much. Tell the ward hello as well as friends and family. Thanks, i love you.

August 3, 2009

Hi mom,
Thanks for the quick letter today. I hope all is well in Steamboat. I am doing great here in Colombia. As you saw from the pictures I had 2 baptisms this past Saturday, and well I wont lie, I was HAPPY!! It was great to finally have Jessica get baptized. She is so awesome. And Elizabeth was baptized by her brother! So well I was pleased. As for me I have almost gotten over my cold, and am doing great. I have learned a lot about who I am in the last transfer, cause there is only 1 more week in this one. And sadly there will be a change in the house, Williams or Jimenez will be leaving us, I doubt I get transferred. But who really knows anything around this place. I am just a happy guy right now, and I am just trying to do what the lord wants and find the people that I need to talk to. It is a little hard cause sometimes, cause my companion goes into lazy mode sometimes. But I am learning how to cope with it and get him working again. Also I got all the Dear elders about Jordan. I enjoyed them greatly, I know how he feels. Sometimes this work can be really hard. No I think all the time. But it is good for us and like he said it is only for 2 short years. I cant believe he already has a month out!! But I cant complain I have 6 tomorrow, can you believe that mom! I cant. Also, I got a great letter from Amanda and Amy Morrison. You might have to give them my e-mail cause well I don’t know how dear elder will work now that pouch has died. Tell them thanks and thanks for the support. It is great to hear from people. Also I got one from Bro. Nicholas, he is great, thank him a bunch, but he also used pouch, let him know that no more pouch. Mom i am so happy that I decided to serve a mission. I doubt I would be doing anything good with my time if I was at home. So I am happy I here. I hope all is well. I am doing great. Love you so much love your son.

Email July 27, 2009

Sorry this is a week late

Well hi mom,
I am also under the weather, I have picked up a cold here in the last 2 days and it is terrible. But well what can you do. I am doing just lovely here in Sogomoso. I don’t really have much to say except, well I deleted all my sweet pictures on accident this morning, and we didn’t have a baptism. Marcella was no where to be found on Saturday and well yeah so it fell through. Friday night she called us and said she couldn’t get baptized, because her mom was not going to pay for school or anything and basically kick her out of the house. So we went and talked with her and she made the decision to do it. Then we tried to call her at around 10 and she didn’t answer so I was a little worried. Then the next morning she didn’t answer until later in the morning like 930ish and said no she wasn’t going to go through with it. But we had the wedding of Elder Williams to be to at 1030 so we went to that which was great and then we tried to find Marcella at the house and by phone and couldn’t do it. So we just had Williams baptisms. He baptized an awesome family. I don’t have my pictures so I asked Williams to tell his mom to send you some to see cause we ate lunch at Fam. Peña´s house on Sunday, and they just have a ton of animals, monkeys, cows, horses, chickens, goats and dogs. It was really sweet. But like I said I deleted my pictures. But don’t worry I didn’t even get mad. It was my own stupid fault. But yeah, all good with me. The big news from here is well NO MORE POUCH!! So I can e-mail everybody I want now. The only rule is family first then president. So yeah. Also got my box on Friday, everything in it. Thank you so much! The shoes are great. Also I got a great letter from Bro Doane, Cassidy VanDyke, and the ward news letter. Call Cassidy and tell her I need her e-mail address, and also the people in the ward, cause they can still write me for regular mail. I seem to get all of those too. I will respond via e-mail cause well I don’t know how to send a letter from here. But I will look into it. Also tell cass to name her son NATHAN DUH. So yeah, don’t really know full details on pouch thing, just know that I cant send letters via pouch now. Also for me to send a package it is about 35 bucks that is 1 kilo any over that is about 55 bucks. So it is a little expensive. My Comp said it is way cheaper from Argentina. But oh well. Also ask Paula about Matè. I guess they drank it. Also when you send me another package, one day, I NEED PILLS Sudafed, Nyquil, Dayquil, and Benadryl. BAD cause well I cant buy those here, Sudafed kinda, but well it is made in Colombia. other than that I am doing just great. We should be having some baptisms this week. But we will see. I love you so much and thank you for all your love and support. Love Nate.

Email July 20, 2009

I really did teach him better than this but boys will be boys I guess!! Gross!!


