Week 44 Ecuador

Did I mention Elder Vargas and I have the same birthday? We celebrated with another sister in the ward.

Our weird Catholic Christ's last supper statue in the house. "Judas lost his head"

I lost a bet and had to carry Elder Vargas's pack for a day. All with good spirits!

Did I mention we have a pool? and can't swim:(

Ward activity...

Hermana Castro is awesome (Katty)

Elder Howell has a skill with children. I'm still working on that one...little by little.

July 27 weekly update (voice message)

D&C 123:16 “a very large ship is benefitted very much by a very small helm...”

There are no small things in great endeavors.

Hi family, it’s Sunday night, just wrapping up the week. It’s been a while since I’ve got seven good lessons in a day, so we’re ending it right. It’s been a really good week, at least to say I enjoyed it. 

Elder Bench, one of the assistants of the President, he goes home Monday (tomorrow), but he surprised me stoppin’ in Tuesday for my district meeting. So, I guess we’ll see if I passed the test!? 

This week I guess I had to loose a couple investigators to gain a couple. Not ideal, but seriously I’ve been really happy. It’s a true joy when people tell me it’s time to find the truth, or go back to church, and that they want my help. That happened a couple times this week. It was awesome; it gives me purpose. I feel right now that I’m really doing things right. I’m searching for the spirit and the work, I’m trying to be a good example for Elder Vargas, and I guess it’s just a small preparation for the almost perfect year we have approaching. 

Another thing that’s made me happy this week is I found a guy randomly in our sector that has a ball pump, which are surprisingly difficult to come by. He actually loaned it to me. One night I came, and I filled up all the basketballs, the soccer ball, the football, and then I took it to him the next morning. So, I’ve been getting all the Elders out of bed for a little 3 on 3...ultimate frisbee, basketball, soccer, all that stuff. I’m learning that while the latinos are good at soccer, they lack a lot of hand eye coordination. We’ll have to work on that, all the other sports they struggle. 

The night I got the pump, Elder Vargas and I just went outside in the parking lot where we live, and were throwing the ball. He threw a wild one, and I got there just in time to knock it down, but I fell into a car, and it’s alarm went off. We were like “Oh no,” it’s 9:30 at night, and the owner comes grudgingly walking out of his house. I went up and apologized to him. He was actually really cool. I had the football in my hand, and he’s like, “Hey, so that’s like the gringo football?” I was like, “Ya, something like that.” I taught him how to throw it, so he was chill about it. 

The next day, me and my companion made the 45 minute bus ride out to Prima Vera, which means spring in English. It’s a sector where the Hermanas (the sisters) in my district are working. We did 2 baptism interviews, and they were baptized last night! It’s really awesome to see them have success. They have a newborn baby (one month old), and it was kind of sick, so they asked us to give a blessing after the interviews. So, I did my first “baby” blessing, placing my two fingers on her little head and I can feel her heart beat as I was doing the blessing. That was kind of a cool experience. 

The highlight of the week was definitely traveling to the temple with the ward, and three less active members that we have rescued. It was awesome, I haven’t done confirmations in the baptistry since me, Rachel and some friends went, but we performed nearly 500 confirmations my companion and I. I had a sore throat after, but it was awesome. We’re getting together with the ward family history leader, and were going to try to set up some activities to get some investigators and the ward members all doing their research so they can take names to the temple. I kind of hope that some day I have a future calling that will allow me to work close to the temple. I love it. 

Speaking of the ward though, continuing with that we did have a missionary activity, most closely considered like a battle of the sexes activity. It turned out pretty good. We did some soccer, apple bobbing, sack races, stuff like that. I have some videos I’ll shoot to you guys. Hopefully they send through. I had to keep them like 30 seconds. 

Friday night, dad you’ll appreciate this. We went to a lesson that we had with a family. They’re a little bit less active, but they had some investigators there in their house as well. We went there, and they’re all sitting down watching Lonesome Dove. They’re like “Hey, come in, sit down, watch the movie for a minute. You guys can watch this?” We were like “Ummm...yep.” So we sat down and watched the last, I think it was like 15 minutes or something. Darn good movie. Made my heart ache a little bit. 

I’ll end with this. Dad you always joked around that the day you become the bishop, we’d be having meetings over a cup of coffee. Well, the ward council today wasn’t to far off. Every Sunday after church we get together with the ward council, and one of the counselors went out, later returning with Chinese for everyone. As hungry as we all were, and yes I like Chinese, Ecuador had amazed me once again, buying Chinese on the Sabbath day with the ward budget money. Well, what can I say...baby steps right, baby steps.

As I sit here tonight I have to recognize if we rewind a year ago, we were all in Seeley Lake Montana. Awesome, and I guess if we look one year ahead, I’m pretty close to coming home, back to Utah. There’s a lot to be done before that though. So, love you all, and have a wonderful week.  

Week 43 Ecuador

Elder Vargas and I have the same birthday! He has me beat by a couple hours at birth though.

Who's got my back?...

Elder Parkinson going home in 6 weeks, finishing out strong together in the Zone.

