This Week

Well a stomach update: turns out I don't have parasites. Instead, I have some kind of bacteria! So the nurse told me to take a mountain of pills which I just barely had money for, dipping into my emergency fund as well. Thankfully our "apoyo" arrived earlier. If it hadn't been for that, I would have had like 95 cents left over at the end of the week.

This week we had a really awesome training from our zone leaders. They gave us a bunch of popcorn kernels taped up in balls and started to teach us...how to juggle. At first we started with one, then two, then, after about 30 minutes, we could almost get three. But dang was it frustrating! Every 5 seconds I had to squat down to pick up the balls to keep trying because I just couldn't keep them in the air (in fact my rear end was a little sore the next day from doing that so much). I kept trying and trying. By the end I could almost get it down. They had us stop after about half an hour and had one elder come up and show what he'd learned - he could almost juggle! Then our zone leader pulled out three eggs. "Try it!" he said. "You can do it! It's not any different from the balls you were using." The elder didn't want to, but after a lot of encouragement, gave it a go. He got the three in the air for a couple throws...and then they fail, splat, on the ground.

Then the lesson. Says our zone leader: "Elders and sisters, juggling with eggs is like trying to do missionary work without the Atonement. Juggling with popcorn balls is like doing it WITH the Atonement."

It was so simple, but for me it really impacted me. It helped me understand...wow, we really do have unlimited tries! How comforting! Later that week I was reminded of something I read in a talk by Elder Holland's wife:

Military historians tell us that an army can seldom fight a successful war on two fronts. Napoleon learned that lesson too late, and we should make certain that we learn it in a less painful way than he did. We will always have some external battles to fight on an exterior front—those battles of life that the Lord in his wisdom allows us to face so we can grow and be purified and become skillful problem solvers. These “outside” problems might include a poor grade in a difficult class or some dating frustrations or perhaps the very real financial challenges you face. My prayer for you is that such troubles on the external front can be faced and finally conquered.

However, the battle that many of you wage on an interior front concerns me more than these external ones I have just mentioned. Many of us create a civil war within ourselves by internalizing problems of fear, uncertainty, self-doubt, and worry—often over things we can do preciously little about. If we spend our time and energy worrying about being too tall or too short or about our freckles and warts and big noses, then I fear we are doomed to certain defeat. The person who is engaged in such a constant internal fight has little energy and power left to win the outside battles. To be successful in the many skirmishes of life, you cannot afford to be your own worst enemy. And taking the battles inside—firing mortal shells into your very soul—is potentially one of the most damaging of all human activities. Believe it or not, you can recover from poor grades or a missed date or a flat tire and dead battery on the car. But if you turn such outside matters into self-recrimination and self-criticism, letting them damage your spirit and your sense of self-worth and esteem, then you have begun a battle with a very high mortality rate indeed.

...You can begin by practicing just three simple exercises in right thinking: (1) Remember that any failure is only temporary in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The decision to carry on in spite of disappointment turns the worst circumstance into success. (2) There can be no self-pity—and that means no self-pity. Nothing dissipates our strength faster or more quickly drives away those who would truly wish to help us than self-pity.(3) Eliminate all “would haves,” “could haves,” “should haves,” and “ if onlys.” What has happened is past and finished. Leave it there. Profound power will come in living and making things right in the present.

That's really helped me in my mission, let me tell you! I'm glad that this week I could remember a bit about Christ's Atonement.

We have two investigators that are progressing towards a baptismal date: Pamela for the 28th of May and Juan for the 4th of June. There's a lot of work we still have to do, but I'm just incredibly grateful to the Lord for what he's done for us. More than anything we've been working with members to help them get to church, be present in the lessons, everything! It's going well. Way too well, haha.

One last thought that I heard in sacrament meeting yesterday. I like what it says in John 16:33:

 33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

What a simple but important though. In the world we WILL have tribulation and trials. We're here to have that happen to us. But. Don't worry. Christ has overcome everything.

I think if we just learn to trust in Him, we'll have the faith to overcome anything. Love you all!

p.s. HEY just like to let you know that the Edwin Donoso mentioned here: https://www.lds.org/church/news/members-rejoice-at-april-2016-announcement-of-new-temples?cid=HP_TU_10-5-2016_dCN_fCNWS_xLIDyC-3_&lang=eng was totally the first councilor in the ward I was serving in while in Otavalo some 6 months ago. 

Imbabura!

It's been very nice these past few days. Stopping to get a pic.

 We have to climb all of that to get to the chapel (on the left).

