Week 4 in Ecuador

The first baptism was awesome. His brother leaves for his mission in 16 days and he traveled 8 hours to do the baptism. We also set up three people for the day after christmas and one on my birthday. And the last person we baptized his wife is getting baptized this week. I am doing great.

We played dodgeball and capture the flag today. We broke a window throwing a roll of toilet paper as the ball.  We wrapped them in tape so they would hurt a little.

One of our recent converts has the job of making Sushi and he said he is gonna teach me how to make it.  We didn't even realize it was Thanksgiving until a few days after.

No packages yet zone leaders go every two weeks and they went last monday so i have to wait till Thursday. We transfers are every 6 weeks so i have at least two weeks here but i am most likely staying here with the same companion cause training is 12 weeks. Oh speaking of 6 weeks apparently it doesnt divide into 2 years evenly and most people here get back 17 days early.  You guys have a good week too.

Elder Roney

Week 3 in Ecuador

Sorry i am emailing late we went on a trip today, I went to the middle of the world monument and it was really awesome.  . I forgot to tell you where sector is to put on the map. I am working in both Collaloma and Comité del pueblo. Oh and i also started a new thing where i write important stuff in my agenda.  So Tuesday we had our house inspected... its super clean shocker. Then we saw a parent let their three year old poop in the street (learning how not to raise kids). Then we changed the baptismal date to next saturday because they have to get married first.  Wednesday we  ate a meal where they gave us a giant slice of pizza.... As an APPETIZER. Thursday was zone meetings so nothing too special.  Friday was divisions... i was with the zone leaders and we walked into someones house and they were celebrating the anniversary of a death... then one guy there was 93 and we were asked to give him a blessing and when they asked who he wanted to do it all he yelled was 89.  Saturday we had a lesson with tons of distractions.  Sunday we set up a baptismal date on my birthday. Missionary houses get inspected to make sure we arent being chanchos (pigs) main dish was a giant plate of rice,salad, and a big stake, after was a plate of watermelon, and before the pizza was soup.  

Elder Roney

Week 2 in Ecuador

I am doing great. We eat lunch at members houses. I ate chicken feet soup. There was a new law where people cant sell stuff on the streets so there were riots and two people died. my companion turned 20 so we got pizza. we have two baptisims planned for Saturday. Did lots of lessons. Clothes are fine and a member washes them for us. I cant think of anything i really need. Idk about thanksgiving. We can see 5 volcanoes from our house.  We didnt do anything with pictures this week but next week we are going to the middle of the world monument.

Elder Roney

Week 1 in Ecuador

My companion is Elder Erickson from Idaho, we are in charge of two sectors which means double the work. Two of everything... ward councils, two tracting areas, and two sacraments. My first night i didnt really sleep but i am sleeping fine now cause of how tired i am. I havent really made food but there is lots of food on the streets here and its really good. We can get tons of bread for like a quarter. First week was great. Very first day i had lessons and a few days in we were walking with an old lady in the street who is a member and she asked for a blessing so we gave her one and it was really cool. I can now understand what people say but have a harder time talking to them. I love my president and his wife they are both really cool. I really like it here and i can see three volcanoes from my apartment when i study. One is active and is smoking every morning. I did the oil  for the blessing. I have had pizza lots of rice, and today i ate papipollo wich is a ton of fries with a piece of fried chicken on it.  Oh i forgot to tell you about the  four places in my mission. One is coast where they speak really fast and lots of seafood, One is the city where i am which is real cool, One is the jungle where there are pythons, jaguars, and monkeys, but the coolest is the indiginous area. The people  there sound real cool. President kimble said they are the purest lamanites in the world...  If i serve there i would have to start learning another language called kichwa.

Elder Roney

Letter from Mission President Wife

Dear Roney Family,

We wanted to let you know that we are delighted to have met and spent the last three days with Elder Roney.  If I understood correctly, I believe he is the oldest of five so you are busy.  He has a quiet strength about him and seems to be sensitive to the spirit.  He mentioned how much he enjoyed spending time as a family going to the beach, watching movies and having game nights.  You have done a wonderful job raising him and he will undoubtedly be a great addition to our mission.

We assure you that we will do everything possible to help Elder Roney grow in his personal conversion, and to thus have a positive experience here in the Ecuador Quito North Mission.  This is a wonderful mission that experiences a high number of baptisms, and success in reactivation. Our boundaries include coast, jungle, a native Indian area, as well as the highly populated city of Quito so our missionaries have a wide range of experiences.  President Spencer W. Kimball said that the most pure Lamanite people live in Otavalo, which is a part of our mission.  This is easy to believe because of their faithfulness and strength – earning their city the title of “Utah”valo.

The theme of our mission is translated “The Center of the World; Centered on Christ,” and we have a wonderful group of 17 missionaries who arrived with him.  He will be serving in the outskirts of Quito in a zone called Calderon with Elder Erikson, a wonderful missionary from Idaho.

The Lord is hastening the Work of Salvation and this is an amazing time to be a missionary.  Elder Roney is needed here and we are so grateful he has chosen to serve a mission.  We will care for him as if he were our own. 

If you would like to be included on the mission family Facebook page, you will need to add me:  Sue Richardson, and I will add you into the group.  I try to update it regularly so that you can see what is going on in the mission.  We also have a blog so if you would like to see occasional updates, please let me know, and I will add you.

We know you’re already planning on it, but we want to remind you to write your son a weekly letter.  His preparation day will be on Mondays.

With love,

President and Sister Richardson

Misión Ecuador Quito Norte