May 25, 2013

Hola again! :) How is everyone doing?? It is super strange to start to hear about kids getting their calls and everyone getting geared up for graduation! That was one fast year for me! Super big shout out to Bronson Ashman for getting his call to the worlds best mission!!! So pumped to see another Springville-Maple-ite! 

 

Let´s see...how did this week go for me...?

OBVIOUSLY AWESOME!

 

We had a reunion as an entire mission which was INCREDIBLE.

 

Can you guess who I sat by?? Elder Jakey Johnson! What a stud. I think we were a little more mature this time...a little ;) It is so funny to see the dude...we are so far from home and sweating nonstop in the armpit of the earth...but we are so far away from home and sweating nonstop in the armpit of the earth together. Kinda weird to talk to your number one homie in Spanish. I definitely did not imagine that happening when we were little demons...

 

Blue Gatorade just barely got here to Ecuador this past week! But it is only a limited time offer </3 So Elder S and I bought like 30 to last us a little while! The Kit-Kat got here recently as well...so maybe we are slowly but surely escaping the armpit! ;)

 

On Friday I had an intercambio with the Leaders of the Zone. I was with Elder C the whole day and we ended up having a Family Night with about 30 people there that night. It was so neat! There were tons of investigators and less actives there for the activity. We started out with a hymn, prayer...and then Elder C welcomed everyone to the activity and said,

"Thank you all for coming to the Family Night tonight...we hope that you all can learn from Elder Noll and his following message."

I guess that kind of caught me off guard...haha! He didn't tell me anything! But I ended up giving the lesson and all seemed to go well!

 

There is the COOLEST family here in Panorama! The G family...they got baptized about a year ago and are preparing to be sealed this month! They have 3 boys...and they are all studs! My favorite is J! He is a 10 year old slayer! I think I like him so much because he reminds me so much of my stud of a little brother, Alec. Every time I see J he runs up to me and gives me the biggest hug with the biggest smile on his face...and for a moment...I am holding my best friend, my hero, and my little brother in my arms even though I am thousands of miles away from him...I am so grateful for tender mercies like that. Little tender mercies like J that the Lord blesses us with every day.

Let us be more open and receptive to the tender mercies around us!

 

We had an activity in another ward in our zone called an "invasion". We gathered up as many members as we possibly could and we all went out and delivered church magazines to everyone we possibly could, to gain more investigators and find more people to share this perfect restored gospel with! It ended up being awesome! We had a huge turn out and everyone was so happy to work in the Lord's vineyard! We even played a little bit of basketball after! It was kinda funny too...an Hermana from another ward came RUNNING up to me and Elder S and she had completely lost her marbles. She was breathing super heavy and was SO SO stressed out. She was talking one thousand miles and hour and told us that she had lost her little boy. We asked her what he was wearing and where was the last place she saw him and her response came out like this...

"adslfkjasdlghoehryoaewñfnñsgh225134o613465o1435ñlkj"

That is about all I got out of it at least.

Then she said..."sorry...I talk French when I am stressed out."

So there was my daily Elder Nadauld reminder! Miss you homes! Keep killin' it!

We ended up finding her little boy though...don't worry!

 

So I was hit really hard last Monday with a lesson that my amazing mother taught me...she started out with asking me two questions...

¿How do we keep going when our hearts are as weary as out shoes are worn out? ¿Where can we find validation when our hard-work and our plans result in empty houses and endless walking?

I would like to apply this a little more to all of you at home...

 

How do YOU keep going when your heart is weary? Where can you find validation?

 

Doctrine and Covenants teaches us:

"Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing..."

So how do we keep going when we are weary? We STOP being weary. The footnote explains "weary" in this sense means "laziness". When our hearts are worn out, from whatever it may be, BE NOT LAZY IN SELF-SACRIFICE. 

 

Positive, selfless, relentless, and Christlike service will deliver a weary heart out of the darkest of places. When we are weary...we keep working. When we are tired...we keep trudging. When we feel beat...we keep fighting.

 

"...for ye are laying a foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great."

 

Your struggles, difficulties, and reasons as to why your heart is weary are the foundation of a GREAT WORK. Out of these "small things" will come that which is great. That which is glorified. Perhaps your validation will not come soon...the validation that what you are enduring is the foundation of a great work...but as children of the Almighty-God, we TRUST and we TOLERATE...that is what is going to earn "that which is great". 

