November 24, 2014

Que Mas, America?!

Other than cooking...? Haha! 

    It is just the usual here in Ecuador, 3500 miles away...PERFECTION! This week was great! On Monday night I went on a split with one of the ward members. Biggest stud I know! He has disabilities but we are teaching him how to read and write because he wants nothing more than to serve a mission. How cool is that?! He has such a strong testimony and I am continually amazed and humbled by his Christlike example. We made it back to his house late Monday night and were waiting for Elder G... While doing so, I got talking to his mom, who was asking me all sorts of questions about the United States. Food was obviously brought up...and I told her my favorite food was a Lasagna that my mom makes. So the next day we got a call and his mom said, "Elder Noll! I made you your Lasagna!" I couldn't have been more excited. However...it was her first time making the dish...and they don't eat it in Ecuador...so it was NOT the Lasagna I grew up with. Bless her heart for trying...but I had to choke that sucker down...and hold back the tears as she put seconds...and then thirds on my plate. Let's just say that I am very glad that is over! All around good experience though! ;) Hah!

    Something amazing happened! Elder D was very sick earlier in the week. He was shaking super bad and was having trouble breathing. We were all super scared. We decided to give him a blessing. I was blessed with the opportunity to give it. I am not exactly sure what I said or how I said it but as soon as we said, "Amen", he calmed down and fell asleep. ALMOST INSTANTLY! He woke up the next day fine. If that is not a miracle from our Savior I don't know what is! How lucky are we to have the Lord's power and authority restored to the earth today? So incredible.

    On Wednesday our District got to go to the temple...which was obviously amazing. It is truly incredible to feel the spirit in The Lord's Holy House. We ended up making it back to Ventanas late at night and all got off the bus...except one. So the bus took off with one Elder still on it...sleeping away. The bus made it about 100 yards down the rode and suddenly you see an Elder SUPERMAN jump out of the moving bus. It was hilarious! So we all had a good laugh at that.

    Friday was pretty neat too! I went on a split with Elder M. He has been here just 6 weeks longer than I have. He went to Olympus...and it is a good thing he did not play football or else he would probably be dead! ;) Haha! He really is a stud...and we found FOURTEEN families! It truly is amazing how the spirit works and the ability it has to lead and guide you to people who are in need. Later that night we went to a members' house for Elder M´s FELIZ CUMPLEANOS! 2 meals and 2 cakes later we made it back to the house...and on our way up the stairs we passed the family that lives right below us and they invited us to ANOTHER FELIZ CUMPLEANOS! Gee wiz...more cake...haha! I was fine with it though!

    Then...on Saturday our ward went to the temple so we got to go again! We had to get up at 5 though. At first we were trying to be super quiet out of respect for the other Elders sleeping in our house. One thing led to another and eventually I was blasting MoTab. Choir and making smoothies with the loudest blender on the planet! Haha! They were SO SO mad...but it was pretty funny for me! And of course...the temple was absolutely incredible again. 

    We had another record breaking Sunday! 180 attended church yesterday! We were over the moon! It has nearly doubled in the past 4 months. It is so amazing to see The Lord´s hand in this work. I truly am loving every second of His work. 

    It wouldn't be a week in Ecuador if Elder Noll didn't make a fool out of himself...would it?

    We were tracting and I was walking on the sidewalk...I didn't see that the sidewalk ended so as I took my step, expecting concrete, I fell right on my face...in the mud. It's all good though...I have kind of learned to live with these Gringo moments...haha! It is part of this life! ;)

  I don't have a whole lot of time and I still have to share a spiritual message so I am sorry if this weeks recap was a little boring! With the limited time I have, I just wanted to share a scripture! So everyone go grab your scriptures and flip open to Alma 34:38. Let's take a look at it a little closer!

       
    38 That ye contend no more against the Holy Ghost, but that ye receive it, and take upon you the name of Christ; that ye humble yourselves even to the dust, and worship God, in whatsoever place ye may be in, in spirit and in truth; and that ye live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you.

    1) RECEIVE the Holy Ghost. When you receive a prompting don't deny it! Our Heavenly Father knows you PERFECTLY and is going to send His spirit to guide your life in a direction that is best for you. When we deny that spirit and its promptings we are telling The Lord that we don't trust Him. Trust in Him! Trust in the spirit. Be like Nephi and be "led by the spirit; not knowing beforehand what you should do."

   2) Take upon yourself the name of Christ. We make this covenant each and every week when we partake of the sacrament...and it is HUGE. But what does it actually mean? For me, to take upon yourself the name of Jesus Christ, means that when other people see you, your character, and your actions, they are reminded of Jesus Christ. Woah...kind of a big responsibility, right? Pretty big promise we make every week. We are promising to strive to live the life He lived. Walk the path He walked. Be the person He was. Brothers and Sisters, put His name on your heart...what a blessing it is to be trusted to represent such a divine role. What a privilege it is to be trusted to take upon ourselves His sacred name.

   3) Humble yourself. This is something WE ALL need to work on, I believe. We are all nothing. But through our Savior we can BECOME something. With this attitude of BECOMING I believe that we will see The Lord´s hand more in our lives. Don't focus on what you are or what you are not...only on what you can become through the hand and mercy of The Lord. It also applies to your perspective of other people...only see other people, who are actually your literal brothers and sisters, how our Heavenly Father sees them. Only see them for their potential and where they come from. I promise blessings through this perspective and you will experience endless happiness through doing this.

