March 25: Transfers

Tomorrow starts my 5th transfer on my mission, and I'm super excited to be staying another one in my same area with Elder Mora. I'm technically now done with my training, so I'm finally a normal missionary after almost 6 months phew! We have big plans this transfer to harvest all of our progressing investigators and to put a ton of people on date. We just have to continue to have faith and really show Heavenly Father that we are willing to follow him and love him. We have been seeing great success with our investigators attending the church, and have opened our teaching pool tremendously since we both got here. We have been continuing to teach Louisa and her family, all of which attended church so now we can put them on date. Louisa recently said after she is baptized she wants to serve a mission like we are, to spread the Gospel. I'm telling you, she's an investigator directly from the Lord - blessings. She gave us "Cuy" this week (which means guinea pig) for us to try. In Ecuador everybody loves it, but the problem is that it's decently expensive.

I started this week super sick, I think I picked up a stomach bug or something so it was hard to work the first 4 days this week. Luckily those days are all over and I'm back to my good health. It sure makes me appreciate the days when I am healthy and fully functional because who likes being sick.

It rained a ton this week, which is completely normal here. Usually, on most nights I can see my breath when I breathe, it's so cold. I made the same mistake twice this week, I forgot my umbrella at peoples houses, so I had to take some rain for a while. It was funny because the other 2 missionaries and my companion forgot too, so we all bonded together on our 2-mile walk from lunch in the cold rain. We put on garbage bags, which looked hilarious. Anyway, that's about it this week, I'm grateful for this work. Thanks for all the love.

Elder Rico

Zone leader, Elder Bezzant. He's being transferred this week
and I'm super sad. He's an awesome missionary. 

Cuy

Garbage bag boys

Saying bye to Elder Yacila.
He finished his mission and went home last week.

Cool sunsets

March 18: Pork rind

So get this, 

My boy Pork (Elder Fillmore) is an Assistant here, and this transfer they are really focusing on going on exchanges with all the Zone Leaders in the mission. It just happens that we share a ward with the Zone Leaders here in Turubamba and the night Pork was here, my comp had to go do a baptismal interview for a gal that the Zone Leaders were baptizing which meant Pork had to go with me. Straight blessings, it was such a blast. We only had a couple of hours together, but we had the opportunity of teaching a lesson together that night with Louisa and her 4 kids. We didn't really have a game plan, but we sent it and started talking about the doctrine of Jesus Christ and that led to Baptism and that led to us inviting them all to be baptized. It was such a great night. It was a night full of laughter and throwbacks to high school.

David and Alexandra we have been teaching quite a bit, we found them contacting, They both want to be baptized, but they aren't married. So this week we set a date for their marriage so that they can be baptized. They love coming to church together, they feel the spirit so powerfully.

Today for P-day we took a gondola lift up to the top of a mountain in Quito, and from there we hiked 6 miles up super steep mountainsides of a Volcano called Pinchincha. It was super pretty, we were so high up in the mountains that we were taller than the clouds around us, and it was freezing cold and I could barely breathe because of the altitude (about 17,000 ft). It had a super pretty view of all of Quito, and the surrounding cities around it. 

That's all for this week. 

Elder Rich

Pork

Our Bishop is a chef and makes huge meals for us on Sundays.
Last week I asked if he knew how to make Tres Leches cake.
He said he did and asked if I wanted it. I told him it wouldn't hurt 
my feelings if he made it for me. This week he did and his wife 
gave me a huge slice first because she knew I loved it.

Finally found some PB and tried to make no bakes, but we don't have
measuring cups so I had to guess and they didn't set up!

Jacket I bought at a thrift store in Ajo.

Riding the gondola up.

Pinchincha Volcano

March 12: Straight Milagros!

Carnival week ended in the beginning of the week, Elder Mora and I had to sprint a couple of times to avoid people that were trying to dump water on us. It was pretty funny. Some lady threw a water balloon at me, and I caught it and acted like I was going to throw it back and she got pretty scared. A couple minutes later a huge group of maybe 40 people holding huge buckets started chasing us. I hucked my water balloon and almost domed a kid in the face. They all started chasing us haha, maybe 10. I luckily out ran all of them, but Elder Mora is pretty slow and got soaked. It was so funny.

The beginning of my week was dry of lessons and finding. Our zone has not been having success and they reached out to us saying miracles are going to happen. We received a referral, and she is golden. We met with her one time and she asked when church was because she wanted to come. On Sunday night, almost all of our lessons fell through. I was a little mad because it happens every time so we decided to do some finding. We found a family, and they invited us in and we taught them a good lesson. We sent it and invited all 5 of them to baptism and they said yes. Later on, we met with our golden gal and her 3 kids. We taught them about the Book of Mormon, and our golden lady asked when she can get baptized. We invited her 3 kids all of which said yes. Straight miracles man. We have been having such a hard time finding people, and in one night we found 9 new investigators and extended 9 baptismal invitations. 

I got a haircut today for 2 dollars, just thought I'd let people know.

I hope everybody has a great week. Thanks for all the emails and prayers.

Elder Rich

Yes, i made crepes

Carnival ´pic of me looking cheesy haha

Aldridge, the kid that bore his testimony first time going to church haha.

P-day today at a place like Airborne but without the tramps

the new pic of my ties (better than Hmong ties)

My favorite treat here, pan de chocolate

March 4: Carnival Week

This week was solid. Because it is now March Ecuadorians do this thing for a week straight where they go nutz and throw eggs, soap, and water at people walking down the street. It's kinda funny. We have to be in our house at 6 pm every day this week, and today for our p-day we have to stay home all day. 

We found a 19 year old kid named Aldridge a couple of weeks ago and lost contact with him for a long time. We were riding the buses around town, and we saw him freestyling in the bus. There are a lot of people who ride the buses and sing, or rap, or all kinds of crazy stuff to make money. We talked to him, and invited him to church and he actually came. On the way to church on the bus, he threw on a beat and freestyled the whole way. It is seriously the funniest thing. During sacrament meeting, while everybody was bearing their testimonies he goes "I want to go up and preach." He stood up, and walked up all slow and steady and talked for like 7 minutes. I was so scared he was going to swear or say something stupid. He pretty much talked about how we need to enjoy this life because there is no next life. It was so funny. While he was walking back to his seat he stops in the middle of the congregation and goes "Don't be afraid go up and preach." It was hilarious. 

We have also been teaching a family who we found a week ago. They are dope. They are progressing well, we taught them on Saturday and had a super spiritual lesson. The only problem with them is they are not married, and they have a 7 year old girl. They explained how they want to get married but they just don't have the money to do it. (marriage probably cost somewhere between 80-90 dollars) I really testified that if they put their trust in the Lord he will provide a way. I invited them to pray about it and to see what they can do. They attended church with us as well, and they absolutely loved it. Afterward, they approached me and said "I received my answer while we were sitting in class. I know this is the true church." I'm super excited for them, and to be able to continue teaching them.

A scripture that I really studied this week is in Ether 12:27 

27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

I really know this to be true. I know the Lord can make weak things strong in all cases no matter who you are or what you are facing. I hope we all can study this short scripture this week.

Love you all, 

hope this week is a good one.

Elder Rich

 THE elder Fillmore again

Elder Mora and a poncho

The crew

Shopping in Ecuador

Fish soup