Lightless and Change

Another week here in the Coast of Machala. Someone said that it is like Pirate Island but...

This week was absolutely wonderful! First things first, baptism! Thanks to all your prayers. We were able to have a wonderful baptismal service. It was a service I will never forget. Why? Becuase we got to the church to set everything up AND there was no light. They wouldn`t turn on. They were off only in the chapel. The WHOLE neighborhood had light except the chapel. So what do you do? You go buy candles and you have the service anyways. That`s why I will never forget it! (So that`s why the picture is so bright with flash and my face shines brighter than the candles..) I also I can`t help to express how much I love hearing the testimony of someone that just entered the church. "I know these things are true" You don`t tell them to say that. You bare your own testimony that it is true and through the spirit they end up learning! It brings me to tears to know that in someway I can help but in the end that I don´t do that much. It is the spirit that does everything. And I kind of feel like the Lord blesses me with investigators to teach. This work is priceless. It`s hard, but in the end, you can smile and then you realize that you can`t stop smiling. That`s what the gospel does!

Tuesday we will have a new President. I am super excited because the Lord will help us in a new way to bring souls to Christ. I have such a testimony that the Lord is in this work. We can`t do anything without Him and if we try to do it without His help, we end up losing. I guess that will be my life motto (Is that how you spell that?)

Love you all and will you just smile :)

Elder Alder

People finding, English singing

Well a really great week! We are working a lot with the members right now and we are finding a lot of people to teach! We are being really blessed but still lots to do! We are so lucky to be able to have 3 of our investigators be baptized this saturday! Their names are Empedatris Bustamante and her son Moses, and Boris Morocho. Would like to ask you guys to keep them in your prays so they can have a spiritual experience this Saturday! Thank you so much!

The lady that will be baptized is wife to a member who was born in the church but feel away for a time. The miracle is that one day waved down the elders and asked for help and then a month and a half later the rest of the family is being baptized! The miracles of the lord are wonderful! The best part is that this family has 5 children and watching all of them during church is quite an adventure. I now understand what my parents had to suffer during the sacrament...

Speaking of parents. I failed to mention that my dad´s birthday was last week! And fathers day! Double the fun! Just wanted to thank him for the love he has shown him and to always know that I can always talk to my dad when I need something. Without him or my mom, I wouldn´t be the person I am today.

 

Picture for the week is that Carls Jr does exisit in this country. So don´t worry! 

I wish the best for all and hope we can be keep the commandments so the Lord can bless us! 

Love you all!!!

Elder Alder 

Devan found Subway!

Elder Ronald A. Rasband

Well Good Morning! The World says hello! (I don`t remember the saying, I`m just trying to be funny and in the end it doesn`t work)

So I would love to have had a picture of me shaking the big hand of One reciently called apostale of the Lord... but we couldn`t bring cameras. So I just have a picture very potent in my mind of his face and thin eyes looking into mine for a half of a second saying " Good morning"

Of all the things I learned from all the tears I cried. The one thing that stood out was how humbled I felt. I think I was just thrown to the dust. To see a special witness of Christ I felt closer to Him and felt that I needed to work super hard to reach my own point of conversion. That`s why the mission is so great. The most joyful people are those who dedicate ALL to the Lord so us missionaries have the chance to do it if we realize it. 

Also a word of advice to all, if you would like to start doing missionary work, you have to smile. That`s where it starts and then it ends in the temple! 

Elder Rasband shared with us a story about when he was  a mission president and took two missionaries out to lunch and they were in the Bronx. And in the restuarnt walked in a family, mom and dad and everything (Which you usually don`t see there). One missionary said, I feel like we should go talk to them. And the other said, Nah, we don`t want to bother the family. Elder Rasband ate slow and waited for the family to leave. Then taught a big lesson. The spirit prometes us to do things against our natural self. If we would like to recieve more the Spirit we have to be a little bit weird and do the NOT normal but GOOD thing.

I was filled immensely with the spirit that day. I have a testimony that this Church is guided by men who love their Lord and HE directs this church. There is no doubt and that`s why I am here. 

Love you all and I apologize if I don`t get to respond to all those who write me!

Elder Alder

MACHALA

Well it went pretty quick but right now I am in a different sector than before! 2 weeks and Gone! I was really excited in the Island for the people I was getting to know but the Lord wanted me here in MAchala. It´s three hours in bus from Guayquil, right on the coast (I think) and this week we had some rain. I think the second Niño got here with more rain and the cold! (Everyone has told me how much they got sun burned here in machala but I´m still waiting)

Well my new companion is....... Elder Cordova! From Peru and has a little more than a year in the mission. As you can see in the picture. We had a baptism this week! As our missionary leader put it: The others do the work and Elder Alder gets here to eat the cake! Tas'ted good! Just kidding! This kid had HUGE ear-rings and tattoes (That doesn´t look right; TATs better?) Was very humbling to see how the gospel can change our form of life and what that means to me. (The kid´s name is Cristofer and his uncle baptized him that got baptized a month ago)

Well the whole mission is waiting for Saturday because 3 missions will be in Guayaquil to listen to Elder Ronald Rasband! We are so blessed to listen to the voice of a special witness of our Savior. I can´t wait to hear his voice so I can help the sector here. 

It´s kid of funny here as District Leader, my zone leaders asked me to help all those who are ending their mission (One sister in my district ends next week, and 5 elders end in the next 2 months) Lots of work to do! 

And don´t let me forget that today we moved all our stuff from one apartment in the second floor to the fourth floor! Pretty fun!

Well everyone read 2Nephi 31:20 and figure out what endure to the end means to you!

Love you all!

Elder Alder