I dislike Regueton/Reggaeton

Regueton/Raggaeton is a type of music down here (that I have no idea how to spell) and it is terrible (And it is not Raggae because raggae is splendid) and a car just passed by this internet cafe and it had it playing really loud so I thought I would dedicate the title of this email to it.

wellllllLLLlLlLLLLLLllLl Howdy! I hope your week was a lot less crazy than mine!

First of all, TRANSFERZZZZZ! Transfers are supposed to be in like 3 weeks but because of some stuff that went down in other areas they transfered me and took me away from Zipa on Friday morning. I was SO BUMMED. They took me away from my investigators, my child (Elder Galleguillos still had 3 weeks left of training), and my birthplace (of the mission). It was a very sad morning, but now I´m working in an area called San Luis! It is a pueblo on the side of a mountain in Bogotá and it is super cool. They have an awesome branch with a weekly attendance of about 90 in a tiny chapel-house. It is so great. There are some wonderful people here. My new comp´s name is Elder Chauque and he is from Argentina and is really cool. Also fun is that my comp and I are opening an area! San Luis has never had 4 missionaries, so we have to find our way around this maze of a pueblo and find investigators and live the good life! Also, President said he might let me go back to Zipa in a few weeks to see a baptism of a family that we were teaching and was gonna get baptized the 31st!!!!!!! That would just be splendid!!!!!

FUN FACTS:

- About 2 weeks ago, Elder Lamb who was in Zipa with us taught me how to solve a Rubix Cube. I now can solve it in less than 2 minutes and the other day I did it one-handed in about 8.5 minutes. STILL A NERD AND LOVE IT

- Gabriel (from Zipa, the super cool old guy) got cooler in my eyes. The other day Elder Galleguillos and I realized that he basically is the old guy from the movie Up. Also he fixes umbrellas. Also he watches Lassie. Also he has a giant rifle in his house that is almost taller than he is.

- Ryan Balzer, homie from FV, is in my same district here now after the transfers. HOLLAAAAA

- One of the counselors in our Branch Presidency here in San Luis looks just like the lead singer of The Format/Fun.

- I MADE AREPAS AND THEY WERE DELICIOUS

- If you ever wondered why the song All You Need is Love by The Beatles sounds a bit off rhythmically, it is because it switches from 7/8 to 8/8 a bunch of times and is awesome. (I heard it on a bus, calm down hahha)

Also wow Preach My Gospel is so good. READ AND ENJOY

Also I saw a video of the last testimony of Gordon B Hinkley in a chapel in England and it is so powerful I cried no joke. Look it up, yo. It is from May 25, 2005

Well time is short and I have a pueblo to teach. I hope all of you are doing well and life is treating you great!

With an excessive amount of love, 

Elder Pratt

P.S. SHOUT OUT TO JORDAN SMITH REYNOLDS WHO GETS HOME FROM HIS MISSION THIS WEEK

THIS IS THE COOLEST THING EVER

THIS IS THE COOLEST THING EVER

so we have this lady here who got baptized like a year ago and is cool and really friendly and yeah but for some family circumstances, is not active right now. BUT the other day, she was telling us about this dream she had before she got baptized. It was so amazing, we asked her to draw it out for us, and here is what she did. One night, she had prayed and asked if the Book of Mormon was true. that night, she had this dream. I could explain the whole thing to you if I had the time here at the internet, but basically she had Lehi´s Tree of Life dream. Absolutely incredible. In the drawing you can see:
- the tree
- the fruit, which she said was the most sweet and delicious thing she had ever tasted
- her and her family partaking of the fruit and knelt down by the tree
- her husband standing outside with his arms crossed (he didn't end up getting baptized)
- a bridge they had to cross and to cross they had to hold on super tightly so they didn't fall in the dark chasm (also her husband didnt cross the bridge either, again there with his arms crossed)
aaaaand much more. Absolutely amazing.

WHEN YOU READ THIS I WILL HAVE 6 MONTHS IN THE MISSION

I have decided that I get out of control with caps sometimes and if it bothers you, I apologize. Its just how else can I express emotion through a keyboard?

WELLllllllllllllll how are you all doing? I hope life is wonderful. Things here in Zipa keep getting weirder and cooler at the same time!

This week had some BUMMERS. Sadness from and investigator who had a baptism date (we had some crazy experiences with her and this was going to be the most amazing baptism ever) for this coming Saturday who just like starting saying she never had time to meet and told a member who is a friend of hers that she didn´t want to meet with us anymore. Suuuuuuper sad. I was like mad and sad and everything all at once, but it´s all good. We are going to stop by her house tomorrow and try to surprise her and figure out what happened. Major bummer.

Buuuuuut its all good because the Lord has prepared some other people in Zipa. One of them is the niece from some members from Bogotá. She is 14 and has a stronger testimony and understanding of the doctrine that a lot of people who have been members for years. We found her last week when her aunt and uncle were visiting and she came to church here in Zipa instead of going in Bogotá with them. She even came to seminary this week and gave a talk in church yesterday! She is gonna get baptized this Saturday!!!!!!!

I finished reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish this week! It was an awesome day. Now I have the goal to finish the New Testament by the end of the month. I am in Luke and trucking along strong, but the Book of Mormon is just, well, better. Like the New Testament tells us about Christ´s life and some of the apostles and stuff and its super cool, but the Book of Mormon is just out of control. The testimony of Jesus Christ that it carries is much more than just facts or killer stories. It really helps understand who he was, why he is so important, and what we need to do to really take advantage of the Atonement in our lives. It is spectacular. There is a reason why The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is so strong: The Book of Mormon is the cornerstone. And I don´t care how many times who have put it to the test, do it again! Just wait and let the Spirit fill you up and let that testimony grow!

Just so you all know, I am officially the captain of putting stickers in my scriptures. I think next week I will send a pic. I really like putting the tab kinda stickers in my scriptures to mark things and i think I got out of hand a bit. They are just so useful and helpful! but whatever, its all good haha.

Also new fun fact, my comp is getting pretty good at English. with all the gringo-ness and English in the house these days with Elder Lamb and Ringwood, my comp has picked up a lot. It is so awesome (especially when Elders Lamb and Ringwood teach him phrases like "How YOU doing?" and other stellar stuff like that). We totally can talk in English if I talk really slow and explain a word or two here and there. He is doing great! Also Elder Ringwood has gotten crazy better at Spanish with them chatting. gooood times, yo. Good times.

If you want to fall in love, listen to Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, as sung by Freddy Ashby. You will instantly question everything in your life that has kept you from listening to this song and rethink all of the choices you have ever made. I am only exagerrating a very tiny bit.

I hope life for you all is going great and I miss you! Keep up your prayers and doing those small things and like Alma 37 says, the big things will come, even the salvation of souls. Just keep doing your part and the blessings will flow! Also you all should watch the Joseph Smith movie (the hour-ish one) and then cry like small child. A very very small child.

I love you all!

Elder Pratt