Email March 29, 2010

Well hello family,

I am doing super well here in Cucuta. hot as a mug, but i actually love it. OK well this week was a little hectic for me. I told dad this week quickly, but last Monday night after email, I participated in an exorcism, and you may laugh but it wasn't any kind of joke. I went saying well this cant be a big deal and what not, and boy, was I wrong. There was a demon in that girl, it was JACKED UP. I don't really know how to explain it but she said some crazy crazy things. so that was my fun experience there. so after wagstaff got mugged, we decided we had a pretty strange week, butler chimed in with interviewing a deaf girl for baptism. He is a funny kid. listo, and not much else went on, we worked our butts off, and well are going to be dropping all our investigators. so i am a little frustrated about that but what can i do? ok and well mom asked me how i am so i am doing good, Cucuta is a great place, but we have a little part of our area that i hate going. It is the poorest of poor. they have dirt floors, and no running water, and the people just are struggling through life. and the problem is my comp. wants to be there cause the people do listen to us, but they never progress. were here to try and help everyone, and I agree, but I just cant do it. my heart just breaks for the people there, and my comp thinks we need to baptize everyone, and I certainly do not think that. for me it is better for somebody to not be baptized, then to be baptize and not change. cause in my opinion they are worse off drinking or beating their kids when they have made covenants with our HF, then if they never did make those covenants. So I have my internal struggle. but I have just decided to go with the flow and where my companion takes me I will teach and testify. So I am good. Happy and just livin it up here. today we had a good day. we went and bought hammocks. I will attach a picture. So we have them hung up out on the patio. I love you all, and you don't know how much the letters, and support and love mean. I can't even express my thanks
with lots of love
elder nathan naegle

I dont want to be naughty but the one with me on the toliet shows my bathroom doesnt have a door, and the bar of my bed blocks everything. haha and that is my model dirt bike i bought along with the virgin mary, she proctects it. haha. the pink hammock is mine. 35 mil pesos, or in other words 17 bucks!!! cool no?

Email March 22, 2010

Ok well, as I wrote last time from Bucaramunga which is heaven on earth, clean, beautiful and just a great place, wagstaff is on vacation. I had a wild week. So we took a long bus ride from there to Bogota, it was FREEZING in the bus, but I watched Avatar. It is super good I liked it a ton. And yeah, got to Bogota and ate breakfast at mcdonalds and then just chilled until lunch and pres. took us to a good place called saras, it is the mexican place by the office. And then I went with wagstaff to buy some scripture covers, cause his got stolen, he dropped 90 bucks on those, they are white leather, I was not willing to do that. Then well we went to the office for our things and then to the temple to sleep. We had a good time and ended up watching Napolean Dynamite with president and having pizza. 

 Then the next morning we did a session, which was good. Only slept once. Then we had meetings all day about helping the mission move forward and what not. and well i must say it is pretty sweet to have the best missionaries in the mission together cause well they all just have the spirit, and it was probably the best meeting I have been in since I got to Colombia. So I enjoyed it super a lot. Then well it was time to part and I stayed with the secretaries again cause I flew out the next morning with my comp. and that was just fun. He isn't a very good flyer, but well I have lots more practice then he does. 

We got back here and I cleaned the house and then laid down for like 2 minutes and zonked until lunch. Then we went and hit it hard talking to people and doing all we could to get our area going again. Then that night the assistants showed up cause we had zone conference friday morning which was also super good. I got to meet everybody in my zone and what not. Then we worked our butts off friday afternoon. We were jam packed with appointments, and well you want more detail, I don't have it cause I couldn't tell ya who we talked to. Cause i don't remember their names yet. Saturday we had a baptism that we had left, a little girl named Jenny i think??????, and she was just so happy. I am in a super super poor area. And it is funny to me how some péople think that TV is more important then having running water but well what can you do? so I will not try and save all colombia mom, just do lots of service to help the people. 

As for bad feelings haven't had any yet and I feel super safe here. so I shouldn't have any problems. And as for the heat, I am getting used to it, but when I sit down for more then 30 minutes I start to fall asleep and it is worse after lunch. The people walk around half naked all the time. They have lots of problems with missionaries and that here. but well it is part of the hot weather experience I guess. and yeah not a whole lot more, we played soccer this morning on a dirt field which well sucked but the missionaries had a good time and we also did a BBQ I guess I would call it but it is different here. there isn't no sauce here. And well they kinda just trashed my house so I got to clean up a little this afternoon, but I did it with a smile and yeah. I should have more details about who we are teaching nest week, but until then. I love you all and am happy I am here. The gospel is true and was restored. thanks for all the love and support.

