What a short week with so much that happened! On Tuesday we had another training with President Riggins. They talked and reviewed the things that we had learned with Elder Uceda (the Area 70 that came) which was good cause it jsut hit home even more! That day was mostly consunmed in the Church. Afterwards we went home and made some hamburgers American stlye well as American as they get! They were so good. I dont know why, it took so long to make them, its just time that I eat better food. 

On Wednesday we had our day on contacting which went very well! We didnt just knock doors all day but focused on finding new people. We talked with a lot of familes in the street, went to less active members houses and asked referalls from all those we visited. We had two refferals that day and  found about 2 other families that we will be teaching this week! 

On Thursday we had more of an atypical day as I call them. Teaching Preaching and doing the things missionaries do! :) 

On Friday we had lunch way far away,which is normal for Fridays but its got to be 8 miles away. Its about 5 miles in bus and then another two walking and then two walking back out. And lately the sun has been burning into my bones more then usual so its qutie the walk :) Thankful for the sacrifice of the pioneers! 

Saturday we had ward counsel and correlacion meeting which went well. We are all really trying to work together and help the ward as a whole but that can be a long slow process at times! 

Sunday was an amazing day. We had a couple at Church that are working on getting baptized but they have to do a couple things first. But later in the night we were to sing at an anugaracion of a giant Christmas tree in the center park here in Milagro. We sang in front about 2500-3000 people! It was nuts! Such a hit and brought in the true meaning of Christmas! 

I hope that you all have a good Christmas and can prepare to remember the true meaning :) 

Love Elder Strang

What a week! Results have finally come.. well in a way :) We worked really hard last week and had some really good results. We found a couple families and invited them to be baptized, and they accepted! After, we invited them to church and said that they would go. We have been working with other familes as well, which all said they were going to come to church yesterday. It was all going great, till yesterday. No one came! What a test of faith and patientce! I was quite frustrated well into lunch when I met a familly member of the family where we ate lunch. We got talking and he told me that if Im preaching the Gospel and keeping the rules, then Im completeing with my job as a missionary. Brought a lot of peace to my trouble mind thinking about the people that werent able to come and why they werent able to come. 

 

I remember after how my mission pres has told us that we need to find joy in all that we do, as long as we are keeping the rules. And thinking about all that we do, we should find joy in that, or why would we do it? I know that there are things that we dont have much of a choice of not doing, but why not find joy in them as well? Ive been trying to apply it in my life and ifnd that I am so much more relaxed and unstressed in my life. I even find time to look at the sunsets and smell the roses :) 

 

Well on the lighter side of the week. I ate cow stomach soup, again. Look up MONDONGO, thats what it is. I ate like I was taken pills, with a chunk in my mouth washed down with Coca Cola, not my favorite for sure! We helped a new convert put a fence in her year, fighting off ants the size of your knuckle and using tools not adaqute for the job, made a fun and interesting morning :) We have been playing more soccer doing more service and finding joy in all that we do :) 

 

I hope you can all find joy in your lives this week in all that you do :) 

 

Love 

Elder Strang

Guayaquil over the river

The internet café live today

We have no idea its 90 deg

Ties to match girls out fit ? What's going on?

Oct. 20 2014

Well the week of progress has come! The last week we finally had some progress come along! We are trying to focus on helping less active members come back to church and helping the ward help those who are iniactive come back to church, because as we know it does help to baptise people then 2 months later they dont want to go to church. So we have been looking at the lists and there are 450 members that are coming to church so our work is defineately cut out for us! On Sunday we had 8 of less avtice members at church, so a little progress is very welcome! 

The week went by super fast and I just dont understand the concept of time? I thought it was tuesday until my companion told me that it was friday.... As far as my compnion we are still getting along quite well. For those who arent getting along with their companions.. a little secret... change yourself before looking to change them, something that we all learn! 

Speaking of less actives, we were teaching a younger girl that was baptized about a year a go and she had stopped going to church. Turns out she had been left after being baptized and no one helped her or visited her. So when she had qeuestions about things of the church, she didnt nkow where to go. A friend showed up from a different church and ansered her questions with the things from what she knew... needless to say there was some other members from the other church that showed up and well after talking, apostasy is very apparent there. Poor girl has roped into lies after being left.... Kinda sad. We all have the need to be fed the word, the true word. When members are baptized or are less avtice they can be fed many things, many of the which are not true. I have thought here in the mission that visitnng those who are less active may be more laborsome than helping someone that wants to investigate the church for the first time, but its not like that at all. With a simple inviatiion they will respond with postive answers. i am going to attach a talk that I found that I invite you all to read. It talks about how we as members can help the less active, although it is from the 1980s it still applies to our day! 

https://www.lds.org/ensign/1980/10/strengthening-the-less-active?lang=eng&query=strengthening+the+less+active

Copy and paste! I wish you all a great week and would love to hear your expirences with "Strengthening the less active" :) I love you all!

Elder Strang

Oct.13 2014

What a week! I have had so many things change in what I believe and how the Lord truly does bless us. Yesterday we had a lesson with a returned missionary who had come home, married and didnt get sealed and is now in active.. choices matter. I was sitting there looking at him yesterday while he talked and looking into his eyes I felt that I had been sent there for a reason, that Our Heavenly Father had sent ME there. I felt his pain and the saddness that he had felt for so many years outside of the church, and a strong desire to help him and his family. It wasnt just the fact the I wanted to Complete a goal, but rather that I needed to help him and all others here complete the goal of a temple marriage. That was a game changer for me. 

We were in the church earlier that day and a sister came up to us and asked for a blessing becasue she was having some trouble with her health. After the blessing I asked her if there was anything else that we could do for her, she asked us if we could talk about what had been going on in life. Return missionary that had married outside of the temple, made some mistakes and now has two daughters that are in college she is a single mother working trying to support both of them. Choices matter. She has now had a bllod vessel turn sideways and is twisting in her ear, which could kill her. The stress had been getting to her and she was struggling to live daily life. 

We all have trials in life but it truly matters the choices we make. We are here to prepare ourselves to compare with Our Heavenly Father, the progress that we have made here on Earth. I stress the importance of planning an well placement with goals, because the desions that we make dont on affect this life but also the next. I hope that you all have a great week and know that I love you all!

