Baptisms in Latacunga!!

Elder Medina, Martha, Robert and Elder Reynolds

~Latacunga Ecuador~

Hello Everyone,

Well, this is going to be a short one! But we had a baptism this week!!! And man the story behind the baptisms are always my favorites so I am going to give a short summed up version. So Robert and Martha are 20 years old and are barely starting their lives. They were referrals from a sister that just got baptized. We met them about 3 weeks ago. It is so amazing their willingness to keep the commandments. Whenever it talks about the Lamanites and how they will be brought to the fold in the last days, I know that is a prophecy to be true. Because from my experience in the mission it takes about 5 weeks from the time that you meet someone to get baptized. Just with church attendance and making sure they are repenting and everything like that. But then they are special cases where the Lord has been preparing them and they have just been waiting...because they know not where to find the truth...waiting for us!!! So the very first visit we invited them to pray and read the Book of Mormon and they did, but nothing happened. So we started teaching them about the importance of baptism and the requisitos (requirements) of baptism. I think people have a misconception of baptism and think that we have to be crazy prepared but in reality no way!!! It takes faith and a willingness to be changed. So we taught them about the Law of Chastity and told them that they need to get married. Here in Ecuador it is quite costly to get married but we challenged them to a baptismal date for the 29th of September and to be married before that...and they accepted!!! And man what a miracle it was for them to get married...THE DAY BEFORE their baptism!!! They just barely got in and it was amazing to see them cumplir (comply) with another commandment. The other thing they struggled with was the Word of Wisdom so that was probably the 3rd thing we taught them because we thought it was going to be a desafio (challenge) for them...but I love their response as we committed them to live it. We asked them if they could see any problems or any questions they had and they said "Well, its not like we can change the commandment, so we will live it." I was super impressed by their faith!! Because someone barely learning the gospel obviously has questions but faith is so much powerful and so they got baptized and man was it a beautiful experience. There are so many good people waiting for us and waiting to be changed but they just don't know where to find it! I am so grateful for the role I am able to play. I know that if we have childlike humility, we too can be changed just like Robert and Martha!! They are true examples of Mosiah 3:19 "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." It matters very little what we think when we understand the importance and reasons for the commandments. I love you all!

Elder Reynolds

The Marriage of Robert and Martha!

Prophecy of the Lamanites fulfilled!

Their Baptism...THE DAY AFTER they were married!

Elder Reynolds and his imaginary spouse ha!

~P-DAY ADVENTURES~

Laguna and HUGE hamburgers!

Latacunga landscape is a lot like Farmington haha...

It's dry and a lot of dirt but it's still a bit humid so when it's cold...

ITS COLD!!

Ministering one by one :)

ELDER WILSON IS GOING HOME!

say what??!

"If you will respond to the invitation to share your beliefs and feelings about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, a spirit of love and a spirit of courage will be your constant companion, for perfect love casteth out fear." --Elder L. Tom Perry

~LOVE OUR MISSIONARY~

You Are Good Enough...Come As You Are!!!

"By helping others Come unto Him, you will find that you have Come unto Him yourself"

~Henry B. Eyring~

Hello Everyone!
What a week this was! It was pretty awesome. This week the city was preparing for The Mama Negra. I don't quite understand it yet, but it has to do with a big parade and parties that last for 2 days. Its been pretty cool to learn about the culture and be a part of it and see it first hand. But...it kind of goes against a lot of what we believe so it makes it a bit difficult to do some proselyting. But it's all good. I love people and learning about them and what makes them go. I feel that is a real blessing especially for being a missionary.

