Christmas

First of all,  I hope that everyone of you had a safe and Merry Christmas with your families this past week!  The holiday is great time to remember the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. But as well, it is a great time to spend with the family!

I started my mission in the coast of Ecuador in the City of Esmeraldas and am now in mountains of Ecaudor in the City of Otavalo.  Natives of Otavalo, as declared by Spencer W. Kimball, have the purest Lamanite blood.  I am currently in a sector that has two wards, reminds a bit of Utah.  These wards are really cool!  I understand almost nothing, but don't worry, it is not because I don't understand Spanish, but I don't understand the native language Quichua.  The meeting s in these two wards are in complete Quichua. I think it is really cool to experience the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the tongues of all the world. Not only in Spanish but also into the native language, Quichua.

I am enjoying a lot being here in Ecuador among this amazing people!  Especially with Jesus Christ. We will talk with people on the street and it is cool how much Jesus Christ is a part of the lives of the people here. 

Here, we did not have an very eventful week.  Because of the Navidad (Christmas) many people have gone to other parts of the country and even other countries to sell items for the holidays.  For Christmas Eve and Day as well Elder Morales and I had to be in our house at six in the evening.  This is because during this time of the year South Americans like to party through the night and the Mission President wants our safety.

I know that the Church of Jesus Christ is the church of God here on the Earth. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God here on the Earth, and through him the Gospel was restored to the Earth. I feel the Spirit of the Lord testifying every time I share the First Vision of Joseph Smith. 

 And have a happy new year!

 Cayacama, good bye in Quichua.

  I am grateful for the opportunity I had to talk with my family this Christmas as well.

A picture of the pizza that we made for Christmas dinner, it was a tortilla with cheese and
ham, and really, really really, good.

 

A hand made item, it is my scripture case for my triple, 

or my bible, they have the same design.

Otavalo

This week, was my first week here in my new sector.  It is situated between the lake San Pablo and the mountain/active volcano Imbabura.  This new area reminds me a lot of Utah.

 

I am good, I have to apologize I am freezing here in Otavalo but only because I was in the heat of the coast.

My new Companion is Elder Morales, from the capital of Mexico, Mexico City.  He is 21 years old and is awesome to have as a companion.  He has been out a couple weeks more than I have been.

During the week, we did not have anything out of the normal happen. 

 

My sector covers two wards.  The wards Compañía and Imbabura. There is actually a zone here in Otavalo, twenty four missionaries, twelve companionships.  but we are the only ones in these two wards. I feel like I am starting my mission over in some aspects, mostly just the language.  These two wards speak only Quichua, the native language.  It is similar to the language spoken by the ancient habitants of the Book of Mormon, Nephites and Lamanites.  Yesterday, we attended two sacrament meetings and two ward councils lasting about five hours and it was almost all in Quichua, the only time it wasn't was when they were talking directly at us.  It is really cool to experience the promise that everyone will hear the Gopsel of Jesus Christ in their own tongue and language.

The scripture that I ponderized this week is found in the fifth chapter of Alma in verse 26. I chose it because I wanted to get to know the prophet Alma more, This verse shares favorite music of this Prophet of God.  To me, it helps to understand more of the role of Jesus Christ in our lives.

 Cotoplaxi, volcano in Quito.

December  21, 2015

Elder Draper se va a sector Compañia en la Zona Otavalo!

I have been changed to the sector Comapañia in Otavalo! My companion is Elder Morales. He is from Mexico. 

This week I traveled to Quito with my zone for the Christmas dinner with Presidente and Hermana Richardson.  It was really awesome.  We spent a total of 14 hours traveling from Esmeraldas to Quito and back.  We left for Quito Thursday and returned Friday. 

This past week was the last week for the change, a six week period of time. Sunday night my zone leader called and gave my the news that I have been assigned to this new sector with a new companion.  I traveled again to Quito today and from there to Otavalo.

The scripture I ponderized this week is found in Alma 17:3.  Give ourselves to the Lord and to pray and fast and we will teach with power and authority.

 Esmeraldes Zone

 Elder Pena and Elder Draper

 Reading out of Luke 2

 

 Elder Draper and President and Hermana Richardson

December 14, 2015

First days of December....

This week contained the first days of the month of December.  My first memories I have from when I think of December and Christmas are colder weather and usually with snow.

Being here in the middle of the world, the weather had different plans.  Since I have gotten to Esmeraldas, Ecuador, it has felt that it has only gotten hotter, and hotter. 

This week, not much happened during the week.  But this weekend, the Esmeraldas Stake had a stake conference.  A general authority came to visit and speak and the conference. Elder E. Xavier Espinoza, an area seventy, came and spoke to the stake.  It was cool, to listen to him.  Honestly he reminded me of George Lopez.  I thought is was a bit funny.  

As well, last night was the Christmas Devotional from the First Presidency.  If you did not watch it, I invite you to do so (visit lds.org)  It was really good and powerful as we learned about the Christmas season and the birth of the Savior of the World, Jesus Christ.

I was reading the Book of Mormon, I think it was Wednesday, in the chapter 18 of 1 Nephi.  I read verse three, which says that Nephi went to the mount often to inquirer of the Lord because the Lord answered his questions.  Well, what on the Earth is considered holy like a mountain? a Temple.  To me, Nephi prayed and went to his Temple often he did this as the Lord spoke with him and answered his questions and gave him direction for his actions. As a missionary, we focus our teaching in making covenants with our Father in Heaven.  To help people do this, in each lesson we give commitments to help them have the spirit and desire to complete and come closer to their Lord.

This week I am going to have a lot more pictures.  We are traveling to Quito this week and I will take pictures with members and people here in the ward.  We are having our Christmas Dinner with president this week.  The missionaries in the coast and jungle are traveling Thursday for a dinner.

I will receive information about transfers Sunday night this week and change Monday.

The verse I ponderized this week is found it the Bible.  Matthew 7:7-8.  If we seek for an answer or knowledge with the Lord and God, we will find it. 

Elder Draper.

Entrevistas!

This week, we had a meeting with our mission President.  Presidente Richardson.  Tuesday we had the training part of the meetings. Wednesday my zone, Zona Esmeraldas, had our interveiws (entrevistas) con Presidente.

The training mostly was on Faith. We learned about the Brother of Jared, and the faith that he had.  It was so much that he saw the finger of God.  We learned a process to better our teaching and testimony.  

While we were waiting for our turn for our interview with President, the assistants to the President trained us in how to better help our investigators.  

Not much more happened this week.  Today for P day we went to the mall, and one of the elders in my district had and deck of uno cards and we played uno.  

Transfers are in two weeks, I am almost certain that I am leaving Forestal.  I don't know where I will go. In Esmeraldas there are 6 companionship's and the zone leaders.  It is possible that I could stay in Esmeraldas, but I don't know.

Many people have something like a tree.  I do not see one that is common in the states. They mostly have little ones for like side tables, and some a little bigger.  There are some people here that have put lights on there houses. 

It has not cooled off, I think it has only gotten hotter.  How about a hot Christmas. it is worse than Alabama.

The language is good, to make it easier said, I am not thinking completely in English, but it is not all in Spanish.

 

The scripture I ponderized this week was  Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21.  Before we came to the Earth, a decree was made in heaven that every time we obey a commandant of god we will be blessed.