We got flashed today....

Hola!

Feliz Navidad a todos!  Today as we usually do on p-day we went to the shopping mall to eat lunch.  I've started eating at other resturants that they have because I realized that Carls Jr. just isnt the same here and sometimes makes me feel sick...

While we were eating, one of the "workers" from the super market walked to the center of the footcoart with a shopping cart and his uniform.  He stopped and someone started playing a keyboard in the corner.  He then started singing straight up opera, it was pretty cool.  Than some of the carls junior people came out and some people from the other stores in the mall and they all started singing We Wish You a Merry Christmas and other Christmas songs.  It all turned out to be a awesome little flash mob that the stores in the mall all planned together.

This is probably the worse picture I could have took of the flash mob, but its all I have...

 We baptised two people on Saturday, one was a boy named Israel, his friend got the chance to baptise him and it was really cool.  The other person was Jaime, he's an interesting story...

His wife has been a strong member for many many years, but he's always been kinda stubborn in being part of his other religion that he doesn't participate in.  His wife, having a strong testamony, has had missionaries come to her house to teach him about the restoration several times without much luck.

The thing is with Jaime is that he has a mental condition thats something like schizophrenia.  He's kinda hard to talk to, especially because he's usually medicated.  He has been known to escape the house at night and walk the streets naked, and he says the darnedest things...

I first met Jaime when Elder Taylor was introducing me to everyone in the ward.  When we went to his house to meet him and his wife I got to talk to him in the window.  I learned that he has been attending church off and on with his wife for many years and had recieved all of the missionary lessions.  I asked why he hasn't been baptised and he said that he has been baptised, infact he had been baptised three diferent times in the church that he used to attend.  I then told him that there was only "There is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism" and we left to visit other people.

The next Sunday we saw him in Church.  He was talking to the Bishop and his wife told me that he said that he wants to get baptised and that she thinks that it's because of what I said.  The bishop told us that we could baptise him the next Saturday and that he'd like us to visit and teach all the lessons again.  So we did.

Teaching the lessions was interesting, he has a default stare and it looks as though he wants to kill someone and he doesn't ever stop staring.  While we were teaching the law of tiething to him he came out and said "YO FUI JESUCRISTO MORMONA!"  Which translates to: "I was the Jesus of the mormons!"  he then continued to say that he was crusified 2015 years ago and that everyone has to pay their tithings to him.  

His wife almost fell on the floor laughing.  He gave us some interesting and true insight on how we will all be gods one day, but I quickly explained that we are not nor have been gods yet and for us in this world we only have one God and that we pay our tithing to him.

All in all he was baptised this last Saturday and all was well. His wife is happy, the ward is happy, and I think he's happy eventhough his facal expression never changes 

Me, Hermana Palomino, Jaime, Elder Taylor

Of my manny things to say, that's about all of it.

I'll be calling home at 1ish 2ish in the afternoon MST

I love you all and have a Merry Christmas!

~Cameron

New Area, New Companion, New Adventures!

Hello!

We just got done with a really fun p-day; THERE'S SO MUCH TO DO IN GUAYAQUIL!
On top of that we had a full week of crazy and awesome things!

Elder Taylor and I doing Service for an investigator

So, when I got here I moved into a house of four other missionaries:  Elder Rallison, Elder Banegas, Elder Taylor, and Elder Ramos.  Elder Rallison and Elder Banegas were my temp comps until there real change was made, they're zone leaders and they kept telling me that I was zone leader too because I was their companion, though I never really acted as one.  ANYWAYS, when President Riggins assigned me to Elder Rallison and Elder Banegas he told me that he already had my next companion in mind and that he would make the real change on the 15th when all the other changes would happen too.  So, I basically lived out of my trunks because I thought that I wasn't going to stay.
I'm not too sure what happened but the change was made on the night of the 11th instead of the 15th and I found out that Elder Ramos was leaving our house of five guys and that I was to be Elder Taylor's new companion.  I rejoiced and immediately started unpacking my bags after we dropped Elder Ramos off at the Mission Office.

GUAYAQUIL!!!

I am officially here in Guayaquil en El Barrio Alonor en La Estaca Orquideas living in a part of town called Sauces 8.

