This week we had companion exchanges. I haven´t been so good about putting where i´m at and with who and all that in my emails, but last week I was with Elder Saavedra in La Toma, a ward of the stake Puerto Nuevo. I´m now in Bananeros ward in the stake of Puerto Nuevo still in Guayaquil. My new companion is Elder Foerster! I´m finishing his in-field training of the first 12 weeks (I´m not zone leader anymore, Trainer), as Elder Zamorano, who was his trainer, just finished his mission and went back to Argentina. It´s awesome as we spent alot of time in this sector helping Elder Zamorano and Elder Foerster, who had grown to be good freinds, and now I´m Elder Foerster´s companion teaching investigators and converts who I´ve already met! It´s been alot different only having to focus on this sector and just the investigators and members here instead of a zone.

   Karla, Sulay and Rosa were baptized this week in our sector. I had met them about 3 weeks ago and am happy to be able to be in their baptisms and be part of that! Karla was baptized on Saturday and we made some ham sandwiches she asked for for the baptism, as she didn´t want cake. She is the neice of a the counsler of the ward, who baptized her. Sulay and Rosa are Mother and Daughter, and were baptized and confirmed Sunday night because they weren´t going to be able on Saturday. In that baptism we did have cake, and at the same time we celebrated Elder Foerster´s birthday! Their family, around 10 in the family, is very receptive to the gospel. Rosa and Sulay are the first to be baptized in that family, but all of them have gone to church except the Dad who is busy alot of the time. Another of the sons, Alexander, can be baptized soon depending on his decision!

   I also got to see the baptism or Wonderley, one of our investigators in La Toma, and a freind of Pedro, though it was not a baptism of my sector now. It was awesome to see him be baptized! He was very happy to do so and I was happy to be there.

   Some investigators we have are Carolayne and Juliana, who came to church with member freinds and are preparing for baptism. We are hoping that conference will help them to be more excited to be baptized very soon!

    This week to motivate ourselves to do more exercises we´ve been doing pushup competitions to decide who does what in the morning (1st place cooks, 2nd place irons shirts, 3rd place washes dishes, 4th place showers first in the colder water). Steal and apply the idea if you´d like haha. We have 3 rubix cubes in the house and we´ve all learned how to do it now. 

   I´m loving the mission and having a great time here in Ecuador! It´s an extremely special experience to be an instrument of the Lord in helping others accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. }

Elder Justyn Pollock

Union de Bananeros ward as a trainer with Elder Foerster

29 September 2014

 This week was awesome! We had the baptism of Pedro on Saturday which was an awesome experience. Photos coming soon, as we don´t have a way to connect the memory card today in the cyber. He was baptized by one of the members of the ward who always comes and does visits with us. A ton of members came and supported him in his baptism, around 30 or 40. His grandparents, who are members, came as well to support him. He bore his testimony afterwards as well! He was very happy to be baptized. He then came in his suit again on Sunday for the confirmation. The parents made us tacos as well which was an added bonus to pedro being baptized haha (tacos is a very uncommon but deliciously made dish here)
   Harold (Robofoco) came to the baptism as well and also went and did visits with us. Sweet! He blessed the sacrament on Sunday (with only one attempt, as he spent all week memorizing it haha. He seemed a little nervous which is normal).
   The member who brought his freinds to church last Sunday brought them again this Sunday! We have been teaching some of their families, one of who is a girl, her sister and her mom in the house who all came to church this Sunday! They have been passing for some family difficulties, but loved the church and are happy to accept the invitiations we make them.
   I am very happy to be here as a missionary of the Lord. I know this is his Church and his work.
Hasta la proxima,
Elder Pollock

This week we have been teaching Pedro (who´s 13) on a regular basis. This week we mostly taught him the plan of salvation and the commandments with his freinds who are also investigadors. He came in a suit this week again which is something I think I left out in the other email. Last week on fast sunday he came in his suit, bore his testimony as an investigator, and did home teaching with the deacons after church! The next day he went to a family night with Aaron to a membrs house. He loves the church! His dad is an inactive member who we are trying to teach as well. Pedro has a baptismal date for this Saturday which is exciting! His freind Aaron has come to church regularly as well and has a baptismal date for October.

