Monday, March 28, 2016

March 28, 2016

Well i dont have alot of time but this week was alright my companion ended the mission this week so he will be home on tuesday so this week was not that productive at all cause all he wanted to do was talk to members and stuff but i dont really blame him cause he just ended the mission and i wasnt in the mood to yell at him or anything so i just basically just let him do his thing.  so i call that week the crap week and what me and my new compy are going to do it thro it in the trash and work super hard hahah but ya that ok i know that every missionary has a bad week and i know thru the atonment we can do better!  but we did have a babtism that was not planned at all so before she told us that she didnt want to get babtised anymore but on thursday she told us that she did and 2 weeks before that there was a bunch of crap happening that i dont want to talk about so basically we almost never went to her house but we have taught all the lessons and more and she has 3 attendances at the church so we schelduled the interview on friday and was babtised on saturday and comfirmed on sunday!  She asked if i could do the comfirmation and so i did and that was the first comfirmation i have done it was super cool.  i really felt the spirit when i said Recieve the Holy Ghost! i felt as if i was really helping her for the rest of her life.  

I testify of the power of the holy ghost i know that it is true and i know that it testifies of the truth and guides us everyday!  

Sister Narcisa Cordova from Babahoyo, Ecuador sent these pictures to me...Angels are everywhere!

Easter 2016 from Sister Cordova
 
After lunch at Sister Cordova's

More after lunch at Sister Cordova's

Always a goof ball for the camera!  (even Sister Cordova's camera)

Elder Argueta, Sister Cordova and Elder Blackhrust

March 21, 2016

Sorry again on the late post...

We did a bunch of stuff this week it was super great! Tuesday it was a pretty short day because we had a zone conference in Guayaquil so we left at 6 in the afternoon on tuesday and we stayed at the Temple hotel (first hot shower in 8 months!) yahoo!!  haha then we had a session with president at 5 in the morning and that was super nice.  Every time we go to the temple i feel refreshed and recharged and it makes me love God even more.  There is so much power in temples i feel closer to God!

Wednesday was the conference and it was great as usual because president Riggins is a stud and i freaking love him!  

Thursday was alright we had a bunch of appointments but they all fell thru so that kinda sucked but its already we spent the most of the day finding.  

Friday i went on a division with one of the elders in my district. His name is Elder Ames he is a super great kid he came from a little branch in the middle of the united states in south dakota and the only people in his branch are his dad, his mom, his uncle and his sister and that basically it.  he says there is a ton of less actives.  Coming from that place he doesnt have a ton of experience talking to people so he basically had to learn on his mission.  He is a stud! Every time i see the kid i see a future leader of the church and i see someone that in the future will save a whole lot of people in South Dakota!  Also i had to do a few interviews for their baptisms.  They have a golden investigador named Luis and he is basically why i serve a mission.  Ok first this was the second interview i had with him. At the end of the interview he said he still was not sure if he should be baptized. I had the prompting to invite him to fast.  He ask what fasting was and i explained it to him that it is something we do to show god a sacrifice in order to receive an answer or something.  Well he fasted and got a solid answer that yes.  then we had another interview with him and we talked alot about repentence and because i already had the first interview i already knew that he knew everything that he needs to know to be babtised so i only asked him the first one which is Do you believe that God is your eternal father in heaven and his son Jesus Christ is your Redeemer and Savior and i also asked him if he believes that he can find a new life thru jesus christ and he responder SI yo lo se!  >yes i know it<  Ive never in my life seen anyone change there life so far around and have so much trust in God like he does.  He says his favorite church video is one called hope and the light of christ.  You should all watch it when you get the chance because its basically what happened in his life.  

I know with all of my heart that we can all be just like Luis and change our lives around. it doesnt matter where we are and it doesnt matter what circunstances we have rich or poor sad or happy we can always change our life.  Some people think that the atondment is only for the sinners that need to repent.  I know thats wrong the atonment is for everyone who wants to change everyone who is willing to change!  We can go from bad to good, good to better, or better to best.  I know that everything i do out here is for a reason everything is thanks to him and i know that is the same for all of you guys to.  If we follow him we will find a new life.  https://www.mormon.org/easter
 
Rob asked about the rain...and I asked if Ecuador has the custom of siestas like some latin countries (of course Caleb took that opportunity to give his dad a quick jab..haha):

yes on the rains every night and most days but thats just because its this season. and no only lazy argentina does that siesta thing haha

 

March 14, 2016

Sorry this is so late....here is the update for this week.