Dear Family and Friends,
Well i am sorry it has been a little crazy the past two weeks on p-day so well we got our stuff figured out and came to internet in the morning to actually write our families. Well like i said in the last blog it is Festival here and well it is hard to find a sober man or woman in this town. We saw part of the horse parade which is just HUGE here and they drink all morning then about 1 they start the parade, and well it isn't no parade like centerville, everybody has a beer, and all the people riding horses have beer, and well beer beer beer, while we were watching some guy rode up to me and asked me where i was from and i said the US and he was like well hell let me buy you a beer, haha i just laughed and said i couldn't, then he offered me to ride his horse and just come to the big party after, and said i could kiss his wife, haha well i just couldn't stop laughing after that, it was just funny, my companion re-enacted it about 40 times for the rest of the night. It was great. But it was a problem cause all our investigators were at the festival so we didn't get a whole lot of real teaching done. But it was still good. It was just a party too cause one of the zone leaders stayed at our house for the entire week. But we have 3 baptisms in the next 2 weeks. Marcella, is this next week and she is awesome, she is 18 and has a little boy. She lives right by us about a block away, and just was interested and we taught her and she accepted. She is cool. Then the other 2 are Jessica, and Elizabeth. Jessica we have been teaching for more than a month and a half, and well she is AWESOME, her friend is a member and we just were there one day for lunch and made an appointment. She is 16 and is just amazing. She marks her scriptures better than i do and she has only had a BOM for about 2 months. She has had problems with getting permission from her mom to be baptized. But her parents are just super super nice and don't have any problem with it, it is just they want her to be sure and have a little more time in the church and learning. So we are going to have a fast with her on Wed. So she can get permission. She is probably my best investigator that i have had. She is great. And Elizabeth, her 2 brothers are members, one is getting ready to serve a mission and the other served in Barranquilla. And now just has an interest. She is 18, but has a lot of opposition from her mother. But she is going to get baptized cause she has a real desire to do so. It is exciting to see her with her brother in the church and just watching her share her testimony. That is about all we have right now cause we have dropped a ton of people. Manuel and Angelica, being some of the dropped. I feel really bad, because i have become really close with them but it is just they wont come to church on their own and we have been teaching them for about 3 months, and not progressing anymore. So hopefully one day they will have a desire to come back.
As for me, i had been struggling, and my dad sent me some great advice, so i have been trying to put it into practice and and just been a lot happier and just trying to look on the bright side, it kinda was like a turning point for me. So i am doing great. I am so graetful for all the love and support. Nick Reid, congrats, my brother told me you were headed out to El Salvador. That will be awesome. Just live it up for 2 years. I love you all and know that i am praying for you. Love nate from Colombia.
Hi dad,
i just wanted to send you a message and tell you thank you so much for the advice you sent me last week. I have really tried to just change my attitude with everything that i have been doing. And well now even the food doesn`t taste bad. Gol I am eating my tomatoes with out even flinching. I still have a tough time with fried chicken but other than that i am really starting to enjoy it all. Fried chicken cause that is what I ate when I got way sick a few months ago. I am just trying to eat as much as possible cause like you said I think I will miss it one day. As for my companion, he is a great kid. I love him to death. And yeah we still are late to just about everything, but our lessons have been a lot better then they have been. So well I have just kinda tried to change.
Also this past week I borrowed Mormon Doctrine from Bishop Sanchez, cause he has it in English, and I studied 2 things, the Millennium and Plan of Salvation, in the week I had it. I learned so much about all the specific things and phases of them both. It was really cool to just learn about them both. I also have been studying the bible like none other, cause it seems like to me at home we use the Book of Mormon a lot more than the bible, but here we have to use the bible with everything, and you know the kind of seminary student I was. So I have been trying to play catch up. It is way hard to cause I am starting to understand the BOM in Spanish but the bible is 14 times harder. So it has been a struggle. But I am coping with it.
Also, the last talk that President Camargo gave to us was about school and getting a good education to be able to help the church, and well I received some revelation. I had a great impression that I need to go back to Utah State. I don’t know what I am going to study, or anything like that I just know that is what I need to do. It was kinda crazy cause, I hadn’t thought anything about school, or what I should do with myself after my mission, but I just had that bit of revelation for me.
I love you and thank you for all your advice, love and support. You are a great father and I am proud you are mine. With love your son Nathan

Email-July 13, 2009

Well family and friends,
This will be short because we became cave men today to have lunch, it was a night mare, the meat was left out from well forever, cause they don't refridgerate it here. So well the one good thing that happended was that it was cooked. As for the work, it is festival for 2 weeks here only in Sogomoso, so we are having a hard time finding a sober man in this city. It is ok tho. As for our investigators, they are dropin like flies, speaking of flies we have about a million in the house from the meat. But yeah it was a good time. To start the fire today they bought a bottle of diesel and well Williams about burned to death trying to pour it on the fire, I wonder about him some times.
But We met Pres. Hacking Friday, he and his wife are great, he told me that I am doing great and that everything will pick up. So I am hoping that is true. So no need to worry right? Haha well i got my box on Friday too, only after 9 days!! It helps when it gets brought straight from the office, but I was happy. I am doing great. Thanks for all the love and support. Hope all is well. tell everybody hello for me please.
Love Nate

Nate's Recordings...

