new mission president 7/9/2012

Well we got our new Mission President! President Lozano and he is an awesome man! I am very excited to work with him. He has a great vision of what our potential as a mission can be and how we can do it! We are working alot together which i like! This week we are trveling with him to show him the Hotlands so tommorow we are in Girardot, then at night time we go to Neiva to interview Pitalito and Florencia and we come back to Ibage on Thursday to have a conference! So we have been with him since Saturday planning and in meetings and stuff! He came out to teach with us this weekend and it i great to have someone new and fresh with new energy!! It was good teaching with the President!! IT was pretty funny cuz we took him to a lesson on Saturday and on Sunday he talked in our branch and the branch was all excited to meet him as if he was a superstar and then she felt like all honored that THE PRESIDENT was in her house and was all like bragging to all of the other youth that the president was in her house and all haha!! We died laughing!!

President really trust us what i love!! He doesnt really know all of the rules or administration or nothing so we talk alot we get to help make decisions with him so its fun!! I like it!! When he was with us he asked me if the mission manual has rules about drinkin pop haha! I was like no, drink it if you want to haha!! so we have a lot to teach him but I am glad that he is willing to learn! This week we werent in our area alot only 2 days really for all of the work with pres. and intercambios but it was a very spiritual week! We are being blessed so much!

 I have learned alot in this time in the mission! I have seen the difference in the way i teach and act and testify. Its completely differnt! I am learning hwo to adapt the lessons to the people alot better!! I wish we could have mroe time with the people to teach them, there is so much to teach. I am learning the power and value of everyword we use!! WE dont get much time really to teach for a long time to the people a lesson in 45 min. or less. And the Colombian poeple LOVE TO TALK!! I bet you could put a dumby in front of some of our investigators adn they would keep tlaking and not know the difference haha!! But when we teach it has to be short, prcise and powerful! THe imoprtance of Clarity and power ar key in missionary work! WE have had some killer lesson where there have been a strong presence of the lord spirit there!! Where we have the enviroment to be able to testfy og the Truthfullnes of GOd and of his blessings of his plan! I have learned the great importance of the Plan of Salvation! It changes lives!

WE have 2 baptism planned for this month and we will have anoth 4 in August!! We are workin on growing our area and have been working hard to get refences from members!! But yesterday while my comp and i were out walkin a person on a motorcycle started following us!! I was like o man not another robbery, so we were just getting ready run. A motorcycle with 2 people on it means danger, its the easiest way to rob you! then they started yelling at us and all and then we realized they wanted to just talk to us. And they took of their helments and it was Angela haha!! She was an lady that i contacted in Roma in Bogota! haha like almost a year ago I was teaching her and she went on vacation and while she was on vacation her family moved but we didnt know where and we just met up yesterday here in Ibague! haha She lives in the apartment complex in front of ours haha!! What a great joy i felt!! We talked for a while and she is anxious to listen and go to church with us and everythin!! She was so cool!! I remember very well contacting her. We were waking in the street and me and Elder Suruguay were going to an appointment and we lacked people to contact for the day and she was on the 3rd floor of the house hanging clothes on the line and i just yelled to contact her i just testified in a simple way about the eternal family and she came down and listened to us and it was like a 40 min contact at the door!! She was so interested and we strted teaching her and her family!! I am stoked to teach her again!! What an answer to our prayers!! Sweet mercy of God!!

 On thursday I was in the Chapel working on an activity with the zone and this guy comes around the corner and says oh my gosh ELDER HAMMER and he gave me this big hug. I was like oh my friend who are you. I never have met this dude in my life and he was hugging the heck out of me haha!! and he told me that he was a friend of Pops that he would go out with dad on splits and that Dad worked alot with him and that he went to the baptism at like 2 in mornin with Dad and Pres Pico! haha! It was fun talking to him! Then on Saturday i went to a meeting with Pres. Lozano and as i turned the corner PRes. Pico jumps out and just gives me the biggest hug in the world haha!! He is a great guy! I love PRes. Pico haha! He is hilarious!! I tihnk at times he forgets i am a missionary cuz he starts joking with with me and he treats me like a life long friends which i love! I am glad that i have the same friends as Pops!! Good kids haha!! So all is well here in Ibague! Lovin every second of the mission! I am workin alot on trying to receive more personal revelation through scripture study and more strict obedience and listening more! I need to be better at that!! But i am loving the work of the Lord. Love ya all a ton Elder Hammer