Testimony

HEY, how was Halloween??

I wanna hear about it because Ecuadorians don´t do anything for Halloween.  Basically what happens here is that some stores sell cheap masks and wings, but they don´t really do anything with them.  No trick or treating, no parties, no dancing...

...I did find some fun stuff in Hermana Maura´s house, we had some fun taking pictures.  Don´t tell anyone.

Also, about this time of year everyone makes a drink called Calada Morada.  Which is basically a raspberry drink made from some sort of flour and filled with whatever sort of chunky fruit imaginable.  Pineapple bits, apples, orange peals, ect.

It´s not for Halloween, but it´s something they do at the same time as Halloween, so I think it counts.

HEY!  I got the package!  Thanks for everything included in it!




So, I´ve been out here for almost seven months.  I´ve come to learn many different new things and come to greater knowledge about many different old things. One thing is this, I cannot deny that the Church or Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints is the kingdom of God here on the earth; just as it was when Jesus Christ established the same Church in his ministry on the Earth.  This is not another Church established on an idea.  This is the Church restored by a Prophet directed by Revelation of God.  I have come to know that because the doctrine that we follow is the doctrine of Christ, it has no flaws.  The flaws that you can find are only the flaws of men; and men have fallen.
Of the first 12 apostles of the restoration, only 3 were always faithful, the fall of an apostle isn´t new though, Judas, who walked with Christ, also fell away.

Here and back home I have met so many members of the church who have fallen away because a member isn´t acting how a member ought, they don´t like the bishop, the stake president did something terrible, an apostle fell away, a prophet did something that they didn´t like.  Here´s the answer that I´ve found for all of that.  MEN ARE NOT PERFECT.  The only one who was perfect was Christ, and he was more than a man.  Our mission president once said that there wasn´t a single Prophet who was perfect, nor will there be.  Yes, the Church is run by men;  Therefore, you will find fault if you look for it, but that is not what you should focus on; focus on the fact that this is the Lords Church, and that it will not fall again according to prophecy.  It´s the stone cut from the mountain and whether or not you follow it it will keep on rolling.  But as a Missionary of this Church I say that the invitation is not to join or not join, the invitation is to follow Christ, repent and be baptised in his name, endure to the end; because the end will come when we least expect it.  Procrastinating the day of repentance is for nothing if we are to die tomorrow.

The bottom line is that this doctrine of Christ is perfect, I have a testimony of that.  I´m also a wittiness of the power of God that has been established on this earth;  I have seen MANY miracles in my short time here.  I know that the Priesthood is restored, I know that God has called prophets and apostles to lead us in this last dispensation, I know also that the book of Mormon is the word of God and it is true.  All of these facts become apparent through study of both the book of Mormon and the Bible.  You wont find all the doctrines that the bible teaches in any other church, and you wont find the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ anywhere else either.  I know these things, and I cannot deny it less I be blotted out of the book of life.  For I´ve felt the testimony of the Holy Ghost, and there is no sin greater than denying the Holy Ghost.

This is what I have learned here, and so much more.

When you dedicate yourself to the service of the lord, the lord will melt you with heartache and love to help you become the person you can become.  All we need to do is be humble and realize that man are nothing without God, and that with him, we can do all things.
I am far from who I could be, but I´m getting there, I promise.

Love you all,
have a great week.

Cameron

10/20/2014 Its Raining... its Pouring

Hey All!

This week it's been raining a bit more than normal, only in the nights though.  The Boy scout in me has been helping out a lot; ever since me and Elder Pagoada got stuck at night a mile away from our house in a thunderstorm without rain gear, I've been carrying my rain jacket in my backpack whether the sky is clear or not.  This week we got caught in an unexpected rainstorm and I was able to pull my rain coat out no problem, my companion was not as prepared.

It's coming down hard in this picture, but all you can really see is that everything is really really wet.

We've also had to sit and listen to some preacher guy screaming with a microphone in the street to his congregation.  They blocked off the main road for his sermon.  He yelled things like "HOLY GHOST" and "GOD IS POWER, GOD IS LOVE, GOD IS MIGHTY" and "THE BIBLE IS THE LOVE OF CHRIST!"  but he never really screamed anything of depth.  Nothing pure and clear as the doctrine of Christ is.  As he was yelling about how everyone should follow the words of the bible I wanted to go outside, take his microphone, and read Mathew 6 to him.  It's no wonder that the Lord called them all hypocrites when he was talking about the people who pray in loud voices.

ANYWAYS, apart from the apostasy here... I was walking down the street and I saw the firetruck in front of the church.

  I knew that this wasn't any cause for alarm though, it just meant that the church was having water problems again and the fire department was helping the Elders in the other ward fill the font for a baptism.  This is the third time they've done it and they do it for free

....because they don't really have much to do here.