love Nathan 

Email March 15, 2010

Hello Family
Elders Torres and Rosenbaum got there fine and we ran around with our heads cut off with everybody that was getting transferred. And I had my last suppers with the Family Tafur, and Family Lopez and well it was just awesome.. Then BAPTISMS went AWESOME, it was the most spiritual baptism I have had, I loved it. Marta started crying and was just so so happy and Joanna also. Martas daughter Suli wants me to baptize her now, she was crying after the baptism cause the spirit was so strong and she was sad i didn't get to do it with her. I think she will get baptized in the coming weeks. I hope so she is just so awesome. Then after I went and slept with the secretaries, cause they had to take me to the airport the following morning, cause the assistants wanted me in Cucuta the fastest possible, so i got to fly, which was super nice. I thought I landed in Africa. It is such a hot strange place. But i love it. I get looks like I am the elephant walking in the street, and i gave a talk in church Sunday and the whole ward is in disbelief. But they are great. We also had 2 baptisms on Saturday in Cucuta. My ward is called Montilones, and we have had 20 baptisms this year and 2 ready to go in the next 2 weeks. My companion is elder Jaramillo, he is a stud from Ecuador and yeah not much else really. I am super tired cause I got basically attacked by the members there. They didn't talk to my companion. haha, and it is so so so so so so so so so so hot, toquer in summer with 100 % humidity but i LOVE IT. Also, the mission is so so screwed up on money but we needed a new fan, so I bought one and am just waiting till i get reimbursed for it. So mom, I am not just spending money, except I bought my comp new shoes cause well he broke them today. 45 bucks. But he is so happy so what can I do. Then this morning I came to Bucaramunga to go back to Bogota for leaders Conf. wed. So I am kickin it with Elder Wagstaff right now writing our families. and that is about it i will try and send some pictures but it is being a little slow. so we will see.

I love you all so very much thanks for all the love and support
love your son nathan!

Email March 9, 2010

Well as you can see I didn't get time to write you a letter yesterday with my comp running around visiting people, we left his family and well, went and gave erika a blessing cause she has a problem with her Vaso, don't know what the translation is, it helps with the red and white blood cells. So I decided that was more important than your letter. but yes i am doing good, this morning was a little hectic with transfers, but well they always are. And i get to stay here till Friday to baptize. So that should go well i hope. And what else. I am going to Cucuta.(18 hour bus ride from Bogota on the Venezuelan border first gringo that is there in like 17 years I heard. so should be a good time. I will be the zone leader with 13 latin missionaries and no other gringos. I hear they eat lots of weird things, like a blood soup. so I guess i just get to deal with it. and my companion finally goes home. Sunday he had his final interview with president. and yeah that is pretty much it. I don't really have much news. I am doing really well and I am super excited to go my new area. should have some good progess there. and yeah. thanks for all the love and support. that is sad about chuck. he is such a good kid, but the mission really can wear a person out, in every aspect and well some just cant do it. As long as he did his best it shouldn't matter. and lets see. for this week i will be in a trio with the new zone leaders here, elder torres, my trainer, and Elder Rosenbalm. who is coming from Sogomoso. So I hope it goes well this week, Elder Butler is headed to Bucaramunga to be a zone leader too. there will be 6 of the 9 zones, people from my group as zone leaders. and 3 from wagstaffs. So we should have a good time. Well I will write ya better this week because I should have new things to write about. like warm weather, new comp. and other such things. and probably more plans with wagstaff. And yeah love you mom and thanks for all your help and support and love and everything else you do for me. love you
love your son nathan

Email March 1, 2010

Hey well I don't have much to report today, except you told me not to get my hopes up about getting transfered, well we had interviews this past thursday and well I was told I have my transfer for there.(Cucuta) So well I know I am going there unless president changes his mind which is possible. and yeah. What else is new. We should have some baptisms on the 12, and transfers are on the 9, but well I guess it pays being with the assistant on friday. I was with elder Guerra, who is the assistant right now. He trained Wagstaff and so well i get lots of news and he likes me, at least i think so....and I was given the word that I could stay here and show the 2 new elders the area for that week. And baptize on friday and then I would ride the 18 hour bus ride to cucuta and get there in the morning. So hopefully it all goes to plan. I am super excited about it all. I have heard great things about Cucuta. and yeah. I am in high spirits and happy. That kinda stinks about dad having to be gone for a month, but you know what, in a year from now he wont have to go alone. And I also did some thinking about school....and I am not going back so I will not be coming home early, I want to do to many things, and school doesn't allow it. And another thing i dont have any $ to go back to school. So well school will just have to wait. so yeah. I am doing really well. anyways. Today in bogota there was a stop on trasport. so I couldn't play soccer with williams and pelero i was a little sad cause well pelero goes home next week so we are planning to get together next week for at least lunch cause I need to see the kid before he goes to spain. His parents are there working. What else. Not a whole not. my letters kinda suck, but well I do do the same thing everyday. just the people change. and yeah... in dans letter he sends the names of the people he is teaching so they can pray for them, I wont send them all, but I will send the most important ones ok. They are Marta, Joanna, Suli. They should be getting baptized on the 12th. ok well i love you all and thanks for the support. love you love nate.

