New Pics from the CCM...Overlooking Bogota

On a Llama for 3,000!!

There is too much to talk about and the Subject is going to take awhile to explain, jaja!

Let´s start with Spanish! How can you not? So one of my favorite things about Español is that it sheads more light on the gospel for English speakers! For example: the missionary scripture "see that you serve him with all your heart, might, mind, and strength" is wonderful and amazing! Plus is really let´s all the missionaries of this world know how we should be serving everyday! But in Español it is this: "mirad que le sirvías con todo corazón, alma, mente, y fuerza" Now most of those are the same things in English except for one! Alma means soul which is kind of like "might" but gives it a new meaning! "with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength". And from what I´ve seen in the CCM (Centro Capacitación Misional) the missionaries is that are the happiest are the ones that give it their all. Give all of their heart and mind and strength. But also their whole soul! I learn so many new things everyday because of this! That is Miracle #1

Miracle #2: Learning about the spirit! In 2008 Elder David A. Bednar gave wonderful talk in the MTC in Provo. We got the chance to watch the recording here in the beautiful CCM, (did I ever mention that it is like 70 degrees all day! The weather is literally perfect) Anyways back to Bednar. He started off his talk explaining, "What do you think, 4 years being an apostale, is the most asked question by members of this church as I travel?" His answer was: "Elder Bednar, how do I know if something I feel is of the Holy Ghost or of me?" His answer was bold and special: "Quit worrying about it!" I was kind of shocked what did he mean? As the talk went on, I learned what he meant was, most of the time in our lives we recieve promptings from the Spirit and we don´t even know about it (Look up the 20 or 40 mark story about him and Elder Packer) If we are doing what we are supposed to be doing, In his words: "Being a good boy and good girl", almost every thought is from the Spirit. We just have to be bold enough to follow it even when the spirit is speaking so softly. Because as we do what we are supposed to do in this life, we get closer and closer to thinking what our Father in Heaven speaks. Kind of sheads some light on the scripture where Christ says: "And the I in the Father. And the Father in me" Because there is no doubt Christ got to the point where every thought was His Father´s. So Quit worrying about it!

Miracle #3: Ayuno. Which means fast, or literally I fast. Fast Sunday was great because of a party! What? A party you say! Yes about 10 meters away from the CCM is a Catholic church that started to play rock music on sundays becasue their congregation wasn´t big enough. And the fundraisers that the church has are on Easter and last Sunday yearly. There was Loud music from 8 in the morning till 8 at night. It literally shock the building during sacrament. The music got louder and louder becasue their biggest sponser is a local beer.. How were we ever going to feel Spirit during fast and testimony meeting? How? Through all of our increased desire for the spirit because of the music. I searched for it, so I found it. A miracle. A real testiment to the setting apart of a missionary absolutely great!

And now the llama for 3000 pesos which is about a dollar in the US. Probably the best dollar I have ever spent! So we got to go to the top of Bogota today and see the whole country side! Or in this case a picture of 9 million people in one counrty! Glorious! And for those in Colombia a testiment that God is preparing those people in that city for them and others.

I add my testimony. This is His Church. He directs it. His power will never be taken off the Earth before the coming of our Lord and Savior. Oh what joy if we bring but one soul unto Him. Open your mouth my family of Latter-Day Saints. People need to hear this and God will direct you if you Embark in this wonderful Journey! Which can be everday no mattter where you are! 

Lots of Love from Colombia!

Elder Alder

A Llama for 3,000!

Granadilla fruit

"Does Elder Alder know Spanish? No he doesn´t..."

Jajaja (proper spanish way to laugh, thought I should start now) I´ll explain the Title at the end!

Let´s start with a joke from our wonderful teacher Hermano Gómez! (He knows english pretty well but not everything, and he is hilarous! He is also getting sealed in the temple in 14 days!) Hermano: There are two ballons in a dessert. Us: Dessert? Hermano: Dessert!!... Desert? Two ballons in a desert and one says to the other, " Hey bro Watch out for that cactus!" "Bro what cactusssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss"

Sorry I had to! Did I tell you guys yet that last week we went out on the streets of Bogóta and contacted!! First week! And I don´t even know any spanish! It went pretty well buttomorrow we are contacting on the street for 3 horas!! I am very nervous but excited because that´s what I´ll be doing for three years! It is so great! 

One of my favorite things here in the CCM is the time we have to teach "investigadors". Elder Baker (my companion from Orem) and I are teaching Marcos ( a wine drinking futbol lover who has a wife who is a less active mormon) and Freddy (a less active 50 year old that believes in reincarnaiton). Miracle numero 1: They have us here at the CCM memorize a couple of things in spanish on entry! First our objective, second the baptismal invitation, and third the First Vision. During one of our lessons with Marcos, I quoted the First Vision in Spanish for the first time in a "real life" situation. That was the miracle. I felt the Spirit in my words and could tell Marcos did too. The Spirit is the energy of the mission and I love it. It really is the one thing that look for everyday and I have a good day!

