Week 25 - Transfers

First off, this week we had 3 sick days, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  We were in bed all day long on my birthday, pretty much a crappy birthday, but that's okay. I have a lifetime of awesome birthdays, just after my next one! Haha. 

I got a transfer... I am going to Cochabamba, Zone Universidad, and Area Colon 1. It is the wealthiest area in the mission.. I am coming from the poorest and humblest to it's literal polar opposite. Wow. I am going to have culture shock bad. Saying goodbye to my friends and the people whom I grew to love in Quiriza was really difficult, I love those people with all my heart, but I am excited for the opportunity to go and try my hand at another area with a new type of people, in a new environment. Lol. 

My new comp is from Peru, I know him a little bit, his name is Elder Infante! He is a good guy from what I know. I will leave from Tupiza tonight on a bus to Sucre, and in the morning I will fly from Sucre to Cochabamba. So... Here we go, I suppose!! 

I love you all and I hope you have a great week! I am sorry if I couldn't respond to some of you, the internet is very slow and we don't have much time. But have a swell week!

Week 23 - More Garlic & Pictures!

Hi guys,
This week was a good week. We got to our area Wednesday night in time for curfew, so we didn't have the opportunity to teach, but Thursday, Friday, and Saturday we spent all day both days planting garlic by hand, which, if you don't know how that works, I'm going to explain it to you. Ha. You take a sack of little garlic bulbs, and you make a little hole with your finger, and then you place it one by one, pointing up, every 3 inches, for about 100 yards of a furrow. And then you do the next one. So you are basically in the toe touch position all. day. long. I don't know if you all knew this, but I am just about the most unflexible person I know. So it is really a task to maintain that pose for hours and hours and hours. The fields have about 70 furrows on average all at about 100 yards, so you have a lot of work to do. It is not hard, just very tedious and leg demanding. Getting out of a chair is quite the task right now. Lol. But I am so happy in my area, with the people, and with the mission. I probably only have 2 weeks left in my area before I get transfered, so I plan to make the most of it. I hope you are all doing so well. I love you guys. Until next week!

The following pictures were taken by Brad's Mission President's wife, Sister Hansen.  We sure appreciate her taking and posting all of these pictures.  We are lucky she's seen Brad quite a bit over the last 5 months.

The Road to Quiriza

Brad & Elder Wren (his companion)

Chapel in Quiriza & where Brad lives

Sister Hansen w/ some local children

President & Sister Hansen

The Quiriza Branch

Week 20 - Burger King!

(I told Brad that I thought spring was around the corner and asked him how the weather was there and how his trip to Cochabamba was, he calls it Cocha)
Ha, we are heading into fall right now!! Burger King was a long awaited for and much needed treat for the taste buds. Lol. President has told me twice that this is my last transfer in Quiriza, so I should be in Cocha soon! Cochabamba is like Hawaii or So Cal weather, without the beaches and the other basic American things, but it is gorgeous. I probably had to come live in the 16th century (referring to his current area in Quiriza) to realize how nice modern living actually is. A little humility and gratitude check. The little guy crouching down in that picture with me, Elder Cortez, the assistants is President Roly, our Branch President. I don`t think you knew that! I love the people here, they are awesome. And man, I realized how bad I wanted to drive again. I sat in the driver seat of some guys truck, it wasn't on or anything, man I could feel the endorphins buzzing in my head. I wanna drive.

(I asked Brad if he knew something President Hansen didn't about him being in Cochabamba next, I also asked him how he likes his companion Elder Wren and Elder Stoker, who has become a good friend) I do want to go to Cocha, I would be fine spending the rest of my time there. And Cocha is hot, it is a wet hot, pretty humid for 9,800 feet. Elder Wren is hilarious, his comedy is kind of like combining George Costanza with a Cole Mackay, not very loud, just little comments that destroy you with laughter. Elder Stoker is a great guy, he is in Sucre now in his third to last transfer.

(I asked Brad how his Spanish was coming along)
I am learning the finer points of grammar, but I am fluent basically. I can't understand Chileanos hardly at all, but I understand the others almost 100%. I really enjoy the mission, not saying I am not excited to be home, but still, I enjoy it. I forgot like my home routine, I had like ¨Brad´s way of doing things¨, as you and others described it, and I just don't even remember it. Next week you gotta tell me about some of the crazy or unusual things I did with machinery or trailers or whatever it was so I don't forget who Brad was\is. I could spend hours talking about the crazy things Brad did with cars, trucks and equipment and the thousands of dollars he cost me in repairs :)

Below are some pictures of Brad having fun on P-Day with Elder Stoker and his district.... He's still a goofball, so not too much has changed.