Firsts, Frustrations, Frozen Food‏

Well this week started out with a first and a frustration which was that the nurse could finally diagnose what was wrong with me and it turns out I have parasites crawling around my insides. She had me buy some pills to kill them off, but they haven't been going easy. My stomach is still pretty uneasy, and this week wasn't the happiest, but the worst happened at the beginning of the week. By the end of the week we could see quite a few miracles.

One day when we were walking around I suddenly remembered that we'd bought a tub of ice cream on p-day (I promise I usually try to eat healthy, this was an exception.), and so I was like, "hm, how about if we get 10 contacts today we can eat ice cream." It was funny how much that motivated me, but at the very end of the day we had nine contacts and were getting out of an appointment way late - we had to go to the house right away, and I was worried we wouldn't have time to talk with someone in the street along the way there. The members we were with called a taxi to get us home on time, which was a relief, because not only did we get home on time but I could also contact the taxi driver! It was just funny to me because I felt that the Lord was trying to help me reach my goals. I'm just glad the ice cream was there to help me go the extra mile. And it tasted delicious let me tell you.

And like I said we could have some miracles! We'd met a young single mom recently named Pamela who we'd taught just once. We had an appointment for Saturday with her and her less-active mom, but as we were thinking about how to meet our monthly goals I couldn't help but feel like she could be someone who could progress. So we planned to go with her a different day, and not only did we find her...but she accepted a baptismal date for the 28th! And she and her mom came to church!

More than anything I was just learning about the power of prayer. When we keep focused in our prayers, asking for help with our goals and thanking the Lord for how He helps us, I think that increases our faith and leads to a more conscious, focused effort, and the Spirit. It's been important for me to have a focus this week because I've just had to do so...much. Between training, receiving reports as a district leader, battling parasites, trying to work in my own sector....

Speaking of which, I had a big first this week - my first baptismal interview. It was pretty crazy because the sisters called Tuesday and said "We have a miracle! Our investigator wants to get baptized - next week!" I was like, "Great!" and then I realized...that meant he'd have to have his interview that Saturday. Something I just had never done!

Just getting to the interview chewed up almost our day, because trying to flag down the buses on the highway didn't work for like half an hour so we had to walk 10 minutes to another town the catch the bus from there - but the bus driver lied to us saying he'd pass by where we wanted to go but didn't so we got stranded out in the highway and had to walk another 15-20 minutes to get to where the sisters were going to meet up with us - and from there we had to wait to take another bus to get to the chapel...the baptismal candidate was an older guy who didn't really hear or understand well, which made the baptism interview an adventure, but I felt he was ready!

Good grief there's just no time for anything honestly. I've never had so much to do in my mission and it's kind of crazy sometimes...but it's good. They're the best two years. I'm trying not to sound too much like I'm speaking retrospectively there. It was great calling home, too. Anyhow, I hope you're all doing great.

There was a dog listening to sacrament meeting this week.

There's a touristic train here in Ecuador, which is cool, but way too expensive for missionaries.

 The sun can beat down strong enough here to make my companion want to use an umbrella.

 

Ups and Downs (Not Just Geographically)‏

Another crazy week. We've been climbing lots of hills to get to know this sector, and little by little we're finding people to teach. It's not too hard to find less-active to teach, because there are lots here. We just need a good focus, more than anything. We've met lots of people, but we just don't know who's going to progress yet.

More than anything I've realized that we just need to focus on letting the Spirit guide us. I had to go to Quito this week for a meeting where they train many of the leaders in the mission, and while we were there, someone asked President, "Of all the things I have to do as a leader, what's most important?" And he simply replied, "You just need to follow the Spirit." Now, that's not always the easiest thing to do, honestly! But I learned a few things about that this week.

In another meeting we had, one of my zone leaders said, "Sometimes the Spirit just tells you to do CRAZY things, and you don't know why." I think it was later that same day when our appointments fell through and we didn't know what to do. So, I suggested we pray. We prayed, and I always wait for a moment after the prayer to see if I feel anything, and a name came to mind, the Morales family. Now, I don't always trust my own thoughts! I often ask myself, are they my thoughts or is that an idea from the Spirit? We had an appointment with that family the next day anyways, why would we need to visit them now? So I said, let's go over here instead to find someone else, a recent convert we wanted to get to know. Well, that person...wasn't there. So I was like, fine, we'll pray again. We prayed again and after waiting for a moment the same family came to mind once again. I also remembered what that zone leader said. And if there's anything that's helped me understand the Spirit in these past few months, it's the scripture in John 14:26, which explains that the Spirit will bring things to our remembrance. So I decided to go to that family. We did find them there, and could teach a good lesson! I do feel like it was a spiritual prompting, now. But it's so hard to distinguish them!

