GROWTH

This week I wanted to talk about Growth. 

This week was awesome. 

Tuesday Elder Walker and I left to do divisions with the zone leaders in Pasto and Ipiales. I was excited to go back to Ipiales and it was so awesome. 

I just love to do divisions with the zone leaders. One of the coolest things about going back to Ipiales was because while I was there I got to attend the same church with the zone leaders that I attended while serving there. So I got to see pretty much everybody again, the hard part is that I can’t call anyone to tell them that I am there. The reason for the divisions is to help the zone leaders and their area, not to go and visit, so that was the hardest part. However something awesome happened.

We went to a Family Home Evening and there waiting in the Family Home Evening was David Erazo. He is one of the strongest people that I have taught and baptized. He was baptized the 22nd of February last year, he is so awesome. When we saw each other we hugged and he started to tell me all about his life this last year. Then I noticed he was with a friend so I said hi, he told me his name was Javier. 

Later in the Family Home Evening David took out his scriptures (now marked thoroughly with colored pencil) and started to give his testimony on how much he loves the gospel. How he was compelled to share the gospel with his friend Javier and help teach him the gospel with the missionaries and how he baptized him. I honestly couldn’t help tearing up a bit.

David is one of the most important people I had taught. 

I was teaching him and his family when my Dad died last year, he is one of the reasons I knew I had to stay here in Colombia to fulfill my mission, because I knew people like him needed me.

It was incredible, and a moment where I knew that my Heavenly Father wanted me to know that I was doing what he wants me to do. I love this gospel. It was amazing to see the difference in the lives of some of the people. David was the most incredible difference. Every single day he and Javier go and visit someone in need, and share spiritual messages with the downhearted.

As we were walking to another appointment I saw María. María was a lady that Elder Aguilera and I had taught for weeks along with her husband. She eventually kicked me out of the house, although when Elder Aguilera and I left the Ipiales area at the same time, the new missionaries found Maria and her husband’s teaching record in our area book. They went to call on them at their house and when they got to the house they said, "We are the other two missionaries and we want you to get baptized!" And that following Saturday after Elder Aguilera and I had left they were baptized. Maria found me in the street and started to cry, she thanked me for teaching her the gospel and her husband. Her husband is now the Priesthood class teacher and they are planning to go to the temple when they reach the 1-year mark of being baptized. She told me that she was so grateful for our endurance in teaching them because she was so "hard-hearted” which were her exact words. I was hearing her talk about the gospel and how she used all the correct terminology like calling me Elder and not Hermano, and I honestly I started to tear up again. The woman that was standing in front of me was not the same that I had taught a little under a year ago. She had changed so much she seemed to shine happiness. The Maria that I knew was kind of bitter and closed-minded. This Maria had a love for her Savior that was evident in all that she does.

It is incredible to see the development of a testimony. 

It’s incredible to see the growth in people who I have taught and also to see it in myself as well. 

I love this gospel. It is what helps me understand who I am and my purpose in life. I love to know that we have the restored church of Jesus Christ and that he is the one at its head. That we can never be led wrong because He is the one that guides it through his Prophet.

This week we were also able to see the baptism of Mateo and his confirmation (the guy that got baptized last Saturday) He is so awesome and he is going to help us teach today.

I love the people I teach and have taught. They are honestly such special people. 

I love this gospel so much and for all things that it offers us. 

I know that the Book of Mormon and The Bible to be the word of God. That the book of Mormon has great power to change the lives of those who read it. 

I invite you all to watch the following video it’s amazing.

I love you all 

Elder Lyle

A Baptism - A Note - A Video and a few Pictures

We are getting ready for Mateo’s baptism tonight, super awesome. Mateo is the bomb. He is 21 years old and has grown so much over the last 2 months. He is an investigator that was with other missionaries before he met us in another area. 

We were with Mateo this Wednesday in a Family Home Evening. Everyone had a blast, but the best part was when we finished Mateo stood up and told everyone that he was thankful that everyone had come to the Family Home Evening and that he wanted everyone to come to his baptism today. Then after thanking everyone he said it was time for the closing prayer and got on his knees in front of everyone and bowed his head to pray. The rest of the house went silent as about 12 people all got on their knees to pray with Mateo. He is awesome and he is so looking forward to his baptism in a couple of hours. 

Recently we have been doing a lot of interviews with all the missionaries in the mission. It’s super crazy to think that I received in some of these missionaries as they entered the mission field and now they are training someone else, hahaha.

I love the mission. There is nothing better than talking to all the people that you can all day, everyday, and telling them why you are so far away from your family for such a long time. 

I love being a missionary. 

I wanted to share a video with you all this week 

I really like the videos if you haven’t guessed… 

This is what I teach everyday. I teach about repentance and how we can change the way we live. Most times we only think that today is all that maters but as we begin to think about everything and how things will be, we should begin to come to our knees and look up a little more often just as Mateo did. 

