Email 03/31/2014 Well I got changed

So I got changed to the zone right next to mine which is only a half an hour away. Not very exciting but at least I don't have to deal with mud anymore. Okay lets start from the beginning of this week.

So when I was back in San Rafeal zone with Elder Ramirez we had divisions. That was pretty cool cuz I was able to be with Elder Gomez for a day in his area and I helped them with one of there baptisms. Then that same day I got yelled at by my leaders because I don't eat all the food sometimes and the momitas (members who feed us) complained. So that sucked especially because the momitas always tell us if we can't eat it all don't worry. Yeah so that put a damper on my day. 

Then yesterday my companion and I had no luck whatsoever, none of our investagators were home practically nobody came to church. Then later that night a teenager tried to rob me with a broken glass bottle but I had nothing to take. Oh that's another thing I haven't had money for about 4 weeksnow because the bank kept stealing my money. Then more later that night I was told I was being changed in an emergency.

So today I arrived in my new area only 30 minutes away and to my new companion from Peru. It wasn't a very warm welcome. His name is Elder Cahoamon. When I arrived here he immediately asked me what I did wrong. Because apparently the leaders said I'm disobedient. So now this whole zone thinks I'm disobedient and the president too. Haha I read an email from the president and he pretty much yelled at me to wake up on time. 

So to everyone it's just a huge misunderstanding. Because when I was with Elder Ramirez the leaders visited us in our house at 9 in the morning when we wake up at 6:30. But we were still in our PJs because we were waiting for our clothes to dry. So yeah that's the end of my sob story for the week.

But I'm here now and ready to work as always. I just hope I can gain the confidence in my new companion because he seems like a nice enough guy. The area that I'm in is a small city and it has a small mall. And the mall has a KFC with really good ice cream but terrible chicken haha. So that's the bright side right now, pray for me here.

Love ya all,

Elder Rodriguez

Email 03/24/2014 Oh, Baptism!!!

Well this week was changes and I thought for sure I was going to get changed. Yeah nope. Neither did my companion so we are still stuck in this area. Both of us are kinda bummed because this area is just tiring. The members here are super great and a lot of help but nobody really wants to listen to us. And the people that do just have problems that impede in their lives so they can't be baptized. So in this change me and my companion are going to be contacting alot.

 Well this week we had a another Baptism of a 13 year old named Fabian. The baptism was great. This kid in the first lesson we had with him already wanted to be baptized and already knew who he wanted to be baptized by. This kid grew up by a member and by the members example this kid in turn found that desire to join the church. 

 Well for the three days this week we have been a companionship of 3. It's me my companion Elder Ramirez and another Peruvian named Elder Gomez. He has been like an adopted child for a while being bounced around from companionship to companionship because his companion (our old district leader) was sent how early. But I really like Elder Gomez he's a cool guy. He also knows a little english, just a few words but is very willing to give me pointers. 

The man who baptized the kid is my favorite member ever. I told him he can vist me in the states with his family. He is the same age as Dad. Oh and his wife makes the best cakes for me.

Love you all and I hope for the best.

Elder Rodriguez

Email 03/17/2014 Well this week is weird

This week was really weird for all of us. First it started out by us finding out 9 missionaries were sent home for doing some seriously wicked things. One of the 9 was our district leader.  Then the week continued. My companion & I had the most awkward lesson ever when we taught all the the police. There were about 40. Then later on in that day we were robbed.....TWICE. Twice in one day is pretty bad hahah. The first one was pretty scary because the thief came up like a ninja and got my companion in a head lock and his friend was coming up behind with his hand in his pants like he had a gun. So they stole my companions watch and 50 cents but from me, nothing. Then later in that same night some others tried to rob us but since we had nothing, nothing happened.  I laughed at that because my companion says its always the Americans that get robbed but it was like i was invisible to the thieves.  Then the next day it rained hard off and on. And at one point I was standing out in the open and just 5 feet away it was raining but not on me. Well thats all.

Love ya all,

Elder Rodriguez

Email 03/10/2014 Back to the Grind

Well now that Carnival is over the work continues as usual.

So we started proselyting again knocking on doors. So my first one i go and knock and talk to this one guy. Well he pretty much yelled at me to stop being a bum and get a job then slammed the door in my face. So that got me down a bit but right after we knocked on this one lady's door and she was super nice. We have a scheduled lesson with her and she thanked us for doing what we do. So that was cool.

