Elder Parker Wilson: Week 15 Ecuador

2015!!

I hope everyone`s celebrations were a blast and you`re all ready to end that vacation! It may not be good news for you necessarily, but i can say i`m ready for everyone to return home so I have someone to teach! ..Nah the work has picked up again the past few days and church attendance was up - happy parker :) we had a good ward meeting with almost all of the leaders there promising references for us missionaries; awesome! we`ll see..

New Years was cool here. Lots of burning? I got to burn up a big paper-tree, a life-sized manican (culture here), and a few big fireworks! (which I lit with a piece of toilet paper I started with our electric stove-top) sweet right? The remainder of my evening consisted of dinner, music I don`t understand, talking, and a little bit of the Grammy`s on TV - that I do understand!

The following day turned out to be the most boring day of my mission - possibly life. Little did I know that all of South America as I understand it shuts down on the 1st of January. Cyber, shopping, stores, buses... Everyone is sleeping, drunk, or both. Good to know.

Quick S/O to the conference talks: They`re awesome! Don`t forget to read :)

Other random stuff.. One night the other Elders in our house came home late. I shut out all of the lights and hid - long story short (in my rambo outfit) I snuck up on one of the Elders in the house and wrestled him to the floor yelling in english. It scared the daylights out of him. I was laughing super hard and he`s been tip-toeing around corners since. hah (funny mission humor stuff you had to be there to enjoy right?)

As to prevent getting fat like all of the other Elders and people in this country from the excessive bread, rice, and fried foods I`ve been faithful to my workouts. With the new year I opened up my P90X workout guide I brought and started planning some workouts and making goals. I don`t know how many are familiar with the P90X program (simply put- a 90 day workout program with all of their special workouts, supplements, advice, etc) Good stuff. Anyways, reading in the back of this guide is a letter from the CEO I guess you could say congratulating all successful finishers on their 90 days of extreme training and consequent results. A comment was made on Fitness- defined as being physically fit and healthy (fitness is a style of living). Thus, being a missionary and all, I applied this spiritually.

I believe there are events in our lives (like a 90 day fitness program) that we complete feeling very well-off spiritually; Maybe it is a process of conversion and baptism, graduating seminary, completing a mission, whatever. We are at our best at these times; motivated, diligent, faithful, with a clear image of where we`re at and goals that lie ahead. What hits me are the words of fitness trainer Tony.. `Don`t stop here..`

Just as our bodies will soon return to their less than perfect state if we don`t make a constant effort to improve them - our spirits (testimonies) will soon fade, weaken, or be forgotten as we fail to exercise them. Like fitness, the Gospel is a style of living in which we must include in our daily lives things that will strengthen us and help us grow; studying the words of the prophets both old and modern, praying, attending church..

Will we always feel super awesome in the act? will it be hard? maybe difficult to see the purpose?

Days of service in the mission don`t always leave me on a spiritual high or a huge smile on my face. I dont believe bishops or stake presidents always return home late on Sundays or week-nights after putting in a long days work away from their family and home over-flowing with gratitude they had the opportunity to magnify their calling and participate in the Lord`s work. We don`t always feel great in the act of running, lifting, or when the 3rd round comes. BUT, we`ve all experienced that runners-high, a good pump, a Spiritual moment in which we are rewarded for our efforts. PayDay.

With that, and with the boost of motivation we all have with the new year to go conquer the world, I would invite everyone to start with some goals. Elder Russel M Ballard said, `I am so thoroughly conviced that if we don`t set goals in our life and learn how to master the techniques of living to reach our goals, we can reach a ripe old age and look back on our life only to see that we reached but a small part of our full potential. When one learns to master the principle of setting a goal, he will then be able to make a great difference in the results he attains in his life.`

I`ll close in echoing the words of our Prophet President Monson as I say, I have a testimony of this work in which I`m engaged. I don`t know when I first obtained it; I think it came step by step through my experiences, none being greater than my mission. (D&C121:45) I am grateful for the family I was born into and for the example of my mother, especially, who has been a steadfast light in my life. I am constantly prompted by the spirit as I go about my daily work and have a goal to focus - and act upon - those promptings. For in this work I am but a servant - `It is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.` (Matthew 10:20) I am filled with joy, and responsibility, knowing that God trusts me with His work. I know that a dedication in improving myself will result in great blessings on behalf of those I am able to come in contact with this year.
Love,

Elder Wilson

It's been raining a lot lately. I am enjoying the climate change. Only 3ish degrees cooler, but the lack of sun and addition of moist air makes an enjoyable difference!

Service for old ladies is nuts. Cutting weeds with a machete? Seriously? Welcome to Ecuador. I had to describe a lawnmower to her as a four wheeler with 4 machete's beneath that are motorized and cut everything. Wow-