Week 88 Ecuador

A different view of Bucay

5/30/16 - voice recording

Hello to all you gorgeous people out there. This is…I don’t know what week this has been. Solid workouts this week with Elder Coleman. We’re in week 5 of P90X, and we will be having our beach bodies in no time. We did some chest, shoulders, and triceps this week for the first time. That was a burner, we just went until pure exhaustion…we couldn’t go anymore. Our triceps especially are suffering. It’s been fun though, a lot of good bonding time with E. Coleman. 

Last Monday night we stayed up watching Charlie with popcorn in the evening. I don’t know if you guys have ever seen Charlie, I doubt it. It will pull your heartstrings for sure, so if you want to try it, go for it; or, we can watch it together when I get home. 

Anyways, this week the work has been crazy, crazy, crazy. It’s nuts being out here, not in Guayaquil because we have to catch a bus at least 4 times a week. We’re averaging about 6 hours on a bus each week, and I don’t think I’ve ever been sea sick, but these buses definitely make me a little nauseous. The next day after you’ve been traveling around…one day me and E. Coleman felt like we were walking around with 50# backpacks, with no final destination. We just really needed a kick in the butt. Nevertheless, we did find 3 new less active families, they’re really good. Makes me think of a scripture from John 21:25. I modified this, but let’s see how you like it…and there were also many other (less actives) the which if they should be written everyone, I suppose the world could not contain the books that should be written. Amen. Really though, even if I stayed in this ward for 2 more years I would never find all the less actives. That is for sure, so that’s a never-ending project. The question is, where are the investigators? We have some progressing, some with baptismal dates coming up maybe this week…maybe? If not, we’re shooting for the 18th; get a bunch of baptisms in before E. Coleman goes back to the USA. 

We definitely have our work cut out for us though with a goal of 14 baptisms with the zone in June. President Riggins informed us, really inspired us, this ward used to have 180 members attending sacrament meeting, and yesterday there was 116. Definitely going to be asking him for some tips on how to get that up. We saw him this week, we had zone conference. That was really fun. We went down Wednesday night, went to a temple session, stayed in the temple, then in the morning we had the conference. I don’t know, zone conferences are fun, but I like leadership conferences a lot better; you get straight down to the doctrine and the dirty stuff, so it’s a lot more interesting. We’re going to be having our leadership conference tomorrow. We have to head out there…back on a bus! It’s ok, leadership almost always requires great personal sacrifices. That was kind of inspired huh? 

You guys all know that I love the temple, and I have felt Great blessings by being able to attend the temple monthly. I feel comfortable in the temple, I feel a familiar spirit, and I leave with a heart full of love for righteousness. I hope that Garrett, mom, Tiffie, and the girls had a great experience doing baptisms for the dead. I hope that was an enjoyable time, and that you maybe got some food or ice cream after. 

Me and E. Coleman are definitely going to take advantage this week of making a stop by McDonalds or something for a sundae, because we are craving some soft serve ice cream. Today for our weekly shopping, our main goal is to find chips and salsa. You guys remember when I didn’t even like eating salsa? It’s delicious now, and it’s not around here, so we have to go searching. We have to take a bus, but we’re going to find it. 

We’ve been at no lack of food though. We catered a wedding actually this week, for a family that got sealed. Well, a couple that got sealed, they’re younger, but lots of pretty dressed up girls that are Not from the church, and shot glasses with soda. It was a typical mormon wedding, not what they were expecting. It was fun to serve them, and look at them, and we didn’t get any pictures with them, but it’s a bummer.

We’ve been getting lunches almost every day. The members are very kind to us, except they give us the lunch that I think I hate the most. They give you noodles, with chicken & rice; noodles & rice together, that fills up the whole entire plate. It just kills me, leaves you with a big ball of carbs in your stomach, and you walk around in pain. It’s so hard to finish it, I hate eating that, but we do the best we can. Last night we had a big delicious dinner with the district president. He’s a great guy. I think I talked about him before, but we had beef, potatoes, salad, and she knows that we love pancakes, and so she served us pancakes with syrup for dessert. Ohhh my gosh, we were so stuffed. I will definitely miss families like them, that remind you of home. 

Well, not everything is sunshine and rainbows, I gave a talk in church about the Holy Ghost. I didn’t really plan it, I just went up there with Preach My Gospel, and some scriptures and talked, so I hope it made sense to all the people. They said it was good, but I don’t know, they might just be being nice.  

It was a long day of visits though, on Sunday trying to get…the rule of thumb “don’t baptize families in little towns that are a half hour away from the church”, because they don’t go. We went searching for a disaster of converts…#tear? 