We also had a kind of weird experience this week with an investigator. This investigator, I don't know how, just has the strangest idea in his head that Christ isn't the Son of God. He believes in God, but not in Christ. What's stranger is that he believes in the Bible. He must not have read it much because it exists to testify that Christ is the Son of God, that He really was divine.

At the same time, I realized that we need to help him read the Book of Mormon. Is great as the Bible is, it doesn't give us the complete understanding of Christ and His purpose the way the Book of Mormon does. That's why it's so important!

I personally received my testimony of Christ through the Book of Mormon. Here are some passages in Alma 34 that I like:

 8 And now, behold, I will testify unto you of myself that these things are true. Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

 9 For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made.

 10 For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice.

...

 14 And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal.

 15 And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto ment hat they may have faith unto repentance.

I know that Christ lives and that He really is the Son of God! Salvation only comes through Him. I'm glad I have this opportunity to testify of Him, even if people don't always get it. :)

And well these past few days I've been pretty sick. But hey, things can only get better. See you next week!

It seems like the cows just sprout out of the mountainside here.

Eating.

In a member's house we found some souvenirs from when someone from her family had gone to the states...complete with a postcard from Pittsburgh!

No, Wait, Pucará.‏

So my companion and I are sitting there in our house in Pusuquí on Saturday, doing our usual studies. We know that our district leader, Elder Brown, is going to stop by to do a revision of our house, so we're kind of expecting that he'll come by soon. I peer out my window and there he is, finally. But wait. There are four missionaries there, not just Elder Brown and his companion. Wait, those are the assistants. What are they doing here? Some kind of weird companionship exchange? I didn't think much of it.

Then the came into the house.

"Elder Scanlan! You have changes!"

What.

"You're going to Pucará! And you're going to be training! And the district leader!"

They hand me the leader and training packets. WHAT.

Just when I was getting comfy in Quito, again...

Anyhow, I was sad to leave. Elder Draper and I were getting along well.

But the new sector is pretty cool! Pucará is a ward out in the fields (right next to my old sector in Ibarra, as it happens) where mostly natives attend. By natives, I mean the indians that live out here. They have their own language and everything, Quichua, and the men let their hair grow in long ponytails and the women carry their babies around on their backs. Most of them do understand and speak Spanish, but every once in a while in the meetings they'll flip over to Quichua and things just become unintelligababble. They also say "waiki" instead of "hermano," because that's how you say brother in Quichua.

Church leaders may or may not have said that this is one of the purest lamanite places on the planet. There are two stakes here. That didn't stop Elder Holland from telling them that he wanted 10, 20, 30 stakes when he came here a few months ago.

The members were showing us around and we were going up one street and they pointed to I think every house on both sides, "oh, here lives a member - here, too - oh, here lives the bishop." It'll be a different experience, that's for sure!

What else about my sector...like I said, it's out on the fields. It' s not particularly wide, maybe a mile wide if that, but from the main highway it just goes straight up the side of the volcano Imbabura. I'll send pics.

My companion (my son!) is Elder Molina, from Peru, and I've been blessed with a super prepared companion. He knows his stuff, so training him won't be a problem.

Anyhow, to share a spiritual thought, after all of this we were reading on the missionary handbook, and I was reading how as missionaries we've been called by a prophet of God. I know God puts His trust in us! So that makes me feel good. Hope you all have a great week!

The shortest, most awesomest companionship ever.

Eating chinese food ("chifa") with Elder Molina!

Sweet pic of Imbabura and Lago San Pablo I got on the bus ride.

 I did get some pizza in during the 5 days I was in Quito.

 Up on the roof of our house. That's the Cotacachi volcano in the background.

The sector's basically like this.

Pusuqui‏

First off, I'm ok! Thanks for all the concern and well-wishing. If you haven't heard, there was a pretty rough earthquake in the coast of Ecuador last Saturday. Thankfully, most of the missionaries in our mission didn't experience much, just the aftershocks. My companion and I were at a member's house when all of a sudden everything started moving. It's kind of like being in a moving car - except the moving car is like the whole earth. We just waited it out outside the house. It lasted a good minute or two and we kept on with the lesson. The power had gone out in a good portion of Ibarra, but just for about an hour. Everyone was outside their houses, a little scared, but ok. Other people didn't even feel it.

The majority of the damage was in the coast like I said. We learned about that all the next day in church - everyone was of course talking about it. As far as I know, all the missionaries are fine, all of the members, too. We were fortunate. But it was pretty sad seeing some of the pics. It seems like it was pretty grave out there. It would be great to keep these people in your prayers.

