Transferred but Not Far, Same Comp, Carnival Mess, Birthday

2/27/2017

Well as you can see from the subject headline I did receive transfers. So to tell you a bit about that we got transfers on Thursday instead of the usual Sunday that we normally receive it. That was due to carnival. I have gotten transferred to a ward called La Gasca which is also in the stake La Colon I am staying with Elder Powell which was a little interesting. The zone leaders were here beforehand and they went to El Dorado which was rather interesting. 

On Friday we had to do the transfer but it was a little complicated as they had to be in the terminal for awhile and then we could transfer. So we had our stuff ready but we tried contacting and working a bit without knowing when we would transfer. To explain a bit about carnival it is a big water fight essentially in which they use cans of stuff to spray foam at each other throw powder eggs flour etc, throw people in bodies of water sometimes throwing mud and water balloons. They started to play that in our sector on Friday and it was a big huge high school that was throwing people in the man made lake they had over there. So that was really interesting and basically killed our day. 

One of our zone leaders had finished and the other showed us a bit of the sector on Saturday. His companion had been a bit trunky so didn't do very well in the area book so his companion took our area book to revise it. They didn't have much program so we will see how that goes. 

We have been trying to get to know the sector a lot here and so far it seems like there is a good potential and we will have to work hard. So those changes were a little interesting as I am  staying with Elder Powell but in a new sector. In our district are two other elders one who is gringo and one latino. It is a little interesting taking nightly reports as there is absolutely no signal in our house so we have to go to the roof to take a report and give a report.

The last week in El Dorado went fairly well although little success. We will see how it goes in this new sector.

For my birthday I bought a chocolate bar to eat but nothing much more. I will see about doing something. Due to carnival we have to stay inside today and tomorrow unless we have a set appointment. It was like that last year. Last year when carnival happened I was in Santo Domingo with Elder Paul which was my second area Today was pretty calm which I found surprising considering all the playing going on. I believe due to the rain and cold some didn't want to play here and might be playing in other parts. Just a precaution. We will see how the ward goes. It seems like they have good members. We have some services planned for this next week and hopefully we can gain the bishops confidence here. As for when I leave is May 23rd I believe. I do have some photos to send form the camera that my companion got. We took a lot of photos I will just send a few. 

Have a great week,

Elder Throop

Elections and Missed Appointments, Carnival Craziness

2/20/2017

Well that sounds great about your week. I am glad that the rugby practice went well for the kids. I hope they keep having a good time. This last week was a little hard for us as we had another week with appointments that fall and people that don't want to listen. The elections messed us up on Sunday as no investigators showed up (they had their elections here in Ecuador yesterday it wasn't too bad just everyone has to travel to were they were born usually so a lot were gone) so that was a little hard. Still we had some good experiences with investigators. One who is named Kevin is very great and seems to be progressing rather well. He has felt the Spirit greatly in the appointments and incidentally after someone attacked the Book of Mormon he realized it indeed is the word of God as he saw that it talks of Christ and not the devil. So hopefully he can progress well.

I am trying to stay animated and I am trying to work hard. My companion can be funny but sometimes that can be hard if we are trying to do something important and so I try insisting to focus just a bit more and work a bit harder. he has improved a lot in different aspects and that has been a great sign. I just hope to help him with taking more initiative.

This next week we get changes however we will get changes on Thursday as this Monday and Tuesday coming up is an event called carnival which is a big water fight. Just judging from our sector they will go crazy as there have already been people that are throwing others in pools of water and also there have been people that throw water balloons(including at my companion one time) and using something called karaoke or a sort of foam that comes from a canister to spray at people. So because of that our mission president will give us changes Thursday and we will have to travel (if changed) on Friday so we will see how that goes. We are hoping to work hard and end this week well. It can be hard and sad sometimes but it can be a great experience here as well.

I do hope to celebrate my birthday in one manner or another.

Elder Throop

Right before rain storm

panorama of city 

Studying

B&W with comp's new camera

Partial zone

resting?

hanging out

rain

Minion that comp wanted to take a picture of on Tyler's head

Appointments bad, New Investigator Good, Black Market Shopping

2/13/2017

Well this last week was pretty great for us. We had a tough time for awhile with just a lot of things. Still we tried our hardest and now we did some success. We had a lot of appointments fall which was rather unfortunate for us. Still we did find one new investigator this week which was pretty good for us.