i love you mom, i am so grateful that i was sent to you. must have done something smart in the pre earth life. haha love you mom

ps tell the ward and friends and family hello

Email February 15, 2010

Well not much news, except we have a new investigator, that we found cause her husband was inactive for about 10 years, and showed up to church last week.. He is named Johan and she is named Joanna, and she is tiny tiny like Kara, and he is HUGE, like uncle russ big, so it looks kinda funny when they are together. But he is super super good, and wants to get married in the temple and so we are going to baptize her on March 6 with is the last saturday in transfer. So I am excited for that, and depending on what the bishop says about Johan he will be ready to baptize his wife, they have 2 little kids, that well when we finished our chocolate, the little girl, Alijandra (7) took our plates and started washing them, I couldn't believe it. And their son is David, (6). They are such a great family. And yeah I don't have much news. Played soccer today and got good ole sunburned. And just not a whole lot going on. I love you all sorry for the short letter, but thanks to the ward my family and friends for the support. And well the church is true here as well, a lot more apostasy, but well, haha on Sunday I had to correct the teacher in elders quarum about the war in heaven he told the class that 3/4 left with satan, and well I just said I was taught different and we got it figured out, math isn't their strong point, and spelling isn't mine. haha love you all
love nathan

Email February 8, 2010

Hi mom

Well this week has been interesting.

Tuesday, I had the worst migraine I have ever had. I was in bed all day, I couldn't be up for more than 5 minutes without throwing up!! It was bad and my comp has the flu. So it was a boring day.

Wednesday, my comp was sick again and I had recovered so I had a nice day thinking about the last year and things I want to do different here for the next year. I also studied a butt load but nothing exciting.

Thursday, my comp is still sick, so we ended up going to the dr and well he has broncitis, can't spell it. Yeah but we went and bought his meds and went to an appointment, cause we hadn't worked the entire week and well i had a nice argument with a member. Well basically I cut her head off for telling us to give he daughter an exorsism. I was justified to do it, but i did feel bad and asked for forgiveness the next day. She also said sorry. It was a heated moment. But I gave 2 of her daughters blessings and well the spirit was super strong and probably my two best blessings I have ever given, so god couldn't have been to upset with me. and well I completed a year. Couldn't even believe it!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday, we had part of the zone in our area helping us find new people, and we had service, with the same family from the night before. My comp was still sick so I had service better said, I got to tear up a wood floor cause they have to change the sewage pipes cause they are just old. So that was fun. It has been awhile since I actually got to tear something up. And yeah, it was a good time. This family is the Tafur family by the way.

Saturday, we had service there again and my comp has to take it easy anyway. So well it wasn't a very productive week this week. We also helped a member move around the block, and well had dad showed up in the half way point and saw the dolly we were using, he would have died. Lets just say had I used it at home, I would have been in my car headed to home dept. for a new one with a sore butt. haha it was from the bishop and well the bearings on the steel wheels were shot so it just wobbled like a son of a gun. It was funny but here it is normal and well not many dollies to spare.

Sunday well, forgot to fast, but paid my offering, it has been like that for a while. But well things just slip by quickly. Didnt do a whole lot, cause my companion is milking his sickness for all it is worth and today in the house i just washed my clothes and what not. cleaned up. Caulked the shower, I would have made dad proud, I did a good job. And well I forgot to mention that I wash by hand now during the week, so it is pretty nice. But jeans by hand is HARD, but I managed and I have clean clothes always. I started doing it like 5 months ago I don't know if i told you or not, but well it is just easier that way. and yeah. I cant believe I am on the down hill but well it feels nice. It is kinda like senior year, like wow this really might end I better take more advantage of these things now. But i love it.