    We also found 2 new investigators this week, Eunice and Anaí, who are twins! Their parents are both inactive since they were young. The Dad sells encebollado on Sundays (which is like an onion fish soup type like dish (WAY good)). That will be his challenge for getting back to church.We had a lesson with the twins and their parents this week and are working with them to get the back to church. The twins have baptismal dates for October. Apart from them, a member of the church preparing to go on a mission brought 3 investigators to church this Sunday! They are Brigit, Melisa and Jonathan. We have appointments with them today and hope to be able to teach those families.

   I guess I wasn´t able to tell completely how my birthday went last week cause I was still mid-birthday! haha. After we went teaching investigators, 3 future missionaries here that always come with us to teach investigators had made a cake. They gave some words which was hilarious, we sang happy birthday in english and spanish (which is actually the tradition here even for the birthdays of those tha tlive here) then we ate cake, after they pushed my face into it while I was trying to eat it haha (another tradition in south america) Atleast they let me take my glasses off. When we got home we bought pepperoni pizza and soda which was a good finish to everything.

   I got a birthday package from home as well which was awesome!! Yeaa beef jerky! Along with many other awesome things my family included in the package (tie, white shirt, etc.!) Thank you everyone!!

   I´m very grateful to be here in the mission as a missionary and to have the chance to spread the gospel. I´m loving it here and I know this is the work of the Lord!

Love,

Elder Justyn Pollock

21!!

Hey!

   Thanks for all of the birthday wishes everyone!!! I loved the slideshow with all of your pictures! It means alot! I´m having a happy birthday! I went over to spend pday with some other missionaries. We ate some interesting food for lunch that the mamita made haha i guess she didn´t know my favorite food. I can say this is the first birthday I´ve had eating Chicken liver and cooked plantians! (I actually love plantains though, thanks Ecuador!) Hahaha I laughed and thought it was funny though. I have a good dinner coming up soon though with some members, who say they have a surprise as well (I imagine cake). Yesterday some members cooked me hamburgers for dinner as well! Sweet! We played some chess and I bought some cookies too. I have some ice cream in the freezer waiting tonight as well and I might buy a slice of pizza on the way home haha.

   This Saturday we had the baptism of Harold!!! He finally decided to get baptized this Saturday and asked me to baptize him. That was an awesome birthday present (though he didn´t know my birthday was coming up) to be able to witness him being baptized. He is an awesome convert who loves the church, and the bishop is already talking about plans for a callling in the young men and melchezedik priesthood in December! Harold is 19 and we met him when I first got here. He studies in the university and learns SUPER fast. He had lots of doubts, the first of all if he feels the spirit, not feeling prepared yet, etc. We kept reading the book of mormon and having spiritual lessons with him and at last he felt strongly that he felt the spirit and decided to be baptized. It was an awesome baptism. Lots of members showed up and are very excited for the new member in the ward. 

  I´m super happy to be a missionary. I love what I do and I love helping people take decisions to live the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know this is the church of Jesus ChristThanks to everyone! Sorry if I don´t respond all the emails! Love you all!!

Elder Pollock

This week Pedro came to church again! Hey!! Exciting as it is another important step towards his baptism the 20th. We have been awhile without baptisms here and learned to be thankful for the small steps in the process of the investigator´s conversion. He loves the church and stayed for all 3 hours with his freinds again. He is 13 year old who´s grandparents are active members and Dad is less active. This week he had all sorts of "deep-doctrine" questions he wanted to know like "what type of fruit was the forbidden fruit?" and "Who is God's Dad?" "Jesus' Grandpa" I told him jokingly.

   We are still teaching Harol, though infrequently. I feel he is close to baptism and may any of these days make a decision. He attended church again this week all 3 hours.

   Today we had a leadership council with the President. We watched an inspired talk in an MTC address by Dieter Uchtdorf about preaching the gospel with courage. He talked about the transformation of the Apostle Peter in his testimony which I had read about alot recently. Before the ressurection of the Savior, Peter denied the Savior 3 times for fear of being recognized as one of his followers. After seeing the ressurected Christ, he becomes a courageous disciple who before threats of death and imprisonment etc. boldly testifies of the ressurected Savior. President Uchtdorf then turned that example to how we should boldly proclaim the gospel with as many people possible. 

   I´m super happy to be here as a missionary to preach the gospel. Hope everyone has a great week!

Elder Pollock