Jan 27: Noches de Hogar

We figured the way to help this branch out is by getting the members on board. As of right now they don't do absolutely anything but argue between themselves and cause problems with us haha. So we planned 8 different Noches de Hogar which in English is translated to Family Home Evenings, with our intentions to get their spirits up and get into this work. So every day we scheduled different Noches de Hogar with different families in the branch and let our Branch President know so he could send a message to all the members so they could come. But he never would send out the messages, or he would forget. We also talked to each family and set plans and goals so that they could invite their friends over.

It actually worked out super well. Out of all the Noches de Hogar we did,  the members brought in a total of 12 people, 3 of which came to church. So that will be our plan this week, keep visiting the ward members so they can get their heads back on track. 

The other Elders in Puyo got emergency transferred so we have to open up their sector and maintain a city of 30,000 people just the two of us.

A scripture that helped me this week is in first Nephi chapter 17

1 And it came to pass that we did again take our journey in the wilderness; and we did travel nearly eastward from that time forth. And we did travel and wade through much affliction in the wilderness; and our women did bear children in the wilderness.

2 And so great were the blessings of the Lord upon us, that while we did live upon raw meat in the wilderness, our women did give plenty of suck for their children, and were strong, yea, even like unto the men; and they began to bear their journeyings without murmurings.

3 And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness.

This is probably my favorite story in the Book of Mormon. I love how Nephi explains how, even being directed to a promised land, they passed for so much affliction, but so great were the blessings they received. That by even eating raw meat their women had the strength to continue and give enough milk to their kids. Although we may not be eating raw meat in the wilderness, we still have problems but so great are the blessings we receive from the Lord every day that he provides the means for us to accomplish what he needs us to do. 

There is no place that I'd rather be.

Love Elder Rich

Pictures

1. good memories
2. the Noches de Hogar
3. when it rains it really pours
4. good photos
5. no one here goes to church with suit coats

Jan 20: The mosquitos bite hard

This week we explored more of the jungle, like the deep deep jungle where people haven't ever been. The houses out there are made out of wood and aren't the nicest. We went out to help some members build a shack, so we took a trek of 30 minutes through the jungle caring huge boards of wood and water jugs. The 2 guys in the front were whacking away at the wildlife and weeds with giant machetes to clear a way to actually walk cause it was so crazy huge. There are so many animals here that I've never seen before, and the spiders are ginormous. They scare me, and the ants are so big. We caught a couple of frogs and some cockroaches while we were messing around. We even brought a ton of mosquito spray and used it more than 5 times, but the bugs kept coming back and kept biting us. My legs are covered in bites, and the thing is, they are 10x worse than the ones back home. They itch and itch and itch till you can't itch any more but then you keep itching. Then they swell up and turn bright red. And that's exactly what my legs look like at the moment hahaha.

Today we went into the jungle again to see wild monkeys. It was super cool, there were tons of different types of monkeys that all wanted to steal our stuff, but we made it out alive with more mosquito bites hahaha. 

The work here is very difficult, our branch is struggling with confidence between them and also with us. It's been difficult so far to work with them because they honestly don't help at all. So this week we scheduled family home evenings every night this week and our goal is to animate them and to get them in the game of helping. 

A good scripture for this week is in Isiah 12:2 which says

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. 

Love Elder Rich

Puyo with Elder Burga

walking in the jungle

spiders here scare me

monkey area

car pic

Jan 13: The Jungle of Puyo

Wow, this place here is incredible, I feel like I'm on vacation here. It's so pretty. The first time we walked into my house here in Puyo we found a huge frog jumping around and a lizard doing his own thing on the wall. It's super hot and humid here, so we sleep without blankets or sheets or anything, I was so hot my first couple nights I barely slept. At night time you can barely talk cause the wild bugs are so loud. It's probably rained every single day but rained so hard, you can't leave your house without an umbrella or else you'll regret it. You also don't wanna leave without a flashlight cause you can not see at all during the night time. Everyone says there are wild monkeys around and jaguars in the jungle but I still haven't seen any.

Our zone is divided into 2 sectors. One sector is in Baños and areas over there which is about 3 hours south of us, and the other includes Puyo and Tena which is another 2 or 3 hours north of us. The Zone is massive so on Thursdays, we have to travel down to Baños for a meeting with the district there, and on Fridays, we're in Puyo for another district meeting for the Elders here and up in Tena. So it's a lot of traveling, not even to mention we have to do divisions with every companionship in our zone.  

Puyo is a small branch of about 90-100 people, and the branch is a huge mess. It hasn't grown in years. All the ward members pretty much hate each other, they hate the branch president. So it's a very low baptizing area because nobody helps out or is willing to help out.

My new companion is Elder Burga and is from Lima Peru and is about to finish his mission in 11 weeks. This week spent a lot of time exploring the jungle, and we helped a ward member kill some pigs. We ate raw giant worms called Chontacuros, which was very nerve-racking but worth it. We're both super excited to be here, to be in such a beautiful place with an unlimited amount of fun things to do. 

A scripture for this week is in 1 Nephi 17:13 which says

“And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led.”

I know this is true, I know that God is our light even in the wilderness or the jungle, that if we keep his commandments and have faith in him, he will guide our path just like he guided Nephi and his family to the promised land. 

Love Elder Rich

My new suit

chanchitos (baby pigs)

A selfie

Chontacuros

This was on the way to a lesson

Welcome to Puyo

Jan 6: Welcome to the Jungle

We had a super fun new year, we decided to buy one of the "monigotes" that was listed at $25 dollars but we spent 30 minutes negotiating to the price and we bought it at $12. It was SID from Ice Age, but it was cool cause they had toys from every single show or movie. I'll throw in some pics below. On New Year's Eve, we were stuck in the house the whole day, so we made cinnamon rolls and cooked them at our church. That night we took Sid up to our rooftop and chopped off his arms and head with some rebar then burned him. While Sid was burning, we cracked open our Welch's cider and had one for the boys. It was cool too, cause at 12:00 everybody in the whole city lights their monigote on fire killing and burning the old year away. There were so many fireworks going on too. The city went nuts.  

The rest of the week was normal, we didn't end up having our baptism, we changed it to this Saturday. We visited some good people and ate some more rice and beans. And Jefrett blessed the sacrament on Sunday, he said the prayer for the bread and messed up cause he was so scared, but he got it his second time. 

Last night we got the changes call, and ima be taking off to the Jungle. It's a place called Puyo, about 5  hours into the jungle. The bishop we have now is from Puyo and he was telling me everything about it. That I'm going to die of heat, it's so humid, there are so many bugs, snakes, tarantulas, monkeys, birds. They eat raw worms all the time too, that'll be pretty fun. But also they speak different dialects and the missionaries need to learn some of the dialects to teach to them. I am super sad to be leaving Ambato, the members when I told them cried and cried and that even made me cry. Elder Hunter will be staying here again, so tonight we'll just be saying more goodbyes and crying even more. I'm super sad to be leaving this area, I have never enjoyed a sector more, loved my comps, or loved a ward as much as this one. The whole ward is devastated, but it's all a part of God's plan and I know there are people in Puyo waiting for me, and ima get them. 

I hope everyone who reads this has a great week!

Love Elder Rich

some examples of the monigotes 

SID

Fireworks

2020 it is

New Years cinnamon rolls

on my way