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