Aug. 31, 2015 Getting transferred

Aug. 31, 2015 Getting transferred

I don't have time to write today. I found out one hour ago that I am getting transferred!! The bus leaves in 5 minutes.  Tell everyone I'm great and that I love them.  Maybe I can get permission to write tomorrow - well see.  Tell Denny thanks for the awesome letter and that I will write him back.
Love you!!! Please pray for me I don't know where I'm going.
Love you,  Elder Hammond

August 24, 2015 Loja

August 24, 2015  Loja 

This week has been really good! We have worked really hard and tried to get more people to come to church!!  It's a struggle here in the mountains!  

Tuesday! We decided to go for an adventure and contact in the mountains where it literally is like the Teton Mountains. Tons and tons of trees and rivers! We came to a place where the missionaries have never been. We started contacting there! It's super super cool!  It's a town of like 50 to 60 people and they are ALL FAMILY!! So, if we can baptize the Grandpa and Grandma we will be able to baptize the entire family!! ha ha but they are super catholic. They pretty much have their own church.  So we have plans this week to visit the pastor and try to convert him!!  Hah it's gonna be good!!

Well, my companion and I  had to travel to Machala this week to do some things. We went and it was super fun to see how the zone was doing!  I absolutely LOVE MACHALA!!  It's soo warm and amazing! The people there are soo much more animated and want to talk!  But it's good. I love it here in Lola!  It's  like Idaho!!

Then on Thursday! I don't know if you guys know but everyone here are catholic.  Every year they have a huge tradition to walk miles and miles carrying the virgin Maria and it came here! Thousands and thousands of people came here to Loja to see it.  I was like oh no we have to see our investigators!   They went to see her and stuff.  I was feeling like we really are still in the great apostasy! Soo many people need this gospel and they need it now! They  have absolutely noo idea what they could have! How they could be blessed with this message that we have! I was like wow! There were thousands of them!! They closed the streets! Even members went!  That will tell you how big it is!! 

Friday! We had an amazing lesson with PF and T. It  went really good. We taught her about the restoration of the gospel. I always always love sharing this message more than any other! It's because it's the message that you can feel the spirit most for me I think! She told us she was going to come to church afterwards!!

Then we worked and we didn't have any appointments, so we just started talking to everyone!  We found a Colombian he's super super cool He has 2 kids and is separated from his wife! He started talking to us how he wants to come closer to Christ and we are like WE HAVE THE MESSAGE WE HAVE IT HERE!!  We invited him to be baptized and he accepted it was super cool!  So he and his family all came to church!!

Thanks everyone for all your prayers in my behalf.  I have  been able to learn the great attribute of patience this week with a lot of things here! Thanks for everything and all you do ! I don't have much more time at all but the Gospel is true!! Jesus Christ lives and is our Savior!  There is  nothing more ensuring than that! Love you all

Making you proud in Ecuador!!

Elder Hammond

August 17, 2015 Loja

August 17, 2015  Loja

Yeah this week has been awesome!! It's been kinda slow but its been good!!

On tuesday we were going out looking for people to teach and were using a list of people that are lost or  menos activos and we started looking and we found a house that was super super scary, it looked just like the house after the bad witch off of lion witch and the wardrobe did to the house of Mr. Tumnus if you know what I mean when EVERYTHING is everywhere!! It was nuts we were like wow,.. there were dolls everywhere, and all the eyes on the dolls were popped out.. and it was creepy! haha but cool!!

On wednesday we did a interchange with some other elders in the zone that are here in Loja! it was good we started in the morning and we ended the next day! we worked really hard and after the day was done I shared with him the things about my mission and about being a true leader in this mission! He put all of his attention toward me because he is the district leader and he loved what i said! It was cool!!

On Thursday we were inside the whole day, because in the country they were doing a revolt against the president, here its called del paro, and we stayed inside all day long it was cool! I washed my garments and studied. I love the story of Lehi's dream, about the people who were strong enough to make it to the tree! Even though they were made fun of or mocked them they stayed firm i love that!! 

On saturday! we had our reunion! and i shared a scripture in Alma 16:15, the whole zone loved it! The reunion went good, and I hope they had more animos para trabajar! (energy to work!)

DOMINGO!! What A DAY!!!