Elder Strang

Oct 6th 2014

So sorry that it has been so long to get an update done We've been super busy the past two weeks... so to give you a bit of an idea of whats been going on, I have been transferred about two weeks ago! Im in a new sector called New Miracle 1 ha and well its great! :) Its pretty much a 3rd world country, the roads are all dirt roads, the house are super tiny made of bamboo. Theres not much of anything. Here in Milagro they grow a ton of coffee and theres a huge coffee plant that produces the coffee. Also there are a bunch of plantation of banana, pineapple. They produce a bunch of stuff here! 

Im with Elder Rivas from Guatemala, he super humble and a nice kid. His parents aren't members and hes is the first missionary in his family, cool to see him out here with the situation that is going on at home. We get along really well, and just like the last companion spend most of the day laughing and smiling. The work here is a little different. The sector is quite poor so the people tend to drowned there sorrows in the bottle when ever they get paid. We have been doing a ton of contacting and have found some really great people, and its easy and wonderful to see those who have been prepared. We are excited to help those who are prepared here. 

Last week we went to an island in Guayaquil, which was way fun. There was a buch of plants and animals. At the end the have a crocodile reserve so it was real fun to see and hang out there! I think that I am more than at the point where it will be sad to come home... I love this people and this country. 

This past week we have been working with a bunch of families to get them to church, we have taught them and they have said over and over again that they want to changed and they want to come to church. So yesterday we go and to get them and the dad is drunk..  How mad was I? I was lit! I come to this foreigner country, leave my family that I love so dearly, leave a girl that I love and would give my life for, leave best friends, studies, language that I understood and the list goes on and on. For what? To come for this? Try to help people receive something that they themselves don't even want? I Think that I care about them sometimes more than they themselves do. But then it hit me real hard. How hard it is for Our Heavenly Father and Our Savior. He dies for us, and people don't want that? I cant even imagine. So when I thought about it, what im doing doesn't even compare to what they felt and what they feel. Its a honor to be here and be a missionary in these times. My heart hurts for those that don't want to open up there hearts and understand the wonderful plan that Our Heavenly Father has for us. 

But on the other side, there are many who are being prepared and want to hear about this message we just have to find them! Something that I loved about conference was the focus that was put on member and missionary work. The Lord has commanded us to all work together, so always remember that there are opportunities for us to participate and to share the Gospel. How thankful I am to be a member of this church and share the Gospel! 

Miss you all and love you all!  

Elder Strang 

What a great week! Things are going great with my companion, with investigatores... Lifes great! We have people that we are teaching that are progressing with poeple that we are bringing back to church! Well we had 7 investigadores at church on Sunday which is a lot better than what we have been having, so we are very pleased with that and everything is getting better! We got a referral the past week of a older couple that wanted to listen to the lesson so we went. They started out by saying they were Evangelics and that they had their Church and all the stuff that we always hear.. but after treching them and some help from a member they will be getting married and baptized in these coming weeks... the sister that gave us the referral said that they had been visited many times in the past missionaries and never wanted anything to do with us.. just goes to show that God has his time in all things.. 

We ate lobster from the Galapagos Islands yesterday which was flown in fresh the day before! It was great. Also bought a Alpaca Poncho like you see on Discovery Channel haha super sweet! :) We went to Malecon (look it up) today and it was overcast so it was a great day! Ate lunch on the riverside. bought a poncho all in good company! 

Learned something very powerful this past week.. I would alwyas here people saying that their prayers had been answered and that they had some expirence.. but i never realized that mine were being answered. I now have been thinking how powerful prayer really is.. Our Heavenly Father knows way better than we do and can do anythnig acording to our faith. In a world so crazy with so many things can we really afford to not have specfic personal prayers? NO! We need God in our lives and need his help and cousel with all things! Like it says in Alma 37, talk with the Lord in all your actions. I truly belive that we are so in debt to our Heavenly Father but with that debt he is still wiling to bless us immensly. Whether times be good or times be bad, hes always there and always wiling to help us. Also I know with 100000000000000000% on my soul that the Book Of Mormon is the Word Of God. I had so a testifying expirence after asking specfiec things.. and wow what a beautiful. How blessed we are to have it in our lives. 

I want you all to know that I love you and hope that you can ask and pray specficaly in every moment. The Church is true, book is blue and Moroni is alwyas on the ball! 

Elder Strang 

August 25, 2014

Muy buenas tardes a todos en Lago Salado! Hows it all going? You are all falling into the fall and winter season.. as we all here Ecuador are still roasting! It has been a great week.. I dont think I have been asked more times in my life for my hand in marriage.. I thought that it was always the guys that ask but it is different south of the equator ha :) 

This past week was amazing! Finally we are gettting some progress! :) the ward ahd 270 members yesterday in the church which was quite busy... we had 5 investigadors and 14 inactives.. so it went well! Feels good to have progress. We have 3 maybe 4 bautisms this saturday which is a mother that doesnt have a husband so it will be great to see her and her kids take this next step. Me and my companion have been getting along well ha hes a funny little guy, hell say like non suggestive lines that have a hidden suggestive meaning and its actually working ahah people get the message and it gets done! 

It was quite an a typical week.. other than the super complicated doctrina that i have been reading. Crazy to step back and see how big our Heavenlys Fathers creations are and how small we really are, but to see how much love he has for every one of us. He sent his only begotton to atone for our sins and give us the chance to become like him. Sometimes I feel that we get caught up in all the worldly things and they seems so important to us in the moment, but when we step back and look t the big picture, how much value do those things have? Are we willing to sacrifice the chance to become like our Heavenly Father so something small and insignicant? Im not! 

I see people everyday give up the important moments with family kids wife church.. whatever the case may be because they are caught up in somethig else. Well if thats the case maybe we are too busy. I invite us to at least give it a try. See how clam and unstrested the world is when we take it a little less at a time! :) I can testify that stepping back and putting the important things first brings blessings. Many people have asked how we can sit here in the mission when everyone at home is studing in school, and i responded that there is no college in the world that teach the things that a missionary learns in the mission, nor can it every count the blessings that they or the people they have served have recieved. The friendships here will last a life time. I count very few frinedships that I had in high school. 

I know that when we put God first he is always obligated ( D&C 84:10) and that is will bless us. Know that I love you all and so does our Heavenly Father, he has given us so much and ask that we give back just a little! And when we do, the windows of heaven will be opened and blessign will be poured down on us!