We are also studying a lot, getting ready for the leadership conference this week, and after that Elder Rasband of the twelve apostles is coming on the 11th, so that’s only two weeks away! A lot of our studies have been based on first, who is the Holy Ghost? What’s the role of the Holy Ghost? We’re finding out that the Holy Ghost has a big responsibility. When you start getting into the gifts of the Holy Ghost, it’s in every part of our life. It’s really kind of blowing my mind. We have a thing, we’ll be walking down the street, and every time we remember something that has to do with the Holy Ghost, we go #ghost. That’s like helping us realize…but if you guys have any Holy Ghost experiences, that aren’t super personal…we don’t want to be going around sharing super personal experiences…but something, we would love to hear it. Really open our minds.

Well, just a quick thought before I wrap this up. Do you guys think I’m going to grow anymore? Because my whole mission I don’t think I’ve really grown. I’ve stayed about the same size. I haven’t weighed myself in a while, but I’m about the same weight, so I don’t know, just curiosity. They say that men stop growing around age 23, so you think like my shoulders will fill out, or chest or anything? I don’t think I’m going to get into super heavy weight lifting when I get home. I’ll just be staying fit. I think I’m going to get into triathlons. So, I don’t know how buff I’ll be, but I don’t know, just a curiosity thought. 

Tell Darby to send me a picture of her belly. I want to see her pregnant baby, and a photo of Garrett shooting trap, and his bow. Does he practice with his bow? I haven’t seen that in a while. We’re coming into June, so I’m excited to see those first motorcycle ride pictures, get me excited. I don’t know exactly when Garrett is out of high school, it might of already passed, but happy summer to Garrett! Enjoy that vacation man. I know your going to miss me a lot, but I’ll be back before the end of it. We’ll have some great final adventures before we both, you jump into your junior year, and I go into my freshman year of college. Ok well, wrapping this thing up. Things are great here. The ward is taking some big changes right now, it’s going to take a little time. Me and E. Coleman are working way harder than we should be. It’s a big challenge, but we’re liking it. Enjoying each others company. We talk of all of you with much love when occasions permit, so we love you. Take care. Talk to you later. Bye.

Week 87 Ecuador

Elder Coleman and I are having the best time of our missions challenging the people with baptismal dates, or simply just to repent. When again will I have the right to just walk in some strangers house, say a prayer with them and then proceed to tell them to straight up repent? So awesome. Lots of love and laughing too, the people have a good sense of humor here.

Looking forward to some further instruction from Pres. Riggins this week and to sit around with the Air-conditioning and good food. We´ve been putting in some stinking long days lately. 

My testimony is stronger than ever that God guides his worthy servants where they need to be to help his work go forward. At random, we stopped by two members on different days 

1. Had slipped a disk in his back and needed a blessing, and for us to go run and tell someone he needed help as he was home alone, he´d been digging fence-post holes. Shame on him for not asking the missionaries for help. He´ll be alright.

2. A less active with kidney stones, 8mm he might of said if that´s accurate? We gave him a blessing and when we crossed paths the next day he joyfully told us he had passed the stones and was back at work. Whew, Thanks God. Blessings work for the faithful. His son now has a baptismal date.

Some fun pics from last weeks´ trip to Bucay. Beautiful. 

Making sugar-cane juice

Week 86 Ecuador

Dearest Family,

Not an easy week starting out here in Naranjito.. We were sadly left with little information about the families the missionaries were formerly teaching here and the members knew little more. But, we are finding them and they love us! Really humble people. Sometimes very poor too. It reminds me a bit of Quevedo starting out my mission.

The bisopbric went out with us to do visits one day and just having families to teach brought the sunshine out! ..we were lost for  a couple of days. not to mention we are in a small town with little ¨villages¨ about 1.5 hours on bus away from the other missionaries in the Zone. Thats a long trip to make, especially twice this past week. 

No baptisms in sight but this week we´ll start adding them up! Really having lots of fun and learning from this new experience. Thrilled to be working with one of my long-time mission friends Elder Coleman. I know the more I come to know this area the more I will love it. The Elders in the Zone are solid guys, definately time we reached our Zone Goal and feast with Pres. Riggins to celebrate! No sisters in this area.. Hm, I kind of like that. 

The Disrict President invited us to dinner last night and he lives waaayyy out on a farm. We ate dinner and did a Family Home Evening with a less active family. Riding in the back of the truck at night through sugar and corn fields, stars, cool air.. wow, cool moment. President reminds me a lot of Pres. Rigby from the stake, just a little less out-spoken. 

