I'm Going to Miss you Ecuador!!!

It’s been an incredible 2 years! 

This week has been way too incredible to try and put into words. So I’ll just wait until Wednesday to tell you all!!

Thanks for all your love and support these last 2 years.     

God Bless.

2 John: 12     Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: 

but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.

 

From Mission President Moreno

Querida Familia Stidham

Muchas gracias por sus palabras

Nosotros no hemos hecho nada, su hijo es quien ha logrado todas estas bendiciones y ha alcanzado el nivel de un verdadero discípulo de Cristo.

El es un hombre que ama la obra del Señor, sirve con todo su corazón y bendice a las personas con su servicio y trabajo.

Muchas gracias por su apoyo y amor, en especial muchas gracias por todas sus oraciones para El y todos los misioneros.

En el nombre del Señor muchas gracias

Cordialmente

Pablo César Moreno Hortúa

Presidente Misión Ecuador Guayaquil Sur

Tel. +593 99-979-0287

The letter that made the whole mission, sickness, trials, and roller coaster ride worth it! From Momma Stidham

Subject: Familia Avila... Machala... Ecuador

Familia Stidham reciban muchos saludos de parte de toda mi familia. Los felicitamos y estamos muy felices de que Elder Stidham esta a punto de culminar su misión.... Only 8 days... Realmente el es un chico muy valiente y hermana Jill usted como madre ha sido una parte muy importante para que el sea un gran Guerrero de Jesucristo. El realmente ha traído muchas bendiciones a nuestro pais, gracias a su trabajo estupendo en la obra misional ha podido salvar muchísimas almas, el se ha convertido en un ejemplo para la mision Guayaquil Sur. Muchos misioneros que lo conocen hablan del gran numero de bautizos que el ha realizado. Se ha convertido en una leyenda..ja ja ja. El ha sabido ministrar a cada uno de los nuevos conversos para que se fortalezcan en el evangelio verdadero. Hace 3 meses el Señor me llamo a servir como Primer Consejero del Obispo de mi barrio Agradezco a usted y a su Esposo por desprenderse de sus hijos tan amados para que puedan acudir al llamado del Señor y personas como mi familia y yo hayamos conocido del maravilloso Plan de Salvación. El señor le pidió prestado a su hijo Zack por 2 años y testifico mi querida familia Stidham que regresa un DIGNO POSEEDOR DEL SACERDOCIO. Tuvimos la oportunidad de conocerlos en videollamada en Navidad porque El estuvo en nuestra casa. Realmente sentimos como que si los hubieramos conocido personalmente y esperamos que pronto puedan programar sus vacaciones a nuestro pais que a pesar de ser muy chiquitito es muy muy hermoso... Les va

encantar... Los esperamos pronto Familia Stidham... Saludos y bendiciones a todos...

Wilson Andres Avila Romero

 

Translation:

Stidham family receive many greetings from my whole family. We congratulate you and we are very happy that Elder Stidham is about to complete his mission .... Only 8 days ... He really is a very brave boy and sister Jill you as a mother has been a very important part for him to be a great Warrior of Jesus Christ. He has really brought many blessings to our country, thanks to his great work in the missionary work he has been able to save many souls, he has become an example for the South Guayaquil mission. Many missionaries who know him speak of the large number of baptisms he has performed. It has become a legend ... ha ha ha. He has been able to minister to each of the new converts so that they may be strengthened in the true gospel. Three months ago the Lord called me to serve as First Counselor of the Bishop of my neighborhood. I thank you and your Husband for letting go of your beloved children so that they can come to the Lord's call and people like my family and I have known about the wonderful Plan of Salvation. The Lord borrowed his son Zack for 2 years and I testify to my beloved Stidham family that returns a WORTHY OWNER OF THE PRIESTHOOD. We had the opportunity to meet them in a video call at Christmas because He was in our house. We really feel like if we had met them personally and we hope that they can soon schedule their vacations to our country, which, despite being very small, is very beautiful ...

love ... We wait for you soon Family Stidham ... Greetings and blessings to all ...