(P.S. I am still trying to figure out the best way to do this....hopefully I'll figure out a better way to do it. If for some reason these links don't work, they are also at the bottom of the blog, or you can just email me or my mom and we'll definitely email them to you)

Nate has sent home several voice recordings of himself in the last few weeks. It is fun to hear his voice...even if these recordings are sometimes a little bit ridiculous!

4th of July
Breakfast

I'm uploading two of the latest. Just as a warning--there is some strange singing in one, and Nate talks with his mouth full of breakfast in the other. Thought it was only fair to warn you before you start listening....

E-mail June 29, 2009

Well hello from Sogamoso,
As my mom informed me in her last e-mail I just don't send a whole lot about the area and what is going on. Nothing really exciting, but we did have district conference this past Saturday and Sunday and we became a stake and ward. It was pretty cool to witness. The people are so happy right now with that title. President Sanchez became the bishop so the Noche de Matê will not be ending, we also have ordered a bunch from Bogota to have in the house. As for the missionary work, it has been a little slow because people just don’t like attending church that much, we call them the night before and pass by their houses and still don’t attend. So any returned missionaries if you have good advice for me I would love to hear it. The family we got married, Manuel and Angelica, haven’t attended for 2 weeks now, I am kinda worried they won't end up getting baptized, so you know what I will be fasting for, on the 5th. We should be having a baptism on the 4th of July, but the girl is not of age, Jessica being only 16, and her mom wants her to have more time in the church before she is baptized but isn’t against the idea it is just a time factor, she is awesome she keeps her commitments and also attends church, she is great. Also we have been looking up less active people in the ward to try and get them to come back, that is really fun, because they have testimonies, but just have forgotten the feelings of the spirit. So we should have some success in that I am hoping and praying. That is about it for me I will be sending some pictures of Pres. Camargo, because he is ending his mission tomorrow. So I am kinda sad cause his family is awesome, but also kinda happy cause this mission needs a little Gringo power to kick some of these missionaries in the butt. So I don’t know when I will get to meet Pres. Hacking, but hopefully in the next 2 weeks. I am just a happy guy right now, I am just livin on the edge here for 2 years but I am just livin it up. I met Elder Wagstaff, from SLC, his dad owns Wagstaff cranes, he was the comp. of elder Williams in the MTC, he is a funny kid and loves to snowmobile. That has to be one of my favorite parts of the mission, meeting new people and making friends, cause I never felt as I was very good at it before, but it is just easy here. Not much else except Elder Williams threw an egg in the house when he got mad this morning, it is funny cause sometimes, we just lose it in the house cause we are so stressed with our investigators and the language and just the mission details. I lost it when his companion didn’t wash his hands after the bathroom and was touchin my face after the bathroom. I had a Willard moment, but they just laugh at you cause I yell in English and then we all just laugh. The mission is just crazy! But I wouldn’t trade it for anything right now, not even to use the cabin. Amy Morrison, you are such a sweet heart. I got another letter from you from June 14, 2009. It is great to know that I have other people other then my family thinking about me. I love to hear all the updates of you and your family so thank you so much. I sent manda a letter today. Well I love you all and know that I pray for you. I am so happy that I had such a great ward to grow up in and such great leaders, Bro. Doane, Bro. Allen (Steve, who calls him bro allen?), Bro. Lovato, Bro. Alsop, and the Bishop. And all other people in the ward that pray and helped my testimony grow. A scripture we share a lot here is Mosiah 2:41. And I just want to tell you that I have a true testimony of it that when we live all the commandments we are truly happy. I am happier now then I was before my mission, and I am without snowmobiles, dirtbikes, boating, and my family (whom I love) and I am just happy. And well this has to be the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I want to give a special thanks to Ali and Liz. With their help I am here. So thank you you 2. Liz I am sorry I missed your wedding. You looked great, all the latin missionaries want your address, cause my mom sent me a picture. Mom I just want to let you know that I am so grateful for you and dad and all you did and do for me. I am such a lucky kid to live and grow up where I did. As to the cabin, I wouldn’t trade my mission to be there but I am a little jealous cause it looks sweet!! I don’t have much more other than thanks and love so until next week, I love you and hope you are just happy Love and pray for all. Love nate, from Colombia!