Letters From Ecuador: 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