Email 01/26/2015 Touching the Sky

 Well, how's it going there in the states. I hope it's going good.

 Here in Ecuador it's all going good. I have nothing in my pockets but it's all good. Elder Uc and I have been working our butts off contacting everyone and, as of yet nothing, but really soon. I feel it in my bones. Oh remember that lady who was really mean to us but changed completely, well we met her husband. We had a lesson with the 2 of them. Man let me tell ya that Satan was working really hard to mess up that lesson. At the most important part of the lesson, the lights went out. It was one of those moments in life where you just want to say, "What the HECK".

 But with all of that the lesson showed us that, that lady is prepared. When we invited them to just pray to ask if the lesson was true her husband totally shut us down. Fortunately she told us that she would pray and not only pray but she would read the Book of Mormon and pray to see if it is true.

  Other than that it was a pretty boring week. It's getting cold here in Quito (I'll send a pic of what I look like in our house). Oh and this Monday, today for me) we went to the top of a volcano in a skii lift....That was cool. so yeah that's it I'll send pics.

Love ya all 

PEACE!

Elder Rodriguez

Bird an in a suit.

My father in the mission & my son in the mission. 

They both are District Leaders now.

Me studying in our cold, cold house.

My companion, Elder Uc (rocking the shirt I made), Elder Cahajuaman (one of my old companions), and his companion Elder Richey.

Thoughts from on High. 

Our District, me, Elder Uc, Elder Cahajuaman, Elder Richey, Sister Hill (USA) & Sister Maxamilliano (Peru).

Touching the Clouds.

View from the Top. 

The way to Heaven. 

My companion & I.

I was on the very edge of a huge cliff (sorry mom). 

The District again.

Email 01/19/2015 When Life Gives Ya Lemons, When You Already Have Some

  Well this week was different..... I have always heard that the mission is the best two years of your life, and I truely believe that...But I also believe there is opposition in all things, where the best things are, there are often times the worst things too.

  Many of you know of my money situation. Well it got worse.......Today on the bus somebody robbed me. They took the copy to my passport, my bank card for the mission, my missionary handbook, oh and my personal bank card. But as you all know my personal bank card was blocked so I wasn't worring to much in that aspect....Then I got on the internet to read an email that says my personal bank card works again........Tests and trials come to all and it's a part of life. But I have come to the reality that, that is REALITY. Sometimes life sucks but it always gets better. So I'll just look ahead to the future.  Yup.

  Now here are some blessing I have. There are always more blessings in life, just gotta count them to see the difference. First off we went bowling today (I will send some pics). I got second out of the 4 of us. We went with Elder Cajahuaman (from Peru, he used to be my companion on the coast, and now I'm his leader. Muahahaha.) Oh and also his companion Elder Richey (from Utah----he's kinda weird but he's a good guy). Then this week I got a Christmas card from the Oxspring family (SHOUT-OUT). Thanks very much for thinking of me way out here. Then my companion and I have been working our butts off looking for newbies and we have found a couple. One of them asked me out on a date, I had to say no. Then we had another......We contacted a lady who was so mean to us and truely did not want anything. We truely took a verbal beating while we presented ouselves and told her what we do. Then after some time of, we just wanted to get out of that death match. So we simply asked if we could leave with a prayer...With hate in her voice she said yes. Then everything changed when my companion asked her if there was anything inwhich she would like for us to pray for......The anger instantly left her eyes and out came tears. She expressed to us that in her current situation she didn't know what to do at all, she had no hope nor anybody to support her. I truely say the spirit working in her heart as tears rolled down her face. I was speechless. From what began as another rejection accompanied with hatred turned into a crazy experience. She asked us to come back and teach her. My testimony of the spirit and it's powers to change the hearts of anybody have been profoundly strenghthened. I know, and I testify that the Lord prepares the hearts of man to accept the restored gospel. I testify that the Lord has planned for us happiness, but not only momentary happiness, but happiness that lasts the eternities. So now i'll send some pics.