A member took us WAY out to visit his campo and to see a popular waterfall and swimming spot. We rode in the bed of his truck (as is the way here)

Other than normal stuff I've been reading Jesus the Christ.  THAT BOOK IS CRAZY.  For anyone who wants to double their knowledge about Christ, the gosple, and test thier volcabulary while they're at it should read that book.  It'll blow your mind.  It is, however, very hard to read.  I recomend it though.

That's about it, I'll talk to you all next week!

Love yas

~Cameron

P.S. BONUS PHOTOS!

(The photographer in him never dies...) 

Cameron has a thing for birds

10/13/2014 - Chocolate keeps the Missionaries alive

Hey Familia y Amigos!

We've been getting hungry over here, we always forget to go shopping so we've resorted to hunting Cocoa en El Campo...

...ok, no, I'm eating pretty good.  We stop and buy Pan de Comubia almost every night because there's TONS of Panaderias de Colombia here, and the bread is so dang good... I also eat good breakfasts.

OH HEY!  Speaking of eating, I got the package!

Yes, we enjoyed the taste of home.  Thanks for everything that was included!  My eggs in the morning and now 10x better with the tabasco that you sent.

Things here are great as anyways.  Roller coasters are interesting.  The ups and downs sometimes make you scream, but you always come out laughing in the end.

I can't say that the mission is anything less than a roller coaster.  Investigators build your faith and break your heart, some lessons are amazing and others consist of three fully nude little boys trying to attack you and steal your pamphlets while you try to teach their distracted little sister about Jesus. (I had a day yesterday... No I did not take pictures)

Between all the lessons and planning and work, there's hardly any time for fun and games...

...And no, we don't have more mandarinas than we can eat.

Dia de bruja is coming up.  (day of the witch) I really don't know what people here do for that or what the missionaries do during that time... I guess I'll find out.

How are preparations back home for Halloween? Has anyone tried to put Bill in the front lawn yet?

Love you all!

~Cameron

COCOA BEANS

10/06/2014 Adventures in the Jungle!

Hola!

Conference was cool!  I was able to watch all the sessions!  All the talks that weren't in Spanish had a Spanish guy speaking over the audio of the actual speaker.  Which was cool but I sometimes missed the voices of the leaders I love.  Although, President Packer sounds a TON more youthful in Spanish. And the lady who was translating for the lady who spoke in the first session started choking on tears half way through the talk whereas the original speaker's composure was completely normal.

I saw mom!  We all did! We all had a fun game of "Spot Elder Howell's mom" During the sessions. She was on Music and the Spoken Word a ton!

So, I got a lot to send but not a lot of time, AGAIN...

I'm writing so late because we went on a P-Day adventure today and got back a little later than planned...   I'll get to the adventure in a second. (Get ready for a ton of pictures!)

RIGHT, so we baptized Jorge!

Jorge is a poor man who lives in a little shack, but I realized something in this picture...

...LOOK AT THIS! If Jorge was born in the US he could definitely be a movie star.  LOOK AT THAT PHOTOGENIC FACE.

Ok... onto the adventure...

So, Elder Martínez pointed out that we don't really have much to do for p-days in Buena Fe. We decided to ask members if there was anywhere cool to go.  And the ward mission leader of the other ward told us he knows a place that's in the zone and that he knows a guy.  So the eight missionaries of Buena Fe all went here today.  SUPER COOL PLACE!  It's basically a resort built in the jungle with a bunch of hiking trails.

COCANE PLANTS!!

After the hike we all ate in the lodge. The Food was really good! and because the administrator is a friend of the missionaries it didn't cost more than $5 each for everything!





AND that's it.  Tomorrow we're going to have interviews with the President, AGAIN. and on Friday the area authority is coming to talk to the mission.  Also on Friday I complete 6 months in the mission.  WOOT!

I'll talk to you all next week! I should be getting my package from the office tomorrw.  Love you all and I hope the best for everyone!

Chao!

~Cameron

09/29/2014 - New Companion... Again!

Hola!

My baptisms have been good, I've realized how important members are in this work and I think back of how back home was and try to remember if I was a selfish-drone-like-member who did everything I should do for me but never really helped with this grand work that's happening in every part of the world or if I was better than that.  Whatever the answer, I'm pretty dang sure that when I get back I'm going to do a lot better.  If the missionaries need references or someone to go teach with them, I'm gonna try to be there.

For General Conference next weekend we could go to the stake center is in Quvedo which is 30 minutes north of us in the bus.  BUT I think that they'll be able to set up a projector in the chapel here in Buena Fe, so I don't think we'll be traveling.  Which is good because I hate buses.

