enseñando a los lamanitas

Hello everyone! Its been an interesting week here in Bolivia. I don't really know where to start. Let's go with a little more description of my area.

So around here, basically if there isn't buildings or streets, there's jungle looking stuff. It's really cool. Bolivia is actually a really beautiful place if you don't look at the roads. all the dirt roads around here are pretty gross. And sometimes they smell bad. And there are lots of poor houses, but there's also some really nice ones. Like there will be a super rich looking house right next door to a tiny shack with clotheslines everywhere in front of the house. We mostly talk to the poorer people. I don't think we have too many investigators that are very wealthy. But the people around here are all super nice, I just don't understand what they're saying. A lot of times though you'll run into a guy who looks like he has a golf ball in his cheek. It's some kind of drug that's really popular around here, I can't remember what it's called. So you generally don't talk to those guys as much. But I really like it here. I would like it a lot more if I understood spanish.

I actually really like the food here. Basically here they eat rice with almost everything, no surprises there. But we have a pensionista who brings us our lunch and dinner, she cooks pretty good. The only unique food I can think of us called salchipap, which is basically sliced up hot dogs on top of a bunch of french fries with some sauce. Occassionaly when we go visit members to ask for referrals, or teach really nice families, like the familia Coré, who I really like, they'll give us some food. And almost always Coca cola. People love it down here, and for good reason. Its way better than coke in america. And I'm pretty sure they don't believe in diet soda down here, which makes me happy. All that is good comes from god, and that doesn't include diet soda. In my humble opinion.

There's also these things called salteñas, which are these little hot pocket looking things with delicious meat and broth inside. You have to bite a corner off and drink the liquid out of it so you don't spill everywhere. Which is really hard not to do. Pero salteñas son muy ricos.

There's one street in our area called Calle Lamanitas. Which is Lamanites in spanish if you couldn't figure that out. I discovered it on Saturday I think. So we spent a little time that day asking people if they knew what their street is called, and then showing them the book of mormon, and how it talks about the lamanitas. We now have one new investigator on that street, named teorco Alvarez or something. He's this 50 something year old guy who really really likes the bible. We had an interesting discussion with him about the restoration, but I think he's going to be really interested in the book of mormon. We'll see how he liked it in our next appointment. 

Our only other investigator who has made much progress has been José Matias. and his girlfriend, Maria. We've been teaching both of them together, and Jose is really excited to be baptized and clean from his sins. It's awesome. Both of them have a baptismal date for the 13th of may, and both are going to church. So pray that they can continue improving!

But, like expected, spanish has been really hard. Earlier this week I got pretty discouraged, since I don't know what's going on ever, and we haven't quite been meeting our goals. It's really hard to find people to teach. So I was feeling pretty useless, and a little sad and homesick. But then later I read Alma 26:27, which says something along the lines of "now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord did comfort us, and said, go among thy brethren, the Lamanites, bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give you success."  There literally could not have been a more perfect scripture for my situation. We're even teaching on Lamanite street!! The book of mormon is amazing, I love it. So now I'm doing a lot better. Not really better with spanish, but better with my attitude. The Spanish needs a lot of work.

Love you all

Elder Bingham

I kind of never take pictures. I never think to when we're proselyting. Sorry. But there was this really cool building and an awesome tree. Don't know what the building is. But cool stuff. Lots of my area looks like this, but with either more trees or more houses.

I forgot to talk about p-days! Although to be honest there isn't much to talk about. we Clean the house in the morning, go to email, and then take a micro (these small bus things we ride everywhere) to a chapel to play soccer with the rest of the district. Pretty fun. Then we go to the Hipermaxi (Bolivian Walmart) to get food and stuff every other week. And then go chill back at the house until 6. I've been told that's the typical p-day around here. Hopefully in the future we can do something more exciting. But I'm bad at remembering what to write about, so if you have questions about whatever I'm doing let me know. 

Elder Bingham

Adios ingles

Well, I made it. It's been a while, pday. Haven't had one since before my birthday. But yeah, we're in a little internet place really close to our apartment typing away now. It's good to be back.

Well dang where do I start? Its been so long.  We left the CCM on Monday or whenever it was, our flight was at 12:45am, and arrived in Bolivia at about 4am Bolivian time. And then stood in immigrations line for about an hour. It sucked. But there's 3 hermanas that came here with elder Prince and I, plus 3 elders from the provo CCM, including Elder Samuels! (Cody Samuels, from high school). It was cool to see him. Anyway, the next day we had orientation and lunch at stuff at president's house, which was all in spanish. But luckily Elder Hale, the secretary, was nice enough to translate most of it for us gringos. The next day we had to go to interpol and get visas verified or something, and then we went and met our new comps, and then went off to our separate areas.  I'll miss Elder Prince. Hopefully we can meet up a few times later in the mission. My new comp is Elder Urrutia.  He's a really big Chilean who speaks pretty good english (haleleuia) (halleleuigah?) I have no freaking clue how to spell that word. Oh well. But Eder Urrutia is pretty great. He knows the scriptures better than I ever will in my life and he's a really good teacher.