 

We are not in this world without purpose...God is going to work on us a little a lot a bit! My mom says,"His plans are so much bigger than our minds can comprehend". His plans will lead you to "that which is great". So AGAIN...TRUST in His plan for you...and TOLERATE everything that is helping you get to the highest degree of glory that exists...even when you are weary.

 

Now for the missionaries...I do not know if any of you will read this but I was very touched and enlightened by what my mom said to finish her message to me last week...

 

"Maybe, on those days of discouragement, finding empty houses, or being refused for the buzillionth time, the purpose of your circumstance and the success in Heavenly Fathers eyes is NOT that you accomplished your plans- but, despite every cancellation, missed opportunity, and slammed door, you kept walking and your patience grew - even just the tiniest bit."

 

We are here, Elders and Sister Missionaries, to help God in fulfilling His purpose of "bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man". We are here to help others. But remember, MORE THAN ANYTHING, that God placed you in YOUR mission...in YOUR time...to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of YOU. YOU ARE HERE TO GROW! 

 

Keep walking...rejoice in showing faith and exercising patience...glory in obedience.

"The Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind."

The scripture does not say he requires someone who gets it all done...rather...someone who is WILLING to get it all done.

 

Now to ALL...

BE WILLING. Become who you were meant to be through the light of our Savior and trusting in His plan. 

I love you humans so dang much! Keep being beautiful people! Have a great week!

Elder Noll

feeding the Elder

"Me dying in a poncho with Piggy" - sick with Dengue trying to sleep it off

the zebra-squite that probably gave me dengue

Me and Elder Jakey :)

 

May 18, 2015

Hey All!

Another super duper busy crazy day so I don't have tons of time!

Let´s get to it!

Hmmm...

Actually I don't even know where to start.

 

On Wednesday we had our annual interviews with President in the morning and we had a Zone Conference in the afternoon. I woke up on Wednesday feeling a little off...then it just seemed to get worse throughout the day...by the time we went back to the Zone Conference...I WAS FREEZING! I I was cold for the first time in 9 months! Haha! I was so cold we went back to the house before heading off to the Zone Conference to get a poncho made of Llama fur. 

Walking in the conference was quite the sight I am sure...everyone got a pretty good laugh. 

The words of President Riggins: "Quien es este loco?" (Who is this crazy?) Haha!

So I ended up coming down with something called Dengue...we have the same thing in the US but it is called West Nile Virus. Those darn Zeebra-Squits at it again! Haha!

But HEY! I survived! And I guess it is a lot harder to get it a second time so that's good, right?!

But that took up quite a bit of our week, sadly :/ 

 

Sunday was a miracle though!

   We have been working so so so hard with so many people to get them to church and they have not budged an inch...not even a centimeter! We have taught and taught and taught and they just don't want to grasp the importance of going to church and participating of the sacrament. 

   On Sunday we were really nervous because we had not had the chance to visit the majority of our investigators because I had been sick...and if they didn't come with us teaching them every day the chances were even less if we didn't see them at all throughout the week...or so we thought.

   We prayed and prayed and prayed on Sunday morning and when we showed to the chapel we ended up having

1) One of the better attendances the ward has had in a while.

2) TONS of Less Actives 

3) Many Investigators

How is that possible!?! I was so taken back and humbled for that which the Lord gave us. It really made me think too.

In reality, The Lord has all power to do all things. I was reminded of who this work belongs to and who it is that governs it. The Lord is All Powerful, Knowing, Doing, and Everlasting. 

 

So we can learn some valuable lessons from good ol' West Nile Virus! ;)

 

For lack of time...I am skipping to the message!

   I love the example of Alma the older in the Book of Mormon. He is so faithful and obedient...ALWAYS. But one of my favorite lessons from him is his example of ´´how to repent´´. Alma and his people have finally arrived somewhere where they can settle for a short time and the people are desirous of a King. They are desirous of Alma to be that King. He HUMBLES himself and tells them that there should be no King. Then he RECOGNIZES that ´´he fell in the trap of the wicked King Noah´´ and that he did ´´many abominable things´´. These two steps are crucial. The repentance process begins with HUMBLY RECOGNIZING that which we have done. When we HUMBLY RECOGNIZE we WILLINGLY ACCEPT.

