Week 55 Ecuador

Baaaptism :)

10/12/15 voice message

Hey family, what’s up? Another great week has gone by in the work of salvation. Starting off from the beginning, last week after conference we took on the challenge to memorize a scripture each week. We also selected one for the zone, so as a zone we have more unity and purpose. So the zones memorizing a scripture, but just to show off my skills, I’ll show you that I memorized my scripture, it’s Mosiah 15:11, which reads like this. Behold I say unto you, that whosoever has heard the words of the prophets…concerning the coming of the Lord…who have hearkened unto their words, and believed that the Lord would redeem his people, and have looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins…these are his seed…the heirs of the kingdom of God. Sweet promise right? So, a little motivation to follow the prophet. 

New stuff this week, a really, really cool thing happened. I’m pretty sure that a family was sent to us from God. Literally, the familia Gomez, they’re actually our neighbors. I guess by a few fights and things, they were splitting up. The wife came to her husband wanting an attorney to see how much it’s going to cost to divide all their things and the two daughters that they have. He’s like instead of getting a professional to split us up, why don’t we get a professional that can bring us together? It just happened that we were walking down outside the house at that moment, and he stopped us and asked us when we were going to come visit him. He’s super cool. He’s a dance instructor. We’ve had three lessons with them now. They’re way cool. They have a date to be married, and to be baptized! They’re super cool with us. We’re sure they’ll progress, and super grateful for that miracle that we saw this week. 

Two new missionaries came into the zone this week. Ones named Elder Oyler. He’s from Pleasant Grove Utah, but no worries. He didn’t wrestle or play any other sports, so no contention there. The other is Sister Johnson from Idaho Falls, and she knows Caleb. Caleb Eubanks, so that’s pretty cool, although she’s a year older than him. It’s been funny to see them, and hear their spanish, and a little painful all at the same time bringing back those memories. That sucked when I couldn’t understand anyone. It was so frustrating. We just have to give them a lot of support though, and they’ll have it figured out in a few weeks. Honestly I have to say, as much as I’m enjoying the mission right now and loving it, I would never go back an redo the first year. 

Amongst all the cool things happening down here in Ecuador here though, Elder Albrecht and I were in bed one morning, just waking up and an earthquake shook us for a good six seconds or something. We confirmed it with other people, so it was real, it was legit. It made us laugh and look at each other, because you know we’re supposed to be out of bed at 6:30 sharp, and we can say it was about 6:32. It shook us, and I was like woah, woah, woah, OK, God I’m up! I’m up! We're down on our knees ready to pray. He’s gonna send down justice on us. 

Well I hate to deceive you all, and say that everything is sunshine and rainbows down here, so I’ll share the bad side too. Um…Nilla Wafers are the bomb, and they’re still my favorite. Thank you grandma, but they are all gone now. So that’s a hard reality to accept.

We had a terribly unorganized “invasion” we call it. Where everyone goes and visits in a ward, all the missionaries, all the members, anyway in one of the wards here in the zone. It was the bishops fault for nor organizing anything. So that ate up about two and a half hours of our day. 

Mom, I share this for you, because I always have to say something kind of questionable in my voice messages for you to filter and rewrite to share with the rest of the world. The truth is I’ve suffered a pretty gnarly head cold this past week, and with that came some diarrhea. I share with you all something that kind of came from our president. The Lord many times asks us to work with all our heart, might, mind, and strength, all of our “guts”. Ya know you gotta give your guts, and I think when God asks us to work with our guts, he’s saying something like “Parker, I’ve never seen you search, and find, and enter in a house with such diligence as when your guts tell you you really need to go!” So, I want you to work like that. All jokes aside, we had some emergencies, and I was breaking through the door on a few occasions. Members, ya know…I gotta go! Thinking in the beginning of my mission I would refuse to use a members toilet. Seriously though, think how successful we would all be in life if we worked as hard as when we have to find a toilet. That would be true passion right there. 

I can say that this weekend has been a good experience. I felt the spirit as we always do when we sincerely try fasting and looking for it. All of that included the baptism of the familia Penafiel…the brothers. Not to say that went perfectly either. The day of the baptism we went to the font and got it all ready. At 11:00 we filled it all up, which takes like 45 minutes, cleaned the room, swept it out, and everything. The other elders had a baptism at 4. Ours wasn’t until 7, so when we came at about 6:45, coming early to make sure everything is ready. The room was dirty with popcorn, and pop bottles, and the font had been drained with zero water. Luckily after the introduction and the talks and everything the font got to an appropriate level that we could dunk ‘em and wash away all their sins. 

We’re excited to see these baptisms coming in like every other week, and hope to keep that going. It always has a lot more purpose when you can go, and do follow up lessons and visits with your own converts, which is what we did tonight. We taught familia Torez Salvatierra, and then he received the Aaronic priesthood today. He’s a priest now, until the next priesthood conference when he’ll receive the Melchizedek priesthood. After that lesson, we watched the movie UP for about 15 minutes. It was on TV while drinking our Ecuadorian hot chocolate, which is so delicious. 

Garrett, I heard you were slamming some doubles, and playing a lot of first base. Congrats on that. I’m excited to hear more about baseball, and about what’s going on there. I’m sure you’ll make the team for Weber here come springtime. 

Dad, I don’t know what week were on, if you're in your handgun shooting course, or if you guys are going up to Montana for the pheasant trip. I’m sure I’ll get up to date tomorrow, and I’m excited to see some pictures, whatever you guys are up to.

Mom, I’m excited to see some more triathlon pictures. I can keep rooting on for you about your college work, that’s awesome, but not all that exciting. I can’t say that, all that I’m doing isn’t usually to exciting either. Geez, that was kind of offensive, sorry for dissing on you mom. I love you.

Haun girls, Maddie, Gracie, Aeva, you’re all your all destined to be college soccer athletes the way I see it.

Grandma, I think you just need to retire so you have more time to write me letters. You always close that you feel guilty that you write me and work and have to get out to some dying patient. 

Grandma Wilson, keep bowling those turkeys.That’s incredible. I’ve only gotten maybe one of those in my entire life. Grandpa Wilson, keep up the good work golfing. Win some big tournaments. Bring in the big dough.

Darby and Bryan, I don’t even know if you guys listen to these things, but if you make it to the end of this 11 minute voice message, I want you to know that I love you. It’s like 10:40 at night, and I’m supposed to be in bed, but I still stink, and I’m drinking really nasty fake orange juice, watching my companion pick zits off his face. So, enjoy the love that you guys enjoy one with another. Keep it real. Duces