Elder Strang 

August 18th 2014

What a great week! With a new President, come new rules, and so last week we had transfers. Im still in Los Rieles and life is great! My new companions name is Elder Franco from Bolivia. Super nice guy. Kinda of a pretty boy ha likes to spend a lot of time in the mirror and takes froever to get ready, but Ill hope that will just get us into more house ahaha :) We had a baptism last Saturday! Super Strong member. Her mom was baptized forever ago and so it was great to see another member of the family take the first step to eternal salvation! 

This past week we have been contacting a ton, as President told us we would be doing which never had worked before but we know that President is an inspired man because we have found a buch of families that are now progressing. We are teaching a family of 9 which are progressing quite well and a couple of others that we found contacting last week. I was a great week.

On Friday we went to the temple with President Riggins and 2 other Zones which was amazing to be able to go back again. After we had a zone conference with Presient and a surprise visitor that showed up, Elder Waddell, The Area 70 haa it was quite a learning day. They talked quite strongly with us about the temple and how being missionaries is an honor. How we know this stuff that we are expected to to keep and gaurd the things that we have taken upon us. Last week was a big turning point for me. I have gained such a testimony that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the only true chuch, that Joseph Smith restored the same church that Christ placed on the Earth. I know that we have a a living Prophet upon the Earth. I know with such a certain that no, and I mean no one will ever convince me otherwise, I will go to the grave with that belief. I know that there are many people all being children of God here on the Earth, struggling, fighting or whatever the circumstances may be, Our Heavenly Father knows, each one of us indiviulally. He is standing at the door waiting with much love and patience with many blessings. Remember that we are never alone, he is always with us and wants the best for us. Its never too late, never too far in. Know I love you all is weel.

Have a great week and thank you all for the support!

Elder Strang 

Hump Week 

One year down... wow crazy to think that so much time has gone by.. I remember sitting in the plane about crapping my pants thinking what was I getting myself into.. Wondering where I was going and getting my self into. But just like all hard things, they get better and pay off! This past year has been amazing, the learning the people that I  have met... every thing has been what it was supposed to be. Now when people ask, I can say with assurance, I have a year :) 

Im at a weird point, the fact that I year is under the belt is sweet... but its a bitter sweetness because when that day comes that I have to go home.. that will also be a sad day.. The people of Ecuador are some of the humblest nicest people that exist, I to have had this time with them, well for me is an honor. We have been looking and looking this past week for more people, but as always, there is opposition in all things. The zone as a whole has been down quite a bit and the Enduring to the End principle is something that we are all learning. The Lord has his time in all things, and we can only be in agreement. 

Something that I did that I would like to encourage all of you to do is a small look at where you were a year ago! First start with the things that you have done better with, look at them and feel good about it! After look at the stuff that you maybe you would like to change, then make goals to change or acheive those things. Its something that has really helped me and really works. Even just writing them down and having them in your mind, makes them completeable. 

I want to thank you all for the support and forgive as time has ended! Love you all and hope you have a great week! 

Elder Strang 

Out going Pres. Amaya & his wife.

 

July 21st 2014

What a week! Marriage, followed by baptism and today a zone wide soccer match! Last Friday, the couple was married! :) And Saturday, we were in the water :) Such a spiritual experience! Its such a privilege to see the progression is the people, when we first come in contact with them, to the point where they get baptized, its a complete change. 

 

I was talking with my Mission President about 3 weeks ago and he told me that the numbers and everything are good, but when they look to see if he was successful as a mission president will be in 20 years, when all the missionaries that were under his wing, are married in the temple, with families with jobs and worthy to be church leaders. I thought about that with all of us. What are we doing today to better ourselves and better our tomorrow? 

 

Theres a scripture in James 4 that reads  13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go intosuch a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and getgain:

 14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what isyour life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, andthen vanisheth away.

We always say theres time tomorrow or ill do it later when we dont even know what later will be! Doesnt have much logic does it? One of the biggest tools that Satan has is Procrastination. In so many ways shapes and forms, we are encouraged to put things off to a later date, we are encouraged to fill our time with the mudane things of the world while the important things sit on the back burner and a lot of the times, get burnt. I remember so many times that I let the important things go, like homework. It was left till the wee hours of the night, and the two weeks that i had it were filled with things that well, now, dont matter and have no value. 

I think maybe it might do us all some good to sit back and see where we are. How much time are we spending and where is it being spent? Some questions that could be asked are: How much time did I dedicate to God today? To my family? To my studies?  I can promise you that you will feel a joy and satifaction from puttin a little effort into the things that matter the most, and always rememer, the things of the world have always been, and always will be there, but the important things wont. 

I Love you all and hope that you have great week! Look for the Hand of God in your lives! Thanks for all the support! :)

Love 

Elder Strang

July 14th 2014

Middle of July already? Where has the time gone? It doesnt seem to be slowing down but only speeding up.. A month and the kids will be back in school again, and life will continue at the crazy pace that its going. 

 This past week was a complete blur. I had no idea what day was what. Wednesday felt like Saturday and Thursday was Monday.. confused all around and now its Monday again.. Whaaaaa? 

We are still feverntly looking for more people to teach, so if anyone has Ecuadorian family, please dont hesitate to let me know. :) The couple that we have been working with will be married this week :) and then baptized this Saturday :) We are teaching another two families that are a little more difficult but gotta have faith! Things are going well in the work :)

I was reading this past week about how we are tempted. As members of the Church we always think "oh Id never drink, or smoke" or whatever thing that would be considered as an "Extreme". I read a quote from David O Mckay that reads... Many trees withstand hurricanes, but many yield to bugs that can barely seen with a microscope. How true is that? Today in the world, there are many good people, with good intentions. But many times those good people fall, why is that? 

The principle of the Utah Mountains is a good one! How many pine trees are dead? A ton, and that all started with one bug. Or one thought or one action. How many of us say, ah just one party wont hurt! Or just this one time... Remeber it all starts with one, and all those good people that have great intentions, now are good people but with not so great actions. Satan knows we all have our limits. Those coupls who say they will never get pregnant or have sex before they are married are often caught in tears as the truth is revaled that soon they will be little mommy and daddy. Satan knew that, this young couple was caught in a late night after a dance or date, just like they had been many times before, and he knew that they are only so strong, that after so many times, that this young dating couple could only resist the temptation for so long. He knows the limits. 

If we look at the big picture, does it seem worth it? To give up all you have worked for? When we look at the big picture, its not worth it! Remeber the words of Alma, wickedness never was happiness! (Alma 41:10) And nor will it ever be!  Remember the best cure is prevention, if we decide now, then when the trials and challenages of life come, we will never have to question what we should do. 

