Letter to and from Elder Lince...July19, 2015

Elder Lince,
Soy el padre de Elder Slack y quiere dicer le que el nos diga muchas coses muy buenas de ti. Muchas gracias por el ejemplo por Elder Slack, el ampredo mucho de ti. El nos dijo que usted es muy buena gente y es uno de los mas amado misionarios. Que Dios te bendiga en su trabajo y vida despues su mision.
Mucho amor de nuestra familia.
Steve Slack

Hola hermano Slack, que placer saludarle.

Me alegra mucho saber todas las cosas que Elder Slack ha comentado acerca de mi, él es un gran misionero y tiene un potencial muy grande para progresar y seguir siendo un líder poderoso en la misión, aprendí muchas cosas de él, es un misionero muy inteligente, creativo y enfocado en ayudar a las personas. El presidente de misión tiene muchas esperanzas y expectativas puestas en él, espero que él pueda seguir progresando en la misión. Para mi es un honor recibir una carta de agradecimiento de su parte; Hermano Slack, su hijo me ha hablado muchas cosas muy buenas de ustedes, él realmente los ama y son el centro de su vida, usted es un gran ejemplo para él y espero poder ser un ejemplo igual para mis hijos. Espero sigan disfrutando de las bendiciones que el Señor por medio del servicio dedicado y consagrado de Elder Slack puede darles. Fue un Honor haber trabajado junto a un misionero tan poderoso como su hijo.

Un abrazo muy fuerte.

Saludos de parte de la Familia Lince

Con amor.

Jefferson Lince 

 

 

Hello Brother Slack, it is great to talk to you. 

I am very pleased that Elder Slack would say those things about me.  He is a great missionary and has great potential to progress and continue to be a very powerful leader in the mission.  I learned many things from him.  He is a very intelligent missionary, very creative and focused on helping others.  The President has many hopes and opportunities for him.  I hope he will continue to grow in the mission.  For me it was an honor to receive a letter thanking me for my part.  Brother Slack, your son told me how great his parents are and how much he loves you and what great examples you are for him and the other boys.  I pray that you will continue to receive the blessings Heavenly Father has in store for you because of the service of Elder Slack.  It was an honor to have worked with  a missionary as strong as your son.

A big hug and hellos from the Lince Family.

Love,

Jefferson Lince

Weekly Jig...July 20, 2015

What a wonderful week!!  Tuesday, Elder Lince went home and I received my new companion, Elder Jorgensen!  He is from Willard, Utah and has one more transfer in the mission than I do!  He is a little taller than I am and we definitely stick out in our area!  Part of our area is very nice and looks like a downtown scene with small houses and very small front yards but the other part of our area is very different!  Dirt streets and kids playing soccer in the street yelling phrases that definitely don't make sense and bad words they don't understand but hear in movies!!  I have never had the guts to do it but sometimes my companion will yell at them in English and they just quit talking real quick because they don't understand!  Haha I laugh sometimes because my companion talks so loud in the street and it just makes even more people look our way but whatever!  I guess it comes with the skin color!! (that wasn't a racist joke or anything so quit laughing... :) This week we were able to work super good!!  We had lots of lessons and a couple of the people we have been teaching came to church because we were really able to find things they needed to fix in their lives!  They are twins (about 44 years old) and live separate but do lots of things together (named Magolina and Elicenia).  Magolina is divorced (her husband who was a bishop here a while ago left her for another lady) and  has 3 daughters, one is a returned missionary, and her other two daughters are less actives.  Elicenia isn't married but watches a little girl in her house.  It is interesting and I have come to learn more than anything this week the importance of chastity.  We are also teaching a couple of Recent Converts (Sanchez Family) who moved here from Santa Marta.  The mom (Joanna) is 35 years old and her husband is in jail in Cartagena.  She has 3 kids and her oldest daughter is 16 living with a 32 year old! They aren't married and that is the reason they are living here.  We sure taught them the Law of Chastity real direct but... they still didn't commit to live it.. (welcome to Colombia because it isn't the first time it has happened and not the only hard commandment.) So many of these families don't have a dad living in their house, many have large families with small incomes, and the kids just keep doing the same thing their parents did (maybe they need a tv or something else to occupy their time....) and it just gets worse and worse.  I know the family is the most important unit our Father in Heaven has given us and I am grateful for mine.  I know the family, when based on the principles our Savior taught us, can be an eternal family.  I hope to be able to apply the principles I am learning in my future family and I know that it is all based on our willingness to be obedient to ALL the commandments and work really, really hard for what we want!  I love you all and hope you have the greatest week ever!!

