Great Stake Conference

Dear Family,

The stake conference was really great.  Elders Marcus B. Nash, D. Todd Christofferson, and Richard G. Scott all talked.  I liked how it was so directed specifically to Ecuador. 

Elder Nash talked about how the members of Ecuador need to remember they are an important part of the Lord’s covenant people and have been promised all the blessing that go with that.  He talked about the importance of living the first principles and ordinances of the gospel.  He shared a story about a Guayaquil family he met.  One evening, the father was sitting in a chair outside of his house, offering a silent prayer for help in overcoming his Word of Wisdom problems that were destroying his family.  Two elders appeared walking down the street and began talking with the man.  They taught the message of the Restoration, left him a Book of Mormon and continued on their way.  Even though the man’s wife did not want anything to do with the Book of Mormon or the missionaries when he told her about them, he decided to read that night.  When the missionaries came back for their second visit, he was ready with questions.  Shortly afterwards, the whole family was converted except for one son, who waited a few months before he, too, decided to leave behind his previous religion (playing soccer in the street on Sundays). 

I just loved that story because I realized it just seems so real.  It made me grateful for the similar experiences I’ve had on my mission and it made want to go out and start contacting.  Elder Scott gave a talk parecido a su discurso de Abril 2011 (similar to his April 2011 talk) about his wife and family.  That was everybody’s favorite talk.  Everyone talked about the young men needing to serve missions.  This was a great topic because there were quite a few future elders there.

Well, Elder Velasquez and I will be here for another change (transfer).  We may be moving to a newer, nicer house this week that is in our proselyting area.  I am hoping that for my last few transfers they will send me out into the country to finish.  I would like to get to know that part of Ecuador.

Feely
Recently I've been working thought detention with Elder Packard.  That's identifying thoughts or feelings that make you sad and then replacing them with healthy true thoughts.  Bad thoughts are thinking I've wasted all my time on my mission and haven't changed enough and healthy thoughts are realizing the ways that I have changed for the better.  Well, my time is up.  It took me awhile to write this.  I am not sure what you want to do about Mother's day.  I am guessing it'll just be easier to do it by phone.  We can't use members' computers.  I know this will make you mad, but I also wanted to keep to the 45-minutes rule.  I'd like to at least obey it one time in my mission.

Love,

Elder G