WEEK 28: 22 FEB

District meeting

Food!

Carne de Bola

Happy Birthday Mom and Hannah!

First off, sorry the emails didnt go through last week. I sent them and everything because we had time to write. Weird. They went through for my companion so I dont know what happened. But no I did not get transferred, I am still in ward 25th of July in the Pradera Stake here in Guayaquil. Its been a pretty exciting week!

Every month in the mission we have Leaders Council, its where all the Zone Leaders get together and meet with the mission President and talk about the work and how its progressing. Anyways our Zone Leaders usually have a meeting with us after to let us know how it went and the important things we need to know, changes in the way we work, things like that. So I guess the Mission President got a letter from Church HQ talking about how we need to ´´Apresurar la Obra.¨´ Which means hurry up the work. We are supposed to hear more about it this week so Ill let you guys know what that means. So in the mean time you can speculate about that.

This week we have been changing how we work a little bit. We are using a lot of lists and databases of less actives and part member families. Or in other words, we are knocking a lot of doors getting references from everything so we can grow our program. We have baptized a lot of the people that were progressing so now we are on the hunt to find the people that are already prepared to receive us. We can see the blessings every day when we tract and contact and find families that we can work with.

Saturday we have a really cool stake activity thats focused on the mission work. Its called the 3 degrees of Glory. And we are looking forward to having a ton of new investigators to teach from this activity. And at the end of the night we are going to have some baptisms. Its going to be a really cool activity. Its really going to help us missionaries to meet a ton of people we can teach and bring to church. 

In the Book of Mormon I am just starting 3rd Nefi, on track to finish before conference! This picture is of a really good soup. Its called Carne de Bola or something like that in spanish. You guys should try it if you get the chance!

Remember the words that EVERY MEMBER IS A MISSIONARY. Or from our Prophet Thomas S. Monson that´´Now is the time when the members and missionaries have to work together in the Lords Vineyard´´ Go out on visits with the missionaries and help in the Lord Vineyard! You will be blessed for it

I love you Mom! Happy Birthday!

ELDER SOLARI

WEEK 27: FEB15

Sister Rivera's baptism

Hey mom! Glad to here the family is doing well. Anyways this week was really good! I have broken past the 6 month mark so I am not considered a greenie or a newbie anymore! So I sure am excited about that. And no I dont use any mosquito repellant.

Hermana Gladys Rodriguez Rivera was baptised this past Saturday! And now this family only has to wait a year to be sealed in the temple for time and all eternity. How cool is that? The baptismal service was great. We had a great talk, and a special musical number from a recent convert! We could feel the spirit so strongly in the service. And in the end Hermana bore her testimony. There was not a dry eye in the building. The progress of this family has been amazing and I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to help them learn of our Savior Jesus Christ, The Plan of Salvation and the Restoration. Funny part: The Hermana is in a wheel chair because she cant be on her feet for too long, so when I baptized her I cradled her in my arms like a baby and we both went under the water! Its was a cool experience. 

In personal study right now I am in Alma 52. I am going to finish in Spanish before conference so I can start my study of the New Testament. We have a saying here in the mission, but really its in the whole church. You can convince anyone that our Church is true with the Bible but in order to convert them you have to use the Book of Mormon. It is the keystone of our religion. I cant stress this point enough. You will be able to find the mysteries of God if you only search the scriptures diligently ( 1 NEPHI 10:19)Any questions, any trial, anything you want to know about the Gospel, you can find an answer in the Book of Mormon. 

I dont have a lot of time but everything is going well and we are working hard and seeing the blessings of our work! I sure am excited to get the package! Ill keep a look out for both of them and let you guys know! Talk to you next week!

Love you Mom!

Elder Solari

WEEK 26: CARNIVAL!!

Wow I have almost been out for 6 months here in the mission! Its crazy how the time flies by. I feel like just yesterday I arrived at the CCM and met my first companions. Time goes by quick when you lose yourself in this glorious work!

This past weekend, and today and tomorrow is a big celebration here in Ecuador. Its a big carnival party thing they do every year when school gets out for summer break. People have pool parties in the street, launch water balloons, and use water guns to drench the Elders that pass by them. As a result, we have not been outside of the house too much these last few days, only Sunday, and a half day Saturday, and only today until noon when we have to be back in the house. Nonstop music and dancing. We have gotten drenched more than a few times by countless kids with water guns. They were chasing us for blocks and blocks hahaha. Its been a pretty exciting weekend here in Guayaquil.

