BETTER TIMES AHEAD

Hey mom,thanks for the good laugh. I was so happy to hear what you guys did so that dad´s birthday was something special.You guys are creative. (We threw his dad a surprise party)

Well the activity of watching Meet the Mormons was okay. The movie was in voiced over Spanish but like you said that the couple from Costa Rica was in Spanish.  Also a few times English subtitles showed up. I don't know why. We had a good amount of people. Very few non members, but I know that the it said something to someone. There was this part member family that went, the daughter, son, mom, aren't members. They attended and they loved it and it was very nice to see them there. The bad things is that they live outside our sector. 

Other news, I was transferred But I didn't go very far. I am now in Santa Elena 3. I don't know the sector yet so I can't tell you anything. But the house isn't that great but manageable. But  we are going to change houses soon. MY new companion is now Elder Soto, from Peru. He has the same time on his mission as my last companion.  My last companion Elder Inuma is going to train. I am going to have grandsons. HAHAHAH. Because Elder Inuma is my son and now he is going to train and so the new missionary will be my grandson. I hope you get it. I am so happy for him, he is powerful.

To be honest, I wanted to be zone leader. I can admit that I was bummed. I was also tired and so that didn't help. I started to sing a song. The first song that came to mind was "oh esta todo bien" (all is well I think its called in  English). I started to calm down. until I got home and fell asleep and as I woke up I just felt that the Spirit had calmed my soul. I just felt that God was guiding my life and I just needed to trust. I don't even have desires anymore to serve as a zone leader. I just want to serve my heart out. I am ending the mission. I have four transfers left. I am almost dead. Therefore, I need to die trying. I love God. As I was going to my new house with my new sector I looked out the window and what did I see. Not pop corn but I found some inspiring words from God. Oddly enough it came from a sign of a beer company that said ´´ BETTER TIMES ARE AHEAD.´´

God really loves us. Even though we are immature babies compared to him, he loves us so much.

Oh also this new sector is where Elder Sanchez, my old companion was. He told me a lot of this sector. now I am glad to know his converts.

love you

ElderLuke

Watching "Meet the Mormons"

Sister Missionaries from his old sector

19 Months in the mission

Wow I am so happy for you guys. Its so wonderful to listen to funny stories and to hear the progress of the business.  That's so nice that the entire family was out doing things together. I love that. Its good experiences.

Well I will have tell you that to day that I now have 19 months in the mission. I now have 4 and a half months left to return home. TIME FLYS when your having fun. I feel like I am in the movie Inception when they got all drugged up in a dream, passed by a whole but load of time in the dream but time really didn't change for them in the real life. Here we get lost in the work and everything happens and boom one has 19 months, or boom your back at home. But I guess everything changes while I am changing.  Change is good.  The success in the life comes based on how fast we can adapt to changes.
Well this week has been low on everything. Low on lessons and people teaching and we don't have a lot of people that want to listen to us. But we are now going to focus on working through the members. That's because this week we are going to have a ward missionary activity.  You wont imagine what we will be doing.  We are going to .... watch MEET THE MORMONS.  Thanks to my awesome family, I got that movie in a package and now we are going to use it to introduce the church to these people.
We also had a family in church. It was super cool because he has focused a lot on his family and the entire church lessons were on the family. Families are just so awesome. Its brilliant the idea of the family. Its the way to build a strong future or destroy one.   If the parents focus on what is most important and teach the kids as they grow up to follow God, then future generations will follow that example. But if the family doesn't apply the basic principles of a family and of God, then future generations will follow other paths that aren't of God.

Well sorry I don't have a lot to write.  I think the closer we are getting to my return, the less words we use. Just saving it for the giant hug.

until next week
love
ElderLuke

I think that the pictures make up for the lack of words.

Well I don't have a lot of time because the pictures took so much time to load.and while you are loading it doesn't allow you to write or send things. Wow,

We had a baptism.  I baptized it was fun. Its easy baptizing little kids because they don't weigh at all. boom  baptized and their done. It was a very nice experience.

