Difficult Times

July 27, 2009
Hola mi familia,
Well I know my letters always start the same but it’s been another good busy week. This week we had the last 3 zone conferences and some good time to work in our area so I’m very content. The last 3 zone conferences went very well, 2 of them were in Bogotá and the last one in Duitama. We put emphasis and talked a lot about our purpose as missionaries and the how we could convert ourselves in missionaries that strive for our purpose for the right reasons. Having these Zone Conferences and Leader Counsels has really helped me with public speaking and I now feel comfortable talking in front of the missionaries etc.

President and Sister Hacking are great, we have really grown to love them.
Today was a good P day. We had a great personal and companionship study, and then went and played basketball and soccer a little as a district. The new rule is that the districts (4-8 missionaries) can get together 2 pdays a month and play relaxed sports for an hour without getting too competitive. I was a little rusty with the basketball and it’s always different to play outside so I shot for a little bit and then we played some soccer, which although I have no idea how to play right, was fun.

This was a great week for the mission, we finished with 56 confirmations which is a new record for one week in our mission. Also we have a baptism in our area this Saturday, it’s a woman named Sandra. Her husband is almost a lifelong inactive member. She decided to come to church and after a few lessons made the choice to be baptized. We (Elder Corro and I) have started the habit of fasting every Saturday to try and improve and have a bigger porcion of the spirit. This Saturday we had a great experience, almost everything we fasted for turned out exactly, including the interview of Sandra.

I’m really sorry to hear the news about Ben. I am going to start fasting tonight and pray for him and Angie and the kids. (Our precious son-in-law Ben, has been diagnosed with cancer (Lymphoma). He has three tumors on his back and has been through many tests these past few weeks. We are waiting to find out how advanced it is. The results will be in on Monday. We have just found out this past week from his Oncologists, that it is a very rare and rapid growing cancer and they will start him on 6 months of chemotherapy right away. He and our daughter Angie have four little children and she is expecting a new baby girl Oct. 1 which makes this even more difficult). There is a scripture I really like, Alma 7:11 that talks about how Christ would go forth and take on all of our sadness, sins and infirmities (sicknesses) and would feel and understand every one of them at once. So that when we had to pass through them he would know exactly how to comfort us. It really is reassuring and has helped me a lot to know that however bad I might feel or whatever might happen to me or someone I love, Christ felt it once and did it all by himself, so that we wouldn’t have to all by ourselves. I know there is not much I can do to help 3000 miles away but try to serve the people here, but I do know the Lord knows what he’s doing and He can help us get through anything. 28 ¶ aCome unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
I loved Elder Holland’s conference talk. He said, “Brothers and sisters; one of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so. His solitary journey brought great company for our little version of that path—the merciful care of our Father in Heaven, the unfailing companionship of this Beloved Son, the consummate gift of the Holy Ghost, angels in heaven, family members on both sides of the veil, prophets and apostles, teachers, leaders, friends. All of these and more have been given as companions for our mortal journey because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Restoration of His gospel. Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone or unaided, even if sometimes we may feel that we are. Truly the Redeemer of us all said, “I will not leave you comfortless. [My Father and] I will come to you [and abide with you].”
And lastly one of my favorite scriptures that may apply perfectly. D&C 6 36. Look unto me in every thought, doubt not fear not.” So the main thing I could say during such a difficult time, is to look unto the Savior and let him help. I know how strong and faithful Ben and Angie are in the gospel and He will help them get through this.

Thanks for all your love and support. I love every day of my mission and I know I am incredibly blessed. I really have come to find out we are never alone. Don’t forget to enjoy all the great blessings we have. The family and Ben will be in my prayers continually. Much love and chiau till next week.

Eleven Months in the Field

Will standing in front of the Logan temple where he took out his endowments almost one year ago today. We all went through with him. Bill & Amy Heaven and Ben & Angie Bates (his two sisters and their husbands) and mom and dad.

