Week: 8 Esmeraldas Ecuador
Companion: Elder Montesino
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Your Son, Your Brother, Your Missionary, Elder Kimball
"Leaving it all out on the field, the Mission Field that is."
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Jeffery R. Holland once said "These people that you are teaching arn´t just a baptismal statistic. They are real live breathing human beings. You are going to have to go to where they are and lead them to where you want them to be."
This quote is not exact. Straight from my own noggin but it applies to everything I'm going through right now.
One day as we were walking past the Church here in Esmeraldas, I looked across the street and read the sign " Santo Pecado". I'm not sure what that means yet but Im sure dad knows or grandpa. Anyway, I asked Elder Montesino what the building was and all that I was able to understand was it was a brothel. In our world today, there are many messed up ways that are opposed to the way God wants us to live. I have learned this week that I am living in the Great and Spacious building. Like Elder Holland said, I am going to where my investigators are and trying to bring them to where the Lord wants them to be. I pass by a haircut place everyday full of men dressed up as women cutting hair. I teach crazy old witch doctors the Plan of Salvation and they look at me like Im crazy. Yes, I'm scared, Yes, I'm lonely, Yes I wonder why people aren't lining up at the baptismal font. I wonder why can´t my only problem be of pneumonia because i am in the water so much?... but no. Missionary work is not easy because salvation is and was not easy.
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| Me and Elder Montesino Working on his smile for pictures Esmeraldas Ecuador, August 2014 |
Jesus Christ suffered so much for us and for our salvation and I am sitting here wondering why I ain't baptizing thousands. Our Salvation is only through Christ. People aren't lining up for their salvation because salvation was not a cheap experience. I´m writing you from inside the Great and Spacious building. But the Tree of Life is not far from here. I see miracles everyday. The other day I gave a blessing in Spanish to a 96-year-old woman who was lying on her death bed. The lady is 96 and lives in South America with no nearby retirement home to go to and asks me to bless her. I gave her the best broken Spanish blessing I could muster and to this day she lives and I count that as a miracle.
There are no families here in Esmeraldas. None. Zero. Nilch. I prayed with Elder Montesino that we might find a family to bring to the truth that day. We worked all day with nothing. Trash and slurs being thrown at us and yet we keeping working up and down the coastal hills of Regocijo. We had appointment cancel on us and Elder Montesino said we would street contact the rest of the night. Having our prayer in mind, we started up this big hill not knowing what was on the other side. I began to see the sunset and with cool ocean breeze blowing in my face. I got so exciting to see a beautiful sight and indeed it was beautiful! There was a man with his son kicking a ball around. Elder Montesino intruded and asked him questions and he agreed to meet with us. He has a family of 6! We had our prayer answered right then and there. We taught them the Restoration and it is so evident that God prepared this family for us that I cant even describe to you how evident it is!
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| Our cookout with the other Elders Esmeraldas Ecuador August 2014 |
We are also teaching two sisters who are Bailey's age and they have the attention span of Bailey. Literally. I am teaching these two girls about baptism and they aren't even listening and then I asked them to be baptized and they have no idea what I just said but they said yes. What the heck!!! I dont know what to do about them.
The food here is rice and chicken and beans. There is always a soup and there is always a meal. We only eat with members for lunch! We walk everywhere literally everywhere. Up and down hills all day. The people are either nice or mean. They either want to hear what we have to say or want to tell us what they have to say. We had 2 less active families come to church and we brought and investigator so that was good. We are teaching this other family. Gloria and her husband Andres and his brother Christian. Elder Montesino is terrible with names and he forgets everyones name. But this family is on date for baptism for September 12th so fingers crossed!
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| These are pictures of our little cookout that we had today as a zone! Here is Elder Montesino and I Esmeraldas, Ecuador August 2014 |
Little more about Elder Montesino. He is from Honduras. I don't know what part. He is the oldest of five kids and he goes home December 18th. His dad plays professional soccer in Honduras and he is pretty good at soccer! He wants to be a professional soccer player but they play on Sundays so... He is 22-years-old. His scriptural knowledge is vast and he knows a lot of stuff! He wants to learn English and Chinese and he likes to make fun of my Spanish.
