Wedding Bells-Maracaibo Guayaquil Week Ninety

Things are still pretty "shaky" here in Ecuador. I hope you all like that joke. I was looking forward to using it all week. This week, after a rough 2 weeks after the earthquake, was one of the most rewarding weeks of my mission. 

New Companion

I cant tell you the good news without telling you first about my new companion. My new companion is Elder Prado. He is from Peru. I dont know why but there are like a million missionaries from Peru in this mission. LIke all my companions are from there. He is from Lima. He has like 10 months in the mission. They sent me him to help him grow and have desires to work. I had never met him or heard about him until he became my companion on Tuesday at 2 in the morning. That was a huge pain. But things are great and we have hit the pavement this week and we had a great week.

Elder Shanklin, Diana, Javier and Elder Prado

Baptisms

After fighting the torments from Satan, we finally overcame all the problems and were able to enjoy 3 incredible baptisms this weekend. Baptisms that made me proud to have found, taught and baptized them. What a blessing it was. Diana and Javier were baptized on Thursday. Just in this week we participated in 2 huge events in there life. Thursday in the Morning they got married. We went with them. And then Thursday in the afternoon they were baptized. It was an incredible experience to be able to have met them, watch them grow and obtain there testimonies and then be a part of their baptisms. They Lord truly blessed us with them. We are helping them stay on the path that leads to the temple. They have placed the goal to get sealed and we are helping them achieve that. The other person that got baptized was just as cool. He is Jordan. He has experienced and has had to deal with so many things in his life that the gospel had been his comforter in everything. He has grown to love it and has the desire to serve a mission and make visit to the temple often. It was such a blessing to have been able to teach him and help him overcome challenges and problems in his life. I had the privilege to baptize Diana and Jordan this week. This week Jordans sister is going to get baptize. The Lord has blessed us a lot recently. I have felt unworthy at times of the blessing that I have received. 

Wedding Day for Diana and Javier

Sealed with a kiss

Diana and Javier with their family

Elder Shanklin celebrating the wedding

Javier and Daniel with their family

Baptism Day

Diana, Javier, Elder Shanklin and Elder Prado

Elder Shanklin, Jordan, Elder Prado and friend

Jordan with his family

Jordan and his siblings

Elder Prado, Jordan and his sister and Elder Shanklin

Visit from A Seventy

This week Elder Montoya came to the visit to teach us and help us become better missionaries. What a powerful spirit and testimony he carries. I was humbled to be in his presence and to be able to listen to his words and talk with him a little bit. He was extremely bold but at the same time extremely humble and talk with such a powerful spirit. I learned so many new things and have grown to love the scriptures even more than before. What a great experience. Cooler news is that is June Elder Rasband is coming to the mish. I am pretty sure he was the one that went to Springfield too. (It was Elder Rendlund that came to Springfield).  Maybe he will remember my last name;)

Things are great here. This week we should have some more baptisms. Pray for Armando Oleas and Marjori Heredia. They are super excited for this Saturday. 

Thanks for all the love and support. 

Life is a Sport, Make it Count

Elder Shanklin

I Felt Like Superman-Maracaibo Guayaquil Week Eighty Nine

I have no idea where to even start. Like it has been so crazy and weird. So many emotions and experiences that I cannot even put it into words. It is hard for me to write this email right now. But here goes nothing....

Monday-Friday

Everything was normal. Besides the fact that I got hit by a car. Not run over but it definitely hit me. It was actually super funny and I got a good laugh out of it after the fact. I was crossing the street and the light turned green and they like hit me as there way of telling me to move out of the way. Nothing happened to me and I am completely fine but I can officially say the the drivers of Guayaquil are worse than those of Springfield. Also my companion had changes of Friday morning and I haven't had a companion since that moment so I have been working with the Zone Leaders.

We are Alive!!

Saturday

This day was completely normal. We had the zone meeting in the morning. Part of the day we spent preparing for the baptism that I was going to have. We went and visited everyone that we need to visit and we headed to the church for the baptism. We showed up to the church and starting filling the baptismal font because the water had lowered a little. We got everything ready and at the hour that we are going to start the baptism in comes running a young man yelling "Earthquake". Everyone starts panicking but I still didn't feel anything. We got outside and it was like a wave hit me. It about sat me down or knock me over. IT was super powerful. People fell to the ground and the earthquake seemed to last maybe 2 minutes. It was so intense. You could hear things falling. The chapel was like about to fall. The lights were blowing up and everyone was screaming and crying. I was just thinking about what I was going to eat for dinner (mom note: some things just don't change.). But the city was dark, like pitch dark. We rushed to visit a couple of people and headed to the house. The baptism was no longer a priority but rather the safety of all the members and the families of them. We made some quick decisions that were great and checked on lots of members and investigators and missionaries in a short period of time. ALL IN DARKNESS. Kind of dumb, but I felt like Superman. The city didn't have cell phone coverage nor anything. We had to look them done. Like Sherlock Holmes or something like that. 

Sunday

The power came back to the city Sunday morning. It  hadn't set in yet what had happened. There was no church and actually we spent the whole day in the house. We got the report and the numbers and it really surprised me the damage that had been done. They said that a bridge had fallen and some house and buildings had fallen here in Guayaquil. I know more damage happened there in Quito and Esmeraldas. We are praying for them and all those who are there. It is sad to hear everything that has happened. The members and the church have acted fast and things seem to be improving.

What a crazy and remarkable experience it was. Crazy to have experience it. Something that definitely went in the journal and I will never forget it.

