Hard Work Paying Off

Bus Selfie

These buses can get really crowded!! Other than walking, this is their main source of transportation.

Hello everyone!!!

This week was full of ups and downs! But all good. My Spanish is really starting to come along so that really excites me. I am excited to finally start making relationships with people! haha Nothing against my companion, he is a great companion, but it will be nice to talk to someone else. WE try to talk to each other in Spanish in the street but one of two things happens, either one of us gets tired of it and the patience goes out the window, or we don't really talk at all haha. But we are trying! That counts for something right?? It was a cool experience this week because I did my first bartering! I think that is how you spell it... But I was buying some strawberries and they were 1 dollar, that is kind of expensive (especially on a missionary budget) ha So I started trying to talk to them in my broken Spanish about who I am and what I am doing in Ecuador. Then I was about to walk away and they were like we will give you 2 for 1.80. And I was like how about 1.50 for 2? And they said okay! lol Now that I think about it, it kinda seems like they did it because I was a missionary... But I am going to take that as a win for Elder Reynolds. Elder Reynolds 1.... Ecuador 0. 

We have our first baptism this weekend!!!!! His name is Esteven. He is a 13 year old boy who his sister was a convert just this past January. We have been teaching him ever since I got sent to this sector. He doesn't really pay attention and take things seriously. But we really tried to focus in on him on our lessons. It was kinda odd to because he wanted to be like us someday (a missionary) but didn't want to get baptized haha. So one time this week we were on divisions and I went with another Elder. We totally focused the lesson on him and asked him directly about 3 times if he would follow the example of the Savior and be baptized... He is quite shy and doesn't like people focusing in on him. I honestly don't like silence either but I learned this week that silence is our best friend as missionaries! As we were silent and asked him the last time, you could see him opening up and said yes and started talking about how he knew it was true!!!!! So lesson learned! Be quiet! haha That is hard for me because I love talking! But I am so excited for him! And that he may serve a mission makes me even that much more excited. He really is a sweet spirit and the ward befriended his family quite well. It was interesting to me also that other missionaries do the baptismal interview. It makes me want to be that much more worthy because if I ever do it that is a big responsibility! To listen to the spirit and discern whether or not the investigator should wait or give them the go ahead! It is quite cool though how the spirit works and how powerful it is if we are worthy of it. It can be with us anywhere anytime of the day. I am especially grateful for the spirit as I have experienced the Gift of Tongues almost everyday. I know without the spirit I would not be able to pick up this language. 

Although this language is hard for me... It was a humbling moment.... For p-day we usually go to the mall so we can buy groceries in bulk and we ran into some members. I have no idea where they were from but they said Hey elders! I was like Hey I understand that language! haha But I guess they were in Ecuador for a service thing and they were members. They both spoke Spanish and asked me how my Spanish was and I said not very good.. Then she told me... Well at least you don't have to learn a new alphabet....! I was like oh great she is going to hit me with some crazy language and make me look super dumb that I couldn't even grasp Spanish. So yes she said she served in Russia and had to learn that language. I was like okay bye.... No haha I was very impressed because she was fluent in 3 languages! I cant even be fluent in English! haha 

This week has been better than most on my mission mainly because of the upcoming baptism. I have gotten so excited to teach him because I know that he is getting baptized. Now I know why they say teach everyone with the same motivation as to if they already agreed to baptism. Because for sure we taught differently and tried our hardest each time we taught. So another lesson learned! But it feels so good to have hard work paid off! It will eventually pay off, we don't know when, but it will. That is Gods promise to us always. I love you all!!

Elder Reynolds

What the heck Ecuador...random staircase leading to nowhere!