Homecoming

Week 102 (Last e-mail as a missionary)

 Well I'm currently at the end of the last PDay in the mission. It is likely that tonight they call me and tell me to travel to Guayaquil tommorow morning, or possibly Wednesday morning, for a meeting with the president and the other missionaries that are ending their missions, go visit the converts in my past sectors in Guayaquil, and then on Friday I'll be on the plane home. It didn't really feel like it was ending until this Saturday when the zone leaders asked me to give my last testimony in a zone meeting. Of course there are mixed feelings in this week between going home and seeing everyone, and having to say goodbye to everyone and everything here in Ecuador.

   It was definitely a great week. I got to see Arturo recieve the priesthood which was way awesome. He has gotten to Alma in the book of mormon (very impressive having in mind we recently came to know him mid-January!) and has in many ways shown that he will be a very faithful member which makes me very thankful that the spirit guided us to find him! The branch president thanked me for my service on Sunday and asked me to bear my testimony at church. We went and talked to cesibels family yesterday to and I said goodbye to everyone there as well. 

   I'm very happy to be a missionary and that I have been able to be in the Lord's errand for the last 2 years of my life. It has definitely been a life changing experience that I can't communicate well enough with words. I have learned many things that will help me for the rest of my life. In the end I didn't do this for me though. When I think of the people who I have met and been able to help in their lives it brings me joy. I have seen the gospel of Jesus Christ change lives, resolve family problems, and in general bring happiness to people weighed down with challenges. I know this is his church and his work. I'm grateful for what he has done for me, for the opportunity I've had to belong to his church and the many opportunites he has given me to help others. I know that my reedemer, Jesus Christ, lives. 

Talk to you all soon!

Elder Pollock

The first convert I baptized (cesibel) about 20 months ago and her brothers and sisters

 

 



Her 20 months later at church (yesterday)

Cesibel's brothers and sisters at their house yesterday

Carnaval!

This week we had changes, my new companion is Elder Villca, from Bolivia. I`ll be making sure he knows the sector well so the next missionary that`s with him doesn`t get lost here! Well this is an interesting week as in most of South America they celebrate a 3 day holiday called Carnaval. The holiday starts the day after valentines day and the point of the holiday is basically a huge water fight and EVERYBODY is the target. Well really, they throw water, eggs, paint, foam they shoot out of a bottle, even kitchen condiments. I was extremely surprised I didn`t get wet last year, but this year haven`t had that luck. All of our investigators are across this river, and to get across you have to go on a bridge. Yesterday right before the main bridge there were like 30 kids getting everybody that went by including cars wet with water baloons, buckets of water, squirt guns etc. So we went and found another smaller bridge, avoiding the groups of people playing Carnaval, including from the tops of buildings. It reminds me alot of The Great Wolf Lodge where My brothers and I would always try to get people wet. We got across the small bridge only to see ahead that the street on the way to the investigators had 2 groups of people with hoses, water baloons and foam bottles already soaked and painted. Of course we got a ¨little¨ wet going by but I thought it was way funny (they didn`t paint or egg us or anything like that though haha). They even were throwing water balloons through the windows of the buses! I think it`s a pretty funny holiday.

   To start off carnaval, on Saturday we got an investigator wet, as he got baptized! His name is Fabian and he has been attending church since Novemeber. I haven`t mentioned him before because the other missionaries were teaching him (We were 4 missionaries in the branch here, but they recently took out 2). He`s 21 and he`s a great guy. I`m happy he made this decision! I don`t have a photo because we weren`t able to attend the baptism, as all missionaries in our mission had to be inside at 6:00PM on Saturday for Carnaval, and the baptism was at 7:00PM. I didn`t mind though I`m just happy he was baptized!

  I`m loving it here and happy to be a missionary! Hope you all have a great week!

Elder Pollock

Baptism of Arturo

 We had a great week! The highlight was of course the baptism or Arturo! Arturo is a really good guy. We met him looking for a reference from our zone leader of people he had taught in Portovelo when he was in Pinneaples. Arturo's brother was passing by and we asked him where the reference was, then invited him to church and for his address to go share a message with his family. We found his house and Arturo was there, who humbly invited us in and accepted to go to church. The next visit we invited him to be baptized and he accepted. He has come to church every week and this week wa baptized! It was a great experience to be able to teach him and be there with his family. His son is special, as I believe I mentioned in other emails; He can barely move, can't communicate at all nor can remember things due to brain damage he was born with. To the surprise of his Dad, he always started smiling big when we got there and when we would say bye to him when we left. His Dad doesn't work in order to take good care of him.