I did have one struggle this week. The fam. Tafur, well they have not a whole lot, but the oldest daughter Erica is the best church member I know. It is pretty cool I have found a family in every ward that well I just love, and this ward it is their family. But it is super super hard for me cause well for heaven sakes it rains and water comes in their house cause the roof well, is a piece of mierda, (don't look that up, it is crap but spelled with an S at the front) sorry, but it is true, and I want to just go buy them new roof plates, thats what they use here and fix the whole thing, but well at the same time that isn't my calling to do. So my companion and I are going to do a bunch of service there this week and fix some things up, cause they just don't have the time or the money. so yeah. It has been super hard for me to see somethings like that, cause i was always so fortunate to have just about whatever I wanted, and if you didn't give it to me I had the opportunity to do the work and buy it. I am trying to decide what god wants me to learn from this, and i think it is be generous when I get older, and well I have wonderful parents that have given me a perfect example. I love you all so much, I testify we have the great blessing to have the gospel in our lives. and that it is true. have a great week and I thank you all for the emails and love and support. and mom tell Renae kidd, that well I don't know how to write dan back cause I don't know how to send letters out of here. so can you ask for his email cause he can't email me but I can him to at least reply to him. Thanks love you all
love nathan

Email February 1, 2010- Hi Mom and Family

The dumb cat I let in
Elder Sanchez
The Catholic Church

Well this week was a crazy one with transfers. I was with an elder (elder sanchez) on Tuesday that went home to Chile. We had a good time but ran all over Bogota and my new comp got here from Bucaramunga. His name is elder Ayaviri. He goes home in March and well I was dreading it a little bit. But he just told me that he was trunky and didn't want to work hard, but now wants to end his mission good. And well we get along pretty good. He is from Bolivia, La Paz and his family is in the security business, like my family.........but they work a lot more with safes. But still kinda cool. He also is super sick today with the flu and also has stomach problems. So well he has to watch what he eats and is just sick. I feel kinda bad for him, but he is still just truckin along. Listo, as for elder Williams, well he found out Saturday that his sister is getting engaged, and called me, at a bad time, and well we chatted, vented both our feelings, and both felt better. He isn't mad just wasn't expecting or ready for a huge change like this. But well has accepted it. He is with my old comp elder Pelero, who goes home in March as well. I will miss him. But he has plans to come visit and try and play soccer at a university in the US to get his school paid for. He is a super funny kid i love him. ok well, the missionary work is going good, we have a bunch of new investigators and should have some results coming up soon. But crazy things always happen so pray for us here. Also, the pictures I sent home are yes indeed a cat in our apartment. haha we brought her home to play tricks on our Zone leaders but well bad idea, she didn't let us sleep. So I learned my lesson but still it was funny. And the others are a family we had lunch with on tuesday with Sanchez. Super good family. What else happened this week, not a whole lot. But Wagstaff´s family is having a girl in his stake come live with them for six months, so you will have to talk to his mom about that, they are super excited from what I hear. and I also hear you are having lunch with wagstaffs and williams mothers this week or something like that. Word travels quick here in the mission. yeah that is about it. I am doing super good. happy for Thursday (HUMP DAY), I wont lie, but also sad. A year has flown by but still I have lots of work to do and what not. I want to thank my family and ward for all the love and support, it is great to have the prayers and thoughts. I testify that our Savior does indeed live. That he gave his life out of love for us. That he called a prophet to restore his church in these latter days. Joseph Smith saw was he said he saw, and was indeed called of God. I testify that we have the fullness of the gospel and we can receive the blessings from it if we complete our part by keeping the commandments. The happiest people on this planet are members of the church that live worthy of their covenants. I love our Savior with all my heart, and testify of these things is his name, Jesus Christ, amen.

I love you all have a great week love your son, brother and friend
Nathan

Email January 25, 2010

Well I am grateful for your letter today. I don't have much news except my companion got transferred to my old area, interesting....but he will be with my old comp and another kid in a trio because my old comp goes home in the middle of the transfer. He (my comp now) isn't very happy about leaving here because he has served his whole mission in Bogota, so is unhappy with president for that.

As for me, well after my interview president gave me the impression I would be either a zone leader or training a new missionary so I was happy, but well he must have changed his mind cause that didn't happen. And I will be honest I wasn't too happy about it last night but well I slept good and this morning I just said well you get to deal with it either way. So well I am not upset about it anymore. But, well other then that I don't have much news.

Our one family we have been teaching found a new house in the ward to move into, so they are not leaving, that is if they can find 150 bucks this week. But they should be able to do it and stay in the ward so I should have some more baptisms coming up. And well I was also a little sad cause Wagstaff is leaving Bogota for Bucarrumunga tomorrow. I wont get to see him for awhile but butler is staying here and is training a new missionary. that was the other thing that made me sad, all the missionaries in my group are either training or zone leaders, except Morris, who is the mission secretary. So, I felt left behind. But well what can I do about it.