Our area is Campa Rosa, in the Campa Rosa ward in the Bajio stake in Santa Cruz. We live in this really old and kind of gross 2 story house thing with two other elders from Peru, Elder Martinez and Elder Llanos. (oh, Kyla, elder Martinez says you're really tall). But there's a basketball/futbol court right outside that kids and teenagers always play on. Every road around here is dirt. You'll find these little shops on every single street called ventas where you can buy food and things. Lots of humble houses and people, lots of trees, lots of dirt, and lots of mosquitos.  I'm covered in bites since I never remember to use bug spray. Or I'm too lazy. It's a really cool area, I love it. The chapel is like the nicest thing in the whole town. But I actually haven't taken pictures of anything, sorry. I'm bad at remembering that.  It's not too hot right now, luckily. It will get hotter in a while. But I'm not dying yet.

As far as teaching goes, most of the time i feel about as useless as a fishing pole in our area. Which is pretty useless. I think there's like one canal. Probs no fish. Sometimes I understand a little bit of what people are saying, but for the most part it all goes over my head. So I don't say much either, since I don't know what they're saying and how to respond to it. Sometimes I can share a scripture or teach a principle, but thats about it. Elder Urrutia always has to come in and give more details, or teach something better in his flawless Spanish. Jealous. But, I'm learning. Slowly. We don't really have time to study the language, which sucks. So I just try to listen hard and contribute where I can. We had a few investigators when I arrived. The best one we have is this 17 year old names Jose Matias. I always think he looks like a Bolivian Yoda, but less wrinkly. don't tell him I said that though, it might offend him. He has a baptismal date for the 13th of may. My first day in the area we taught him the law of Chastity, of course. I barely practiced that in the CCM, and then It's my first lesson in the field. But he's progressing pretty well. We can just never seem to find him when we have an appointment, which is a problem. He's always with his novia or something. But we've really only taught a few lessons. Most of our time has been contacting, which kind of sucks. The people are really nice here, but after we set up an appointment for a visit, they never seem to be home when they said they would be. Which is really rude. But we've taught a few solid lessons and have got a few good investigators. So thats going pretty well.

Oh easter happened huh? Turns out they don't do anything for easter around here. I actually forgot it was a thing until i read emails. I heard a couple people say something about santa semana, (holy week) but that was about it. Sunday was just a normal Sunday. We have a pretty awesome ward. About 100 people in sacrament meeting. And like 3 investigators showed up! Hooray!

But I'm here. I'm doing well. Ish. The language barrier is really tough. But I was reading in Moroni 7, and in verse 30 it says something like "And christ said, through faith in me, you can do all things expedient in me." I probably butchered it. The last time I read it was in Spanish, I can't remember how it goes. But I just need to have faith I can learn the language. And love and charity, as it explains later in the chapter. Read Moroni 7 everyone. Its a pretty good one.

Thats about all for me. Ill send what pics I have. But I love you all, pray for me over here, I could use it.

Elder Bingham

me with elder Davis (my mom's missionary companion's son)

Elder Urrutia and elder Prince when we split off into areas

This is on the door of our bathroom, since it doesn't lock. I found it quite hilarous.

Mi Corazón

I've decided corazón and destruir are my favorite words in spanish.  Don't ask why.  They're just fun to say.

Anyway, It's been a great week.  Mostly because we had less classes and more General conference woot woot!  The MTC was able to broadcast it, all in english for us gringos.  Hooray.  And somehow, I managed to stay awake through every single talk in every session. You may say "that's the biggest load of crap I've ever heard in my life Jayson", but it's true.  Probably because I was taking notes the whole time and not laying on a couch.  But still.  Still can't stay awake in sacrament meetings though. 

Anyway conference was great.  Yo recibí mucho revalación por los profetas y apostoles.  No idea if that spanish is correcto or not.  We're just going to hope it is.  I liked President Uchtdorf's talk the most in the Sunday morning session or whenever it was.  The one about fear and stuff.  He talked about how the motivation we receive out of fear is often temporary and shallow.  The right way to teach and influence others is through love and Christlike attributes.  Christ didn't teach with fear, he taught with love.  Which made people follow him for the right reasons.  Which is how us missionaries should teach, with christlike attributes, so people can follow Christ through faith and repentance.  Or something.  He also said something about turning our fear into faith.  Which got me thinking about why I came on a mission.

At first when I started thinking about a mission I mostly wanted to do it out of motivation from fear.  What would my family think of me if I didn't serve a mission? What would my friends think?  What would happen to me? Would I stay active in the church or become a drunk hobo or something? Who knows? I also had a fear of the mission itself, and the difficulties involved.  But as I got closer and closer to leaving, and once I got my mission call, that fear started turning into faith.  Faith that the mission would bless me in ways I couldn't imagine.  Faith that I can do everything I've been asked to do.  And faith that the heat in Bolivia wont kill me after two days.  Still not sure about that last one but I'm still excited to get there.  But I'm thankful for my savior who has let me get to this point in my life, and hope I can share that joy with others.

Oh speaking of Bolivia, I should be headed there Monday night, for all you people who don't know yet.  I might miss a pday, since pdays here are on Wednesdays, and I'll be traveling on the mission pday.  So I might be a while.  But i'm so excited to get out of here.  It feels too much like college.  I hated college.  I mean I love it here, but I'm ready to go preach to la gente, you know what I'm saying?  Anyway, I love you all.  Wish me luck with the field.  I'm terrified but also excited.

Elder Bingham

All our favorite latinos.  Elder Supayabe in the front, Elder Peña and Rivas somewhere else.  I'm not sure I cant see the pic right now.

And Elder Prince looking like a hippie.