More Miracles?! YES!!

SO I HAVE THE COOLEST STORY EVER TO TELL!!! But I got to tell it in detail so y'all have to stay in tuned next week when I have more time to write.... sorry....

But besides that we have just found endless people that the Lord has prepared and placed our path this week! 

I seriously have began to feel culture shock again lately... like some of the people we have been meeting are just so poor and humble that it leaves me sadden but at the same time I understand better Ammon’s response in Alma 32:6 when he sees other afflictions with joy. Because afflictions really do humble people and it prepares them to hear and receive the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have experienced it many times in my own life and so many more times here in the mission.

Sorry there is just no time to write but I am happy and excited for another week of hard week of looking for those elect!

Choose to be happy today and Read the Book of Mormon!!

Letter written by Jill for Elder Stidham for the Parkway 9th Ward Newsletter:

I seriously have began to feel culture shock again lately... some of the people we have been meeting are just so poor and humble that it leaves me saddened, but at the same time I understand better Ammon’s response in Alma 32:6 when he sees other afflictions with joy. Because afflictions really do humble people and it prepares them to hear and receive the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have experienced it many times in my own life and so many more times here in the mission.

We have a new miracle! Last year I was really sick and hospitalized with chikungunya.  There was a really nice nurse that attended me.  We talked to her about being a missionary and what we do and why we were there serving.  A year later I am knocking on doors and I find this same nurse!  She invited us in to teach her.  We taught her a lesson and gave her a scripture to read and set another appointment for the next day.  We arrive the next day and she had read 18 chapters and accepted baptism!  I feel so blessed that so many people are prepared to receive the gospel.  I am sad to think this is my last newsletter.  I would love to keep serving as a missionary indefinitely!  But I realize that when I do come home (August 8) I will still be able to serve and minister and receive personal revelation my entire life! What a blessing my mission has been! It has changed my life!

Milagros y Bendiciones!!!

OHHHH MY GOSHHHH I HAVE BEEN TRANSFERED TO THE COOLEST WARD EVER!!!!!

I AM SOOOO HAPPY TO BE HERE AND WE ARE BEING EXTREAMLY BLESSED FOR OUR 100% DEDICATION TO THE OBRA!!

If you can't tell I’m pumped to work in this ward!!!! And what makes it all the better is that my Comp Elder Garcia is a Champ!

We have been working our souls off this week in the trenches of Pedregal and I mean that literally because we are being so blessed with families that want to hear our message!!!

ahh!!!! I’m so stoked about this week I don’t even know where to begin....

I'll start with my compañero el Elder Garcia. This guy knows what he’s doing! He seriously has such a mastery of the scriptures that it has left me amazed every single day of this week! Combine his wisdom and the never ending Enthusiasm of Yours truly, WE MAKE ONE HECK OF A TEAM! Get ready for lots of baptisms ladies and gents!

Elder Garcia is from Peru (companion #4 from Peru) and loves to go running in the morning so I’m happy! He is very focused on the work and loves helping other missionaries. He told me that he’s felt a lot happier since I’ve been with him so I’m glad we are getting along really well. We decided to work our tails off this week so we’ve been contacting literally everyone!!! From parties to buses to weeding and to visiting member’s girlfriends we have been on the hunt for the Lords elect! AND WE WANT ALL OF EM!!

We were walking down the street on Tuesday and one old, but very friendly one-legged man yelled "hello my friend" in a Latin accent. I decided to talk to him and lo and behold the man has been prepared by the Good Shepard! He his so humble and has had a few rough weeks which afflicted him just enough to be in the perfect condition for the restored gospel to enter into his life! He accepted it with tears in his eyes and a smile on his face! Can’t wait for his up coming baptism in a few weeks!!

Another story. We were just leaving an appointment and were kind of hungry as us young men genuinely are. When we heard and saw a party of 20 little kids dancing to some evangelic music. We decided to stop by and do some contacting. When we had just gotten to the door, a very excited father invited us in to see the party and get to know his daughter and his grandson who were dancing. After talking a few moments of who we are and what we do they invited us to eat and share a brief message!! HOW COOL RIGHT?!

Here’s another story, While walking doing the street we noticed a sweet older sister struggling with some bags of verduras she had just bought. We decided to help her of course and she allowed us to meet her family. As we entered in the house we were soon surrounded by 8 of her daughters and grand children who eagerly listened to our message and asked many interested questions! As we concluded they asked us were our church building is located and when would we visit them again!! BLESSED!!