We arent alone, those of us who have fallen, there is a way, through the atonement. Those who put a 10% effort will be carried 90% of the way by our Lord and Savior. Dont ever give up, just get out. 

A word of warning for those preparing for the mish! Leave old things that dont do you any good behind. Anything, or friend that may be on a differnet path than you. Remember that all those dead trees started with one. We have all heard that we become like those we are around, so I ask who are you with and what are you doing? I promise Satan will work harder than ever to try to get you to fall, I felt it so strongly before I left and I promise he will do anything to get you to fall. Stay worthy and remember that the man on top didnt fall there. :) Be careful with girls future missionaries, they can be the hardest things to deny. You shouldnt be alone with them anyway :) And you cannot teach or preach anything you dont live! 

I love you all and hope that you all have a great week! Thanks for all the support that is given! 

 

Elder Strang 

July & 2014 

Good week! Learning lots, Changing for the better! I do have to say that it is very hard to wirte every thing in one hour but Im doing my best! This week Ive been thinking a lot about how missionaries can and should prepare for a mission. And I have come up with a few tips.

1 Be worthy. 100%, make the choice that you wont do anything to get in the way of your choice to serve. There are tons of things that we all brush off saying that they arent that big of a deal, but let me tell you,they are. The for strength of youth phapmlet says it all. Read it, live it and be worthy. Just always ask yourself, would i do this if my Heavenly Father or Jesus were here? Remember you cant teach anything that you dont live!

2 Read the freaking scriptures! I cannot tell you how much time we waste. We should always be reading but you will get into the mission field and say wow, I know nothing! And then you will be asked some of you in a foreign language how to explain in deepth profound doctrine, and you wont know, so make it a part of you life! Pray along with the study! The scriptures are the guide and the spirit will confirm the things that you are learnign! 

3 If you are going foregin, study the langauge now. Nothing is worse than not understanding.

4 Get away from all the social media. You cannot take it with you, and it IS A COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME! What are you learning? Nothing? Well youre wasting time :)

5 Start preparing now. Procrastination is a strong tool of the devil. Dont think that you can wait till tomorrow, because we dont know what tomorrow will be. (James 1:22)

6 Learn the atonement and charity. Those activies that are in the back of chapter 6 of PMG, if you dont know what PMG is than get of facebook and go study! Ha but those attributes of Christ will come out of  you naturally! 

The mission is amazing, Love the people. Love what you do and you will do it well!

We have found some more people this past week and we are working with them, a couple families that are reallly tough. They have their religion and thats when people it can be hard because they dont want to change and then its hard for us to say goodbye... but it just isnt thier time.. 

We are still working with the couple that wants to get married, that will be married onthe 18 of this month :) and baptized on the 19! :) Everything is going great with them. 

The new mission pres is awesome From San Diego Cali, Relious Professor at BYU I-do, sorry Idaho haha but he knows a ton of the Gospel and the scriptures. I had a little interview with him and it was like I had known him for 20 years! Super nice guy.

Well thank you all for the support and all you do for me, love you all! 

Have a Great week!

Elder Strang 

June 30 th 2014

Week 3 en Los Rieles! Fast week, searching looking for more people to teach and lots of learning! 

The looking for new people is one of the hardest things to do, and thats what we are doing right now :) ha so this past week we have gone by all the members houses to ask for referrals... and nothing! And we know that when nothing happens with members the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the missionaries to find though their own incitive, which means knoking doors! Fun stuff there! But this week we are going to be knocking doors until we have bloody knuckles! 

We are still working with a family that wants to be married and get baptized but the whole marriage system is so jacked up that they cant do it fast enough so they have to do it this week, but it is amazing to see the progression that they have made and the things that they are doing to show they repeantance. 

We have been teaching some less active and he kept calling hi s wife women, what are you saying dude. Shes not just women, shes your wife. Get it in your head that she is your wife! I was reading this week about that and read alot about how mn should have respect for their wives, what manner of man ought ye to be? What are you doing to show respect to your one and only? What things should you do to show reswpect to her? Just some things to think about this week for all of you becasue im outta time! Elder Tretbar from Cali, says hi super nice and cool kid! 

Love you all have a great week! 

Elder Strang 

June 16 short & sweet 

Well, week one in Los Rieles has gone bye and was quite the week! This sector is a lot different from my last in the sense that there is a big city part and another part which a wide open field with houses. The houses in the city have Air conditioning and the works and the houses in the fields dont even have running water. They live so far out the we have to take a three wheeled motor cylce to get to the houses. All the houses are up on stilts and the majoriy are made out of wood, I asked why they are on stilts and they say that in the winter when it rains that it completely floods up and they cant even touch the ground walking! They have to swim or take boats which charge 50 cents each way! Looks like we might just baptize in the strret :) hahaha

New companion is chill, from Costa Rica, Super nerd but is cool! We get along really well! We found a family that lost a child and we are teaching them. Super great people and are really excited :) 

Well due to my carelessness with time this week, so i cant write more, but I will next week! Love you all and hope you have a great week! Stay strong caryry on and share the gospel with the world :) 

Elder Strang 

June 9th 2014

TRANSFERS! Wahooo! From Quevedo to Duran! Big change, a small city to a huge city where the sun gives you cancer! :D haha no but it really is quite a bit hotter! Anyways, changed my Chileno for a Costa Rican, super cool guy, dont know him much so we will have to see! 

I love it here. Ecuador is amazing. You really feel yourself get acostumed to the city and the things that they do here. Many people judge other parts of the world for what they think they know, but that isnt anything! They have culture that yes, is different but it is a good different! A diffeernt that I love :) Its not a sacrifice but rather a privelge to be here. 

Time seems to be going by faster and faster. I put my head on the pillow and then the day is gone and Im putting my head on the pillow again... And now a year is about gone?! Crazy, love the work :) 

Learned alot about the relationships that we have with other and how important it is that when we have problems or disagreements, which we always will, its very important that we can keep calm and move along. The comments that we say only make the situation worse and then we only have worse feelings after. The Christlike Virture of Patiencte is cruical for every part of our lives.

Get out and preach! Help the missionaries and take part of this wonderful gospel and plan that we have. We have the knowledge of it and we have to share it with all those who will listen. I know, without a doubt that this church is true, that Christ is our Saviour, that through him and only him can we be saved. That No matter what spot we are in, he only looks at us as how we can become, and that is like him. 