In any case, the work just keeps on keeping on, and that didn't stop us from having transfers as planned. And...I have transfers! Now I'm in Quito once again, in a part called Pusuqui. The Mitad del Mundo monument is super close by, so I'll definitely have pictures of that within a few p-days. And I'm also with a gringo companion for the first time in over a year. His name is Elder Draper. I'm just excited to tear this sector up with him. I've been wanting to go back to Quito since I left...over a year ago. It was great being in Ibarra, but I think 3 changes was good enough.

Well I didn't put much thought into this letter because I was travelling in the morning...and I also have an obnoxious cold that just won't let me think straight.

I'm just...grateful for the gospel in my life. Do we realize what we have, if we have the gospel? I've learned so much in the mission, and one thing that's been especially important has been to be grateful. Never forget what God's done for you! Pray to know he's there and he'll answer. Do we really understand what the gospel's all about? What it means to be children of God? I hope you read the scriptures and pray to know about that!

We had an interesting meeting on Sunday - a "multi-stake conference," which I'd never seen before in my life. It was like a stake conference in the sense that people were ordained to the Melchezidek Priesthood and some stake business taken care of (in Ibarra's case, distrct business), but the rest was a transmission from Salt Lake where a few leaders spoke, including Dallin H. Oaks and Robert D. Hales. It was a good experience. What most called my attention was Elder Oaks' testimony...he testified, as the apostles always do, of Christ, and that this is His church. I suppose I just listened more carefully this time, because I could feel the spirit instead of routinely listening to the words coming out of his mouth. This is Christ's church! And I testify that miracles still happen. Hope you're all doing well!

The Cotacachi volcano. There are just a ton of volcanoes here in Ecuador, all of which have erupted at least some time or another. They were telling me a story the other day that a few generations back almost all of Ibarra was wiped out by an earthquake...

Doing some service this week, making a concrete wall with some members.

Ibarra.

A Week in Pictures

Jeremiah went to Quito for a BBQ with the mission president yesterday, so he only had time to send some pictures.

Another pic of when Elder Holland came.

In the bus.

Getting ice cream (it was my companion's birthday).

Pablito's baptism!!

BBQ (Jeremiah said he was so glad they didn't have to eat rice.)

With President this week.

A Temple In Quito!

In conference we always set up a "gringo room" for everyone who wants to listen to it in English, and there I was. I wasn't even thinking too much about the idea when President Monson started to speak, but then he said, first thing, "Quito, Ecuador-" and we all cheered. I could hear that across the hall, the members had pretty much the same reaction - I could hear them applauding. It was all I could think about for the next little bit, and the Spirit was just so strong for me. What a blessing! I definitely won't ever forget that.

It was funny to me because afterwards we had lunch with the district president, and as we drove in the car to his house he was talking all about the things they could do with a temple so close - only 2.5 hours from here in Ibarra. He was talking about how they could even do youth temple trips in one day, on a weekend. And to think that in Cranberry we complain about not having a temple closer. Here in Ibarra they have to travel 11 hours to get to the temple in Guayaquil!

But it would be cool to have one in Pittsburgh...

Anyhow, go to the temple, especially if it's close by. It's a huge blessing.

Apart from that, for me, this was the most spiritual conference I've ever seen. I'm not sure if I was just more in tune to the Spirit, but it was great. I wrote something down for almost every talk I heard. I've noticed in the past that with each successive session of conference the amount of notes I jot down gets smaller and smaller, but this time I had at least a page of notes for each session! I noticed a lot of interesting themes.

One of them was rescue efforts. I think all of us were especially touched by Elder Kearon's talk in the Sunday Afternoon Session, and it was really special to see how touched President Uchtdorf felt as well. I certainly felt the desire to do something to help people.

And on a similar note, I was really struck by the many teachings about charity, something I was thinking a lot about personally that weekend. There was a huge emphasis in seeing others - and ourselves - through God's eyes, seeing with the potential that he sees. I liked how one speaker mentioned that if we work hard, from time to time God will draw back the curtains for a moment and let us see how He sees. I'd certainly like to have that blessing.

Also, there was a lot of talk about overcoming doubts, and especially doubts regarding church history and doctrine. I feel like that must be a big struggle currently in some parts of the world. Not a lot of anti-mormon stuff finds it's way down here, but when it does, it's pretty unfortunate. I really hope those of you struggling with those questions of testimony can read the Book of Mormon and pray to know if it's true. Remember, you can never say you really investigated all sides of the story until you pray to God to know what He thinks. I know He's there and wants to answer all your questions. Turn to Him first, not to whatever you read on the internet. Spiritual questions should be answered by spiritual means. Just listen to the Spirit. Since I don't have any text from the talks from this conference yet, here's something I loved from one of President Uchtdorf's talks last conference. Sorry if it's a little long. It's hard for me to choose a favorite part.