    4) Live in Thanksgiving DAILY. First off...HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I thought this message might help the turkey settle and the pumpkin pie taste a little better! ;) But on a more serious note...do we really need to stuff our faces once a year just to be thankful? Why not do it everyday? Probs because we would all weigh 457 pounds and the turkey population would be extinct! Hah! Okay...real life seriousness...let us all strive to live in the spirit of thanks every single day. There is so much to thank our Heavenly Father for. "for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you." Really that is an understatement. The MANY?? Try EVERY SINGLE thing in your life that has caused even a drop of joy or caused you to feel an ounce of happiness is from our Heavenly Father. Gratitude is such a crucial part of this life. Let us take a moment...EVERY DAY...to reflect on all that we have and thank our Heavenly Father through heartfelt prayer.

     I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to serve a mission. I am forever changed...I am still the same bonehead who drove a Hippie Bus and listened to waaaaay too much One Direction...but my heart has been forever softened. The past 3 months have opened my eyes to how beautiful this Gospel is. How much our Heavenly Father really loves us, though it is incomprehensible. How important families really are...and so much more. I am so grateful to be here in the service of The Lord.

     I am eternally grateful for my amazing family. The truth is that without The Lord I am weak. I am broken. I am hopeless. But without my family I am even more weak. I am shattered. I am nothing. They mean everything to me. Don´t wait until Thanksgiving to express your love for your family!

    Finally, I am grateful for my Savior. I am grateful for my Father in Heaven. No matter what I say it will be an understatement but I am grateful for the life that they have given me and for the beautiful and perfect plan that was provided for all mankind to partake of. I am grateful that the only TRUE gospel was restored to the earth again.

I am grateful for all of you. Thank you for all of your prayers.

Eat Lot's! 

     But more than anything...after you feast on the food...feast on the word of God. It is more filling than anything in this world. And try it out as a family! You will be amazed by the blessings that come!

Love you all!

Until next week,

Elder Noll

November 17, 2014

   What´s good America?! Hopefully everything is awesome! I feel like I hear NOTHING about your lives! Maybe I am talking too much...? Haha! I expect answers from multiple people to the following questions...

 

1)How is the ville (or your current residing place)?

2)How is your family?

3)What´s new?

4)Something funny that happened to you this week?

5)How is Harry Styles

6)One tender mercy from our Savior that you experienced recently

 

Ready...Set...GO!

 

I guess I can answer the same questions! :)

 

1)Ventanas/Ecuador is AMAZING...as usual! "Independence Day" of Ventanas was LOCO! Absolutely nuts. On Monday night we had family night with one of the members which was so much fun! We shared a spiritual message, ate rice, and watched the fireworks from their balcony. It was nothing like the Stadium of Fire...that´s for sure...but one of the fireworks misfired and started a nearby field on fire! haha! So I guess that gave me the Stadium of Fire thrill! ;) 

  So in general my residing place is awesome! Too awesome actually! I wake up to the smell of fresh empanadas and chocolate every morning (there is a restaurant right below us), the weather is beautiful (how is the white stuff over there utah?!), the bananas taste good, people are getting psyched for Navidad...THINGS ARE JUST AWESOME!

 

2)My fam bam here in Ventanas is doing great too! Elder G and I have been blessed with many miracles and tender mercies from our Savior. Our house is doing super BIEN too! kinda...haha! 

  Elder P had to get his ingrown toenails removed the other day so he has been bedridden for a little while. I had to go with him to get them taken out in Guayaquil...watching them take them out was neat...but if I could have one goal from here on out it would be NOT to get ingrown toenails! They pretty much just took a Machete and hacked at his toes for an hour and sent him off. Absolutely NO REMORSE. Haha! 

  On the bus ride back to Ventanas there was an interesting dude. There are tons of men who dress up as women and get money for it...Yeah I don´t understand it either...but one of these dudes was on our bus...well I think he was a guy! He/She put on a little act for everyone to see in the very front of the bus and when he/she finished, he/she started asking everyone on the bus for money...I immediately pulled change out of my pocket and gave it to him/her because I didn't want this strange him/her to talk to me...my plan worked! He/she took my money and strut him/herself away. Wow...too many experiences on the buses here...Locoisimo! 

   I guess you could call him my grandpa in the mission - Presidente Riggins, was here in Ventanas yesterday. He spoke in our ward. He is the biggest stud! And his messages are always so powerful! Or maybe it just felt more powerful than usual because he spoke after me! On Saturday the bishop called and told me that I had to speak...c'mon homie! I didn't even have a day to prepare! I hurried and threw something together and hoped for the best! So we show up to church...President Riggins is there with his wife and assistants, we have the second biggest congregation of the year, and I am speaking! It went okay though! :) Thank Goodness!

  The work here is incredible! So our "investigating families" are doing well too! We are finding families to teach which is the BEST FEELING EVER! Seeing families change because of this gospel is one of the greatest blessings in my entire life. Our ward family is unreal. It reminds me of home so much! Our ward is filled with some of the most Christlike and loving people. I seriously love them all to death! The member below us makes me fresh fruit smoothies every morning...ONLY ME...Haha! The other Elders are pretty jealous but I don't mind at all!

 

3)Hmmm...what´s new? I am teaching an English class once a week! It is so much fun! But I sure hope that my Spanish is better than their English! ;) Haha! Just kidding! The language really has been coming along slowly but surely. I am starting to feel pretty comfortable with it! And I know that it is 100% credited to the Lord. I still have a lot of work to do...but I know that through the Spirit all things are possible! :) 

   I played football today! American Football! haha! 