I Love you all and hope that you have a great week!

Elder Strang

May 25th 2014

Wow, what a long week. I can testify that I would rather sit and teach all week than walk around and look for people, a trail of the patient and the faith. 

We had the bapitism two weeks okay with the couple that goit married and then the husband was baptized, and the wife will be baptized this neek week. So that was good, but now there isnt anyone to teach, having more than 4 months in a small sector has showed that just about everyone knows me by name haha and I now tha majority of them by name.. That being said that task came up to find new people this past week, through refreeals and knocking the doors. 45 doors knowcked, and not much. 8 Referrals, not much. We still are strugglin to find people. So it looks like we will be switching sectors this week withthe sister missionaries to try out thier sector and they will be wroking in our sector. We will see how that goes! As far as the district goes, we had people in the other sector but for a lack of teaching a few things none of these people are going to progress because they arent going to church, so we are back to square one with that as well. The life of a missionary :) 

The family that got married is now super strong and preparing for the temple next year. The husband recieved the preisthood and will soon be getting a call in the ward. Super great family and are intruducing us to all their friends and family memebers to teach, so hopefully we can see some progress in some of their friends! Seeing families together is amazing. The hope and light in their eyes bring the changes in their lives! :) 

Enduring to the end. The challenges of life. The things we all go through. Thats the real trick. How we deal with the winds of life. Just like Presidente Monson said, we cant control the wind, but we can adjust the sails. Could that be anymore true? We cant control the way is. Its life, thats the way it is. But the way that we control oursleves and our attitude to the cicumstances, well that makes all the difference, and with the help our daily prayer, scripute study and weekly church attendance, makes the whirlwinds of life mangable as we adjust the sails. I wish you all a great week and hope you can adjust the sails to the circumstances of life.

Elder Strang

May 5th 2014

Transfers have come. Elder Rincon left, and my new companion is n his way here in a bus and should be here by 4. so right now i am with the zone leader following their normal daily routine. Time with Elder Rincon was great, but sadly came to an end. Hes a good friend and will be missed. 

This past week I learned a lot about enduring, enduring and enduring. There really is no way to describe it but other than the scriptures 3 Nephi 21:16 says: And now, my beloved brethren, I know by this that unless a man shall endure to the end, in following the example of the Son of the living God, he cannot be saved. We have struggled a bit to find and teach this past week. I look at it 2 ways. Number 1, you can have your feet hurt from walking around all day or number 2 you can have your butt checks hurt from teaching all day. We just need more people to teach! We have been looking so hopefully that this week we will be able to find some more. Long suffering and enduring to the end are attributes of Christ that we all need to learn. The stresses and daily challenges that we go through are small tests of how we endure. Remember that how big or how small of thing you are going through Christ has been there before. 

This past week we also had a zone conference with the Mission President. There was 4 Zones there. President talked about 3 things in specific, the law of Chasity, 2 daily followups, and 3 about families. It cool to see how he takes the situations that are in the mission and applies them to the mission and then how he applies them to us. There was about 60 missionaries there and president would assign talks to give, 5 minutes each but you wouldn't know if you were going to get called on or not, super crazy! I didn't get called on for a talk but i did for a practice round, which went really well! 

Love the mission, love the people, love the Lord and love you all! Thanks for the support! 

Elder Strang

We remember this happy young kid thats now half a world away.

April 14th 2014

Hey derrr folks in Whootah! Hows da weather? Still got snow or has the bipolar started yet? Still nice and toasty here!

Finished out last week with... 2 more baps! The land of milk and honey is here in Quevedo! Super sweet and i love it! We are taeching the whole famliy and the sons were the first to be abptized and so we are working with the mom and the older sister but the dad took off with another women, so teaching them has been very fulfiling beacuse you can see the hole that they had been filled with the word of God. 

The rain had completetely stopped, nothing but hot but this past week it has started again with power! They had been doing constuction on the floor above our house and something fell and put a hole in roof so wverytime it rains we have cascade of water enter and flood the floor. That seemed to be the last straw so President told us to look for a new house and we found a brand new one so im hoping that we will be able to move into that! 

We got some flyers yesterday at Church to pass out to everyone this week: Its an invtation to stake conference next week, and guess whos coming? RICHARD G SCOTT! Wahoo! This week, of all places, he will be here in the stake that im in! So we get to go listen to him and meet him! Super stoked for that! 

I wanted to share something that I have reflected deeply on this past week,and that is faith. I truly beleive that faith is all. Faith is Christ brings the small things as well as the bigs things in life. Faith along with confidence hand in hand bring the true desires of our hearts, brings the miracles of life and helps realize and reach what we can truly become. Alma 34:21 says And now as I said concerning faith—^afaith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye ^bhope for things which are ^cnot seen, which are true.    Theres so many things each day that we dont have knowledge of, but with a little seed of faith, we can become something great.

I love you all and wish you the best this week and this Easter Sunday.May we all remember the most important this day, Christ Our Savior. 

Elder Strang

Donde esta el tiempo? Se va rápido no? 

This past week had a lot of things go down...  First off we are all fine here with the Volcano whitch I just found out today that it went off! Earthquakes and things like that are normal so dont worry! 

We completed our goal and set a record of 50 baptisms in the mission last month so again Presidnt Amaya came and ate KFC with us which was way good. That morning before we had the Lunch President, The assiants and the Zone Leaders did inspections in all the houses in the Zone.. I was reading during study time and president then the assiants and then the Zone leaders pass by the window, at first i thought i was sleeping haha but then they came in and searched everything! Well, feels good to say that i don't have anything as a problem and that I was doing what Im supposed to do :) 

Afterwards we had a conference with the Zone and they have now just changed the rules of the mission. We are only allowed to baptise familis and the those over the age of 13. There has been too many kids gettting baptisms of kids then they dont have support so then they become inactrive. So the new rules are supposed to help but means that we have to work all the harder! :) 

Things are well, we are on track to have to 23 baptisms this week, so excited for that! I have too say that I didnt enjoy confernece as a misisonary because the whole time we were running around watching finding people to bring. We were late for some and then I had to help with investigadores kids, so it wasnt as good as sitting at home on the couch but from what I was able to llisten too I was amazing! :) 

What I really took out of it was, that we need to be that same in every moment of everyday. Devleop your faith then help those around you develop the faith. What an amazing Gospel we have. I love you all and hope you all have a good week! 