Thanks for all the love and support, All is good here. 

Life is a Sport, Make it Count

Elder Shanklin

It Makes The Rejection Hurt A Little Less- Maracaibo Guayaquil Week Eighty Eight

Happy Birthday to Kennedy this week as she will be 15 years old this Sunday. I think. 

Miracles

With my companion we have been working extra hard to be able to find those who are ready and willing to accept the gospel in their lives. It always talks about the chosen people in the scriptures and my companion and I are determined to find them. We have had many incredible experiences this week and we worked with the investigators that we had and found new ones. The biggest blessing of the week was Jordan. He is a young teenager that earlier in his life fought cancer and won. Since then he has realized the importance of life and has been trying to fulfill his purpose here on the earth. As we began to teach him me and my companion knew that he was a special child of our heavenly father. One of his firsts questions was, "What do I need to do to be a missionary like you guys?" He actually every knew the answer but just verified with us. He knows lots about the church already and has a burning testimony that he is willing to share with everyone. In just one week. It has been such an incredible experience to work with him and help him on this journey. He came with his sister to church on Sunday and she also enjoyed. Things are great with him and it has been a true blessing to be able to met him and help him. These are the experiences that make the reject hurt a little less, the sun not burn as much, and your feet not hurt that much anymore. It is for reasons like this that I left my family and friends an everything in the house. It makes the 2 years of work worth it.

Looking fancy in their suits

Enjoying a delicious meal

A yummy cake

A darling family 

Elder Shanklin and Elder Montalvo

The great thing is...he isn't the only one. We are working with another couple that have plans to get married and then baptized that very day. They are excellent people and the have testimonies of the church and desire to be sealed in the temple in a year from now. 

The Lord has blessed us a lot and we are in debt to him for the blessings his has given us. Sometimes I dont feel worthy of the blessings and things that he gives me. For that I know that he loves me and watches over me. 

Thanks for all the love and support! Have a great week!

Life is a Sport, Make it Count

Elder Shanklin

Noche Blanca-Maracaibo Guayaquil Week Eighty Seven

This week was a very stressful week, but at the end had a super satisfying results. 

Conference

Every conference weekend I always learn so much and find ways to improve myself as a missionary and as a person. The quote or saying that I liked the most from this conference was "He was the best leader, because he was the follower most faithful" or something like that. I am not sure I was watching it in Spanish. The talks were great and our investigadors really enjoyed listening to prophets and apotoles in the actuality. They felt the spirit and learned many new things. 

Baptisms

After the second session on Sunday we were able to have 2 baptisms, but in total 13 people got baptized that night. What a great experience was to be a part of that night. Nayeli Chillambo and Edder Saltos got baptized that night. Me and my companion both dressed in white to be able to baptize. I will send pictures so that eveyone can enjoy it. IT was a great spiritual experience for everyone and everyone had a great time and felt the spirit. 

13 Baptisms

Noche Blanca-"White Night"

The Elders and their new converts

Love the smiles

Investigators.

We have many investigators here in Maracaibo and we need for prayer on behalf of them. 

-Javier y Diana. They are a couple that we have been teaching and they have plans to get married and then get baptized in the following weeks. The marriage is set for the 21 of April and the baptism that very day. 

-Armando is a friend of a recent convert. Before he listened to the missionaries but they just stopped passing by. He is super excited and has come to know that the church is true. His baptism is for the 16 of this month. 

-Josue has gone to church the last couple week with a family from the ward. He is unsure about a couple things but has the desire to be baptized. We are working with him to put a goal and then he got do it. 

Jordan is a young man that miraculously went to the conference on Sunday. He had cancer about a year ago and he has a friend, who is a member of the church, that has been helping him cope with his problems. His friend sent him to the church that day and he really enjoyed it. He will be getting baptized the 23. 

Bigs things are coming here. We need your prayers and support so that all can become members of the church.

Thanks for all the love and support!

Life is a sport, Make it Count

Elder Shanklin

All Good Things Must Come To An End-Maracaibo Guayaquil Week Eighty Six

This past Thursday I parted from Galapagos having been extremely blessed to have taught those people and help them come unto Christ. Leaving that Island was like leaving my house for the 2nd time. It was hard. I left having learned a valuable life lesson that will stick with me during my entire life. 

New Sector, New Companion

Back to the grind in the beautiful city of Guayaquil. I know that it doesnt even compare to Galapagos on any level but I have grown to love this city and love those that reside here. I returned to the zone I was previously in before heading to Galaps. However, I am just in a different sector. I am in Maracaibo. I am training a new missionary, Elder Montalvo. He is from Colombia and he is an excellent missionary. He will be a way better missionary than I am and will baptize more and just be smarter than me. In no time we will be sending baptismal pictures to the family. Just get your popcorn and wait for it. 

Investigadors

This week we were super blessed to find many new people and then Sunday they went to church as well. The Lord has been helping us a lot lately to be able to find those that are ready and willing to accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives. The Lord is always willing to help us if we are willing to help him. I have learned to rely on him more than in myself. That if I just trust in him and do what he wants me to do then he will take care of me and make sure I have success. It is a great opportunity to teach a new missionary everything you know. Even though I dont know that much. We are learning together and sometimes I think that he is teaching me more than I am teaching him. He will be a great missionary. 

Well...I didnt have much time in this sector so basically there isnt that much to talk about. Next week we will make sure to take some pictures and send them to everyone!

Life is a Sport, Make it Count

Elder Shanklin