Monday, May 25, 2015

So other than the health scare I consider this week a good week

Well this has been a very interesting day. Well I came here thinking that there was some things that that I wouldn't share because they are a little scary for you guys. But now thinking on the spiritual aspect that I have learned from this experience, is something wonderful.

Everything started Tuesday, we had a meeting with the missionaries and then I had an exchange. I went to a place that is very poor and filthy, the houses are very simple also the food. While there I was good and had a good time, obviously I got dirty. I got to my sector, Wednesday, goodish, Thursday, also goodish. Goodish because it wasn't a stellar day in the field. But Friday I woke up and exploded the bathroom. Then from when I woke up I was going to the bathroom every 20 minutes. Then after our studies my stomach wasn't feeling good. I didn't have an appetite. So I rested for a bit and took medicine. We left at 3pm. At 5 pm we had a lesson where we taught this lady and while I was teaching them I felt my body temperature raising. I felt a fever come. I then after went to a near by planned appointment with a convert so I could use her bathroom. When I got there Ii couldn't teach. I was weak in my bones, my strength left and I was starting to be cold. So my companion and the member taught while I laid down on the member's sofa with double blankets. Then they gave me some medicine and I started to throw up. So they called the bishop and by then I was feeling horrible. I was barely able to walk. The bishop took me to the hospital where they hooked me up to a machine and started pumping something into my veins. I started to feel better. I had a time alone to reflect on what had happened. In that short moment I came to know my savior.  I realized that he felt the same that I felt. Tears came down because I thought in my mind the words of D&C 19:15  "...how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not."  I really love Jesus Christ and what he has done for me.

That night then went a little bit worse, we couldn't pay for the visit so the mission had to come at 12 in the morning to pay for it. When they came I was sleeping on the benches in the lobby because the pains came back. I was a wreck.  But now I am good. Still taking medication but I feel better.
 
Saturday I was in the house all day resting and Sunday I went to work. I don't know how we did it but we got 8 people to go to church.

So other than the health scare I consider this week a good week. 

Oh in the end what I had was a stomach infection from food I ate on Tuesday. 

Well. This week is also going to be good. Tomorrow so I don't get sick again, I am sending my companion on an exchange. hahaha. He's doomed. Naw.

Friday we have the privilege to listen to a general authority. Its going to be awesome. 

God really loves us.
I love you
ElderLuke

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Well I will tell you another funny story, I was ......robbed.

Well it just sounds wonderful that you guys had a wonderful week. Its awesome to hear how the family is being united and augmenting our love for each other. Its very good because what I see is families that do things like we do. We are so blessed that God assigned us six to be together. Its just wonderful, a lot of thanks to give to God.

Well I will let you know that Monday to Thursday I wasn't doing very well with my companion. It was awful, fighting and yelling because we just lost all the qualities of Christ that we have been working on. But God already new of the fighting, so he had planned with my zone leader Elder Cordova, also my old companion to have an interchange. Well it was good to be away for a while where I was able to vent and talk to another missionary to help. Well returning to be with my companion we had forgotten about what had happened and now we are doing great. I see the times that he holds in his breath when he doesn't like something. We are improving, also we have been trying to do fun things during the day to play a little. What we did is we found an old really ugly soccer ball, we were kicking it all around our sector all day. It was pretty funny. Also we are trying to get along.  Thanks to that change in us we were blessed again with 5 people in the church. Not the same 5 than the week before, but we are just loaded with people to work with. 

It was stake conference this Sunday and WOW, there was a huge mass of babies and little kids, screaming and yelling. I was observing our investigators and they noticed the commotion and they weren't focusing. So we took our investigators to another room that it was being transmitted and it was a lot better. Super pumped because we are being blessed and now we are gong to have another family come to Christ. There is a family of 3 that we are teaching that are so animated and ready to be baptized. They love the church, Its a very special family. We are most likely going to baptize them in June.

Well I will tell you another funny story, I was ......robbed. Wow he took just about everything, Everything, okay maybe he just took a dollar. It was funny. It was on Sunday when I was in my suit and with my $200 watch and he was drunk and come and told us to give him a dollar so that he doesn't rob us. He put his hand in his pants to suggest that he had a gun but he didn't have anything. I told him straight that I didn't want to give it to him, because I didn't want him to drink more. Then he insisted.  I asked him what is he going to buy. He told me breakfast. So I insisted that I invite him to breakfast that we were going to go together. But he didn't want to. In the end I gave him the dollar and he walked away. I said, I hope you love your breakfast. And then we went away. It was frightening but I was calm. But now I am short one dollar. hahaha just a joke.

I will tell you that its sometimes hard to share the gospel.  I feel that the words don't come out so well or they just don't get it, but I love it when I am able to teach with the spirit and I can help these people who accept us and apply what we teach. If only people who sack the crud in their eyes and notice that the truth is here in the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

I love you
ElderLuke

Monday, May 11, 2015

Lets talk about God and Christ. But obviously I still love talking about bikes.

Well mom,
How's it going, I will let you know that everything is good. I am happy, things are getting done and yea.
 