Satan, our adversary, wants us to fail. He spreads lies as part of his effort to destroy our belief. He slyly suggests that the doubter, the skeptic, the cynic is sophisticated and intelligent, while those who have faith in God and His miracles are naive, blind, or brainwashed. Satan will advocate that it is cool to doubt spiritual gifts and the teachings of true prophets.

I wish I could help everyone to understand this one simple fact: we believe in God because of things we know with our heart and mind, not because of things we do not know.  Our spiritual experiences are sometimes too sacred to explain in worldly terms, but that doesn’t mean they are not real.

Heavenly Father has prepared for His children a spiritual feast, offering every kind of exquisite food imaginable—and yet, instead of enjoying these spiritual gifts, the cynics content themselves with observing from a distance, sipping from their cups of skepticism, doubt, and disrespect.

Why would anyone walk through life satisfied with the light from the candle of their own understanding when, by reaching out to our Heavenly Father, they could experience the bright sun of spiritual knowledge that would expand their minds with wisdom and fill their souls with joy?

When you and I talk to people about faith and belief, don’t we often hear, “I wish I could believe the way you do”?

Implied in such a statement is another of Satan’s deceptions: that belief is available to some people but not to others. There is no magic to belief. But wanting to believe is the necessary first step! God is no respecter of persons. He is your Father. He wants to speak to you. However, it requires a little scientific curiosity—it requires an experiment upon the word of God—and the exercise of a “particle of faith.” It also takes a little humility. And it requires an open heart and an open mind. It requires seeking, in the full meaning of the word. And, perhaps hardest of all, it requires being patient and waiting upon the Lord.

If we make no effort to believe, we are like the man who unplugs a spotlight and then blames the spotlight for not giving any light.

Recently I was surprised and saddened to hear of an Aaronic Priesthood bearer who seemed to take pride in the fact that he had distanced himself from God. He said, “If God reveals Himself to me, then I will believe. Until then, I will find the truth relying on my own understanding and intellect to light the way before me.”

I don’t know this young man’s heart, but I couldn’t help but feel terribly sorry for him. How easily he rejected the gifts the Lord was offering him. This young man had unplugged the spotlight and then seemed self-satisfied in his clever observation that there was no light.

Unfortunately, this seems to be quite a popular attitude today. If we can put the burden of proof on God, we think we can excuse ourselves from taking God’s commandments seriously and from taking responsibility for our relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Brethren, let me be clear: there is nothing noble or impressive about being cynical. Skepticism is easy—anyone can do it. It is the faithful life that requires moral strength, dedication, and courage. Those who hold fast to faith are far more impressive than those who give in to doubt when mysterious questions or concerns arise.

But it should not surprise us that faith is not valued by society. The world has a long history of rejecting that which it does not understand. And it has particular trouble understanding things it cannot see. But just because we cannot see something with our physical eyes does not mean it doesn’t exist. Indeed, “there are more things in heaven and earth … than are dreamt of” in our textbooks, scientific journals, and worldly philosophies.The universe is filled with wonders profound and astonishing—things that can be comprehended only through spiritual eyes.

That's the way things really are, today! Please, don't give up. Listen to the Spirit. Pray. Choose to believe.

I'll be honest: I can't think of a specific moment when I received a testimony. It was a struggle I had for a long time. But one day, I just decided to...believe! I'd felt the Spirit in my life. I wanted to believe. So I decided not to wait. Everything good in my life has come after that trial of my faith.

Anyhow, just last night, we had a very special experience. We'd planned to go to some investigators we'd been teaching for a while, a married couple, with varying levels of progress. We got to their apartment and they let us in, but we realized that something was wrong. They'd been fighting, right before we'd arrived. I just prayed and prayed to know what to do, and my companion offered a prayer on his knees to start the lesson. When he finished, he said, "Something came to mind." He suggested we watch President Uchtdorf's talk, which we'd just listened to the day before. Thankfully, the video was already up. We watched it, and I felt that every single word was directed towards them. They seemed a lot more humbled after watching it.

I know that President Monson is a prophet. I know Joseph Smith was called to restore the gospel. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that God still speaks to us today. Love you all lots!

The zone handed out "The Golden Potato Awards" this week to have a bit of fun. This is only funny (?) to those of us here in Ecuador forced to eat potatoes and rice...every day...

This one's from a couple weeks ago, but not sure if I ever sent it. We were checking out some buildings downtown.