This week I found out my companion is a bit of a freak. He caught a bird in mid flight with his bare hand. Then he caught another bird that wasn't able to fly because it was dehydrated so we gave it some water. He's a wierdo but really cool. It's amazing how much happier I am right now than I was with my other companion who was just annoying in all ways. Yesterday I asked a Elder that is companions with my last one how it was going, and he just replied HELP ME hahaha. 

The work is going a little bit better now but it's really hot here. And this week I had two more close calls with thieves. The first one we were walking and I saw two thugs a little was off. Then the started following us. My companion had no idea but I just kept telling him to walk a little faster. Then another time at night we had to walk down a road and I felt that we shouldn't but did anyway. And when we were in the middle of the street some thugs started to kinda circle us but we kept waling and luckly a huge black man was walking the other way which I think scared the hooligans.

This week I'm feeling really good with my Spanish, I realize I can still barely talk but I'm understanding practically everything. Well that's really it for me. No pictures sorry. 

I'll keep you all in my prayers if you pray for me.

Haa especially for my language here.

Love ya all,

Elder Ivan Rodriguez

Email 03/03/2014 Carnival

Well this week it was Carnival. And I'm a bit disappointed. I thought Carnival was gonna be crazy but all it is is people playing with water for 4 days. So from Saturday, Sunday, this Monday and Tomorrow we can't  proselyte. We can only go to meeting and lessons that we have an exact time scheduled for. Everyone is lucky that this week we had no rain.... All the days before this week it rained...Every single day and it's just mud.

So that all for Carnival. We just have to be careful when walking in the streets to stay away from kids. The kids throw water balloons around this time.

So everything else has kinda been slow. Oh one night me and my companion were just walking all normal when a huge rock flys by my head. So we look back and 4 men want to fight us. Ha so I turn back to my companion and he's gone, running in the other direction.

So we are both running and one of the men ran after us for a while but stopped. My companion was kinda freaked out about that so that wasn't too cool. 

But everything else is fine.

With our investigators we have just really been stressing the importance of marriage. Here in Esmereldas they like to only be in a free union.

So that's all that has been going on here. The work is a bit slow because we can't proselyte. My spanish is still coming little by little but I'm progressing.

Thanks all for the pics. I really enjoy seeing everyone and how everyone is doing.

Gracias

Love ya ALL,

Elder Rodriguez

Elder Rodriguez with his companion Elder Ramirez inside their apartment.

Elder Rodriguez drew this picture.

Email 02/24/2014

Well hello everyone!!! I wanna start by saying sorry because I don't have more pics this week.

Okay lets carry on. Well I found out my companion has night terrors.... So that's fun. It's not a big deal for me having lived with my brother who has the same. So I just laugh evertime it happens. Me and my companion are doing good though, we get along real well. This week we even had a bit of a miracle.

So we go to this one members house and his son who is 3 had a terrible fever and poxs. These were so bad that the kid was crying in his sleep and he couldn't stand up. So we get in there and give him a blessing. Less that 5 minutes later the kid is up walking around and smiling. It was really powerful.

Then the rest of the week was pretty miserable. Between the contant rain and mud. Then one day I stepped in mud and it ate my shoe. So that wasn't to cool. 

This Sunday we had church only for an hour. It was election day here in Ecuador and we had to stay inside our house all day long (except for the hour of church). I guess it's really dangerous during elections especially for missionaries. So that day was filled with sleep, study,sleep, study. Then on March 1st to the 4th we have to stay inside also for Carnival, I don't know what I'm going to do hahaha.

Ha but this week has been good for my Spanish, I'm starting to see a lot of progression. Especially when we had interviews with the President this week. I met another Elder who has 7 months more than me in the mission field and I was speaking better than him.

So thats how my days went...I hope all of you are doing really good. Send me lots of pics and keep me updated!

With much love,

Elder Rodriguez

Email 02/17/2014 New week in the Mission

So this week I got my new companion. His name is Elder Ramirez hes a 25 year old Peruvian who is shorter than me. But I really like this new companion he's a really funny guy. He doesn't speak a lick of english but thats fine right now. For this month the mission President asked everyone to sacrifice something this month in order to recieve miracles for the next month. so I decided to stop spoken english. My companion said hes just going to sacrifice a dog..... Funny guy. 

This week has been a little tough because all of our old investigators dropped us. Fortunately my new comp is super hard working and likes contacting, which is great for me. I feel like I have learned more in this past week than I have in the entire mission so far.