  Other than that nothing is really new...I am still learning, living, and LOVING. 

 

4)Something funny...I guess I have something embarrassing! We were talking with some investigators about the differences between The US and Ecuador and one of them brought up how they wanted to go to the Baños (Bathrooms) in the US but they they are too expensive...? I was confused too! I said, "Hermana, you don´t have to pay to use the bathroom in the United States...?" They all started BUSTING UP! Come to find out...Her "Baños" was just a really really super thick accented "Vegas". Yeah...that won "GRINGO OF THE YEAR AWARD" for sure! 

Almost forgot! This was kinda funny...well it is funny now but was NOT funny then. I had to use the bathroom really really bad! Drinking 6 liters of water a day causes for quite a few pit stops! Anyways...bathrooms are very different here...I can´t even begin to explain so I won´t...but just take my word for it! So I entered this cave/dungeon/depth of despair, searching for the bucket to...ya know? yeah...and half way through my labors I hear a deep grown...and out of the darkness comes a MONSTER DOG...and it lost it´s mind! I would have wet my pants but I already was...then it leapt at me and knocked me over! It was just bad...something that can only be explained in person...maybe try not to visualize it! Haha! But I will never go to that Baño again!

 

5)I am not sure how Harry is doing? I hear their new album comes out today though! Everyone Enjoy! 

 

6)Way too many tender mercies to talk about! Waking up everyday and putting Christ´s name over my heart is one of the biggest miracles I have ever experienced in my entire life. The Lord continues to provide me with His strength and Heavenly help. One of my favorite mercies from our Savior this week has to be with one of our investigators though! Her two daughters just got baptized and she is preparing for her very own baptism as well...she just has some pretty big difficulties ahead of her that she needs to overcome first...anyways...I had the opportunity to share my testimony with her and she ended up getting pretty emotional. The first time I have EVER seen her show emotion actually! I asked her if she was okay and she said that she was fine. It was just that her "heart felt really good. Like it is overfilled with love. Like her body is pure. Like I am just very grateful". What a tender mercy from our Savior it was to see the Spirit work with this woman. What a miracle to witness someone feeling the same spirit that you are...and slowly making it back on the path back to our Savior.

 

That was this week! 

Your turn!!! :)

 

Spiritual Message:

"But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary." At this point in the 14th chapter of Matt. the Disciples are a little worried. The seas are raging and there is a man walking towards them on the water. However, Immediately after they discover that this man is Christ, Peter wants nothing more than to "Come unto Him on the water". Of course, The Savior invites Peter to come unto Him and Peter goes forth and walks on the water "to go to Jesus". What a great example of Faith! Take a moment to think of what Peter is thinking...what is going through his head.

Fear, doubt, and uncertainty I would imagine! But despite this fear. Putting this doubt aside. And letting the uncertainty fade...I, Peter, am going to put this fear aside and call to my Master and go to him. I am going to take a leap of faith and go into the midst of the sea. I am going to go to my Savior despite the wind that is contrary and the waves that are tossing the seas. I am going to have faith. And off he goes...walking on the water. What is so cool about Peter´s faith is that we had the same exact faith when we left our ship (Pre-Mortal Life) into the midst of the sea; tossed with waves (the earth) to go unto our Savior and become more like Him. And because we have this faith...we too can walk on water! We can survive the midst of darkness and the storm tossed seas. We can stay afloat. With faith we can make it to our Savior. With faith we can do all things.

"But when he (Peter) saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and began to sink...". Brothers and Sisters, just as our faith and ability to walk on the water is the same as Peter´s...so is our ability to doubt and sink. So is our ability to fear and drown.

When we walk by faith there is absolutely nothing that can stop us. But in the very second of doubt we are going to drown. Down in the depths of the sea. It is for that very reason that we need to hearken to the words of President Uchdorft, "Doubt your DOUBTS before the doubt your Faith". You don´t need a perfect knowledge of all things! But you do need a perfect BELIEF....a perfect HOPE. With this perfect Belief, Faith, and Hope...we can walk on water...we can stay afloat...we can make it to our Savior. 

But hold up! The story is not over! :)

Peter cry´s unto The Lord and "IMMEDIATELY Jesus stretched out His hand to him, and caught him, and said...wherefore didst thou doubt?"

As important as it is to stay afloat and stay true to the faith that you have..sometimes we fall. If you are under the water...if you have doubts...if you are afraid and swallowed up in the storm tossed sea of this world...call upon the Lord and he will immediately reach out His hand to you and raise you up. I promise that His hand is ALWAYS stretched out to save you. Stay true to the faith that you have...or that you once HAD! Cast all doubts and fears aside! Reach up!

Faith is PROGRESS. We build faith through having faith. Through acting in and with faith. It doesn't matter where you are at in this moment or where you have been in other moments...The Lord, Jesus Christ, can and will raise you up. Look to His light and follow. "Look unto me in ever thought; doubt not fear not". After all that The Lord has done for us...Really is there any reason at all to doubt?

Keep trudging through the stormy seas, Brother and Sisters! One step at a time with one purpose in mind...make it to the Savior.

Keep swimming to the surface to grab hold of Christ´s ALWAYS extended hand!

You can do hard things.

Stay afloat! Keep keepin' on. Keep having faith!

Love you all!

Elder Noll

Jess and Jake doing what they love to do!

Jessi said that the guy who cut his hair gave him a complimentary facial - because he has such nice skin! HAHA

 

November 10, 2014

    I am so sorry for always being so repetitive...but once again...this week was AMAZING! How is everyone? I sure hope you are all doing great!

