White Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS (Or as I said to the first person on Sunday "Happy Christmas") Well it wasn´t that white, in that sense. But the Lord blessed us with another child of God who was well prepared by the Lord entered the waters of Baptism. He knows more than us about the Bible because he studied with the Jehovah`s Witnesses for 10 years but he read the Book of mormon the second he got it and has stared reading The Pearl of great Price and D&C, he loves the church and the best part was that his recently sealed brother baptized him. What a great baptismal service. Their mother is getting there soon and is also reading the Book of Mormon everyday.

Well if I could describe Ecuador on Christmas it would be Lights, food, and passed out people. My companion and I were certianly passed out with SOOO much food we ate 4 times Christmas Eve. We did  White Elephant gifts as a zone which was super fun! And talking to the family was great (Love you guys!) 

Now the sad news is that my companion is getting transfered, we got along super well and I am pretty sad that he is leaving. But the Lord sends us where He needs us and all we have to do is obey. If he tells us to get up and move, we obey. If He tells us to talk to that person, we obey. If He tells to Preach His Gospel, we obey. And then He is happy so we can be too! 

I love following the Will of the Lord even if it`s hard because I AM SO HAPPY when I do.

Thanks for everything, I will see yáll when I am 20 :)

Elder Alder

I Want to Wish You a Merry Christmas

Original, I know.

Well Christmas came SUPER FAST, faster than I thought it would, I hope everyone is enjoying cold weather because I can´t stop sweating. At least I am getting darker than all  y´all, hehe. 

Well I almost don´t have a voice right now for all the singing we have done this week!

Super exciting! I think we had 2,000 people there and the goal was a thousand refuralls! I am almost certain that we got to the goals. Why? Becuase the three missions had 6 live nativity scenes of missionaries and they loved it! It was super great and we got to go do one a day.

The best part of this country is that they are super trustworthy or they just don´t care if someone just shows up to their house. We invited them to come take pictures with us and then said "Hey, we will print out a copy of the picture and take it to your house, is that okay? We just need your address and number" 

That would TOTALLY not work in any other country. "Why would I ever tell YOU where I live?" Here they are like OKAY! SURE! 

Super funny and I just love ecuador!

Well Kristina and here son WITH a miracle got baptized this week! I am sad that I wasn´t there but sometimes you have to do the Lord´s will!

Love Christmas, love you guys! Share your light!

Elder Alder

Travel Days

Well back in machala again and I am headed for Guayquil tomorrow! I LOVE SINGING ESPECIALLY CHRISTMAS MUSIC, have I already said that? 

I love working with missionaries and I even like teaching a little bit of music!

This week was SO busy but I loved it! We had Leadership Council which was just so great becuase now the mission is starting to put goals and we are really trying to hit the ground running. And right after the Council ended I said bye to my companion and off to singing. And president was sooo happy about the choir that he wanted us to sing in every little place that we could. Super great and very spiritual. But the aventure hasn`t ended yet! 

I wasn´t sure if I was going to come home this week to see the baptism of Steve but I did! Super spiritual and he was just shining with happiness! He really turned his life around and I am so proud of him. i won´t be able to come back for the baptism of Kristina and her son Igor but if you will pray for them that would be great!

Love you all!

Elder Alder 

First three pictures are my beloved choir and the last is from Steve`s baptism!

SURPRISE! Happy Birthday!

Well ladies and gentlemen, We had a great week this week. First picture would be my companion having his mission birthday year mark! Super great and full of food and tears! Next surprise is that we have 30 minutes to write now so I apologize if I don´t write a few of you! but I will do my best to get to everyone! So don´t stop emailing me, hehe.

Next picture is us following the Lord´s advice that ALL are equal. (Ron Mcdonald has to be baptized!!)

Third picture is what you call how Ecuador prepares for New Years, one day they will blow up that thing.

Next picture can be described with these words "When you don´t have members in your lessons, you have to carry them next door to teach their neighbor even if they crashed in their motocycle and can´t get up"

Last of all the biggest burger I have ever seen! It was so good! 

We had Stake Conference this week and our mission president, his wife, and an area seventy spoke. I was uplifted by their words and I always think it is amazing to hear from our leaders! So I will be quite happy this week to be in guayquil working with President to organize this choir! Pray for my companion please! We have many things to do and he doesn´t have a companion to do it! 