Also, my comp made us late for church yesterday, so well we missed the sacrament, but I didn't even get upset. I have just learned that crap always happens and well you just can't do much about it. So I am just relaxed and just kickin it.

Also, if you send me a package here in the next little while, can you send me an elk call? I will have to explain when I get home but it is something funny Wagstaff and I got going so please throw one in if you could. Natali put up a picture of her and her friend, Kristen Stuart, on the blog, sign me up for a date when i get home! Anyway I love you, thanks for all the love and support. Tell the ward hello and thanks for all the love, prayers and support.
I love you mom
love nate

Email Monday January 18

Well mom thanks for the email. You are such a great mother. I had a good week, I didn't write down the stuff for the days. But in the photo I had my baptism and that is about it.

We have Marta and her daughter, who I gave the DVD player to and they were supposed to be moving today but their apartment fell through and now are looking for something here so I get to continue teaching them. Marta is ready to get baptized along with her youngest daughter Suli, so we will see, I wont baptize them until they know what they are doing with moving plans. I don't want them to leave and just be inactive. Got in a little fight about it with my zone leader but i just put my foot down and said no, I wont do it. Anyway she has a problem with coffee. We have been looking for an apartment for them to rent. We have no other investigators so we are searching.

I had interview with president, it was good. He and I just had a nice chat about everything and he is a funny guy. We ranged from my comp and the work here to snowmobiling. So it was a good time about 20 minutes with him. I might be getting transferred who knows, I will find out tonight or Sunday night cause there are 2 transfers. Well I love you very much. Thanks Brenda and Stu for the itunes card.

love you
love nathan

Email January 11, 2010

Well i had an interesting week this past week.

Tuesday, we were with an inactive girl and well she has more problems then one person can deal with so we talked with her for forever, about how she just needs to not make things so complicated.

Wednesday, we were looking for directions and my comp is a good guy, but some days I struggle, he is just a little slow and being a naegle that just don't fly well some times. I didn't say anything but i was just a little frustrated but at the end of the day I was happy, what can I do about it I need to learn something everyday. Patience just seems to be a lot of the days haha

Thursday, well about half way through the day I was using the restroom and well, found I had put my garment bottoms on inside out, I got a chuckle out of that. Guess I am just as slow as my comp on wed. haha and I fixed an investigators sound system to her DVD and TV cause well they had just hooked it up like a bunch of retards. So I got that all separated and working, she was happy about that and then we were watching a movie with them and her little boy started choking on a HUGE pìece of chicken, it was pretty funny cause he plopped that sucker right back in after it came out.

Friday, I had this oatmeal soup for lunch and boy was it good. I should have asked how they made it but I doubt it can be that hard but it was dang good and it just hit me super super hard this day how lucky we are as a family. We have a lot of blessings. There are a lot of poor people here. Some days it just breaks your heart to see some of these people. Then when we got back to the house my companion had used up all our minutes on our cell phone. So well we had to have a chat about that and being wise in our cell phone use.

Saturday, well I bought a christmas present here and saturday night, I was sicker than a dog. I didnt sleep one bit and sunday morning I was just in a bad way with a fever and headache and the whole nine yards so i just stayed home all day. It was a long day but I slept sunday night fine and woke up this morning a little better.

Then today I was with wagstaff all day cause my zone and his zone went to a theme park and well I just wasn't up to it and so we just went shopping and relaxed. So it was cool to just be with him all day. He and I should be just dandy friends when we get done here and yeah. I am still sick and it was a bad deal, but that is just part of this whole deal.

tell Austin hello and Andrew good bye depending on when he leaves. Well i am just happy to be here, not to worried about the whole transfer thing. Who knows what will happen. Well mom I love you very much thanks for all your love and support. I am glad I have such a great mother. thank you
love nathan

Email January 4, 2010

Well yes a new year is here. We passed it just fine. I was awake because the other elders were still talking and we slept all 4 out in the kitchen and yeah dad wants me to be more informative in my emails. So here goes!

Tuesday, after lunch, I was SICKER than a dog, I had to go to the bathroom every appointment we had, but i just dealt with it and never let something slip. That is one of my goals for the mission, never have brown garments.

Wednesday well what I have written down is compared to here, Biss is the best singer in the world. It is super hard to sing here. And well I was blessed with a little talent in that dept. thanks to Natali. It is just super funny to me, how the hymns invite the spirit and well they are sung so stinking bad. So fun note.