     As we went visiting him, we noticed that Arturo progressed very rapidly. He would read what we left him, pray and go to church, which was a 30 minute commute in bus! When we taught the word of wisdom he threw out all of his coffee and gave away the alcohol he had in his house without us telling him to. He began to tell us that he is happy to have found the true church, and even found the BYUTV channel on cable here! I feel very blessed to have met him and to have been part of the experience of his conversion!

    The baptism on Friday was awesome. Many members came to support and we bought a cake for the occasion! Arturos son, Alex, came and invited us to dinner afterwards, which was asteak that was way good! (Steaks here are alot thinner than in the states so it wasn't exactly outback steakhouse, but still great food!) He then went to the district priesthood conference by President Torres, and was confirmed at church on Sunday.

   We also had a training meeting by president on Saturday morning which was awesome! In terms of other investigators, Vinicio the freind of a member who came last Sunday is progressing well. He came to church again and was able to stay for gospel essentials. We will be visiting him this week and I will be able to say more about his family. Mario and María weren't able to come to church agan this week. Hopefully they will the next! The lady who we taught english to and came to church last week wasn't able to come and has been very busy, so we haven't been able to visit them. We are also teaching some less actives who have been coming back to church! The family Haga, who are an older couple that live in Portovelo. We were able to meet their older son and taught him.

   I'm loving it here and happy to be a missionary! Hope you all have a great week!

Love

Elder Pollock

Baptism of Arturo

 

 

Arturos son too

My companion, Elder Jenkins and I thinking we're cool

 This week was awesome! We had a great day yesterday. The attendance of the small branch here is rising, almost got to 90 people this Sunday. That family that we taught English went to church and stayed for all 3 hours! The Mom went with her daughter and her neice that lives with them. The dad of the family was working and couldn't go but is also very receptive to the gospel. They said very good things about the church and will be coming back the week after next week. We had a lesson with them in which they expressed they have been looking for the true church, and we gave them the book of mormon and told them to pray about it.

   Mario and Maria couldn't come again this week for work this time but we're still visiting them and praying they can be baptized this month!

   A freind of a member came to church as well. We will be teaching him and his family on Wednesday. They live in another little town nearby called Naranjo. Here in pinneaples, the sector that we work in is made up of MANY small towns nearby (up to an hour away in bus!) that come to the church in Pinneaples. Portovelo where we spend most of our time is 25 minutes away in bus.

   An inactive member came to church yesterday too with her daughter who is not member! She lives in another small town called Piedras (stones).

   Arturo came to church again yesterday! He almost couldn't come because his son who is special was looking like he might get an epilipsy attack. His other older son took care of him and Arturo decided to come. His son was just fine! Everything going well he will be getting baptized very soon! He loves the church and is very happy. He tells us repeatedly that he has found the true chuch. Something that was a cool moment was that after church we went and visited them, and Arturo had found the BYUTV channel that morning on his cable! I didn't know they get that channel here! 

   I love this church and this work. I'm happy to be a missionary!

Elder Pollock

Hey!

   We had a good week this week! We have continued going to a small city near Pinneaples called Portovelo. It is the mining center of Ecuador and pretty much everyone that lives there is a miner. Arturo came to church this week with his brother. Arturo is preparing to be baptized for the 14th of February. He´s way excited and has expressed to us that he is sure he has found the true church. I´m very excited for him and happy that we were able to find him! 

   We found another family who asked for English classes and so we went, taught english and invited them to church. They said they are willing to go to church next week if they don´t have to go on a trip to Cuenca.  

   The young couple Mario and Maria we have been teaching that know English and are WAY awesome couldn´t come to church this week, which we knew they wouldn´t be able to because they had to go to Guayaquil for the husbands drivers license. They are very receptive and willing to learn do the commitments. The husband is excited to be baptized and we are encouraging the wife! They are preparing to do so in February!

   Not much else to tell about this week! I´ve been loving the mission as always and way happy to be here! Hope everyone has an awesome week!

Elder Justyn Pollock

Zone December 2015

No time to really write this week cause I needed to work on BYU stuff. Just a quick update:

Im still in pinneaples with the same companion.

