Good week in Sogomoso

Buenos Dias Familia,
Well its been another very good week here in Sogamoso. My new companion Elder Melendez is here and we are working very hard. We have a good group of progressing investigators and things seem to be really picking up even more. Yesterday they had us go to Duitama (30 minutes on a bus) for a zone P day activity and we got delayed because it rained like crazy so we got home yesterday just in time to work and couldn’t write.

We picked up my new companion Tuesday morning. He is from Tacna, Peru and is 23 years old. He is somewhat tall, maybe like 5'9" (that’s tall here). He is a good guy. He doesn’t really know his dad and his mom died when he was 14 so he has lived with his aunt or by himself since then. He has a good attitude and is willing to work. He is pretty shy but I have been trying very hard to serve him however I can and build a good friendship. I think I am basically training him. He has only 2 months in the mish. I know the idea is to be united in effort so I am going to try very hard to ask him for ideas, suggestions etc. and help him raise his confidence.

As far as the work here things are looking great. This week is already almost booked full with appointments and lessons. This week in church we started a program to have the priesthood members go with us to our lessons etc. We passed around a little calendar with each day of the week and the hours of each day. We sent it around in priesthood so that each brother could sign a time slot to work with us and present us to friends or inactives that he knows. We got about 8 guys to sign up so hopefully that will give good results this week.

It is possible that Nubia will be baptized this week, we will visit her and make sure she is ready and we feel good about it, if not we will wait another week. Manuel finally accepted a solid goal for his baptism on the 5th of June. He is a really good guy and great dad. He is from a religious family so we are veery excited. I know he will be a great leader someday. We found out that he is actually friends with a few members so we are going to take advantage of that and start fellow shipping him really well. Guillermo and Lina are still very excited and preparing for their wedding / baptism. The other day we were talking to them about how we met them etc and they talked about how sad it would be when I get transferred. Haha Guillermo told me I was the one who "started this new book they are writing, ever since I knocked on his door" and that they were very grateful.

We are so blessed to have found good people who have good desires and I hope so much that they can all reach the goals they have placed and endure to the end. It really is amazing how much you get to love the people you teach. Please keep them all in your prayers and pray that we can keep finding the elect . Well I am pumped for another week. I really do feel a special extra energy and I am very happy to be where I am, doing what I’m doing. Next week are transfers but I don’t anticipate any changes here (knock on wood). Thanks for everything fam, Be of good cheer, Love you, Elder Barnard