Friday New years day, we didn't have one appointment and well my comp ended up being sick, so he says, but you can't do much about it so I had a good day of study and what not while he was in bed. I really like to study. The scriptures are pretty sweet.

Saturday, I don't have anything written down, but we were on Interchanges with the ZL and well all our appointments ended up falling through but we had a good time contacting and trying to find inactive people. In the ward there are only about 50 active, out of about 300 maybe more. So we have lots of work and they changed the directions here in Bogota about 3 years ago and so it is super hard to find some of the houses. It is like at home our street 1000 east got changed to 1800 so just down the street but it still tough. But I have a

pretty good memory and can find them pretty good. I do most the searching, my comp well isn't sure how to do it still and he has been in Bogota his whole mission. I guess that is one of my gifts I have. I never get lost much, even at home riding dirtbikes ask Preston.

Sunday well there is a lot of apostasy here. So we have to be on our toes when people are talking to our investigators, so correction here and there and yeah that was my week.

People we are teaching,

We have Marta and she has a mixed up story. she was going to a christian church here close by and she has 3 daughters and the pastor after many years abused their relationship and knocked up her 2nd daughter and hired all the best lawyers and what not so they didn't get anything and so they are in a super bad way. They have no trust for anybody and yeah it is just an ugly situation but she under stands why there are so many churches and she is a reference and she is getting baptized here in 2 weeks and her daughters are listening too and I think they will get baptized. I don't carry my camera much but I will try and get a picture of them this week. They are a great family. Oh and their father abandoned the family and so it is just an ugly deal all around we went to the bishops store house last week with them cause they have virtually nothing and she is changing the lining in my suit to have a little work cause she makes clothes and I had a big hole in it from where my bag rubs. So they are a great family and the Baby from the pastor is the cutest thing ever the picture is of her. As for me I am great I can speak spanish just fine and for the most part people understand. So that is good.

I love you all thanks for the love and support. Until next week
love nathan

Email--December 14, 2009

Family email---Well yeah I am getting transferred to another part of Bogota.  Also we went to the Hard Rock Cafe today for birthdays, today is Wagstaff's birthday, mine is in a week, and Butler's is on the 29th.  We had a good time there.  It was a good learning experience for me here,  but well all things change in the mission.
I LOVE THE 24 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS thanks all who participated.  I read from Uji today.  She is so so funny, I loved her letter.  I am glad to hear from you all that all is going good.  I am sad I am missing the snow. I am sorry I am short today but well I have a million things going through my mind.  But I love you all and thank you for you support. love nate

Natali email---I love you with all my heart!  On saturday we were eating lunch and they were asking about family and I said I have an older sister, who is in fact graduating as we speak! so CONGRATS.  I am so so proud of you and happy for you.   Well natali, i am just so happy for you what a great acomplishment in your life.  So even though I missed it I am so proud and happy for you!  Also thank you for the family blog update.  It is pretty sweet with all the pictures.  The cabin kitchin IS LEGIT!! I am so excited.  Ok well I love you and thank you for all you do for me.  And you can open your letters on new years eve that would be cooler cause I get to talk to you on christmas.  You are the greatest sister I could ever have.  Thank you and I love you. Love your brother Nathan

 

 

 

 

Email December 7, 2009

Hey I am sorry I am getting this off late but I was at the mall sending your stuff home for Christmas and it is super different here in Bogota, they weren't very nice like the nice lady is Sogomoso. So who knows you may not even get it and they uped the prices this past week, so good thing I have been saving no?
I am doing really good. The biggest news with me is we got a new zone leader before transfers due to stress problems but for me was good cause they sent my old comp elder Pelero here from Sogomoso. So I got to see him and play soccer with him today. I miss being his comp. He is a good kid and yeah not much else is going on. The 24 days of Christmas are going GREAT!! Ithank all who helped. I love it. Other than that I got sun burned on my arms again today and yeah

Also, I forgot that yesterday a very tall white man walked in to church and sat down by me. Well he ended up being from Canada, and he is a pilot. He is working here for a big oil company. They fly and do some kind of test to guess where to drill and look for gas and oil. He flies all over the US and Canada, and has been to Ft. Mac a ton. So I told him dad had work up there and what not. So he told me to look him up after my mission and whenever he is here he is going to come to that ward. So that was kinda cool. I have his business card. He speaks no spanish, it reminded me of the first months here. He is from Calgary by the way. I think he works for air partners if i remember correctly. And yeah. We have Zone conference tomorrow and all is good here. Still no baptisms but we are getting there. Mom I love you so much and thank you for all your love and support. Tell dad I am sorry the dog was in his bed, but well I didn't teach him that. haha love you
love your son nathan

