March 2, 2015

HOLA QUIERIDO ESTADOS!

LES QUIRO BASTANTE! LES EXTRAÑO MUCHO!

ESPERO QUE TODOS ESTAN DISFRUTANDO LA VIDA!

   How is everyone?! I don't know why but I feel like I just emailed you guys an hour ago!

 

   I guess time flies when you are in the best country in the world! ;) It is the truth though!

 

Let´s see...what´s new in the hood?

   I can´t remember if I told you guys about the bananas that we came across the other week! I thought I was on a different planet! HAHA! We went to make the weekly purchase and I literally couldn't move my feet without stepping on a banana. Red bananas, green bananas, yellow bananas, black bananas, big ones, small ones, mini ones, and every other thing you could think of. That was tight, I guess.

 

   On Tuesday we had our Zone Conference in Quevedo. I thought I was going to die on the bus ride down there. The bus was so sketchy. We made it there on pretty much 3 tires. One of the back tires was completely destroyed...but that didn't stop this dude! And I had a window seat...the window was completely shattered but put back together with scotch tape...haha...something I would have done as a kid. So, I had to spend the better part of the day taking little shards of glass out of my booty. But hey...good experience! I am learning!

DON´T TAKE BUSES WITH THREE WHEELS.

 

   I don't know what it was this week...but everyone was asking me if I wanted to trade eyes. I don't know what it is with Ecuador. The humidity, heat, or bananas...but my eyes are changing color. They went from like a greenish-greyish before the mish to blue. So I guess if you want blue eyes...come on down to where I'm at! ;)

 

We had an awesome experience!

   Elder M and I left the house after studying one morning and we felt like we needed to return. So we headed back and ended up grabbing our consecrated oil vile and refilling it so we could use it if we needed to...

   We were contacting and came across a man who invited us in. He is really sick and doesn't have much time left to live. He asked for a blessing from "God's Angels" and we gave him one. Luckily, we had the oil that we went back for. This man was incredible. He isn't a member but has complete faith in The Lord that he can be healed through The Lord's power. Such an example to me of what faith is and how we should excercise it. Then we headed out to visit a less active family and their baby is super sick. They asked us to give their little girl a blessing and again...luckily we had the oil that we went back for. Then we went to pick up a member to companion us for a few of our visits and he couldn't end up coming with us because he got super sick. We asked if there was anything we could do for him and he just asked us to give him a blessing...luckily we had the oil that we went back for! AGAIN! The Lord knows us and our path...perfectly. Our daily life and what we will encounter. FOLLOW His promptings...ACT with faith! You will complete your purpose and help our Heavenly Father complete His too!

 

   I went on an exchange Friday in Quevedo with Elder M. The first lesson we taught was to a less active. He of course offered us a shrub of bananas and...a pepper. He told me it was just a little hot and that it was no big deal if I ate it. I like spicy food. Man that little guy wrecked my world! It was about the size of my pinky nail...but had the strength of Hercules. I for sure had to fight back the tears...I was sweating so bad...on top of the sweat that I was already experiencing! Haha! I think I ate 6 bananas to get rid of the tongue burning...it didn't do a whole lot...but I know now to stay away from the little devils!

 

   We taught an English class and I told everyone I was from France!

That was a mistake... everyone went wild! Asking me to teach them French, asking me questions about France, telling me to talk in French...haha! Too funny.

I just played along and told them I was from Lyon because that's where one of my number one homies is (S/O to the one and only Elder N) and said "Bonjour". Haha. They wanted to learn more words but I don't know any...I just told them that they weren't saying "bonjour" right and that we needed to practice that so that's what we did for the hour. Maybe Elder N can help me out in the future! ;)

 

   We went to one house and I had to use the bathroom really bad...

man I feel like I have tons of bathroom stories...

anyways...

I did my thang...when I went to exit the bathroom I grasped the doorknob and the sucker busted off. It was like a movie! I didn't even grab it that hard...just a normal "exiting the bathroom, peaceful grab, right?

I ended up being stuck in there for 30 minutes. Nobody could hear me yelling for them. When they finally heard me they had to use a screwdriver and a hammer and a few other instruments to bust me out of there. But I made it! Here I am! :)

 

   The last thing...the coolest thing... we went to investigators house who is more than ready to be baptized. He just can't commit. Finally he shared with us an experience he had... a couple months ago he had a dream. And in the dream he saw Elder M and I. He didn't want to tell us everything about the dream...just that he saw us. And that he knows that baptism is something that he has to do.

So we are going to fast one day this week with him and if he receives his answer he is going to be baptized!

How incredible!? The Lord works in mysterious ways...and he prepares people for you! He prepares people to hear His word!

 

I guess that kind of relates to my message this week...

   It seems as if the world becomes more and more corrupted each and every day. The most important things are becoming the least important things and the least important things are becoming the top priorities. Satan is attacking this world. He wants this world to fail. He wants us to fail...He is miserable. And miserly loves company.

DON'T JOIN HIM: Don't join him in destroying the world. Fight against him and make it better.

As members of the church we have a sacred obligation: "Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety, hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God."

We are obligated to hope. To hope for a better world. We are obligated to hope that this imperfect world can become 

"a place at the right  hand of God. "This kind of hope comes by faith...and faith and hope without works are DEAD.

SO LET'S GO TO WORK!

 

   When our Heavenly Father sent His son to this earth to save all mankind He had perfect hope. A perfect, un-waivering, doubtless, hope that Jesus Christ would save us from destruction, despair, and endless misery and bring us to immortality, glory, and life eternal.

   I strongly believe that we have a similar role and calling. We have been entrusted to save others from destruction. We have been sent here to deliver our lost brothers and sisters from despair. Our Heavenly Father needs us and has PERFECT and UN-WAIVERING HOPE and FAITH in YOU (the same hope He had when He sent our Savior) that you would take someone by the hand and pull them out of misery and into God's glory.

 

   To hope for a better world means to have faith for a better world; To have faith for a better world means to MAKE a better world.

There is no IF. There is no BUT. There is no TOMORROW. There is no CAN'T. There is no "it's hard" or I am scared". There is no DOUBT.

THERE ARE NO EXCUSES.

YOU ARE SOMEONE'S SAVIOR.

   Your Savior had no but's and He didn't wait to save you...don't wait or put off saving someone else.

   This is 100% directed to anyone and everyone who has the capacity to serve a mission. If you are questioning whether or not to go...GO. GO. GO!

   There is your answer...and there is none other.

   The Savior had the same question..."Father...is there no other way?"

   Nevertheless...Our Savior pulled through...He did what He was sent to do. He fulfilled His mission.

   It is going to be hard. It is going to be tough. Perhaps the hardest thing you will ever do. You are going to get tired. You are going to get hurt. Denied. Mocked. Cast out. You are going to have to give up school, boyfriends, girlfriends, family, sports, and a whole lot more.

IT IS GOING TO BE HARD!!!

But guess what?

   It was a whole lot harder for our Savior and He gave up a whole lot more than we ever could...He gave up the KINGDOM OF GOD to descend below all despair and all destruction.

Art thou greater than Him?

   Give it all brothers and sisters. Get to work. Be the Savior that you were sent here to be. Fulfill your purpose. Your mission.

If you do this...I PROMISE, in the name of Jesus Christ, The Lord God and Savior and Redeemer of all mankind, you will watch your entire world change in the most miraculous and blessed way. Everything God has in store for you will come.

Make this world a better one!

Abound in good works!

Fulfill your foreordination to serve The Lord.

Hope in Christ and your Heavenly Father.

They hope in you...and their hope wins...

Every time.

Elder Noll