GOOD MORNING Guayaquil!

Like I said, my new and official companion is Elder "Tool-time" Taylor from South Carolina.
He's been in Ecuador for a little over three months now.  As far as I've notice he's pretty dang awesome.

Him having only three months means that for the first time in my mission I'm the senior companion, which is somewhat weird for me.

On top of that, MI COMPAÑARO ES UN GREENGO!  Which means I need to start acting like I know how to speak Spanish because I don't have Latin companions to back me up.  I'll survive though.



I got the chance to rob the baptism of Elder Ramos this Saturday, I fealt pretty bad about it but sending him away on a Friday Morning wasn't my idea.

Baptism of Kati

Elder Taylor Baptised Kati Torres.  Which is awesome because it's his first baptism in the mission!
She's SUPER pregers. Though the whole process everyone was worried that she would have her baby in the baptismal font.  Lucky we got her married, baptized, and confirmed without her baby with ten months in the oven coming out.  However, now that she all set for enduring to the end, I think its about time for this kid to be born in the covenant.  We await for the day.

This Ward that I'm in right now is amazing.  The leaders are all powerful and ready to help with the work, and everyone loves everyone.  On top of that, the majority of the ladies here are REALLY good cooks.  Lunch is heaven, and I am in it.

So that's pretty much it.  We're working hard every day to be our best selves and also to go and do the things the lord wants us to do as his servants.  I continue learn and know more and more that this church is true, and because this church is the church of Jesus Christ and is the biggest blessing that we can give to the world, I know that this work is the greatest work I have ever been apart of.

I love you all, I'll write you next week and be Skyping home on Christmas from the house of Hermano Glober Lopez.

~Cameron

Garden of Eden in Guayaquil

Rio Guayas - It's gloomy because it's winter.  HOWEVER, it's still 80f and we got a TON of sun yesterday.

Iguana Park!

Stare down.

Yo y Elder Ralison en Nuestos Camisas del Alimania

Eso es todo.

Fin.

(Me and Elder Ralison in Nuestos Shirts Alimania, 

That's all. 

End)

12/08/2014 - Guayaquil!

So, lately I've been learning something that I'm sure dad will be happy I'm learning: there are some things that happen in the house that no one wants to take care of, but someone has to do it.  Ive realized that these are tasks for The Man of The House.  I also realize that The Man of the House could be anyone, but back home it was always dad that did the dirty work.  Here however, we don't have dad.  Therefore I've been learning that if it need to be done, it might as well be me that does it.  In my time here I've fixed the toilet, the bathroom sink, and cleaned and replaced that the missionaries who lived there before us neglected.  cuando una cucaracha needs to die, I bring the fire and kill it until its dead.  (those freaks don't die the first crunch)

I realized all this when I found the monster of bad mornings last week.  We did a lot of interchanges over the last two weeks, so there have been a lot of different missionaries staying at out house over night while I or my companion stay the night in their houses.

I'm not sure which day it was, but in my absence, someone (no one will fess up to it) decided to warm up a chicken-tuna sandwich in the microwave and then forget about it.  Me and my companion don't use the microwave too much, but one morning, I went to use it.  I found the chicken-tuna in all its glory.  Reeking and covered with maggots.  I took 30 steps back to catch my breath and to make a decision.  Do I burn the microwave in a back ally and never look back or do I clean it.  And... if I clean it: how?  It took me a few minutes to gather the guts but I finally put on some gloves, wrapped a cloth around my face and went in and wiped all those satan bugs out and deaply cleaned the inside.
I almost died, but I got it done.

SO!  something big and drastic happened today! I'm out of Buena Fe! However, transfers aren't until next week so I wont be seeing my new companion until the 15th.  I'm currently working in Guayaquil with TWO new companions until transfers happen.  Its supper wacky and the details of the circumstances are long and complicated and I actually don't think I can share them all.  Just note that I'm in Guayaquil now and that I legitimately did nothing bad/wrong nor does anyone think that.