I love you all 

Talk to you next week

Elder Lyle

Just a few pictures from this week

Shout Out Mama Gomez!

Also Shout Out to Mama Walker for the tie!

Elder Donoso likes his socks Mom

P-Day Soccer!

Pictures from other Elder's and Members in Colombia

We always so appreciate it when Cali Colombia members share pictures with us... Thank you Sharon Perea & Frank Almeida.

Rawly in Ipalies with Frank while traveling for January interviews

Sharon Perea, Rawly & Frank

Elder Walker & Rawly at the airport 

And on the plane

Elder Walker & Rawly with the Bishop's 

daughter & mother-in-law

Christmas Pictures from Elder Walker

Love this Christmas selfie

How did they get everyone in the picture?

Elder Walker & Rawly in their Christmas ties 

from Mama Walker

19 this & 19 that...

Rawly left on June

Today is January 

And Elder Lyle has been serving for

Months

Some of Rawly's favorite things in Colombia... and yes they are all related to food, hahaha

We sent Rawly an email with things that we are up to and then asked him some questions. This is what followed...

I can’t believe you guys bought another fire truck, hahahahahaha

(I sent Rawly a picture of some chairs that his Aunt Tasha’s friend is making there and has a store, they are beautiful and we wanted Rawly to stop by and see her)

The chairs are pretty epic not going to lie, but I can’t find the store! I would imagine she sells them here in Santa Rita, (Santa Rita is very wealthy) or close because well outside of this area of Cali I can’t imagine a place in southwestern Colombia that would sell those. Why buy those beautiful chairs when you can buy the plastic kind? Hahahaha I love Colombia

We asked about his new house. (A while back the mission home bought a hostal so that when they did transfers and received in new missionaries they had a place for them to sleep. They now can sleep up to 30 missionaries and the missionaries that work in the office live there full time.)

Looks pretty nice

I love our house, it is super fun living there. We all live on the top floor with ceramic floors. When the other missionaries come into Cali they sleep in the other rooms. 

We asked about his favorite food and leave it Rawly he had several along with pictures.

My favorite food here in Cali. Well we can’t eat with members anymore now that we have pensionistas. But also here in the office for the last 15 years Maria has made the food. She is awesome, I love her, she makes us food every day, does our laundry, cleans the house etc. She is so awesome mom I love Maria. The food in southwestern Colombia is the same, honestly the food in Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Bolivia is very similar. My favorite, is that here they eat green plantains, before they are ripe. They smash them and fry them and put stuff on top. It is honestly delicious.

The most typical plate from Cali is a soup called sancocho. It is made with hen, plantain, yucca, potatoes, and cilantro. It is delicious and you eat it with a banana, hahaha. Then always to accompany it you have a plate of rice and an avocado. 

And you can never forget your lulo juice. Lulo is a fruit here that I love it is typical to Colombia. I love it. I also love the beans. The beans are really good. They are not like refried beans they are like the harder beans.

Also I love something called guarapo. It’s sugar cane juice.  This is the machine that they use to crush the sugar cane until the juice comes out, also they stick a lime in there so it tastes like limeade a bit. I love it. You can find these everywhere. It’s 1 thousand pesos for a cup (.40 cents) I love it.

Also here in Cali the chontaduro is super famous as well. You can always find these ladies peeling chontaduro everywhere in Cali and in Buenavenutra. Chontaduro is kind of like... I can’t describe it. It’s not juicy; a potato is juicier than a chontaduro. It’s super starchy and you eat it with salt and honey (it’s actually an awesome combination on chontaduro). 

Also another I love to eat here in Cali is the unripe mango, Mango biche. It’s served with salt and lime on top. It’s super good as well. 

Interviews begin...

Hello all!

So this week interviews began! 

We went up to Tuluá to start them off, and then we did a few here in Cali.

This week we are going to Popayán. The interviews are easier this round, maybe it’s because Elder Walker and I have spent so much time together that we understand how to plan well together. 

This week also has been super awesome because we have been teaching a SUPER awesome family. 

The Uribe Family.

Mauricio (37) and his wife Claudia (35) and their daughter Valentina (10). 

Mauricio was a leader in another church but for a long time had turned away from the principles he had taught. His wife is a devote Christian; I don’t remember the name of the church it’s like, Love in Christ. Mauricio went to church with his daughter this Sunday and they loved it! We have been teaching the whole family and they are doing awesome and understand many things about the gospel now. Last night we had a lesson with them about how important it is to read the Book of Mormon and ask God if it is true. They normally have a lot of questions because they understand a lot of doctrine from being leaders in other churches, however, we understand that the answer to every question they have is related to whether Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. 

¿How do we know that we have the authority of God?

Well you need to know that Joseph Smith was a prophet or not.