Wilson Andres Avila Romero

Querida familia Avila,

Quiero agradecerles su carta sobre nuestro hijo, el élder Stidham. Fue la carta más sorprendente y me hizo llorar porque me hizo tan feliz. ¡Estoy tan agradecida de que mi hijo pueda servir en una misión y pueda ir a un lugar tan maravilloso como Ecuador! Él ama tu país y la gente que conoció allí. Estoy muy agradecido de que haya conocido especialmente a tu familia. Él tiene un gran amor por todos ustedes y lo hizo sentir especial. Gracias por todas las comidas y amabilidades que le ha dado. Estoy agradecido de que te deleites en el Evangelio. También nos encanta y nos ha hecho tan felices y realizados. Tratamos de ser buenos discípulos de Jesucristo en todo lo que hacemos. Estaba tan feliz cuando Zack {Elder Stidham} quería servir en una misión. Recé para que él encontrara personas maravillosas que estuvieran listas para el evangelio y lo hizo, ¡tú! Esperamos que encuentre una bendición maravillosa en sus vidas como la que tenemos. Espero conocerlos a todos algún día.

Atentamente, Jill Stidham

Dear Family Avila,

I want to thank you for your letter to us about our son Elder Stidham.  It was the most amazing letter and made me cry because it made me so happy.  I am so thankful that my son could serve a mission and could go to such a wonderful place like Ecuador!  He loves your country and the people he met there.  I am so thankful that he met your family especially.  He has a great love for all of you and you made him feel special. Thank you for all the meals and kindnesses you have given him.  I am thankful that you are delighting in the Gospel.  We love it too and it has made us so happy and fulfilled.  We try to be good disciples of Jesus Christ in everything we do.  I was so happy when Zack {Elder Stidham} wanted to serve a mission.  I prayed that he would find some wonderful people that were ready for the gospel and he did, you!  We hope you find it a wonderful blessing in your lives like we have.  I look forward to meeting you all someday.

Sincerely, Jill Stidham

The Last One.....

Well its here.... its actually here.... My last week as a missionary has come.

Honestly I was writing a whole long and beautiful last message for you all last night. But as I sit here I just can’t put myself to write those words... that’s not me.

Words cannot begin to describe what I really feel.

I’m happy, really happy.

Grateful, so incredibly grateful for all that my Heavenly Father has put me though and helped me accomplish in these short 2 years.

I don’t know what else to say besides that I know God loves His children and because He loves us He restored the Gospel and church of Jesus Christ to the Earth.

I had an incredible week but it ended with some tears as I was woken up at 11:48pm by a member telling me that my bishop here passed away.

Please pray for the family Lastra. They need it!

God bless and ill see you all in 10 days!

I'm Hot and Humble!

Flight Home!

A Pidgon Pooped on my Head and I'm Still Smiling

I’ve decided that I’m just too happy to be a missionary that nothing can bring me down. 

So literally all of our investigators were just railed on by satin this week and none of them wanted to continue progressing anymore... that was kind of depressing and made for a long long week of contacting and walking for hours each day looking for those elect.

Highlight of the week:

 So we show up to church "empty handed" meaning everyone who told us that they’d come walk to church with us decided to sleep in, have family fights going on, or pretend to not be home when we showed up Sunday morning as we were walking alone to church kind of upset a pidgin decides its just the perfect timing to lay one lose on my head... yes that really happened and I just started laughing and shouted "thanks satin" in a happy voice haha! 

So where’s the highlight part? That’s kind of it! I’m just way too dang happy to let things get me down!

Oh and then my wonderful ward decided to bring 8 investigators to church because, you know, the Gospel is true and blesses lives!!

Oh how I love being a missionary and the things I get to learn here!!

I'm a busy boy

It’s been one of the happiest weeks of my mission but it had a bittersweet ending.

Well I have no idea how to explain what’s been going on these last two weeks so I’ll just wait to do it in person in 3 weeks.

I’m happy and that’s what’s important.

The time is slipping out of my hands because we are just so dang busy... 