PS.. I met an Ostrich 😯 I was kind of scared.

...hard goodbye right there.
no worries, I'll find my way back.

Week 85 Ecuador

Dear Family, 

President passed off my training Elder Arellano and sent me away to ¨el Triunfo¨ to finish out these next few months. Where I am at is a District, not yet a Stake, but developing well; I know there are many opportuities for me to edify the church here and learn new things. Saying goodbye to some converts (especially kevin and irina) was a killer; haven´t seen too many people CRY for me leaving. Ouch. I felt it too. I´ll make my way back though before I catch the departing flight to USA.

I am with Elder Coleman, from Riverton UT. Tall, lanky distance runner. GREAT guy. He is going home in 6 weeks but we will definately be focused here as we are both learning the sector and Zone, all new.

Sadly this evening won´t be occupied with visits. Rather, Cleaning! Our house was left a FILTHY MESS! Seriously, disgusting. This beats anything I saw in my training. Complete neglect down to the dirty dishes and cobwebs. If anyone has seen Snow White lately send her our way! (:

Aside from that, truly excited to be here and give it all one more go at completing the goal. No regrets.

El Triunfo = The Triumph! ..pretty sweet.

Week 84 Ecuador

Dear Family,

Wow I miss you guys! About time we can throw in one last Skype video-chat. It´s due time.

Wondering if SUNDAY @17:00 would be good for all of you? 

Elder Arellano was really quiet this week. I think he´s stressed out knowing that changes are coming up in 1 week and I just might be out of here. Leaving him alone with a sector & a Zone, not yet having an entire year in the mission; yea, I´ve felt that. So, I wanted to push the possibilities a little and show him the potential. He went on a couple exchanges with missionaries in other areas and I stayed in the sector; with Gods help we will have at least one baptism this saturday, we enjoyed 3 hours of church yesterday with 10 INVESTIGATORS!! a solid 8 of which are progressing towards baptismal goals. That´s right up there with some of my personal bests, exciting! Makes me think I might want to ask President Riggins to leave me here for a few months more 🙄

Sanctification is not an easy road to walk, nor is it hard to feel the love of God if we repent and humbly ask for it; I will triumph over my weaknesses and when it is time to go home, no fear will accompany me. I know who I am and who I serve. 

A priest doing visits with me this week shared that his father (a bishop then stake president for almost 14 years in a row) has always taught him concerning time and priorities first is God; 2nd, God; 3rd, God. Then ¨all things will be added unto you.¨

We are Gods´ children, His every desire and effort is that we become like him and with our Savior, Jesus Christ, that uncomprehensible reality is laid before us. When we feel the desire, we can talk to God; He is no stranger to those who serve him. He will also give us according to our righteous desires and willingness if it is for our benefit.

Well, I hope that made sense, I´m not going to re-read over it or i´ll confuse myself. Words of the spirit  ;)

Going to the Temple tomorrow with the leaders and having our oh-so inspired meeting. Good lunch, Air-conditioning, spiritual boost here. I. come. 

Love you too.

Week 83 Ecuador

Happy Monday everyone,

I get pretty excited to write you guys, I made a goal that I will continue writing all of my converts that still love me once a week when I am home, just like i´ve written all of you for the past (almost) two years. Irina is dreading the day that I leave; honestly, I am too..

This week we have found new investigators, taught and served! I´ve been wanting to go to Manabi and help out with the Earthquake disasters for the past week but there isn´t anything I can do, they even pulled all of the missionaries out of there and they´re staying in Guayaquil. We have been trying to do our part from here, however, gathering clothing, food and especially water. I even sent a box of Books of Mormon up there with some ward members! Throughout all of this the doubt has remained, is this a punishment from God? Well, leave it up to Pres. Riggins to give you an inspired answer:

Thanks for helping collect food and supplies for the unfortunate. I believe that God uses nature to call men to repentance but I don´t believe he punishes people through natural disasters. In almost all cases I believe that God allows natural consequences to be the punishment. I think that sometimes we think that God is playing chess, that once we make a move then he reacts with his move. God knows all things. All things are before him. He gives laws with consequences, both positive and negative; we choose. 

I appreciate what you did with the zone and the purpose for doing it. 

Presidente Riggins :)

Moving on: We truly saw miracles this week in many ways. We are preparing for the arrival of our newer Apostle, Elder Rasband, with some fun zone-bonding and by ¨walking the road of sanctification.¨ People are shocked when they learn that this Utah boy has never shaken hands with an Apostle and that I´m just as thrilled as them for the opportunity to learn from Him. Lots of studying. If you want inspired answers, you have to start with inspired questions!