July 20, 2009
Hola familia mia,
It’s been another good and busy week, Monday night, we caught a flight to Bucaramanga my tierra querida (beloved land) we then spent the next two days there with President Hacking interviewing all of the missionaries in the 2 zones there. I am always happy to go to Bucaramanga, I really grew to love the people and that beautiful city. Both days we spent the mornings and afternoons running the interviews etc. and then left to work with the missionaries there both nights.
Thursday morning we had the Zone Conference with the 2 zones in Bucaramanga and the missionaries from San gil and Barranca. (40 in total) It went very well and the plans we had made turned out great. It was very spiritual but we also did activities so there was laughing. I think we accomplished just what we wanted which was to re emphasize out purpose and leave all of us inspired to work harder. The usual zone conference has the following schedule
Hymn and Prayer
Talk by missionary (President chooses a few topics that we announce a while before that everyone has to study, when we get to the conference he randomly chooses someone to talk so we have to all be ready.)
Time for the Assistantes (we prepare what we will talk about and do. This lasts about an hour. Rather than stand at the pulpit we walk around among the missionaries as we talk and do activities.
A break to stretch legs and have a snack
Time for President Hacking
Testimonies of missionaries who are new or about to leave.
Hymn and Prayer

So anyway the conference went great there. Thursday afternoon we caught a flight to Cucuta (a city of about 600,000 on the border of Venezuela) We met up with the Zone Leaders and stayed with them for the night.
The next day we pulled a double header and did the Conference and Interviews there in one day, which meant being in the chapel from 8 to 4. The conference there is smaller because there is only 1 zone (14 missionaries) so the ambient is always different but it also went very well. We worked (tracted) with missionaries there that night and then in the morning took a flight back to Bucaramanga (Saturday).
Some missionaries had moved into a new house with nothing so we went with Hna Hacking to buy dishes, an iron, blankets, cleaning supplies etc. for their new house. President Hacking was invited to speak at a fireside and Elder Corro and I went to a Noche Blanca (white night, which is a night when a District or Zone plans all their baptisms together in one church) I got to see some of the members of Real de Minas my first ward which was nice and the baptisms were great.
Elder Corro and I are always monitoring the baptisms and how all the Zones are working as we talk with the Zone leaders every night. This week was very good and next week should be even better so we will see how that goes, but back to the story.
On Sunday President Hacking was invited to a ward conference. He interviewed and called his other counselor from there. Then we caught an afternoon flight back to Bogotá and finished up Sunday night working in our area. So it was a long week with 4 flights, living out of my little suitcase and planning and making last minute adjustments, on the run everywhere. I love getting to travel and see other parts of the mission and work but it’s also nice to be "home" and unpack my bag and breathe for a second.
I have caught a cold so right now I have a congested, sore throat but nothing at all serious. Today the Camargos invited the missionaries from the office and the Hackings to visit them and have a lunch together. It went very well and it was nice to see the Camargos again.
Also, Elder Corro will be leaving the office this transfer (August 12) to go to the field and train a new American Elder to finish his last 3 months. Six gringos and four Latin sisters will get here this transfer so Elder Corro will get to be in the field training before he goes home.
I can’t believe how fast the time has passed. I've been on a mission almost 11 months now and can hardly believe that it is about half over. The time really passes fast when you stay busy and these last few weeks have been especially that way. I don't want it to go so fast - I love being a missionary.
Ha I think I’m finally comfortable with all the responsibilities of being assistant to a new Mission President. I really have no idea how long Pres Hacking will keep me here, but I am happy both ways. I miss being out in the streets more and finding the Lords elect, but where I am, I am learning a ton and it’s an incredible experience and it’s exciting because every day there is something new that presents itself or a new problem to try to solve. So I really can say wherever I am I will be happy. (Our church authorities say that the A.P.’s term of service varies but is usually no more than six months.)
As far as the dear elder letters either way is fine with me. I like to get them and I commonly use stuff from them in Zone conferences etc. You are all in my prayers. That’s awesome about the Heavens and their new house. And Ben (brother-in-law who has a second tumor on his back) is especially in my prayers.
Thanks for everything, mucho amor hasta la proxima. Elder B.

Great New Ideas

Bogota
Q'hubo familia,
It was another week jam packed with interviews to get to know all the missionaries and dinners with Stake Presidents to start a good relationship with them. President and Sister Hacking are very comfortable and everything is going great with them.

This week we had our first interviews outside of Bogotá in a city called Duitama. It is about a 4 hour drive so we headed there early Friday morning with Pres and Hna Hacking. Elder Corro and I hardly knew the way there but we got some maps off the internet and managed to get everyone there alive. We stayed the night and we got to work with the Zone Leaders. We had a dinner with the Stake Pres that night and headed back in the morning.