This Sunday three people attended and one person of those three could possibly progress very well. His name is Kevin and he is 18 and he is doing pretty well. We were happy to see him come and we are hoping to help out other families. One families situation is a little sad as the husband well the man living with her as they were never married, moved to the coast to not come back.We haven't been able to teach them yet. So hopefully we can see what happened and help them out. We do have a lot of animate members here which is helping us out. We did receive a lot of referrals in church and received a referral from someone in Vargas  my last ward. So we did a lot of great things on Sunday which made the week a lot better after how hard it was.

Today we didn't too much. We went to this place that is basically a black market here. My companion bought a nice camera for 220 and it seems very good. They had a lot of items that are possibly stolen. They really can't control too much there. We went to a restaurant to eat some big burritos and went to a nearby art museum as my companion wanted to check it out. That was mainly today. We are trying to work hard and we are seeing some great results which helped a lot.

Well have a great week,
Elder Throop

Working to Be Obedient, Spiritual Boosts, Elder Montoya, Not Quite a 10

2/6/2017

Well this last week has been pretty good for us. We were able to find some new people although unfortunately on Sunday no one showed up to church which was rather disappointing. We are trying to see what we can do to help people progress and attend church. We are hoping we can be more diligent and more obedient. My companion sometimes has troubles taking the initiative in contacting and has a little trouble with the schedule although he has gotten a lot better in that point so that was great to see his progress. It just has been a hard thing to be a good example always and it can be tiring but I try my best and I try loving and serving him in the ways we can.

Thank you for sending the blessing (I sent him a copy of his patriarchal blessing last week.) I did see it was on the church site as I was looking a few weeks ago and it really did help. I realized a lot more things then I had seen before. I either did not remember parts or I wasn't ready for it at the time but I was able to more clearly understand and comprehend the blessings promised and so that indeed was a spiritual boost.

Another spiritual boost was the visit we had of Elder Montoya. He gave some great insights and a great testimony about missionary work. It helped me really comprehend that even if we might not see many attend or many news if we put forth the effort and we are diligent and obedient then we will receive great blessings of the Lord so that was a great explanation. Something else that really struck me was when one missionary asked a question about if people that violate seriously temple covenants can they receive forgiveness. He told a story that he was on the committee for the restoration of blessings and taking annulling sealings. He said that a difficult case came in and the seventies felt that it wasn't time for the restoration with the case and they sent it to the first presidency. The next week they received a letter from the First Presidency with that persons name saying it is time signed by President Monson. He said yes but we really need to repent and that was a powerful testimony of the atonement. We really enjoyed that. Then they chose two houses I believe to be inspected by the seventies wife and ours was one of those houses. Sister Christensen said it wasn't a ten but it wasn't an embarrassment and the wife said we were better prepared then others which was good. So that was interesting.

We have been working hard and hopefully with the adjustments with the schedule we can have more success in finding new people.

Today for our activity we went to a place called mr joy where there are slides etc. Maybe it sounds a little silly but it was fun. There was one thing that was a metal ball of sorts that they spun people in and then turned it upside down and all around while spinning quickly. I went in it and it did give me a little nausea the second time around so i Left to do other activities. That wasn't the main attraction but it was a fun thing to do.

Wish Daniel a happy birthday. I hope you enjoy that day. Have a nice week.
Elder Throop

Pic taken of Tyler and Elder Montoya

Missionary Broadcast, Changes to Schedule, Hard Appointments

1/30/2017

Well this last week was pretty interesting. We had a missionary broadcast that talked about some things that we had heard about before. They also announced some changes to the missionary schedule. The changes have to deal with studies, pday and training and also allowing more flexibility to missions. So that was an interesting change. We will see what changes specifically they make to our mission. I know our mission president will be planning to change some things and make sure everything adapts to us. So we will see what things happen exactly.

Our last week was a little hard with appointments. My companion was sick a few days so that slowed us down. Then when we got out to work we weren't able to teach that many people. That wasn't so much fun. Still we are working hard. We did find a new who was a referral of a member and that person seemed very interested. He didn't attend but was very open. His uncle is a member of the church so we are hoping to help him out. No one attended church which was sad. Still we are working on it. We are hoping that one family can get married so that the wife can get baptized. She should have left to he coast by now and should get an important document for her marriage. Still we have to wait to see.W e do have a big hope for her.