Week 18 - New companion, Elder Wren

Hello.  My companion was transfered to Cochabamba, and I have a gringo companion, Elder Wren. He won't be here for a few more days, so I will be with a Colombian Elder until our new comps arrive. (Brad was with the Columbian Elder in the CCM)  But all is good here, this week we had a lot of lessons with members, not a lot of service.  Just working and doing the normal missionary thing. Carnival started this week and it is pretty good, but I like the Sandy City parade more.

(I told Brad a lot of people commented on his picture last week of plowing the fields in sandals)  Hey, the sandals, called abarcas, are what all of the natives wear.  They have car tire for the soles, and they have thick leather straps. Anything short of my work boots get destroyed in the fields.  Everyone, literally, has the sandals.

The investigators are progressing more or less, just keeping their commitments. We will have 2 baptisms for the people who I told you about who couldn't go to the temple because somebody screwed up their records, so they have to be baptized again. (A couple in Brad's area were off to the temple and had saved for a temple trip.  His mission president came to give them a recommend and couldn't find their membership records.  They were baptized in Argentina but the baptisms were never recorded).

Have a great week!

Week 17 - Plowing

This week was good. We had splits with the ZL's in my area and Elder Stoker and I had 5 of the best lessons of my life. The best teaching I have ever done. We will be having about 3 baptisms this next transfer, I am sure of it. A great week teaching wise. Saturday, I learned how to plow with a mule, I did it on my own. I am a pioneer. Haha. I love my area, it is a great place. The people are great, the lifestyle, though not entirely for me, is just fine, and Bolivia is an excellent place. I am very pleased with the way things are going.

(I asked Brad if one of the people was Alejandro an 11 year old boy he's been teaching) When Elder Stoker and I taught him, he hadn't been coming to church and it was strange, he had no light in his eyes, his mom didn't either. But he and I taught him the first vision, which I shared, and the spirit hit like a truck. It was great. Then two days later he came back and said that he prayed about the lesson Elder Stoker and I taught and he recieved an answer, and he wants to be baptized again.  so... BOOM.

I plow.... :)

Week 16 - He's doing great - Pictures

All-

Brad didn't have much time to write today.  He didn't say why.  But he's doing really well and most importantly his health is back and he seems very happy.  Here are a few pictures his mission president's wife posted on Facebook last week.

As always, thank you for your love and support.

Brad, Elder Cortez and the Assistants

The Quiriza Valley where Brad lives

Tupiza Zone

Tupizia Zone

Week 15 - Feeling better and more garlic!

(There was a 6.1 earthquake a few hundred miles from Brad) I did not feel the earthquake this week, the only earthquakes were in my large intestine. I am about three quarters better. This week was just a bunch of breaking garlic by hand, every day we work anywhere from 2-12 hours. My thumbs are ruined. Just trashed.

(I asked Brad if he thinks he got worms from harvesting garlic) I have never seen worms in the garlic fields, just spiders the size of my palm with the blue egg sacs the size of your thumb hanging off of them. I have found two in the chapel (where he lives), I'm sure you can imagine how well I handled that. Lol. I have forged a killing stick for them. I harvest by hand, everyone does. No problems, my hands are the same. They were already pretty leathery when I came out. Nothing has changed. I am convinced I am losing weight. (I asked him if he taught much this week) No, only 3 lessons, and we can't get to half of our area on the other side of the river because it has been raining so much, which also means we can't get to our investigator with the baptismal date, and he can't get to us. I don't know what's going to happen.

(I asked him who the investigator was that was being baptized Saturday) it is Alejandro (He is the 11 year old boy Brad has been teaching for a while), for this saturday. But I will probably be in Cochabamba. The problem is that the river is too deep and fast to cross, even with a horse and he is only 11. 

And a sad story, we have 13 members going to the temple today, some for the first time. And we have this older couple, 50's I would say, and they are members. They attend Church every Sunday, participate, are active, and were baptized. They have the photos. But when President Hansen was interviewing them he couldn't find their records.  When they were baptized in Mendoza, Argentina the people didn't register their baptism. And they had already paid to go to the temple for their first time. But now they have to be re-baptized, and have to wait a year. They were so ready to go, you could see it in their eyes. President Roly, Elder Cortez and I had to tell him this, and it was heartbreaking. One of the hardest things I have ever had to do.

