Week Fifty Two in Ecuador - November 17, 2014 - I Just Love The People Of Ecuador!

Thanks for the letter mom I loved it :) That's so sweet about Jake...tell him congratz for me! Oh and ya I dont want to think about turning twenty I feel super old... but also I am pretty excited because we have 3 baptism dates set up for that Saturday!! I couldnt be more happy about that. 

And you're completely right. I have the perfect family and I couldn't ask for anything more. And about what you thought that time in sacrament meeting is wow exactly what I feel like the theme of my mission should be. In my patriatical blessing it says that the success of my mission will be directly related in my ability to forget about myself and put all of my thoughts into the lives of others. The gospel is about so much more than just ourselves. but the wonderful promise that God makes us in Lucas 17:33 is that if we forget about ourselves and focus in God and helping others we will find who we truly are. We will be better people and we will deserve our spot as sons and daughters of God. So thanks for sharing that because I completely agree. 

Ok so now about my week. This week was great we taught well and we worked hard and I felt the Spirit in a ton of our lessons. I absolutely am falling in love with the people here in Ecuador haha they feel like my family although I never want to live here and Dad, Mom and Jake you guys are better so don't worry. But for real, I feel so much love for the people here and this week we were so blessed with those people we found and the success we had with them. Not to brag or be prideful but on Sunday we brought the most people to church that we ever have... 15!!!! And this Saturday 3 baptisms!!! Wow. Well we are working hard and living up our time here, I love my comp and ya all is well I will let you know how the baptisms end up this Saturday :)

 

Love you all to death and write me back ;)

Elder Lignell

 

P.S.  My pictures this week look like all we did was play all week but I promise, we really worked our butts off :)

 

 

 

Week Fifty One in Ecuador - November 10, 2014 - Little by Little

Dear Family,

Hey, so I just hopped on the computer, and so first off I got your two packages and I also got the package from D.D. and thank you both so very much... the packages were perfect. I loved them to death and they gave me a nice boost this week. 

 

Now about the homesickness... no I'm fine don't worry about it... I still love it here :) haha

 

What else, well now to answer Grandpa; the people here, well for the most part have their own businesses that they make but they are small businesses. For instance where I'm at right now is a little internet cafe with five computers and we pay 50 cents an hour to use the internet.  Another example is a little store that sells food and drinks or a little car wash business in front of someone's house or taxi or bus driver. Those are the main jobs that they have here and unfortunately they don't pay very much and those who work for companies get payed monthly about 300 to 400 dollars.

 

Alright so now about my week. Well this week was sweet, we had some awesome lessons with our investigators and we have a ton of people that are just about to be baptized... haha but that's the annoying part, they all amost can be baptized, it's just that every single one has something that they are missing to take that last step. For instance if everyhting just fell right into place we would have 7 baptisms just this Saturday. So we are working crazy hard so that all of that can work out! We have a whole family that wants to be baptized and I would love if you could pray for them this week that their father will soften his heart and be able to feel the Spirit.  Also, if you could pray for the "S" family that the husband and wife can get back together and stay strong in the Gospel. 

 

This week I have been studying a lot about the atonement. So you guys should read in 3 Nephi 27 Alma 7 and 1 Nephi 19:9. They are sweet and honestly everything we have in this life is thanks to the sacrifice of Christ. The only reason we can be happy is because he paid for all that makes us sad allowing us to change to triumph over weaknesses and someday become like him.

 

I love this Gospel I know sometimes it is hard to live it, but if we aren't willing to suffer a little bit of what Christ felt we will never truly understand how important his sacrifice was for all of us :)

 

Love you all to death,

 

Elder Lignell

Week Fifty in Ecuador - November 3, 2014 - Great New Companion

Hey guys.... whats up? :) 

Well I'm glad everyone is doing well and that's funny about the house and how you're all living in the living room with all the furniture in one room. And to be completely hones, you guys shouldn't complain... the way you have the living room set up right now is actually what an extremely wealthy Ecuadorian would have as their whole house. They put everything together... the sofas, beds and kitchen with the tv...in one room, so feel lucky that its only for a couple of weeks and not forever hahaha. That's great about Jake going for his first drivers ed road ride.... it made me laugh that his instructor fell asleep while he was driving... it must have meant that he trusted Jake a lot. ;) 

And that's sweet about your scripture study class last Saturday. It is true you do need to mark the scriptures it helps you learn them so much bettter!! And yes send me the scripture marking pens and I would love some cool colored pencils as well. Some that you think would be good for marking as well :) Oh and so like post-it tabs the ones that are different colors and small enough just to put a tab to mark a scripture. 

And well this week went well. I get along really well with my companion and he is a great missionary. I beleieve that with him I have had some of my most spiritual lessons so far out here on the mission. Which is awesome... I never really knew what it felt like before coming here to have the whole room filled with the Spirit and to just be able to see everyones faces light up and be able to recognize those feelings. I love the way the Spirit can change peoples hearts and desires. It gives us light and a new love and makes us feel happy wanted, special, and excited to press forward. 

I have learned here that to have the Spirit, it is essential in missionary work and essential in our everyday lives, if we want to have the guidance of Christ. And the key to having it is being worthy and asking God, and searching for it in our times of need. God is willing to help us in all that we do, and if we put forth our part he is obligated to do his. 

Well anyways those are some of the thoughts that have been going through my head in this last week. And I have been trying my hardest to look for the guidance of the Spirit in all that I do. 

So sorry I don't really have too much to share about this week. It was pretty normal but I am excited to keep pushing forward. Oh and the baptisms will be coming soon in a few more weeks and we'll have a bunch :)

Anyways,  I love you all to death and hope you have a wonderful week!

Elder Lignell