In one of the photos is Elder Taylor, he completed a year in the mission, we burned a shirt and made chocolate dipped bananas. Yum. 

Earthquakes have continued. around 5 on the rictor-scale. Not damaging but you feel them and it keeps the people shook up. Lots of nerves. 

We had some baptisms as well :) yay! There were more in other wards that we didn´t get pis of too. Ask me about the conversion of Irina someday.. too complicated to write out. ha, what a testimony builder!  

Don´t remember the verses, but my favorite scriptures this week are found at the end of Luke chapter 6. Check it out.

Getting all ready for the arrival of Elder Rasband 11th of June with a new initiative: SOMOS MORMONES
yea, I painted that with my fingers:)

Here are some fun Baptismal photos from Maria Jose, Irina, and Cristobal.

Week 82 Ecuador

4/17/16
I`m sure headlines have made it your way of the 7.8 Earthquake that hit the north of Ecuador last night. Oh yea, I felt it. We were walking in the street and at first I thought I was going to pass out for some reason, then realized that everything was moving around me. Lights out, screams, people jumping off buses and hitting their knees in prayer, I`ve never seen anything like it. I stayed calm through it all and actually thought it was kind of cool, stuff was scattered all over in the house that had fallen. We slept on the roof in our hammock`s just in case the house tried coming down on us. 

Really devastating hit for Ecuador, we got in contact quick as possible with the missionaries from the zone and later president and everyone is Good. I am writing just to tell you that I AM OK! Love you all and I`ll be writing sometime tomorrow. 

(church was even canceled here)!

Love you all,

Take care.

4/18/16
Your inferences were correct and although there were several deaths nearby in Guayaquil, bridges coming down, we are all ay okay. I threw the majority of info out in my voice recording you all should have received. We are mainly helping gather food and clothing to send north but we did some service yesterday and maybe tonight tearing down walls that are cracked and unstable with some members. I might just gain some muscle back swinging that sledge-hammer. Spirits are high. My companion has been stressed but after talking with his family today he should cheer up a little.

Love you all. Thanks for your faith, it saved us!

4/18/16 “Safe and sound” voice recording

Hello family, well it’s been a great week with a few more accidents than normal. We’ve been working, staying at it. It was fun this week, we decided to go play soccer with the ward one night. We got some investigators and less actives to go with us. I got a goal, and played a lot of defense. Out of the four rounds that we played, we never lost…went undefeated! I held my own as the gringo out there on the court. On our way back, we were actually going to do an exchange with the other elders that night. We were walking by, and this dog was laying down normal, it didn’t bark or anything, and just randomly jumps up and bites my leg and runs off! It didn’t puncture the skin, but it scraped it and bruised my ankle. It bled a little bit. I came home and put hydrogen peroxide on it, and I didn’t really say anything. I didn’t want to go get rabies shots and stuff, but it looks like it’s closing up, healing pretty good, so there’s that.

My day in the other sector went good. We had some success, but the times that I’ve gone over there I see in general the lower, lower class of society that lives there creates one sandy gospel foundation. Although we stay faithful and optimistic, you always hear about the humble and willing, that the missionaries want to go find them and baptize them, their more receptive but I believe they are often mistaken for the more ignorant and helpless. 

Along that line, yesterday although church got cancelled, and we didn’t go, some members called us and there was a satellite broadcast for Ecuador, Columbia and Venezuela which all completed 50 years. The church has been here for 50 years, so their anniversary. Elder Hales, and Elder Oaks spoke, and they both congratulated especially Ecuador for the progress they’re having, in the mission work and things, but made the comment that if they wanted to keep growing, then they have to be more faithful than they now are. That the blessings will not come, and they won’t see that growth and those blessings unless they are more faithful and that is in sabbath day observance and in tithes and offerings. They’ve been hammering down on us as missionaries to that we need to teach that better, more faithfully. Though I feel weird about it, even take our converts and less actives to the bishop to pay their tithing, present them, show them how to do it. It’s kind of weird, it’s like you’re obligating them, but it’s for their wellbeing I suppose. 

A lot of good things happening though. We went over to my favorite family here in the ward, the Cardinas. They were laying tile in their house, their kitchen floors and everything. So, we went over there. I was helping the dad cut tile out with the saw, and while I was doing it, it made me think of dad through the years, tiling his bathroom, and later doing the bathroom downstairs, and just building. I enjoyed it, and then we got out the grout and started grouting the cracks in the floor and everything, so it was time well used. 