Gissela and Carlos are doing good, we helped them with their first Family Home Evening and we're hoping that they'll continue the tradition.

SO! This is me and Elder Martínez and Vadamir, a baby of a member who wanted us to take a picture of her baby.

Yes, Elder Martínez. My new new Companion! (new new because my other new companion wasn't that old) Not sure whats up, but my companions keep leaving and I keep getting left here in my first sector.

So, Elder Martínez is from Porta Rico, he just got out of the mission office.  He served as the secretary who's in charge of packages and materials for seven months. He knows a lot about how the mission works and things that deal with the HQ of the mission.

ANYWAYS, he's spent parts of his life in New Jersey and Lehi, Utah and he speaks really good English, which is nice but also a pain because it super tempting to talk with him in English.  but yeah, that's Elder Martínez. He's super cool and has about 14 months on his mission.

I'm not too sure what else to write about...  Next week we have plans to go on an adventure for p-day, I'll let you know how that goes.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MOM!

Hope everything is going well back home.   SEND BIRTHDAY CAKE!  LOVE YOU ALL.

~Cameron

Music of Ecuador. Ha.

Hola,

I'd like to take a minute to talk a little more about the music here because I THINK there's some things I haven't talked about.

Elder Cuberos is a huge fan of music as well as a large number of the people here in South America.  No one really minds music, so, people like to set their 9000w speakers outside of their house and blast whatever the heck they want for the whole town to hear while they sit in their house.  I'm still trying to understand this...  I explained that if a person did this in the united states, the people next door would call the cops.  People also like to set their 9000w speakers on top of their cars for both playing music and for selling things out of their trunk.  No one has problems with this.  I've had thoughts once of twice about buying a big speaker system and blasting MoTab from the deck of our apartment.

Shakira is super popular down here, turns out that she's Colombian.  There's also another song down here... not sure if it has reached the United States or not but it's basically the latino Gangnam Style and it's just as bad.  It's called Caballito de Palo and people play it all the time.  I'd be surprised if Lindsay didn't hear it in Peru.

Along with Shakira, caballito de palo, and the typical Latin artists that play on the radio on the buses, other music from home is here too, usually only the pop, but sometimes there's surprises.  I like it best when someone blasts One Republic... Mi Canta!
Me and my companion have also been comparing Disney movie titles are the lyrics of the songs.  It's interesting sometimes and sometimes super funny!

Every Monday we've been playing fútbol at the church in Quvedo as a Zone.  It's super fun but most of the time I'm really really bad at it.  I've been told I'm progressing though, so that's good.  To world cup is cool, but what's super fun is when missionaries from The United States, Columbia, Handores, Peru, Chile, Dominican Republic, and Ecuador all team together and play fútbol!  Good times in the mornings on P-day.

I really don't have much to report, which isn't a bad thing.  Things are good here in the Buena Fe Mission-  or so I call it as I've had three different companions but only one area.  My health is good both emotionally and physically.
Happy Birthday to mom!

I love you all!

Cameron

09/15/2014 - Guinea Pig, Weddings and Baptisms!

Ok, I took lots of pictures of this week that passed so this is going to be another series of photo emails!

Here we go!

This week we got the opportunity to eat Cuy out of special Request.  the week before I mentioned that I've never eaten Cuy and that if I was given the chance I would.  The Hermanas for Amuerzo on Wednesday took that as a challenge. Cuy isn't commonly eaten here as most people think it is.  this is due to the reason that it's expensive and isn't a meat people LOVE to eat.

Cuy means Guinea pig.  

Yes, it was good-  

But it wasn't great.

Yes, there was a wedding this week :D ...

...The city registy center isn't the greatest place to hold a wedding but I don't think anyone cared...

...the testigos signed some paper work, and...

...We payed the the money (they are very grateful), They filled out some paper work... 

...The nice lady of the registry stood up and pronounced them husband and wife

Awe.

Their families and the people waiting in line to get their ID pictures sat in the congregation.

I Insisted that they let me take this picture.

They're happy with it.

....Afterwards we went to Gissela's mom's house for cake and cola

In other news.  One of the new Misionaras in the ward had a Birthday. Some of the Hermanas in the ward (who's restaurant we eat at on Thursdays) Threw a surprise for her. This picture and the expressions on their faces shows how awesome the members here are.

...And here's a fantastic photo of me reading the Liahona during Carlos' Baptismal interview. No, no I'm not constantly tired.

...Shortly after (2 Days) followed the baptism.  :D

And to finish: Here's on of the giant grasshoppers that live here.
This one was on the wire in front of our window yesterday morning.

Love you all! Have a good week!

Elder Howell