I received you package. Thank you so much. I wear the shirt everyday (We sent an US Flag shirt for the fourth of July but he didn't get it in time.  OH well.)  I have seen the entire movie and bonus features of Meet the Mormons (also in the package). I am playing with the glow sticks and I love the wedding invitation of Elder Smith and his wife.  I was super excited to receive that package. Oh also the ties, I loved it. Thanks so much.  This 24th of July we are going to have a ward activity of seeing the movie meet the Mormons with investigators.

This week in my studies I have learned that I shouldn't complain. I was reading about Lamen and Lemuel who were complaining about how their families had suffered everything but death.  They said that it would have been better if they had died in Jerusalem. Reading that passage the Spirit told me something. He said that its better to complete with what God commands us and to suffer than to not complete and die. After Nephi made the ship and they shipped of in the ocean and his brother tied him up, after they had lossed the bands in fear of dying by the waves, Nephi said that his wrists and legs were swollen and it was very painful that experience, but he said " nevertheless I came unto God and never complained of my afflictions". wow. WOW. I think the Spirit has been trying to teach me that I should stop complaining.

Well I have to go. I think that the pictures make up for the lack of words. You have to know that I am super happy and healthy.

I love you

ElderLuke

Elder Luke and his love of ties

"If you want to give light to others, you have to GLOW yourself." Thomas S Monson

Thomas S Monson is a prophet of God. Yo lo Se

Well, this week was a way better week.  We had a baptism, a lot of smiling, and i am happy. 

Well I am going to first start out telling you guys that today the Pope of the Catholic church came to Guayaquil. You guys would not believe how many people are just so excited for today. The question that we have heard a lot is "what do we think of the Pope"?  Its so funny to here the opinions of the people. Some like his coming and other not so much. What they did is they made the entire day a no work day, other than that they shut off all the roads of the entire city. Posters, TV, programs, so many things for a man.  I have wondered if the Prophet were to come to Ecuador if the people would show him the same respect, would they do the same preparations. I don't think so. 

Thomas S Monson is a prophet of God. Yo lo Se (I know it).

1.2 million people assisted the coming of the Pope.  So many people looking for spiritual renewal and a feeling in their heart. They search and they search in a place or in better words they search in a person who can not satisfy their needs. So many people waiting for a look for what I have to teach the world. Sadly not everyone wants to accept it. But not everyone accepted Christ and not everyone will live with God.

This week I found something cool out from the scriptures. Helaman chapter 3 verse 29 and 30.

29 Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked—

30 And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out.

This explains that the word of God, more specific would be the Book of Mormon with the Bible, is something of which we need to hold fast to. Cling to it. Because we are in something in Spanish is called abismo de miseria (abyss of misery). We are not safe in a place that isn't with our Heavenly Father. Like it says in that scripture that the word of God is the guide.  If we cling to it then it will lead us back to God. If not then the amismo de miseria will take us down in darkness. But I love what it says in verse 30. It says that if we hold to the word and then we will be led back to the right hand of God to rest and be exalted. But the last phrase is my favorite, something along the lines of "to never leave again". We left once, we will never leave again if we find our way back to him that is why He has sent us living prophets and apostles and the priesthood and revelation, because our father loves us and he wants us to return home to Him.  We are always our own problem or desafio (challenge).

We are the problem, so we need to shed off the natural man and be receptive like a little kid. That's when we can return to God.

Well our baptismo was awesome. Not many people showed up, but it was powerful.  The man who was baptized is called Miguel. One day before his baptism he got super sick. I was afraid he would back out. But he repeated that he made a decision and he will complete. He completed. He was so sick that he had to leave church after his confirmation because he was in so much pain. But he told me something. He said that the pain was strong, but his desire to complete with God was even stronger.  His love was stronger than the pain. I think that applies in everything. I think he learned to understand more about the atonement. The pain for Christ was strong but his desire to complete the will of the father and his love for us was a lot stronger than the pain. That is why he won. And we will win if we come unto Christ.

Mom I love you so much. Time is flying by and soon we will be together. 

Elder Luke