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...