My companion told me this week "its been kinda weird serving with you, we just never have any down time, why are we always just too busy to buy my dang biri biris?!"

ha-ha that describes out time together perfectly!! Always happy and laughing and always busy serving these people I love so much!!

I love being a missionary more than anything else in the world and honestly cried last night thinking that I only have 3 more Sundays here in this incredible ward...

Ps. I’m going to go make the best "Success tacos" in the world right now so if you want some just hope on a plane and I’ll see ya tonight!! We are going to baptize this family though pool playing and taco eating!!

(I think the coolest thing I’ve ever heard in my life is that my family went down to France over the Fifa World Cup Final game and watched them win with 90,000 other people by the Eiffel tower)

Love you all so much and if you want to Write Elder Stidham you only have 2 more chances!!  SO WRITE ME!!!   ; P

2 Nephi 5:27

I can’t tell you enough how much I’ve learned form that scripture!!

1. I love this stuff!

2. And 3. My Ecuadorian homie knows what’s up!!! So pumped to have found someone here wearing a jazz jersey!!!

We geared up for today lol!!

We had a dope pool day for P-Day!!! 

I love this family!! We are going to make tacos with them now so I’ll send you guys picks the next week!!

What’s the best way to Pre-Celebrate the 4TH OF JULY??? BAUTIZANDO!

KARINA GOT DUNKED!! 

That’s right we took a spiritual punch to the face for our dear friend Karina who has been investigating the church for over 11 years! 

And let me tell ya, she has gone through a Huge change over my short 7 weeks working with her!!

She even told everyone in her testimony after she got baptized that she sometimes rejected us and was kind of rude when we first showed up. But in tears she thanked us and most of all her mother for working so patiently with her. I HAVE NEVER SEEN SOMONE CHANGE SO FAST AND BECOME SO HAPPY!!!

She also testified of how much keeping the Sabbath day holy these last few weeks has changed her life. (Before she always went to the stadium to watch the football games on Sundays, she is a HUGE SPORTS FAN HAHA!!!) So the fact that she had given that up due to her incredible faith has inspired me so much to be 100% obedient to the Sabbath day after the mish!!

The last big news of the week is that I once again found myself in an Ecuadorian Hospital... why does my stomach like to be infected....? I DONT KNOW!! But I was on the look out for some more nurses to teach and baptize jaja!!

AND FOR ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN ASKING I WILL BE COIMNG HOME ON THE 8TH OF AUGUST....

I AM NOT TRUNKY AND DONT WANT TO BE SO PLEASE HELP A BROTHA OUT AND JUST KEEP ME MOTIVATED ;)

2 Nephi 25:26 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins. 

Sorry the picks aren’t great but there what I got]!

Geovanna my nurse, is in the first 3 picks.

Karina is in the next 3!

 

GOD HAS PERFECT TIMING AND A PERFECT PLAN

I HAVE THE COOLEST STORY EVER FOR YOU ALL TODAY!!!!!

But before I tell ya let me just state that I am soooo exhausted!!! And it’s a great thing!! "Why is my favorite missionary so tired?" you may be asking yourself... its because its been one heck of a week and most days began at 4:00 or 5:00am!!  I’ve decided that the mission is coming to an end just way to fast.... SO I DONT GOT TIME TO SLEEP!! We had one lesson at 6:00am on Thursday, which means waking up and getting ready at 4:30am to get geared up. We went to the temple on Friday and had to drive 45min to the temple and show up at 6:00, which means waking up at 4:00am. Then just to throw the bow on top, we had a baptismal service at 7:30am Sunday morning, and for those of who know what its like we had to clean and fill up the baptismal font and church before hand.... meaning another wake up alarm at 4:30. 

BUT WAIT there’s more!! Sunday night my comp had changes to become Assistant and we spent the whole night talking cuz he was kind of nervous and we have really become great friends!! I will defiantly miss this guy!! He has been a great soldier and an incredibly hard worker, plus I taught the guy to laugh a little harder and have an even better time in the service of the Lord! MAN I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!