¿How do you know if you have been baptized with the authority or not?

First you need to know if Joseph Smith received the authority of God or not.

At the end of the lesson, they understood perfectly. Then Elder Walker and I started to bare our testimonies about how God really answers prayers. That you have to be constant in looking for the answer but the answer will come. How it is the most incredible feeling in the world. 

The spirit was so strong in the lesson. It was so incredible. 

I love being a missionary. 

My challenge is for you all to watch this video and share it with one person.

I love you all

Elder Lyle

Wow what a week!

This week was awesome. 

We started up trios with the Cali Zone leaders and it was so awesome.

This Thursday I went to the Villa Colombia Zone with Elder Sacco and Elder Mancilla, it’s so weird to me that the people I have know for the last 19 months you have never heard of. Villa Colombia is the east part of Cali, and is known to be a complicated area of Cali. All day we were on our feet running from one appointment to the next, it was awesome, all day in a new area. A recent convert accompanied us for the day named Junior; he is 14 years old and was telling everyone that he had to listen to us, ha-ha.

The most awesome experience that I had when I was there with Villa Colombia Zone was that we contacted a family, the Bedoya Family they are epic. The family consists of the mom, dad, and their two sons, 20 and 14 years old. The oldest had recently been in a fight and was shot 3 times in the stomach and since then he has wanted to change his life. It had only been about 2 weeks since he had been shot and he was all bound up to tubes and stuff, however he listened so intently to everything that we had to say and wanted to understand more about every concept that we presented. His family as well was excited to hear and learn about the restoration. We then had a Family Home Evening with the Bishop (who lives in front of their house) and we invited them, they all went and loved it. I love the gospel and the traditions that we have such as Family Home Evenings. Who doesn’t like Family Home Evening??? It was such an awesome day honestly. 

Then yesterday I went with Cordillera, to the Versalles Chapel. Versalles is the first chapel built here in Cali. It was another awesome day. We taught recent converts and some investigators and had an activity. The recent converts were awesome. Like Jose, Jose is 67 years old, got baptized 3 weeks ago, reads the scriptures daily and is awesome. Oh I forgot to mention that he is blind. He remembers everything that you say, and listens so intently to what you say. He is awesome. He lives in a very dangerous part of Cali so we had the lesson in the chapel, and I asked him if he was ever nervous to enter that part of Cali by himself, and he just responded;

"Of course not, when the hoodlums come up and ask me for everything I have, I always just say;

Don’t you have something for me, I’m blind, I’m old, I’m hungry, help me.... and I end up with an extra coin or two in my pocket!"

Hahaha, I was laughing so hard, I could only imagine. Then we had an activity. I was walking with Elder Jara when he told me, "Elder Lyle, I’m worried, we don’t have hardly anyone to play soccer in the activity." In an instant I saw a bunch of boys my age, I called them over and said, "HEY! Do you guys like to play soccer? We are going to play at the church at 6, meet us here at 5:30 so we can go together". At 5:30 there were 4 more boys with them, one of which went to church today. It’s so amazing what happens when we only open our mouths and invite. What’s the worst that could happen, that they say no? 

I love the mission. I find myself constantly trying to be better about talking to everyone. I love meeting new people, but sometimes we might judge a book by it’s cover and say, no they won’t want to hear what I have to say. However, there are many people that are just waiting to hear that invitation that we have for them. 

I am reminded many times of Alma the prophet who said:
(Alma 29 1-2)

1.   O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!

2.  Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth.”

I love this part of the Book of Mormon. How many times do we have the opportunity to talk and we do not. I love the desire of Alma to be a better missionary, this is something that we can all be better at, and it all starts by opening our mouths. 

I love this Gospel and all that it has to offer. 

I wish you all an awesome week next week.

We start interviews again this next week, busy week ahead.

My Challenge for you all is: 

Visit one person who you haven’t seen in a long time (less-active) and tell them how much you love them and miss having them in your lives. 

I love you so much. 

Until next week

Elder Rawly Lyle

My Father

This week I wanted to talk about my father.

I have so many memories of him and I think that this date will always be a bit difficult. My father was a truly amazing person. I love him so much, and I am so grateful that one-day I will be with him once again. He was an example beyond comparison in my life. As the scripture says: John 5:19

“The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.”

My father taught me many things that I will always remember. I learned from him diligence, hard work, love, trust, dedication, how to be honest and always follow through with my promises. 

These skills I will have to continue to develop, however he has shown me by example how I can do it. 

I love my father, he was always there to comfort me and to give me advice, he was my biggest fan and critic. He is the one that always helped me to push myself. 

There are memories that I have of him that will never fade away, such as his laugh, and the way he would yell encouragement during our sports activities. He was always there to support us. 

In the majority of my mission areas that I have been in the thing that is almost always missing from the home pictures is the father, or a fatherly example. 

