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

Feb 17: T minus 7

Officially hit one year here in Ecuador this past week. It's been some ups and downs, but overall I've learned so much about myself, about God's perfect plan, and how important it is to live a life according to Gods. How he wants us to all be happy, joyful, give our best effort even when life just seems impossible. It definitely hasn't been the easiest year, nor the funnest, but I wouldn't change it for anything. I can truly say as being a missionary for so long that the gospel changes lives, helps us recognize our priorities versus needs, and allows us to know where we need to look for a remission of our sins. This Gospel really is incredible.

This week we ham on teaching the importance of Baptism. The doctrine is so simple but so powerful. When teaching about baptism, I know the spirit has to be so strong or the people will never understand why they need to be baptized or even be baptized again. We really hit hard explaining what blessings they can receive, the changes they will see, but tying it all in at the end that following Jesus Christ can lead us to live with those we love forever. We put the goal to talk about baptism in each lesson we taught, and invite them to be baptized in God's true church.  By the end of the week, we had 6 people accept a baptismal date, and we even put a marriage date on a family so they can get baptized after. 

I'm nobody special, I'm nobody perfect, even as a missionary. But I know that loving people is vital in missionary work.  In my patriarchal blessing, it says "As you serve faithfully you will come to love the people you serve upon, and they will come to love you." I never completely understood this part in my blessing until I came on my mission and experienced it. As I have been faithful and loved the people, they have been able to see God's hand in their lives, understand that they need to follow him even if it's changing their religion, even if it's throwing on a white dress and getting baptized. There is no greater power than love, love can truly heal this world. May we share it with those we know, that even they might decide to change their lives, like God's love changed ours. 

Happy Late Valentine's Day to all. 

Love Elder Rich

nametag

Reunited with mijo Elder Hunter in Baños

P-day

 hitchhiking in the rain

Feb 10: Monkey parks in the jungle

This week was incredible, we worked super hard and had a ton of success. When I got here in Puyo we started a family that was less active, all are members but the mother and she couldn't get baptized cause she wasn't married to her husband. We taught her everything, they all came to church, and this week we did an activity to raise money so they could get married. We did all the necessary shopping, cooking and delivering to people. We sold Maitos which is a Tilapia cooked inside a banana leaf on fire.  All in all, we got all the money we needed, and they got married and that same Saturday Marina got baptized.

Our mission president, President Barlow, was down here in Puyo for Branch conference, so we had him direct our baptism, and knowing him he does an incredible job. Elder Burga and I bought Ukuleles a while back, so during the baptism, we played and sang a hymn in Spanish. Despite the fact we both suck at singing it turned out really well, the spirit was very strong. 

We visited a natural area in Tena today that had a ton of wild monkeys so we gave them all kinds of food and snacks. One of them almost stole my hat. The only thing they wouldn't accept was a Book of Mormon, I guess they really don't want salvation that much. 

Love Elder Rich

A Book of Mormon activity

The first one here in Puyo

Cuetes for 1 year in Ecuador

it liked my Cachitos

I'm tellin ya we're in the jungle

the worst kinda rejection

Feb 3: and the weeks keep passing

We spent this week traveling from one side of the zone to the other and back delivering packages, beds, desks, all kinds of stuff. Not even to mention going on divisions all in the same week. You can say traveling sure keeps you busy and being busy keeps the days going by super fast.

I had to play the piano at church, it was super funny cause I haven't played in over 2 years and really, I had no idea what I was doing. I was so lost, messing up so much. I got a kick out of it, and so did the members.

Yesterday a random guy showed up at church and bore a testimony about a book he found called the Book of Mormon. Some missionaries some time gave it to him, and he read almost the whole thing in a night. But the missionaries never came back so he searched for the church. He walked a full hour and a half to get there too. After church we visited him, so we walked with him to his house and it took a full hour and a half. That's some sacrifice. We wanted to put him on baptismal date that same day but we didn't have any time cause we had to walk all the way home haha.

Alma 37:37 says

Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.

Don't forget to do the easy, simple things that we always forget to do. Know that God wants to bless us but we have to be willing to ask for his blessings.

Love Elder Rich

Pictures:

more worms

This is the meeting house here in Tena since there is no church.

cocoa plants that a man gave me