Pertaining a little bit to that subject, we have had a lot of pretty powerful lessons. Ones that honestly at the beginning of my mission or even before the mission would have made me feel uncomfortable. Due to my lack of faith and lack of a sure testimony. But throughout these few months that I have been in Ecuador, both of those have definitely grown. We had a lesson with a part member family that we invited to come to church but started making excuses. We have a lot of their trust so we could talk pretty clear and direct with them. They understood the commandment of going to church and everything...but the more I listened to them the more I was convinced that they really didn't understand it. They were saying things like "We have to get our life in order," "I have to work in order to pay off things," "I have to care for my family " and "I can't go because our kids are rowdy." Not going to lie, all of these things are pretty dang good reasons of not to go...but being here on the mission I have learned the cost of miracles and the blessings of sacrifice/obedience. I felt I myself had 2 angels on both of my shoulders telling me what to say. One saying "Yeah it's okay, I understand and God understands, you get your life in order and when you are ready we will be waiting."On the other hand I had this voice telling me to say "Sister, we love you. We want the best for you. And there is no other way nor desvio (detour) to eternal life. You and your family need to be in church." I struggled a little bit saying the latter, but as I bore my testimony that I knew God always comes through, more things started coming to my head as to what to say. For example, we said "Do you believe in the Bible? Do you really believe it? Do you believe that God parted a sea??? A WHOLE ENTIRE SEA??? Or do you believe that Jesus really raised someone from the dead?? Like not just a cool story that we say in church to make us feel better about our lives and to trust more, but do you really believe?" She said "Yes, Elder. Why what's your point?" We said "Our point is that if we serve the same God, why wouldn't He be able to do the same miracles in your life. That seem a lot less than parting a whole sea or raising someone from the dead...? Why can't He work miracles in your life like He did in olden times? And of course, it all comes from faith and obedience." It really strengthened my testimony to say these things as I know that we serve a God of miracles. I know that He comes through. I know it without a doubt. I love being a special witness of Him as I truly can't deny the things I have witnessed here on the mission that prove that we do really serve a God of miracles. Mormon 9:11 and 2 Nephi 27:23 are some of my favorite verses to share:
"But behold, I will show unto you a God of miracles, even the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and it is that same God who created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are." --Mormon 9:11
"For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith."--2Nephi 27:23

Another thing that I learned this week from the lessons and experiences was how important it is to really understand Moroni 10:32:
"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God."
I don't know how many times I have been so embarrassed to come to church or to begin repentance or to pray or read...Because I didn't feel worthy enough or didn't feel good enough. But as it so clearly states, we come to Christ and then we start the process. We don't start the process and then come to Christ once we are worthy! I love the John Bytheway talk on this that compares it to fixing a car before taking it to the mechanic...or for ladies doing makeup before going in to get a makeover. That doesn't make sense! I love being a missionary and being able to say to people that they are good enough. Wherever they are in the life or worthiness, they are good enough and prepared enough to be changed. Come as you are! I am loving my time out here. I hope that you all will continue to come unto Christ! It's the best life. Go all in. We are good enough. I love you all!
Elder Reynolds

Latacunga Ecuador

Study Time :)

L O V E  O U R  M I S S I O N A R Y ! ! ! !

8 more weeks until Elder Reynolds is HOME!!!

Let the Holy Spirit Guide!

"In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost." President Russell M. Nelson

Hello Everyone!
I just have one little experience to share...
We were on splits this week and I was with an Elder that barely has 2 months here on the mission so his Spanish is still a little bit new to him. But man I love the animos (cheers) a new missionary brings to the work. Anyways, of course as it always seems to happen, we had a lot of lessons planned but every single one of them fell and we probably contacted for 6 hours straight. But this one contact stood out to me. We contacted this joven (young) man and he was super nice. He seemed to be into athletics so I jumped on that and we started a nice conversation. After that we blended the topic into God and he said that he was Atheist. Now this is one of the hardest contacts for me because to get someone to believe in something they can't see here, in just a few minutes, is pretty dang hard haha. But I was missing the whole point! It's not us that are to do the convincing, it's the spirit. Luckily the spirit was like Elder, just open your mouth. So I opened my mouth...I...and nothing came out. So I looked over at this new companion and he had this blank look on his face and so I was like just say something...haha. So he testified in his newly Spanish that he knows there is a God...and that even though he's never seen Him nor can he show him that He exists that there is. And then it came to me about the pre-existence! I was like why would I share about the pre-existence??! So again I opened my mouth and luckily things came out this time haha. But I promised him that if he wanted to know that there is a God that he could find out. And if he listened to us, he would find that this message has a familiar ring to it because this isn't the first time he has heard it because he lived with God before. As expected, he had this wild look on his face but he accepted!! The Elder and I talked afterwards and it was awesome because he said to me "I don't think it was that important saying anything, but rather making him feel something." I am glad that I'm not the one convincing or having to convince. I'm glad I can be the instrument no mas! I love you all!! Sorry for the short email!
Elder Reynolds

Doctrine & Covenants 100:4-6

"Therefore I, the Lord, have suffered you to come unto this place; for thus it was expedient in me for the salvation of souls.

