P-Day B-Day

So I´m pretty sure this doesn´t happen to every missionary, maybe it does! But I´m definitely thankful to have my birthday on a Monday! Next year won´t be the same! 

So this would be more exciting if I could send you guys pictures but I guess that will have to come next week but support of the members here is go great that I got a big vanilla cake with this carmel stuff in the middle and topped with "Star Wars" and Darth Vader made of... what´s it called in english... Sudon? ... how many times have a seen CakeBoss... the candy play-dough... Ugh, well it was DELICIOUS. The best part was since it´s the time the new star wars came out. This family that did the cake for me, knew I liked Star Wars made this huge table of Star wars of all things star wars, it was great! But would be cooler with a picture...

But enough about my birthday! This week we had 3 investigators in church! Hasn´t happened to me yet! And with a miracle from our Father, one will be baptized this week. The other two, they are wonderful children of heaven father, but because of their marriage situation, they won´t be baptized very soon. It´s really complicated but in short, here in guayquil many people "get married" but really they are just living together, So here, a LOT of missionaries push GET MARRIED, for real!

So as far as temporal here, I am sure not going to miss fireworks this year for new years. Every. Night.... BOOM BOOM. sounds like gunshots but it´s not! And they build these Huge statues, they call them viejos, "Olds", and I´m pretty sure New Years they blow them up! So it´s going to be loud for sure!

As far as spiritual. During a lesson, a man wasn´t quite recieving a spiritual witness that what we were saying was true. He didn´t want to ask God when He wanted him to be baptized because he literally said he was afriad, so we asked him to ask in prayer if we were sent to him from God. He flipped out (becuase there is no word in english for machete) and said we were too much in our pride. 

Now I am not saying missionaries are angels but this morning I read something in John about when Christ said "I am the light of the world" The others said, "You can´t bear testimony of yourself, that isn´t true" But Christ responded, "I know where I come from and know where I am going, therefore my testimony is true" (Or something like that becuase I am translating in my head)  But every single one of you know who you are. If not I invite you to find out, and then testify that you are a child of your Heavenly Father and you, through your works will be able to receive eternal life. Find that testimony and don´t let anyone tell you it´s not true!

Love you all! 

See you in 2016

Elder Alder

A Snowy Christmas to a Sweaty Christmas

Hola mi familia y amigos. ¡Bienvenidos a Pradera, Guayaquil! 

So we finished our last performance in the Choir in Estaca Cisne, said our goodbyes, took pictures, packed up and the next day off to work! Kind of thought I would be sent back to the nice cold Mountains........

Here´s the rest of the email, These little computers are as old as I am (which is almost 19 haha)

But I was called to Pradera Guayaquil where it is about this Hot: Guayaquil, Guayas

MON

High
100°F
38°C

Low
76°F
25°C

My companion is Elder Sican. I met him in Loja during a training so I knew a little about him before hand. He is from Guatamala. Studied a little bit of Medicine before his mission. Has 15 months in the mission. He also trained an elder from my group so he already knows the reputation of us Utah folk. Maybe reputation is the wrong word. I don´t know. He knows what to expect! 

So I absolutely love are ward here! (Yeah a real ward. What?) They are sarcastic, funny, loud, very helpful in the work here, and they make some absolutley wonderful food. I can´t tell you how much I sweated during our Lunch of Cerviche de Pescado (Still was buenísimo) 

We are working really hard to find a chosen investigador that is ready to preapare to be baptized. We have talk a lot this week. (Because in this sector, we just have to walk, there is no need to take a bus 20 minutes away) Everything is nice an close and we can just walk to each houses. We have done a lot of door knocking this week to share the message of Christmas. We haven´t found the success that the Lord expects of us yet but as they say: "¡Ya mismo!"

Love this time of year and love when I get to sing Christmas songs (Ward activity, during lessons) I really brings the spirit faster than most of the things I know of. This week I have been pondering about the Scriptures Matthew 5:48, 3 Nephi 18:48, and 3 Nephi 27:27.

We need to be perfect but how? Ha nacido un Salvador. Christ is the way, the light and the life. Only through him can we be perfected. Only through our Savior will we react our potential! As it was declared in Conference. Center your life in Christ. This is how we can reach our goals and become who we were meant to become!

I declare that He lives. I have felt it and I desire that all of you may feel it as well.