I just love the scripture from the Sermon on the Mount that says somthing like the Light of the body is the EYE. Let His light shine through your eyes! 

Love you all :)

Elder Alder

SURPRISE! Happy Birthday!

Waterfalls

Well if you are wondering if we went to a waterfall. You are wrong! But to waterfalls I am refurring to emotions and tears (Girl talk, haha)

Well I am soooo happy and so excited for this christmas season. Well as my other missionary friends around the world are "Lighting the world" with their nice Ipads and expensive blessings (They know who they are ;)) I get the chance here in Ecuador to share it in cards and song! So I went back to Guayquil this week to sing "one last time" in the same mall. Little did I know when I got there that I would be going to a meeting with my mission president to coordinate with the OTHER missions here in Guayquil for a Huge event that is happening in Guayquil. And guess who is going to try and orgainze our mission´s part? HAH, well God answered my prayer when I said "Thank you for giving me responsabilities, I think I am happier when I have many things to worry about" Then God laughed at me and said "You have no idea" 

So if you happen to throw a prayer in for me, maybe you can ask more for my companion Elder Vieyra while I am gone and our Zone Machala. It will be a little hard not to be here to help our investigators. We have soo many that our sooo close. 

But CHOIR! I love singing Christmas hymns and songs! Oh Holy night was fun to sing again! What blessings! (Do you see the waterfall of emotions?? Choir, work, investigators, blessings, miracles, "Wait do I have clean clothes?") Remember my companion and I´s phrase "The work is awesome!" Especially during Christmas! 

Miracle of the week that I want to share. Fast and testimony meeting! (We have stake conference next week) (Here is where the tears come in) The members here love the church and love to see people progressing so everyone cried and there was a great spirit in the room. Then the third hour and man was standing outside looking at the church. We invited him and he was a little nervous because he was never entered a church before. He came in and told us how he wanted to know for a long time God´s purpose for him. Good thing we had a Book of Mormon.

I love this work! So full of love! Let´s be that Light to this World and put Christ in front of us!

Love you all

Elder Alder (I don´t remember what pictures I attachted!)

Two Loves, One Alder

(Pat on the back for Elder Alder, good title I think) Hey cold world! Here it´s getting hotter and hotter while in Utah it´s snowing! What does snow even look like?? haha

Well this week there was even less room to recieve blessings because I was in Guayquil almost ALL week. So here are the two loves, music and working in my sector. Don´t get me wrong I would sing "Mary did you know" in front of a couple hundred of ecuadorians eating overpriced Carls Jr. even though they won´t understand me, ANYDAY (It was so fun, No one was paying attention until I sang high and BOOM the spirit helped me on that one!) But how am I going to leave my companion a whole week so he can help our investigators progress and have the baptism interviews and prepare everything just so I can get there on Saturday and enjoy a wonderful baptism! So my heart was torn in two because we are doing so great here in machala but when else am I going to be able to sing Christmas songs in a choir! I had no idea! So there is the title and I think it´s less funny to the world but I will move on with my mission life.

So the zone got a lot bigger this week! We now have 12 missionaries instead of just 8! (I know that is small for the world of zone leaders but I like it!) We also got a visit from our dear Area President Elder Godoy. And it was amazing, he kind of gave us the bridge to help us with the change of presidents! Absoluetly inspiring! 

Elder Godoy said something that I really liked, he said "These are the best two years, why? Becuase you are closer to Christ, Why do you think EFY was so great? Because you spent a week closer to Christ. Take advantage of the two closest years to Christ" 

That´s why I am so happy!! That´s why I almost burst into tears when Joseph (One of the guys that got baptized this week) got up to bear his testimony and said "I hope my sister (Who came) can follow my example and that I can prepare to go on a mission. And I know this is the True church, In the name of Jesus Christ Amen." Or how I can´t even explain how the Lord prepares people to come to His church through His members (We went to go pick up a refural that said was going to church and when we got to his house he came out in a shirt and tie) I got a little bit of an idea during Conference, I am closer to Christ and I want to be EVEN closer! That´s why it happens becuase He is my God and my Song. 

