With Freedom Comes Good And Bad Things-Machala Week Eighteen

Hope everyone had a great thanksgiving and black friday. Hopefully everyone got the deals that they wanted without getting trampled!

Freedom

So as missionaries the first 12 week is like a training process. Guidelines and instructions are given in a little book.  A bunch of time is spent studying, practicing, and other stuff. This past week I broke the prison bands and became free. With this freedom comes good and bad things. First the bad. An exchange will be coming my way in the near future. I have been here in Vencedores for almost 3 months. As much as I want to spend christmas here, my time is coming I just don't know when. The good is that I am no longer considered a newbie. A lot more things will be expected from me now and I plan to live up to them and hopefully pass them.

This is what freedom looks like!
Notice that each companionship is wearing matching ties!

Tallest in the back!

Baptisms

 We had a Noche de Blanco. That is when some of the sectors in the zone get together and have a joined baptism. I think around 6 people were baptized. Also another cool experience that happened this week. This week we were walking and I recognized a house that the missionaries before had stop to talk with so I thought we would try it out. As we talked with the girl there we found out that she had been taking discussions from the missionaries for 6 months and had been to church multiple times but never wanted to get baptized. We talked with her about the importance of baptism and left not thinking much about it. That night the other missionaries thanked us. When the other missionaries passed by she told them that she wanted to get baptized and she wanted me to do it. So on Sunday I had the chance to baptize someone I had only met like twice. Not gonna lie it was pretty awesome.

Elder Martinez , Scarlett, and Elder Shanklin

Noche de Blanco

The Elders with "the girl I met twice."

On a more serious note!

Stake Conference

President Wadell of the 70 came down to Ecuador this week to reorganize the stake presidency here in Machala. The theme for practically all of stake conference was missionary work and the work of salvation. HOpefully all of the missionaries and members left inspired and ready to participate in the one. I myself left inspired to be a better person and missionary. 

Animal Problems.

This week we were attacked by rats and bats in the house. For some reason they are always there. I guess I will just have to get used to that. One of the rats ate a hole in some of my food. I have sworn vengance and hopefully will send a picture with my revenge. 

Thanksgiving

Here in Ecuador they dont celebrate thanksgiving. Nothing beats sitting down for chicken and rice for the 5th time that week when you know your family is enduging themselves in amazing food. I for sure missed my dads pies. Wow, I would kill for some frozen raspberry pie right now.

Well he didn't get thanksgiving but he got to share Scarlets birthday cake!

(By the way that Frozen Raspberry Pie is made by Mom)

Thanks for all the love and support. We are teaching a lot of great people right now and lots of dates to be baptized. Prayers for all would be able. Hope everyone has an awesome week!

Life is a sport, make it count

Elder Shanklin