Love Elder Strang

The 8 th Month

mark has just passed, and too tell you the truth I am passed the ¨not feeling like you're in the mission¨ part or the ¨think about home a lot part¨. I'm here, and I love it. 

Its sad to think that so much time has gone by, at the same time there is a undeniable excitement that comes with the unknown future. This past week I tried imaging houses or cars and stuff from the US, but all I could think of is the Ecuador. Nothing else. I love it here. Its an amazing country with some many amazing people. It has its problems just like everyone else, but I see more positives than problems, and can say that it will be sad when I have to leave. 

There is a lot of changes coming in the mission. New President is supposed to be here in July. A huge group goes home in May, and the arrival of another group of newbies comes. 

This past week we went to a part of our sector that we have never gone to before. Its a good 20 minute walk and it is amazing! I walked through a banana plantation, wild flowers, and straight jungle for 20 minutes, after we ran into an older later lady who had been inactive for the past number of years. She invited us to talk with here in her yard. Pretty sweet little farm shes got going on! They built all of their house outta bamboo and they have chickens, corn patch, banana trees, pigs, and 3 dogs that want to bite my face off. Nice people, we went and helped them cook the food for the pigs one day, supper legit. A ton of platano, Verde, and chicken guts. Throw it all in a pot with some water over a giant wood fire. And you got soup, for da pigs. :)

We just finished the month of March, as you probably know haha but we did it... We broke the records for baptisms in a single month. The old record was 46, and now... 50! It was crazy down to the wire last minute but we did it. We also completed 28 rescues which is bringing inactive members back to church. Feels good to be a part of history in the Gran Zona De Quevedo Sur 2. 

I want to testify of studying and the importance there of. Picked up Chapter 6 of Preach My Gospel this past week, The Christlike Attributes. How great was our Savior and Redeemer? He was prefect, spotless, gave all he was and had for us. Amazing, and all we have to do is follow his plan. The primary song says it all, ¨Im trying to be like Jesus, following in his ways...¨ As simply sweet as that song is, it explains everything so well. We are trying to become like Jesus, and follow in his ways. He gave everything and a plan. Follow it, us it, become it. 

Elder Strang 

7.5 Months

Alright, so for those of you who dont know the whole change of the food I was eating and the fact that everyone here serves you so much sugary food caused 2 little cavities, so I went to the dentist! Sùper Sketchy! I mean the chair was good and the fact we were in the street was a little weird... No but really though, we werent in the streets but dental care is not the best. Went to what I was told is the ¨best¨ dentist in town. Walk in sit down and wait.. and wait.. for a good half hour. After he calls me in, tells me to sit in the chair and the starts looking. Finds 2 cavities and then starts drilling.. with out a mask.. googles... one guy.. one office.. One freaked out missionary. All is well, drilled, filled and hopping they hold! 40$ for two haha so didnt feel to bad about that.

Besides the dentist, this week had a lot of ups and downs. The saying, there is oppistion is all things has a lot more truth to it then not. (2Nephi 2:11)  We face a lot of oppistion every day. From having doors shut in our faces, not having people to teach, investigadores not reading or keeping comitments. To the smallest of things, when we need transportation, there NEVER is anything. No bus, no taxi, and when we dont need one you´d there seems to be 2 for every persons. I truly believe as the work of the Lord hastens, so does the oppistion. We are working our butts off, following up with everything we should be doing but there always seems to be something that gets in the way. But just as in all things, truth will prevail! We brought 2 more souls this past Saturday into the fold of our Heavenly Father! Was so sweet to baptize them. Sad story is that the dad has 2 families, this one and another and hes not married to either woman, so the mom of the 2 boys that lives with them would be baptized in a heart beat and wants to so badly, but she aint married so she cant :( 

As memebers we have responsibilies. Help the missionaries, I cannot tell you how frustrating it is when the ward doesnt want to do anything. We baptize and then the members are supposed to visit those who were reciently baptized. If they arent visited or dont have a friend in the Ward, they will inavtivate within a few weeks. Where i am at there are so manny people inavtive, why? Beacuse they dont have anyone to befriend them. Help them! They arent just a baptimal statistic, they are our brtohers and sisters, children of God and the deserve to be loved! 

Remeber that there will always be oppistion in all things but if we are doinig our part, and we are firm in the correct path, we cant take those situations and learn from them. The atonement of Jesus Christ is infinite and covers us all. Everything is and is only possible through the atonement of Christ. Use it, but dont abuse it. I 

I love you all and hope that you all have a good week, 

Con Mucho Amor 

Elder Strang

Update February 24th 2014

What a great week! Things are going really well and the time doesnt seem to stop for anything!

This past week has been such a good week. We have been teaching these 2 brothers and a sister for the past 2 weeks and this past saturday? They got cleasded with the water! :) We are goning to finish this month with 4 baptism which means we complete our goal. The Zone had a goal of 35 this month and competed.... 40! Its been a long time since a zone has done that. The zone has a goal of 37 for March and we are on track to complete 50, which would break the reord in the mission! :) Loving th work and people! Its alot differentin this Sector, But i love it. The people are so humble and are willing to listen to our message. Love it love it love it! :) 

Learned a lot this week about personal progres and faith. A lot of times we need to stop and ask ourselves where we are at in our lives. Where we want to be? Theres always something that we can imoprove. That self reflection is something that Im learning now. Where am i? Where do i want to be? How do i get there? Ask yourselfs these questions than make a plan to reach what you want! Its possible and with enough faith in Christ and his atonement.. Anyhting is possible.Give it a try!

Thank you all for the support and know that I love you and love hearing from you! :)

Elder Strang

Kolby Update ZZZZ Ater Transfer

Sorry that I wasn't able to write last week... The Change finally came! I got transfered and Am now 4 hours away in a tiny little town called Quevedo.

I went from the huge bustling city to a town of a good size but it also has really small parts. Im in a town called Nueva Jerusalen. We live in the city, super nice house, but work in the... JUNGLE! Its so sweet! All the roads are dirt and tree houses are all made of wood or bamboo! Rivers and our sector borders bananna plants and after tht is all jungle. Its crazy! The ward is a lot smaller, I went from 250 in Condor to about 70 here. Little bit different. The chapel is smaller then most peoples houses in the US and theres only fans, no A/C. The people are a lot more humble becasue they dont hae much so the success rate here is huge. We had a baptism last saturday and have about 6 lined up for the 22. My Comp is from columbia and is quuite different than anyone ie had before, well see how things go! 