Last but not least of my joyous week has been meeting these wonderful saints here in Barrio Pedregal (which "means stony" way in English like when Christ taught about the seed that fell into the rocky soil in Mateo 13.) Our bishop is the most humble and excited guy I have meet here in Guayaquil!! His counselors are amazing as well! Our Elder Quorums President is soooo awesome and has already made 3 visits with us!! Relief Society President? The best! She brought an investigating friend to church with her and is ready to work!

But by far the best part of the ward is our Ward Mission Leader!! He is and RM who served in Colombia and is soooo ready to work and so excited to help us out! Man I can only imagine how much success where about to have here!!

Acts 10:38   How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

This was one of President Thomas S. Monson's favorite scriptures.

It sure helped me find lots of new people to teach this week!

Love you all and I invite you to study the word "REMEMBER" and why it’s so important.

Read the book of Mormon every day!

Ps. the guy on the far right is my companion Elder Garcia!

Cambios.... y posiblemente el ultimo sector......

What’s up white bread?

What a week!?? Was it good or bad I’m not sure but it was filled with 7 days and I’m not sure what happened...

Obviously the highlight was talking to my sweet and wonderful mother!!! Happy Mothers Day Mom!! (Every day should be mother’s day but sometimes I forget to say it) I also enjoyed talking with the Stidham clan and seeing their funny mugs again!

P.s. my family is way too trunky ;)

We spent the week trying to feel the spirit though all the loud music and alcohol filled streets as my dear Ecuadorian friends celebrated Mothers Day in their unique way. We didn’t see too much progression because everyone was out of town and no one wanted to go to church due to parties all night.

However we were pleasantly surprised with 3 new references that members brought to church with them!!

Oh and I had changes so now I’m a Zone Leader and my new comp is Elder Garcia. Ill tell y'all more about him next week!

Love ya!!

Mosiah 4:11-12

Read the book of Mormon every day!!

Choose to be happy today!!!

5 de Mayo con Guacamoli, papa a la Huancaina, y 3 bautismos!!!!

Que Tal mi querida familia? Ojala que comieron algo Mexicano y picante el sabado pasado!!

If you don’t understand that I invite you to repent and learn the celestial language of Española!

How was your 5-de mayo?? All I can say was that mine was better!! You want to know why?

1. 3 of my dear rice loving friends entered into the waters of baptism this weekend and it was a baptism service so amazing! We had tons of support from the ward and about 50 people showed up between the 2 baptismal services! There was just such a peace in this service that it made me so excited to keep helping everyone get to this moment! You can never underestimate the power of MINISTERING!!! It is so powerful and it really has been changing lives!!

2. We didn’t eat rice on Saturday!! Hallelujah!! We made some Mexican food and the famous Peruvian papa a la Huancaina for lunch with a family of members and their 2 not-yet member friends!! Looking forward to seeing some more baptisms there as well!

 

3. Service, service, and more service. So this week we have become some construction experts and one of our service projects was to destroy an old guardaria which I think is called day care in English... but anyway it is going to be a home so they wanted us to clear out all of the walls!! It was seriously a dream come true to take sledgehammers to the walls and just break everything ha-ha!!! But the clean up was kind of rough and we were short on time because of the baptisms we had to prepare! 

4. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!

So sorry there isn’t too much more time to tell about all of the other miracles we had this week but I just wanted to end with the quote of the week from my new investigator and favorite New Yorker Moises Ronquillo "hay que estar alegre!!! La vida es beautiful baby!!!" yes he speaks Spanglish hard core and cannot control it at all ha-ha!! He just got back from the US and doesn’t remember Spanish 100% neither English 100% haha I love this funny old guy!!

My new favorite scripture is 2 Nephi 5:27

27. And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness.

If you read the context of this scripture you will understand that they did not have many reasons to be happy.... they just had to abandon their houses... again..... Their brothers Laman and Lemuel literally wanted to kill all of them, and had no food or home. Why in the world were they happy?! The answer is in the same chapter and I invite all of you to read 2 Nephi 5 and ask yourself what you can do to be happier TODAY!!!

Love you all and hope and pray that all mothers can enjoy this special week!!! Don’t forget to show extra love for your momma this Sunday!!!