I was just thinking about how crazy this week is with the things that are happening in life that I'm not in control of. The good thing is, they are all good things!
First of all, I'm turning 21 this coming Sunday, which is weird but I haven't even thought of it yet. :P
The other thing is that Jessi is headed off to the MTC in a couple days... which is weird too but probably one of the best things in the world. The mission is the best place to be to learn and grow, I wouldn't hope anything better for anyone. Good luck out there!
Other things, well, I'm coming home in two months... which is probably the weirdest thing, but Im not to worried about that either. What comes, comes.
One of the tricks to managing stress is not worrying about what can't be controlled. I've been pretty dang stress free lately, the only things the stress me out are when people don't show up to church on Sundays and busses. I hate busses. I guess being late and waiting time are also on that list, impunctuality has been one of my biggest pet peeves.
Things around here have been awesome, we are working our tales off the make next month an awesome and rewarding month, I'm also going to be working my tail off next month to make March a big finish.
That's the plan. Plans are funny though, I think things would all work out almost always, but people's agency normally makes things go a little sideways. January has been a finding month, street contacting and working with the members has been the fab lately. We have lots of people who are interested to learn about the gospel now though.
As always, I have to talk about food, food is important still, always will be. Yesterday we got invited to dinner by a less active family who came to church with us. We got there and discovered that it wasn't only dinner, it was crab. I realised that I have never really eaten a crab before. Yeah, I've had crab meat, but I've never really eaten one leg by leg to the claws and then disarm its head and eat its organs. It was a new experience... I liked it. The insisted that we eat two, so, I ate two...
I once again forgot my camera... so I don't have crab pictures, nor do I have pictures this week, again... I've been pretty bad about the picture thing lately. I'll have to go take a bunch of shots this week and send them next week. Sorry about that.
But yeah, things around here are all good, I suppose I'll be seeing you all soonish. I hope all is well back home!
Love, Cameron
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
01.18.2016 - La Arte de no Ser Trunky y Perseverando Hasta el Fin
Hey there!
So, as many of you probably already know, I got my flight plan this week. It's kind of weird but I made a promise to myself back when I was with Elder Lachuma FOREVER ago that I would never ever be trunky (that is, let the desire of going home affect my effectiveness in the mission.)
I made the same resolve with my mission life that I made with my entire life: When I end, I'm not going to die and live for awhile sitting in a chair or a bed. I'm going to progress until I fall over running.
The time in the mission is too good to waste. Yeah, I'm tired, but that's nothing new, I've been tired and sore for the last two years. The only difference is that I'm tired of being tired, but that's nothing to cry about.
The gospel of Jesus Christ talks a lot about enduring to the end.
"...but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." -Mark 13:13
I believe that that applies in all aspects of life. We have to endure to the end, if we don't, it's like standing in line in Disneyland for two hours and leaving when you only have 10 minutes to go. ¡Necios!
We can't think that we only need to obey the laws of God of a certain time, we can't give up. Enduring to the end is until the END. If life, work, family, trials, the mission, everything. This principle applies. So, that is what I will do, endure to the end. I will see you all the end of March, no sooner.
For now, I'm gonna go work my butt off some more under the Lords forging fire.
I love you all!
See you soon
Cameron
So, as many of you probably already know, I got my flight plan this week. It's kind of weird but I made a promise to myself back when I was with Elder Lachuma FOREVER ago that I would never ever be trunky (that is, let the desire of going home affect my effectiveness in the mission.)
I made the same resolve with my mission life that I made with my entire life: When I end, I'm not going to die and live for awhile sitting in a chair or a bed. I'm going to progress until I fall over running.
The time in the mission is too good to waste. Yeah, I'm tired, but that's nothing new, I've been tired and sore for the last two years. The only difference is that I'm tired of being tired, but that's nothing to cry about.
The gospel of Jesus Christ talks a lot about enduring to the end.
"...but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." -Mark 13:13
I believe that that applies in all aspects of life. We have to endure to the end, if we don't, it's like standing in line in Disneyland for two hours and leaving when you only have 10 minutes to go. ¡Necios!
We can't think that we only need to obey the laws of God of a certain time, we can't give up. Enduring to the end is until the END. If life, work, family, trials, the mission, everything. This principle applies. So, that is what I will do, endure to the end. I will see you all the end of March, no sooner.
For now, I'm gonna go work my butt off some more under the Lords forging fire.