I’ve been thinking a lot about the zone lately too, and felt there’s something that we’re missing. I prayed a lot, and turned out what the assistants claim to be an incredible invitation that we can all study our mission callings, and see what mom always says…remember who we are and what we stand for…see the expectations of the Lord, and the prophet as we are called, and the promised blessings as we are faithful to that. Kind of to motivate the missionaries themselves to see where they’re at, and their progress. If they’re living up to that, but set it out; it was pretty inspired. I felt good about it. Really grateful.

Also, spiritual accomplishment this week. I finished the BOM for what I believe to be the 5th time. I’ve read it twice in the mission now, and I think I did it three times before. While a lifetime of references and lessons remain, my understanding and love for God, my Savior and all men has really increased. To see history for real, the BOM is a sad story, but a lot of great, great principles. All I can say, as I finished that is…I thank thee oh God for a prophet, in our day! That guides us, and if we will listen to him, as the people in the BOM at times did, and others not, that we’ll be saved, we will prosper. That’s my hope for the future. If I do things right, God will continue guiding me and blessing me, and our family. 

I also feel incredibly blessed for what has happened here in Ecuador these past couple days. We were walking, returning from the church the other night. It was Saturday night about 7:00, and I felt like I was losing consciousness, like I was passing out, until I realized that everything was moving around me. It turned out to be a 7.8 earthquake on the richter scale, that lasted for about a minute, and then there was a lot of continued smaller earthquakes that went on through the night. That happened up in Esmeraldes, the north of Ecuador if you guys haven’t looked it up already. My view of it the street was moving. It was crazy, I was surfing on the ground. I’ve never felt anything like that. Lots of people were screaming. One lady pulled over and tried getting out of her car, she was screaming help me, and I was like hey, just stay right there, stay calm. We waited with her for the whole minute until it stopped, then we told her to drive safe to her house. There were people praying. People got off a bus, kneeled down and started praying. It was pretty crazy, all the lights were out. The towers had lost service so we couldn’t call anybody in the zone, so we searched for a phone that did have reception, and we called all the missionaries, and everyone was safe. They all went home, and we called the assistants, President Riggins and everything. Everything went well. 

We ended up sleeping in our hammocks on the roof that night, because my companion was afraid that the roof might come down on us if there was another earthquake. So we slept up there, no problem with me. I like my hammock, pretty comfortable. My companion was pretty worried about his family being up there pretty close to the earthquake, but a huge blessing, it sounds like it didn't even get close to his home. It went in a different direction down the fault line, but I tried to give him reassurance, he’s anxious to talk to his family today. See how everyone’s doing, I can understand that. Up where it was at I heard there was around 280 deaths, over 500 people are injured. A lot of news reports, but I have to consider…I think the earthquake in Haiti 4 or something years back was about this same size, same magnitude, and A lot more people died. There was a lot more distraction, so not to downplay what’s happening here, but I feel that we are very blessed. I feel blessed that nothing happened around here, or those that I care about. 

Although I was happy, I was grateful that we could in some way help. We, the church, this area, the stake was approved to send food and clothing for donation, so we got a big bag of clothes from our house of stuff that had been left around from other missionaries, and some shirts that I had, and grabbed a few cans of food that I had. We went to different stores, and we asked for donations of food that’s not going to go bad. A lot of people were very gracious. I showed up to the church with a very big bag of food. They were all very grateful, and they sent that off this morning to the north of Ecuador to help those people. First to help the members of the church, and later everyone else, according to priority. I wish I had gotten photos of all this, but I think you guys can better see the damage and things that have happened on internet.

I just want you to know, I am fine. I am safe. I’m happy, and continue to look for ways to serve and help the people. Lots of people have questions about God. People are asking why God would let things happen, and what do we do now, and looking for hope, and it’s a great moment to be a missionary, to be able to serve in that aspect. 

We’ll end on a high note. Marco Travez, good friends, he’s a returned missionary, called up one morning, and said he needed a favor. We went over there, and he has a Huge, huge bouquet of flowers that he wants us to take to his fiancé, singing her There is Sunshine in My Soul Today, and give her that while they were filming, so we did! It was a lot of fun. We hung around and got cordon bleu, cupcakes, and they had an official asking for her hand in marriage that night. The night of the earthquake, crazy, crazy night. We went out and hung out with them. It was a lot of fun. He ended up sending 5 bouquets of flowers with different people throughout the day, just getting her buttered up I think before the big question, but it was fun.

 Well I’m going to cut this so we can go send the report to the assistants and President and everything. I’ll be talking with you later. I hope you are able to talk, and I love you all very much. Take care.