Time in Guayaquil
On Monday we showed up for our
night appointment with a particular family, but one of the daughters was
extremely sick...bed ridden, tubes, etc...we offered to give her a
blessing. I anointed and Elder Gomez blessed. Seconds after we
blessed her she was able to suddenly gather the strength to get up for
the first time in a couple of days and go to the bathroom! The
Priesthood is the power of God... and it is REAL! That I know! Later that
night we went to another members house for Family Home Evening... we
shared a quick spiritual message.. .and then had fruit smoothies!! The
fruit here is UNREAL. Nothing compared to my Dad´s smoothies of
course... but they were pretty dang good!
On Tuesday I went on
an exchange with Elder Pagoada. He is a teeny tiny dude from Honduras!
He is the biggest stud EVER! He knows English pretty well too which
helped a lot... and guess how he learned English? FROM LISTENING TO ONE
DIRECTION. If any of you know me I am sure you know that Elder Pagoada
and I got along pretty well! ;) HAHA! Their area is pretty neat! Almost
completely Bamboo and mountains...we actually got to help a family build
their house for a little bit. Cutting bamboo and what not! Pretty sick!
It makes me flash back to the construction days... only this time I
wasn't wearing a tank top and I don't have lushus hair! ;)
Wednesday...holy
smokes... I. WAS. ROCKED. There is no doubt in my mind that The Lord was
behind me the entire day pushing me up each step... lifting my legs each
step... and lifting my spirits every second. There is no way that I
could make it through these hard days without His strength. On one occasion we were just strolling past a Banana field and I LITERALLY
slipped on a banana peel. I landed right on my booty! What is life? I
thought that only happened in Mario Cart?! I guess not! Brothers and
Sisters, I testify that
banana peels are real life slippery!
Que Mas??
We
encountered a massive... ran over... RAT. It was gross! Right after that
we saw two HUGE COCKROACHES! AH! They were nasty! If only my little
sister was there to kill them for me! ;)
Kind of a strange
experience... we were just tracting and a woman came up to me and
starting getting all up in my grill! She was yelling at me, spitting in
my face, poking my chest, and telling me that I am a fool for being here
and a fool for believing in Jesus Christ... amongst some other
things...but all I could say is I know that Jesus Christ lives and I
know He is our Savior. Then we left. I was heartbroken that a daughter
of our Heavenly Father could be led so far from the truth. Right after
that we taught a mother and her two daughters. We invited them to be
baptized and the mom just lost it! Yelling at us...telling us to get out
of her house... amongst other things as well... and again... heartbroken.
All we said is that we were very sorry and that her Heavenly Father
loves her. AND SHE SHOWED UP TO CHURCH YESTERDAY! I guess the moral of
these two stories is that you never know what impact your words will
have on people...so make sure they are positive and that your words
ALWAYS edify our Master.
We helped build another house apart
from the bamboo one...this one was made out of bricks! Haha! So that was
fun! Service is the bomb here!
On Saturday there were
two girls who wouldn't stop staring at me and smiling...YOU KNOW I am
taking this charm to the next level BOOM! 2 Contacts! Haha!
I
am loving every second here! Honestly! The best has got to be when the
little ninos run up to me and give me the biggest hug! Then the little
girls hold my hand as we walk down the street and the little dudes jump
on my back for piggyback rides. Nothing better! I am looking forward to
another awesome week with new experiences!
Thank you all for
your constant love, support, and prayers! They are much needed! But our
investigators need them more! Please pray for them!
So
many things this week seemed to remind me of home...not only because some of the people I have met or the things that I have experienced... but the things I have felt.
I sat in on a lesson
where the INVESTIGATOR bore her testimony to her son. It truly was
incredible. Every single day...I see parents... non members and
members... fill their child's plate with food and leave absolutely none
for themselves. Families kneeling in their concrete homes in prayer
thanking their Heavenly Father for all that they have. Couples
sacrificing their weekly earnings to go to the temple and be sealed for
time and all eternity. A single mother giving up work on Sunday to go to
church. A widow exhorting every last bit of her strength to lift her
two adult children with disabilities into a bus. The list goes on.
Brothers
and Sisters, the love of a parent is amongst one of the most powerful
things on this earth. In General Conference, Tad R. Callister said,
"Parents are to be the prime teachers of the Atonement and Gospel of
Jesus Christ." It is incredible to see so many people here follow that
principle...members and non members!
The reason I am reminded
so much of home is because every single time I see an act of love from a
parent to their child I can't help but think of my parents and all that
they are and all that they have done for me. I know without a doubt
that my parents would lift me into a bus. They would sacrifice
everything and have sacrificed everything to put food on my plate. They
give me the entire world and they give others all that they have to
offer as well.
If my mom were a Pioneer she would be pushing a
widows handcart with her left hand, pulling her children with her
right, dragging another with a harness tied around her body, carrying a
struggling fathers cart on her back... and somehow managing to make the
best chips and salsa the world has ever known... AT THE SAME TIME! As my
mother does this... my father would be right by her side.... pushing her
load right along with her. Making her load half as heavy... while
carrying a full load of his own.... and somehow he would still manage to
exercise his Priesthood and play catch with his son after fixing a '73
VW Bus as if that was a thing back then?? HAH!
Obviously I
don't know anything about parenting... but I know that a mothers job is
to strengthen the family and a fathers job is to work and teach his
children how to work. Parents have such a divine roll that I think it is
often underestimated. Unlike any other calling in this world and
life-time...the calling to be a father or mother is eternal! I was
blessed enough to not be born of "goodly" parents but of amazing
parents. I was not taught "somewhat" in all of the learning of my father
but COMPLETELY in all the learning of my father. Like the Strippling Warriors, I was taught by my mother to not doubt. EVER. Parents have
such a sacred obligation to build a home that is 100% based on the rock
and foundation of Jesus Christ. With the family unit based on our
Savior... we CANNOT fall (Helaman 5:12).
"What parent ever let
their child head out to the front lines without their helmet, shield,
and sword? The same applies today for a parent who lets their child
march out the door without a prayer, scripture study, and expressing
love!"
I know blessings come to righteous families who build
every ounce of their focus on Jesus Christ. I know that there is NO
price tag for the sacred calling of a mother or a father. I know that
families are eternal and that when built upon the teachings of Jesus
Christ, we can fight the whirlwinds and turbulence that this world
brings forth... together as a family unit.
I am forever
grateful for my parents and forever in debt to them for all that they
have taught and continue to teach me. I would not be who I am today if
they had not raised myself and my incredible siblings on the principles
of this Gospel. They will never know how much I love them... nor will I
understand how much they love me!
A little side
note...CHILDREN! Obey your parents! They know what is up! Stop what you
are doing and give your mom and dad a hug! Tell them that you love them!
They give you the entire world and more! And they love you more than
you know. You will never know how lucky you are until you can't walk
into their room 3 hours after curfew and tell them you love them and
hear them say it right back.
Do remember... the incomprehensible... incomparable love your parents have for you is only a
FRACTION of the love that our Heavenly Father has for you.
He loves you without end.
I
testify of the power that parenting has. I am more than grateful for
mine and I hope that the day comes when I can repay them even for just a
half percent of what they have done for me.
I testify that
there is no better way to raise a princess of the Almighty God than in
and through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I testify that there is no
better way to raise a Son of the Almighty God than through the true
and Restored Gospel.
Don't underestimate your divine roll parents! Keep changing lives!:)
Love you ALL! Have an amazing week!
Elder Noll
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