Ecuador

Two weeks ago tonight we arrived in Ecuador at midnight.  Monday and Tuesday we organized the apartment.  Wednesday we started working in the temple.  Since then, we have been busy night and day.  Sorry to miss posting in the blog for two weeks!

Last night was the ward talent show.  It was amazing to see so much very excellent, well developed talent in one ward: classical violin, dancers who did traditional Inca and Criollo, also Charleston, Spanish Gypsy, Flamenco, jazz, roc, and more.  Also very fine singers, actors, and poets.

My contribution included accompanying a temple missionary couple (Fuhriman) who sang a Mexican Bolero in harmony, a sing-a-long led by Elder Rigby: "Solamente Una Vez"; also they wanted me to sing "El Aguacate", a traditional Pasillo Ecuatoriano that I learned last week.  They all say that they are greatly honored and appreciative that I would learn their national music as soon as I arrive in their country.

Last Monday, 24 May, was the celebration of the "Batalla de Pichincha, 1822", the decisive victory over the Españoles that resulted in Independencia for Ecuador.  So, I composed a song about it in Pasillo style, recorded it, and played it at the show.  This was also requested, as everyone seems to know that I wrote this and they are very pleased that I would honor their country in this way.

I also arranged Elder Rigby's original hymn " for 3 part men, and created a Spanish version "Mi Alma Se Deleita, el Salmo de Nefi".  We will sing it soon.

In the past two weeks I also: learned 7 temple ordinances in Spanish, found an Otovaleño to teach them to me in Kichwa, started a Kichwa curriculum for the temple workers, played the organ in the temple chapel for meetings, and worked every position in the temple except clothing and laundry.

In my spare time I started a piano tuner course with 15 students, acquired funding for 18 keyboards to give "piano" lessons, had friendly conversations with hundreds of people from all over this country, and established working relationships with key people including National Government: the bank minister and the Indigenous Language Literacy Bilingual Education Committee; Professional Musicians from the Symphony, the Piano Pedagogy, and the traditional Criollo and Andean music; and the U.S. Peace Corps.

Today I am too tired to remember what else we have done.  Of course, Janeen has done much more than that, particularly with sewing, cooking, and building relationships in the ward, the mission, and all the people back home with phone calls ( we can call your phone number from our computer ), Skype, and emails.

Travel

We had a pleasant and restful day of travel, leaving the MTC at 4:30am. The driver benefitted greatly by Sister Howard's experiences working with wayward young people, as his wife's family is facing a challenge. We had a number pleasant conversations and collected one name of a Guayaquil woman who wants to have missionaries come to her home. We slept well on the flights, were received at the airport by the Rojas the Fuhriman's and others of the temple staff. We went bed at 2 am in our new apartment. We are having a hard time waking up, but today is our day of rest.

Salida1

Saturday we left at 3 am for the airport. The flight was cancelled due to weather in Dallas. Everyone else was rerouted, but we were returned to PRovo, where Sister Howard rested, and I spent the day in amazing spiritual experiences. For example, I found a family history couple going to Pohnpeii and gave them names of friends to contact. I prayed with a man who was stranded and begging for money at a shopping center, and gave him money, because that is what Tino would do. I encouraged many young missionaries and established important networks with senior couples. Igave several formal presentations in missionary classes.

Missionaries

Today we met an Argentine couple at JCPennys. By the time we finished talking we were all hugging and crying. They promised to start attending church again, and to return to the temple. All the rears we have shed here have been because we allowed ourselves to love the people.

Today was or last day of temple training. We shed many tears with those we had learned to love as we served there.

End of the training

We are humbled to know that tomorrow morning is the end of our training. Saturday morning at 3 am we leave the Missionary Training Center and head for the airport. We need your strength and messages and prayers. Please post to this blog. You can reply to these messages and even add photos of your own. (If it asks you to register for blogger or yahoo or anything else, that is a simple, no cost step that allows the system to recognize you).

Sorry we have not been able to post photos for a while. Next week we will start adding photos again. The iPad has been a wonderful tool, but it does not do everything.

Called to serve

Choice spirits who were reserved to come forth in the fulness of times to take part in laying the foundations of the great latter-day work,
54 Including the building of the temples and the performance of ordinances therein for the redemption of the dead, were also in the spirit world.
55 I observed that they were also among the noble and great ones who were chosen in the beginning to be rulers in the Church of God.
56 Even before they were born, they, with many others, received their first lessons in the world of spirits and were prepared to come forth in the due time of the Lord to labor in his vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men. (D&C 138:53-56)

We are using lots of Kleenex to dry our eyes as we see the videos, hear the testimonies, share our testimonies, and feel the Spirit day and night. We know that we have been prepared for this assignment and that the Lord will provide the way.

But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance 1 Nephi 1:20

27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.
28 Behold, I will show unto the Gentiles their weakness, and I will show unto them that faith, hope and charity bringeth unto me -- the fountain of all righteousness. Ether 12:27

We have no shortage of weaknesses. We have been humbled as part of our preparation to learn to depend on the Lord, and not our own strength. We have been humbled to tears many times in the past two weeks as we heard the testimonies of our companions, teachers, and the general authorities, including Elder Pinegar, Elder Holland, Elder Kikuchi, and many more.

Reasonable, logical, believable

Come let us reason together so you understand what we believe.

"Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it" (Isaiah 1:16-20).

There is a god.

There a plan.

God communicates through prophets now as he did before.

God the Father and Jesus Christ are separate beings in whose image we are created. The Son prayed to the Father and the Father bore witness of the Son. John 8:13

Jesus Christ was the Son of God as He claimed.

Christ organized a church that He intended should administer the ordinances of salvation.
Ephesians 4:11-16

Eventually the Church He established fell into apostasy as was prophesied. Isaiah chapters 29,30. The Protestant reformers also said that the church doctrine had changed and the authority was lost.

The Book of Mormon is a true testimony of Jesus Christ translated from ancient records by a young, uneducated farm boy in a singled draft.

Joseph Smith really did see the Father and the Son. He re-introduced to the world many doctrines and organizational structures that were unknown in his day. The church he founded is called "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" because Christ is the head, and the prophets and apostles He calls to lead it are guided by Christ.

All this is reasonable, logical, and believable, but my testimony is based on a confirmation by the Spirit. The more sure testimony of the Holy Ghost is more powerful than reason.
"Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me" (Alma 5:46)

Temple

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" 1Corinthinthians 6:19). There is no building constructed for the third member of the godhead. His temple is your body. Keep it clean. Invite the Spirit into your life. Qualify yourself to receive this gift:

"Wherefore my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism -- yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel... Shinaka riki, nuke k'uyashka waukikuna, Churita tukui shunkuwan katishpa, na shina kashpata mana shanak tukushpa, Achill-Taytapak naupapi mana umashpa kikinkunapak k'uchakunata sakishpa, Taytata Cristopak shutita nukanchik jawapi apankapak munanchik nishpa, buatizarishpa, ari, kikinkunapak Kishpichik Apunchik-Taytata yakuman katishpaka, Achill-Kausak-Samayta chaskinkichikmi; air, ninawan Achill-Kausak-Samaywan bautizay tukunkichikmi;chayka angelkunapak shimi rimaypi parlay ushankichik; Israelpak Achill allikunata kapari ushankichikmi" (2 Nephi 31:13).