Here are some highlights of my week, we got to Quiriza Tuesday night, broke garlic, Wednesday we broke garlic from 9 to 7, then from about 730 to 9 we proselyted in Quiriza. There is one really bad dog, he wants blood, but I know he isn't rabid, which is good. The rabid dog is dead that we had some encounters with. I have also assisted in a pig slaughter. I don't like it. And you don't want to hear about it. They just aren't terribly humane, hunting is 98 times more humane. They die faster. But it is okay. And then we broke more ajo, harvested tomatoes, and did more ajo, (garlic), the j is pronounced with an h sound. And then this morning we left my area at 3:30 AM to be in Tupiza to email you.

Have a great week!

Love, Elder Howells

Week 14 - Dakar Rally 2016

Hello!

This week was a good week, but very slow. Unfortunately, living in Latin America, specifically in Bolivia can cause some health issues. Wasn't feeling like my usual chipper self this week, visited the doctor, and now have medicine which is helping. Dakar came through my area, if you would like just YouTube Dakar 2016 Villazon - Uyuni you might see me on some tiny mountain road in a black shirt and black hat. I have decided I would be okay with being a Dakar driver someday. But the work was slow, a lot of time at the doctors and getting tests done and things like that, so not a lot to report this week. I love the people and I love Bolivia. It is an excellent place. I hope you all have a great week!

Elder Howells

P.S.

Feel free to send me candy and jerky. I won't say no :)

Week 13 - Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  This week was difficult, New Years was hard, for the first time I thought, I would love to be home right now. But now I am just fine.  We walk about 20-25 hours on dirt trails like Chalk Creek (ranch in the Uinta's) each week. So, we walk to a little village, teach whoever answers the door, they always let us in, and usually give us a glass of soda. The frustrating part is that they don't remember to do anything they've committed to do, but we will do anything in our power to help them. I work so hard. I have dumped every ounce of me into the work here, and I can't even remember how Brad is, that has been hard.  I have learned some priceless lessons in my 3 months here that are lessons that will carry me through life. I haven't had any success with our investigators, all we can do is our part, and they aren't willing to partake of the salvation we are offering them, and do their part. I love the people so much, I love Bolivia. But at the same time, I have never been more proud of my country in my whole life.

Love you all and have a great week!

Week 11 - I'm now officially a Latin Missionary ;)

Hello all!

This week wasn't exactly the best. I was very sick Monday night and Tuesday. Then I had a 17 hour ride to Cochabamba by bus, followed by 7 hours there for immigrations. After that, I went to Burger King, which brought me indescribable joy. We left by plane to Sucre, a 30 minute flight. And I had 8 hours in a bus from Sucre to Tupiza, all on my own. When I arrived at 4 in the morning, we slept for a few hours and went to Quiriza where we harvested 3 garlic fields, weeded in another, and had a wonderful Sacrament meeting the next day. Now, I am in Tupiza, and have officially become a Latin Missionary. If you know what that means, it is probably from experience. I hope you all have an amazing Christmas, and I hope that the Spirit of Christ can be with every single one of you at this time of the year. Merry Christmas!

Elder Howells

Week 10 - Harvesting Garlic and Alejandro!

The work this week was good. We harvested garlic for two days straight. Watch a youtube video on the harvest itself, it is straight miserable. I really love the people in my area, they are just awesome. It is literally like working with the pioneers, they use horses and mules to break up the ground as we start to harvest, we harvest acres by hand, and it is great. I feel like I'm a few centuries earlier, which is a neat feeling. But the highlight of this week was one of our investigators came to sacrament meeting yesterday, he is 11 and his name is Alejandro. He rode his bike 30 minutes to come, and we didn't even get a chance to visit him this week. Before, we have talked to him about baptism and he has always been kind of skeptical about it. But he was sitting next to me and Elder Cortez was talking to somebody else and I started talking to Alejandro. And I shared John 3:5 with him, and he read the part that says, you can not enter into the Kingdom of God with out baptism and the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and he just sat there. Then he goes, Cuando suede ser bautizado? When can I be baptized? And I said, as soon as you want. So, we are tlking with his parents about it Wednesday at 10, and I think he will have me do it because he likes me a lot. I am so excited, he is just an awesome, obedient little farm boy. He does his chores, works hard, I love the dude. So excited for him and for this week. The spanish is coming along very well, probably in another month I will be completely fluent.

I love you all, have a great week!