This last week we also had a multi zone conference with President Torres. It has been a week full of blessings here. And I was awarded my mission pin! In this mission, when an elder or hermana finish their 12 weeks of training, they have to pass a test from the mission president to win your pin. In front of all the other Elders and Hermanas. So we always do this at the multi zone conferences. Usually this test includes reciting one of the lessons in Preach My Gospel, either: 1, The Restoration, 2, The Plan of Salvation, or 3, The Gospel of Jesus Christ. Then you have to give 4 scriptures from memory for each principle of that lesson, and the committments that we leave for the lesson. So You either have to do that or invite the President to be baptized and overcome the objection with scriptures and doctrine. Both of which are pretty intense. A lot of the missionaries think this is cruel and unusual but its a great way to prove to the President if youve really been studying and know the doctrine. Anyways I had to invite him to be baptized and overcome the objection and it was easy! And now I have the pin of the mission. It has the mission logo and I forgot to take a picture of it but Ill get one sent next week. We wear it on our suit coat!

You guys know how I always say I am a part of the best mission in the world? Its true. For the last 28 months we have had the highest number of baptisms each month out of all the missions in the world! Our President is always watching the numbers and informing us so that we can work harder and stay on top!

We have been working hard with the wife of brother rivera. We did everything possible so she would feel ready to be baptized this last week but she wasnt ready because it was carnival. So she is going to be baptized this Saturday! We are so excited because all brother rivera talks about is going to the temple and getting sealed as a family. And as of this Saturday, they will only have to wait a year before they can get sealed! Maybe Ill be able to go in a year to their sealing...how cool would that be!

Other than that we have been working in the rain and contacting references, we have some other people that are close to accepting a baptism date but we will see as this week goes on. References really are the best way to help the missionaries! And no I dont use the raincoat, its way too hot. I need to buy a lightweight one here.

How is the Book of Mormon reading going? We are reading atleast 30 minutes each day and I am in Alma 15. I have learned so much by reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish. Every time I read I learn something new and my testimony grows. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and that it can change your lives. You should read atleast 15 minutes everyday. You will be able to see the blessings in your life!

Love you mom!

Elder Solari

WEEK 25: 5-1/2 MONTHS

Hey Mom! Thats so good the missionaries came over and taught dad lesson 1 for the 100th time! You need to tell them to talk about lesson 2, the Plan of Salvation. Dad probably knows more about Joseph Smith and the First Vision than some members. He needs to get baptized, tell the sister missionaries to send over some elders who will be more stern and serious with Dad. I went to shady creek with glen edwards elementary, or maybe it was 6th graders there, I cant remember.

This week was way good Angel Veliz was baptized this Saturday! He is 13 years old and was a reference from the 2nd counselor in the bishopbric, Bro. Bernita. Angel is best friends with one of his sons. And it has been so great teaching him. I remember the first day I arrived here and then the day of his baptism and the difference was astounding. He has grown so much in his testimony and conviction of the gospel. The baptismal service was great. Saturday night it was pouring, and we have to walk about 25 minutes to the chapel in the rain so that was exciting as well. We took a lot of good pictures for you guys.

Hermano Luis is doing very well, and yes we are teaching his wife. She has more doubts and is progressing more slowly. She is 82 years old and has been Catholic her life so it will take more time but we are working with her! She has desires but does not want to commit to baptism date yet. Its tough because this Gospel has changed Hermano Luis. He shared his testimony with us and it is so powerful. And that he wants so much that his wife will be baptised so they can go to the temple and be sealed with their kids for time and all eternity. 

Yes we sleep with the mosquito nets every night because its always so hot so the windows are open and we have fans. The mosquitos here carry some nasty illnesses. For an address to look it up in google would be 25 de Julio, Guayaquil, Guayas, Ecuador.

A lot of the cybers here are pretty sketchy so Im having problems uploading the photos. Yeah theyre not going through so Ill have to get them sent over next week! Sorry Mom! Ill have a lot to send this next week.

Love you!

Elder Solari