Autoridades Generales

So today was a great pday. I was able to make crepes, my favorite food, I haven't had them for 8 months, because today I hit the 8 month mark! dang the time goes by too fast.

This was a pretty hard week. None of our investigators are progressing and we found out like all of them have problems and probably wont be able to get baptized soon, so that is fun.not. And the people here aren't punctual at all, we confirm our visits and everything but nobody is there. It is just hard to find people. We are going to work our tails off this week to get new investigators that are really ready to progress. Fortunately we were able to find quite a few less actives this week and see a lot of them in the church. that was cool.

This week we took the 7 hour trip down to Quito to listen to Elder Ulisses Soares of the first Quorum of the Seventy. There were a ton of missionaries from the two Quito missions. He spoke a lot about the plan of salvation as well as what we can do as missionaries to balance our responsibilities better. It was great. Also, the Area President also a member of the first quorum of the seventy Juan Uceda was there and talked a little bit. I was able to shake their hands afterwords and look into their eyes and it was cool. I wont forget that experience. I definitely felt awesome being there and listening to them. 

I hope you all have a good week. thanks for the letters (not. nobody is writing me) haha. 

Elder Roberts

La Ultima Puerta

So this Wednesday we couldn't find anyone. all of our visits were like super planned out we called everyone on Tuesday to verify that they would be there, and nobody was there. I have come to the conclusion that when the people aren't there it is because the Lord has prepared someone else to listen. We spent the whole day contacting and nobody wanted to listen to us. We got rejected hardcore by a ton of catholics. SO many doors slammed in our faces. Some Jehovah's witnesses wanted to bible bash with us, but I pulled out my bible and started to machete them and they were like oh we don't have time....anyways after a whole day of rejection we just kept on going at it. By about 8:30 we were just beat up, it was a long hard day, so we decided to go ask a member for references, we were about to knock on their door and teach them, but they never have given us reference and I didn't think there was much purpose to this visit, so I turned to my companion and I was like Elder there is someone we need to find. We knocked the door of this tin hut right next to this family and this little guy came and opened it and invited us in. Inside this dirt floor house that only had a couple candles for light there were like 3 Colombian workers here for a couple of months, super humble, and they were of gold. THE LAST DOOR WE KNOCKED ON. IT WAS A MIRACLE.  I knew the whole day we needed to find someone else, and it took the whole day to find them, but we found them, it was awesome. 

This week we had a meeting with President Richardson in Otavalo, Otavalo is super awesome, it is like a different world, everyone is dressed in traditional clothing and all of the men have ponytails and almost everyone speaks kichua. It was so cool. But during the meeting President said I have some sad news Elder Godoy of the seventy will not be visiting us next week...and all the missionaries were like dang. but then President says, but Elder Soares of the Presidency of the Seventy will be visiting us next week. everyone was like DANG. it was cool, this week on Thursday the two missions of Quito will have a meeting with him this week with a TON of missionaries, it will be cool because all of our mission will be there and I will see all of my old companions and friends and get to listen to Elder Soares.

Well I love life. Send me letters and goodies and give my mom a big hug from me. with love from Ecuador, 

your friend Logan. 

Sunset in Tulcan

 Tulcan

My Companion, Elder Damian, he is cool

Listen to the promptings of the Spirit

Okay, Tulcan is like the absolute best place in the world. IT IS SOO BEAUTIFUL. It is like green mountains that are just fields and it is sick. It is super peaceful, my last sector was hectic, in the big city and super dangerous and it is the complete opposite here, I just feel at peace. and the people here are amazing. The only hard thing is that it is SUPER COLD. I am from Minnesota where it is cold, but after being in the hot equator for 7 and a half months, IT IS SUPER COLD HERE. for realz and our hot water broke yesterday, SO LIFE IS SUPER HARD. But I use my sweater every day and am still freezing, but it is worth it because Tulcan es buenaso.

Yesterday after church we went to this part of our sector about 20 minutes away in bus. We got there and had like 4 people to visit, we did a little contacting there earlier in the week and had some future visits lined up, but nobody was there. A cool new family we found wasn't there and across the street in another house was this old guy sitting outside, we were banging on the door, but nobody was there. I felt like I needed to talk to the old guy, but I was like I don't like talking to old people, they are all hardcore catholics and can't comprehend what we teach, so I ignored the feeling and we went down the street to find some other people. We couldn't find anyone for like an hour and the whole time I was just thinking about this old guy that I saw and felt like I needed to talk to him. We got back to the house with the family and they still weren't there and the old guy across the street was still sitting there and he yelled ¨NO HAY NADIE¨ so I crossed the street and said ¨Disculpe estabamos buscando por sus vecinos pero.....¨and then like all of his kids and wife came out and they were super interested, they let us in, and we taught them and they understood everything and felt like we were teaching the truth. WE GOT 2 NEW FAMILIES OF GOLD BABY. I learned my lesson to follow every prompting no matter how unpromising it seems. It is amazing how the Lord works and sends us his spirit to guide us. 