Therefore, verily I say unto you, lift up your voices unto this people; speak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts, and you shall not be confounded before me;

For it shall be given you in the very hour; yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say."

Through Trials, We Develop a Relationship with our Father in Heaven

Elder Medina and Elder Reynolds

~Latacunga Ecuador~

Well this week was a wild one. I've learned something from the mission. God doesn't accept anything less than our best. This work requires every ounce of our being. And if we aren't in the place to give Him our all, He sure has His way of getting us into giving our all. Trials are super hard. But they are there...always always always for our benefit. It was interesting because in our District meeting this week, my companion bore his testimony on the love he has for Jesus Christ. He said a phrase that hit me, he said "It's through his trials that he came to know his God." I love that, because in no other way do we really come to know Him. I have experienced that this week. I won't bore everyone and go into detail, but it was quite a week ranging from physical pain, stomach pain, emotional pain...etc. But I really came to know my God. Rather my Father. I feel there are different levels of prayer. Ones that barely reach the top of the house, others that go a little bit higher but don't quite get through the clouds, and then we have the pleadings. The ones that are urgent that go right up to Father. Basically like the prayers of the brother of Jared. In Spanish it is suplicas...I don't know in English lol (pleadings). But this week it's been a lot of suplicas. But thanks to these trials, the personal relationship with me and my Father has grown tremendously. I think the more vivid our prayers get, the more vivid the answers come and the more vivid the relationship comes. Obviously we should have a huge amount of respect for Heavenly Father, but often times I don't tell Him the real desires of my heart...what I really want. But as we learn from John the Beloved and the 3 Nephites, He grants to us what our desires are! He really does! It's kind of an intimidating power we have because I know He listens and grants us according to our desires. I love the scripture in Jacob:
"But behold, the Jews were a stiffnecked people; and they despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall; for God hath taken away his plainness from them, and delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because they desired it. And because they desired it God hath done it, that they may stumble."
I hope that we all develop a personal relationship with our Father because He is literally our Father. Everything that happens in our life is to help. All He is trying to do is help. I love Him. I love you all so much. So much. Go get em this week.
Elder Reynolds

Latacunga Ecuador

At the Mall

Pretty cool Chess set!!

P-Day Adventures

Elder Reynolds becomes friends with the Lama!

"There is no Growth in the Comfort Zone and there is no Comfort in the Growth Zone"

Hello Everyone,
Alright I feel super bad for not emailing anyone...I'm super sorry, it was a crazy p-day haha. I say crazy but we didn't really do anything. We went to play basketball and time got the best of us and we had to run to do all the rest of the things. But I'm alive! I think that that's a great thing that happened this week...staying alive! This week was a super hard week. Probably one of the hardest weeks I have had on the mission. Like I said in the last email, changes (transfers) are rough for me. I like feeling comfortable. One of the things our Mission President, always says is that there is no growth in the comfort zone, and there is no comfort in the growth zone. Sorry that is the best translation I could get lol. I found myself longing to have it easier. Longing to be able to stay in Puyo where I knew everyone, I knew the area, I knew the investigators, I knew who had potential to be baptized, I had great relationships...everything! But in my scripture study, I came across an awesome scripture in Ether 1:28 "And it came to pass that Jared spake again unto his brother, saying: Go and inquire of the Lord whether he will drive us out of the land, and if he will drive us out of the land, cry unto him whither we should go. And who knoweth but the Lord will carry us forth into a land which is choice above all the earth? And if it so be, let us be faithful unto the Lord, that we may receive it for our inheritance." I read it and thought how in the world can Latacunga be a choice over Puyo?! But as I got here and totally threw myself into the work...I am learning that maybe Heavenly Father has a little bit more knowledge and can see a little bit more into the future and that I should maybe trust Him a little more!

We had a baptism this week and it was amazing. I already feel so much love towards the family that got baptized. I am thankful for a God that does what's best for me and for the people in Ecuador and doesn't do what I want. That's pretty tough words to say...and am still in the process of feeling it. But everything is going to be alright. Why don't I believe that??? I love you all! More to come next week! Thank you so much for your prayers!
Elder Reynolds

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!