It was really nice to see you guys yesterday. I saw everyone so clearly and it was nice to see the family. But its wasn't as personal as I wanted it to be. While we were talking in that house there were a lot of people and it wasn't personal. But it was cheerful. To be straight honest I wanted to talk more about the church and what I teach and doctrine. I don't know why. Its because Ecuador isn't that cool, its the mission that is freaking awesome. But all is good, the best part is that I only have a short time left to be back with the family, that's when we can talk full doctrine and scriptures. Its weird, back before I left I wanted to talk about music and bikes, now its like, lets talk about God and Christ. A huge personality change. That's almost all I talk about here. Its because I have come to find that that is what is most important. But obviously I still love talking about bikes. Music not much, but Bikes I do miss. 
 
Well like I told you, I was able to bring 5 people to church. When we got home we knelt down and offered a prayer giving thanks to God for blessing us with five people. Our goal was 4. The last week we only got 2 to church and before that 1. So we are improving. I am so glad because I feel that I am doing this with the strength of God. That's how it should always be but a lot of times we trust in our own strength and we forget God. We have to trust and we receive so much more success.
 
I am so happy mom that you had such a special gift for mothers day. Even though it was your day, well it shows how awesome dad is. I want you to know that whenever he writes me he always tells me that you are a blessing in our lives and that you are AWESOME.  He really loves you.  Its so very true, you are a blessing to all the family.
 
Well I don't have much to say but that I played futbol today and I also killed a rat in the house that was sleeping under my backpack. This rat was like Spiderman, it was super hard to kill it. I have killed like 5 rats in this house. ......... I hate rats but I am ferocious while killing them.
 
Well mom, I love you. Have a wonderful day and week.
 
ElderLuke
 
Making Brookies in Ecuador



 
Not the prettiest looking Brookies but memories made!!
 
The missionaries and Elder Luke's converts




Family picture
 


Mother's Day Skype

We had great Internet connection this time and could hear Brian, I mean Elder Luke, very clearly.  The picture was still a little blurry but we could still tell he was sweaty like crazy.  It was so fun to laugh with him and to see how happy he is.  He has lost some weight, especially in his face. He still doesn't like the heat, but has grown to accept the heat and the fact that he sweats a lot.  We asked if he carries an extra shirt with him to change in during the day and he said no that they didn't have time to change.  Then his aunt asked if he should be carrying a clean shirt and he laughed and said probably.  Funny.

This was our last phone call until he travels home in November or early December.  He has estimated that he will be traveling the last day of November or first couple days of December.  This is just from his calculations and so don't plan any travel plans just yet!



We took some videos and will try to get them posted on here some time this week.

Monday, May 4, 2015

I am asking that the Lord would touch the hearts of my investigators so that they may glow in the darkness

Well mom, I have learned something this week that might help you. The brother of Jared had a problem in the Book of Mormon. They were commanded to build ships but there was no light in the ship. We can compare this to our situation. We have built the business but there is something missing. The light. Returning to the story in the book of Ether, the brother of Jared asks the Lord if he will provide the light or are they supposed to remain in all the trip in the darkness. The Lord responded with something that impacts me, he said what is it that thou would have me do? The idea of the rocks glowing was from the brother of Jared but he asked the Lord with faith that he would touch the rocks with his finger. I am now asking that the Lord would touch the hearts of my investigators so that they may glow in the darkness just like the rocks. Now the question is what is it that you would have the Lord do for the business? The Brother of Jared asked in faith and he received and with that he saw the finger of Jehovah/ Christ in spirit, and with that the veil was taken away from his eyes and he saw EVERYTHING: imagine if we ask with faith and we have the same thing happen. Now maybe we wont have the same experience but we can defiantly receive guidance. God can touch our business with his finger and it will glow. 
 
Well also this Sunday was very good. I was able to share my testimony and there were a lot of people that went to church along with the investigators that we brought. Also my district improved so much this week.  It is very good because now we are almost set up to complete our goals. That's a good feeling.

This week I went to a sector in my district where it rained and i got super soaked. It is all earthy and it turned to mud and I was like skiing in mud. I didn't fall but I was soaked.  We didn't have out umbrellas but thankfully I had my scriptures protected.

This week at church I was reading during the Sacrament in John 6, that talks a lot about the Sacrament. I was just impacted so much and filled with the Spirit.  I bore my testimony on how I want God to approve my actions like he was so prideful of Christ when he said for behold this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. After sitting down from baring my testimony, I just felt that someone was hugging me. I just felt in that moment that God was satisfied. It was a wonderful feeling.

Well transfers passed and I am safe, I am still with Elder Crush. I might have wanted to be change a little bit, but I know that God wants me here, so what can I do. Who am I to go against God.

Well any questions about Sunday? I might cry a little bit, because we are getting close to the moment of giving you that hug.

I love you
ElderLuke

About a month ago we sent Brian a package that included a bunch of ties.  He said that Ties make him happy and are his one way of changing things up.  But he really wanted skinny wool ties.  Trust me nobody sells wool ties anymore.  For a good reason.  But every time I go to Deseret Industries we look for skinny ties.  This package of $2 ties brightened his day.  Here is his mini-fashion show.




PERFECT



This tie was a joke.  It was wool but one of the biggest ties I had ever seen. 
Brian likes it and everyone thinks it works on him since he is so much taller than everyone else.  ha ha

 





Wow... looking skinny ElderLuke