Love, Elder Slack 

The weekly dig....July 13, 2015

Well, a first happened this week.  This week, for the first time in my mission, I threw up.... like 7 times in less than 3 hours!  I felt terrible!  The good thing is that the next day I felt super good and was able to work like normal!  Thank heavens because our lunch contract is delicious and I was super hungry!  Other than vomiting, this week was very normal!  I have been trying super hard to be able to write in my journal daily (which doesn't always work out well but I am trying) and recognize the spiritual experiences I have daily.  The truth is, our Father in Heaven blesses us so much!  I realize that as I read the scriptures, I am able to find things to teach my investigators so that they understand better!  We are teaching one man named Freddix (his daughter was baptized about 3 weeks ago and we brought his wife back to activation) who drinks and doesn't come to church but as we read we realized we needed to use the Proclamation of the Family!  We made a lesson plan that brought the spirit strongly into their home.  I still would like to take away free agency and force them to be baptized!  We are also teaching a lady named Sandra Clemente and her two daughters Eva and Celeina (references from a less active member).  They have come to church twice and have a baptismal date!  They are reading the Book of Mormon and going to other activities during the week! I am so grateful when members give us references!!  The Lord gives us so many blessings to strengthen our testimony!  I was reading in my Book of Mormon in 1 Nephi 8:33-34 where Nephi explains that everyone had temptations but those who ate and stayed at the tree were those who turned their backs to the temptations.  It has been interesting to turn my back to all temptations and really be able to feel the spirit more in my day to day life!  This week we were blessed with a super strong rain storm and we had to walk home in it!  The river in the road was up to my knees with logs and garbage in the streets!  It was pretty fun walking home but had we not been missionaries, I think we might have died!  Haha!  I was drenched from head to toe and it was the first time I was cold here in Colombia!  I know the Lord's hand works in our lives day to day and I would love to invite you to take note of what happens in your lives!  I love you all and hope you have a fantastic week!!
Love, Elder Slack

Drenched from the rain
Elder Lince and Elder Slack





Valledupar Zone

Crazy Elder Salck and Elder Lince

Valledupar Zone activity



Soaking wet and freezing cold

 







Weekly good stuff I got to tell ya about!....July 6, 2015

Well life is good, weather is hot, and we are still working!!  This week we went to Barranquilla for a leader council.  The council was very simple and we felt the spirit very strongly.  That is definitely how the gospel should be in our lives.  The gospel is not a hard thing to do and when we take time to learn the basics (good scripture study, meaningful prayers, and a worthy Sabbath day) we will feel the spirit more in our lives and definitely be blessed!  Even though there wasn't some crazy parades, I didn't eat watermelon, or see huge fireworks, I was able to think a lot about what it means to be an American and I do have to say that I love being a citizen of the United States!  It was hard thinking that this week I have officially been out one year but I don't have one year left.  It makes me sad to think how short the time is in a mission but then I was thinking how much time we have here on earth.  It is very short and what a waste it would be to not discover the many wonderful things our Heavenly Father has in store for us.  We didn't have much time to work in our area this week.  Barranquilla is a 6 hour bus ride from Valledupar and we go a day early and get home a day later.  We then had to run some errands for immigration, notary and surgery stuff for missionaries but while working we used our time very well!  We found some new investigators (Sandra and her two daughters Eva and Celeina) who were referrals through a less active member!  I'll tell ya what, members sure make the difference in the missionary field!!  I love being a missionary.  I know this is the Lord's church.  I know we have a prophet of God and I know I will be able to live with my family forever if I am obedient!  I hope you have a wonderful week and I love you all!!

Love, Elder Slack

 

 

HUMP DAY!!
Elder Brady Slack and Elder Aaron Wooden

 

Elder Slack and Elder Miller

 

Elder Slack, Elder Lince, Elder Miller and ???

Some Colombian memorabilia