SECOND CAMBIO

SECOND CAMBIO                                                                          25 Jan 2010

Mark Vomocil          
I have survived my second Cambio out here in Ecuador and it brought a lot of change.

First off, the elders in my district are getting new companions. As for me I have been called as a trainer. I am not sure who is making all these calls on giving me more responsibility but I look forward to training, although it should be pretty hard. All I hope for is an obedient Elder. I really have found out that everything rides on how obedient you are to the mission rules and to the Lord.

Right now for the next two days I will be with Elder Hakes in Conocoto. It is about 20 minutes outside of Quito and his sector is awesome. It is like we are in the jungle until we turn the corner and there is a big mall. We had a really cool activity this week. The mission made these huge pictures with questions on them. The questions are supposed to provoke thought so that we can contact with them. We were in this big plaza for about 2 hours just contacting. It was fun because there wasn’t any discouragement ,as soon as you got rejected the next person would ask you about the picture.

This week had some very interesting events. First I got to talk with President Sloan. I never dreamed the second time I would ever talk with him would be like that. First off, he is still really sick but is getting stronger. The reason he called me was there was a fight between a companionship in my district and they got separated. He called me and told me about more of the responsibilities I have and the trust he has in me. I was able to help these two Elders that I really love so much. You always hear that you should just talk things out and in this situation it really worked. It was one of the most powerful spiritual moments of my mission. I will make sure to include my testimony in the next letter.

About sharing I will leave that decision up to you. Last week was a hard one but I don't know if that is really an excuse. I haven't bought DP yet so don't worry.

 I love you. Thank you so much for writing.
Thank Erin for her letter.
 I will have more pictures and updates on the companion next Monday.

 All my love,
 Elder Vomocil

VARGAS 18 Jan 2010

Vargas        18 Jan 2010

Well this week has been very interesting.
 First off about packages, I have gotten one. One, I am sure is in mail jail because I got a notice and ,I will probably get it tomorrow but the others should be coming soon.
My Sabbath was pretty good. None of our investigators showed up and I had to gave the 20 minute talk at the end in Spanish. It went alright.
 It is sad to hear about all the people that won´t be there when I get back. I think a lot about our little branch in Wisconsin every Sunday.

 Oh yeah, you should tell Brother Taylor he is slacking, I haven´t gotten a single letter from him.

Not many missionaries here share the same feelings about the Sabbath that I do. I feel that we shouldn´t use buses or cabinas (indoor phone booths) on Sunday. Imagine, actually I don´t have to imagine because this happened, that we are teaching someone that owns a store and every Sunday we go there to use the cabina. Then the lesson on keeping the Sabbath Day holy rolls around and we tell her that she has to close her store on Sunday. Wait, aren´t you the missionaries that visit me every Sunday, yeah, I don´t want to listen anymore.

 This week has been really hard for me. I am not really sure what it is but there is something that is getting in the way of the relationship with my companion. The first time I was sure that I felt the Spirit in these last two weeks was when I went on divisiones with the President of the Elders Quorum. I don´t know what it is but I have to fix it. I am not getting the same joy out of teaching, I am not feeling that same feeling of satisfaction each night knowing that I really had helped someone that day, and when there is no joy in the mission there is no purpose. I have to find that joy and purpose again or else things could get ugly. I know that this is the best opportunity in life to be molded and changed from the experiences I am having. Now is the time to learn humility, diligence, obedience, and faith. I know nothing in my life will ever compare to the chance I have now to be a man of God.

 I have basically met the whole ward and no one has 40 years of membership. The stake patriarch is rumored to have that many years but I’ll just have to wait and see. I am still looking for people that will recognize the name.
Tell Sarah I am a noobie.
 I hope that you can keep going with Seminary. If not for anything else for the personal growth you are receiving.
Yeah we ate at McDonalds today and I don´t think that will be happening again anytime soon. I feel really sick, I guess my body is not used to that level of fat content. I hate to say it but the day might come when I will want to eat rice. I found a store that sells Dr. Pepper. We will see how long my will power holds out to follow mission rules. It was almost too tempting just to buy one bottle. I also found Raisin Bran, no Crunch, but I am still very happy.
 Out of my Elders only my companion is first generation member. I am sorry I didn´t write more. I have more responsibilities I have to do on the web now so that uses up my time.
 I love you all so much.Thank you for all the updates and happenings.
 Hasta luego.
 Élder Vomocil

QUITO

First off a shout out to Josh, Erin, Aunt Jeannie, Carissa, and Grandpa. Thank you for writing me. I have little time this week as to which I will explain in my letter. Also, there will be no pictures this week which just means more for later! Also, I am going to try and write Erin but if I don´t have time, I love you and I am praying for you.

What a week what a week.

First off about Maria, the lady that we found that had a dream about me. This Saturday she was baptized with all the opposition from her family and friends she did what she knew was right. I was not able to attend because this Wednesday, when I was wrapping up my divisions with the Zone Leaders, Elder Squires, one of the Assistants called the Zone Leader to give some changes and the very last name was Elder Vomocil. I was sad until I heard the other assignment. I had been called as a district leader. I almost threw up. I left for the terminal 2 hours later without being able to say goodbye to anyone.

