Week 92 Ecuador

6/27/16 Voice Recording

Hi family, good morning. It’s Monday morning; I hope you’re all doing excellent. Since a week ago when I dropped E. Coleman off, it’s been a super long week. We’ve been battling out the salvation of our zone, doing all we can do to secure the goal we made. In May we set a goal to save/rescue 25 souls that includes baptisms, rescues, all that. We are super happy to announce that we did better than that, we got 26! We had a family fall through because they couldn’t get married, and then we just dug and dug. I know that God guided us to people who were ready. They had attendances in church but for some reason or another they hadn’t been progressing. We went and taught them by the spirit, and wow they came through. We had 8 baptisms this week as a zone. It was really nice. We baptized 3. One of our guys didn’t pass his baptismal interview, bummer. When your 70 years old you’ve got a lot of sins to clear up I guess…bad habits. We definitely saw little miracles occurring daily as we pieced together the goal as a zone. Definitely happy that the month is over though, because I am tired. I feel super grateful that God really forced us to look back and search for people that otherwise may have been forgotten, and not given the attention they needed, and they wouldn’t have been baptized. I know that God directs his work, that the Holy Ghost does speak to us. He spoke to all of us in a meeting, when we came up with these people. 

The baptismal service on our part was powerful. I got to baptize the three people, they asked me to. Me and E. Cotton, he plays the piano super well; he played and I sang I Believe in Christ in Spanish. Then we had some powerful testimonies of the members. One especially by Bro. Espinosa is his name. This guy’s crazy. I see a lot of stuff down here, and sometimes I wish I wouldn’t. When he was 17, this is like 25 years ago, he had a third degree burn down the back of his leg. Since they don’t have medical insurance, and don’t have money to pay for the operation, he has lived with those burn scars, and it’s like an open wound still. He showed us, and oh it made me cringe. He limps around and everything, but he works and maintains his family the best he can. I think it’s a Miracle that this thing hasn’t been infected, that he hasn’t lost his leg. They invited us over to eat, and we ate lunch with them. You guys have got to understand, they live in a house of cana (sugarcane), and plastered up on the walls so the rain and the sun and everything doesn't come through the cracks, they have glued on the walls pages of Liahonas. Talks, and talks, and photos…that’s their wallpaper, Liahona pages. It’s just shocking. He about made me cry. In his testimony, he looked at me, and he was crying, and he said “Thank you for sharing our poorness, humility, and struggles”. Then he paused and said, “An American from Utah in my home. An Elder from Zion”. I wish I could have done something to help this man. Sometimes I feel so helpless. I have the priesthood power of God, I’m worthy to use it, and I exercise it every day, but then in so many situations people want to get baptized, and oh your not married, I can’t help you. Or you have a third degree burn on you, I don’t know how to help you. It’s just sometimes I feel powerless. It’s interesting, but I know that God can direct us, and he will direct us how we should do his work. This mans gratitude touched my heart, and I will never forget him, or his wife, 

Anyways, other than that we’ll go on to some positive notes. I was doing P90x, and I was doing some pull ups with the bands, and I almost pulled the wardrobe down on top of me. Well, I got out of the way quick enough, and no harm done. E. Cotton, he’s a great workout partner too.  We get things going.

Well, it looks like this is going to turn out as a short voice recording this week. A returned missionary invited me to write out a piece of my testimony, and so one evening I sat down and wrote a short testimony. I guess I can end with that for you guys. I based it off of a scripture D&C 68: 4-6. I love it. I know that I am a Child of God. I am the son of Allen and Cammie. We are sealed as a family for all eternity. I have been taught and made sacred covenants with God since 8 years old, as I seek to do and be what my Father has called me to do. I know Jesus is my Savior, and has redeemed me from the person I do not wish to be. I know He and the Holy Ghost and one with the Father, as can I be, if I like them, seek to save and strengthen my brothers. I have been led to many of my chosen brothers in Ecuador. I know that this is the mission where I was called by a prophet of God and need to be. With my brothers we have loved one another and the Lord for his mercies. I truly needed them as much as they needed me. I love righteousness, and I pray every day to cringe at the sight of sin. Life is filled with trials, triumphs and joy. Our covenants will guide and protect us and blessings will abound as we endure faithful. Until that day when the Holy Spirit of Promise testifies of these truths and we are welcomed to a heavenly home, with our families to reign in love and righteousness forever, just as Christ does, for he is the way. I leave that with you all, with a lot of my love. Wishing you all a wonderful week. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.