My companion prepared a surprise birthday party behind my back.

Hola Amigos! 

So this week was fun, we were able to teach Carmen this week about the word of wisdom, which is God's commandment for health. It was a good one for her because she struggles with diabetes and she was able to commit to receive more blessing from God for her health. She is really happy and every time she talks about her baptism she has a huge grin on her face. 

We also taught Kevin and he's doing really great. He has huge desires to come closer to God.

This week we met with an old family that we hadn't gotten to see in a long time the Padilla family. They were very happy to see us and offered to give us crabs this Friday.

Also I was given a surprise talk on Sunday right before sacrament meeting started, so I scrambled together some ideas I had been thinking about Christmas and shared some stories about some people I had taught before. I like speaking in sacrament meeting. It helps me realize how important the work I've done here has been.

I Also did a lot of fun things for my birthday this week. We bought a lot of food for lunch at a seafood place, and we went to the chapel expecting that a member would give us a reference there but being surprised by a birthday party my companion had shared behind my back. I am very grateful to have Elder Williams as my last companion. He and I understand the mission and life very similarly and he hasn't had as much success in his mission as I have, but he has definitely helped me to have a better outlook on life which I appreciate a lot. 

I love Elder Williams!

Chao!

Elder Cloward

Here are a few pictures from the week.

Understanding agency, an important part of God's plan

Ali chishi tucui llactapuracuna

We had a really good week.

We spent today in a monkey park with caged monkeys and also free monkeys that were just walking around and would jump onto your back or climb on your arms. It was fun. 

We also received a lot of referrals from friends. 

We met a new person named Kevin. He was told about the church by a member who plays volleyball near his house. He is struggling a lot in his life and is looking for more help to get closer to God, and He was soo willing to come to church with us this past Sunday. 

Also we met some family members of a less active member whose name is Nety. Her nephew is living with her and likes the church but isn't interested in making any big decisions yet. 

Carmen who I talked about last week has a date now for December 28th. She was really happy to accept the idea of getting baptized and hopes God helps her with her health and other life problems. I liked seeing her smile when she said that she would prepare to be baptized.

Also the Zambrano family is wanting to help their daughter Griseidi get baptized on that same day.

Sad news, Jazmin and her kids didn't attend church again this week so her baptismal date fell through. She really wants to change, but hasn't yet decided to do it. Although it makes us as missionaries sad, people can choose what they want to do in their lives. This idea of choice is known as agency or moral agency. Agency may be one of the most important parts of God's plan. He created this earth and all of the things on it. He set rules that if followed would get us the most wonderful blessings, but he let us choose if we wanted the blessings and when we are willing to be obedient and qualify for them. Life without agency would be pointless, because everyone would have to wear the color red, eat waffles for breakfast and follow God. Having everyone follow God is not a bad goal, but we lose a lot of personal development if we are obligated to do so. So I am sad that people don't always use their agency well, but I am sure grateful that God lets us choose what we want so we can grow. 

Nos vemos!

Elder Cloward

THE TRUNKY FEELING IS NOT GOOD

Hola Amigos

So this week was good, but I was sick for a lot of it and it was hard to not let the evil monsters of trunkiness to get over me. I'm fine now though. =P

So the person we met with drinking problems last week just kinda disappeared which is a little sad, but if he really wants to follow God he will find the missionaries.

Jazmin didn't come to church this week, so we'll have to see what happened and help her to keep talking steps to get closer to God. Her children are really good at helping her do what's right. She was just about to drink coffee when her children stopped her, so I think we are making good progress.

Also I talked a few weeks ago about a person named Carmen. She's come to church now twice and she invited her daughter in law Katerine to also listen to us. They both have lots of excitement to hear about God and to do what's right. Carmen has lots of questions for us this week.

We went to baños again for our free day today. This time we went to some tree houses with big swings high in the mountains.

Here are a few pictures.

Two years have gotten to me. I'm sick

Hola todos!

This week was really busy. We had interviews on Wednesday and we had to stay in ambato for the afternoon. I forgot how cold and dry the air felt there. On Thursday we had zone conference and got back to the sector at about 7:00. Then on Friday and Saturday we had service in the morning as we helped members and nonmembers clean a house lot and move a bunch of rocks. 

