April 4: THANK YOU

 Well, my time has ended and I am officially home and released as a missionary. It all happened so fast, we were stuck in the house for about 2 weeks, and then heard the US embassy was sending some planes into Ecuador. We knew it could be anytime so we were just waiting for the call to pack up our stuff and go to Quito and home. We got the call at 2 am and we rushed to get our stuff packed and tried to find a taxi driver that was willing to help us, but we couldn't find anyone that would drive that far. We left the following day at 4:30 in the morning and we got stopped multiple times for Coronavirus testing, but we eventually made it to Quito, and from there, to an airport. 

I've been home for one week now, but I wanted to write one last letter to all my fans who read my letters and cheered me on during these past 18 months of my mission. I am forever grateful for the love I felt, and the love I have felt from my Savior Jesus Christ. My journey has been incredible. I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve the people of Ecuador, I know of a surety that God loves us and directs his church and when we are obedient to his word he will bless us. I invite all to continue on the straight and narrow path, that path will lead you to God again.

Love Elder Rich

My email address is Ianmichaelrich@gmail.com

Instagram is Ianrich49

Last photos:

1. packing up

2. at the airport

3. Taking off

4. went to Taco Bell at the airport and got a baja. I love the states

5. 2 years 7 months 27 days since we've been together

6. "Corona Style" welcome home at a distance. Thanks to all who came.

March 27: Home TOMORROW!

 This is Ian's mom. It's been a rollercoaster of information (or lack of information) the last two days, but to give everyone a head's up... Elder Rich flies home tomorrow afternoon. We are so excited to see him and are grateful to all of you for supporting him and following along his mission journey. Although we are sad his mission is coming to an end, we are so proud of him and the growth he has had and the love he has for the people in Ecuador. Below we have info for a "Corona Style" homecoming tomorrow evening at our stake center.

He just sent this quick email so we know he made it to the states!

"We just landed in Miami, staying in a hotel here tonight and we're flying out tomorrow morning. I'll be home at 4:20, see ya then!"

Love Elder Rich

We are lucky to be able to welcome home another Missionary, Elder Rich!  We are excited to welcome him home.  Elder Rich will be home Saturday, March 28th.  We would like to invite friends and neighbors to follow the "Corona Style" that was taught to us by our neighbors, the Pierce family.  

Elder Ian Rich is returning home tomorrow from his mission in Quito, Ecuador.  To be socially responsible and maintain 6 feet of physical distance separation, we will do a car drive-by welcome in the church parking lot.  

We will meet on the north side of the church at 6:15 pm tomorrow evening (all in our own vehicles). We will each drive in procession around to the south side of the church parking lot. Elder Rich will be at the south side of the church at 6:30 to wave and greet us as we pass by in our cars. 

Thank you for helping us welcome Elder Rich home at this time.

See you at the church @ 6:15p.

March 24: I'm coming home

 Well, the call we've all been waiting for came, saying all missionaries in Ecuador will be shipped out as soon as possible. As of right now, we don't know when because the airport here is shut down, but when it opens we will all be taking off most likely at the beginning of April, but could be longer. All missionaries going back to the states with less than 180 days left, or 6 months, will be released as missionaries and enter into normal life and that includes me. 

It's been a roller coaster of emotions for me, sad to leave when we have so much going on here in Puyo, sad to see this chapter of my life go by without finishing. But when it comes to the end, God revealed to his prophet that we needed to be a house centered church and focus more on studying the gospel at home for times like right now when we are unable to go to church but able to do it at home. It's pure revelation that this took place 2 years ago when church got cut an hour and now we understand why.  God knew all this was going to happen, he knew that in the future it would be impossible to go and worship God in certain places. And for that exact reason, we are where we are now with a living prophet who communicates with God, proving he is the same Yesterday, Today, and Forever. 

 

Turns out I'm coming home with a buzz cut after all.

Love Elder Rich

Pictures;

1. We tried killing a rat for our neighbor

2. The good times

3. no shave coronavirus 

March 16: Be smart out there

 This week was insane, our mission had to send over 30 missionaries home due to the coronavirus problem. Missionaries that had less than 90 days left in their mission were sent home because Ecuador is closing their borders for 4 weeks. It was super stressful getting 4 missionaries in our zone packed up and to the Quito airport that same night or else they would miss their flights because the airport was shutting down at 12:00 - and our zone is the farthest in the whole mission which takes 7 hours by bus.

And just today there was a confirmed case on my street where we live on, maybe a 5-minute walk, so let's hope all goes well. 

So it's just Elder Jensen and I here in Puyo, Elder Burga my last companion went home and also Elder Nieto, my companion in Los Chillos, also went home. We just got word that tomorrow, Tuesday, we'll be stuck in the house for 3 weeks, only able to leave to buy food, and if police catch people in the street, it's a $600 fine. The church gave us an extra $160 to stock up on food, but we are not allowed to eat it until all the stores are out of food. We used all of the money, also bought food to eat now with our money, and now that the other missionaries here in Puyo are gone, we have all of their food too so that shouldn't be a problem. It will be a good time to see what my beard actually looks like. 

This week we were supposed to marry 2 families and baptize a family of 3. The following week, we were going to baptize 7 people but due to the new rules, we will not be able to. It's a little depressing to think - who knows when we can actually work, especially since I'm on the downside of my mission, and it's now or never. And being inside a house for more than a month will get our minds distracted and be hard to start back up from scratch again. But I know God has a plan and we need to be obedient to what he says. 