Anyone ever seen an egg in development? Before it's hard, it's transparentish and squishy. I took it out of the Hen we ate for lunch! :o

Some sector photos 

July 20, 2015 (voice recording)

Hi family, I got an email off to you last week really quick, but God called at 10 o’clock last Sunday night, and placed me in Duran North Mission, one of the closest sectors to the big, big Guayas River, in the city. It’s pretty cool. A little bit ironic though, my sector is more poor than the last one. We haven’t had running water in our house for four days. There’s no water here in Duran, but we get it at night sometimes. We fill up huge buckets, so we have to shower with buckets of water. That’s a new experience for me. Um, the house is really teeny tiny, and so I’m living out of my suitcases because there’s no dressers. We have one small refrigerator for four elders. The house is kind of crap, but it’s alright, we don’t spend any time in the house anyway. Despite the lack of water here in our private community, I don’t know why we live in a private community, probably because it’s dangerous, who knows? I haven’t had any problems. We do have a swimming pool, and a basketball court, and a soccer court, but I can’t use the swimming pool, we have a basketball, but it’s flat, so I’m looking for an air pump. We’ll get around to that. 

My new companion is Elder Vargas from Chochabamba Bolivia. I like the word Chochabamba:) He only has four months in the mission. I’m not really sure where his knowledge or testimony is at. It’s not that great, he’s never read the Book of Mormon all the way through, but he’s a good guy. He’s willing to work and learn, so what more can I ask for? 

My sector is poor, but that’s normal, what’s new? There’s some unexplored territory I’m going to go work in, and try and find some stuff. It was dead you could say when I got here. There were no investigators. They were working with a few less active families, but I did find seven new less actives, and I put a baptismal date for August, so we’re looking forward to that. I figure if we work really hard now, and we’re obedient in July, maybe we’ll have some good success in August. It’s true though, maybe because I’m trying to be a really good example for Elder Vargas that he hasn’t had yet in the mission, I’m being super obedient, and I’ve seen it in my lessons. I’m teaching pretty good, and we’ve had some spiritual experiences...good lessons. Two less actives that have been away from the church for 15 years, I had a lesson with them and they came; as well as an investigator that we put a baptismal date with. It’s little by little, but we’re moving along. Good thing going.

Another elder that we’re living in the house with is training a new missionary. He’s from Guatemala. He’s this...I’ll try to take a picture with him. He’s a little short, chubby dude, and he is hilarious. He reminds me of Russell off of that Disney movie Up. He’s just like so energized, and funny. He always peeks his head in my room, or whatever I’m doing and he’s like “Como estas?” 

The other night, Saturday night, I have a picture of me and Elder Parkinson. My zone leader for the second time. We’re kind of bros., but I had the less than edifying opportunity to listen to three titled, uninspired individuals from the stake, talk and chew out all the members. It’s a pet peeve I’m figuring out, when people exercise unrighteous dominion. They’re like look at me, I’m the stake president, do this, do this. Oh, I was dying, and hour and a half of pure crap, but I got through it. I was kind of glad that an investigator didn’t come, but that’s a lie, one of my investigator did come. He’s pretty cool too, but hopefully he wasn’t as sensitive to all that. I was not very pleased. During the stake presidents talk, he was like calling out to people in the crowd I guess you could say, by name, and asking them questions, “Are you doing this, are you doing that?” I was like bro. you can’t do that, but whatever. What can I say, it’s Ecuador. 

What can I say, lots of new lessons. A lot of them were good. Honestly, when people feel the spirit, they’re inspired, and they act. So I’m just always trying to make spiritual opportunities for people. Concerning anything that doesn’t have to do with the mission, I don’t have much to say, because the mission is all I do. I wish I could tell you something else, more inspiring. Hey, there’s tons of crabs. There’s a big river here, and there’s palm sized crabs everywhere, like millions. That was kind of cool, but there’s nothing all that interesting, just another ugly Ecuadorian sector. Don’t take me wrong, I’m excited. I’m always trying to stay pumped about the work. 

My district, I’m working with four sisters now, and they’re in the richest sector in the mission. You have to have invitations and everything to enter into their gated community. I’m going to go out there and help them one day, but it’s pretty crazy, I’ve never worked like that. Two of them are from the states, and two of them are latinas. One of the gringas is an airhead. She can’t remember to send numbers or anything that I ask her, it’s ridiculous. We’ll keep working with them...patience, patience. You’ve got to be super sensitive with the sisters. One of them started chewing me out because the first night I didn’t call her and give her “Oh hi, I’m Parker, or Elder Wilson. I’m your new zone leader,” and I did the others. I didn’t call her because I didn’t have her number. So she chewed me out the next day, and I was like whoa, whoa, a sister with attitude, but you know...the relationship will go on. 

One last thing, can I just say thank you for teaching me basic things? I don’t even know what I’m trying to say, but how to clean, how to cook, how to iron my clothes, how to read the Book of Mormon and understand scriptures. People are so ignorant, like missionaries, they don’t know how to do the littlest things. It’s alright though. This mission is a learning experience in different ways for all of us. 