I love you all!
See you soon
Cameron
01.11.2016 ...Estoy Cansado en Verdad, Pero Animado Todavía!
Howdy! (people here tell me that's how they say hi in English)
Winding down from all the festivities, we're able to work with a regular tempo again, however, holidays are always just around the corner. The next holiday is MY BIRTHDAY! which I will spend working as usual. Last year I spent my birthday with elder Taylor who took a video with his camera of me stopping in the street and listening to the children sing happy birthday to another child inside a house. I tried to imagine that they were singing to me. ...a heartbreaking moment.
The truth is that birthdays in the mission aren't so bad, the zone usually buys a cake and we all sing together in the district meeting, plus members are good about loving missionaries. Last year I ate good on my birthday.
The next holiday that people actually care about is Carnaval: three days of drinking cheep beer and sitting in kiddy pools while listening to reggaeton, blegh. Carnaval is one of the more crazy holidays, it's up there with New Year's, however some say it's crazier. It's a tricky time to work.
Here we're trying to prepare a few people to be baptised, we tracked a lot the last two weeks and we found lots of cool people. We're hoping for some salvation to happen in February.
Also, as a mission we're all getting ready for a world wide missionary broadcast from the first presidency. we don't know what it's going to be about but I get the feeling it will be something along the lines of missionary work. Whatever it is, we're looking forward to it!
Everything here is good, we're pushing on with the work every day. I hope all is well back home, I'll see you all on the other side!
Love, Cameron
Winding down from all the festivities, we're able to work with a regular tempo again, however, holidays are always just around the corner. The next holiday is MY BIRTHDAY! which I will spend working as usual. Last year I spent my birthday with elder Taylor who took a video with his camera of me stopping in the street and listening to the children sing happy birthday to another child inside a house. I tried to imagine that they were singing to me. ...a heartbreaking moment.
The truth is that birthdays in the mission aren't so bad, the zone usually buys a cake and we all sing together in the district meeting, plus members are good about loving missionaries. Last year I ate good on my birthday.
The next holiday that people actually care about is Carnaval: three days of drinking cheep beer and sitting in kiddy pools while listening to reggaeton, blegh. Carnaval is one of the more crazy holidays, it's up there with New Year's, however some say it's crazier. It's a tricky time to work.
Here we're trying to prepare a few people to be baptised, we tracked a lot the last two weeks and we found lots of cool people. We're hoping for some salvation to happen in February.
Also, as a mission we're all getting ready for a world wide missionary broadcast from the first presidency. we don't know what it's going to be about but I get the feeling it will be something along the lines of missionary work. Whatever it is, we're looking forward to it!
Everything here is good, we're pushing on with the work every day. I hope all is well back home, I'll see you all on the other side!
Love, Cameron
Sunday, January 10, 2016
01.04.16 - Happy New Year!
Hey there everyone!
Once again... I´m REALLY late and we have an appointment in twenty minutes so I'm going to be quick this week (Sorry!)
This new years eve in its own crazy way was crazy, the last one was crazy in its own way too... However, the story of this year and last year are both stories that I´m committed to not tell until I get home. :P
But really, this new year was good and don´t worry, nothing BAD happened to anyone, I just like to drive you all nuts with mysteries. (jamas voy a recordar escribir bien en ingles)
This year President Riggins gave us the regular order ¨You can NOT be on the streets later than 9:00¨ but he also added ¨I know that you all aren't going to sleep throughout the noise and music, you can stay up until midnight but NO GOING ON THE STREETS¨ Score!
We went up on the roof five minutes before midnight to see the fireworks and the city burn on the new year.
Always fun to see, the people around here always go nuts with their pyrotechnics. (JAMAS!)
We´re getting the new year started now, setting baptismal dates and finding new people to teach.
New missionaries when they come start a training program called ¨The First Twelve weeks¨ Durning this program they are in training until their twelve weeks ends. I pulled out my old booklet from My First Twelve Weeks this week because I realized that I´m in my LAST TWELVE WEEKS as of today, I decided that I´m going to start the program again, only backwards, with the idea that I´m going to keep myself focused in these important few months. (Nadie les gustan trunkies)
But yeah, that´s it.
Dad, I´m sorry that I didn´t share christmas thoughts this week, I had today all planned out and I was going to have enough time in the cyber to write all the people that I wanted to but the dessisions (meh) of others made me loose a little time today. Next week for sure!