Oh how I hope we can "Light the world" with His light! There is nothing better!

Elder Alder

New Zone...growing in numbers

Because the power was out...

"Not Enough Room to Receive it"

So I am kind of guessing the words from Malachi and I know it´s talking about tithing but I feel like the Lord is just blessing us SOOO much that we barely have room to recieve it. 

I really have no idea where to start.... So last week we didn´t really achieve what the Lord wanted us to do. So we had a little change of heart my companion and I and we hit the ground running. (Weekly planning is the greatest) And the first day we found ourselves with a couple of members that have been talking to their friends about the gospel and we went with them for the whole  day and found a whole lot of prepared people. 

Next blessing, I got a call that day saying that I would be directing a small missionary choir to perform in a famous mall in Guayquil this week. So I have actually been in guayquil this whole week leaving my companion to teach all the wonderfully prepared people and he sure did see those blessings while I made a program for our little choir (picture below) THANKS YOU FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN PLAY PIANO.

Next blessing was when I got back, and we were in church, a lot of these new investigators got to church. One of our investigators will be baptized this week (The one walking around early before church in a shirt and tie) AND while we were in Gospel Principles class a member pulled us out and said "Hey, my son has 10 years old, can you guys baptize him this week or next week" In that moment I wanted to cry. (The story is that the kid was going to be baptized a while ago but the mother didn´t want to and somehow the spirit touched her heart and will be baptized this week) 

So the Lord is sending me the whole week long to Guayquil to go Mall singing (Christmas music, by the way, I AM SO EXCITED) and He decieded to leave my companion here to see if we can recieve all of these blessings. Are we ready? Are we worthy? My companion and I have decieded that we have no idea how to thank the Lord, the only thing we can do is fast and work harder.

I Love the Lord

I Love His church

I Love His Work

I Love my companion 

I love the Lord

Thank you for all you do for me! I hope the best and hope your testimony grows a little more this week!

Elder Alder 

(Other picture, Sometimes you don´t know where to sit for a lesson so you have to do it in a tree :))

Choir Practice

Teaching in a tree...

Sunday Teaching

Too late for Halloween

Well I just realized that I didn´t tell anyone about how halloween is here in Ecuador. Well it´s call the day of the dead (A couple days after) and right after it was Cuenca´s 4th of July so baiscally the whole country went on hold for a whole weekend. So almost NO one was home but we enjoyed our purple milkshake of every fruit you can find and AMAZING bread in the shape of babies (first picture) And that is halloween :)

Well this week we enjoyed eating TOO much seafood (second picture) I really can´t describe how much I ate this week... it´s quite embrassing. But the most important part is the miracles that we saw this week. 

First of all, I don´t know how to describe the feeling here to watch your investigador walking down the street 30 minutes before church starts in a shirt and tie with his friend to go pick up others for church. Amazing.

Next, the comment of Justin in Gospel Principles Class responding to another question to an investigator "I just tell my friends, if you lived when Christ lived you think you would follow him? Well now Thomas S. Monson is here, will you follow him?" I about cried.

And last off, please pray for Pedro and Ana. Pedro and his son want to get baptized  but they aren´t married yet so we need a miracle here! 

Well funny story time. So I gave a couple of tips to our ward choir and they decieded that I would be playing the piano in their songs last sunday. So I was nervous as heck because I can´t play. I said a little pray before we performed and BOOM He blest me. But not how you think or I thought. We started to go and the piano would sound a little bit and then it would go out, little bit of volumen and nothing. But the show must go on! So I kept ´playing even though no one heard anything. The comments after were funny "Elder Alder? were you mimicing the whole time?" "I didn´t hear anything but here was Stevie Wonder just playing away" "Elder Alder, can you really play piano or were you faking it?" "Oh silly Elder Woody"

The Lord´s blessing are really great!

I love this work and I am learning everything I will need to know in the "life to come" It´s going to fast, don´t remind me. There is nothing better than being a misisonary.

Les quiero bastante!

Elder Alder

Baptized by Fire

Well this will be a quick one so hold on your seats because we have a lot to talk about and not enough time to do it.

