"If ever there was a place where it is easy to get depressed it is in Bolivia, especially Colquiri."

Man, what a day.

If ever there was a place where it is easy to get depressed it is in Bolivia, especially Colquiri.

I finally got my suitcase today, minus my electric razor.  I hope whoever has it uses it in the bathtub and electocutes himself!

I'm surprised I still have a head attached to my body.  I have hit it on roofs, doors, and bars and almost had it severed millions of times by clotheslines.

It is time to go to bed.  Maybe I will write some more of these exciting things tomorrow.  Elder Kupu and I have been fasting for the Mamanis family, we are going to baptize them tomorrow wow!

The Foot Race

An interesting event happened today.

During gym, 1/3 of the hour is stretching and calesthenics, 1/3 is running and the other 1/3 is playing volleyball.  They do this to rotate groups.  We run outside around the MTC.  If I were to guess I would say that the circuit was close to 1/2 of a mile.  I usually run two laps around outside and then finish up inside the gym.  Normally I am pretty mellow when I run and I just try and keep a steady pace.  Today was rather unusual however.

It seems as though everything was going wrong today.  This morning I missed a few questions.  Once I thought I was telling her (the teacher) to talk slower and I really told her to talk faster.  Then in retention I learned about 40 lines and forgot them a lot faster than I had learned them.  Those plus other things had gotten me pretty irritable.

As I was running I was thinking negative split.  Not for my running but for my mission.  (Negative split is when the last half of a race is faster than the first half.)

I had just finished my first lap at a good rate and was about to slow down when I saw this elder ahead of me.  I don't know his name yet but I recognized him from our branch.  Well he was about 50 yards ahead of me.  I thought that I would use him for a pacer and try and finish the same distance behind (he was running pretty fast).  I picked up my pace a bit (not too much) and by the time we were half way around I was still in the same position.  The parking lot was slightly sloped uphill.  I don't know why but I decided that I would try to catch him.  He was still 50 yards ahead but I started gaining.  With about 200 yards to go I was about 20 yards behind.  Now it must be made known that this guy was fast and he started running faster.  (He must know what a negative split is too, or so it seemed).  I am a terrible runner and my ankle doesn't help.  Every time I step on it, it cracks.

I must have been using all those built up pressures for fuel because even though I was gasping for air and dead tired I was going to win that race!  I was dying.  I hadn't run that hard that forever.  We crossed a construction bridge with about 35-40 yards left and I was about 5-10 feet behind, I don't remember.  By this time I was scared.  What had started out as a simple challenge had become life or death for me.  I was about to give up.  With 5 yards left I gave my last surge.  He let up, I won!  I couldn't believe it.  I had set my mind to beat that guy and I did it.  I started to cry.  Not big tears but two small ones.  I was full of joy, not because I won the foot race.  That was only part of it.  I realized that I can do anything if I want it bad enough.  If I am willing to pay the price.

There was no crowd watching me today when I ran, but I believe that my Dad, my friends, my Heavenly Father would have been proud of me.  Not because I ran the race but because I set my goal high, always kept it in sight and using all my strength attained it.

"I guess my ego is pretty fragile."

Well P-Day was pretty neat.  I saw Teresa Richardson at the Bookstore and I told her to say hi to Linda for me.  We walked past Linda's old dorm twice and each time was caught up with some memories.

We are now veterans of one-week.

Yesterday was Thursday and new missionaries got here.  I still feel somewhat new.

Elder Brown and I got some shots yesterday.  He received the yellow fever injection and I received not only that but a re-vaccination of small pox as well.  As usual, the shots never are as bad as they looked.  But let me say they looked bad.

Thursday was kind of a bad day.  I did pass off F-10 which makes five for me but the rest of the day didn't go well.  There is one reason why.  I guess my ego is pretty fragile.  Elder Brown went to get a drink of water from the classroom.  Elder Ostler came over and told me that I should always be with my companion.  Well it was the truth but I didn't take it too well.  I guess the pressure and other things helped but I just felt bad.  I feel as though I were harboring some pretty bad feelings for Elder Ostler.  We had a branch meeting last night.  President Barrett spoke about the martyrdom of Joseph Smith.  After that we had an ambassadorship class.  We talked about perception and then saw a film.  Well by this time I was feeling bad because I didn't feel as though I had the spirit with me.

It was hard but back at the dorms I asked Elder Ostler if I could speak with him.  I told him about today and I said that I was sorry and I asked for forgiveness.  He seemed more than happy to oblige me.  We hugged each other and I felt new love for him.  I also felt a lot better about myself.

Elder Laycock is our District Leader.  He will be great.  I think that he is very humble about his calling.

It's Friday morning and 6:00 am.  I feel good about getting up at 5 or so.  I don't feel guilty taking a little extra time to write in this.  It's time to study.