Yea!!! Happy Days are here again!!!!

January 26, 2009 - Colyn FINALLY received his package from home!!! He said he was so excited!!! We sent him lots of things and among them was a gummy "Mexican Dinner". He said he chuckled while eating the gummy taco because it was the closest he will get to eating an actual taco for two years. But even better news ... He had another BAPTISM this week. And he got to Baptize two of the family members - The Father and his son who is thirteen years old. Colyn's companion baptized the mother. The Familia de la Cruz. "It was an awesome experience. My first time baptizing. The water was freezing, but I didn't feel anything because I was so in the moment of the experience...(or maybe because my legs were numb). This family is golden and is going to do great things in the church. It was fun teaching this family.
Mom, Dad, Chase and Dallis... This work is so good and true. The Church is so true. This baptism really gave me a boost."

Yep! Peru has guinea pigs!

January 19, 2009 - Colyn was teaching a family, and one of the kids opened a door to another room in the house and yep, he seen 40 -50 guinea pigs in there! This is Colyn's first encounter with the little critters. A member asked Colyn a question that has had him thinking, "How can you be from Utah and not personally know the Prophet?" I(Mom) wonder how small they think Utah is?
Say a prayer for Colyn - he is having a hard time.

Peru has a Mcickey Dee's!!!

January 12, 2009 - Last Monday Colyn got to eat at McDonald's!!! Yea!!! Then he went to a store there that is similiar to WalMart. He will be able to get the things he needs while he is in Peru. Colyn ran into an old friend from Utah County. The missionary is Elder Wayt and he and Colyn were in a play together in Eagle Mountain - "Lil' Abner" - when Colyn was eight years old. Elder Wayt is serving in the same mission as Colyn. He no longer has a washer and dryer, so they have a guy that hand washes their clothes. He says it is very dusty all the time there. He comes home in the evenings and his shoes are brown and his pants are brown up to the knees. He has to dust his pants out every night. Like he said, "I am really never 100% clean." He has a new companion, who is Colyn's District Leader, Elder Chocooj from Guatemala. He says the food is the same, but he is surviving on bread.
"I am playing the piano in Sacrament meeting which is good for me."

HE HAD HIS FIRST BAPTISM!!!

January 5, 2009 - Colyn had his first baptism on January 3rd - Fernando Felices Ortiz. He is fifteen years old. Colyn was so excited to tell us about this awesome news!!! He is out in the field. We do not know for sure, where he is, but he is enjoying it! He says his pension family is really nice. Their name - Familia Gonzalez.

He has a new companion, Elder Dominguez from Las Vegas, Nevada.
He says he is getting acclimated to always being dirty, and never being completely and totally 100% clean.

Merry Christmas to us!!!!

December 25, 2008 - We got to HEAR from Colyn today. His phone call woke us up! What a way to start Christmas off! He is leaving the MTC on New Year's Eve. He starts in the field on New Year's Day, which he is really excited about! His goal is to have the Book of Mormon read before he leaves the MTC. He says he will spend most of the day reading. We were cut off and did not get to say Good-Bye. 10 minutes meant 10 minutes. I guess it was a good thing because saying Good-Bye would have been so hard. He emailed us throughout the day and that was great! He got to sing a solo at a Christmas program. He sang the Primary song, "The Nativity Song".

Peru has FRYSAUCE!!!

December 17, 2008 - Colyn says he is excited that they have frysauce because it helps him to cover up the taste of the foods he really doesn't like. He says the food is improving or else he is just getting used to it. The milk there is disgusting. He can't wait till he can have a cold glass of milk with some oreos. The new Temple being built in Trujillo is exciting news to him and us! He hopes, but doesn't think it will be done for him to see.

A Touring Day in Peru!