Miracle numero 2: CRE is an excersise they have us do where we teach an "investigador" for the first time and they film us and then evaulate us. It was Elder Baker and I´s second time doing it and for some reason it was harder than the first. I couldn´t remember the scripture I wanted to share. I couldn´t think of the words to say in English or in Spanish. It was really hard and I got down on myself pretty hard. The miracle came that night while I was writing in my journal. I noticed that in the past couple of days I didn´t write about a tender mercy that I had seen that day. And I wasn´t having a prayer in my heart all day that i could have the spirit to be with me. I prayed fervently that night that I could look for the spirit every day and be able to have that energy from the spirit to help me have better days. And you know what? It works! Heavenly Father knows exactly what you need!

Okay one more thing before I talk about the title! Orar Orar Orar! (That means to pray) Do you know how many times we pray in the CCM? I think I counted 15 times in one day! Morning, night, before planning, before every meal, before every lesson and every devotional! Ore Ore Ore! I love it! I invite all to pray as much as you can and when you aren´t to have a pray in your heart because the spirit will always be with you no matter what!

Miracle #3: Okay the title! So on saturday morning, presidente assigns certain topics for Sunday talks! Everyone writes a talk and prepares as if they are going to speak in Sacrament. They have 6 to 8 people give talks every sunday but you don´t know who is giving the talk until they call your name after the sacrament! So everyone kind of gets nervous because no one knows who will be called. So this last sunday I was leading the music and assumed I would be off the hook but nope! They called "Elder Alder" and I got sooo nervous! First talk in Spanish!!! I was talking about God is our Loving Heavenly Father but it was in Spanish and I wrote it myself! Scary but once I started I felt the calming spirit of my Father. Did I say some things wrong, yeah, but at least I tried to say them wrong with the spirit! Now later that day we had a devotional with Presidente of the CCM. And let me just say I love him! And when I say that he is the most blunt person I have ever meet, I mean it in a loving manner because it is so funny some of the things he said. Including this: The devotional was on Gift of Tongues and in the middle of it he said: "Like today during sacrament" He looks at me "Does Elder Alder know Spanish? No he doesn´t" I knew it was true but it was so unexpected infront of all the Nortes, then he added, "Just like the rest of us." Then he said what the spirit told him to say even if it was a little bias "But between you and me, I think you gave a much better talk than any of the other Latinos because you prepared with the Spirit" During sacrament, I was the only Norte to speak with 6 other Latinos. 

Heavenly Father knows what you need. He knew I needed Presidente to say those words to give me confiedence that even if I can´t speak Spanish right now, he will help me use what I know after I have prepared as much as I can. The scripture 2 Nephi 25:23 "For we know that is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." Now that scripture means something a little different. Grace for all is not only being saved at the last day but also grace is everyday when we do all tha we can and somehow, someway, we do what God wants because of grace. 

I love this gospel. I love this work. Find a love for it and you will go far in whatever you do!

Con amor

Elder Alder

New Pics from the MTC

Elder Alder & companion Elder Baker

MTC District

Sending Elder McKissick out to the mission field

Playing Futbol with El Presidente

Man, i really hope I get this whole email thing down because it takes a while to add you all to this message. Haha! Well there goes another week! Today marks two weeks since I barely made it past immagration into this country! 

It´s going by super fast for me! ¿anyone else? haha!

Well where to start! I think it was the third day here in the CCM that we talk our first "investigador" in all Spanish! Talk about scarey.. Each of the teachers here pretend to be real people from their mission and we teach them in spanish about everydayish. Mine and Elder Baker´s is and was Renzo. Let´s just say it was a sticky situation at the end of the lessons because he was getting ready for baptizism and then went to a bar with the bishop´s daughter... Yikes. Miracle #1: my companion for these six weeks is Elder Baker, and he did spanish immersion for 10 years so he knows a load more spanish than I do! But the miracle is that he helps me all the time and he is almost like a latino companion who knows english! I learn so much from him and I think we are a great compainionship! or comparñismo in spanish I believe! 

I want to touch on the food real quick! (Mainly for my father and how can I not!) I really love the food here! In South America, desyauno is small, almuerzo is HUGE, and cena is just for fun. Haha. Some of the Nortes hate it because we always get rice, meat and hot dogs. From runny eggs, to wishing we had grandma scyamore bread, I think it´s great! Favorite food here in the CCM? Has to be a fruit they have for dinner called Granadilla. How to explain it? One elder compared it to the first scene of nemo with all those eggs! And he isn´t wrong, if you look at it, it looks like spider eggs incased in fluid. I call them the Fiber-One fruits because... ahh nevermind. But after you get past the texture they taste fabuloso! 