   
   Well there is another Gringo in the house! Hallelujah! His name is Elder P...he is from Logan, played football for Skyline, has been in the mission for 15 months, and is a STUD! And we are basically the same person...I guess minus the stud part! Haha! ;)

We went on an exchange his first day here in Ventanas and it was awesome! I learned SO much from him. He is an awesome Elder.
   
   I am starting to get used to the purple goop stuff...it is not too bad actually! And I didn´t eat Chicken Noddle "Intenstine" soup, so that was a plus!

   
   This week was FILLED with so many miracles! I don't even know where to begin!

One of the families we are teaching committed to be married next week! So they will be baptized the following week! How cool?! In our last lesson with them we asked the mom to pray and she said that she couldn't because she is pregnant and didn't want to wake the baby...is that even a thing? Haha! I guess you learn something new every day! But they are an incredible family none the less! Even despite her "Condition" ;)

   
   We got a hammock in our house. It was so neat...while it lasted. Elder G was chilling on it and I attempted to do an "underdog" thingy like you do on swings and at the tip of the parabala of the Hammock the rope snapped in half and Elder G FLEW across the room! It was hysterical! The only thing that came out of my mouth was ´´NOOOOO!!! Mi Hamaica!´´ Haha! Karma will get you eventually! ;)

   
   Friday and Saturday were a bit crazy...we were all over the place!

   
   Oh Yeah! Just a random fact and something that was cool! It is not everyday you see your best friend since Kindergarten in another country!!!!!!!!!!! What are the chances?!?! Elder Johnson is looking great. You ladies are like "LOL. What's new?" Haha! But he is an incredible missionary! And is already a trainer! Such a stud! And it was so good to see him!

   We were tracting on Saturday and Elder G ran into a family that he baptized in his first sector! They were visiting their family here in Ventanas! So that was a good conversation starter! Now we have a progressing family preparing for baptism! The Lord works in mysterious ways! It was definitely a tender mercy from our Savior.

   
   It is the 67th something of Ventanas so it has been absolutely NUTS for the past week. Carnivals, parades, concerts, and beer. That pretty much sums it up! Haha! There is one dude who is passed out every single night right in front of our door with a bottle of booze in his hand. So, stepping over a drunk guy is kind of the norm right now! The streets are flooded with so many people though. On Saturday night especially! We were all up on the balcony of our house at night and we started wringing our wet clothes on people. That led to dumping little cups of water on the people walking by...which eventually led to me retrieving the Gallon sized pitcher of water and SOAKING people! It was awesome! We were even getting the people driving past on their motorcycles! I decided to do just one more...when I was just about to poor it I looked over the ledge and there were probably 20 motorcyclists and 10-15 people with FIREWORKS! They all lit them and threw them at me! Explosions left and right on the roof of our house! I was literally in the front lines of battle! But I managed to make it to safety! We called it a night after that! Haha!

   
   I saw a giant. Literally a giant! She had to have been 12 feet tall...and the uni-brow and deep voice didn't make her any less scary! So that was interesting!

   
   One of our Investigators is named Delyla. She didn't like it too much when I told her she shared a name with my dog! I probably should have left that out! So she went on to name her newborn puppy, "Noll". Haha!
   
   Entonces...ALL IS WELL HERE IN ECUADOR! I am loving every second! But boy is it hard! But hey...we can do hard things...it is what we were made to do!
   
   So my spiritual message has a little bit of a background story...that 12 foot giant who I mentioned earlier...she was my doctor...and Thursday and Friday were so crazy because they were spent in the hospital.

    
   I guess you could say I have been leaving some minor details about my experiences here in Ecuador out of my emails. For those of you who have seen my pictures I am sure it is apparent that I have lost quite a bit of weight. It doesn't matter how much...but it was enough to land me in the hospital on Thursday and Friday. You could say I have been pretty sick. On Thursday we had to take a trip to Quevedo where they ran a variety of different tests and found out that I am having some problems with my heart. From there, another appointment was made in Guayaquil with a more advanced clinic where they were able to come up with a diagnosis and find a way to make me and my heart all better :)

1) I am okay. No worries.

2) I only tell you this because I think it relates very well to a very important Gospel Principle.

   " 
   And Jesus went about ALL Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing ALL manner of sickness and ALL manner of disease among the people."

   
   Aren't we all sick? In some way, shape, or form? If you think your not "sick" then the fact that you think you are not sick, perhaps, is your disease!

Brothers and Sisters, we are all sick. Every single one of us. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the Hospital. Jesus Christ is our doctor.

   We don't have the capacity to know what our spirits need. For the same reason that I didn't have the capacity to know what my heart needed. Jesus Christ KNOWS! He can heal you! But we have to accept Him as our doctor and His gospel as our hospital.
   