Email November 30, 2009

I am doing really great. I had a good thanksgiving on Tuesday with the Helm Family from Idaho. She works in the US embassy here and well is pretty high up in the thing. They have been here for 2 and a half years. So it was a good time. It was a mix of Colombian and Americans. Her family had come down to visit. But it was pretty sweet, I got to eat things I didn't think were possible. Such as black olives, lemons, and gravy. I have pictures, but unfortuantely, my camera was loaned out to the Bustos family to take pictures of their daughters graduation, cause theirs broke a few weeks ago. So yeah. I will get them to you here in the next week or so. As well as a picture of me for a Christmas card.

And I cant tell you how excited I am to open my letters tomorrow, it has been killing me. And I still can't decide to save the pictures for christmas or open them tomorrow. But we will see. Mom I think that is the best thing you could have done. As to thank you´s I have written over 20 letters for Christmas already so you may have to just thank people for me. I will write more to anyone i didn't write a letter to.

ok well you asked about our investigators, we actually are teaching a lot of different people. But i will name the most important.
Maria, her husband is a recent convert, and she was in the coast when he joined with his 2 boys of a different woman. She left and was pregnant about a year ago and lost the baby, so well she is back again, but well hates god. So she is super hard, but has
progressed a ton in the last little bit, ans she told us that she doesn't believe in other churches only ours or the Catholic. so yeah she is coming along.

Carmenza is the wife of a member. He found us in the street and presented us to her. And well she is the toughest lady ever that I met. but she also has progressed a ton. She doesn't understand the book of mormon, and wants everything to be logical. She wont take that leap of faith and also i think she has more money then we do. She is in charge of a pharmacutical deal here and yeah she is in charge of colombia, bolivia, venezela and ecuador and peru. so yeah and she is married only one year and was married like 20 years and got divorced because her husband bought a motorcycle. Well that was the final straw for her, there were many other factors.

And the final is Nicole. She is 17 and is awesome. She is from Bolivia, and living here with her aunt and uncle. She is really cool. She never really questioned about god and what not, so i just explained to her neither did i but i have found out what he really is and how important he is. So I hope she will progress here in the next week or so.

ok well that is about it for me. I hope you had a great thanksgiving. I heard it was good at the cabin. Mom i love you and thank you for everything.
With lots of love your son
Nathan

Email November 23, 2009

Well mom,
I just spent about 8 minutes reading your letter, which was GREAT. Thank you so much, I love reading your updates. I will keep Dave in my prayers give him a special hug from me and Maxine as well. I miss them. But that sounds like a good time helping Marie move. Will you take a quick picture of it when you are over there, I don’t know what their house ended up looking like. Also are you going to die with her so far away? I hope not. As for me, I am struggling a little bit, nothing to worry about, but some days are just hard. But I have my testimony and my Father in Heaven to help me. We had Stake conference this past weekend, which was really good. I got to see President Camargo. And President Hacking spoke, as well as Sister Hacking. Our stakes theme is D&C 84:106. So our main goal is to get less active people back, cause only like 33 percent are active, which is quite sad. But yeah, not much more news, except I found a good scripture for you and dad to read. It is D&C68:25. I think that is it. But yeah, you are such great parents to me and I think did a really good job with our family. Not perfect, in fact Dysfunctional, but we turned out ok. I was the sour grape for sure. But hopefully with my good example my brothers will also choose to serve the lord. It is a great experence, but I won't lie, I have taken a toll, physically, as well as emotionally. But well that is all part of the learning and I can't complain. I have a father and mother that both work their butts off so why not me. I want to go back to Utah state when I get home. But I am disappointed that I will miss the semester by 3 weeks. I don't know, maybe I can get something changed to make it. But I am not worried about that now. I just had the revelation given to me this week, that that is what I need to do. Ok well I am good. I love you all have a happy thanks giving, to those who helped with my Christmas, thank you very much. I love you all. I pray for you all and thank you all for the prayers.
With lots of love your son and friend
Nathan