Here in my mission I have come to appreciate my father so much more as I see family after family that consists of the mother and children fighting to survive. I have learned that the family "is ordained of God" and that the “husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children”. (The Family: A Proclamation to the World). 

Here I have understood and appreciated how incredible my childhood was as I was surrounded almost constantly with the love of my mother and father. I know that with the passing of my father nothing will change, as although he may not be here with us currently, God did not send us here to this life just to be separated upon death. When done with the correct authority the bonds of "until death do us part" are shattered so as to allow the family to be together "For time and all eternity". What incredible blessings. Here on my mission I have taught a lot that we should always have our eye set on returning to our Heavenly Father again. That just as we want to be with our loved ones when they are no longer here, we will have the same desire when we fully understand God’s plan after this life. That all that we do in this life is to fulfill this plan, and to return to Him. He loves us and wants us to live with Him once more. He has given us the example, he shows endless love, what have we shown or done for Him recently?

I have purpose in this life. I do all that I can so that I may better be prepared when the day comes that my family will be together forever. As my mom says I want a "forever family" and the only way do have that is to do exactly what God has commanded me to do, and live the commandments. To love my God over all other things, to love my neighbor as I love myself, and to participate in all the ordinances of the gospel. 

My father was a great man, and I know that he is here with me always. I know that we will be together forever. 

I always ask myself “How well am I obeying the things that my Heavenly Father has told me to do?”

Follow the teachings of your Father and live (Proverbs 4:1-4) 

I love you all, I am so grateful for the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, and all that my Heavenly Father has to offer us. 

I know that the church is true, and that Jesus is who heads it. I know that we have the authority to have a family for "Time and all Eternity" and not "until death do us part."

Challenge:

Think and right down all the things and qualities your Heavenly Father has shown you that you want to implement in your life this year.

I love you all. 

Have a great week

Elder Lyle

Starting the New Year off with a lot of GREAT photo's

Cristo Rey 

We had new missionaries come in this week

New Year's cooking

New Year's Eve 2014 in Cali, Colombia

New Year's Eve with my companion

Elder Walker

And the sister missionaries

We celebrated New Year's 2014 with all the

missionaries and some members of the

Terron Colorado area

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S!

So let me start off by saying:

Happy New Year everyone! 

2015 has much to offer I know it. 

This week we had an awesome experience, we were working with an unrecognized address (names and old addresses of members who nobody knows). Elder Walker and I started walking looking for this address. After 3 kilometers we didn’t know what to do as we were getting to the more complicated neighborhoods of our area. When at last we found it, unfortunately it was a gated community and we did not have the tower nor apartment number, that’s when Elder Walker remembered another less-active member that lived in that gated community. We told them the name, the tower and the apartment number and they let us in. We tried every door that we knew of all the less active members of the church. We called active members to see if they knew someone in that complex, but nothing. Had we walked 3 miles looking for this address just to come up empty handed? We were bummed to say the least. We started to walk out when from the top window of another tower we hear,

 “ELDERS!!!!! ELDERS!!!! UP HERE!!!!” 

We look and there is a lady hanging out her window with this huge smile yelling at us telling us to come up to their house. Elder Walker and I had no idea who it was. Thinking that it might be a less active member or a past investigator we went up to meet them. When we got to the door we saw there was like 12 people inside and they all started shouting when we got there, they all came out and shook our hands, saying, “Good afternoon Elder”. At this point Elder Walker and I are super confused. WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE? They then presented themselves as the Perez Family.

They are all members and they had all come in from all around Colombia and the United States to celebrate New Year’s with their family. There was even someone from Park City, Utah. The people who live there are members as well. We asked them how long it had been since they had been to church because we had never seen them. But they told us they always went to a different chapel. I know that there is no such thing as coincidences in this world. We have a part to play in their lives, what part I still do no know, however I know that if we are doing exactly what we are supposed to do God will lead us to those who need to be in our lives.

Sometimes people think that when God needs you to do something, meet someone, help someone, etc, that you will feel a strong impression to what you need to do. Some think that missionaries walk into a neighborhood and see a house and say that’s the one. At times yes, it’s like that. However, I know that it is much more simpler. God knows where our feet will take us, and he will make it so that everything happens just at the precise moment that it should. We had no idea that we were going to meet the Perez Family, or that we weren’t going to find anyone that we were looking for. However, we did our part and the pieces fell together.

We must live worthy always, for we know neither the time, nor the place when the Lord will need us to work in his name.

I know that the Lord always has a plan, and that if we are worthy we can play the part where he most needs us to be for our own growth and for the growth of others.

I love you all so much

Happy New Year!

I hope 2015 will be a great one for all of you 

CHALLENGE:

Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 and think about all the different experiences you had last year 

And the goals you have for this year

I love you all
Elder Rawly Lyle