   We learn all throughout the scriptures that Jesus Christ is the "same yesterday, today, and forever." If The Lord healed the sick and afflicted during His earthly ministry He will continue to do so! Now and for forever! For those of you who are active members in the Church...KEEP RECEIVING YOUR  TREATMENT! KEEP FOLLOWING THE DOCTORS ORDERS! No matter how strict the demands. No matter how hard it is. Salvation was never easy for our suffering Savior...so don't expect it to be easy for you. Rather, accept the Lord's treatment and stay healthy! For those of you who are not active...it is my deepest desire and crying prayer that you make it to the hospital. Your heart is starving whether you know it or not. And Christ has the ability to heal your problematic heart. He can treat you, but you have to be willing and accepting of His treatment. He has the ability to heal ALL! Spiritual and Physical...and He wants nothing more than to mend your heart. His gospel has the ability to bless you and your family more than anything in the entire world. The entire universe. You and those you love the most will receive blessings beyond your capacity to imagine only in and through The Hospital of Jesus Christ and by accepting Him as your Doctor and Healer. He will never leave and has never left you alone...don't ever feel like there is not an entrance back into His presence. There is always a way. His office hours NEVER close. For those who are not members of this church...thank you SO much for taking the time to read this first of all. Secondly, and more importantly...The Lord has a treatment for you too! I have seen his treatment in the lives of so many! Especially here in Ecuador and it is the one of the most beautiful things to witness. Your heart needs the spiritual nurturing that ONLY this gospel and the Lord, Jesus Christ, can provide.
   
   There is no way I would still be where I am at this exact moment if I did not KNOW that this Gospel is true. There is no way I would be here without the Lord's treatment.

Give him your heart Brothers and Sisters...give Him your soul. When we do that, all He is going to do is give it right back...but when He does it will be healed. It will be whole. It will be strong. Strong enough to do whatever you were made to do. Strong enough to help you accomplish the things you were foreordained to do in this life.
   
   I love this Gospel with all of my heart, Brothers and Sisters. All of my weak and problematic heart! Haha! and I have faith and testify that The Lord can make a weak heart strong. Physically and Spiritually.

   
   He is the Christ. He is our Savior. He is our Shepard. He is our LOVING BROTHER who wants nothing more than to strengthen you.

Love you all so much!

Elder Noll

GO HAVE A STELLAR WEEK!

November 3, 2014

Hey Locos!

What's going on?! Hopefully you all got TONS of candy and partied hard! Let me tell you...Halloween just wasn't the same without the worlds best hand-made costumes made by the one and only, Tracy Noll (My BEAUTIFUL Mother). Haha! They don't really celebrate Halloween here but you better believe that I said Trick-or-Treat before a mountain of rice and beans was put on my plate! ;) Best Candy Ever!

I am sorry to say that I have to be brief this week :/ We are super busy today and have to go pick up another Missionary that is coming to our zone, soooo...

Here we go!

This week was honestly GREAT! But what's new!? November is the season for this Purple Goop drink stuff...I am not quite sure how else to describe it...Haha! It is just strait up purple goop with chunks of something or other mixed into it...It is some type of drink. I don't know! Haha! But we drink it 24/7! ...Who knows? Maybe someone back home can do some research and let me know what it is! Or maybe I don't want to know!

Let's see...Monday night we were in a hurry to get to one of our appointments and we were just leaving the casa, which has quite the climb! So I was making the descent down the stairs, with a HUGE bundle of Bananas (I have no idea why...everyone always has Bananas in hand here), and I slipped! On of the stairs at on the top level is a half-step and it tricks me every single time! So down I went. It was quite the visual I am sure...but when I finally came to a stop the only words to come out of my companions mouth were, "AH! MIS PLATANOS!!!(Bananas)" Yeah, thanks companero...never mind my shattered pelvis! Gee Wiz! Haha!

This week was actually really awesome! We were in a trio because one of the Elders in our casa finished his mission so the other Elder, Elder D (Guatamala), teamed up with Elder G and I. We were joking around about being the three Nephites but in reality we were just a team of two Elders and a Goober-Gringo with a name that nobody here can pronounce! ;) Haha! But the missionary we are going to pick up is Elder D's new companion and rumor has it he is from Utah! So maybe I won't be the only white dude in the house! :D Lol

We had to climb  this cliff the other day...If it was orange I could have sworn I was in Utah, looking up at Free Fall at Seven Peaks...but The Lord provides...ALWAYS...and I made the ascent! :)

I got to give a blessing to one of the members in our ward which was really cool! He has been really sick and unable to work for the past couple of days. Elder D anointed and I gave the blessing...it was really difficult to say what the Spirit wanted me to tell him in Spanish...but I was able to recall words and remember how to say things that I should not have known how to say...it truly is AMAZING what The Holy Ghost can do and is capable of!

On Wednesday we headed to Guayaquil for a verification meeting with the President which was really neat! But I have to say...I was VERY homesick. Not homesick from missing Utah...but homesick from missing Ventanas! Homesick from missing my jungle! As cool as Guayaquil is and as sweet as the city life is....being Tarzan is WAY better! I did have to sleep outside though...on a mattress..with no blanket. Elder G told me I wouldn't need anything...PUNK! At least I had my skinny tie to keep me nice and warm :) And I am almost positive that I now have Wes-Nile Virus (Just Kidding Mom).

We got to do service on Friday and Saturday which was sooooo cool! On Friday we helped a recent convert build her house and on Saturday we helped out a member on his farm. Both days were sweet!

It seems like this week was the week of the chicken...I ate everything...BUT the actual meat of the chicken though! Chicken feet, chicken gizzard, heart, and stomach all in one week! I was even given a strait up wing without the meat and told to eat the tendons...so that was different. Very chewy. Then...I ate Chicken Noodle Soup...or so I thought! I took the first bite and the noodles tasted really strange...and they had little balls inside of them. It turns out what I thought were noodles were Chicken Intestines! It was hard enough to choke down after finding that out so I didn't ask what the balls were! And I don't want to know so please don't research that...

Brothers and Sisters...I am LOVING every second! It is SO SO hard...but SOO SOO INCREDIBLE!