This week we found an awesome investigator Arturo who lives in that small town Portovelo outside Pinneaples. He has a kid that had brain damage.Arturo is 60 and came to church this week. He loved the church and agreed to a baptismal date in february.

  The other young couple that I talked about who speak English well came to church this week as well! They are preparing for baptism for February as well. They are way awesome and it is fun to teach them!

   I have had a great week this week. I´m thankful for the spirit that guides us to know what to do and for the chance to be a missionary!

Have a great week!

Elder Justyn Pollock

 This week was awesome! We have been teaching that younger couple of which the husband came last week. They couldn´t come this week because of something they had to do for work this week in Guayaquil, but are very excited to come next week. They actually both talk English, so we are teaching some of the lesson in English as well haha. They are very receptive to the Gospel. We have been preaching some in the small town they live in 20 minutes away from the city of Pinneaples. There are some nice people there and we are seeing who can become future investigators.

   Janet also came with her sister to church again. Their family invited us over to eat at their house and were very hopsitable. They all still remembered me after a year and a half! haha. We are planning on doing service for one of the older siblings of the family this week; painting their house! Awesome! We are hoping to get more of the family to church, especially one of the older brothers and the Mom. 

  As for food... We found a pretty good hamburger place and have eaten there a couple times this week. We also bought pizza on Saturday which was way delicious. I made some no bake cookies which turned out way good. We are 4 gringos in the apartment so there is still no shortage of peanut butter after Christmas haha. 

   Apparently between the time I started the mission and now, a very strong LDS family moved from Guayaquil to a small town about an hour from Pinneaples which pertains to our branch (This one sector is GIGANTIC! Apart from the actual city of Pinneaples, it corresponds to a bunch of small towns where missionaries haven't been to much. Reminds me that there are still some corners of the world where the gospel is still being newly introduced!) We're going to go see how that small town is this week. 

   I'm loving being a missionary and still going strong! Happy to be here! I know this is the work of the Lord and the gospel blesses the lives of those that live it.

Love,

Elder Pollock

It has been an interesting experience back here in Pinneaples again! I have been happy to be able to see one of the converts I baptized here, Cesibel, and many of the people I got to know here. The work here is a little slower than Guayaquil as the people are a little different, but we have been working and finding some awesome people! The perk here is definitely the climate. I am sooo happy to finally be somewhere cold/not hot! It rained down pretty hard almost every day this week which I was very excited about. The environment is a whole lot nicer here in Pinneaples as well, due to it being a little isolated in the mountains. I'm definitely enjoying the experience!

   This week we found great investigators! One is Cesibel's sister, Janet, who is now 14 ( she was only 12 when I was here last time). She came to church with Cesibel, who everyone says does usually comes which I'm very happy about! We also went to one of my old investigators, Nikolas who is 15, and he went to church! 

   It was funny because I was half jokingly saying to my companion earlier that Pinneaples would be perfect if the more open people from Guayaquil lived here and that I'm looking for poeple from Guayaquil here. To our pleasent surprise, during Fast and Testimony Meeting at church on Sunday, an investigator walked in without having been invited! When we saw him we immediately went and sat by him and talked with him. Sure enough, he has recently moved here with his wife from Guayaquil! He's a 32 year old man who was married 4 months ago to his wife. He has had some contact with missionaries before, to what extent I'm not sure, but he even knew what "tronky" means (missionary talk to describe a missionary that thinks alot about going home). He had been asking the day before what time our church was to random people near the church and could only get that it is in the morning, explaining why he came a little late not knowing the exact time. We had a great lesson with him and his wife in his house after church, and they are coming together to church next Sunday. They seem like extremely promising investigators and I'm super excited for that! They actually live in a smaller town outside of Pinneaples about 20 minutes away, so we are now going to be working a little in that area.

   In terms of food.... We ate Pizza! Chinese rice with shrimp. Fried shrimp. More chinese rice with shrimp (there's a good chinese place here). Spiced cider Elder Smith who lives with us gave me. Hamburgers and fried chicken from a member (Awesome!) Chocolate ice cream for new years eve. Yea our new years eve was pretty quiet, we just played chess, the members brought us roasted chicken rice and french fries, ate some chocolate ice cream and went to bed at 10:30PM like normal. 

   That's what's going on in my neck of the woods. (Something like that the news guy always says)

Loving being a missionary and hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Elder Justyn Pollock