Email 07/21/2014 Weird week in Esmeraldas

So lets start this baby off in the beginning with Monday.

I got a haircut Monday......

Okay on Tuesday I had divisions with the famous Elder Kerby (from Arizona) and we had a small but cool day. We got free oranges then we had to travel to some other Elders because one of them was practically on his death bed hahaha. It was a fellow Gringo named Elder Dalton (from Utah). So that was our day in short for Tuesday, which ended with Elder Kerby having emergency changes to San Rafeal because one of the Elders there went to the beach...... It was my old pal Elder Rojas who went to the beach and got on a horse. So he got sent to Quito to be close with the president for a while.

  And that brings us to Wednesday when all the new things came in for the houses. So that meant that we were carrying heavy things up alot of 3 story buildings. Well you know how much I like moving things right? Fun stuff. So my companion and I finally got fans in our house and a new Fridge also. We just a bit too lazy to move the fridge to the kitchen so as of now its plugged in and sitting in the middle of the house.

  Thursday we had meetings with the President. Not to much to say there.

  Then Friday we had Divisions yet again. I went to a new area and spent the day with Elder Dalton. He's a cool guy that knows way to much about cars and how to build stuff. But it was a fun change and we even set a baptismal date for one of their investigators that has been investagating the church for years. I heard in all this time, that was the first time he accepted a date. Ahhhhhhh Yeah PODEROSO

  And Saturday.... Oh Saturday was a long day for me. First we had 4 baptisms. WHAT? Oh yeah you read correctly. We baptized 3 of the children from the Zamora Family and a studd named Jose. They will all make faithful members in the church and the boys already are looking into serving missions. Then that night I got sick.......... Really sick. Like it was coming out of both ends. It was horrible. I almost felt like walking myself to the hospital. And that night I didn't sleep at all. Pity Party.

  Then Sunday we watched our new converts recieve the Holy Ghost and become priesthood men. It was awsome for me and my weak stomach. So yeah that's all for this week. I'm fine now. 100%. Hope you all had a good week love ya lots and remember my birthday. Remember to donate to the childrens fund, all proceeds go to Elder Rodriguez.... I'm kidding. Thanks for all the support family and friends.

Enjoy your week.

PEACE

Elder Rodriguez

Email 07/14/2014 it's going GOOD!

Well I have to say that this week was awesome. We worked our butts off but my companion and I are feeling great. 

Lets start with talking about the people i'm serving first. This week we are expecting the baptism of 6 people. One family and a young man. For the family they need to get their papers first to be married so we have been praying hard for them, but they are super great. The young man is a golden investigator who found us and wants to be a missionary.

   The Elders in my district are all having success now. Oh also the Elders who weren't calling me are calling me now. Its because I had to unleash the machete on them. I went to there house super early in the morning one day and woke them up. Told them to get ready with all their stuff and said lets go. So then we walked to the nearest phone booth and I made them call my cell phone. With that I showed them that my cell works and thier phone works so no excuses. And thats how you machete someone. BOOM. Haha anyway everyone is doing super great. Its kinda annoying because I always have to travel to the other sectors to interview people for baptisms but its alright. Oh so this week I interviewed a 10 year old and one of the questions was if he had ever committed a serious crime. He told me one time he went to the river to swim without his mothers permission but he feels bad. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. 

   Okay okay what else. I don't really have much else to report. And no pictures. But I do have the announcement that my BIRTHDAY is coming up so feel free to show your charity and love for me.

Oh and a Shout out to Ryan James and the goon squad for what they wrote this week, Thanks.

Well thats all folks love ya all

PEACE

Elder Rodriguez

Email 07/07/2014 Happy 4th

Well this week was a tough one for me here in Esmeraldas. I have to say 4th of july brought a littly home sickness for me to add on the real sickness I was suffering this week. I don't know what was happening but my stomach was in pain the whole week. But I have learned here in the mission when something is getting you down its better to work even harder. 

  It feels great to go to bed every night just utterly exhausted but knowing that you did some good. 

This Sunday we had a really weird experience in church. The Lord just gave us someone to baptize. A guy who I thought was a member came up to us and asked "so when are you guys gonna baptize me?"....... What kinda question is that. Anyway that was really unexpected but really awesome. He only needs the lessons and he's ready to go. 

   Then this monday we had a BBQ with all the missionaries in the zone. Elder Kerby and Elder Dalton made some good old American hamburgers and hotdogs. We only needed some fireworks to bring independence day to Ecuador. It was a good time. We also played some hardcore Futbol here in the zone. I'm getting better, I still suck but I'm getting better. 

Well thats all for now. I'll send pics of my Joseph Smith moment or as my companion says the 2nd vision, and pics of a kitten.... Oh also the BBQ and my shoes.   

Elder Rodriguez

Ivan's Art work.

Give this boy a blank canvas and you never know what he is going to draw.

Elder Rodriguez with his companion

With Elder Sumare from Peru

BBQ and his favorite Pepsi 

The 2nd Vision

Bloody Eye Jesus Church

Elder Ivan Rodriguez with a Kitten