Caleb decided to only tell us he was on the computer without actually writing a letter to us, and then he spent most of his time writing the "other Caleb Blackhurst" who is serving in the Texas San Antonio Mission.  Haha!  That's right...you read correctly...there is another Caleb Blackhurst.  So we found out about him shortly after our Caleb received his mission call.  I'm not great at posting things on social media cites (although I read a lot of stuff on them), but our Bishop (we will call him Bishop Johnson..........because that is his name.....haha) didn't really know that so he searched for Caleb's mission call post on Instagram.  He found "a" Caleb Blackhurst who had been called to the Texas San Antonio Mission.  Bishop Johnson was so excited!!  He knows I have family there.  So when he called to tell us that Caleb's mission call was so exciting and mentioned San Antonio.  Rob was confused, of course, and wondered why he thought Caleb's call was to San Antonio, since it was to the Ecuador Guayaquil North Mission.  The result...we found "another" Caleb Blackhurst!!  So then I messaged him to tell him this funny story.  He thought it was great and he closed his message to me by saying..."oh, and by the way, my mom's name is Jenn, too".  Such a small world.  The church sure makes it even smaller sometimes.  So she and I made contact and we enjoy checking on each other's Calebs.  Great family!

Friday, March 11, 2016

March 7, 2016

hola!

Caleb and Rob had a chance to visit back and forth...unfortunately for the rest of us, but fun for them, most of it was in Spanish! :/

Rob: Hola!  Como fue este semana pasada?

Caleb: haha todo bien! como le fue en the middle of no where aka wiliston jaja?  Han visto los misioneros por alla?

Rob: Bueno. La problems es que nunca puedo encontra les en sus apartemiento.  Hay diez misionaros en Williston ahora!  Que loco no?  Creo que los misionaros que viven en el mismo apartemiento que yo son Zonies.  Creo que Williston mismo es un zone.

Caleb: oh wow ahorita nosotros tenemos 14 en babahoyo pero yo creo que babahoyo es mas grande que wiliston y yo supongo que ellos tienen carros y bicicletas.

Rob: Well I don't know how big Babahoyo is but Williston is probably about 50k.  And si creo que hay algunos que tienen bicicletas y los Zonies tienen un auto.  Ustedes no tienen bicicletas?  A mi personalmente me gusta caminando porque se puede hablar con mas jente cuando esta caminando.  Yo camino la majoria de mi mission.

Caleb: i dont know what you had on your mission but i got two well working legs that i use! haha but really the whole mission just walks.  if we had bikes they would get robbed really fast! haha

(I can't read Spanish, but basically, Caleb asked if the missionaries in Williston have bikes.  Rob said some do but the zone leaders have cars, and then asked if Caleb ever road a bike or other transportation.  Caleb's response was very "Rob/Caleb-like" and priceless!  Refer to Caleb's response just above in English...haha!)
 
Caleb also wrote:  today we went to montalvo as a zone it was super fun we went to this spot were there is a river and everything and just messed around and stuff! i have pics but i will send them later oh and the reason why i couldnt send them befor is cause the church change the wifi password and im super mad cause they said it was because to many people were on haha but i figured it out now so im good now

well i have to go now because its already 6 and we are late. so it was good talking to you dad! i feel like i had a question for you befor but i cant remember now sorry but i will  write it down.  love you dad ill talk to you next week!



Excuse me Mr. Indiana Jones, why are you walking across that bridge...Your mother!


 

 

 



 

Where is the 5th guy?!


This is what happens during the rainy season...which is all the time!

 

 

  

 

Friday, March 4, 2016

February 29, 2016

todo bien haha still stressful but this past week the mission doctor came and spoke to the whole mission about stress and that it is good but just not to much it was really helpful.

I suggested to him to consider this scripture in dealing with stress: Mosiah 2: 27—And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength.  And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in orde

wow thanks for the scripture that actually really hit me.
 
ok thanks and how are your sundays going i know before you said that you wanted to better them but i dont know if it worked.  This sunday is fast sunday and try to get everyone to choose somthing to fast about it doesnt matter what it just has to be something and then tell them to pray about it.  To be honest with you before the mission i didnt use that tool very often. I fasted but without a purpose and that is not fasting that is starving.  So tonight in family night get everyone to do that.  just tell everyone to try really hard to do it and think about that thing the whole day and the lord will pull through cause he always does

I asked about the man he met last week when he had to go on another street because of the puddle:

Well he came to church this week and he already knew alot of members it was really cool but we need to start teaching him or hes not going to be able to be babtised in 3 weeks.
 
I asked if there is a difference in the food in Guayaquil compared to Babahoyo:

The only difference is there is more rice here and we always have lunch everyday but almost never dinner its a lot different than the us cause breakfast or dinner are not really things here it kinda sucks
 
I asked if I should send him some protein bars that won't arrive for another 6 weeks:
 
ok ya please that would be actually really good. but i really cant complain these guys are so stinking poor and somtimes i feel bad eating there food but they just trust in the lord that he will give them back.
ok well i have to go now i love you all and im super greatful for all of you and every pday i have to write to you 
 
And he is SUPER excited that Jaiden Larson is completing his mission paper!!