Church started at 8 so we have to get up at 6 to get ready and get out investigators. 2 didn't really wanna come and i showed up at 8:10 to the meeting just in time to get the sacrament! Then the president was like  were going to listen to the elderes today, I was like okay lets go! one 15 minute talk without being prepared lets go! I had to get up first. I talked about Joseph Smith and how important he was in carrying out the restoration.  The amazing scripture thats found in D and C 136, I hope the members liked it because at the end we were crying and laughing! After that I had to go to a place called SARAGURO! Its a branch that had literally 4 people in the branch, 4 people! The place where they meet is a room as big as our computer room and theirs just a sacrament table, and a table for a the podium! I gave another talk about the atonement of Christ, it was such a testimony builder because there in saraguro its very very HARD!!! Every single person there is a catholic, its about 2 hours away from Loja. EVERYBODY has long hair; boys, men, and  women! They all have long hair and where these cool hats. There used to be missionaries living there but they beat the heck out of the missionaries about 5 years ago so they took the missionaries out! Its soo cool that 4 people in that little town would wait every week for the missionaries to give them the sacrament! because we don't come they can't take the sacrament! i was soo humbled and so grateful that really this church is true and its the same wherever we go!! I love this gospel! and I love this work! I am so grateful for Christ and his atonement I love him,and for that reason I am here on the mission, to thank him for all that God has given me and my family!!

Love you soo much!!!

Elder Hammond

the picture is of the branch is Saraguro!!

August 10, 2015 Loja This is from his journal

August 10, 2015 Loja This is from his journal
I'm trying something different today-- not sure if this will work. Thanks for all of your support! Love you all! Elder Hammond

Monday
We got news that we were going to go to Guayaquil for training. So I was pretty excited about that! We are in Loja so we have to go early. So we went and bought tickets for 1:30 and my comp wanted to buy two coats that are like llamas. I think he spent $40 of the mission money honestly my comp is kind of a jerk.
Then wrote my family and got our stuff ready and went to Guayaquil. We drove 8 1/2 hours and got to Guayaquil at like 12:00. We went to the assistants to sleep! So many elders were there. I slept on the couch. We got good news that we were going to be able to go do a session at the temple!! Yes! I love that idea. So we get to wake up at 3 AM two hours of sleep how wonderful ha ha!
Tuesday
Today we woke up at 3 AM to be able to go to the temple. We got ready really fast and went to the temple. We forgot our recommends!! They weren't very happy with us!
I Love The Temple!! I Love It!! When I was there my mind was just clear! So peaceful, it was the new video! The guy who plays in Saints and soldiers was Satan. But wow! I love the celestial room! When I walked in there I almost cried praying! I felt the spirit so strong! I wanted to stay in there forever!
Afterwards we got ready superfast and went to the training! So cool! We learned about taking decisions and how to make them! So cool! Then had sandwiches for lunch. Everyone was in a rush to leave. We left at 5 to Machala then it was a miracle we got a bus at nine to Loja -then we got here at 3:00! I was so tired and stressed because we didn't have a way to send a report to the assistants.
Wednesday
So tired today! We got permission to sleep in today a little later because we didn't get to sleep on the bus! But the shower got fixed! We have hot water! So nice not to have to boil the water! Then went to our meeting to teach our zone what we learned. It went alright. Then after we had lunch we had fried shrimp! So good! Then we worked really hard to put at least one baptismal date because we don't have anything right now… But we talked to a lot of people so that is cool. My comp is hard he just judges me all the time and he thinks I'm a weirdo! Oh well.

Tonight we had family night with David and his brother our mamita her daughter and her son. about the mission!  Our purpose was to get permission from his mom and she didn't come no!! My comp didn't talk to me at all tonight!
Thursdsy
Were going to do changes with the elders in Zamora. We got salchipapa spicy and moracho with empanadas! Super delicious! The bus broke down! So we walked! We worked hard and tried to put as many baptismal dates as we could! Then at 4 o'clock I did an interview for Luis! He's pretty cool. Then kept working talked and ate some more empanadas, then talked to a Chinese guy then a guy who had no teeth. Then after we went to an activity with the branch. We played a lot of games they were fun! Elephant and mosquito and Mattia and after we played we watched how to find faith in Christ it was good 20 people came. We also talked to a man who recently got separated from his wife he is a UfC fighter and was crying to us about his life! We talked with him It was good! The night time is cool here! Went to bed!
Friday
This morning we had French toast! Eso!!  Got ready and left back to Loja. I got to the house and nobody was there! Oh my gosh! So we went to the church and called E archila he went to Zamora! Oh man! I was so mad! Are you kidding me?! So we went back to Zamora and then came back here. 5 1/2 hours of driving for me! Got back at 2:30 and Pres. Alexis called us and he wanted to give someone a blessing so he came to the house we got my oil and gave this girl a blessing. Then ran to lunch at 4:20! I was starving! Then we went to try to find some people. We had no luck. For the first time in Loja  I didn't put my sweater on!  This grandpa gave us some sugarcane and his wife scared the heck out of me! We taught a good lesson 3 and the girl excepted the baptismal date! Today it's not even that cold! So weird! Ate my superhard sugarcane! It's not ripe yet. I saw a tarantula!! So huge!
Saturday
I woke up total Chevere Took a warm shower even better! Aw!   Got ready and we studied I had a good study! Then we studied what we were going to talk about in the meeting. Then we went I changed up how we do things and it was great! I loved what I shared about direct contacting!   We went and tried to work and then we folded clothes for a lady who will come to church next week. Then we went to Papa Antonio and Rosia they are so fun and so old! We waited forever for Papa Antonio to feed cows and horses. We were mad. Then we visited some folks leaving living proof of the tall and spacious building. A truck full of people laughing at us! Then we went to talk to our baptismal date then Papa Antonio stole my dollar that day. Then we did changes I went with Elder anrango  it was good. My comp doesn't like being obedient! So I had to pay so we could be home on time. I made an egg sandwich.
Sunday
Woke up at 6:00 went to church part of the ceiling fell down so we hurried and cleaned that up! Then we got a car and went to our investigators and nobody was there! So we went to our appointment and this old guy came out to talk to us and slammed the door so I knocked again and then he yelled she is not here! And slammed the door! We went to church and then president Garcia gave a great class about fathers and mothers I gave the closing prayer. I had a hard time with my companion!  We went to give a blessing but she looked fine. Then we went to David's and he gave us some pears and talked to us about some problems in his life!
                                                Blood on my sheets this morning from my fleas!