Sorry i dont have much time this week but ill write more next week! Thank you all for your suppport! Love you all!

Elder Strang

January 27 2014

Super fast week! Was good, slow with teaching but that will get better. 

Last week we had a meeting with President Amaya, wow. Super strong chastizing. The work is slow in the two zones in Las Orquideas, yes Im still in the samw area, but he had missionaries stand up and asked them questions about this paper that they handed out bout 2 weeks ago and no one knew it.. Was pretty bad, but he gave a good talk about how we can do better. Funny how some of us miss the ovbious, he said, If you go out and contact, youll have new investigatores, a bit ovbious but answers the question that everyone asks, where can we find new investigatores? 

Rain is picking up and they are predicting that Feb is gonna be crazyyyyyy.

We are teaching a girl that wants to get baptized but her parents wont let her cause shes not 18. Other day we were there and she starting crying cause her mom said no again. The mom is so closed off and I had, had a little too much so I let the spirit flow and it was pretty  direct. We are really hoping that she will allow permissino and that later we can get the mom to act on something! 

Hope is something that I have trying to have. The truth is, it could be a lot better with teaching and life always seems to give you things that you need in that moment, but with that Ive been trying to learn about hope. Thought id share a lil take by Elder Uchtdorf: 

The Importance of Hope

Hope is one leg of a three-legged stool, together with faith and charity. These three stabilize our lives regardless of the rough or uneven surfaces we might encounter at the time. The scriptures are clear and certain about the importance of hope. The Apostle Paul taught that the scriptures were written to the end that we “might have hope.” 1

Hope has the power to fill our lives with happiness. 2 Its absence—when this desire of our heart is delayed—can make “the heart sick.” 3

Hope is a gift of the Spirit. 4 It is a hope that through the Atonement ofJesus Christ and the power of His Resurrection, we shall be raised unto life eternal and this because of our faith in the Savior. 5 This kind of hope is both a principle of promise as well as a commandment, 6 and, as with all commandments, we have the responsibility to make it an active part of our lives and overcome the temptation to lose hope. Hope in our Heavenly Father’s merciful plan of happiness leads to peace, 7 mercy, 8 rejoicing, 9and gladness. 10 The hope of salvation is like a protective helmet; 11 it is the foundation of our faith 12 and an anchor to our souls. 13

Moroni in his solitude—even after having witnessed the complete destruction of his people—believed in hope. In the twilight of the Nephite nation, Moroni wrote that without hope we cannot receive an inheritance in the kingdom of God. 14

But Why Then Is There Despair?

The scriptures say that there must be “an opposition in all things.” 15 So it is with faith, hope, and charity. Doubt, despair, and failure to care for our fellowmen lead us into temptation, which can cause us to forfeit choice and precious blessings.

The adversary uses despair to bind hearts and minds in suffocating darkness. Despair drains from us all that is vibrant and joyful and leaves behind the empty remnants of what life was meant to be. Despair kills ambition, advances sickness, pollutes the soul, and deadens the heart. Despair can seem like a staircase that leads only and forever downward.

Hope, on the other hand, is like the beam of sunlight rising up and above the horizon of our present circumstances. It pierces the darkness with a brilliant dawn. It encourages and inspires us to place our trust in the loving care of an eternal Heavenly Father, who has prepared a way for those who seek for eternal truth in a world of relativism, confusion, and of fear.

What, Then, Is Hope?

The complexities of language offer several variations and intensities of the word hope. For example, a toddler may hope for a toy phone; an adolescent may hope for a phone call from a special friend; and an adult may simply hope that the phone will stop ringing altogether.

I wish to speak today of the hope that transcends the trivial and centers on the Hope of Israel, 16 the great hope of mankind, even our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

Hope is not knowledge, 17 but rather the abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill His promise to us. It is confidence that if we live according to God’s laws and the words of His prophets now, we will receive desired blessings in the future. 18 It is believing and expecting that our prayers will be answered. It is manifest in confidence, optimism, enthusiasm, and patient perseverance.

In the language of the gospel, this hope is sure, unwavering, and active. The prophets of old speak of a “firm hope” 19 and a “lively hope.” 20 It is ahope glorifying God through good works. With hope comes joy and happiness. 21 With hope, we can “have patience, and bear … [our] afflictions.” 22

Elder Strang speaking agian, we went yesterday with the elders quourn and brought this message to some of the inactive families which went way good. We have challenges but if we didnt have challenges, we wouldnt know the happy times. Have hope along with faith! We can overcome anything with the help of Christ and his infinite atonement! 

Love you all and hope you all have a good week. Thank you all for the support, 

Love Elder Strang

January 20 2014

Hola a todo en Estados Unidos y otra personas que están leyendo mi blog! :) 

This last week was quite different for me. Its weird to see the big picture and see the district, zone and mission go from such a huge month in December to where we are struggling now. I cant testafy that it is quite hard to find new people to teach! We have looked and seached and nopeeee. We have a few that we are teaching and some that are progressing but we need more. 

Still in the same area, 5 months running! Haha the members say that I started in this area and that Im going to finish in this area ha :) I think that change is coming here soon! The weather is interesting. It rains most nights and is very nice temp until the sun comes out and cooks the water that has fallen, then its more or less like an oven :) but I like it! We swim to most appointments, not a big deal... ha Tons of people are sick with the ¨climate change¨ as they call it, including yours truly. Its weird cause you get sick feel terrible for a day then after youre good :) 

New Assitant in the Mish and new Zl for us... Wasnt exacly a smooth change with him but thats okay! We´ll live. Bought a straight razor and tried shaving... scariest thing.. open blade next to my jugguler vain.. not much of a fan, or maybe I jsut dont know how to do it right. 

Im reading In the Blue book in spanish, trying to better the spanish so I dont plateua. And this week realized that the BOM is so powerful and we cant learn something new everythime that we read. We are teaching this 16 year old girl and her mom a lil bit but the mom is so hard to deal with. Thinks that she doesnt need to do anything or change anything. So we had a lesson with her and it was the same old crap, so I thought to myself, self you need to say something. So I did. Probably was a lil strong, but it worked. The past two times we have taught we show up and shes reading the Book of Mormon! And went to church this week :) and the whole family is going to listen to us! READ THE BLUE BOOK. It will answer all your questions. 

