Week 26 Ecuador

Elder Mezler & I were the champions...not that anyone was keeping score;)

A cool thing happened while I was cleaning out the freezer. I threw a handful of it at Elder Mezler. He held up a balloon to protect himself, and it exploded! 

I spent Thursday with Elder Carlisle (my original MTC companion), and we had a great time. He's a good guy, and as you can see, has a special talent at entertaining handfuls of kids! (with scriptures even...well, made up ones)

We went exploring this morning, looking for some shoes for my companion, and a new watch (he was robbed, & his was stolen). His feet are too big for Ecuador (only size 11)!

The famous Pina

3/23/15 (voice recording)

Hi family, we’re off to a pretty good start this week. After writing you Monday we went to Guayaquil, which is an hour from here, and we played bowling. Played bowling (that’s kind of weird)...with us, the zone leaders, and another two elders in my district. They had a great idea of making a bet out of it (although we’re not supposed to compete as missionaries), that the winner would receive a tie from the losers. So, ya sure, we did it, and thanks to Elder Mezler and his arm of gold (he bowled like 5 strikes I think), we won! I held my own, but he definitely pulled it out for us. I have a sweet new navy striped tie; I like it a lot, and he got a grey polka dotted one. Anyways, I would be making grandma and grandpa Wilson proud. 

Elder Mezler just had a question...why there’s 2 old rolls of toilet paper sitting outside our windowsill? They’re about a month old now...moldy, bricks! Elder Gallardo (who is in Mexico now) bought new rolls of T.P., and set them on the bathroom floor. We showered and they got soaked, so he put them outside to dry...no, they completely got destroyed. Until this grand moment, they’ve been waiting outside. That’s really gross though, so they will be put on the side of the streets of Ecuador, like the rest of the trash here. It smells super bad...always. 

It was a fun Monday though. Other than Elder Mezler decided to eat at Carl’s Jr...a big old greasy burger with fries (American style). I went for more of the Cajun breakfast burrito choice, a lot safer on my part I believe, because he came home with the hershey squirts. It was rough. So, we got a call from our first counselor with an awesome reference for us. We met up with him, and it’s awesome. We’re teaching him right now, and he has a baptism date for the 3rd of April. His names Carlos Villon. Anyways, Elder Mezler was dying. So we came back to the house, and he was laying on his bed. The hermana told me to make him tea, and make him feel better. So, I was planning for the next day, and I made him tea. I took it to him with some sugar and stuff on his bed. He was laying down and I gave it to him. I came back out to keep planning, and he came out 10 minutes later soaked with tea. He had fallen asleep and got hot tea all over himself. I told him it was meant to go inside of him, not on the outside. He made two more glasses, and I think it helped him out. Apple, cinnamon tea...something like that...no, mint tea, helps you out? 

Also, in our district meeting yesterday, we were meeting together with another zone. The zone leaders said to wear the ugliest tie you have. I don’t have ugly ties, so I was going through Elder Mezler’s ties. I don’t know why he has like 4 ugly ties but...Anyways, I pick this neon 80’s striped bright colored one and wore it, and all the latinas, hermanas, they decided (how many of us were there, like 25 elders) and I won! I won the ugliest tie, and I wore that thing all day long. I’m so proud. It really is a pretty awesome tie, but it’s ugly too. 

Last night, dad I don’t know if you’ve been watching the weather here, but it rained really hard. We woke up and our sector was literally a lake. Really, I thought about getting some rubber boots, but we just went for it. We got stuck at this one lake, and there were members on the other side. We were doing hand signals, like how are we supposed to get to you guys? Then, these little amigos came to our rescue. They rode their bikes over to us, and they were like hey, can you guys ride bikes? Ya, I know how to ride a bike! So they gave us their bikes, and we rode the bikes across, and they just walked through the lake. It was awesome, we got through! The spiritual application here is sometimes we have giant lakes, of obstacles in front of us, but the Lord will always help us. He’ll provide some way that we can overcome those obstacles. 

Oh, hey this is sweet, Elder Mezler has an American flag that he has not hung up until this moment. For whatever reason I don’t know why, but I’m pretty sure we’re going to say the pledge of allegiance probably every morning as part of our routine. I think that would really be patriotic, and a good thing. 

Oh, and one more thing to end. I felt super bad about this. We were in a family home evening, and we were singing I am a Child of God in Spanish. Elder Mezler and I were sitting next to each other; there were probably 4...5 other people in the room in this family, so I’m singing, and my voice cracks. I laughed a little bit and then Elder Mezler just broke down. It was one of those moments where you should not be laughing, and it makes it all that more funny. I’m like biting my finger, and couldn’t sing the next verses, ‘cause every time I’d try I would just break down laughing. They’re all looking at us like what’s wrong with the two gringos? I finally pulled it together for the last verse. I had to apologize to them after. I felt so bad, but that was a rough moment. Lesson learned, my voice still cracks. Then we taught about 20 minutes and the lights went out, and shoot. So, I still feel like it was an effective family home evening. There were good things shared, but I’m closing with that. We’ve got a day of adventures ahead, and I’ll try to keep you guys filled in. Love you. Take care.

