Day 5,6, &7...

So much has happened these past two and a half days I hope I can remember it all!  Tomorrow we leave...it is a bitter sweet feeling, but I need to get back for school. I haven't done near as much studying as I need to, but its vacation right?  Ya, tell my teachers that.

Saturday, after the beach, we went out to dinner with 2 families.  The Parada family and the Orsorio family.  Griff baptized the Orsorio family and the Parada's are strong members.  The Orsorios have 2 little girls and 2 little twin boys that are adorable.  Natalia is 13 and loves Griff.  She couldn't leave his side the whole time we were here.  She told him that she wants Griff and I to adopt her and she wants to live with us in America.  She said she already asked her dad and that he said yes because he wants her to have a good life in America.  I wish so badly that it were possible because I see how lucky we are to live in such a good place with so many blessings and opportunities and here they have so little. Both of the families are amazing.  Sitting there at dinner was such a humbling experience.  Even though I couldn't understand anything they were saying I could feel of their love for me and for Griff.  I only have known them maybe a day or two and they were so welcoming and loving.  I felt so happy to just be alive and be here on this earth and to have the gospel in my life.  I could have died happy in that moment.

The next day was Sunday so we woke up early and rode a van to Barranquilla because it was Stake Conference.  Griff served the longest in Barranquilla so it was so fun to be able to see everyone at church that he taught and knew.  After the meeting, there was a rush of people that came up to Griff because they were so excited to see him again!  Griff was in heaven.  After church we went to the Sanchez's house for lunch.  They are members in a ward Griff served in.  They were the first people that Griff met and the mom helped Griff learn spanish.  She would bring out different fruits and tell him the names and help him remember them.  They are an awesome family.

Yesterday Lisa and I woke up and went to the gym that the hotel said was a good gym.  It was not quite the gym we were expecting.  We searched every floor of the hotel when we finally went and asked the front desk.  It turns out it was across the street.  The gym was more like a garage with the doors open and some weights and few elliptical machines.  Haha we were a little surprised.  We worked out anyways (dying of heat).  We spent the rest of the day at the mall here.  It is actually super nice.  A lot nicer than the one in Pocatello (not hard to beat) and so Lisa and I were in heaven! That night we went back to the Sanchez's family for FHE.  It was amazing.  They wanted each of us to share our experience with them about Griff's mission and share our testimonies.  Griff was just translating the whole time...he is probably getting tired of translating so much.  Then after we shared our thoughts, they shared what an amazing missionary Griff was and they hope their kids will become the same missionaries that he was.  It is awesome for me to hear how amazing he was on his mission.  Makes me fall in love with him all over again.  After the spiritual thought, Brother Sanchez tried to speak English for us.  He said "And now, for the part most important of family home evening, we will dance!"  Colombians are all about the dancing.  They love the salsa, meringue, and the vallenato.  It was hilarious.  They have speakers that blast the music so loud.  Seriously they make it so the people across the street can hear.  They started out teaching us basic steps and Sister Sanchez just kept saying "feel the music".  I must admit I was pretty good...they kept saying "Sister McNabb muy bien" and then there was Griff.  He got better...but they would say "Elder McNabb, not so good".  We took lots of pictures so I hope you laugh at them as hard as we were laughing at ourselves.

Alejandro and Griff

The twin boys

all of us at dinner

Natalia, Alejandro, Griff and I.

Natalia's mom really liked Lisa.  She started crying when we had to say goodbye

Natalia and Griff saying goodbye

Another family we visited.  He is a jeweler and was picking us out good Emeralds.

Brother and Sister Sanchez showing us how its done.

Griff and I trying...

Lisa and Griff's good friend Jorge

Austin working on his moves

Everyone got tired but Sister Sanchez and I were still going.

One of their daughters Austin has a crush on.

He actually has a crush on both of them...

We visited another family this morning that Griff baptized. 

It has been raining all day here.  When it rains, the streets flood so the cars cant drive on them.  This is the best picture I could get.  Griff said this is nothing compared to what it gets when it rains more.  Cars get washed away in the floods it gets so bad.