So I never really understood that phrase, baptized by fire until this week. So Saturday our 1000 friends on facebook Justin Quevedo walked in the wonderful waters of baptism. He was so ready, he was attending seminary and missionary prep with his friend that hopefully soon will go on his mission. I was praying a lot that his baptism would be something that he would remember and help me stay active in the church. The Lord provided him with more, I will just try to translate what he said in his testimony after with a whole lot of tears in his eyes. "The water was COLD, I was freezing but when the opened the doors of bapstry, I felt my body heat up until I couldnt feel the water and more. I didn{t get baptized all the way the first time so I had to do it again and that time I felt heat from wilson (the friend baptizing him) And I felt peace in the air around us, like something surronding us. And that is the Spirit, like Elder Alder just told us (I gave a little talk about the spirit)"

I love the truth :) Well a whole lot more happened this week but I will have to save it for the next. Just know that the experiences we had this week were like this: Leaders are amazing, the devil works with the missionaries that he knows can be amazing, and God is preparing his children and bringing them to church, so INVITE them :)

Love, peace, and a Halloween fruit jumble form Ecuador 

Elder Alder

Their Halloween Costumes!

Justin, First English Lesson, and Humitas

Well Leadership Council was this week! We had a wonderful time in Guayquil! I loved to be there with EVERY leader of the mission in one room. We are getting organized here with goals and the things we can to do as a mission but the Lord and our mission president expects a lot of us so we have our Zone Conference of Machala tomorrow! 

Well the miracles of the week! First of all, we got home from Leadership council and decieded to make some calls to make some appointments and we called our investigator Justin, and as we were talking to him, he sounded like he wanted to tell us something. We asked him what´s up and he said "I´m going to be baptized this Saturday" We didn´t know what to say so my companion said "Who told you?" And he said "Wait I can´t be baptized??" We were sure on our knees a long time that night thanking the Lord for such wonderful investigators! 

Next miracle, there was a lady that opened up a little store of Humitas (I don`t remember what they are, wet tamales?) Well my companion didn´t tell me that he had a impression to go talk to her but we were visiting a family of investiagators that live close by and they told us that she wanted a book of mormon so we went over, bought some humitas and turns out she has being reading the Liahona. I love members who share the gospel! 

Another member that shared the gospel, the stake presidents son. They are in our ward and a week ago told us that he has these two friends from Germany and Switerland that live around where he does. So we asked him to invite them to the park to talk, and they said yes! My first lesson in complete English because they knew more English than Spanish. We couldn´t talk to them in German so someone help us with that! But it was so neat to teach in English even if my companion forgot Hope in english "What is esperanza?" Sooo funny, best part was when we asked what they believed in "I don´t think I need to know if there is a God" SO the spirit really helped us in that lesson because everyone here is like, WHO DOESN¨T BELIEVE IN GOD. Well these two girls don´t, so great! 

Well love you all, sorry for the rushed letter! 

Picture is of the first cool thing I have done on a P Day, basketball! 

Elder Alder

Elder Woody and his Fast

Okay, you´ve just got to love missionary work, there is nothing like it and I am privilaged to even get to know the people I do. Well I will explain a little bit of the title. So last December I got to Guayquil and we were talking to the bishop one day about the ward and such and then he stopped me. "Elder Alder, wait" Then he rushs to his computer and goes to Google and looks up "Toy Story" pulls up a picture of Woody and points at it "I FOUND YOU!" And here in this ward, everyone (Especially the bishop´s family) likes to call me Brother Woody. Thanks mom for the freckles :) And the bishop´s daughters know english very well so they always say "There´s a snake in my boot" So that was my great experience this week... One of many laughs! 

So here in Machala we have what is called a good problem. We have many investigators that are coming to church but they are scared to take the last step and take the Lord´s name upon themselves and be saved through repentance and be able to have a eternal companion that will help them take on what ever challenge that comes into their life. Did I mention they could be saved? Well if it seems like we are being to hard on them that´s fine. But look at what one investigator told us the other day. "Well work is really stressful and everytime I filled super stressed working in the bank, I just take out the Book of Mormon and I feel destressed right then and there. The Book of Mormon really helps me stay calm." ..... You know it´s true! I love this work1

Second part of the title! I love fasting. In Huaquillas, I fasted because everyone would give us food and I felt better during the day if I fasted, haha. But here I decieded to,to ask a little help from above. And what did He do? He sent us 4 angels to church this sunday. Two friends of members who LOVED church, I think one was a JW. And a couple from Venuzuela who came to Ecudor looking for work. The wife got baptized there but went inactive and then when they got here. The first sunday they were here, decided to look for the church! And as we were passing for investigators Sunday morning with no luck, a taxi stopped us and asked us where the church was, we led them to the church and now are so passionate to go! 