And that is pretty much this past week in a nutshell!

This weeks spiritual message is for anyone who is struggling...physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually...which should just about include everyone in some way or another!

There is a chance that some of you may be wondering...why is this so hard? Why am I in so much pain? Why doesn't anyone understand? Why don't I understand? Why am I so lost? So alone? Why don't they listen? Why can't I be better? Why can't I be stronger? Why this? Why now? Why me? Why am I here? Why? Why? Why?

I have these questions too. But we aren't the first ones to ask why. Someone long before us asked why too. Someone who is much greater. Someone who is a whole lot stronger.

"...Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me..."

When our Savior was experiencing more pain and agony than we can possibly fathom he asked why too. When you are struggling, when you are rejected, when you are weak...remember who struggled, was rejected, and was weak first. When you are "bleeding" from ONE of your pores for just a fraction of time remember first who bled from EVERY SINGLE ONE OF HIS PORES for time and all eternity in a sense.

"And there appeared an angel unto Him from Heaven, strengthening Him."

The Savior was not alone during His suffering...and neither are you.
As hard as it is Brother and Sisters...HOLD ON! HAVE FAITH! HEAVENLY HELP IS ON IT'S WAY!

One of the most beautiful scriptures I know of is in Doctrine and Covenants when Joseph Smith is being spoken to. And I am going to use this scripture but switch things up a little! Just the first part...and I want everyone to take a second and read this...out loud...but in a very quiet voice...alone. Somewhere where nobody can hear you.

"(YOUR NAME), peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

and then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high;..."

Brothers and Sisters, this hard time is only but a small moment...and the Heavens are open and help is on it's way. In this life when we shed one of the tears He shed, walk on of the steps He walked, or have to pay a FRACTION of the price He payed, endure it well. God has a plan for you. He will EXALT THEE ON HIGH. What a marvelous promise!

You are stronger than you think. You are smarter than you think you are. You have more potential than you think you have. You can accomplish more than you can imagine. You are a Child of the Almighty God and you have a divine purpose.  And I promise, in the name of Jesus Christ, that our Heavenly Father has never and will never leave you alone. Keep going. Keep trudging forward. Keep pulling your hand-cart! Stay true to the FAITH! Stay close to your Savior. Never give up! Help is on the way! There is a light at the end of this tunnel!

I love you all SO SO SO SO MUCH! And more than that...more than all of this...more than anything in the entire universe...your Heavenly Father loves you. Without end. Without comprehension. Perfectly.

Endure your trials well. You WILL be exalted on high. It is only a moment. A fraction of a moment.

Peace be unto thy soul.

Elder Noll

October 27, 2014

Hola Hola!

Hopefully everyone is doing awesome and all had a great week! Mine was pretty LEGENDARY! Not to brag... but every single day is just incredible out here! 

Okay...Monday night was a little rough... the Hermana who does our laundry didn't have it ready so I had to sleep without sheets for a night.  .and I got EATEN ALIVE!!! But I am still alive...don't fret! :) 

Every Monday night we have family night with the family that lives right below us... I LOVE them! The family is made up of two teenagers, their widow mother, and her parents. All are members except the grandpa... and this family needs some Priesthood Power up in that business so we are working hard! And it just so happened that our lesson for him was on the Plan of Salvation... THE SAME DAY I FIND OUT MY GRANDPARENTS WENT THROUGH THE TEMPLE. Let's just say that was a tough one to choke out. I told them about my grandparents and their story and where they are now and how they solidified an ETERNAL FAMILY! Boy were the tears flowing but the Spirit was too and this Hermano committed to prepare for Baptism!! So a public congrats to my grandparents. Thank you for your constant example in my life and for all that you have done for me... thank you for your decision to be sealed in the Temple and make this Noll Family an Eternal one! And thank you for being missionaries! Your story is converting people thousands of miles away! :) Love you guys!

We continue to reign in the Bananas! Those are for sure eternal too... that I testify of! 

Oh! Coolest thing ever!

We were tracting the other day and I heard a faint sound from the distance... a sound that was more than just familiar... IT WAS MY BOYS! HARRY, LOUIS, LIAM, NIAL, AND ZAYN!! A chicka was blasting some 1D and singing along and YOU KNOW I went straight up to the window and started singing along with her! She and her family thought I was a bit strange at first but it helped get us an invite into the house and a follow up appointment! :) So another shout out goes to 1D! Thank you guys as well for being missionaries! Keep doing your thang!

We are still teaching Haidee and her family... I LOVE THEM SO MUCH! I feel like they are family of my own. It is unreal to see the change in their life. This gospel is unreal, Brothers and Sisters. Absolutely Unreal.

We met the most incredible and most sweetest man. He is a disabled man who sits in his wheelchair the whole day and simply waves and says hi to everyone who passes by. He gets SO excited when the Missionaries pass by... but I am not sure who is more excited to see one another... him or me! We talk to him everyday for a minute and it lights up my entire world! He is BEAMING with the light of our Savior. 

On Friday night we had an activity for Recent Converts and Less Actives... President Riggins gave us permission to watch THE AVENGERS!! So that was rad! And I guess the 410 cookies and 12 Liters of Soda made it a little better too! The outcome was really good... and it helped a lot with getting people to attend church yesterday!

We did a service project that kicked my butt! Again taking me back to the construction days! Shoveling dirt, moving rock, and shoveling dirt after moving some rock! ;) But it was so fun! Later that day I went on a split with another Elder. He came down with something and we ended up needing to go back to the casa. When we got there I got to put my MAMA apron on! I cooked him a full-course meal and administered the Medicine! Man was I raised right! ;) Haha! I felt so nurturing!

