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