Hey dad, before I forget, something just came to mind. You know the picture of the detached garage when the trusses fell down and it was a disaster? Well, I have an object lesson that I want to make out of it. If you could sent me that picture in an email. I probably won’t get it ‘til next week, but it’s fine. Hey, that would be super cool. Thank you.

 Well, I’m going to go study. I hope you all have a wonderful day...

Week 42 Ecuador

 

  

 Thanks for praying for me. I got my long-awaited change and am now in Duran, a little closer to the Big city, but we`ll see this week how the ward and area are. You hear what you hear but who really knows. Of course I was called out of my last sector the week I had a baptism and 4 other dates lined up for following weeks but hey, that`s the work! I`m excited to see the results pull-off there. 

New companion is Elder Vargas from Bolivia, Cochabamba. He has 4 months in the mission and is a little more timid I feel like, but we`ll get him warmed up in no time. Assistants told me to enjoy my final stretch of preparation before the big-leagues. Um.. I won`t make assumptions to what that means, just roll with it. 

I left a lot of cool families, converts, and maybe most dear to me a few rescued less-actives. Dad, the photo of me with the man, His name is Maximilio, but he reminds me so much of you. I felt like somehow I was rescuing My Dad! (in theory). I had my final lesson with them this past week and the spirit was powerful. They thanked me for being not only a teacher but a motivator and a friend, for helping them find reason and blessings once again. Wow how this man changed! Pacheco. 3 months. Rescued. Adios.

I`ll share an answer I received in one of my studies this week: I have before voiced and retained in my mind what I believed to be a discouraging fact of the mission, it`s not equal. Unlike sports, academics or former employment where my efforts are justly recompensed with championships, scholarships or money the mission has time and time again left me in debt; hours of thought, planning and educating people to make correct decisions too often results in another teaching record moved to the area books` dropped investigators file. We`ll recognize the agency of these people, even the sad truth that some who receive a spiritual confirmation may deny it, and leave it at that. I have received an anser that we ¨Be not deceived; God is not mocked.¨ (Galatians 6:7) Other scriptures likewise prove you get out of it what you put in 

(2 Corinthians 9:6) - it`s fair. God will keep his part when we live up to ours, but it would be a mock of an unjust God that he all the same bless us if we have neglected our duty. Thus, ¨Fear not to do good, My sons,¨ we have Gods promise. Let no effort be in vain. 

Not much for communication with home today, but I`m excited to be in a new sector and see what awaits me. We are going to work with the Lord and make things happen.

Wishing you all an excellent week :)

Elder Wilson

Week 41 Ecuador

What can I report...much of the same, same sector, same companion, same P90X Plyometrics workout kicking my butt..

Oh, I can officially say that I got robbed, but don`t get your nerves up. I was asleep. Traveling via bus for my intercambio half hour away I fell asleep and someone took my bag off the upper-shelf with my bathroom supplies. All replacable. (except my garments? uh-oh.)

I did wake myself up this week and walk myself into the Temple for a lovely session where 9 more of my oldest ancestors (1600`s) originally from Denmark and Norway received their endownments. I bet they do pretty good mission work up there...all the same, we have to keep it up here, so president graciously gave us a few pointers:

Firstly, Be self-sufficient and remember Our primary source of help is Heavenly Father.

Secondly, God will not command in all things so that we learn to make our decisions (no one tells me how to run my sector) The goal: He teaches us correct principles and we govern ourselves! (D&C 58:26)

Lots of interviews for baptism this week made for a great 4th of July - God bless America! :) Among those interviews was the wife of a once well-respected pastor in an Evangelist group who recently received the Priesthood from President Riggins. She came in still uncertain of my authority, her baptism, and all guards up. We prayed, I prayed again, told a dumb joke, then the Spirit went to work! She was baptized and they are some of the most powerful converts I`ve ever seen!

Later I realized President had called me out on a situation to practice in front of everyone. Pressure, but that practice was pure revelation for what I would need to know in that interview. So grateful for the spirit who helps us trust in the Lord; that the woman could see a 19 year old boy with broken spanish as a representative of Christ and I could see her heart.

Last but not least I was a welcome guest at a wedding reception for Mrs Comboza. Daughter of my converts. They have always treated me like one of their own and others are accepting also (probably all whispering why are the Elders here and, Oh, hide the Alcohol) haha. For once I wasn`t sticking out like a sore-thumb in a shirt and tie! Hope to see them find their way to the church one day. I did offer an opening prayer on request, blessed the food, not the beer, and the couple. I even got my BBQ chicken dinner...I`ll have to wait for smoked ribs. Spent the next half hour keeping the best-man from his responsibilities; Adrian, is a marine biologist, bro has some sweet stories and photos- not a bad bachelor life.

Although my bachelor life isn`t quite in line with the American dream, I want you all to know I love serving as a missionary and thank all those who support me back in the USA, our home.sweet.home

Love,

Elder Wilson

My investigator and I sweating our huevos off in church.

Famous Milagro Pina