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Dearest friends and family!
Sorry my email was a bit delayed, but before all: I am fine and made it to my new sector and new companion!
Alright! Now, where to start? So, I have returned to Ambato, the zone I was in last April! But, a new sector, actually the largest one in the mission if I understand correctly, and it is just peachy! And not only that, I am now a father again! Yes, I am finishing the training of a new missionary! Dear Elder Kingsford is now my companion, soaring in from Bountiful Utah, and we are just doing swell. I´m writing late because Monday I was on the bus all day, literally from the morning, to the night time. It was RATHER LONG. But, I made it to Quito, met up with my new companion, and stayed with some other missionaries, and the next day was the new-missionary-verification. So we were in training meetings all of Tuesday, and then, at last, we got to leave this morning and now we are here in our sector!
Whew, so those are the recent news. BUT! I would love to share some past highlights of last week!
-First, we had a baptism! Yes, in the family V, the parents are still lacking papers to be married, but their 11 year old son was completely ready to be a member, so we asked him if he wanted to be baptized that weekend, and he agreed! So Saturday we got to have our last baptism of Lago Agrio, and he was confirmed Sunday. It was rather sad to have to leave all of my investigators, but I know that they´ll be in good hands. (and I´ll get some photos of the baptism as soon as I write to the other missionaries to send them to me)
-AND! Great experience. Usually, in Ecuador, every time you get on a bus there´s always someone in the front selling something or preaching or asking for money or something, and last Tuesday there was someone who stood up the front and starting speaking. I was far back and couldn´t hear what he was saying, but saw he had a ´Watchtower´, the magazine of the Jehovah´s witness religion, and thought he was just preaching. And then, I noticed he also had a magazine from our church too, and then when he started walking down the bus with a hand outstretched for some money, I thought I´d see if I could get a teaching opportunity from him. Well, turns out I started speaking to him, and he was a tourist from Peru who got stranded in Ecuador because the day before he got mugged, beaten and lost all his possessions that he had with him, and was just looking for a coat or something for the long trip ahead. (and even worse, it all happened on his birthday!) He had received some money from other people and the church magazine from a member (spirit points!), but we told him our house was nearby and we´d see if we could bring him something to help. And we did! We stopped at home, made him a ´travel bag´ with food and clothes, and a half an hour later we very luckily found him again outside on the sidewalk. (small prayer answered) We gave him the bag, then thought we´d get him some food, and we ended up taking him to restaurant. It turned out he hadn´t eaten or drunken all day and was very grateful for the help. We fed him, helped him count out the money he collected on the bus, and shared with him about who we were and a little about the restoration and the book of Mormon. And later, something impacted him, and he told us, ´I want to read the Book of Mormon´ WOW! Without even explaining what it was! We quickly got him a copy, helped him get ready to leave to Peru, wrote down his name, direction, and showed him how to find the church in his country.
So, all in all, it was a very VERY special experience for us, and from our good efforts in little than an hour he had a burning desire to learn about our church. Your modern day good Samaritan story!
Ah, yes. So those are the big news of the week, we hope that we´ll be able to have success here, and that I´ll be able to adjust from hottest zone in mission to one of the coldest! Whew!
Stay spiffin!
.-Elder Sanders
PS- President Ghent s wife told me that her daughter will coming to Ecuador in a couple of weeks, and that you can send me a camera with her! So, be expecting an email in a day or so in how to coordinate that.
PSS- Did I say it before? HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!
I hope you got the photo from sister Ghent of us and the birthday sign!
Sorry my email was a bit delayed, but before all: I am fine and made it to my new sector and new companion!
Alright! Now, where to start? So, I have returned to Ambato, the zone I was in last April! But, a new sector, actually the largest one in the mission if I understand correctly, and it is just peachy! And not only that, I am now a father again! Yes, I am finishing the training of a new missionary! Dear Elder Kingsford is now my companion, soaring in from Bountiful Utah, and we are just doing swell. I´m writing late because Monday I was on the bus all day, literally from the morning, to the night time. It was RATHER LONG. But, I made it to Quito, met up with my new companion, and stayed with some other missionaries, and the next day was the new-missionary-verification. So we were in training meetings all of Tuesday, and then, at last, we got to leave this morning and now we are here in our sector!
Whew, so those are the recent news. BUT! I would love to share some past highlights of last week!
-First, we had a baptism! Yes, in the family V, the parents are still lacking papers to be married, but their 11 year old son was completely ready to be a member, so we asked him if he wanted to be baptized that weekend, and he agreed! So Saturday we got to have our last baptism of Lago Agrio, and he was confirmed Sunday. It was rather sad to have to leave all of my investigators, but I know that they´ll be in good hands. (and I´ll get some photos of the baptism as soon as I write to the other missionaries to send them to me)
-AND! Great experience. Usually, in Ecuador, every time you get on a bus there´s always someone in the front selling something or preaching or asking for money or something, and last Tuesday there was someone who stood up the front and starting speaking. I was far back and couldn´t hear what he was saying, but saw he had a ´Watchtower´, the magazine of the Jehovah´s witness religion, and thought he was just preaching. And then, I noticed he also had a magazine from our church too, and then when he started walking down the bus with a hand outstretched for some money, I thought I´d see if I could get a teaching opportunity from him. Well, turns out I started speaking to him, and he was a tourist from Peru who got stranded in Ecuador because the day before he got mugged, beaten and lost all his possessions that he had with him, and was just looking for a coat or something for the long trip ahead. (and even worse, it all happened on his birthday!) He had received some money from other people and the church magazine from a member (spirit points!), but we told him our house was nearby and we´d see if we could bring him something to help. And we did! We stopped at home, made him a ´travel bag´ with food and clothes, and a half an hour later we very luckily found him again outside on the sidewalk. (small prayer answered) We gave him the bag, then thought we´d get him some food, and we ended up taking him to restaurant. It turned out he hadn´t eaten or drunken all day and was very grateful for the help. We fed him, helped him count out the money he collected on the bus, and shared with him about who we were and a little about the restoration and the book of Mormon. And later, something impacted him, and he told us, ´I want to read the Book of Mormon´ WOW! Without even explaining what it was! We quickly got him a copy, helped him get ready to leave to Peru, wrote down his name, direction, and showed him how to find the church in his country.
So, all in all, it was a very VERY special experience for us, and from our good efforts in little than an hour he had a burning desire to learn about our church. Your modern day good Samaritan story!
Ah, yes. So those are the big news of the week, we hope that we´ll be able to have success here, and that I´ll be able to adjust from hottest zone in mission to one of the coldest! Whew!
Stay spiffin!
.-Elder Sanders
PS- President Ghent s wife told me that her daughter will coming to Ecuador in a couple of weeks, and that you can send me a camera with her! So, be expecting an email in a day or so in how to coordinate that.
PSS- Did I say it before? HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!
I hope you got the photo from sister Ghent of us and the birthday sign!
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