Week 23 Ecuador

Did I mention I'm back with my original companion from the MTC here in Milagro? He's in another district, so I only see him a few times a week, but it's sweet! Happy Birthday to Elder Carlisle.

Water filter action...fills that thing up in like 5 minutes! Slick...happier, healthier, wealthier Me!

3/2/15 
A life changing moment (voice recording)

Hello family, um...today was the closest I’ve certainly ever come to crapping my pants. Yup. So this morning, I made some really good burritos actually, with some meat that we bought in the store, and cheese, tortillas, eggs. It was very good, but that will be the last burrito I ever make. It just happens to be that we were working today, in the only area of our zone that doesn’t have members. So, I was contacting a house, and then we taught a lesson with this guy, and then his son was like hey, come over and teach my brother that lives over here, and at that moment I was like...I need to poop, but you can’t deny a reference (this is the work of salvation right here). So off we went, and 10 minutes later, after him not even being there, I was at a danger stage, red lights were flashing in my head, abdominal contractions, ya...you get the idea. So, I did the only thing we could, and I clinched um tight, and we started our speed walking journey, like 6 minutes or more back to the house. My companion was laughing at my red face, as I was honestly SO distressed. I was like, this is the worst thing that has ever happened to me! I was in so much pain. I truly believe that it was a tender mercy of our Lord that I came out of this experience with unmarked garment;) I don’t wish this experience on anyone, but I hope you can all understand to some degree, a crap your pants moment. At this point I’m really scared to leave the house again, ‘cause I have this diarrhea issue, but I guess here comes part 2 of this learning experience. We’re gonna put our faith in the Lord, and go back out there. Lunch was 2 hours ago, so it shouldn’t be passing through for hopefully another couple hours. So, anyho’ thanks for listening to my marvelous experience. I’m still not laughing, but maybe this is one of those life experiences that God had planned out for me, that I needed to experience. Truly, we came to earth to experience things...the good and the bad. Well, I’ve truly experienced my crap your pants moment now, and with that I’ll close. Take care everybody, and keep a toilet close;)

3/2/15 
Ola' from Ecuador (voice recording)

Okay, today I had a really funny experience. We went to an investigators house whose husband works nine days straight, and then comes home for four. He was there, and they have a big family. They also have a son who is a doctor, who wasn't there. We were invited to eat dinner with them and we were like, "Sweet! Yeah, we'll come!"
We taught them a lesson, and it was my bad, but I was seriously stressed out that day over a bunch of things, and zoned off for a minute, and the mom asked me what was wrong? I told her "sorry, sorry", that I was just stressed about some stuff, my body was worn down, and things like that. She replied, "I have just the thing you need."So she goes to the kitchen and I'm telling her, no, that I'm fine, thinking that she is going to bring me some voodo vegetable, hifoo drink, and thought, oh please no! She came back with an egg. Alright! She told me to sit down and explained that this was an ancient healing trick that sucks all the bad things out of you. I was, like, okay, whatever, go for it! I was honestly kinda interested.
So she starts rubbing and massaging my head with the egg, putting over my eyes, my face, and rubbing my whole head with it. Then she began rubbing my shoulders with the egg, my chest, my heart and stomach. I thought, "This is weird. Should I be doing this?!" But I figured she was chill. She is an older lady and her whole family was there, so I figured, yeah, whatever, we're fine. Anyway, she finished that. And actually, I did feel really relaxed after I stopped worrying about whether it was weird or not!
Anyway, so after, she told me that she was going to crack the egg into a cup, and then all of the bad energy and stress that it sucked out of my body was going to go away! And I was like, alright! Lets do it! So, she cracked it, and I just smiled, a-a-and I would have to say, it worked!
I don't know whether it was ancient magic, or whether she just made me smile and laugh, and forget about everything for awhile, but, neat people here in Milagro, and some weird Ecuador culture for you! So, just thought I'd share. Don't worry, and be happy. If you're too stressed or sick, or sore, just do the the egg trick! Take care everybody! 

3/2/15 
Weekly rambling (voice recording)

Hi everyone. It’s Sunday afternoon. I just got home from church. We had 7 investigators attend church today! That is excellent. It was fast Sunday, so that’s always kind of tough, but it’s good too. I shared my testimony in sacrament meeting. I don’t usually like to really do that, because I’m a missionary, and it’s time for the members and everything, but since I’m new in the ward I figured I’d show my face a little bit. I talked about service; that’s also what I fasted about. I’ve been thinking a lot about service lately, as that’s what I’m called to do here as a leader. There’s a lot of ways to be a leader. You can lead by example, you can lead by service council, and so on. These past 2 weeks, I’ve really been focusing in my sector, ‘cause I’m new, I need to get to know it. As a leader, my sector has to be an example for everyone else. If I’m not completing my goals, not doing what I’m supposed to, then they don’t have anything to look up to. I was talking on an intercambio with the zone leaders, and Elder Parkinson said, that because they do 3 intercambios every week, they’re almost never in their sector together, and that’s hard. I asked how are you supposed to better your sector? How are you guys supposed to be an example and serve others? He said, he’s learned something in the mission; to always put others first, and then in some way or another the Lord backs ‘em up. That they can be successful in their sector as well, while helping me and the other missionaries. Me and Elder Parkinson have gotten to know each other really good this week. By little acts of service he just showed that he cared, and naturally my trust grew a ton. He cleaned my shoes one morning, he brought me juice while we were studying...little things, but you appreciate it right? And then, for one reason or another, he shared with me a really personal story about his older sister that passed away when he was 9 in a car accident. She was 16, and they were in it together. He had a really hard time recovering from it...a lot or counseling, a lot of therapy; he had to learn to walk again. It was very spiritual, it was powerful. Anyways, I guess more than anything, I’ve just been shown this past week a way that I can improve, by gaining the trust of those I’m serving, and really focusing on them more. Putting them first before me. So, yep...back to work, but I figured I’d take a minute and share with you guys. Um...love you all back at home. Bye.