Mis Amados Hermanos,
Shout Out: Hughes. MOVING TO THIALAND! -or- THILANDIA! -or- TAILANDIA! Wow, I thought I had friends in exotic places, I thought I lived in a wierd place, but I never expected my family to live in Southeast Asia.
Because I never thought this would happen, I never made a list of things I would like to do while my family is there... so hopefully Amy and Dan can do them for me:
1. Find the White Elephant (I hear it brings good luck)
2. Shop at the markets (yes, I have a market here... but I don´t think I will be shoping there anytime soon...)
3. Eat spicy food with loads of noodles, chicken, and soup. (Food here is often bland).
4. Adopt a new child (not that children are ever old)
5. Carry your stuff on top of your head (or is that Africa?)
6. Carry Mary and Abram in a pouch on your back (people here do that every once-in-a-while)
7. Watch the religious chants in some far away rainforest (broo who who, broo who who... ah ah ah CHA!!!!)
8. Buy an Asian hat and carry sticks around all day (I don´t know if they do it all day, but I have seen pictures)
9. Play with a cobra -or- have someone inchant one for you. (you might need parent supervision for this activity)-(this activity can be done along with many other high risk- thrill filled activities, which include but are not limited to: Playing Hop-Scotch in the Freeway, Shouting "BOMB!" on a Japanese Subway, or fighting a land war in Russia)
10. Walk around with a bell and ring it at people if they look at you funny (I hear it works with evil spirits and monsters)
HAVE FUN IN THILAND!
My Week: Was exelent. I must admit that I am blushing slightly at how much MAIL I got. I feel loved. The pictures were great, the food was awesome, and I love you all.
¿Adavina que? ¡Tengo veinte!
We have been having some great success with finding new people to teach. In the past two weeks we have found over 50 new investigatores. Our goal for the Change is 60 (4 more weeks to go to find 6 people...). Our problem comes with people not wanting to go to church, or feal that "God is Everywhere" and they just have to have a prayer in their heart.
Elder Robinson´s Book of Herecy and Lies: CHURCH IS SUPER IMPORTANT. Mandamiento cuarto nos enseño que el Señor ha creado el mundo en seis dias, y el septimo es el Dia de Reposo! Si, usted, tiene mas conocimiento del Señor y puede, usted, crear un mundo en seis dias, por favor, tiene sus propias mandamientos. (We will leave that untransaleted... as it is from a book of Herecy and Lies...)
So we prayed for a miracle. We prayed that somehow we would see a miracle, Sunday, at the church. And you know what... my God is a God of miracles.
-The Story of the Angel and the Demon-
Sunday Morning at 8:00 we had an appoinment in Cocha (roughly 15 minutes afuera -outside- of Pasaje. It is a beautiful little town with a DEAP river running down the middle of it. I can´t describe how beautiful. The river is not big, but it is DEAP, kindof like a canyon, but full of clear water. I will take a picture next time I am there.
We were late for our appointment with Familia Zari, but... Hermano Zari was there. He has 70 years and I thought he was just tired... well... he was actually cursed. I don´t know if ANY of you believe in Witches, but I am here to tell you that they exist. Not very many in Ecuador, but in the mountains... yes. Mermano Zari has had pain in his head for years and medicine was not working for him so he went to see a whitch. He traveled 9 hours in bus, to Peru, then 3 hours by horse up into the mountains. There he found the Witch. And that is all he remembers. He was telling us of seeing a moon on the horizon, stars, and darkness. But beyond that he remembers nothing. His speach was really slow, his mind was working... but not sufficiently well... he was thinking slowely.
So we did what all good missionaries do: we taught lesson one. He liked it. He told us he wanted to go to church with us. (He had only seen misioneros once before: us, a week before, when we set the appointment). We decided that he could come with us, but he would have to follow us around for 3 hours until church started. He was still slow, so we taught of preisthood blessings and blessed him to be rid of whatever the witch did to him. We told him that we would return in one hour and take him to Pasaje with us.
One hour later we were teaching a lesson down by the river. Hermano Milton (the cursed man) showed up. He looked TONS better. His mind was faster (though not perfect) and he was ready for church. We told him that we had to finish our lesson and that he could wait for us at the bridge (the bridge is OVER the town and the river, you have to climb these really cool stairs to get out of Cocha). After our lesson, 15 minutes later, we climbed the stairs and found Milton -get this- SHARING HIS BOOK OF MORMON and telling his friend how excited he was to go to church with us.