I had such a tender experience yesterday. We were gathering our Investigators for church and we were with one particular, Hermana Rosa, and her house was going nuts. The television was blasting, the toddlers were running around, her smallest infant baby girl was BALLING, and Rosa was tending her disabled boy (the boy we gave a blessing to. WHO IS NOW DOING GREAT:)). There was just so much stress in the house. I said a silent prayer in my heart that The Lord's spirit might be able to attend the house and INSTANTLY after I said Amen, the little boy scraping the burnt rice off of the bottom of the pan for his breakfast, gathered his siblings, held his infant baby sister in his arms, and all the children watched cartoons peacefully until their mom was ready. It really was the coolest thing to experience. The Lord answers prayers... THAT I KNOW!

We just finished up soccer with the biggest stud! He lost his father recently and is having a really hard time. Somehow this kid still manages to wake up every morning with a smile on his face. It is these little experiences that are changing my life forever.

This weeks spiritual message is out of the Book of Mormon! One of my favorite chapters actually! I absolutely love 1 Nephi 17! For so many reasons... the list could go on forever! But my favorite part starts in verse 8 when The Lord commands Nephi to build a boat. Nephi simply responds, "Father, whither shall I go?" Wow... the world needs some more Nephi's that's for sure! Nephi goes on to inquire of The Lord, build the tools, and eventually build the ship in the following chapters. But before... Nephi needs fire for food and the construction of the tools as well I suppose. However, The Lord says, not to make MUCH fire, "for I will make thy food sweet, that ye cook it not."

What a marvelous blessing! Nephi... don't make MUCH fire because I am going to make up for your slack with my own fire. I am going to save you and your family the trouble and worry of making MUCH fire... and take what little you give me (and I don't ask for much), and make your food sweet, that ye cook it not. I believe The Lord made this same promise to all of us as well before this life:

I feel he said "I promise to be your fire. Give me what you can...though it will only be a fraction of what you need... but give me what little you can. ALL that you can... and I will provide the rest. I am leaving all of this to set an example for you. I am leaving the presence of our Heavenly Father to die for you. To suffer for you. To bleed from every single pore of my body... for you. I am leaving all of this so that I can be your fire. I am leaving all of this so you have a way back to our Father. And all I ask is for you to give me a little. Show me your faith. Your love. Your obedience." "For ye know that it is by grace ye are saved, after all that ye can do." 

Back to Nephi! One of my favorite verses of scripture of all time!

"and I will be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the land of promise; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led."

Aren't we all in the wilderness? Lol... some of us more than others... but what a blessing it is to have a light in this wilderness! A fire! The ATONEMENT! Someone who has prepared the way before us because He Himself walked our exact path before us. And here he is walking it again... every second of every day our Savior is with you. And He will continue to walk with us, carry us actually, until we reach the "Promised Land." 

I testify that Jesus is the Christ and that He is the Light and Life of the world. He is the fire. He will light the way. Have faith. Hold on! This wilderness is brutal... but we can do hard things! Through the Atonement we can do all things! All we have to do is give Him our best... which is not much... but His everlasting sacrifice will make up for it. His everlasting and eternal sacrifice will light the way for you. 

Of this I testify of in His Sacred name, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Love you all so much! I know I say that every single week but I mean it! Keep holding on!

Elder Noll

October 20, 2014

Hi everyone! Is it already Monday?! I guess that means you all have to hear from me...AGAIN! Haha!

Hopefully everyone is doing so, so good! I say that with as much sincerity as I possibly can. I truly hope that you all are receiving an outpouring of our Heavenly Fathers blessings!

This week...I am not quite sure what else to say besides...AMAZING! We headed out to the border or the sector to a place called Los Angeles. Let me tell you... it is NOT the same Los Angeles as the one back in the US. PURE JUNGLE! Haha! But soo awesome! Tons of tracting in the wilderness which was sweet. I was fasting that day so walking through the wilderness and up mountains was not the easiest thing in the world... but hey! The Lord provided as usual... and I am still here! :) There is no doubt that I am receiving Heavenly Help with every single step that I take. We did get to take about a 30 minute truck drive from Ventanas to Los Angeles. You will just have to take my word for it... but we fit TWENTY-FOUR HUMAN BEINGS IN THE BACK OF THIS TRUCK! Some were niños... but still! I have never been more uncomfortable in my life! And the fact that I was crouched on the floor of the bed of the truck face to face with a dude that had drank a little too much did not make matters any better! Haha!

MANGO SEASON IS UPON US...WOOSH! The biggest, juiciest mangoes you can possibly imagine! it is unreal! LEGENDARY to say the least. ¿Que Mas?!

We were tracting and a family went nuts when they saw me! "Hello! Estados Unidos!" They started taking pictures and losing their minds! I don´t know what it is! Haha! They love Gringos here! I felt like Harry Styles!

On a more serious note... one of our Investigators has the sweetest little boy! I am not quite sure what his situation is but he has special needs. He is very sick right now and I was able to give him a blessing! Such an amazing experience. He has to spend a couple of days in the hospital so we are not sure how he is doing quite yet, but I am sure that The Lord will provide and fulfill His will and all will be well! :)

One of my favorite memories this week has to be one of the houses we contacted! It is this bamboo house... WWWWAAAYYY high off the ground. So we made the climb and they let us in! Such a cool house... if you like LIZARDS! Haha! We were trying to talk to this family while lizards of all different shapes, colors, and smells were getting all up in our grills! Mostly just crawling around our feet and what not... but STILL! And it didn't help when the cutest little niño with chocolate all over her face and hands came and sat on my lap and wiped all of her nonsense on my white shirt and then proceeded to fall asleep in my arms. Despite the chocolate and lizards... my heart still managed to melt! Haha!

