Hello to all! Well first off Im all good now, no more sickness! Feels good to not have that crap in my body! Well I got transfered last week but like I said I didnt go because I was sick in bed. So on Tuesday morning packed up and got into a bus headed for Duran. So I am in the same location jsut in a different sector. My secotr is Panaorama and well wow. This isnt like any other sector Ive seen in the mission. They have tole me that it is in the top 3 richest sectors in the mission. I kid you not that I feel that I am In The United States. Clean paved streets, AC in every house, every one drives cars, no more motorcyles. First day we went out with a ward missionary, takes out his Iphone 5S, first time Ive ever seen one of those! Its a good sector :) In the mission we say that we you go home that you ¨die¨in the mission so this sector will be a good sector to die in! :) Oh the food is way good, and now I know what it is like to be in a US mission because we cant contact! Everyone has those little call boxes with cameras so knocking doors doesnt do a thing! We are working a ton with memebers and,referreals that they give us! Different world here. 

My companion is named Elder Guzman from Honduras but he lived in the US for 7 years, and yes lived in Utah so he speaks Englished perfectly! Pretty cool, they are citizens and all there. His dad owns a tons of famous barber shops in Honduras. Cool guy, we work very weel together. We are having to baptisms this Saturday wahoo! And there were two baps in Milagro that I couldnt go to because the freaking monkey bus system that they have here! But they were baptized. Everything is going very well here! 

Today we went to paintball and that was a blast! First time in my life that I have ever done that! It was super humid and hard to see through that mask cause it had jsut rained but It was a blast still. I shot 5 people and got them out and didnt get shot at all! Only one to not get shot :) Military cpuñd be a good thing I guess? 

Have a good week all! And love you all, give referrals to the Misisonaries there, its not fun not to have anything to do! 

Elder Strang

Things never seem to get boring! I got transfered today but didnt go because I am sick, also had a wedding today, and they are married! 

So monday started with a farewell in my old sector. A kid that was on the mission, got super sick and now is going back to the mission in LA, cool to see that he stuck with it and has continued working and growing his testimony. 

On tuesday we had splits with Elder Geogre and Elder Coleman and we sold empanadas in Simon Bolivar to help with a couple that is trying to get married in that sector. Fun day selling stuff to people, not somehting I have really done up till now! 

On thursday we had a multi zone conference and cooked breakfast, the whole 9 yards. Eggs, pancake, sausage and juice. Kinda of like home but not quite, Ihop is calling my name! Great conference with instuction from President Riggins.

Saturday was a fun day, we had a BBQ, which was probably some of the best food that I have had in my misison. The member bought so much food it was unreal.. chicken, beef, pork.... wow. We ate with a good 6 Elders and 2 Sisters there. My Cali boy Elder Tretbar was there, goona miss him in this transfer! 

Normal Sunday.. until the night when I got real sick. I had been feeling sick most of the week and then on Sunday night it got a lot worse! My whole body was sore, couldnt move, had a fever and headache. WOrse pains I have ever had. I called the nurses and they told me that I have dengue which is a mosquito transmitted sickness which is comparable to the West Nile virus at home. After sitting in the shower for 20 minutes and a blessing I kicked the fever and now am doing a alot better :)

Transfers! I didnt go cause I was super sick so tomrrow I will be going to Duran again, a nice sector that Elder Tretbar has been in., It will be the final chapter in the mission... Crazy to think it will all be over in a few short months. Today we had a nother long awaited marriage, finally! Wahoo, nothing like helping families for  the Eternities :) 

Love you all and hope you all have a great week :) 

Well I lots to say this week but not much time. Thats a problem. But we had an amzing week, the most stressful week that I have in my mission but very rewarding.

We had a couple late nights looking for missionaries that hadnt reported in, some sister that lost their phone and decide not to call thier leaders so that was a 11:30 at night seach finding them asleep in their house, also fighting satan off trying to get the people to baptism, then confirmation, well we won the fight :) We had a Noche Blanca where 10 ish people were baptized :) Good day :) We also are just having a blast as the dyamic white duo. 

We went to Tony Romas today, ya the one that died in the States some how made it down here? But it was way to good. 

Sorry that Im outta time but I wish you all a wonderful week!

Love Elder Strang 

Well that was great New Years! The New Years for those dont know what goes down here on New years, well its an insane fire light up city! They light these paper machet huge toy looking things on fire that are filled with M80 and so it basically becomes a war zone.. its pretty nuts! But its a fun thing to see from the 3rd floor of your house! :) After the craziness in the night everyone goes on vacation which means we as missionaries are left with not much to do which means that we dont do much! We had so much food, and no sleep. But on New Years day we went and played soccer at a stadium which was incredible! It was the first time I have seen grass in 18 months! Dont take grass for granted.. All of the gringos got fried that day, and we were so beat but it was a fun day. We went back to the house after and watched the return missionary hoping that that wouldnt happen to us. 

We are working hard with the families that we have and the are finally progressing, no one ever said that it would be easy, but it possible and we are proving that now! I will write more next week seeing that I dont have time now! Have a great week! 

Elder Strang

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