We took Milton to Pasaje and to lunch with us at Familia Arias. From there we visited Ronald Ochoa at the Cemetary (he lives there) and then went to the church. Of ALL of our investigatores ONLY 2 showed up. Milton and Silvia. Now do you call that a miracle... YES!
Look at it this way: Milton had just been cursed, had traveled all night to Peru and back, the first people he saw when he got back was us, we taught him, gave him a Book of Mormon, blessed him. He then went to church, had lunch with members, had a cita with us, and then stayed all 3 hours at church. He has set a breakfast appoinment with us (for next Sunday) and now has a Baptismal Date. Miracle? I say yes. You decide.
-End of Story-
Weird News: I made my No-Bake-Cookies. Hmmmm... Thanks family SOOO much. (Why is this weird? I cooked something that was not noodles or eggs.)
Now for things of UPMOST IMPORTANCE:
1. Thanks to all who thought of me or sent me something for my birthday. I can´t reply to you all... because I have to travel to Machala to get letters out, and I can only do that Mondays and only if I travel to Machala...
2. Someone asked me what cultural things in Ecuador I love... or are just plane wierd... here is my list
-Coco Beans everywhere. They smell bad.
-Traditional Rap. Yeah, with marakas, tamberines, and rap (Boom, chicka chicka, Boom Boom, chicka, Boom Boom Cicka...!)
-Bugs in food. You get used to it after a while. Drinks, rice, soup... can´t let everything bother you.
-Blarring music. I don´t think you can be Latin unless you can tolerate music around 942 Decibles.
- Bamboo Houses and Dirt Floors. Love these. The people are much more receptive.
- House-stores on EVERY corner.
-Mimiking EVERYTHING that America does (this is slightly annoying). For Example: Latin-American Idol (with three judges, one of which is a jerk, one is a woman, and the other is smart), Who-wants-to-be-a-millionare! ("mill" in spanish is 1000, so the show is the exact same, but the top reward is 50,000), News Anchores (yeah, they look just like the famous News Anchores in the States), etc...etc...
- Toilet Paper... can´t flush it here.
- Markets
- Buses and Taxis
Thoughts:
1. Interviews tomorrow
2. Conference in 2 days
3. 24 nuevos
4. Opening Cocha
Y doy fin a mis palabras,
os amo,
Elder Robinson
Shout Out: Hughes. MOVING TO THIALAND! -or- THILANDIA! -or- TAILANDIA! Wow, I thought I had friends in exotic places, I thought I lived in a wierd place, but I never expected my family to live in Southeast Asia.
Because I never thought this would happen, I never made a list of things I would like to do while my family is there... so hopefully Amy and Dan can do them for me:
1. Find the White Elephant (I hear it brings good luck)
2. Shop at the markets (yes, I have a market here... but I don´t think I will be shoping there anytime soon...)
3. Eat spicy food with loads of noodles, chicken, and soup. (Food here is often bland).
4. Adopt a new child (not that children are ever old)
5. Carry your stuff on top of your head (or is that Africa?)
6. Carry Mary and Abram in a pouch on your back (people here do that every once-in-a-while)
7. Watch the religious chants in some far away rainforest (broo who who, broo who who... ah ah ah CHA!!!!)
8. Buy an Asian hat and carry sticks around all day (I don´t know if they do it all day, but I have seen pictures)
9. Play with a cobra -or- have someone inchant one for you. (you might need parent supervision for this activity)-(this activity can be done along with many other high risk- thrill filled activities, which include but are not limited to: Playing Hop-Scotch in the Freeway, Shouting "BOMB!" on a Japanese Subway, or fighting a land war in Russia)
10. Walk around with a bell and ring it at people if they look at you funny (I hear it works with evil spirits and monsters)
HAVE FUN IN THILAND!
My Week: Was exelent. I must admit that I am blushing slightly at how much MAIL I got. I feel loved. The pictures were great, the food was awesome, and I love you all.
¿Adavina que? ¡Tengo veinte!
We have been having some great success with finding new people to teach. In the past two weeks we have found over 50 new investigatores. Our goal for the Change is 60 (4 more weeks to go to find 6 people...). Our problem comes with people not wanting to go to church, or feal that "God is Everywhere" and they just have to have a prayer in their heart.
Elder Robinson´s Book of Herecy and Lies: CHURCH IS SUPER IMPORTANT. Mandamiento cuarto nos enseño que el Señor ha creado el mundo en seis dias, y el septimo es el Dia de Reposo! Si, usted, tiene mas conocimiento del Señor y puede, usted, crear un mundo en seis dias, por favor, tiene sus propias mandamientos. (We will leave that untransaleted... as it is from a book of Herecy and Lies...)