Email Nov. 16, 2009

hi mom,

Thanks for the letter this week it was great. I am doing great. I had a good pday and went and had my clothes washed at a members house and so we are really short on time. But we have 2 women that we are teaching that have more pride than the whole naegle family combined so well they are a struggle but my comp and I are going to get it done. We are enjoying the challenge. So yeah I am doing really good I have gotten to know my comp and he is awesome. We get along just great. So no problems there. The ward I am in is great.. so that is cool. and yes i was there when jorge bustos added you on face book he is an awesome guy. His wife served in the Cali mission here and a companion of hers is down here working for the embassy and invited them to thanksgiving dinner because jorge lived in the states. So they invited me and my companion so that should be pretty sweet. I am excited and turkey is rare here so it is really expensive so it should be a good treat. I am looking forward to your package with the box turkey. Ok well i also want to tell you that i am happy and doing well. It rained so stinkin hard today it was unbelievable, but I didn't have my camera and well things are going good for me. It has been nice living in the house with just me and my comp cause I get my own bathroom and what not. So it is super tidy. You would be surprised I think but yeah I love you all and I have been talking to Jordan he sounds good. Also I met a girl here this past week that was visiting from the coast, and I asked her who was in her ward, and well small world Parker had just gotten transferred there. I guess he is a new ZL so that is cool for him.. and yeah she was here visiting her boyfriend who is our ward mission leader. So yeah small world it was pretty cool cause we had lunch with them on Sunday. So yeah not much else but I am doing good. love you all and take some pictures of the snow. love you all
love Nate

Email Nov 9, 2009

Well thanks mom. You sure are awesome and very good to me. I guess that is what I get for being the favorite.I got a new companion this week from Chile so it should be good he speaks very good english too. I am doing good here and the ward has given us a bunch of references here in the last week or so. But yeah i am just here in Bogota and doing what Ishould be. That is super cool about preston and his blessing. I wish I would have gotten mine sooner. To be honest, because it talks a ton about my mission but well that is the way it goes and icant complain because it is from the lord. Also this week in our chapel was the primary program. It was cool and brought a stong spirit but it was good. Also Natali asked me this week what I make myself to eat here in the house. Well i eat a lot of pasta with katchup, i ate over a pound of katchup last month and i eat cereal, bread cheese ham I dont know the usual for me. pretty plain for me. I dont like to spend lots of money on food or buy anything exciting cause it just gets eaten when other missionaries come over. I also have hot chocolate and tang for my drinks. They also have a super good soda here that is apple flavored. it is really good. i also eat ground beef and yeah not a whole lot more. the treats you send me and chocolate that is called Jet, and it comes with animal stickers, and so i am collecting them all I have the album. so yeah that is kinda the food dept. I am pretty boring, but I try and stay regular, and eat those things with fruit, not many vegtables, at lunch yes in the house no. I have come to love Red peppers they are super super good.and yeah that is about all i got for yall this week. we had other elders over today to play soccer and they ended up making lunch in our kitchen and well left it a MESS so yeah i had just finished cleaning the whole house this morning and well get to clean the kitchen again but whatever I like cleaning. also i get to go to the temple again tomorrow, it isnt as awesome in spanish, but it is still good, and i am excited. should be a good time. i love you all and thanks for the support. Please tell amy morrison thanks, i got a bunch of dear elders from her. as well as the ones from my friend that you send. it is cool to hear what they are up to. i love you all and thank you for the support. Mom thanks for the weekly letters it is great. i love you all
love nathan

Email Nov. 2, 2009

Hey mom,

Well another week down, and I didn't get transferred. I got a new companion from Peru named, Elder Oyarzun. Never met him before. But i guess we will see how it goes. They closed the other area in my district so I am in charge of the 2 areas, but will only work in the one when there are references. So we will see how it goes. Wagstaff got moved to Bogota and is now a Zone Leader with my first companion, Elder Torres. So that should be cool. And his birthday is a week before mine, so i think we are going to go to Hard Rock or something for that. So it may show up on my card. Haha we will see i guess. But i have a favor to ask. I need you to pass by Mr Mac and ask if you can by new insoles for my Ecco shoes. And it isnt like right now, but with in the next little while. Ya know at the bottom of your list. Also, i have a favor to ask for Christmas, which i know is a long way off, but I know the family, so I would like 1 letter from each member as well each of them pick a photo of me and them, If they exist, and send it to me. That is what i would like. I have a big list of letters to write to the family, grandparents and friends. So hopefully I can take some time on Pday to get it all done. I don't have much else to tell you other then i am doing good. I am extremely happy about the Yankees, cause well I have some money riding on them. So they better pull it out tonight. I am rooting for them. Thanks for all the love and support and i will try and be more interesting next week with all the changes that will happen this week. Also i will try and get Jay written i think i will have time i don't have many people to write ok I love you and hope you are having a good time at the cabin. As you know, there are good and bad days. but the good thing is i have figured out in the last 7 months i been here how to make even the bad days turn into better days. So well yeah. I love you and thank you for all the support.
Love your son nate

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