I love you all and hope that you´re all having a good new year!
See you all later!
Cameron
Once again... I´m REALLY late and we have an appointment in twenty minutes so I'm going to be quick this week (Sorry!)
This new years eve in its own crazy way was crazy, the last one was crazy in its own way too... However, the story of this year and last year are both stories that I´m committed to not tell until I get home. :P
But really, this new year was good and don´t worry, nothing BAD happened to anyone, I just like to drive you all nuts with mysteries. (jamas voy a recordar escribir bien en ingles)
This year President Riggins gave us the regular order ¨You can NOT be on the streets later than 9:00¨ but he also added ¨I know that you all aren't going to sleep throughout the noise and music, you can stay up until midnight but NO GOING ON THE STREETS¨ Score!
We went up on the roof five minutes before midnight to see the fireworks and the city burn on the new year.
Always fun to see, the people around here always go nuts with their pyrotechnics. (JAMAS!)
We´re getting the new year started now, setting baptismal dates and finding new people to teach.
New missionaries when they come start a training program called ¨The First Twelve weeks¨ Durning this program they are in training until their twelve weeks ends. I pulled out my old booklet from My First Twelve Weeks this week because I realized that I´m in my LAST TWELVE WEEKS as of today, I decided that I´m going to start the program again, only backwards, with the idea that I´m going to keep myself focused in these important few months. (Nadie les gustan trunkies)
But yeah, that´s it.
Dad, I´m sorry that I didn´t share christmas thoughts this week, I had today all planned out and I was going to have enough time in the cyber to write all the people that I wanted to but the dessisions (meh) of others made me loose a little time today. Next week for sure!
I love you all and hope that you´re all having a good new year!
See you all later!
Cameron
 |
| Giant Cardboard Duck, ready to light on fire for the New Year. |
12.28.15 - Release Date!
Christmas was fun and all, and the people around here LIKE Christmas but for the last few weeks they've been getting ready for the big party, that is, the new year.
Here for the new year they make cardbord figures the sell them, they come from in small, live sized, to twenty feet tall.
The kids run around with jars asking for money to buy fireworks to put inside their "Año viejo", the men run around in black dresses and wigs flirting for money to buy alcohol and fireworks too.
At midnight, all the fireworks go up and they burn the cardboard figures in the streets. Everyone is traveling to the beach or to be with family for the biggest party of the year.
Us? we'll be watching from the window just like we did last year. We don't want anything to do with the danger of being in the street on new years night.
I'll send pictures of the locura next week.
Things here are all good, I hope things back home are good too. Stay safe this new year try to stay warm!
I'll talk to you all later!
Love, Cameron
12.14.15 - Christmas and...Crickets
Hey there everyone!
Dad sent me a picture of all the snow you guys got. I just got to wait one more year and then I'll be building snowmen. Emma, have you learned how to use swords yet? It's important to know that I haven't changed THAT much. ;)
Here we had a white Christmas early as well, but was a different kind of white Christmas; we got to baptise dos chicas cheveres this last Friday. The first (on the left) was baptised by her father who was less active and the other is 15 years old and has been working with us to be baptised since I got here.
Other Christmas Preparations are also being made. But don't worry, I'm staying focused in my progress as a missionary.
We have been getting rain in the nights and in the mornings as well. That's the rain season here in Ecuador, we still await El Niño, however, some say its nothing more than a scare. We will see.
Rain, however, does mean one thing: the prophecies in revalations are true.
...And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power...
...And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when he striketh a man...
(See Revelations 9)
Rain here means crickets, sometimes five months of crickets as there are about four or five months of rain.
Lots and lots of crickets. No, they dont "sting" but they are annoying, they find their way into everything and they are said to eat clothes. that would be very much NOT welcome as I am in the last strech of my mission and I have no interest in losing my yellow shirts until I finish. Crickets are to be killed and damned. We await
the seagulls.
Really though, all is going well around here. I've basically over come my cold and dont plan on getting sick again. (last rain season I had a fever of 102.5 and I will not be repeating it)
We're enjoying the Christmas season here in the mission and we're currently looking for a place where we can call home. We have less friends among the members here in contrary to other sectors and we're trying to fix that so we can have good christmas dinners and Skype calls.
