Touring Colombia!

Hi Friends and Family!! 

I can’t believe I’ve been here at the CCM for 1 month! Wow. People ask me if it’s gone fast or slow. I feel like I haven’t been here for very long, but when I think about the last time I saw my family, that feels like FOREVER ago! Only two more weeks here though. That’s quite a scary but exciting thought!

I feel like this has been my favorite week yet. I’ve definitely been blessed with great people around me, the language is starting to pick up, I’m really getting to know the president and his wife, and living at the CCM is becoming more normal. And more great.

This week we got to go proselyting in the city of Bogota again. This time though, we took a bus a little further away and we went for three hours instead of one. We got there and since the whole companionship mix up, they paired me up to go contacting with one of the CCM teachers.. Who, I didn’t know at the time, didn’t speak any English. It was quite the adventure. They handed us two Book of Mormons, pass along cards and told us to come back after three hours. One thing I realized is people outside of the CCM talk really fast! It’s a very true thing when people say they think they kind of know Spanish until they get out in the country and talk to people who don’t speak extremely slow and use hand motions for anything they say. Haha. About an hour in, it started to rain hard (which is very unusual for Columbia) so obviously we weren’t prepared and didn’t have coats to protect us. It was cool to be able to observe how a contacting conversation would go. Even though I was lost about 90% of the time, and could barely communicate with the "companion" that was with me, I was able to bear my testimony and gave a Book of Mormon to two different people. And right now, that is enough and that is what I need. Definitely a cool experience, but it made me realize how important a testimony is, especially when the language isn’t there.

Today for P-day, my district got to go on a tour around Columbia. I really like this city! The mountains remind me of the Guatemala jungles and the city kind of reminds me of places in Europe. The driving.. is insane!! After awhile of watching, I decided to save myself and not pay attention, because there were MANY close calls. We got to ride a tram up the mountain and overlook all of Bogota. Beautiful beautiful! The city is also very busy. People everywhere. Crossing streets, selling random things on the side of the road, sleeping. It made me realize how many people there are out there who have never even heard of the gospel. We sure are blessed to live where we do! We also got to look around and shop at little gift shops, a lot like the ones in Mexico or Hawaii. There was lots of cool stuff, but because I’m the way I am and don’t like deciding or spending money, I just bought a cookies n cream Hershey’s bar and that was more than enough for me! :) Haha, I’m going to eat it sparingly because those things are very precious around here.

One of my favorite things about the CCM here is the teachers. They are so cool, so patient, and so good at what they do! We’ve gotten to the point where they only allow us to speak in Spanish and every time they hear an English word, they make us do five pushups. So... either we’ll get strong or good at Spanish. I guess it’s our choice. They always say random and funny things, like when we correctly conjugate a sentence or understand the grammar, they’ll say "Muy latina!!" or yesterday we heard a new one, "Latination" Haha they sure make the day fun!

They do something cool here at this CCM where the last two weeks, all the Americans get Latin companions. So since I’ve been here four, tomorrow morning we get new companions, new teachers and new districts. And what that means... It’s Spanish from here on out. Wow, this is going to be good for me, but I’m crossing my fingers for a patient district :) I’ve been so blessed with the most amazing district for these first 4 weeks. I was talking to the president’s wife today and she said it’s interesting that each group has their different personality. Some work hard, some just want to goof off, some ignore the Latins and just speak Spanish the whole time. Our district has been amazing and we all share the same desire to work hard and be obedient. We’re already planning reunions in 18 months and most of us are going to be in Utah, so we’ll make it happen. These girls have definitely encouraged me to be better and I feel like I’ve known them way longer than 4 weeks!

A cool moment was during sacrament meeting. It’s something small, but we sang How Firm a Foundation for our closing song. That’s the song we sang at my farewell and although I didn’t know the exact words I was singing, I felt the same Spirit so strong. Whether it was Hyde Park, Utah or Bogota Columbia, I was overcome by the feeling that this gospel IS the foundation that is firm and it is all over the world. 

We also had the opportunity to watch a short video clip called "The Atonement and Missionary Work”. It was one of those powerful videos paired with two conference talks, and by the end, I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room. A line that stood out to me said, “When you are discouraged and rejected, you are standing shoulder to shoulder with Christ, the greatest missionary of all.” I know that he knows exactly how discouragement feels and how success feels. When we cry, he cries with us. When we struggle, he has struggled that same struggle plus so much more. But I realized that if we want to BE like him, we have to DO as he did, and that is not always easy. But oh so worth it.

Thank you for your support and love. This gospel truly is happiness and I’m so grateful for that. Have a great last week of July!! Talk to you soon!

Hermana Yorgason