This Sunday I had another talk and so did my companion. He was super nervous because it was his first talk at church in his whole life. But he does only have 3 years in the church anyway and 1 year of it he was nonactive.

Then in church we contacted this 13 year old that has been attending church for only 3 weeks now. So we go to his house for a lesson and the first thing he says is "I want to be baptized". So we are like, AWESOME. He even knows who he want to baptize him as well. So that's pretty solid.

Also I think I have a new dog here in Ecuador. Everyday this dog follows really close to me for more that 5 miles. And this dog crosses super busy streets and listens to everyhthing I say. Its funny because the dog doesn't like my comp very much haha. So that's all I got for this week.

LOVE ya all and hope all is well

Elder Rodriguez

Email 02/10/2014 Changes this week

Well Hello everyone here from Ecuador. Well I'm writing right now waiting for my new companion, another Peruvian named Elder Ramirez. I have heard he is very quiet but he's a great missionary, oh and he doesn't speak English as I have heard. I'm also staying in the same area which I'm kinda bummed about but it's the Lord´s will not mine. 

So this last week wasn't to much work just because Elder Luque wanted to take pictures everywhere. We went to one place that is in our area but I have never been until that day. I'll send pics of that. Elder Luque is still in my zone but in another area on the beach with my pal Elder Linderman. I really feel bad for Linderman.

Anyway so this week I fell pretty bad. I was just walking along and felt like someone pushed me. So yeah my knee is kinda jacked up. For the first two days I could barely bend it without feeling severe pain. But I can feel it getting better. Anyway that's really all I have to report.

With this new companion I'm kinda scared because I feel I can barely speak Spanish and I don't know my area real good. But It's an incredible time to learn, so wish me luck.

Love you all

Thanks for all the pics of the Family

Elder Ivan Rodriguez

 Well this computer won't let me send the pictures so I will try again next week.... Sorry.

Oh and I forgot to tell everyone that this past week I went to a preschool and did service for 3               hours drawing on their walls. It was pretty fun but they kept wanting more and more stuff.

Lucky I'm gifted with talent and I can provide. I forgot to take pictures of all the drawings but they were really cool. When I was doing it many people on the street stopped to watch me. Cool stuff.

Well sorry that's it. 

Oh shout out to Mitch and Abigail who just got married. Congrates and I send my best wishes.

Many people here don't like to get married even when they have been together for 40 years, so enjoy it

Love you all once again

Email 02/03/2014 Hola Familias y Amigos

Well this week has been kinda boring as well. Except for yesterday. So yesterday 

I took a crazy picture of the sky and in the picture there were no people at all, just the dark clouds. Then with my camera I was messing with the lighting and it revealed 3 dark figures. Its actually freaking scary, I don't like it at all. I'll try to send you both the pictures. The figures are in the lower center. 

Well this week has just been work as usual. Still struggling with the language but this week I have really been hunkering down. And just when I was doing good one of my favorite members met another American missionary and pretty much said I suck.

I can't lie I thought about killing him in that second... I'm kidding.

Well no baptizms this week but I believe the next week we will have maybe 2.

Changes are coming this following Sunday. My companion is more than likely going to be changing since he has been in this area for 5 months straight. So I'm probably not going to be changing areas but I'm praying I do. This area really isn't a good area to learn spanish in, since they speak a different spanish than everywhere else...... Thanks president.

I'm really hoping for the jungles even though the food will be more difficult for me. Anyway not much else going on. Oh I got another package which was really cool. You have no idea how great American candys are compared to here. Oh if anyone wants to send me something I'm requesting one of those basketball hoops and a ball for doors. One thatdoesn't  require nails. I know I shouldn't request anything since its not Christmas or my birthday but, what the heck.

Anyway that's all. Sorry I didn't write more but nothing else has been going on.

Love you all. PEACE

Elder Ivan Rodriguez

Email 01/27/2014

This was so weird and I sent a message to the misión president. 

Oh um one problema this week. This week my companion & I went to a payphone that only takes change so I gave my companion 2 dimes.

But each one the phones spit them back out. Then 2 children walked up asking for money but as usual we kindly turned them down. The the youngest one gave my companion a nickle to try in the machine but like the dimes it spit it right out.

Then the strangest thing happened. When the kid asked for it back my companion said the machine didn't give it back. The kid had the most distraught look. Then my companion started walking away. So I demanded my dimes back and gave the kid one of them. Know I have not talked about this experiance with Elder luque. Because frankly it was shocking and I don't know what to do.