                                              Sugar cane

This is what Elder Hammond sent ( below)  I typed it up (above)

August 3, 2015 This week in Loja

August 3, 2015 This week in Loja

THIS WEEK has been AWESOME! It's gone by kind of slow!  That's usual for here!  That's probably why I'm here so that the time can slow down because wow honesty when I was in Machala the time literally was flying before my eyes!  It's a little hard because we don't have that many people to teach! BECAUSE  EVERYONE IS CATHOLIC!!  But its good!

Well this week we worked hard on tuesday we had to make sure we could have 2 baptisms in our zone because here, its  super super good to get a baptism.  The work is hard here!  but naww but yeah!

 On wednesday we did an interchange.  In our zone we have 4 missionaries who are serving 1 hour and a half away from us in a place called Zamora!!!  IT'S AWESOME!! It literally is the jungle and soo hot!! So what happens you start driving and then the trees turn into  JUNGLE!! It's just like Tarzan! There are  waterfalls and mountains ALL around you!! ha ha its super super cool!!  I went there to see how the missionaries were doing and we worked hard!  We invited over 15 people to be baptized and 6 of them accepted so that was cool!  That night I actually didn't sleep with 3 blankets over me like in Loja! ha ha but it's funny!  We helped them out a lot! The purpose of the interchange is to help the missionary and to teach him how to work the best he can so I hope I helped this man from Peru who has 5 months in the mission! Well then  I got a call in Zamora saying that the assistants were at our house in Loja so we left in the morning super early so we could  get there in time.  On our way it rained a TON!! ahah So when we were going, the mountains were falling on us!! Literally  falling rocks and mudslides!! Almost on every corner,  it was soo crazy!! One time rocks were hitting the truck then we ran over a rock and  got  a flat tire!! ahah But it was cool because where we got a flat tire there was a super legit waterfall!! ha ha but then we got to Loja and I forgot how cold it was here!! ha ha

On Thursday! we worked regularly and tried to invite people to be baptized and stuff! 

Then on Friday  it rained like crazy!  It rained a ton! My companions feet got muddy and were super cold! Soo we went to get a shower and fill the bucket up with hot water!! Well, what do you know he broke THE HOT WATER!!! NOOO!! Do you know what this means!!! Oh my gosh I literally have colder water than warm river!! Because we shower with water from the river!! So it is literally as cold as warm river!!! So for the past 4 days I've boiled 2 pots of water and do a huge exercise so I get sweaty and jump in and scream and scream and then at the end I pour the hot water over my body!!   When I get out I can see my breathe! ha ah its soo cold!! I hope we get the water fixed soon!!!

 Saturday we had our reunion (meeting) and it went good.  Then we had a baptism of a woman named Maria!! She's cool!! My comp baptized her! It was fun!!  Then we had a fun time there and started our fast!  That's  everything for now!  I have to go!! I'm going to Guayaquil for the Zone leader meeting, it takes a long time to get there.  I LOVE YOU!!!!!! THANKS FOR EVERYTHING!!!! I LOVE THIS WORK!!!!

Elder Hammond                        

                                                             Our Baptism!

                                                This is the jungle in Ecuador!

Zamora the jungle land

This is the zone in Loja I'm in charge of