Got to go. Love you all. Until next week, yours truly

Elder Strang

January 13th 2014

This week has proved to be quite the challenge. We have been trying to find people to teach and they ones we finally found are just starting to progress, I have that feeling that there is a lot more things working against us missionaries and that being said it takes a lot to stay positive. Going from the cruise control life in Salt Lake to everything is your responsibility here is quite the change. Never will I ever take my parents for granted again, and no one should! They do so much for us. 

I suppose that there is no way to ever truly prepare for a mission. The things you see, expirence, feel.. all add up to be something you could never prepare for. Walking through the streets, getting denied and called names, being tired all the time, sweat running into your eyes... Well Eternal Life isnt easy, what Christ went through for us isnt easy. Just like Jeffery R Holland says: 

¨Anyone who does any kind of missionary work will have occasion to ask, Why is this so hard? Why can’t our success be more rapid? Why aren’t there more people joining the Church? Why isn’t the only risk in missionary work that of pneumonia from being soaking wet all day and all night in the baptismal font?

I have thought about this a great deal. I offer this as my personal feeling. I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are The Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him? It seems to me that missionaries and mission leaders have to spend at least a few moments in Gethsemane. Missionaries and mission leaders have to take at least a step or two toward the summit of Calvary.

Now, please don’t misunderstand. I’m not talking about anything anywhere near what Christ experienced. That would be presumptuous and sacrilegious. But I believe that missionaries and investigators, to come to the truth, to come to salvation, to know something of this price that has been paid, will have to pay a token of that same price.

For that reason I don’t believe missionary work has ever been easy, nor that conversion is, nor that retention is, nor that continued faithfulness is. I believe it is supposed to require some effort, something from the depths of our soul.

If He could come forward in the night, kneel down, fall on His face, bleed from every pore, and cry, “Abba, Father (Papa), if this cup can pass, let it pass,” ¹¹ then little wonder that salvation is not an easy thing for us. If you wonder if there isn’t an easier way, you should remember you are not the first one to ask that. Someone a lot greater and a lot grander asked a long time ago if there wasn’t an easier way.

When you struggle, when you are rejected, when you are spit upon and cast out, you are standing with the best life this world has ever known, the only pure and perfect life ever lived. You have reason to stand tall and be grateful that the Living Son of the Living God knows all about your sorrows and afflictions. The only way to salvation is through Gethsemane and on to Calvary. The only way to eternity is through Him—the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

I testify that the living God is our Eternal Father and that Jesus Christ is His living and Only Begotten Son in the flesh. I testify that this Jesus, who was slain and hanged on a tree, ¹² lives. The whole triumph of the gospel is that He lives, and because He does, so will we.¨ Jeffery R Holland

What a message right? I truly believe this to be true. When all we are going through, in normal everyday life. Remember Him. Remember what he went through, Do not take anything we have for granted. I have seen first hand here what its like for people to struggle and not have the gospel in their lives, and we have this great blessing and we dont utilze these blessing becasue we are too ´tired¨ to read from 10 minutes? Get Real! And then Get going. 

This week not much has happened. The rain is incredible to say the least. The roads are more rivers and you could get away with running a boat in the road, there is that much water. I learned to drive a motor cylcle, pretty sweet! Im thinking that will be one of the first purchases when I get back! Our new mission presidnet got called and will be hear in July and guess what.... Hes a gringo! I think, I havent seen a picture but his name sounds white haha I beleive his name is Wiliam Riggins. So that wille interesting!

Resoulutions for this year: 1 Be fluent 2 Become Perfect 3 Baptize the World

I love you all and thank you all for the support! 

Love 

Elder Strang

New Years! :) 2014

What a week. New Years here is absolutely INSANE. To describe what goes on I will try my best in email, but it doesnt do it justice. 

About 2 weeks before New years everyone and their 19 cats start to make and buy these figures which are in every shape and form. You can buy ironman, superman, mairo, hulk you name it and they have it. On New Years they light these figures on fire with gas and all sorts of flammable things. Along with this they have every fire work that you can possible imagine and yes M80 are the old style M80s, and they can blow your hand off! They also have these ones that were described to me as like dynamite and they rock the city! Everyone buys fireworks and at midnight the city lights up. The air turned red, firsworks all night long and I kid you not you cannot breath haha. Every starts drinking and others start to light up other stuff. The next day we had free cause everyone either goes to the beach or is too hungover to want to listen to us, so we had it free. Walking through the steets the next day looking at the burnt holes and and blown out parts in the road and seeing people wasted outta of their minds was quite the site hahah. There was a group of guys having a conversation about Adam and Eve and they were all sooo gone haha. Anyways quite the party that they have haah :)

Another thing that started this week is the rain, yesterday and we dont know what rain is in Utah. We were walking through the streets and it started to spinkle and little which is normal but then it hit in a instant and we got drenched! We ran through the streets to a memebers house but we probably could have swam! The street in about 5 minutes turned into a 2 foot deep torent that washed out everything! We stayed at the members house cause the rain just got worse and we didnt have umbrellas with us! So when 9 oclock rolled around we were leaving and the rain had slowed down but the street had wahsed out and there were huge rocks just chillen in the middle of the road ha. I guess we could just baptize whenever it rains though right? ;) 

We are stuggling to find new people to teach. We dont have investigators cause we baptized them all ha, so we are looking for new ones. Not easy to do! But we will find them. I was reading in teachings of the profets of the church yes in spanish, I know, I am awesome ;) ha but its Joesph Fieliding Smith and he didnt baptize a single person on his mission, but he left seeds that grew the church into what it is today, and I thought, with this new year, we can do the same. We can plant those little seeds now in this njew year, they will grow into a huge part of our lives. Start with the small things and they will grow into the big things, just Like Alma says in chapter 32 ¨ 28 Now, we will compare the word unto a ^aseed. Now, if ye give place, that a ^bseed may be planted in your ^cheart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your ^dunbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to ^eenlighten my ^funderstanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.

 29 Now behold, would not this increase your faith? I say unto you, Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge.

 30 But behold, as the seed swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, then you must needs say that the seed is good; for behold it swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow. And now, behold, will not this strengthen your faith? Yea, it will strengthen your faith: for ye will say I know that this is a good seed; for behold it sprouteth and beginneth to grow.¨

This new year start to plant that seed and watch it grow! I love you all and know that the Lord does too! 

Thats for all the support and love you all! 

Elder Strang