We were fed some bad meat earlier this week... oh wow... that was quite the experience. Something my companion nor I will EVER forget! Haha! I am sure you can imagine! Actually... probably not. In the words of our good neighbors, we were having multiple "Faveo Moments." Ask Vaughn Johnson for further explanation! Haha! But once again... The Lord provided and I am still here!

Sunday night I was SUPER dehydrated... it is difficult to drink water here! It is very rare to find clean-pure water. Anyway... My calves AND booty started cramping! I felt like I was running the 400 meter dash all over again! Bad News Bears! When I saw a member carrying buckets of water up two flights of stairs I didn't think of anything else but to help her! I honestly do not know how I did it! I shed some manly tears with every step... haha! Not really... but stairs, heavy buckets, and booty cramps do NOT make a great combination! But once again... The Lord provided and here I am! :)

There honestly is not a whole lot to talk about this week! I am loving every second! Especially after our Baptismal Service on Saturday... which leads me to my spiritual message!!

This weeks spiritual message takes us back to about a week after I received my mission call. Shortly after I was assigned to labor in the Ecuador, Guayaquil North mission I was blessed with a very special experience that led me to KNOW that there was a woman here in Ecuador waiting for me. More importantly... waiting to hear the message of the true and restored gospel. Fast forward to just over 2 weeks ago. Elder G and I were tracting in the poorest part of our area... possibly the entire mission... and sitting outside her house (if that is what you can even call it) was a woman with her face buried in her hands. My companion and I felt the need to talk to this woman. With her head still dropped and her face still in her hands my companion and I knelt beside her and gently asked if there was anything that we might be able to do for her. When she looked up... never in my life have I seen more sadness. Tears filled this woman's eyes, her heart was broken, her body has been through the whirlwinds of life needless to say. This woman wept. She cried for what seemed like hours. Finally when she was able to compose herself she began to express her deepest concerns, her struggles, her fears, and her challenges. As I looked at this woman, I could not help but think of her as a Resurrected Being coming forth on the morning of the first Resurrection with a perfected body. And I could not get over the fact that I had finally found the woman that I saw a week after I received my mission call. We taught her very briefly of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and she asked us if we could please return in the next couple of days. Those couple of days passed and then we passed by her house again... and there she was! This time on her feet with the biggest smile on her face! As soon as she saw us she yelled "ELDERS! Please! Come in!" Haha! The change from just two short days ago was unreal! We started to teach her of the restoration of the Gospel. It has a few different parts. 1. God is our Loving Heavenly Father. 2. The Gospel blesses families. 3. God calls prophets. 4. Jesus' earthly ministry. 5. The Apostasy. 5. The restoration through the Prophet, Joseph Smith.

I didn't understand a whole lot of the lesson but when Elder G looked at me, I knew EXACTLY what I needed to share. As I held back tears and fought back emotion, I was pierced by the spirit and managed to share with her something that is very close to my heart. I told her the exact words of a 14 year old boy and his experience:

"I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!" As soon as the lesson was over she accepted Baptism!

Since then...we have discovered that she has a family! And they too have accepted baptism!

This past Saturday I was forever changed... as soon as I raised this wonderful sister out of the water I cannot put to words the feelings that were felt. Words just can not explain the happiness that this Gospel brings! And I want EVERYONE to partake of the happiness I feel right now! "For whosoever shall save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and for the gospel's, the same shall save it."

We are modern day pioneers to the millions of Heavenly Fathers children who have yet to hear the Gospel, says Gordon B. Hinckley. We make our contributions by faithfully carrying out the work of The Lord.

Brothers and Sisters, this Gospel is true. That I KNOW. I know that EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO READS THIS EMAIL AND EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO DOES NOT has someone waiting for them. Waiting to be brought to the truth. I believe many of us made promises to our Brothers and Sisters in the life before that we would find them. And that we would save them. Returned Missionaries, Future Missionaries, brand new Deacon or Beehive, 8 years old, or 80 years old... find a lost sheep and bring them unto the fold and into our Shepard's embracing arms. I believe I said this already in a past email, but we have already lost 1/3 of our Brothers and Sisters in Heaven! We can´t afford to lose more. YOUR brothers and sisters that you fight with, laugh with, live with, and share unbreakable bonds with are the same relations you had with all of God's children before you and I came to this earth. Find your brother or sister! Bring them home! I promise... "GREAT will be your JOY." Put a spiritual name tag on your chest EVERY SINGLE DAY!
This Gospel changes lives. Jesus Christ is the light and life of the world and how blessed we are to be able to share that light!

The church is true. Joseph Smith saw God the Father and His son, Jesus Christ.

"The standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop this work from progressing." However, every single unhallowed hand can help!

Love you all!

Now go share the Gospel with someone! :)

With as much love as I can offer,

Elder Noll

October 13, 2014

I feel like I was just at this computer yesterday! Time is flying! How is everyone?! It is my prayer that all of you are happy, safe, and above all, feeling the love of your Heavenly Father. It has been an absolutely AMAZING week! We have been blessed with so much! I truly do not even know where to start...

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