I shared last week that Spanish is really hard even those it´s one of the easier languages and it is! It makes more sense than english does! Miracle #2: The Latinos just left today which was pretty sad but the miracle was, one of them, Elder Echarry from Venezula, has been studying english for 10 years but has never talked to anyone with what he has learned. One Day we were talking with him and I think the Lord knew exactly what I needed that day. he said to me somwhere along the lines of: "Elder Alder, you are doing so well. Your pronuncation is great. And someday you will lose English. Just forget it and I know you will be a great spanish speaker" The Lord knows me and He knows you and exactly what you and I need!

Miracle #3: The spirit or Espiritú. The best part about this place is that you can feel the spirit when you want to. We did something this week called CRE: we teach an investigador and they film us and see how we can improve. The character we were teaching was a girl who had lost her father a year ago. So Elder Baker shared testimony about a friend who had died recently and how he got over it. And even though this wasn´t the actual investigador we were teaching. I looked into her eyes and felt the spirit flood over me as I bore testimony to here that she could be with her father again. I cried, even though this wasn´t a real lesson just one to help us. The Spirit is the driving energy force and I love it. I crave it.

Everyone here is great! I love my MTC president and I love this place. There is no greater work than the Lord´s no matter where you are! This church is true and I hope everyone knows how important the temple is! The one here is guarded by a gate! Press Foreward and Oh! I remember the scripture I wanted to share! I don´t have my scriptures but it is somewhere in 2 Nehi, Spiriutally Minded Is Eternal Life. S.M.I.L.E :)

Con amor

Elder Alder

August 21, 2015 Photo's received

Photo's received yesterday...

Found on FB by our friend

Found on FB by our friend

Herriman High representing in the CCM...as well as Reggie!

Where is that scripture...?

Getting in a little soccer on P-Day!

August 20, 2015 Bien Venidos a Colombia

¡¡Bien Venidos a Colombia!!

Man, a week already is gone already!! Time always go so fast especially being here in the CCM (what they call the MTC in South America)! I apologize in advance for any misspellings in my emails for two reasons, I´m trying to learning Spanish as best as I can AND this computadora is also a Spanish computer!

You know my family thinks Disneyland is the "Happiest Place on Earth" (Haha no they don´t) but really this is the Happiest Place on Earth! So much has happening in one week I really have no idea what to email all you wonderful folks about! Let´s start from the beginning! The flight to altanta was nice but late. We had a big old group of missionaries spread through out the airplane! I´m sure someone recieved a book of mormon! I sat in the WAAY back with all the kids flying by themselves and I guess I was a kid flying by myself! Now Miracle #1: We (myself and two other elders going to the Colombian CCM) got in the Altanta airport 25 minutes before the flight to Bogota left. The miracle was that the second we got to the gate, the airplane was about to lift off and they said they almost left us. Miracle #2: Almost none of the elders and hermanas going to the CCM spoke spanish expect for one Elder Casal! He was a life saver! When you go into a foriegn country, you have to go through something called Immagration. None of the "checkers" in the "foriegn" line spoke English..... But Elder Casal somehow got me into this country!

I really don´t feel like I´m in another country. Probably because we are in a building with other Nortes (that´s what they call us here) and probably because the building is surround by a gate... Haha, yep it does look like a prison a little bit. But we get an hour for excersising so it´s okay, haha (that just makes the place look like a prison will all these nicely dressed people who can´t go "on the outside" haha.

So what is the CCM like in one email? Amazing. Absolutely amazing. The second we got here the other elders said, "make it just three days and you´ll be fine". It was kind of true. The first couple days were hard. Why? Because I had no idea how I would ever learn Spanish. Like a couple of elders here, I looked in on myself rather than seeing the bigger picture. Miracle #3: On Wednesday of last week during lunch, the president of the CCM´swifecame up to myself and my companion and said, "I hear that you two´s Spanish is really well especially in this kind of time" I kind of didn´t believe her at first but later I realized that it was a blessing from Heavenly Father. He knows us personally and exactly what we need.

Is it hard here? Yes. Is is easy to learn a language? No. But am I really happy to be here because I want to serve the Lord? Absolutely. There is no greater work than the Lord´s work. He knows how much you are going to study and how much you need to improve and He knows when you need a laugh. Where else in the world would you be able to teach a Latino "Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickeled Peppers"? It is so funny and I´m sure we sound funny to them. The immersion here with the Latinos is so fun! They are so nice and love everbody at least some of them do, haha.  

Wow I need more time! Haha, the CCM is really the best. I can be in the room with our district of 6 elders and laughing until it hurts as we tell stories back home. I can feel the spirit so strongly. More than I have ever been able to feel it before. And if for but a moment, I can serve my Lord.

Esta es Su Iglesia. This is His Church. No doubt about it. I know that my Savior lives and loves His brothers and sisters in South America. In time I hope to love them at least a little bit like Him. 

I hope and pray for all of you everyday!

Love Elder Alder

Elder Alder...Alder the Elder