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.

Giving up Something Good for Something Better!

A cold baptism, but the spirit was there warming everyone's heart!

Hello,
This week was a great one. Well it was a physically taxing one that's for sure. I came down with a pretty bad cold but luckily...I am out here in the jungle with professionals that know how to cure things like this!!! hahahahaha They are called Shamans. We have an investigator that is a Shaman. So we went over there one day in the first days of my sickness and so she noticed that and told me to eat this...it's not a gingerbread man, just a ginger man haha. I don't know if any of you have ever tried that but ohhhhhhhhhh it's pretty dang hard on the way down haha. She told me to eat the whole thing and of course I did! haha Then she told me to drink a glass of pure lemon juice to help with the throat too. And after we went and bought 3 chantacuros to cure me. Man it was an interesting day trying all these cures. I would have never thought in my life I would be eating worms and a ginger man with a nice glass of lemon juice in order to cure me haha. And to top it off, to make sure I wasn't going to explode, she told me to eat a pitahaya. I think that's dragon fruit in English. It's interesting proselyting while a ticking bomb is waiting to go off in your stomach lol. Needless to say, the natives here have something going! I'm still a little bit sick not going to lie, but it sure helped me! hahaha Hopefully the nurse of the mission doesn't get a hold of this email..........

Other than the physical aspect of the week, it was also a very spiritual week! Lots of things went on. Annnnd, 2 more members of the Valencia family got baptized! It was a pretty interesting story because the kids of the Valencia family went to the temple with the ward! Man it was super special seeing them leave to Guayaquil to go to the temple. I think the happiness one feels multiplies by a million when it is brought upon by others. That's how it has been in my love. When those I love choose to do good in their lives, I am always blessed with overflowing happiness. So the whole ward went to the temple this week. Man what a sacrifice it is for people to go to the temple here! So just a quick run down...they leave at 9:00 in the night on a bus...get there at 7:00 am and have time to shower and get ready. The youth go in for baptisms at 8:30 and then they have a recess from 10:00-3:00 or so while the adults go through and then they travel back all through the night. And that's not even mentioning the economical sacrifices each person has to make! It's awesome to see the dedication here in Ecuador. Anyways to add onto that, we had the baptism Sunday morning at 7:30 ha! I felt so blessed to have such willing members, including the Valencia family, to come so early in the morning to get baptized and so they can receive the gift of the Holy Ghost that same week. It was a cold baptism, but the spirit was there warming everyone's heart. Man I love this work. This truly is happiness. I am super grateful for the opportunity I have to be apart of this great work. Not going to lie, everyday seems to be a struggle, but moments like these make it all up. I know sacrifice is an essential principle of salvation. But as the definition goes...giving up something good for something better, I can truly testify of that. I love you all! Thank you so much for the sacrifices and the prayers in behalf of the missionaries. Good things will come!
Elder Reynolds

Our Sunday 7:30 AM baptism!

2 more of the Valencia kids get baptized

Giving up Something Good for Something Better!!

Celebrating the baptism of the other Elders :)

The pool was super nice....lol

The Sister missionaries who serve in the same ward!

P-DAY with the Sisters

Cool Missionaries of Ecuador

C R O C O D I L E S

AMAZING!!

Look at that paw!!