Im in a part of Guayaquil called Orquideas with my two new companions Elder Rallison and Elder Banegas. Elder Rallison is from Salt Lake City and Edler Banegas is from Honduras.  Theyre zone leaders here and Im their companion who isnt a zone leader for the week... again, this is kinda weird and three missionaries together isnt all that common here in the mission.  But things happen, and it wasn't me. :P

Yeah, anyways, Ive got a new adventure here in civilazation.  They have McDonalds, Pizzahut, and Papa Johns out here!  Also, TABASCO IN THE STORES! yes! (Its three dollars, but its here. :D)

I dont know where I'll be or who I'll be with the next week, but I do know that it'll change again.  Lets see where the lord takes me next!

Love you all and hope you are all well,

-Cameron

12/01/2014 - Transfers, Busses and Bread lizzards

Hey!

Glad you all had a good thanksgiving! For our thanksgiving we hate hamburgers that our investigators made for us.

We've got another transfer cycle coming up, but really, I don't want to go anywhere until after Christmas.  I know the members here and they're making preparations for Christmas dinner for us.  All the other wards do the same, so I hear, but I'd rather a family serve food that I know and love.

We thought the transfers were going to be today but it turns out we were wrong.  However, last night we told our beloved |Hermanita Maura that I might be leaving today.  She responded "Oh Elder Howell, I'm going to pray really hard tonight and ask the lord for you to stay until January."  Se nearly broke my heart right there.  It's unlikely that I'll be here more than a few more weeks, but its possible. Hermana Maura is someone who has cooked with loved for the missionaries for years and has been loving and serving ever since I got here seven months ago.  She shows her love through food and has made me the best dishes I had ever eaten here, and also the worst.  However, even the worst foods she makes have love mixed in.   She loves to talk she head off and sometimes she calls us on Sunday nights and tells us that we need to come eat the dinner that she made for us whether we want it or not.  I've been wanting to get a picture of her cooking in her Helping Hands apron but I haven't gotten a chance lately.  Anyways, she's awesome.  I love her to death and she crys whenever a missionary gets transferred, no matter who it is.

Anyways, this last week we got to go to the temple.  President Riggins like us to get the chance to go to the Temple frequently so that we can remember what this work is all about and what the end goal for our converts is.  Every Zone Conference is Guayaquil is accompanied by a temple trip.

This is a picture of me and Elder Zarta (Zone Leader) on the bus.  Don't be decieved by that smile...

I still hate the bus

Photographer still isn't dead.  BUT he's hurting because this picture isn't as in-focus as I'd like it to be. ;)

Cream-Filled Bread Lizard.  $0.60 = worth every penny.

Right, I best be going.   I'm out of time.  I love you all, I hope all is going well.

~Cameron

11/24/2014 - CHOCOLATE

The Stakes here are working with the mission president to do a big missionary chior with all the missionaries in Quevedo for Christmas.  We had our first practice yesterday.

All the missionaries in Quevedo in one place means:

Found him!  He was a little surprised that I knew he was in Quevedo because he had only given his mom that info. He's a pretty cool guy.  We talked for a bit after the practice.

So, I don't know if you guys changed the name of the blog yet.  I am serious about it, and the title "I hate busses" is a serious suggestion.

The other day, the missionaries of Buena Fe were waiting for one of the four busses that go to Quevedo.  The four lines are BOLIVAR, BUENA FE, CITAR, and SUCRE.  After only a minute of waiting a Buena fe came rushing around the corner and stopped for us.  The conductor jumped out and said "Get in fast! the Bolivar is in front of us!"

Turns out that our bus and one of the Bolivar busses were racing each other.  Which was ok because it got us to Quevedo faster.  We passed the Bolivar while they were stopped to pick up passangers, but as we were going a steady pace the Bolivar passed us on the road like we were standing still.  I think we lost the race, but that's ok, I was only trying to get to Quevedo.

We visited Carlos and Gissela in the finca the other day on the promise that they've been making chocolate.  They walked us through the process of how they do it.

Remember this plant from before?  This is Cacoa.  Almost everyone with land grows it...

...Inside of the fruit are little gooey white seeds, these are fun to suck on because they're sweet and kinda fruity tasting...