Finally on Sunday a member invited us to go to her house to teach her drunk ex husband. She sent him away to Quito because of his drinking problems, and he wandered back after two years. He wasn't very receptive on Sunday because he was drunk, but we went by and visited him today in our P-day and he was really really interested in stopping his bad habits and getting married with the member. I feel blessed that we could help him make the first step to that on our preparation day. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

Jazmín came to church this week. It looks like she really wants to be baptized because we didn't even visit her this week and she came to church anyway. I feel blessed for being able to teach such prepared people.

Although all the craziness and working for two years has gotten me feverous and tired. I'm frustrated that it has to be happening in my last month of my mission, but my body ́s imperfect and it can ́t keep up with what my mind wants to do. Oof. I'll have to take it easy in the part of my mission where I would like to take it so much harder.

Here are a few pictures 

ñuncamunani!

Elder Cloward

Rainbows, Purple Potatoes, White tigers, and quichua

Ali chishi 

This week was really great. I personally feel that my energies have been down. In other words, I find myself more and more tired as the days pass. I was feeling discouraged about my lack of energy when God sent this.

I felt like it was a bit of a message to us about how we were doing a marvelous work and he was proud of it. 

Also this week I cooked some chinese potatoes, which are like potatoes but kinda purple.

This week we met a few new really great people.

Gonzalo and Diego are a father and a son that we met this week while we were contacting. Diego has lots of faith in God and loved hearing our message. Gonzalo was looking for the true church for a long time but didn't find anything so he kinda gave up. But we found him!

Also we were waiting for a member of the church who was going to join us in a visit and decided to eat some salchipapas. The most common fast food in Ecuador. We started talking to the vendor and she told us all about her interest to follow God due to the fact he had saved her life. We went back later and she came to church on sunday! She reminds me a lot of Marialena who is a person that I baptized a year ago in Santo Domingo. I'm excited to keep teaching her. 

Also this was Jazmin's last week in her beauty class so she's coming to church this week! 

We are about to see a lot of success with them and a few others so I'm pretty happy about it.

Today for P-day we went to the zoo. Here was the coolest animal there.

And here is a picture of my companion and I being awesome

That's about all folks 

Ñuncanunami

Elder Cloward

The coffee robbers

Hola Amigos!

We had a really good week. Elder Williams was sick for a part of it, and due to the holiday (Day of the Dead) a good lot of the people we were planning on teaching were visiting their ancestors in cemeteries. So we weren't able to find a lot of new people this week, but we did teach about the word of wisdom to Jazmin. The word of wisdom is God's modern law of health given to a modern day prophet. Members of the church and those preparing to be baptized abstain from consuming alcohol, tobacco, drugs, tea, and coffee. After we taught about it, she said "I know that drinking coffee was bad for my health but I didn't know it was a sin. She gave us her bag of fresh coffee grounds. That is the first time someone has been so willing to keep the commandments that they have given up their vice. We are the coffee robbers. =P

It reminds me of a passage of scripture I read this week. In Alma, a group of missionaries leave to preach to a wicked people and through their preaching they get this to happen.

7 For they became a righteous people; they did lay down the weapons of their rebellion, that they did not fight against God any more, neither against any of their brethren. 

All of us in life have to give up our vices, and I am really proud of Jazmín for doing it.

That's all folks!

Elder Cloward

he lighting on this picture wasn't that great, but I've got the coffee bag in there. And we are both wearing our ponchos. 

hhhoney

Hola Amigos!

This week was great! 

My new companion is named Elder Williams. He's probably the funniest companion I've had so far. He can talk like over a dozen fictional characters from movies and shows. My favorite is his winnie the pooh voice. "Hmm Elder Cloward, do you have some hhhoney?" With lots of stress on the hhhhhhoney.

Also when we get back home in the evening he is a walking radio and just sings every single song that comes to his head. It's fun. I think his goofiness will help me to be a lot happier

This week we had two grande miracles.

First Jazmin accepted a baptismal date. It's a little far out (in December), but she felt the spirit really strong about it.

Then we were out walking when a man (Giovanni) stopped us looking for work. A lot of times here people talk to us and ask for money or things like that because we look like rich americans, but he was just looking for work so we told him to come to church on Sunday and he could find some people to help him with that. Nobody new came to church for us except HIM! He said that he was out walking and a member also invited him to church so he decided to come and he liked it a lot. We set a lesson to see him on wednesday in the morning and we also saw him randomly today. God just put him in our path. 

A person who we were teaching gave us a basket of fruit and vegetables that she had traded for deodorant and other hygiene products in a jungle village. How cool is that? 

Also I forgot to take a picture with my companion so here we are.

And with that I'll be finished for the day.

Chau!

Elder Cloward