Transferred to Latacunga...New Companion--Elder Medina!

~Missionaries of Ecuador~

Hello Everyone,
So yes sadly, I am going from Puyo...Ahh not going to lie sometimes it is hard to accept the will of the Lord but I think on one of the nicest things about the  mission is that you are always put in the place where you need to be. No matter if you are wicked or righteous, you are always in the place you need to be or where God needs you to be. That is always a comforting thought haha. Obviously I strive to be righteous. My new companion is Elder Medina and he is from the Dominican Republic.

So yes Amparito did get baptized!! It's interesting how not all baptisms are the same. I'm not saying that I've been to a baptism and didn't feel the spirit, but that in some baptisms you feel the spirit more strongly than in others. I love this work. I love how it helps everyone that is involved in it. The young man that baptized her is one of my best friends here on the mission. He is a lot like me. He is planning to go on a mission. It was awesome because Amparito picked him to baptize her and as he was preparing to baptize her, tears filled all of our eyes including his and we all felt the spirit so strong. When we help others we ourselves are strengthened. Even if we feel like we are drowning ourselves, if we reach out to help another that is struggling I have the absolute faith that God will help us. Here in the mission I have experienced the most stress and the hardest trials I have ever had to face in my life. And I myself felt useless because I thought how in the world am I suppose to help these great people of Ecuador when I myself can't keep myself afloat and my testimony waivers??? I don't know how it always works out, but it does. I am so grateful for the grace of Jesus Christ. That even though I don't feel like I am giving it all I can and doing my part in earning the grace of Jesus Christ, it always propels me forward. I recently read the talk by Brad Wilcox "His Grace is Sufficient" and man was I motivated and left in tears. I would suggest it to all! It's a much better read than a little letter from an Elder in a far away land in Ecuador! haha I love you all! Next week I will be writing from....Latacunga! It is north of Ambato. Probably being my last sector! I love you all!
Elder Reynolds

Amparito's Baptism!

The after party haha

District Party

All you can eat BBQ

We ate a tooooooon!

We had a District party as President Barlow allows us if the Latinos complete certain objectives in English! So we had a BBQ and man we pigged out haha!

J U N G L E  L I F E  B A B Y

We learned how to make mote!

In Ecuador, "mote" refers to corn kernals that have been boiled and cooked, which are served peeled.

This pot was HUGE! Crazy stuff...

Cooking with carbon...it was a lot of work to get that going!

We went to a new place in our sector called Macas. It's super far and we hardly got time to visit but it was a good experience!

When we help others, we ourselves are strengthened

Transferred to Latacunga. I am super sad but...

I'll go here you want me to go!

FOR SURE, 100%, MONEY BACK GUARANTEE BLESSINGS!

Elder Reynolds, Mama Katy, Elder Peña and the Sisters

Hello Everyone,
Man it was an awesome week. I love being out here. It's almost impossible to be sad or disappointed for a long period of time out here. One because of the scenery (hopefully everyone was able to see the pictures from last week) and two because this work is amazing. I won't lie, I get caught up in being a bit selfish and not working as hard as I should, and those are the worst times of the day. I think to myself man, what am I doing out here? How am I going to make it through the day? Let's just go home and read the scriptures and call it a day but due to an amazing companion and the help from many prayers, thanks to you guys, we work through it. It's so weird because we naturally want what will make us more depressed. Like when we feel depressed, we want to seclude ourselves from everyone else and feel self pity and listen to sad songs...and yes that has some benefits, in my opinion, but not much. When I don't want to be out here, I don't want to work and just want to give in...which is EXACTLY what will make me feel even worse. Weird right? lol But when I just go and do, I find happiness. I find peace. I think sometimes we just have to go and do. I learned that very well this week through an experience we had with one of our investigators, Amparito. I am pretty sure I have told you guys about her in the past. She had a baptismal date but it fell. I didn't comment on it because I was super sad about it. And then we lost contact with her for over a week. So finally we called her again and she randomly came to church! We couldn't visit her until this past Friday. So we went in the lesson with the firm faith that we were coming out with a baptismal date. We honestly had no idea what we were going to teach. We just knew what we wanted but didn't have any ideas come to us. So we had the feeling to read the Book of Mormon with her and she was in Alma 5...how perfect!!! hahaha How direct!!!! lol When she said that I couldn't help but smile and laugh. So we read a few parts about when Alma was giving it hard to this people but it was super awesome because of the spirit we were able to be direct and loving. I love that feeling and when you find that perfect balance. So after a few minutes we expressed our deep love and gratification for her and then said "Sister, we want you to get baptized this next Saturday. We know you can do it. Just do it." And then with a little bit more of persuasion from our part, which also helped that changes (transfers) are next week, we said we might be going haha. She accepted!! Right after that, we told her that tomorrow she will have an interview with another missionary in order to get baptized and she freaked out again but thanks to the spirit she went calm again. She had her baptismal interview and is all ready for her baptism this weekend! It taught me a lot about faith. Everyone has a wall of faith. To get to the next level. And there is no secret to get past it, no secret formula or combination...just facing up and doing it. I don't know if many know how I got on a mission. Sometimes I wonder too! haha But what a blessing it has been. The decision to come on a mission wasn't well thought out at all...from one day to another it changed. And I did it! Man was that the hardest decision I have ever made but if it wasn't for leaving everything behind in that instant and doing everything "without thinking" I don't think I would've made it on the mission. The good thing about revelation is it's always sure. Our mission president has the saying "PRIMERO HACER LUEGO SABER." (first do then find out) I feel that is so true. But not going to lie, no matter how true it is, it doesn't make it any more easier. Life is suppose to be hard. Full of faith. But I know that God always comes through. It is amazing the promises He has promised us. One especially is the promises from doing family history work! I am so jealous of all those that get to participate in family history work! I totally did not appreciate the opportunity I had when I was at home to do that, but it impacted me this week as I was reading in the conference messages. How lucky we are to have all those blessings! Not maybe they will come blessings, but FOR SURE, 100% MONEY BACK GUARANTEE BLESSINGS! We are so blessed. I love you all. I hope that we may all continue to press forward and face that wall of faith. Most of the time, practically all the time, we know what it is. But try to find ways around it, up it, under it...but the only way is through it. I know we can do it. Blessings are waiting. I love you!!!
Elder Reynolds

Celebrating our Mama Katy's birthday!

Happy Birthday Mama Katy :)

It rained A TON this week!!

Service at the finca (estate)!

My dead chicken!!!

These identical twins were baptized!

P DAY ADVENTURES!!

The Swing!!

Amazing Adventures

Lovin' E C U A D O R

More of the swing...

Standing up...

WOW!!

Zone Conference August 2018

"I will GO; I will DO the thing the Lord commands"

~Oriente Zone~

Enjoying E C U A D O R !

Elder Reynolds and Elder Peña

Elder Reynolds went to Baños for his P-day and so he didn't have time to email. He says SORRY to all that emailed him! He hopes the pictures suffice!! They had a great time enjoying ECUADOR! They rented bikes for $5 and took lots of pictures and videos. Seriously cameras don't do justice, it's so pretty there. He is hoping he can stay in the Puyo area for the rest of his mission! He has transfers in 2 weeks so we will see what the Lord has in store. He says that next week he will email and to send emails as usual and thank you for your prayers especially.