Elder Kyle Reynolds: Spiritual Experiences while Cleaning!!

These amazing people had a going away party for Elder Reynolds when he left his last area--Ambato. This family is who he has bonded with the most in his mission so saying goodbye was super hard. He made relationships with them that will last a lifetime. They took good care of Elder Reynolds. They said it is impossible to forget people like Elder Reynolds, they loved him very much. We will forever be grateful to the Arias family!

Hello everyone!

This week was a great week, of course full of tender mercies of the Lord each day! We are doing great as a companionship and even though we aren't seeing the results that we want, we realize it is because we are praying for hope haha we are studying hope and charity this week and so we pray for it everyday and although we didn't realize it till the end of this week. Heavenly Father is blessing us with hope!! That in a future moment we will see the fruits of our labors! It was an amazing experience this week because Elder Hicks...one of the missionaries from my former sector is in Santo Domingo and we were talking about old times haha like 9 months ago and he was the missionary that was with me when we were traveling through the rain and how we stood out in the rain for a long time...I forgot how long but we found an investigator all due to the rain! Remember that story?? I hope so... (If you don't, here is the story: So another miracle that happened was it was raining super hard. Hardest I have ever seen it rain here. I thought my umbrella was going to break. But it didn't thank goodness! We were on divisions and I was with another Elder who doesn't have an umbrella so we had to share one. hahaha I bet it looked funny....2 white guys sharing a little umbrella getting soaked. But anyways it was raining super hard. Our appointment fell through so we were stuck outside. We thought hey what better way to access the pity of Ecuador by knocking on their doors and try to share a message on the street so they would just let us in!! So we tried doing that and no one was answering their doors or would look out the window and close the curtains... So we decided to shelter ourselves under a little overhead thing so we wouldn't get too wet. But like I said, since it was raining sideways it didn't help a lot. So we decided to say a prayer that it could stop so that we could work. The rain didn't stop but it did let up and I am pretty sure rain started falling downwards instead of sideways so major blessing! We had another appointment far away and he wanted to contact up there because they never have before. So we took a bus and started knocking doors. About the third door we were standing there for some reason for like 5 minutes. We both were about to leave when a guy came out. We said our opening Hi we are missionaries..... And he let us in! We were able to share the whole first lesson and give him a Book of Mormon! Right when we got in there he said the reason he let us in is because He was praying that he would be guided in the way God wanted him to go. And that's not even the best part! After wards we were wanting to set up an appointment for our next visit and he said he honestly didn't know when because he works from 6 am to 8:30 pm and the only reason he was home today was because the rain was so bad!!!!!!!! We both were like MIRACLE!! I will gladly stand out in the rain soaking wet if it means we were able to find someone to teach! It was pretty amazing. As he said the closing prayer, he said in the prayer that if this is the reason why he was let off work please help him to know this is right. It was a great experience) We didn't have much success with him while we were there.... but he went back for a visit and the guy is preparing to be baptized with his whole family!!! Wow who knew that 9 months or so ago that he would be getting ready to be baptized.... who knew that!! It was amazing to see a fruit of our labors even though we didn't see that fruit till a long time!! It was pretty dang amazing.

So I have another few things that I want to share this day with y'all... haha I don't know why but I had the most spiritual experience... cleaning!! I know right??? I have no idea what or why but as we were cleaning today and listening to music all these things kept coming to me and occurring so I thought I would share them with you all...

1... So we started cleaning... and well for one people can change! Who would've guessed that a macho football player would be cleanly hahaha so yes the first lesson would be people can change!

2... I have always had this question...is there such thing as dirty soap? As missionaries we have to budget pfff well as people in general we have to budget, but as missionaries what 20 year old wants to spend money on cleaning supplies? lol So we were looking around for cleaning supplies and found we think 200 year old soap haha but as we were rinsing it I thought of how we are like the soap... it doesn't matter what we have gone thorough or what we have done, with a little bit of work we are back to new. We always have the capability to do good, we are never ever at the point of useless ... so I answered my own question there is no such thing as dirty soap haha

3... As I was mopping I felt pretty dang good. The floor was nice and sparkling and wet... and right then my moods collapsed as I saw my companion walk across the floor in his dirty shoes and I looked at him and he looked at me... are you kidding me??!! hahahaha As we partake of the sacrament each week how often do we get home and then get impatient because we are hungry and then yell at our brother or sister for stealing the last piece of cake... boom there goes our cleanliness and Heavenly Father is up there.. are you kidding me Elder Reynolds? haha Obviously He is more patient but you get the picture.

4... There is a process in getting clean. We have to sweep the floor before we mop it.. I tried to mop the floor before my companion swept it because I was getting impatient but then obviously that doesn't work out too well.. but I realized its like us...we can't expect to go from dirty to clean ready for the temple and expect immediate blessings. it' a process and if done right, we will become what we need to become...pure and ready to receive all that Heavenly Father has for us.

Who knew cleaning could help a missionary with all these lessons! I love you all!

Elder Reynolds