Weirdest thing I ate this week?... We don't eat a lot of weird food. Just rice and Chicken.
I went to the store and bought eggs, ham, cheese, Oreos, Oreo ice cream, and Sprite. Thats what I live on for breakfast and dinner.
Rule Breaking?...We are never in before 8:30. I have tried to talk to Elder Montesino about exact obedience but I guess its not too bad as long as we are home before 9:30.
Studying up?...I am know half way through Jesus The Christ. I love that book! I can tell you so much about Christ's life and the miracles he worked. James E. Talmage is a great writer!
Anyways thats what my week has looked like. From some of the letters that I recieved I can infer that Bailey wants to be a "cooker" again! doesn't surprise me! Clay as always is a lady killer! Keep on texting away bud but rememeber long distance relationships dont work. And remember as a missionary that lives in Ecuador, I would know best about that subject. Only one week of Lake Powell? Your guys life is so hard! I hope you guys are having blast though! Having Just finished your first day on the Osborns boat! Is Lauren there? If so tell her Elder Kimball said What up Mandazi!
I dont think there is anything else!
Bailey, All I have to say to you is read your scriptures.
Clay, Work hard in football, and start doing push ups becuase your girlfriend doesn't find your spaghetti arms very appealing.
Lexi, I love you. You have yet to write me so thats all I have to say to you.
Leah. Missed your letter this week. Wakeboard alot this week at Lake Powell!
Bella, I heard you were good for Apple Grandma! That's amazing that you were actually good for someone! Work on your wakeboard skills!
Collins, I, Having been mothers last favorite, authorize you as the new favorite!
Mom, Your letter got me this week! as in I cried like a baby. O and I pray for you guys all the time.
Father, I appreciate your missionary advice this week. We have been working with the Ward Mission Leader alot who looks like a big Tongan man but I don't know if actually is Tongan. Anyways he asked what calling you had, thinking that you were some exalted relative of President Kimball, and it was funny when I said Ward Mission leader cause it was the same as him. Speaking of him, I have been teaching his family English, and actual English classes in the Church start next week. I'm just going to teach gospel English language. That way I´m teaching the gospel too. But anyways... thanks Dad and yes i have hit my head on a few things but haven't fallen down any waterfalls yet.
I love you guys and hope you have a safe trip!
Your Son, Your Brother, Your Missionary, Elder Kimball
"Leaving it all out on the field, the Mission Field that is."
P.S. Here is my letter to Presidente Richardson, Thought you would want to read it:
Dear Presidente Richardson,
This week has been awesome! You probably already know this but God blesses missionaries a ton! I have gotten to see so many miracles this week! Something I had been struggling with were my prayers. They started to become repetive and not very sincere so I made a goal to change that. My first prayer after this goal, I prayed that Elder Montesino and I would find a new family to teach. We thern proceeded with our daily routine. We had worked really hard all day and weren´t having any luck. At around 6ish, we finished a lesson with a less active lady and tried another family but they were not home.
Elder Montesino had the impression to go up this certain street that we had not visited before. There was this man sitting at the top of the street. Elder Montesino began to talk to him and we learned that he had six children. We set a date at which we could return. Since then we have had the chance to visit that family. Elder Montesino had only planned on getting to know them more and practice our "How to Begin Teaching". We ended up teaching the whole restoration and they recieved it very well. The wife was nodding with everything we were saying as if this is what she had been waiting to hear her whole life. I couldn´t believe it! The Spirit was strong and I know that our prayers were answered.
I really have learned the power of prayer this week. In our studies, we have been studing "How to Begin Teaching" alot and also the baptismal invitation. Elder Montesino is a great trainer. He has alot of experience. His scriptural knowledge is vast and he has really taught me the importance of working hard. I hope to be as well versed in the scriptures as he is some day! But for now I´ll stick to working on my Spanish!
Elder Kimball
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| The first page is a key. It has certain subjects from the lessons and you down the line if the subject to the scriptures! Its awesome! |
P.S.S.Mom and Dad....Few weeks back I asked you for an idea about how I should highlight my scriptures. You didn't say anything. But Elder Montesino came to the rescue! He made my scriptures a wrecking machine! They destroy every weak investigator question that comes at me!
Elder Kimball
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