December 10, 2008 - Colyn wrote us late today because he had been out touring with his President and Sister Groberg. They went to this beautiful place in Lima that was full of 400 -500 year old olive trees and an ancient olive press. President Groberg helped the missionaries to understand the significance of the Savior's Atonement and the relation to the olives and the olive press. After this, they headed to the beach in Miraflores, rich is a real ritzy place in Peru. There were a lot of surfers and Colyn seen crabs and sea urchins. They passed a really nice golf course on their way there and Colyn asked the President about the golf courses in Lima, he told him it is very expensive to golf there. Then they went to the main central city in Peru. The President of Peru lives there. They saw some really ancient carthedrals. One temple was built in 1535, and the church members believe that a piece of the cross that Christ was hung from is buried under that temple. Colyn says he is doing fine and loving the culture. Everywhere he goes, the places are decorated for Christmas, which makes him happy. He has a new companion - Elder Ance. He is from Bolivia.
"I had an interesting experience in the Temple today... An older man stopped me in the hallway of the dressing room, recognizing me as an Elder, and asked me if I could help him with his white tie... I tied it around my neck and then took it off of me and put it around his neck and tightened it. He thanked me and I learned so much from that little miracle of today... It was a miracle because it helped me realize how humble and nice and sincere these people are... I also helped him during the session and that again helped me realize the same thing... I am Okay, and I am so excited to help these people come to know of the Gospel and especially the Plan of Salvation and Eternal families..."

He's a survivor!

December 3, 2008 - Today Colyn and the other North Americans had to go to Interpol to become a temporary citizen of Peru. They were fingerprinted and their teeth were looked at. The driver that took them, stopped at a bakery on the way, and Colyn got a chicken sandwich, a coke, a croissant and a banana muffin. He said the food was great and this bakery was really fancy. He says that in the MTC, his pills taste better than the food they serve there. So this trip to the bakery was such a treat. They have Christmas lights up at the MTC and Colyn is enjoying that. Colyn says he has had some cool experiences with his sweet companion. He has taught him how to use the washer and dryer and how to tie his tie. He says his companion has no support from his family. They won't have anything to do with him while he is on his mission. He asked his companion how he could even be there and his cute companion told him, "Faith".

Getting acclimated!

November 26, 2008 - He says that the plane trip was good. When they were landing in Peru, it was night time and he could see the boats floating in the bay with their lights on. He said it was a beautiful sight. He says that he has the opportunity to play the piano alot. They are always asking him to play.
The weather is perfect there. Cloudy in the morning, a little humid, and then the sun comes out at 12:30 pm. and it never rains. His choices for lunch and dinner are chicken and rice or rice and chicken. He says he never wants to see rice on our dinner table at home. They do not celebrate Thanksgiving in Peru, so it will be just another study day. He had the chance to go to the Lima Temple today. He says it is awesome. The rooms are much smaller than our temples here. And of course it is all in Spanish. He says the visit was great!
"Some of the Latinos that are here have nothing...literally nothing...they are so humble and sweet, and I have to... I have to do everything I can to help them...The people of Peru need me right now and so does the Lord."

He is in Peru!!!

November 20, 2008 - He arrived in Peru at 11:40 pm. He got on a bus and arrived at the MTC at 1:00 am. He says he was up till 4:00 am. The MTC is awesome down there. It is newer than the Provo MTC. On the way to the MTC, they passed the Temple and Colyn says it was such a welcome sight! The minute they got there, they were given new companions. His companion's name is - Dreyfus, Luis Giancarlo, Rojas. He is from Peru. He says they are throwing them(he and his traveling companions) in the thick of Spanish and watching them drown a little. For breakfast he had Froot Loops with lemon yogurt. And for lunch he ate fish. He says it was really good. He says he knows why the missionaries get sick of rice down there - he said he thinks they serve you like a pound of rice at each meal. He ended his letter by telling us how beautiful it is down there.

His visa is here!!!

November 14, 2008 -We heard from Colyn today! He says he has his passport and visa, so he will be leaving on the 19th of November for Peru! He will be traveling with his companion and two other missionaries.
He is excited to be going!