I am getting along well with my companion. I am just trying to help that he can be a bit more obedient with the schedule and more diligent. It has been a little hard but I am working on it. I am hoping we can be diligent with contacts and helping people out. My companion is funny and we are trying to help everyone.he is very animated and encouraged to do the work. I think he just struggles to be completely obedient just do to previous companions. It isn't too bad it is just small things. We had interviews with our mission president last week as well and that was cool. Nothing too much. We are just trying to work so we can find news and get people to attend.

The changes that they announced also changed the key indicators that we focus on now. So that was a new change. We focus now on baptisms confirmations with a baptismal date that attended those that attended and new investigators.We will have to see how that works. That is everything form this week,
Stay safe love you all,
Elder Throop

Shoes are Destroyed, Powerful Testimony, Enjoying My Time

1/23/2017

This week is pretty fun. Elder Powell is from Ellensburgh Washington but moved to Oregon (his family did) he has just over  a year in the mission and he is pretty funny. We have gotten together pretty well so far. I do see he has just a slight issue with obedience but I am helping him. It isn't too major but I am trying to help out nonetheless so that he can get even better.

This last week went pretty amazing for us. It rained hard a few of the days and my shoes are already very destroyed so it can be fun. I can walk for awhile with dry feet and then the water enters bit by bit until I get soaked feet then I don't care. Yesterday and today were actually very beautiful days.

We had some great success finding new investigators We contacted a referral and taught them that led us to finding a family of three. That was really cool.The ward is doing very great and we still have received referrals and we have found new investigators. Unfortunately the people that attended are from two different families and both are unmarried, however there is good news there as one family called familia de la cruz are really close to marriage. They should be able to get married this change and hopefully baptized.

I am trying to stay focused and keep working hard. It just is sad to think how close the end has come as there are lots of great experiences that I have. One example from last week is when we went to the new family we went with the member that gave us the referral and he shared a powerful testimony. when he shared it the spirit filed the room powerfully as he shared his own conversion story. It affected the family greatly as they felt the power of the Holy Ghost and mentioned "Oh wow brother why did you never share us that experience before?" He said he had never felt to share before until we asked him if there was anyone he knew that could receive the gospel. He mentioned them and so we went. That was an amazing experience. There are many miracles here. Today we went to buy items etc so nothing too big. I will send pictures. I hadn't gotten to it as I didn't have my card reader with me.

The ward here is one of the better ones the bishop has helped us so frequently that it surprises greatly my companion. It is one of the best wards that I have had and has a great potential. They called a new ward mission leader as the last one left for over a month and showed no sign of returning.

Hopefully things move forward with the Lord's help.

I really am enjoying it here. Just keep encouraging the other family members and helping them. I love you all and hope you have a good week

Love you all,
Elder Throop

Elder Powell

Found New Investigators, New Companion, Still Not Trying to Think of Home, The Countdown Has Begun!

1/16/2017


Well this last week went pretty well for us. We were able to find some new investigators. One of them is a young man who speaks English and founded his own church He does seem rather interested. The other is a family of two that are unmarried and very Catholic. They might not progress but we did have some success there and we did find some more potential investigators.

Elder Wilson was doing extremely well and seemed a lot more encouraged. My companion got changed. I don't know why he left but I know it is part of the Lord´s plan. He went to Guranda and he is receiving another gringo. I have a new companion right now His name is Elder Powell He lived in the center of Washington for awhile. He has just over a year in the mission. That was a pretty interesting change. I hope to help him out and then I am not sure what will happen still but we are working hard. He seem pretty cool for now.

We are hoping to find new investigators this week and we hope that we can get some people to progress. We did have two people attend but they are unmarried. I do feel we will have more success but it has been a little rough these last weeks for us. I am hoping the member help will enable us to be able to have success.

That sounds great with everything at house. I am doing well enough and I just try not to think too much about home instead I try to focus on the work. I had a fun time with my last companion. Today we mainly were in the terminal and then we talked a bit but nothing else. There were a lot of people changed around which was interesting but yeah everything is more calm. I hope you guys have a great week, love you all,

Elder Throop

*Mom's Note
After this last change and looking at the new year calendar, I can calculate when Tyler should be getting home.  The outgoing missionaries always have their farewell dinner at the Mission Home on Monday nights.  This last one was on the 16th.  They have rotations every six weeks, so the next ones will be on 2/27, 4/10, and then 5/22 which should be Tyler's farewell.  He should be getting on a plane the next morning and be home on the 23rd of May.  It's hard to believe he only has two more changes after this one and he'll be on his way home.  The Countdown Has Begun!