I hope all is well back home and that everyone is driving safe in the winter weather. I remember that we always talked bad about Utah drivers and about how they had to relearn how to drive every winter. ....I can only imagine what would happen if it snowed in Ecuador. As crazy as they drive around here I think the streets would be a bloodbath. ay, no voy a pensar en eso...
I love you all and wish you all a Merry Christmas!
Love, Cameron
Dad sent me a picture of all the snow you guys got. I just got to wait one more year and then I'll be building snowmen. Emma, have you learned how to use swords yet? It's important to know that I haven't changed THAT much. ;)
Here we had a white Christmas early as well, but was a different kind of white Christmas; we got to baptise dos chicas cheveres this last Friday. The first (on the left) was baptised by her father who was less active and the other is 15 years old and has been working with us to be baptised since I got here.
Other Christmas Preparations are also being made. But don't worry, I'm staying focused in my progress as a missionary.
We have been getting rain in the nights and in the mornings as well. That's the rain season here in Ecuador, we still await El Niño, however, some say its nothing more than a scare. We will see.
Rain, however, does mean one thing: the prophecies in revalations are true.
...And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power...
...And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when he striketh a man...
(See Revelations 9)
Rain here means crickets, sometimes five months of crickets as there are about four or five months of rain.
Lots and lots of crickets. No, they dont "sting" but they are annoying, they find their way into everything and they are said to eat clothes. that would be very much NOT welcome as I am in the last strech of my mission and I have no interest in losing my yellow shirts until I finish. Crickets are to be killed and damned. We awaitthe seagulls.
Really though, all is going well around here. I've basically over come my cold and dont plan on getting sick again. (last rain season I had a fever of 102.5 and I will not be repeating it)
We're enjoying the Christmas season here in the mission and we're currently looking for a place where we can call home. We have less friends among the members here in contrary to other sectors and we're trying to fix that so we can have good christmas dinners and Skype calls.
I hope all is well back home and that everyone is driving safe in the winter weather. I remember that we always talked bad about Utah drivers and about how they had to relearn how to drive every winter. ....I can only imagine what would happen if it snowed in Ecuador. As crazy as they drive around here I think the streets would be a bloodbath. ay, no voy a pensar en eso...
I love you all and wish you all a Merry Christmas!
Love, Cameron
Saturday, January 9, 2016
12.7.15 - Navidad, lluvia, y mi pobre arbolito con el luz de Cristo. :)
Hola!
This week has been eventful, we went to Guayaquil to attend the temple and have a multi-zone conference with president Riggins on Thursday. He always sends us to the temple for zone meetings, it's very important to him and I don't really complain, we get to stay the night in the temple hotel where there´s AC and hot showers, something that we don´t usually get to have.
Just before we left to go to Guayaquil, babahoyo got its first winter rain which drenched us.
Rain here means play time for the local kids. Everyone takes off their clothes and run through the flooded allies. Their parents don't seem to care that EcuaRain is SUPER dirty and most people get sick at this time of year because the dirt on the roofs and the pee in the streets gets kicked up into the air by the rain, I´m no exception to the sickness.
I´ve had cold symptoms for over a month now. :P
At the meeting, Sister Riggins gave us a briefing and ¨El Niño¨ and confirmed that it´s is very possible that it will hit the mission this winter and gave us the commandment to buy canned food and extra water bottles in case we get trapped in our apartments. FUN :D
Other news is that my packages came last week. I´m enjoying the Christmas Spirit with Christmas music, a paper snow globe and my Charly Brown tree with its bright green lights.
We went to the Christmas devotional broadcast on Sunday as well. We took a few investigators to hear mom sing. Yes, I did see her on screen a few different times.
I liked what President Uchdorf said about the Christmas lights, I thought, my Charly Brown tree is pretty cool because it has green lights on it.
It was also really cool what he said about the Choir and how angels likely listened to the beautiful music and perhaps sang along too. way to go MoTab!
Christmas season is great, even though its SUPER humid and SUPER hot the Christmas spirit still exists. However, Christmas for me has always been better with bitter cold weather, hot chocolate by the fireside and family. I just have to wait for next year. :P
I hope all is well back home, all is well here. Remember to enjoy the season and the cold weather. I love you all!
Cameron
This week has been eventful, we went to Guayaquil to attend the temple and have a multi-zone conference with president Riggins on Thursday. He always sends us to the temple for zone meetings, it's very important to him and I don't really complain, we get to stay the night in the temple hotel where there´s AC and hot showers, something that we don´t usually get to have.