...The process is to let the beans dry in the sun and then let them dry some more.  The grind them down.  After that you can make the powder into little balls and save them for when you want them...

...grind the balls into powder...

...Put it into some milk over the stove...

...And you get some nice hot chocolate! ..

...Which is great for drinking with some green bananas gone yellow! Which are different from bananas, verdes are different.

......it took me a couple months to understand bananas too, don't worry too much about that last part.

Things here are pretty normal; it's hot, I'm tired, but I could never be anywhere better!  I got a little Tips Christmas flavored air freshener for the bathroom to try to make it smell like Christmas... it helps but only a little.

I hope things are good back home!

I love you all!

~Cameron 

11/17/2014 - CHRISTMAS before Thanksgiving!

It´s Christmas time! ...or at least here it is.  Thanksgiving isn´t an Ecuadorian Holiday and there´s aren't any major holidays after Halloween, so people go strait to Christmas!  Anyone who has money decorates the front of their apartment with lights and other people buy a little Christmas tree.  I was in down town Quevedo today and I saw a lot of other crazy Christmas decorations there as there´s a little more wealthy population over there.

Christmas season is just barely starting up, but I can already tell that it isn´t gonna feel much like Christmas.  There´s something about the cold, the hot chocolate, the fire, and the decorated city centers that make Christmas awesome!  That and family, family completes everything.  Just remember, I love the cold.  You´re all telling me that you´re jealous of me and my hot weather, but I´m over here singing ¨I´m dreaming of a white Christmas¨

It´s actually been really cloudy here lately.  We COULD call it winter but I´ve been told that there´s only two seasons here: winter and rain.

Right now it looks like it´s going to rain every day, but never really does. And it´s STILL HOT, and the clouds are only a lot of the time.  The rest of the time is blunt sunlight.

...It has just come to my attention that I didn´t take pictures this week.  ...dang...

...I´ve got nothing else to write...

I hope everything is alright back home!  Drive safe out there, I remember those roads at this time of year and they aren´t pretty.

Love you all and... yeah.

-Cameron

11-10-14 - PURE SUGAR

HOLA.

I was just remembering the other day that I named my blog "Cameron's Guayaquil adventure."

Looking at my mission, this title is no good.  I've been on my mission for seven months and I've come to know that there is much more to this mission than Guayaquil, especially sense I've never spent more than a day in Guayaquil.  Therefore, it might needs be that we change the name of the blog. I'm open for suggestions.  Mine is something like "I Hate Busses" or simple "Cameron's Mission Blog" or "Two Years of Rice, Bread, and more RICE."
Any of the above will do, or something else?

Speaking of pictures, I'm gonna send a few.  I hope all is well back home.  All is well here!

SO, I remember back when I was a little younger and would go shopping with mom.  I remember the cereal isle and begging for Captain Crunch. Mom would always respond "That's just pure sugar"

*Ehm*

Dear Mother, last week an investigator of ours cut down something that was in his backyard and gave it to us...

...This is Sugar Cane...

...People here like to cut it and suck on it. 

Mother, THIS is pure sugar.

;)

We Have another investigator that makes and sells statues out of paper maché

Me and another missionary said that he could work for Disneyland.

We went to visit Carlos and Gissela at Gissela's mom's house last weekend, we found that they were having a neighborhood block party.  They were playing fútbol, musical chairs, and also there was this thing...

 Carlos pointed it out to me. It looks as though their Crucifying food and household goods.  But what's REALLY going on is that they've told the little childeren that there's $15 and as well as all the goodies that can be seen here. All they have to do is climb the poll and get it. 

One of the Misionaras here told me that it's call a Monigote.

Most of the kids here have the ability to climb polls without problem.  The trick is the blue stuff that's on the poll: it's greased...

...They were out there for a good half hour trying to clean the poll off so they could climb it....

...Eventually they got a kid up there.  He quickly pocketed the $15 and started dropping the goodies down on the people below.  And there was much rejoicing...

...And...

This is the ugly little chicken named Mariposa

...and- here I am!

This is me

There's no where else on earth I'd rather be.

*Badly quoted a Bryan Adams song that no one listens to*

Yeah, that's everything for this week.  Love you all!

~Cameron

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