Elder Devan Alder: Baptism in the River (Not mine though) :)

(The baptism was of the zone leaders but I got to see it because my companion was in saraguro, entonces, it was just something cool this weekend. You should´ve seen this guy. He was in the water before we sang the first hymn, it was great and that´s the photo attachted)

But let´s talk about Ecuador. I don´t think I have mentioned this. If I have, I am truly sorry. But my favorite temporal thing about this country is there is a bread store on every corner! Where you can buy... guess? BREAD. ¡Pero pan ricisimo! I absolutely love it! (My companion thinks they tempt me, but I save my money, no worries!) (But the milk doesn´t taste the same, I have no idea why...)

Yeah, the important stuff.

I don´t think I have told ya´ll about the expectations of this mission. Or at least not all of them. Baptimal goal monthly: 600. and one of my favorites is Invitations to be baptized. How many do you think daily we are supposed to invite to be baptized?.... 8, boom. (haha and everyone was so scared in the CCM to invite people to baptized in the first lesson)

How crazy but it really pushes us as missionaries! So when you don´t have success, it really bugs

because normally everyone around you is. So we worked really hard this week to invite 8 people to be baptized everyday. And what happened? Through the grace of God we have 8 baptismal dates! Just like that. Obedience with exactness brings miracles. And with a miracle we will have a baptism this Sunday! Saturdays and Sundays are probably the hardest day because you are doing everything you possibly can to get people to come to sacrament! But sometimes, they show up to church by themselves and that is the biggest blessing ever!

But things are going great here, just have to work harder every day!

Scripture for the week: Mosiah 2:17. The one we all know. When you are in the service of your fellow beings, you are only in the Service of your God.

But one tid-bit of spanish. Fellow-beings in Spanish is semejantes. Which literally could mean in English "comparables". Especially at the start of my mission, I thought that every person I passed was a beloved child of God. And they are. This week, I plead with all of you to look at the people around you and service them as your "comparables" They are just like you with problems that you can´t see. Everyone is struggling. But this week if we serve your fellow men as yourself. We all service God and get closer to becoming like Christ. He is our Savior. The least we can do is be in His service!

Love you Guys!

Elder Alder