3/23/15 voice recording 2

[Flute playing] Hi everyone. Elder Melzer lost his yoyo this week and found some old recorder here in the house (like a flute recorder). I wish he would hurry up and find his yoyo, ‘cause it’s a lot less annoying than that stupid recorder:) As you can hear, we're obviously getting pretty good at our Indian, native, tribal callings. Honestly I think he’s still just trying to hide the shame and pain that he feels every time he looks at his suntan lined wrist;) I was on a split this past week with Yawatchy? my district like 20 minutes from here, and the other elder came here with Elder Mezler. About 3:00 in the afternoon, as they were searching for a less active member, an old, not old, just a skinny Ecuadorian drug addict with a big long machete ran up and in Spanish was freaking out and asked them for their watches. At first Elder Mezler was like what? “Give me your watches”! So Elder Mezler just took it off and threw it on the ground. The other companion did too. Took ‘em off and ran. So that sucks, he got robbed. I’ve still yet to be robbed, but I feel like I kind of want to, just for the experience. At the same time I feel like I have a pride issue with that...giving up my stuff to some thief. Anyway, so that’s probably the most exciting thing that happened this week, and I wasn’t even a part of it. 

I had a good time though, spending the day with Elder Carlisle, my original MTC companion. We had a good time talking about stuff and teaching, as well as Elder Parkinson, our zone leader. We’re bros, and I can’t exactly say we have man challenges like me and Bryan used to (nothing could ever take place of that), but we try...we have some man challenges, which I’ve won like all of them:) Holding your breath, I got 3 minutes again. The biggest mouth, I won. Most push ups, I won, but I can’t remember any more right now. We’ve done a ton though. 

Also, for too long now, I’ve deprived myself of a Milagranio pineapple, so Elder Mezler and I bought one last night for a dollar. Big pineapple, and he sliced it up for us, and it was absolutely delicious. We washed that down with a little bit of mint tea. I eat some weird stuff here...good though. 

Oh, and on another note, I can kind of justify my failing physical condition here in the mission by the words of Paul. In 1 Timothy 4:8 as he more or less explains that exercise for a short while is of little benefit for us, but developing our godliness will do us good forever, so that was a good find;) I’m definitely not giving up on the health though. 

P.S. Thank you mom for the ear plugs that Elder Mezler and I are enjoying as the Ecuadorian culture continues, and a party went all night long, right next door to us. I may have said it before, but I’m super grateful for the disturbance of the peace law in the United States...doesn’t exist here. Oh, and Elder Carlisle and I were riding in a taxi, and neither of us three, the taxi driver included had our seat belts on, and the police pulled us over. I didn’t even know the police did anything in this country. They pulled us over and gave him like a $112 ticket! That is a bummer. He’s probably not going to have extra spending money for a while.

I’m trying to avoid talking about the work here. That’s all I talk about and do. We had some great finds yesterday, and it’s really going good. We’re hoping and praying for certain individuals to gain testimonies, and for Diana to be able to overcome her difficulties that are impeding her baptism this Saturday. The will of the Lord will come about I suppose. We just do what we can. Also, a lot of our preoccupation and thoughts have been placed on two young men in the ward, as some of our most important work we will ever do in this mission won’t ever add up to any number, or complete a goal, but maybe it’s something more. As a missionary were respected by seniors and also trusted by the youth. I think that’s a great thing, and I believe we’ve been able to bridge a big gap so to speak between two young men and those in whom they confide in their process of repentance. Before the mission I imagined this moment might come at some point, and I’m grateful to share vaguely with them my own similar falls from grace, fears, preparations and triumphs. I have a great respect for them, and their desires. They have leaders, but they have a lot less people backing them up than I did. It would be hard to be a youth here. To be a member, with all your friends here that don’t want to live according to the gospel, or support you if you chose to do so. I hope that we can be some example and strength in some way to them though, and help them out with this. 

Ok, so I’ll finish with some lighter notes. Dad, I fear that the whole shower drain thing will be a problem probably in every house that I encounter in the mission. Our shower’s backing up again, and I’m either going to have to find some Drano product, or go with the old vinegar/baking soda trick like you suggested, ‘cause the shower’s getting pretty filled up. I don’t like that. I’m also pretty sure that I have started a case of athlete’s foot this week. That’s not fun. I’ve never had that in my life I don’t think, but it makes sense that I would get it here in Ecuador. It’s hot, humid, sweaty walking around in shoes all day, but don’t worry, I already have some anti-fungal cream, that I am applying two times daily. So we should have that problem under control in no time. 

We are also very excited looking forward to the opportunity that we have to go to the temple this Wednesday. We’re going to travel to Guayaquil Tuesday night, and wake up at 5:30, enter the temple at 6:30. After that we’ll spend all day with the president in meetings, and then we’ll come home Wednesday night. That’s always a good re-energizer, re-booster, refocusing period. I like that. I love the temple, so I’m excited to go back. It’s been 3 months, it’s been since Christmas. I’m also planning on checking with the president and taking those names that I have, and hopefully doing them. So mom, thank you for sending those. I hope that works out, that would be a way neat experience if we can all do those names there. 

I definitely feel like I’m continuing to increase my testimony, my knowledge out here. My motto this week has been to make every missionary a leader. My thoughts on that are, leaders should be humble, and serving, looking out for others, examples. If every missionary has that idea, that they are a leader, then the missions going to be that much stronger. I’m rollin’ with that one until I receive some greater revelation, but it’s been fun looking at people in that way. My district, I’m going to make you dependable for yourself. That you’re going to be a leader and do theses things, ‘cause one day, I figure Elder Carlisle and and a lot of people are going to be leaders in the mission. I just have a great opportunity of starting a little sooner I suppose. Anyways, I’m going to close with that. Take care, and I’m excited to talk with you all tomorrow. I love you. Bye.