Feliz Navidad

Elder Alder

Elder Alder & Elder Sican

Mission Choir

Choir Tour (3rd year in a row!)

Hola Famila y amigos! Things are almost back to normal in Hot Guayaquil! The funny thing is this city gets hotter when you go to the colder parts of Ecuador, even for just a night!

So we have been able to meet and see every single zone in this mission. Narangal, Pradera, Centenario, Porto Nuevo, Loja, Machala, Santa Rosa, Cuenca, (And tomorrow) Cisne. Just about all the major cities in this mision! Pretty neat and pretty tiring! We got up at one o´clock this morning to travel back to Guayquil from Machala, I am definitely worn out a lot! But I have experienced this before so no worries!

So we have definintely since a lot of miracles on this "choir trip". First miracle is that almost everyone has gotten sick... No I´m kidding that´s not the miracle but almost everyone got sick. How are we supposed to sing these songs with the spirit if we don´t have all we´ve got? Obediencia (I really don´t know how to spell that word in english...) We as missionaries have really tried our hardest to be on our biggest obeying the rules guard. (Even more than normal which is a lot in this mission, I guess I don´t know how it is in other missions but that´s what I´m told) And that´s how we recieved the strength to sing. Fe con obras. Because faith without works is dead. (so there was a lot of preisthood blessings these past two weeks. The other miracle was we wanted every single investigador to be at every activity ever so they can feel the spirit want to be baptized. We have had at least 3 people accept a baptismal date directly after our presentation.  

What a blessing to feel this spirit of Chirstmas through Missionary work. This choir has really taught me a lot! About my mission, about Christ. about how to become un discípulo de Jesucristo. 

Él es mi Redentor, mi Salvador, mi Hermano Amado. "Venid a mí" son sus palabras.  Estas son un mandamiento. Come unto Him, He is your Savior. He knows all your pains.

Love you guys!

Elder Alder

The Temple Lights (Without Snow...or lights)

¡Hola familia y amigos! So not quite back to normal but I have a little more time to write today! 

If you can´t tell, WE GOT TO GO TO THE TEMPLE!!!!!!!!! The temple is literally right outside of our mission and there are only three ways to get there in this mision. (Have I already mentioned this?...) 1) You end your misison. 2) You train someone 3) In one year your super chevere convert is like: "Hey, I remember that you baptized me, you want to come see me seal all my convents in the house of the Lord? Only if you want to" OR you get super lucky and recieve one of the greatest christmas gifts ever from Presidente and get to go!! Absolutely amazing! I loved it with all my heart! 

But it´s time to get back to work. What is that work for us in the Choir. So here is the lay down. We have been here in Guayquil for the past week. Performing a group of songs my Kenneth Cope (8 songs to be exact) in every stake that touches our boarders here in the South Mission of Guayquil. So far we have done four! There are 10 of us in the choir (Super small and we don´t have a conductor just missionaries that lead us during practices and then sing with us) And that is about all we do! Tomorrow we are going to start traveling to the rest of the mission and perform in every single stake or district! So this week is going to be singing and sitting in a bus! Super exciting! I can´t wait to get started! (Because we are going to be super tired, haha) 

So apparently these songs are in English too but I don´t know what they are called. I have had the opportunity for the past 3 years in high school every Christmas to sing praises (alabanzas creo que es qué es en español, mucho más chevere) to the Lord through song and I am honored to do it again this year for the whole mission. There is nothing that I love more. Especially in this season of Christmas. To be able to focus myself in the true meaning of Christmas and help others focus themselves in christmas as well. 

One experience. We got to preach after our practices the first week, so one day we were walking and reiecived the impression that we should sing a christmas song to a house with christmas lights to contact. The first house we went to, we asked, they invited us in and now are getting prepared to be baptized. Contacting by caroling..! 

Never neglect a single impresion from the Lord. Even if you think it is the weirdest thing that ever came to your mind. And don´t forget to be listening to! 

My invitation to you is to start reading The Gospels. The life of Christ. I started and, even though it´s in spanish and I don´t understand every single word, I am learning so much more about my Savior.

He lives. Without a doubt in my heart, He lives. He came to this Earth to do the will of the Father. He set an example for us to follow and asks us "If ye love me, keep my commandments"

Les quiero

Elder Alder  

2015 Guayaquil South Mission Christmas Choir