We also had a lunch welcoming the new missionaries that got here a few weeks ago. One of them is Elder Sorenson that you mentioned mom. Tell his mom that he is in the north part of Bogotá in kind of a separated part called Suba. He's a great new Elder. We also had a goodbye dinner with an Elder from Chile named Elder Madariaga who I lived with for about 4 months in Bucaramanga and was my Zone Leader and a great missionary.

I am learning a ton about how to get around Bogotá because we guide Pres Hacking to the airport and to the different areas etc. We have also been having frequent meetings with Pres Hacking to get figured out what we are going to do and how. Some things are going to change in the mission like the “no music rule”. We came up with the idea to make mission approved CDs with MoTab and church music to give to the missionaries to listen to in their apartments. I think music is something that really invites the spirit and will be a big plus for all of us. Also the “sports rule” is about to end :) While discussing what we could do, I suggested we could set apart one or two P days every month where the respective Zones could get together and play soccer or basketball etc. but for a limited time and not too competitive. President Hacking agreed completely and we decided to put restrictions on the time etc. so people aren’t getting hurt or forgetting their purpose as missionaries.

Pres. and Hermana Hacking really are awesome, they are great people and I can see they are getting used to the mission and doing great things for it. We are going to get a new Assistant to the President. Elder Corro only has 2 more transfers after this one before he goes home and Pres. Hacking has been saying that he will definitely finish in the field because it’s always a great experience to end your mission that way. So there is a very good chance that when this transfer ends (August 9th), Elder Corro will be going to the field and we will have our new A.P. Pres Hacking asked us both for some suggestions so he can make the decision. It looks like I will have a new comp in August.

Now as far as this week, I am way excited. Tonight we are heading out on a flight to spend the week in Bucaramanga. Pres and Sis Hacking have dinners with the 2 Stake Presidents there, interviews with the 2 Zones there and the Zone Conference. We will be in Bucaramanga until Thursday, when we will go to Cucuta and have the dinner, the interviews and Zone conference. Then we will fly back to Bucaramanga on Saturday because they asked President Hacking to speak in a Ward Conference there on Sunday. We fly back to Bogotá Sunday night.

That also means we are starting the second tour of Zone Conferences with the first two this week. We had a good planning session and decided we would talk about chapter 1 of PMG which is "my purpose as a missionary" to help with the focus on what we need to be doing and why we need to do it, and then talk about Christ-like attributes. The basic message is that our purpose as missionaries isn’t totally to bring more people to the church or encourage people to live happier lives. It is to allow them to open the door that leads to the Celestial Kingdom which is (faith, repentance, baptism, holy ghost, endure to the end) and then we will talk about why that is our purpose and why our focus is baptizing. It is not for numbers or recognition, but for love of the people and understanding that it is the best way you can help someone. We have come up with some good and fun activities as well, so I think it should be great.

Saturdays are Baptism days and this August we have a rare "five Saturday month" which means there are 5 chances to baptize rather than 4. I really think we can break the mission record for one month (174 baptisms), so we are really going to try to get the missionaries excited and motivated to help the people here. It looks like we are about to start even busier times and I am very excited about what we have coming up.

Also on Saturday, Angelica (the girl we taught in Bucaramanga whose mom wouldn’t let her join the church) was finally baptized. I also ran into a member of Tierra Linda who had presented us a reference when I was there named Elena. We taught and then baptized her. She is now the Relief Society Secretary and completely active. She has applied to go study at BYU. It really is the best feeling in the mission to see people you find and teach and pray to find happiness in the gospel and really see the miracles that can happen.

Well I love you all. I have noticed lately my grammar and spelling seem to be getting worse so sorry if my letters seem weird. Thanks for everything; you are always in my prayers. Love Elder B

Our New Mission President is awesome!!

Colombia Bogota Temple
July 6, 2009
Hola Familia,
It has been an all over the place week and a great one. I’ll tell the story of the week and then the details. President and Sister Hacking arrived last Monday night. We went to the airport at about 7 P.M. with Pres. and Sis Camargo to wait for Pres. and Sister Hacking. Their flight was delayed so we waited about 2 hours for them to arrive.

Everyone greeted and introduced each other and then we threw their stuff in a van and we (Pres and Sis Camargo, Pres and Sis Hacking, Elder Corro and I) headed out in the Camargos SUV to take them to the mission home. We got there and they showed them around and took a few pictures. We headed back to our apartment.