Just before we left to go to Guayaquil, babahoyo got its first winter rain which drenched us.
I´ve had cold symptoms for over a month now. :P
At the meeting, Sister Riggins gave us a briefing and ¨El Niño¨ and confirmed that it´s is very possible that it will hit the mission this winter and gave us the commandment to buy canned food and extra water bottles in case we get trapped in our apartments. FUN :D
Other news is that my packages came last week. I´m enjoying the Christmas Spirit with Christmas music, a paper snow globe and my Charly Brown tree with its bright green lights.
We went to the Christmas devotional broadcast on Sunday as well. We took a few investigators to hear mom sing. Yes, I did see her on screen a few different times.
I liked what President Uchdorf said about the Christmas lights, I thought, my Charly Brown tree is pretty cool because it has green lights on it.
It was also really cool what he said about the Choir and how angels likely listened to the beautiful music and perhaps sang along too. way to go MoTab!
Christmas season is great, even though its SUPER humid and SUPER hot the Christmas spirit still exists. However, Christmas for me has always been better with bitter cold weather, hot chocolate by the fireside and family. I just have to wait for next year. :P
I hope all is well back home, all is well here. Remember to enjoy the season and the cold weather. I love you all!
Cameron
11-30-2015 - Vídeo de Navidad
Hello everyone!
Last Friday President Riggins came to Babahoyo and the other zones in the mission to show us all a video that the Church put out for Christmas.
We got to see it early so that we could know what was comming and that we could start handing out pass-along cards promoting the video.
I went up yesterday (Sunday) and I thought I'd start sharing by sharing it with all my friends and family back home. :)
BOOM, LINK!
Things this week have been going well enough. We've hit a few walls but that's ok -Walls exist for a reason; getting around them is part of the intended path.
We're getting things ready for Christmas and the new year. People are starting to make their año viejos to burn on new year's night.
New Year is a bigger party than Christmas, I'm not too sure why, I like Christmas best.
Christmas is cool for missionary work because people are already thinking about Christ or know that they ought to be, so teaching lessions is a little bit easier. That and we can carol and stuff!
I did miss Thanksgiving. If a remember right, I ate two rolls that I bought on the street on Thanksgiving. They were over salty and a little stale. They aren't anything like the fresh buttery rolls that thanksgiving ought to have. *sigh* People generally don't eat turkey here, apparently it's expensive. I've never had a turkey sandwich here... when I mention the legendary "turkey sandwich" people look at me funny and ask "¿existe jamón de pavo?"
¡SI! (yes, sometimes my emails require google translate)
Yeah... I'll be home for Christmas however. ...next year. :) Thanks for sending pictures of thanksgiving, it's cool to see everyone. I'm starting to locate members with computers here that we can use to call on Christmas.
I hope all is well back home and I'll be writing soon. :)
Love, Cameron
Last Friday President Riggins came to Babahoyo and the other zones in the mission to show us all a video that the Church put out for Christmas.
We got to see it early so that we could know what was comming and that we could start handing out pass-along cards promoting the video.
I went up yesterday (Sunday) and I thought I'd start sharing by sharing it with all my friends and family back home. :)
BOOM, LINK!
Things this week have been going well enough. We've hit a few walls but that's ok -Walls exist for a reason; getting around them is part of the intended path.
We're getting things ready for Christmas and the new year. People are starting to make their año viejos to burn on new year's night.
New Year is a bigger party than Christmas, I'm not too sure why, I like Christmas best.
Christmas is cool for missionary work because people are already thinking about Christ or know that they ought to be, so teaching lessions is a little bit easier. That and we can carol and stuff!
I did miss Thanksgiving. If a remember right, I ate two rolls that I bought on the street on Thanksgiving. They were over salty and a little stale. They aren't anything like the fresh buttery rolls that thanksgiving ought to have. *sigh* People generally don't eat turkey here, apparently it's expensive. I've never had a turkey sandwich here... when I mention the legendary "turkey sandwich" people look at me funny and ask "¿existe jamón de pavo?"
¡SI! (yes, sometimes my emails require google translate)
Yeah... I'll be home for Christmas however. ...next year. :) Thanks for sending pictures of thanksgiving, it's cool to see everyone. I'm starting to locate members with computers here that we can use to call on Christmas.
I hope all is well back home and I'll be writing soon. :)
Love, Cameron
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