´´Nevertheless, after much tribulation, The Lord did hear my cries, and did answer my prayers, and has made me and instrument in His hands...´´

The next thing Alma does is cry. In fact...he CRIES. When we come unto repentance we must feel true agony and regret in regards to that which we have done. Then The Lord needs to hear your voice. Your prayer. Your ´´apology´´. Our apology shows Him we have un-waivering faith in the Atonement of His son, Jesus Christ, and that we believe in the miracle of forgiveness...and that is needed. The AGONY and the APOLOGY.

´´After much tribulation´´ is something that is hard for us to wrap our minds around. Presidente Riggins taught us something that really put it into perspective for me...´´The Lord can take away guilt, pain, and struggle. He can free us from misery and sin...but we WILL NOT take away the consequences of that which we have done.´´

That is the tribulation. There are consequences to all things and we have to fight them. We must FIGHT and OVERCOME.

Finally, after cries and prayers, humility, and much tribulation...The Lord makes Alma an instrument in His hands. The Lord won´t accept a normal you...because you are not normal. He will not accept an average you...because you are not average. Nor will He accept you to be the same person you were before you fell into transgression...because you are meant to progress. As we fully repent we bury our personal weapons and BECOME a weapon in The Lord's hands. We leave our sins for eternity and become ´´sanctified by the Holy Spirit and bring forth works...´´

WE BURY and we BECOME.

I testify that as we live these principles and this process of repentance everyday we will become sanctified and purified.

More than anything, I testify that it is only in and through Jesus Christ that this is possible. That it is through His divine Atonement, infinite love, forgiving power, and merciful heart that sinners like you and I can be received in a throne beyond capacity of description.

Put aside where you have been, where you are, and what you have done...

 IT DOES NOT MATTER.

 

All that matters now is this:

HUMBLY RECOGNIZE.

FIGHT AND OVERCOME

BURY AND BECOME.

 

Don't focus on "I am currently"...because what you ARE is in the world. 

Focus on "I can become" a child of God and a carefully crafted soul made by an Eternal King who leaps like none other. 

And carefully crafted souls only leap forward!

Elder Noll

May 11, 2015

Hey Hey!

   How is everyone?! Hopefully everyone had an incredible week! Especially you incredible Mothers! What has been going on? What's new? 

   Things here are pretty chill! Nothing too out of the ordinary! I will be pretty short because my fam bam got all the details last night and I don't have a whole lot of time today because we scheduled an earlier appointment!

   On Tuesday Elder S had a dentist appointment...I sure hope I never have to go to the dentist here! Haha! We heard all the tools drop in the other room...and I am sure they are the same ones she used on him...sanitary right?? ;)

   We got to do a service project for some members which went okay! I got to use a machete! So I went to town on some tall grass with a sword! It was a good time...other than the ants...and the mud...and the smell...and the blisters on my hand! Haha! It really was a good time and I feel so blessed with the chance we had to help out such an amazing family!

   We ate some beans the other day...I forgot to tell my fam this! And they were filled with little black things...after eating a few I started to get curious as to what they were. So we took a closer look and they ended up having wings...and legs...and a head! There were little critters kicking it in our beans...so we just called it good with those! 

   We got to give a Counselor in the Bishopric a blessing...so grateful for the opportunity...It is so incredible to see God's hand and power work through His servants. As soon as we finished the blessing he got super animated and hyper...he went off to shower and then headed out with his family for a Mothers Day reunion with other family members! It was as if he took a 5 hour instant energy! But we know that what he really took was a spirit pill...I love those pills! And we are blessed with them for time and all eternity! All we have to do is call upon God the Eternal Father and ask permission to take one...and He ALWAYS says yes!

   So that was basically this past week in a nut shell!

   I am loving every second here! There is no place I would rather be! There is nothing that I would rather be doing. There is no better place for anyone to be than on The Lord's errand. Don't miss out!

Well...

   Because it was Mothers Day yesterday I would like to focus on the importance of Motherhood. For those of you who are in my homeward back in the ville...I am sure you all heard the letter written from me to my mom but I am going to use some of the same thoughts if that is okay! :)

The Old Testament explains to us that "a wise man maketh a glad father, but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother".

   How blessed are we to have mothers who are willing to take upon themselves our foolishness...our doubts...our weakness...and our struggles??

   Doesn't that sound similar to the role of our Savior?