The next morning the Hackings had interviews and trainings with the Area Presidency and then we had a meeting at about noon with Pres Camargo and all the missionaries from the office. ha It was sad. Pres Camargo handed over the office keys, the car keys, they talked a little bit about how to get around etc. and he headed out, no longer the Mission Pres. President Camargo really was a great president and a great leader and I will miss him. It’s always exciting to have a change also. President Hacking wants to meet every missionary and Stake Pres in the first 3 weeks, so the schedule has been stacked full of interviews and dinners and mini conferences etc. Elder Corro and I have been very busy organizing these things.

President and Sister Hacking are great. They were both born in Utah, met in high school and afterwards both went on missions and then were married. He joined a business that makes chemicals for pipes when he was young and basically climbed the corporate ladder. Within a few years he was a Regional Manager. For 20 years he was the boss of the company in Latin America. It turns out they have a cabin about 30 miles south of Evanston towards the Uinta Mountains so they know Evanston (Will’s hometown) very well. President Hacking says he even met BJ (Will’s handicapped brother) in Smiths about 3 weeks ago when they were shopping - that's amazing even in a town of 12,000 people - what a small world.

They are both very nice people and very humble. Haha I can’t imagine what it would be like to spend 4 days in the MTC and have them send you out as a Mission Pres.

It’s been a change because President Camargo, after being in for 3 years, was very sure and concise in what he did. You would ask him a question and he would say "you need to do this..." and answer right away. President Hacking is still trying to get to know the missionaries and the culture etc. so right now he is depending a lot more on asking what was usually done and then he makes a decision. He has said that he knows the mission has been doing amazingly well, so he just wants to keep it the same until he gets everything down and then start putting in his ideas, which to me seems excellent. He used the comparison of a train. The mission is a train going 100mph in the right direction so he doesn’t want to turn it around or start changing things, but rather figure out how we can get to 120 mph.

They have spent about the last 12 years traveling South America so he knows a lot about the culture and you can tell he is a business man. He knows how to work with people etc. He is very humble and very loving and I think he will be an awesome Mission Pres. One thing I can see is that he is very spiritual and he puts emphasis on working directly with people and their needs etc. and doing the little things. For example we have been with him all day for 3 days this week, doing interviews with every missionary just to get to know them. They have said that they want to be at the airport when every missionary arrives and have great dinners to wish them off when they leave etc.

The first day he did interviews with Elder Corro and me individually. It was great. It’s amazing how fast you can start to love people. Sister Hacking is great - just really, really happy and friendly. She knows her basic Spanish. Pres Hacking knows how to speak Spanish and say what he needs to say. He just has this excitement and happiness that he transmits. Sister Hacking actually reminds me a lot of Mom. Pres Hacking prefers to talk to me in English which has been helpful but a little strange also because I've gone a long time without talking a lot of English, but it makes the communication a little more natural also.

Elder Corro and I have been very, very busy with everything this week. We have been organizing maps, calendars and answering about a million questions about how the addresses in the city work and how we travel to the other parts of the mission, what we do in interviews, zone conferences, comp interchanges, and about everything else that you only know when you’re a missionary.
But it really is amazing, we already love the Hackings and I can tell within a transfer or 2 the whole mission will also and we will all be doing great things.

It was also a great week in that Saturday and Sunday we were able to work in our area all day and we found some new people as well as committed a couple we have been working with, to get married and baptized with their daughter on the 25th.

Ha The fourth of July wasn’t exactly the same here as it is in good old Evanston. I remember it was always about the best time of year (especially in Evanston) because the town really came alive with tons of fireworks going off in every neighborhood and the family was all together etc. I really am grateful to be a Red Devil (name of our sports teams), Wyoming Cowboy, and Gringo also. Even more, I have realized from being in a third world country just how great we have it back there. For lunch on the 4th, we found a TGI Fridays here by the office, so the four of us (Corro, Zari, Amador) went for lunch to have some American food. We also have some English hymnbooks in the apartment, so I convinced and taught every one to sing the Star Spangled Banner. It really is evident, even in the scriptures, that there are so many blessings our country and continent are promised if we don’t forget where they come from and why we are so blessed. Even if there are some bad things going on there, the church is strong and I think there is a bigger share of the best.