Something cool I did this week was contact from a car. One of my best friends from Calderon was visiting in Tulcan this week, and he has a car, so he drove us to a visit after we had lunch with his family and there was a family walking down the street, so we were driving alongside them slowly in the car and my companion and I were talking to them through the window and gave them pamphlets. They were super confused. I have now contacted from the inside of a car, I have contacted 5 buses, about 20 motorcycles, and I contacted a young couple making out on a park bench with a law of chastity pamphlet. 

I love being a missionary. YOU ALL NEED TO WRITE ME. or mail me cookies or something. 

Elder Roberts

TULCAN

Wow, so this week was a huge surprise for me. But first off thanks for the prayers for the leg, it is doing fine, I don't have rabies, so life is good. So this week we had interviews with president and he basically told me I am going to be in my sector for at least another change, so I was like oh yeah I'm not going. Last night we got the calls ¨Elder Roberts you are going to Tulcan¨  I was super surprised. Today I took the 7 hour bus ride to the furthest northern part of Ecuador, it is super pretty, it is kind of flat but there are mountains all around and it is a lot colder here, but nothing like Minnesota. I am with Elder Damian from Mexico, he is 23 years old and has a change less than I do on the mission.

It was SO HARD to say goodbye. We got the call while we had a family home evening with the familia Chicaiza and they are by far my favorite family from Santa Anita, and we were all super sad. But I know I was best friends with them in the preexistence. I know I completed my time and `purpose and did the things which Father had prepared me for in Santa Anita, and I know I am going to love it here in Tulcan.

We had to drop one of my favorite families this week which was hard, but hey there was nothing more we could do as missionaries to help them come unto Christ.

This week Elder Calderon, an Area 70 assisted our church and gave a super good talk on the dia de reposo and attended the ward council and machateed all of the ward leaders and told them to work harder.....ouch! but it was cool.  I remember in Calderon when I played the Violin in front of him. When I get home I just want to play my Viola for hours every day. I miss that thing.

I love you all, write me letters, send me goodies, and pray for Elder Roberts. 
WIth Love from Ecuador, your pal Logan

Who doesn't love this picture?

My favorite family of Santa Anita that I am going to miss a toooonnnnn

Me with Elder Lindeman, he was the assitant that picked me up from the airport and I roomed with him my first week of the mission

I got attacked by a DOG

Yeah so this Wednesday lunch was horrible I hate ketchup and we basically ate straight rice soaked in ketchup with hot dog....( mom thanks for teaching me how to eat everything with a smile on my face to prepare me for this mission). Afterwards we walked up the mountain in the super strong and hot sun and we decided to take a shortcut to get to the visit. We went up for about 15 minutes this hot dusty road and there were like 20 dogs that suddenly appeared out of nowhere and they were all barking and got closer and closer and my companion and I started chucking rocks and one came up and bit the back of my bad leg. My leg was bleeding, my pants got a little torn, and now it is all bruised and stuff, and considering I have new bone, a metal plate, and a dog bite in my left leg it makes walking the mountain all the more fun. lol. but I am fine.  I have passed by the dog and it is still normal so I don't need to get rabies shot, but after it bit me I chucked a huge rock super hard at that thing. I HATE DOGS. lol

This week we couldn't find anyone. We contacted but nobody answered their doors and when they did they just slammed it in our face. but I love it. I love the rejection. I know I am on the Lords Errand. I think it is something we have to go through to know Jesus Christ better, he was always rejected without reason. 

Church was super powerful this week, all the primary kids gave their testimony and I just wanted to cry it was so cute. I love the kids. Jesus taught that if we aren't humble as a child is we can't enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Kids are realy great examples.

This following Sunday night are changes, I love this sector, I love Quito, I love the people, if I leave I will be sad, but part of me kind of wants to get out of Quito and know a new part of Ecuador. We will see what happens, I would honestly be super happy to be here another change with Elder Pinto. 

Have a good week,  love you all, I testify Jesus is our King and he is the Christ. Remember what that means for you personally this week. 

Elder Roberts

My new investigator 

 me with cotapaxi (a volcano)

This is Antisana, we rarely see it, it was a super clear day