   The calling to be a mother is the calling to stand as an example and representative of Jesus Christ. It is the calling to do just a fraction of what Christ did...and a fraction of what Christ did is still something that the human brain cannot comprehend.

   Our mothers are with us every single step of the way. Through despair into triumph...just as our Savior is carrying us every step of the way through darkness into glory. I do not know if there is a more Christlike calling than that of a Mother. 

To my own mother...

   I can't read John's account of the crucifixion of our Savior without thinking of you. Here we have our Savior, who has taken upon Himself the sins, pains, and doubts of eternity. He has been crowned with thorns, mocked, and spitten upon. He has been whipped, denied, and borne the very cross that He has been nailed upon...

and who is it that stands by Him?

   "Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, His mother."

As I think of the small amount of agony that I have had to feel in my 18 years of life...as I think of the feather of a "cross" that I have had to bare...there is no doubt in my mind that the scriptural account of my sufferings would be the same as John's...

   "Now there stood by the "cross" of Elder Noll...through his trials, his fears, his weaknesses, and his pains...his mother."

   I will never be capable of expressing my love and appreciation for you, Mom.

   Thank you for standing by my "cross". And in most cases...taking it from me and putting it upon yourself. Thank you for your love. It is the closest thing to Heaven that I have ever felt. You are a ministering Angel in my life and the lives of many others..directly sent from God...and your brightness and divine love defy any description that I, nor anyone, could ever give.

Have I told you that I love you yet?? ;)

   Let us all take the time to appreciate our mothers. They carry one of the most sacred callings upon the face of the earth and in the Heavens. They will bring you to salvation. Their love is what will bring us forward on the morning of the first resurrection...their love is without end...there is no love more powerful or endless than a mothers, aside from God, the Eternal Father.

Felíz Dia de Madres!

Gracias por todo lo que hacen!

Por todo lo que son!

Por todo lo que sacrifican y dan!

Les quiero MUCHO!

Elder Noll

Mother's Day Skype!

May 4, 2015

Hola Hola! 

How is everyone doing?! :) 

I hope you are all doing so good...too good!

   This week was another great one... as usual! Other than the fact that we couldn't move out of our awful house yet...

Hopefully we end up getting out tonight...but who knows?

   There are some crazy mosquitoes infiltrating our home...they are for sure from another planet...they have little jingly antler thingies and are twice the size of the ones in the states...and they are striped. I just call them Zebra-Squits...man they are the worst! Super aggressive too...but hopefully our hospitality for them has made life a little easier on those poor dudes ;)

   Then we found millions little worms in our shower...slithering around...we think they are parasites but not exactly sure. Maybe I will slip some of them in my companions drink and see how he does the next few days to be sure ;)

   Oh dear...this ones gives me the heebie jeebies...we were planning at night and the biggest rat I have ever seen crawled right down our window and into the gutter. I just about lost it! But I then quickly composed myself when I thought about what my dad would have done and my fear and disgust changed into laughter...it just took me a little while to fall asleep that´s all! Haha!

Tuesday morning was sweet!

   I was just doing exercise and I was in between sets so I was stretching a little bit...and I heard things from a distance start to rumble and what not. Then I felt the ground start to shake a little...I just thought it was the typical day of the banana truck passing by but then things started to get a little out of control...and then everything started to shake pretty hard! 

I SURVIVED AN EARTHQUAKE!

My first! Yay! 

   As soon as I realized it was an earthquake I kinda panicked a little! I went and took cover under the only table we have in the house...it has 3 legs and is made of plastic but it was better than nothing. Luckily it didn't last too long and nothing too crazy went down. I didn't tell anyone I took cover under a plastic table so let's just keep that on the down low! ;)

   We did an invasion the other day where we go to another sector of the zone to help other missionaries get more investigators. We also paired up with a member so that we could double the contacts...I was paired up with some stud who just got back from his mission. It's not every day you get to say you were companions with David Archuleta's companion!! David Archuleta trained him! It was neat! He said his first 12 weeks he never sang so much in his life...but I guess that was just kinda something cool!

   Hmmmm....something really amazing happened this past week.

   So we are really struggling here in Panarama. We have almost NOBODY to teach. We are working really hard with the members to hook us up with references but nobody really has anybody for us either. People are not receptive here...it is kinda tough! In other words...I might understand 1% of a fraction of what my number one homie is going through over there in France. Special Shout out to Elder Nadauld!! Keep working hard! Love you dude!