So anyway, to end my letter, thanks for everything "always and all ways" as mom says. I think the testimonies of little kids are the best, and that is my testimony too... I know the church is true, I love my mom and dad and my family and my country, in the name of Jesus Christ Amen. ok that was a little dorky, but much love and talk to ya next week. Elder B

June 29, 2009

I'm a few days late in posting this - we have been super busy.

Will in front of the Bogota Temple

Will with some friends

Hola Familia,
Well it’s been another good week. After my awesome week traveling in the field we have spent a ton of time in the office in preparation for the arrival of Pres Hacking. We have spent almost every day preparing forms, having the office cleaned and getting every last detail ready. Sooo it has been hectic around here (I am in the office right now) but about an hour ago we finally got everything done and the place is looking pretty good and everything is ready.

This week we had all the zones get together and send in videos saying bienvenidos (welcome) to Pres and Sis hacking. It was a good chance to use what I learned in my video production class.

Also, I got the idea to make little goal cards that say "como mejorare hoy" (how will I improve today) with goals like a scripture to memorize, things to read, new Spanish words, an attribute to work on and goals of service acts. It has worked out really well so that I always have something I am working for. I really can’t wait to get this switch over so we can get back to normal mission life. But we know that we have everything ready and are just waiting.

Tonight President and Hermana Hacking will get here at about 10 o clock. We will go to the airport (me and Elder Corro) with Pres and Sis Camargo and a church driver to pick them up. I guess the way it works is once Pres Hacking touches Colombian Ground, he is the Mission Pres. We will take them to the mission home for tonight and have a short meeting tomorrow. President Camargo will give him the keys to the office and the mission car and he will head out. It’s kind of sad to see the time of President Camargo go because he is amazing and has done so much good but it will also be exciting to start a new period with the revelation and ideas that President Hacking has.

My goal is to be able to take everything he says and make sure it is accomplished. I have had some ideas like making a notebook to put just the stuff that Pres Hacking says and see that it gets done no matter what it is. I'm going to do the best I can.

Here is some info about the office and Bogotá etc. There are 4 of us that live in our apartment, Elder Corro, Zari and Amador. Zari and Amador are the financial and mission secretaries and are both great. The apartment is pretty small for 4 missionaries but it’s nice and we all get along great. Every few days we have pizza or something delivered to the house and these last few Sundays we have been making lunch for ourselves because the Camargos are now moved out of town. The mission office is about a ten minute walk from where we live. Bogotá is lined up against a big mountain and the tendency is the closer to the mountain the richer the people and the taller the buildings. The office is on the tenth floor of a building called Liberty Seguros (Liberty Insurance). It is in a really nice commercial sector with some fancy tall buildings and malls. The missionaries who are secretaries or APS get little security cards because you have to pass by a checkpoint to get in, so we just put our wallet over the sensors and it reads our cards and opens.
The office consists of a small waiting room which has little plaques that say Elder Barnard and Elder Corro Assistente al presidente. Inside there is the office room which has 3 computers and scanners and printer etc with another side room that locks where the safe and the financial office is. There is also a conference room that holds about 30 people and a great view of Bogotá, a room with all the materials and equipment and the presidents office. Also on the 3d floor there is a big section of the floor that is the general offices of the church for the South America north area. We always run errands down there etc so I have gotten to see a lot of how the church works etc which is really cool. Also in our area is downtown that has the skyscrapers and the gold museum etc. There are some pretty impressive big buildings, I think a few that are over 40 stories.

Elder Corro my comp is awesome. He is from Santiago Chile, his dad is a stake pres and his whole family are members. He is an awesome singer and like I said speaks great English. He has 20 months in the mission so we may only have 1 or 2 transfers left together, but then again you never know what the new pres will do.

Earlier this week I sent 2 cds full of pictures thru FedEx which I think is pretty safe and they should get there this week. They have all my pictures from the last time I sent cds up to last week so you will have them all.

I don’t know what else to write but all is going great, thanks for everything, I can’t believe it’s already almost the 4th of July. Hope everyone is going well.

I thought of a good idea the other day, if you could send some spiritual experiences that you have had or personal stories etc, things I could use in lessons to back up commandments or stuff like that it would be great.

Once again I love you all, happy birthday to Cameryn and have a good 4th. Love Elder B