Week 59 Ecuador

Pumpkin Pie: this is my convert from a few weeks back. She heard me talking about wanting a pumpkin pie for Halloween, and decided to test out her cooking abilities trying something new. Blessed my life! Wonderful woman, delicious Pie.

Sound familiar? "4 guys" well...it wasn't that great, the 5th brother must have taken the secret recipe. Bummer.

Baptism of Glenda and Julio Flores...

and the man who gave us the wonderful reference. There will be a proposal any time I believe. That's a future eternal family right there!

November 9, 2015 (voice recording)

 Hello family, I know you all have to get over the Thanksgiving hump, but Christmas trees are going up here in Ecuador and I’m enjoying it. We’re a few weeks ahead of you guys I guess. 

We also heard in the house of a member this A-cappella group. They’re called Pentatonix. They are really good. Dad I think you would find it interesting if you’ve never listened to them. You could You tube that for a minute. I think they’ve got a Christmas album out or something. 

I hope I don’t wear out the 15 or so Christmas hymns in the Spanish hymn book, because every chance I get I’m turning back there. We’ve still got two months to go pretty much, but President told us that as a zone we have to do a performance in front of the mission for seven minutes here for the Christmas…I want to say assembly, but it’s not an assembly…the conference for the mission. So if you guys have any wild ideas, I mean throw them out. It can be spiritual, it can be funny, mix it up, it’s pretty much going to be in the sacrament room, so it can’t get too wild, but you know…throw them out, send them my way. I’d appreciate it. I’m in charge of running this thing with Elder Albrecht, and I’ve never been a drama producer, but we’ll do our best. 

We did have the leaders conference this week in Guayaquil. I got to do my final family history name. That was really awesome. I guess I am done, until I come home from the mission. I did get the promise from President that I can let him know when I finish, and go out and do sealings with my companion, and president and his wife, but we’ll see when we get around to it. I don’t know, I’m not to worried yet. It might be a little awkward? Definitely a neat experience though, I’m not throwing away the possibility. As far as getting back to the temple, the ward has a goal to go on the 19th. We want to go with all our recent converts, help them get some family history names ready to go.

As far as the zone, President Riggins really wants us to focus on helping the missionaries of the zone have spiritual experiences, with the normas of excellence that we’re working with, trying to apply. I guess that’s our job after all. It’s definitely a test of our prayers and our faith because we did an invasion this last week. We went into the sectors with the assistants, and the sister leaders. We set some pretty high goals to find new investigators and put baptismal dates. I was a little nervous when they set the goals. Like oh shoot, I’m in charge of making sure we can try and complete these things. So, I prayed kind of sincerely and kept a prayer in my heart. We actually ended the day pretty close to the goal we had set. In all honesty, I don’t know how we have as much success as we do sometimes. All I can say is we do our best, then God sends the spirit members, or whatever form of divine assistance to bring to pass his marvelous work. Results of that work have definitely shown. The numbers of the zone really shot up this week, and here in a few weeks we’re hoping to see the results of it, the baptisms, and rescues, people coming to church, all of that good stuff. This week we really stayed busy, and it moved right along. Apart from the leadership meeting, President also came to the zone here in Babahoyo, and we had interviews. He again reminding me of the important role that I have as a leader, not only to teach and demonstrate principles, but to increase faith, motivation, and help the other missionaries see that this is a spiritual work.

I went out with a really great Elder from Peru, Elder Contreras. In the street there was this guy vending some stuff. I tried a typical hot drink from Peru. It’s made of a weird cactus plant thing, and it was the weirdest texture I’ve ever tasted in my life. It honestly looked like snot, like reddish snot. Initially I drank it so he would be happy, doing the whole cultural thing. It wasn’t really bad, the whole texture thing just threw me off. We got it down though. Apparently it has some really good medical benefits. 

We’re wondering if my African water filter is going out, because the water tastes like crap. It’s clean, we haven’t gotten sick. I’ve drank from that thing my whole mission, but I don’t know, maybe it’s just…I guess it doesn’t say that it’s supposed to flavor the water. I don’t know, can’t cry about it. It’s better than buying jugs of water every week. 

Well I suppose in closing, the baptismal service of Julio and his mom Glenda Flores went super well. I couldn’t be happier. I’ve yet to see happier converts. When they were given a short time to share their feelings after the baptism, Glenda went into a gratitude prayer. She was bearing her testimony, and then she started praying, and everyone was looking around. It was hilarious. We were trying to not laugh out loud, but it was good too. It was a really good prayer. Then her son Julio, he’s 19, was sharing his own conversion story. He’s a really funny kid, balanced out the whole humor, and spirit perfect for me. Great baptismal service. 

Well, just so you guys are staying up to date with us. Were not going to have baptisms this week, but we’re staying faithful with the streak, and we’re looking for a baptismal service on the 21st, and the 28th we’ve got some people with baptismal goals. Also for December we’re preparing some people that need to get married, and things that will take a little more time. We’re super excited for what’s going on here. We’re loving the work. I’m loving being on the mission. It’s hard imagining coming home and adapting back to college and all that, but I don’t have to do it yet, so we won’t worry to much about it until next year when we have to start making plans. 
Give my thanks to any veterans you run into this Wednesday on Veterans Day. Throw the flag out in the front yard. Ummm...anyways, know that I love you very much. Looking forward to another week. Take care.