So we prayed for a miracle. We prayed that somehow we would see a miracle, Sunday, at the church. And you know what... my God is a God of miracles.
-The Story of the Angel and the Demon-
Sunday Morning at 8:00 we had an appoinment in Cocha (roughly 15 minutes afuera -outside- of Pasaje. It is a beautiful little town with a DEAP river running down the middle of it. I can´t describe how beautiful. The river is not big, but it is DEAP, kindof like a canyon, but full of clear water. I will take a picture next time I am there.
We were late for our appointment with Familia Zari, but... Hermano Zari was there. He has 70 years and I thought he was just tired... well... he was actually cursed. I don´t know if ANY of you believe in Witches, but I am here to tell you that they exist. Not very many in Ecuador, but in the mountains... yes. Mermano Zari has had pain in his head for years and medicine was not working for him so he went to see a whitch. He traveled 9 hours in bus, to Peru, then 3 hours by horse up into the mountains. There he found the Witch. And that is all he remembers. He was telling us of seeing a moon on the horizon, stars, and darkness. But beyond that he remembers nothing. His speach was really slow, his mind was working... but not sufficiently well... he was thinking slowely.
So we did what all good missionaries do: we taught lesson one. He liked it. He told us he wanted to go to church with us. (He had only seen misioneros once before: us, a week before, when we set the appointment). We decided that he could come with us, but he would have to follow us around for 3 hours until church started. He was still slow, so we taught of preisthood blessings and blessed him to be rid of whatever the witch did to him. We told him that we would return in one hour and take him to Pasaje with us.
One hour later we were teaching a lesson down by the river. Hermano Milton (the cursed man) showed up. He looked TONS better. His mind was faster (though not perfect) and he was ready for church. We told him that we had to finish our lesson and that he could wait for us at the bridge (the bridge is OVER the town and the river, you have to climb these really cool stairs to get out of Cocha). After our lesson, 15 minutes later, we climbed the stairs and found Milton -get this- SHARING HIS BOOK OF MORMON and telling his friend how excited he was to go to church with us.
We took Milton to Pasaje and to lunch with us at Familia Arias. From there we visited Ronald Ochoa at the Cemetary (he lives there) and then went to the church. Of ALL of our investigatores ONLY 2 showed up. Milton and Silvia. Now do you call that a miracle... YES!
Look at it this way: Milton had just been cursed, had traveled all night to Peru and back, the first people he saw when he got back was us, we taught him, gave him a Book of Mormon, blessed him. He then went to church, had lunch with members, had a cita with us, and then stayed all 3 hours at church. He has set a breakfast appoinment with us (for next Sunday) and now has a Baptismal Date. Miracle? I say yes. You decide.
-End of Story-
Weird News: I made my No-Bake-Cookies. Hmmmm... Thanks family SOOO much. (Why is this weird? I cooked something that was not noodles or eggs.)
Now for things of UPMOST IMPORTANCE:
1. Thanks to all who thought of me or sent me something for my birthday. I can´t reply to you all... because I have to travel to Machala to get letters out, and I can only do that Mondays and only if I travel to Machala...
2. Someone asked me what cultural things in Ecuador I love... or are just plane wierd... here is my list
-Coco Beans everywhere. They smell bad.
-Traditional Rap. Yeah, with marakas, tamberines, and rap (Boom, chicka chicka, Boom Boom, chicka, Boom Boom Cicka...!)
-Bugs in food. You get used to it after a while. Drinks, rice, soup... can´t let everything bother you.
-Blarring music. I don´t think you can be Latin unless you can tolerate music around 942 Decibles.
- Bamboo Houses and Dirt Floors. Love these. The people are much more receptive.
- House-stores on EVERY corner.
-Mimiking EVERYTHING that America does (this is slightly annoying). For Example: Latin-American Idol (with three judges, one of which is a jerk, one is a woman, and the other is smart), Who-wants-to-be-a-millionare! ("mill" in spanish is 1000, so the show is the exact same, but the top reward is 50,000), News Anchores (yeah, they look just like the famous News Anchores in the States), etc...etc...
- Toilet Paper... can´t flush it here.
- Markets
- Buses and Taxis
Thoughts:
1. Interviews tomorrow
2. Conference in 2 days
3. 24 nuevos
4. Opening Cocha
Y doy fin a mis palabras,
os amo,
Elder Robinson
No comments:
Post a Comment