So on to my super incredible story right!?!

To my adoring fans who have paid such extraordinary attention to my banana and rice filled life here in Ecuador, you will all recall that last year elder Stidham was severely sick and hospitalized many days.... it really was a rough time for me because I just wanted to be in the field working and I was in way to much pain and suffering to do much... I seriously went through a million trails and learned many more life long lessons, but among my heart-ach and countless doctor/hospital visits I began to know and talk with my nurses and doctors. I actually became great friends with one doctor and I taught a little bit of the gospel to one of my nurses.

Well over a year latter our hero elder Stidham is walking down the sweetly scented trash filled streets of Guayaquil and knocks on the door of a reference. The next thing he knows is that this same sweet nurse who received a little of the gospel from a sick missionary appears in the doorway... they both look closely at each other trying to awkwardly remember where they know each other and then it dawns on them and she gladly lets the missionaries into her home!

 (Idk why this is in 3rd person lol!)

But anyways I got to teach her the gospel, the spirit testified of the truth powerfully to her that the message of the Plan of Salvation is true, AND THEN SHE FEASTED ON THE BOOK OF MORMON!! Like literally. In only 4 weeks she has read all of 1 and 2 Nephi!!

Well as I said earlier, we had a baptism Sunday morning at 7:30am.... can you guess who got baptized???

That’s right, Gevoanna Jibaja, my old nurse, was prepared by the Lord and introduced to the gospel of Jesucristo by your favorite skinny, extremely sick and insanely white missionary! (And no I’m not sick anymore!!)

Even though I’ve been joking a lot in this letter, I really can’t describe how humbled I have been to have this amazing experience! The Lord prepared me in a way that I never could have imagined becoming an instrument in His perfect hands. I am sooooo grateful of every rough day that I went through last year just to have been able to meet Geovanna. As I reflect back on how close I came to being sent home from the mission due to illness and how many tears of sadness I shed I just have the words of Jeffrey R. Holland ringing in my head when he said:

Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come.

Brothers and sisters I add my testimony to those true and powerful words. God has a PERFECT TIMING FOR ALL THINGS!!

It’s been one crazy and incredible week and I’ve got another one coming up.

Elder Stoker is my new companion and he’s from Syracuse, Utah!! 

-He has 9 months in the mission

-I’m training him to be a Zone leader!

-I’ve heard a million great things about him!

-As far as I can tell they are all true and I’m pumped!!

We will be having a baptism this Saturday of an investigator who has been investigating and attending the church or over 11 years!!! Please Pray for Karina, she has done a 180 with her life in these last 6 weeks and her family has told me that they have never seen her happier!!

Love you all!!!! 

Please write and let me know how you all are!!!

Are you a Potato or an Egg?

Does that title make any sense at all?? NO! Unless you read this question that my bro Elder Withers shared with me this fine morning: 

"The same boiling water that hardens the egg softens the potato, it's about what your made of, not your circumstances" 

So that kind of struck me today because we have been seeing a lot of miracles lately and we thought that tons of investigators were progressing really well... but turns out that not everyone is strong enough to hold onto the gospel. We have been working incredibly diligently these last 5 weeks and haven’t seen much success as in terms of baptisms which is strange to me because usually we should have had several from how hard we are working and how much the ward is doing to help... but the Lord has a purpose for all things. 

We had 8 investigators who had attended church, felt the spirit, and accepted baptismal dates decide to stop investigating the church.... that’s kind of rough for one week.... but at the same time we have been very blessed and guided to several others who I believe will be baptized over the next few weeks so I’m still as happy and positive as ever!!

So let me tell ya about one miracle we had this week!!

There is a non-member couple who have a son currently serving a mission. And this mother and father never wanted to hear a word from the missionaries and love to drink and sell alcohol... well a week ago on Sunday this missionaries mom showed up at church and I got to meet her! Elsa (yes just like in frozen) sells empanadas for her job and invited us over last Thursday. We get there and start talking to her husband who also never wanted to listen to the missionaries either. But the Lord prepares his children!! We started small talk with him and talked about sports for a bit (the world cup lol) and then offered our service. He gladly accepted because they are going to move houses and wanted help clearing the land and prepping it. 