Love, Elder Howells

Week 9 - Teaching

This week has been good and bad. We had the opportunity to teach 12 lessons, some of the best numbers my area has had in years. The work in Quiriza is mostly supposed to be service, harvest garlic and stuff along those lines. I will send you a picture next week of a rough map of our area. But we have at least a two mile walk to any of the other Pueblos in our area, and that's where the bulk of our investigators live. The area we are doing best with one of our investigators is a little place called Espicaya, and her name is Deila. Her husband is inactive but I think with more lessons we can baptize her. Here are the ¨cities¨ in my area - Tittihoyo, Monte, Quiriza, Kataty, Viscachani, Espicaya, Pampa Grande. Haven`t been to pampa grande yet and I think there is one more that I missed but I don`t remember.

It is hard to do Christmas with no snow or family out here, but we are managing. We hung Christmas lights on the Chapel and had a movie night for the kids in Quriza. Had 20 kids come over to watch Big Hero 6 in Spanish. A really cool experience. Elder Cortez and I continue to get along, but there is a clear culture difference between us, but we are making it work just fine. I am happy to be here doing the work that we are doing. Time is starting to move and Christmas and 2016 are rapidly approaching. I love you all and I hope you have a great week.

Espicaya, Bolivia

Week 8 - Dual Zone Conference in Sucre

Hello,

What a week! We had a Dual zone conference in Sucre which is about a 10ish hour bus ride there, and we spent two days there. Then we had a return bus ride of the same length. What fun. But I got to spend more time in Quiriza, 2 days to be exact. It is a great place, look up pictures if you can. But it is good, I enjoy the field, time is going slow but I know that it will start to pick up. I am bummed that there is no snow here for this Christmas season, but that is okay. I will have plenty of snow in the future. Next week is time to harvest Garlic, so we will be very busy, and busy is good.

I am halfway through this transfer and have not yet spent a full week in my area. And this week we are coming back to Tupiza on Saturday for the Christmas Devotional and don`t leave until next Tuesday. But oh well. I know time will start moving after Christmas. The language is coming along fairly well, I can`t tell but Elder Cortez said so.

I hope you all have a great week.

Love, Elder Howells

**This is a link to the Mission President's Blog when they held a zone conference in Quiriza.  You can see pictures read about Brad's area.

http://3yearsinbolivia.blogspot.com/2015_05_01_archive.html

Week 7 - Planes, Trains and Automobiles!

I´ve literally lived planes, trains, and automobiles. I am a master at charades now, too. A little of what I´d like to call a language barrier. I have an area that is awesome, every single person in the mission wants to go there. It is called Quiriza. About an hours walk from Argentina. It is a service area with no real electricity, internet, or roads. You would think I was in Arizona with the Navajo. Really cool, we wear p-day clothes every day, work in the fields farming, we get to ride horses, go camping on our way to other pueblos, and I get to learn how to speak Quetchwa. It is a neat area, but I have hardly spent any time there becuase we´ve had a lot of conferences in Tuipza, which is about a 5 hour walk or a 1 hour by hitchhiking. It is a great place really great people, but it is like living in the old west. It is the place where Richard G. Scott first started the Church in Bolivia. It has the first chapel, which we live in, and the first member and his wife in Bolivia. They have no teeth, so understanding them was a monumental struggle, but it was a neat experience to meet them. I am glad to be where I am. He had the priesthood ordained to him by Richard G. Scott himself. Pretty cool. My Spanish has improved drastically with Elder Cortez, my non English speaking trainer. He is an excellent guy, I really enjoy working with him. But man, time is crawling at a glacial pace. I know that in about a month I wish it will start slowing down again. But it is good out here.

Another thing I forgot to add about Quiriza. It hasn´t had a new missionary and trainer or anyone less than 1 year experience in 2.5 years. Since before president Hansen was here. And hasn´t had a baptism in that long of time too. The people are all really nice and receptive to the message, but don´t care that much I guess. Hermana Hansen says that president must have a lot of trust in me to send me out there. Hopefully we can get the ball rolling.

Getting from Cochabamba to Quiriza was interesting. It was a 30 minute flight from Cocha to Sucre, then 1 hour in a taxi to a bus stop (busses are called Floatas) and then 8 or 9 hours to Tupiza which is where we slept. Got in at about 5:30 in the morning. Then another 1.5 hours to Quiriza. You would be right at home with the RZR in Quiriza. Literaly everything looks like Moab, just with insanely massive mountains everywhere. The Andes are nuts!

Love you all!

Quiriza, Bolivia

Brad w/ President and Sister Hansen

The Newbies