There are people waiting for us. They are waiting for us just to say the right word or be in the right place. But we need a little help from above to be able to find them. And then the guts to tell them that this is the truth. What a great work we are in! Love this work Love you guys! Love Ecuador! And I love the Lord

Elder Alder

(Picture, Nuesta mamita y su familia) Mamita=the lady that gives us lunch everyday

A cake to celebrate the one year mark

Lilian Maria

Well in comparing Huaquillas to Machala, I feel a little bit like a city missionary. We have a lot here, Italian pizza, shopping, bishop lives in a "Look a my Ecuadorian crib" kind of  community. We also are so blessed here to have a couple of investigators that go to church regularly. I am super excited to have some great lessons with them this week to help them just feel the truth through the spirit. Well one of the things that President told all the Zone Leaders that we represent him in every sector and we have to act as he would if he were here. It has helped me a lot to think about the missionaries here in Machala. We are a small zone of 4 elders and 4 sisters but POWERFUL. haha, we are having so much fun feeling the spirit and helping one another. Also my companion rocks, Elder Vieyra (I think I spelled his name wrong before) and I are really doing great! Everything from diligence to singing hymns like Louis Armstrong to our favorite phrase "The work is Awesome" Sometimes you have to be corny to be happy .)

Well the picture is of a little ward baptism of the family where we eat lunch. The family is so great and you would´t believe the spirit that we felt in the baptismal service of this little 8 year old. She also chose my companion to baptize her, so cute huh? 

Well this week has been a week focused on the spirit. Without the spirit we can not teach as missionaries and without the spirit we shouldn´t even be teaching! I love to just listen to people and to be so worried about how they need to feel, that thoughts or scriptures just come into my head. And now we will end with a funny story that my companion told me this week that hopefully shows we are committed to the work. He told me that a couple nights ago he found himself sleep-praying in his bed and me in my bed praying as well. asking for guidence in a lesson that we were going to have. He said "Amen" i said "Amen" and I began to sleep-teach the lesson and slowly go back to sleep. And when I had finally gotten to sleep my companion realized that we just did what we did in our sleep and felt embrassed to "keep teaching" or to wake me up, so he just went back to bed....

Haha, I had no idea

Love the work, love you guys, stay safe!

Elder Alder

"Goodbye"

Is there a song that has that title? Don´t tell me it is by adele or I will have a heart attack. Well, the title means that Friday morning, my companion and I got a call that Monday the two of us would have transfers and to say goodbye with those we have worked with. I must say that it was quite hard. Loved the branch and loved to work with every single member, new member, less active, and investigator that I had the chance to work with. I really felt so pleased to have been able to work there. But as they sang in conference "I´ll go where you want me to go dear lord". (But you wouldn´t believe the tears that were shead those last couple of days!) Sure going to miss them!

But now I am in Machala! If you are following closely to the letters, you´ll know that I was here about 2 and a half months ago. But now I am in the ward Lilian Maria as Zone Leader! Surprise Surprise! Not sure what zone leader means in other missions but here it´s a time to learn ALOT. I´m super excited for the time to dedicate my time in thinking of those in the zone and not just my own investigatores. I know that here in the mission when a leader gives more to those under his stweardship (D&C word that I don´t know how to spell) the lord just pours out blessings! Well that´s what I have seen in the past now it´s time to put my words into practice! 

Favorite part of conference? Member-Missionary work! Time to step it up! 

Spiritual experience of the week? Hearing an investigator tell us when she heard that we were leaving: "I promise you guys and the Lord that I will follow" 

The Lord is amazing and has blest us with prophets and apostales that talk to us constantly and that are constantly talking to Him. I hope to join you in studying their words!

Saludos a Todos!

Elder Alder

New Companion Elder Vieyra...Machala Zone Leaders