Email 08/25/2014 Living on a Volcano

  Well..... How's everyone doing? I'm doing great here living on a side of a volcano.

Haha the other day a member told me that if the volcano explodes all the lava will flow directly into this part of town.... And as if that wasn't bad to hear, my companion had a dream that the volcano exploded and we were evacuated to the nearest church.....

But don't worry.... I'm fine.

  So for the most part this week was kinda slow for all of us. Especially me I think. Its really tough to work in my area in a trio. So as of now I don't have anyone lined up to be baptized. Hopefully the Lord with find a way to put them on my path.

  Here on the volcano its getting a bit more warm. We still have to wear our sweaters but in the mornings we aren't exactly freezing anymore haha. 

  I decided that I'm going to learn Quechua. (the language of the Inca civilization, presently spoken by about 7 million people in Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina) As of now I only know about 2 words but I'm making progress. It will make it easier to talk to the people here. There are alot of people here who only speak Quechua  or if they speak spanish too, they don't really understand it. 

  Oh wow I almost forgot to tell you about this little tiny old lady that we contacted. She was a tiny thing and was about 90 years old. Everyone in her family is dead so we taught her about the Plan of Salvation and how she can see them again. Then Elder Chub invited her to be baptized and she just started to laugh and hit him with the pamphlet. It was so funny because she just kept saying, "I'm too old." Yeah so I think that might not work out hahah. 

   This week we also had a service project in which we helped the sister missionaries. I had to stand knee deep in freezing mountain water and heave giant buckets of water to the sisters and Elder Chub so that they could soak this guys crops. It took about 2 hours but at the end I couldn't feel my legs and I was eaten alive by mosquitos. Fun stuff. The good thing was that the guy gave us hot soup after. They always give us soups here but I'm not complaining. When they don't give us soup they give us a plate full of rice and potatos as big as the volcano.

    Well that's all for this week folks. Sorry it wasn't more interesting. 

      

Love ya all PEACE!

Elder Rodriguez

Here is a picture of a fruit thing that you suck on the seeds.

Email 08/18/2014 Me and my Companion, The Holy Ghost

  Well as of yet I have not recieved a new companion. It's kinda tough because Elder Parra he has to take an hour after lunch everyday to rest a foot injury that he has.

 Fortunately I have been working in my area with Elder Chub and Elder Parra works in his with the Bishop's son. So I'm working flippen hard here to find people. 

  But here it's going all good. The other night I was working with Elder Chub and a drunk guy walks up to him and shoves him. So me being bigger than Elder Chub and the drunk guy step in front of the 2 and shove the drunk guy to the ground. Then he just walked off and we started to laugh. I swear the people here are like hobbits.

  Then Sunday we were at church and a guy from the States comes in. His name was Chris from Utah and he knew spanish from serving in spain. Unfortunately for him our church isn't in Spanish....... I told him that it was all in Kitchua but he didn't believe me. So I just watched as he sat looking super confused. Hahahah he was a cool guy. 

  Well I don't have to much more to report because this week has kinda been slower. Oh I taught a lesson with the mission President the other day. It was really exciting to teach that family because they are the parents of an Elder Tituaña that I served with in Esmeraldas. He was the missionary with the ponytail.... But anyway the last time I saw him he told me to teach his parents. It was great to have that opportunity to tell his parents what he is doing and why he does it here in the mission. 

   Okay so that's all for now folks. Oh I'd like to thank my Aunt Bianca for the package it was awesome... Especially the socks. I forgot to report that when I left the coast one of my mamitas stole all but 2 pairs of socks. Its been a real stinky struggle here with only 2 pairs of socks. So thanks again and the ties are slick! 

  Okay love ya all and I send my best wishes your way. 

PEACE

Elder Rodriguez

P.S. 

If anyone wants to send me another package.... send me SOCKS!!!

Photos - my companion sitting in the sun because it's cold!! 

Email 08/11/2014 Among the Lamanites

Well this week has been fairly well. How are things with you?

 Lets start out with what happened at the beginning of the week. So my companion Elder Leong got moved to Quito in emergency changes. I feel bad but I am so relieved that I can really start working in this area. As of now I'm working in my sector and another sector with the zone leaders. So now I have 2 companions Elder Chub (from Guatamala) and Elder Parra (from Chile). They're pretty cool and I know I can learn alot working with them because they both have alot of time in the mission. Oh also Chub served in Guatamala, Peru and now here in Ecuador. Parra served in Chile, Venezuela and now here in Ecuador also. 

  So yeah its all good here, the only thing that sucks is that in their house they don't really have hot water....... We are in the flippen mountains and the water is like ice. 

   Oh and the people that live below them always come up with food for us. Its sweet. So that's really all the news for now. I also received packages from my Aunt Deann and Grandma Bev & Aunt Ninnie so thank you for that. 

Elder Rodriguez

PS: The tie was especially awesome. The Lord knows I need more ties. And I freaked out all the missionaries when I demonstrated the water proof thing on the tie. So thank you Aunt Ninnie. 

My New Companions

Elder Parra is the TALL one. Elder Chub is the shortest one and I'm in the middle if you forgot what I look like.

Pictures - Esmeralda's

Pictures that the members of the Church in Ecuador sent of Elder Rodriguez & his companion Elder Nogales. 

Email 08/04/2014 I'm Alive "Happy Birthday to Elder Rodriguez"

Well I'm sorry for not writing last week but with the new changes I had absolutely no time. But lets talk about my last week in Esmeraldas.

   Okay so I finished my last week almost crying to leave our converts the Zamora family. They were awesome and I hope I can visit them again. That last week was really a good time. I baptized 2 kids of a family I only taught twice..... And I don't remember there names its terrible. I feel bad. It was a baptism of an Elder Dalton (USA) and an Elder Valverde (PERU). I interviewed the family for their baptisms and they all asked me to do it. But I couldn't do that to the Elders so I baptized 2 of the kids Valverde one of the other kid and Dalton the mom it was really cool and I was honored. 

   Now for the changes. Right now I'm teaching among the Lamanites here in an area called Imbabura close to Otavalo. Its super cold here and it reminds me of the Shire and old world spain mixed together. So I love it. The only problem is that here are alot of people here that speak Kichua or the language of the indigenous. So that means sometimes we work with translators. Here I'm still the District Leader and my companion is Elder Leong (UTAH) from my group. I was wondering why President put me with someone in my own group but now I know..... He talks nonsense alot during lessons. So I'm working with that but I'm just glad to be here. I already love the people here. Alot of the people who are here have Book of Mormon names.... And they are not members. Oh and the church we assist is in Kichua also so I have no idea whats happening half the time. Well I'll send some pictures of the baptism and my new area. Thanks for all the Happy Birthday and Happy Birthday to all thoses new borns out there also.

Oh and our house is on the side of a volcano....... And the otherside of our house is another Valcano....COOOL

Elder Rodriguez

My companion Elder Leong

New area Imbabura