    But we went through the whole week with this struggle...and come Saturday we had NOBODY to come to church. Everyone we tried to commit to come said no, they couldn't, they didn't want to, or just told us to never come back to teach them again...we were really bumbed...

   That night I prayed that we could have at least one investigator at church...I had already been fasting and I was fasting for the same purpose...and come the next morning we had two that came to church! Along with 5 menos activos (less actives)! I was so humbled and so taken back with gratitude for our Savior. I asked Him for one and He gave us 2...plus 5 more less actives! I know that the power of prayer and the power of fast are real. The Lord is so willing to give us what we ask for...He is so willing to double what we ask Him for...all we have to do is ask! 

   So that basically sums up this week...if I had to narrow it down to one word it would be AMAZING!

   The Lord has many "great works" today in this state of the dispensation of the fulness of times. Doctrine and Covenants 138:48 explains one of these great works so well.

"Foreshadowing the great works to be done in the temple of The Lord in the dispensation of the fulness of times...the sealing of the children to their parents..."

   

   I would like to share my testimony that I know that families are forever. I am eternally grateful for divine power and authority to bind a family together for the fulness of time and on. I take so much comfort in knowing that our Heavenly Father has a plan that is centered around the family. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father was loving enough to place me in such an incredible family on this earth. Without them I am weak. Without them I am nothing. Without them I can become nothing...but with them I can become everything.

I love how this verse finishes...

"...lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse and utterly wasted away at His coming."

   It would be better for the entire earth to be smitten with a curse and utterly destroyed than to not have the sealing of children to parent or husband to wife.

That's how important it is!

   I testify that you are you, at this time, at this place, in this moment, with these difficulties and with this family for a sacred purpose.

   Your spouse is the one who helps you inherit God's glory. Your children are the ones who give you a taste of what God's glory is like as they help you learn, grow, and become more like our Savior.

   That old guy, who talks to you about your grades who you call dad, is here as your earthly father to help you progress to stand before you Heavenly Father without spot and without blemish; ready to enter into the highest degree of glory.

   The beautiful woman, who you think asks you way to many questions who you call mom, gave birth to your body so you could live together, struggle together, triumph together, and come forth on the morning of the first resurrection as perfected beings together.

   Your siblings are here to teach you sacrifice. Our Savior sacrificed His entire life for all of us as His brothers and sisters. What are we willing to do for ours? After all, sacrifice is a required attribute to enter the Kingdom of God.

WE CANNOT MAKE IT TO GOD´S KINGDOM WITHOUT OUR FAMILY.

   We were placed here within our families  for this short time to help us grow and be placed in God's Kingdom for eternity.

ACCEPT YOUR FATHERS ADVICE: 

   Thank you for everything dad. I would be lost physically and spiritually without you. I am truly grateful and humbled by your love for me and your desire for me to succeed in this life and the life to come. More than anything I am humbled by your love for our Heavenly Father. Thank you.

TALK TO YOUR MOM: 

   She needs to know how to help you come forth on that beautiful morning as a perfected being. Thank you for asking me questions and showing me that you cared, mom. I will give you more than an "okay" today :)

My day has been GREAT so far! :) I got up to do some exercise which went really well! I didn't eat breakfast because we don't have a fridge and we can't keep things outside of the fridge or the Zeebra-Squits will get it...if not them, then the rats! Haha! I showered while trying to avoid the parasites at all costs! Then I had a great study! And now I am thinking about how lucky I am to have you as a mother. And how lucky I am to have you by my side every step of the way as we reach our potential together as a mother and as a son. I love you mom. And Happy Mothers Day! See you Sunday! :)

   Shout out to Ryan, Mckenna, and Alec! Thank you guys for your examples and sacrifices for me! I hope someday I can give back in some form and in some way. 

   I testify that the family is ordained of God because we can't reach our potential or throne without them.

I testify that the sealing powers of Heaven have been restored to the earth today so that we can enter The Lord's house, His sacred Temple, to do ordinances through God's power to allow us to reach The Lord's home, His holy and perfected throne.

Of this I testify of in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Love, Elder Noll

Some kind of bug is eating Elder Noll!!

A weight set from back in the days of cavemen :)

He can always spot the buses...

American food??? Makes mom happy to see him eating!!