  After having studied the scriptures so much in my mission I want to share my favorite scripture Mosiah 14 versus 5 which says:

5 But he was wounded for our transgression, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.  

May we all remember what Jesus did for us, for he really was wounded, kicked, spat upon, but with the scars on his hands and feet, we are healed.

Not sure when I'll be able to email again. Everyone stay safe.

Love Elder Rich

1. Our best friend Kerlin 

2. Had to say goodbye to this kid 

3. half of the food we have 

4. the one and only from 7 till 11

March 9: Encocados de Pollo

 We went to Quito for our leadership council, and we came back Wednesday. Since the bus ride from Quito to Puyo is so long, our mission president told us to stay the night in Ambato, so I was able to stop in Miraflores for a second and see some of my converts and dear friends. 

We have been teaching a family from Esmeraldas, which is a city north of Quito, that has all the desires in the world to get married, they just aren't married. Lots of missionaries have passed by but none have thought about getting them married or they just haven't done it. They are a super poor family, so paying to get married almost seems thoughtless, especially when they are bathing and washing their clothes in rivers. So we did a last-minute activity with them on Saturday and we sold Encocados de Pollo which is coconut chicken pretty much. We planned it Thursday night and called the whole branch to see who wanted to help support us. We bought all the ingredients and did the activity and raised enough money for them to get married so they can get baptized soon. 

We have also been teaching a lady named Neli, who has 4 kids. The first time we met her we put her on baptism date with her 2 kids, before they had even gone to church. This week we had a lesson planned so we went and she looked super sad, and when we asked what was wrong she explained her 10-year-old son went to school one day and never came back and was missing for 2 days. We kinda panicked cause 2 days is a long time, so we simply said let's offer a prayer and let's go look. I offered the prayer and asked for guidance to find her son. When we ended we left and got to a main road when I had the impression to stop and buy Neli a drink so she could cool down. I bought the drink for her, and we looked on the other side of the road and her son was right there walking. Neli was honestly very impressed at how simple it was us to find her son, she said "What else do you guys teach about?" but said it like "Wow, I want to learn a lot more from you guys - you are powerful". She came to church and is planning on getting baptized the 28th of March with her 2 sons. 

The guidance of the Spirit is so crucial in our lives, we need to make sure we are worthy to have it so we can always hear its promptings.

Love Elder Rich

March 2: Coronavirus is here

This week was super fun, we spent all day Monday and Tuesday throwing water balloons. It was actually a blast, we in total threw over 1,000. On a particular occasion, there was a lady walking underneath our house, so we decided to soak her dumping a bucket of water on her head as she walked by. It was a direct hit, and she was soaked from head to toe. She got super mad - like actually got mad. She knocked on our door, talked to the house in front asking who lives where we do. She scared us enough that we ended up going back into our house for an hour to cool down. Anyway, that's not the story I want to share. The following day as we were talking to some of our neighbors outside our house, she happened to walk by and notice us, I mean what's not to notice about two gringos with buzz cuts in Ecuador. She approached us and said, "Ahhh, look who it is, the kids throwing buckets of water." We said we were sorry and she explained that day she was going to work and we got her wet, but it struck up a conversation and we began to talk about the Book of Mormon and gave her a copy. Later on in the week she even let us stop by her house to teach her family, and they loved the message.

I know my mom is going to get mad at me when she reads this, but the moral of the story is - we just don't know who God is preparing until we do things to find them. From this story, we learn that throwing water balloons and dumping buckets of water at people can lead people to the gospel. 

Love Elder Rich

the first batch

que rico

a little Puyo

Off Brands

 La Tarqui

Feb 22: Two gringos out in the jungle

Well, we're writing today (Saturday) cause this next week is Carnival. The streets get pretty crazy so we're stuck in the house all of Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Good thing we stocked up on water balloons to throw off our house.

My new companion is Elder Jensen, he's from Tennessee. We've actually served a lot of our time together in the mission in the same zones and areas, I'd say he's one of my best friends here in the mission, so it's going to be a blast being together. 

We had a lot of funny stories that already happened to us, our second day we visited a less active recent convert and her family who aren't members. The recent convert is currently going to hair school. Somehow the conversation came up to buzz cut our heads, we still don't know how. We threw out the idea if we (my companion and I) both buzz cut out heads, then they had to come to church 3 Sundays in a row. Of course, they agreed so we sent it and buzzed our heads, it's honestly pretty funny now. We look pretty dumb, and we've never once buzzed our heads, there's a first for everything right. 

We also got stopped by the national police in the street asking for our Visas, and Passports proving we were legal citizens. I gave mine, but my companion forgot his in our house. The Police asked us to get in their car and they drove us to our house to get it, and when they were done, they drove us back to where we originally were. That's never once happened in my whole mission, getting asked for my Visa, but it was funny. There were a couple of members that saw us getting into the police car and got super scared. I don't blame them - why would two missionaries be getting into a police car? A couple of them called us asking what had happened, so we had to explain our story. 

I hope everyone has a spiritually fed week. Thanks for all the love and support.

Love Buzz cut Rich

We killed more pigs

A secret picture taken inside the Ecuadorian police car

This is Carina haha

This is what Carina can do to you

We met a ton of kids that wanted pamphlets