Elder Rodriguez

Email 01/27/2014

This week honestly has been really boring. Nothing much going on to tell you the truth.

Well the rain has finally stopped and the work always continues.  We had a family and a man without a leg that all had set dates for baptism.

Unfortunetaly we had to cancel it becuase they did not come to church.

This week has consisted of a lot of up hill walking. Many of our new investigators live super high up. Bummer.

Anyway this P-day was pretty cool. Our whole zone went to this one light house ontop of this Cliff. To tell you the truth the hike was horrible with the sun beating down and the Cliff is almost 90 degress oh and also grass that was taller than me the whole way. My arms and legs are all sun burnt and cut up from the grass. But once on the top is was nice and cool. I sent some pictures of the experience. The White Elder is my bud from the CCM Elder Linderman. The latino that is not my companion is a Bolivian named Elder Urceta or however he spells it I don't really know. Elder Urceta is our district leader, companions to Elder Linderman and he was companions to Elder Luque.

It was really fun doing that Little adventure today. In our zone we have 2 new sister missionaries and they were pretty funny. They were surprized that I spoke good english. That's when I told them "I hope so, because I'm an American." Anyway that's really all that happened this week. Really boring.

Anyway Love you all

I hope and pray for the best for all of you

PEACE

Elder Rodriguez

Email 01/20/2014 Oops forgot one thing...

This week on Sunday My companion & I had to give talks and I had to take part in a special musical number.

Yeah I was pretty nervous. I had to give a 5 minute talk on missionary work. I decided to not write down anything and see how it would go. I talked for what turned to be 15 minutes on the attributes of Christ and how we need them in missionary work. Haha I was afraid I wouldn't have much to say since I don't know much spanish and I ended up having to much to say.

The musical number was good. I sang "Lord I Will Follow Thee" in spanish with the Ward Mission leader and his son. It was really good. And it's funny because last Monday my companion was yelling at me because he says I don't sing at all in church and when I do it's not loud enough. Well I was invited to sing because the ward mission leader says I always sing great and loud. My companion wasn't invited to sing. So that's you ¨In Your Face¨ moment of the week.

Okay that's all sorry missionaries should act like this hahah.

Elder Rodriguez

Email 01/20/2014 Robbed?

Well this week started out pretty great. I helped a blind man cross the busiest road and then later on in the day got robbed. Yeah, super.

It was pretty sketchy though because it started with a nice teenage boy coming up to us and saying hi while his 5 friends watched. Then he asked me to take off my watch. Yeah that wasn't going to happen so we just kept walking. But he kept walking with us telling us to give him all of our money. Then his friends came up from behind us. One of them dug his hand in my pocket, the pocket with all my money in it, but didn't pull anything out and all my coins didn't make a sound. Then we were blessed to have a random bus come out of no where and we hopped on.

No but seriously this week was actually pretty great. It was raining all week and the mud made it nearly impossible to walk to most of our investigators, not to mention I fell in the mud. But some how through all of that this week there wasn't a moment were I wasn't happy. I have no idea why.

Then this week we had a little companion switch just for a day in which I was paired with another Peruvian named Elder Miranda. He didn't speak English but he was actually really cool and teaching lessons with his was great.

This week somehow we have had alot of success finding new investigators and then they even came to church. Well that's really all for now. Not much else happened this week.

Keep my in your prayers to better learn this language.

Your are all in mine.

Love ya all

Elder Rodriguez

Email from Quito, Ecuador 01/13/2014

Well this week me and my companion traveled the 7 hours to Quito for my verification and his english exam.

The great part about that trip was when i saw all of my old district from the MTC. That was so great seeing how everyone has changed and hearing the experiences each one has had here. It was the funniest thing seeing the elders that were on the heavier side that got sent to the jungle. All of their clothes are really loose now haha. And one elder showed me a video of him eating grubs which was so gross to watch. Then we found out we were missing someone. We found out that an Elder Parsons who was in our district went home before Christmas. It's a bummer because nobody knows why and it wasn't medical because I asked the mission nurse. 

After the verification we went and stayed with the Presidentes office workers. They are really great elders. So me and my comp went with one of the elders to go teach at night in Quito. During the lesson I began to feel sharp pains different then I had felt ever before. After the lesson I rushed to the bathroom and puked my guts out. 