I love ya all and hope for the best.

PEACE,

Elder Rodriguez

My Zone with our Mission President and his wife. My companion has the bright blue tie on.

Selfie of me stressed out BUT happy.

Elder Uc, my companion and Elder Richey.

Bowling.

Email 01/12/2015 Some Die and Some Continue

Well changes came, and everything got all SWITCHED-UP.

  My old companion Elder Artero, rest in peace, finished his mission this week and is off to El Salvador. In the mission that's known as a death, and as his last companion I'm known as his killer.  Anyway I'm gonna miss the guy. He was a great leader and he knew a bunch. But my time is now. (until the 22nd of September 2015)

  So in this change the trio got spit up. Elder Artero went home, Elder Quintana got sent to Otavalo among the indigenous,. and I'm still in the same area with my new companion. He's a mexican named Elder Uc. He's alright, and I already know him real well. He used to be my Zone Leader when I was living on the Volcano. (which reminds me, I just found out a huge hill that I live on is a volcano too, it erupted in the year 2000).

  I also heard this week my old companion that I trained, Elder Valentine, is now a District Leader. Then my other old companion, Elder Nogales, went back to Chile. HE LEFT THE MISSION!!! I was sad to hear that he had passport problems.....

  Any way that's about it this week. Thanks to Elder Artero this week consisted more of saying good-bye to members and eating a bunch of food than working. Oh this week I ate a burger that weighed a pound, it was huge!!!.  It was a tower of a burger with everthing on it, but boy was it delicious.

Okay thats all.

Love ya all 

PEACE

Elder Rodriguez

P.S. I still haven't sorted out my bank stuff yet.....I don't know how to contact them. 

Elder Artero and a cake we bought him. "No me importa" means "I don't care". We bought that fruitcake a fruitcake. 

Old Zone before everything got all SWTCHED-UP.

Pics of the Middle of the World.

Longitude, Latitude 0'0

The Equator Line.

My old companion Elder Nogales that died.

We had a meeting in which we say Zamora Family finally be all baptized. They were the best family that we found together and baptized the kids. The parents were only waiting to be married first. 

T-shirt which I designed when I was in Imbaura. With this t-shirt, I made it so everyone had a different color (power ranger style)

Email 01/05/2015 New Year! New Miracles

Happy New Years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I hope everyone enjoyed their new years this year. We spent it in our house doing nothing. Well at least we were able to see men dressed as women bugging people in their cars for money. I sent pics. Oh and honestly I don't know why they do it but it's a tradition of Ecuador. 

   So this week we have been really putting our shoulders to the wheel and working our butts off. And I think the Lord has really been watching us working hard cause he threw us a bone. That brings us to the Saturday miracle.

   This past Saturday the Cortez family (the family we ate dinner with on Christmas) invited us to the baptism of their niece, who lives in our area. So we decided to go and show our support. While there, we were talking to the parents and we found out she was older than 8. If she's older than 8 that falls into our hands and we are responsible. So that made us freak out a bit because it was possible that we might of had to cancel the baptism with all the family there. Well we didn't want to do that so we had an interview with the little girl, Leah.  She was so smart and knew exactly what she was doing. So Saturday night we saw a beautiful baptism and also as a result we now have a new investagator and also we are working with 4 new less active members of the church.

   So I'm super thankful for that because this week was super stressful for me. This week we had to send a whole bunch of forms, We had to get new beds for the sister missionaries and the bank locked my card and I have $30 to live on until till the 16th....Just from traveling I spend almost $5 everyday.... do the math, it won't last. but i'm all good here. I got the Lord on my side. 

So that's all folks.

Love ya all PEACE!

Elder Rodriguez

Surprise Baptism of Leah. 

Companion.

Quito, Ecuador

New Years! Men dressed as women bugging people for money.

Goodbye 2014.

The Cortez family made us dinner for New Years!

Zone Leaders transporting beds for the sister missionaries.