Week 48 Ecuador

Out with the old...in with the New!

There was a Stake Art Show! We got the college fraternity to bring their art too, (that we had met 3 hours before)...will they come to church? Dunno, I won't be there...

Leaving Elder Cook and Duran to serve as zone leader in Babahoyo

more art...

Goodbye to Elder Cook

New companion Elder Alguera

8/25/15 (voice recording)

Hey family, first off sorry I couldn’t write you yesterday. It’s been a pretty busy week. Last Tuesday we had a district meeting and I went out with Elder Parkinson. I made a dice game, and we all practiced with the district. I only say this because of the four hermanas that were in my district. They’re awesome. The truth is hermanas make great missionaries, and I love having them in my district. 

This week has all really added up well. We put some baptismal dates with people, we got a lot of new investigators, we found 12 new investigators. We almost have our 15 families, which is kind of like a standard of excellence here in the mission. After my intercombio with the zone leaders, I went out with Elder Vance too, he’s assistant to the president. In all his dying glory I guess you could say, he went home today. I’m making this Tuesday morning. It was fun though. We did our intercombio, made macaroni & cheese. He ended up staying with us, so we pushed our two beds together and slept all three of us on it. Thank goodness we’re all from Utah. haha 

All this added up to the call that came at 7 o’clock Monday morning. They pulled Elder Cook and I out of Duran, and closed the sector until I imagine October when a bunch more missionaries come. They’ll open it back up, but there are two elders still working in that ward, so we won’t leave behind everything. 

After that I went to an unexpected leadership training with three other elders from my group. We now have a year to learn the ropes from president and the assistants. That all landed me in my first zone last night, in Lindo? is the name of the barrio, the zone that we’re serving in Babahoyo. We got here with just enough time to go out last night and visit the mission leader. My bags are still unpacked. We’re ready to go out this morning. I’m going to write you guys, and buy some food, do the necessities, and go out and work. 

If you happen to notice any scratches on my face, don’t worry. I didn’t get in a fight. I was just trying to be Parker again, I guess you could say, or see where I’m at in comparison to past physical limits. Well, I was doing backflips, and playing around on the court, playing basketball, and everything, and after a few backflips I slipped and bit the dust a little bit...scratched up my face, but it’s all good. I guess God’s trying to say focus on the work more than other past talents. I don’t know, maybe he’s taken some away, I’m losing a little bit of weight, and definitely some strength, but you know, he’s given me a lot of new talents too. I’m hoping he will because being a new zone leader, I’m gonna need a lot of help. 

Elder Alguera has 23 months in the mission. He’s here to show me the ropes in Babahoyo, how to be a zone leader. He’s not trunky though. He’s working hard, he’s a stud. He’s going to be going home to Costa Rica, so I’m definitely going to go visit him on vacation after the mission. 

I guess I’ll leave you guys with a quote that I liked from M. Russell Ballard. It says...If during the course of our time here on earth we learn to use that wonderous gift of agency in positive ways to bless our own lives, and the lives of others, then our journey will have been successful. No matter how long it lasts, and how much is accomplished. So, I’m super honored to have this opportunity to serve other people, the missionaries here in Babahoyo. I know the Lord will bless me, he’ll bless all of you guys too. I’ll be relying a lot on the atonement honestly, to share the love that God has for each of them, and help them obtain their potential. So, anyways, I love you all. Have a wonderful week. Talkin’ to you soon. Bye