After our service we were eating empanadas again and Hno Rene asks me what do we know and believe about death? We got excited and told him a brief explanation of the Plan of Salvation and asked if we could come back another day to share more! He accepted and is progressing slowly but surly!! 

OH, AND HAPPY FATHERS DAY TO THE BEST PAPÁ EN EL MUNDO!! LOVE YA DAD!! 

Not sure what else to add besides that we had a ward activity and our lesson was on the Restoration of the Gospel. We decided to make hand-made cut out puzzles and then take 1 piece of each puzzle so they couldn’t finish them.  We related the puzzle to the gospel of Christ and that no one had the entire puzzle and that everyone was confused and frustrated without the Fullness of the Gospel. We watched Joseph Smith’s first vision and then ended with some games and food! It was a bomb activity and we have another one coming up this week!

Love you all and thanks for the support!!

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing."

We almost burned the house down...

So many stories to tell and no time to do so....

Anyway my companion burned the cable to out electric stove and it sent sparks everywhere and our house looked like the 4th of July jaja!!!! I valiantly took one for the team and ran into the blazing scene to rip out the stove from the outlet and was only slightly singed!!

haha oh the things that’ll happen in a small cement house in banana land!

Oh yeah! We are seeing miracles on a daily and had 9 investigators show up to church on Sunday!!! 11 have baptismal dates still.

If you want to help a brother out send us some prayers for Jipson and his family. He’s having some difficulties with drugs but wants to get baptized!!

Thanks for the love and support!

Have a great week!

Read the book of Mormon!!

1 Nephi 1:1 

13 Fechas Bautismales!!!

We are on fire here in the Pedregal!!!!

Man we are working our tails off but hope to see some huge results this up coming week! We have found our way to many investigators to be able to teach all of them that want us to!! Which is awesome but terrible at the same time!! Its great being so busy that there’s never a second wasted but at the same time its kind of rough having to choose between who we focus on and who we have to leave hanging....

We were suppose to have a baptism or two this week but they got some anti-Mormon family members who got them shook up a bit. We will work on them a lot this week to see what miracles the Lord has in store for them!

Never a dull moment as zone leader. We had an incredible zone conference with our President Moreno and his wife Hermana Moreno. They brought the spirit big time helping me understand JUST HOW DANG IMPORTANT THE BOOK OF MORMON IS!!!!! 21 months and you’d think I would know that right?! Well as always, the Lord wants me to prefect myself more than ever! We also did several practices of teaching an entire lesion in just 5 minutes!!!! And let me tell ya, ITS SOO MUCH MORE SPIRITUAL! We learned how to get down to business real quick, invite the Holy Ghost to testify, leave a commitment on the Book of Mormon and take out a return visit in just 5 minutes! 

IT HAS WORKED MIRACLES IN MY SECTOR THIS WEEK!! 

By far the best part of our multi-zone conference was when President and his wife at the end gave us an example of the most spiritual 5 minutes I’ve ever had outside of conference!

Sorry I don’t have time to talk more about those incredible 13 souls who have accepted a baptismal date but they are awesome and cant wait to see what the incredible power of the Book Of Mormon will do in their lives!!

SHOUT OUT TO MY AMAZING ABUELITO FOR 88 LONG AND HAPPY YEARS OF LIVIN LIFE AND THE GOSPEL!! Te amo bastante!!

So I have some catching up to do on the picks.... my cameras not feeling too well so I’m going to take him to the doc to see what’s up... but good news is that my comp had some picks over the last 3 weeks! Bad news is that Latin’s have a different filter mode on which makes them look "lighter" or in my case.... a whole heck of a lot whiter....

And yeah my comp is in loooove with hamburgers!!

 

Anyways do as our beloved prophet Thomas s. Monson reminded us so frequently to follow the saviors example and "go about doing good" Hechos 10:38