Week # 63 Did we just meet one of the three nephites?

I hope you have time to read this, Eden had a wonderful experience this week, Heavenly Father is so mindful of us and sends aid and angels when needed. Scott and I have been praying for Eden and his companion to get along, and I know that He is mindful of us all. He does answer prayers and I know He loves all his children. I love Eden, His grown so much this past year and I am so proud of him for serving and loving God and the people of Ecuador. We are the ones blessed to have him in our family.
Claudia

---

Alright!  Before everyone gets really curious and excited about the title, I`d like to say it`s been a mighty-swell week!

  ( oh yeah, did I ever tell you guys we got our hour of internet back?  YEAH!!! Full fledged writing indeed!)

First off, to reply to this week`s emails: WOW! that Elder Wells (I guess he is now known as Greg) was able to visit my family in Utah!  How neat for you all!

And also, Mom`s story about the relief society power team was great, I absolutely love it when the church never fails to bring forth it`s true potential!  How great...    and also a shout out to Ethan! 12 and full of Priesthood power!  Congrats!  And lastly, thanks for the family history charts! I will definitely use them well and with security.  AND!!! I got your package! Thanks for the letters, the mattress cover, and even the peachie-O`s!

Ok, Hmmm!  Where to begin? So much happened this week, both fun stuff and spiritual experiences alike!  Ok, I think I`ll go one day at a time in a very business like fashion. 

Tuesday:  Ok, with my companion we`ve had much improvement!  But, as we know, before good things come, trials must proceed it. So Tuesday night we pretty much we`re trying to resolve things, and it all ended in an argument, me hurt and upset, and my companion rather flustered and angry, so I left and tried to seek some personal relief.  So, at my desk, I remembered the last time I was in this situation what really helped me was my patriarchal blessing.  So, I dug it out, and began to read, and in no more than the first paragraph I read:

(I feel it being right to share)
` And, Eden, it should also be a great comfort that you too, like Nephi of old, have been born of goodly parents, who have loved you and have taught you the gospel of Jesus Christ while still in your youth, ` 

 And in that moment, the spirit flooded in and I found myself sobbing!  How blessed I had been!  So, for my parents (and so that everyone can know it), THANKS MOM AND DAD!!!  For loving me, for raising me in righteousness, and for always supporting me no matter what, and I`ll carry that knowledge with me wherever I go and whatever situation I`m stuck in.  I do love you all too!  

Wednesday: Divisions!  The zone leaders came to our sector, we had a meeting, and I took a visit to Coca for some well needed divisions.

Thursday: I returned to my sector, to find that back in Lago Agrio my companion and Elder Housley had found 3 new families! WOW!  We were able to teach them later in the week, and 1 of them has a baptismal date for this next month!  HOORAY!

Friday:  Hm. What happened Friday?  We taught, fought, and had a great day!

Saturday: General Conference!  The weekend which is literally like Christmas for missionaries across the world!  So, when I woke up and felt like puking, I knew there was trouble!  Yes, I got super sick!  I managed to get myself to go to the church and attend the sessions, but I fear that for the majority of it I was pretty much out of it in the chairs.  But thank goodness now we can download talks online to listen at home!    

But, as we were out eating lunch, my companion with a plate of rice and me with soup, a man at another table called out to us saying `Elders!`  He came and sat with us, and began to talk to us about many many things. 

He said he knew the missionaries very well, and wasn`t a member.  He said that he had traveled in a lot of parts of Ecuador (and the world actually) and was just stopping by in Lago Agrio.  The odd thing was, that he seemed to know everything about the church, about prophets, when they lived, about mission rules and even old mission presidents and missionaries, and he wasn`t a member!  I just thought it was too bad he had all this worldly knowledge and was never baptized, because it seemed very apparent he knew The Church was true, and he spoke a lot about other religions in the world, and how many religions existed, and so on and so forth.  (He really did seem to know everything, and even informed us that we had better get going so that we wouldn`t be late for the 2nd session of General conference!)

Later, we left, and my companion started to say that the things that the guy in the restaurant said (I think his name was Fernando or something) it really, REALLY impacted him.   My companion said that everything he was saying was directed at him, and seemed to even know his needs and current situation, and happened to give him advice and counsel, all without knowing him at all.  I was a little confused, I thought he was just a wise yet blatant guy, but as my companion explained how it seemed he knew all those things and happened to be there, my companion asked me, `Do you think he was one of the three nephites?`  (for those of you who have no idea what I mean by this, ready 3Nephi 29 in the Book of Mormon!)   And from what he said, it actually made sense.  He really could of been. I mean, he spoke about how he was from Guayaquil and worked with chemicals in a factory and was married before and other things, but, it seemed to be more a spiritual experience for my companion.  But, true, I will say he was sent by God to help our little struggling companionship,  but whether he was just a very knowledgeable man or a Nephite apostle, I cannot say nor am I too worried about it, because I don`t think it would be right for us to know for sure if he really was!   

                                          

Sunday:  I was healed!  Yes, I could watch general conference without expedience, (although it was in Spanish, and a little tricky to decipher at times) but still very very good!  And we`re going to have a baptism this next Friday!  :)

As for some of my favorites:

-Elder Nelson`s talk about if you want to know something, ask a missionary.  It helps me have more confidence in what I do!

-Elder Holland`s mighty talk!  Actually, I loved it because he gave one VERY SIMILAR in an MTC devotional, which I watched during a training meeting in Quito, and both times he carried truth and passion to my soul!  (it`s only too bad that in Spanish, you can see him getting really passionate, and the passionate voice just doesn`t translate in Spanish!)

-And lastly, I thought the talk about Bee activity and how it connects to us, the world and the gospel was very informative and interesting, not quite high on my spiritual ranking, but I had many many notes from it,

  -Ah, yeah.  So that was my week!  Many good things and wondrous stories.  I hope you enjoyed them all!  Until next week my lads,  I`m off! Thanks for the photos and for you letters!  I miss you!  Have a wonderful week, and congrats on the harvest!

-Elder Eden Sanders