That's when my troubles started. We went straight to their apartment after that. Then the next day we went with different elders and I was feeling bad. After walking 15 miles up and down the hills of Quito we arrived at their apartment where I passed out from 4 until 6. At 6 I awoke with the worst headache ever and just a horrible pain in my lung. I took a headache pill and passed out again until the next day. The next day I had no appetite and had no energy to do anything which was fine because all we had to do was to take the exam for my comp and travel. So that's how my week went. But all is well because I feel so energized now back in Esmereldas.

The pictures that I sent were on the day of Verifications. I can't remember the name of the place but it represents how the arch angel will conquor satan in the last days. It was really beautiful.

Hope everyone is doing really good love you all

Elder Ivan Rodriguez

Hey mom I really missed you this week as I was sick. I just wanted so bad for someone to take care of me. But the work always has to continue. I love you lots mom. lots

Email 01/06/2014 Another Email

Anyway this week me and My companion with be driving down to Quito once again.

This time it is so my companion can take an English exam. Honestly I kinda hope he fails to learn a bit of humility. Everytime he asks me what something means in English and I tell him he says ¨No I dont think so¨. I speak English, I know these things. Sorry that's bad but it's true.

So this week has been rainging every now and then. And rain here in Esmereldas means a bunch of mud everywhere. Oh well that just means my wife will be extra beautiful. Which of course I like.

Our water in our house is finally working good.That's a plus. And that's about it. Language is still hard but I'm actually having conversations with people and they are understanding and me too. Every now and then I will ask a yes or no question to an investigator and they will reply with ¨clearly¨....That's super discouraging. Oh well I'm just trying my hardest.

Well thats all.

Thank you for all the support every week

Love ya all bunches

Elder Rodriguez

Email 01/06/2014 Happy New Year

Well Happy New Year from Ecuador!!!!

I sent some pictures of just some random things. Some of our 2nd baptism of a young kid named Jaison(yeah thats how he spells it), our neighbors man that he burned for New Years, Some people they were selling for New Years, the view from Jaisons house and I think thats it.

 

Well this week has been alright. We were supposed to be inside all day for New Years because it's dangerous but we spent it with Hermano Liedra. He's an old man who is all alone. But he is the best, he calls us his sons. He cooked some really great turkey and rice for us. I was truely delicious. He does alot for us all the time so I bought him a tub of Oreo Ice cream. You should have seen his face. He was so thankful and overjoyed. Then when we got home we got to see our neighbor burning his person. It was actually really creepy for me.... I don't know why.

 

Anyway this week has been kinda slow for us here since everyone is out of town. So not many people to teach. We had another baptism which was great. It's always great to see the joy in peoples faces. Oh and in our baptisms I draw a welcomeing picture on a white board. Everyone is amazed by them it's so funny. They were all taking pictures of it and taking pictures of the kid who got baptized posing with it.

 

Anyway not much else going on. I'll email again later today with more if I think of more.

PEACE LOVE YOU ALL

Elder Ivan Rodriguez

Email 12/30/2013

Well Christmas was good since I got to see and talk with all the family. That was much needed for what came after.

Our water pump to our house broke so we didn't have any water for 3 days. That sucked because I had to take a shower using water jugs. Then to get the pump fixed I had to pay $10 and I'm pretty sure the church won't reimburse that.

Well this week has been pretty good besides that. I'm over my sickness and we have contacted some new families to teach. So it's all good.

This week we had our first changes but luckly my companion and I are staying where we are. I relieved for that since my Spanish still sucks. Our District leader finished his mission this week and went back home to Mexico. So we had his companion with us for Sunday and Monday.

Oh my companion got attacked by this little dog. It was freaken hilarious. So we are both just walking down the street when four little dogs run up to us while barking. But the thing is they all just walked right past me and went in to bite my companions ankle. And they only bite his ankle once then walked away like nothing happened. Hahaha that was great.

Ugh what else. Oh so our bedroom door got jammed and we could not open it. We tried everything even tried to jimmy it open with a knife. So being the Spiderman I am I climbed up to our second story apartment and jumped onto the balcony and went inside to open the door. So all was well with that.

Also for Christmas I bought a little soundsystem to listen to some music. Having music is so nice.

Well now the New year is coming up. In Ecuador I guess they make giant paper mache people and burn them in the streets on New Years. I don't know why.... Anyway it's pretty cool to see all the different characters that they make.

Well thats all for now I guess.

Love you all

PEACE

Elder Ivan Rodriguez