 I am now in the middle of Quito, in the Zone called Santa Ana-Los Chillos, and my sector is called Vargas. I got to talk with Elder Squires about my assignment and what he told me then, I know now to be so true.
 I am in a district where all the Elders have more than 16 months. They are Elder _______, Ecuador, Elder ________, Mexico, Elder _______, Utah, and Elder _______, Mexico. All of my Elders have problems with obedience.  My ward is one of the hardest in the mission. President Vallejo, the second counselor of the missionary presidency, attends our sacrament meeting and knows everything about what the missionaries do in this ward. My companion, Elder Mejia, is from Galapagos, the first missionary from there ever I believe.

 The words of Elder Squires have been in my head all week 'Now is the time to step it up.' My responsibilities as a District Leader are not only to supervise and motivate, but inspire, lift, encourage, and bless the lives of my missionaries and their investigators. I have to give a training session each week. I have to interview all the investigators ready for baptism. I have to report ,by name, on all of my missionaries and their investigators every week. If you can't tell from my listing of these things I'm scared, more than scared, nervous. I know that I have a great responsibility on my shoulders. I know that your prayers and my determination to be obedient have placed me in the position to influence others. I want to be the best that I can for the Lord and for the missionaries. I guess I never realized before just how much the leaders care for each missionary. I feel that I am being supported in this assignment and that with the Lord´s help I can rise to the challenge. I don´t have to many spiritual experiences from this week but I did really feel that one example helped me understand the importance of the fall of Adam. We don't want food until we are hungry, by the same pattern we don't really want eternal salvation until we see the necessity for a Savior. This recognition comes from the more we know about the Fall. Preach My Gospel really is inspired. Every time I read in it I learn something new about the gospel, about how to be a better teacher, and more, about how to be a better me. Keep me in your prayers this week I know it is going to be a rough one.

 I really liked your picture, but it made me want a hug. I haven't gotten any packages recently because of my change but soon I should get them all.
 Oh, if you haven´t sent the muffins you don´t have to nor the jeans. They have EVERYTHING in Quito. Mac and Cheese, McDonalds, real cheddar cheese, real EVERYTHING! The only bad thing are the hills. Riobamba is so flat and here we have the most hills of any part of the mission. Next week things will be more settled and calm so I will be able to write more.
 Thanks mom for the reminder about the journal I have about a 3 week gap where I didn't write but once again I am writing daily.
Thank you again so much for the letters. I love hearing from all of you. I love you all so much and hope you are doing great in whatever you are doing!

 Love Élder Vomocil.

P.S. Yeah I fit comfortably in a 36 now and my clothes are getting pretty baggy. I think it is time for some new pants.

Trial by Error

I want to see if I can learn to edit a bit better.

Only Micky D's in Ecudaor. Yeah, baby.
He's the man.










What if I want another picture here? Will it work?
Guess what? I think I found the key to help me with my troubles.

Let's try again.

It worked! I may be slow but I am happy when I get there. Look for better posts in the coming days.

editor.

2010

Wow thanks for the updates. It is great to read what is happening in the US of A. So I had a great disappointment today. Presdient Villena told me that they had all this American food that was real at this super classy store. We went there today and it was like heaven. There was BBQ sauce, fry sauce, cheddar cheese, ground beef, and 2 in 1 Shampoo Conditioner. Yeah, I was stunned and bought all this food. Then I went home to cook a grand feast. I started by tasting the cheese. First disappointment, next all my sauces, and finally the ground beef. Yeah, they were all terrible, at least I have my 2 in 1.
If you want you can send a muffin mix. I found a member that has an oven and said we could use it whenever, and yes I received my camera card, thanks.

About New Year´s, we had to be in the house at 4 because everyone is drunk and they just start burning stuff. I took a nap until about 11 and the missionaries that live a block away from us came to visit. We spent the countdown on the roof, watching the fireworks and fires.
Oh, almost forgot, last night I got clean sheets, with clean clothes, and took a shower, best sleep of the mission!
(Mark has this thing about having everything clean at once. At home he would not sleep on his clean sheets unless he took a shower before he went to bed. If he was too tired or it was too late he would sleep on the floor or couch. I am guessing you take what you get in the mission field so he was in heaven because the stars aligned for his new year. editor)

On to the work, like I said in my last letter the week before this one was pretty awful. So this week we set our goals and really got to work. There are goals within the mission called norms of excellence. They are goals that the mission president has set for each aspect of our work. They are set pretty high not because the president wants us to focus on numbers but it is a reflection of how many people the Lord knows that we can help when we have the desire to lose ourselves in the work. This week was amazing, for the first time in my mission I completed with every single one and most were beyond the goal. We had so many experiences that I know came only through the diligence, faith, and attention to promptings of the Spirit.

This week we had a Zone Meeting, like a Zone Conference just without the assistants or president. After one of the Elders gave a spiritual thought about the Liahona I decided to study it this week. One of the first things that I had never known was about the writing on the Liahona. From time to time there was a new writing that according to Nephi was plain to be read. From this writing it was easy for Nephi to understand the things of Lord, but the perfect example of the contrary are Laman and Lemuel. They said “that these things were hard to understand.” For me one of the greatest differences between these brothers was the desire to believe. Right after they had seen an angel they began to murmur again. They had no desire to understand the things of the Lord, more, the things of the Lord were foolishness unto them because without the Spirit we cannot grasp the significance of the scriptures. We always need to look for reasons to believe, when we look we will find them. I ended my study in Alma 37. I guess when I read only to read I miss some of the most precious parts and revelation that I could have received. First off the Liahona worked by the faith. Not a general, I believe in God faith, but a faith that, specifically, God would make the spindles point exactly to where they needed to go. And secondly Alma exhorts his son to not be slothful because of the easiness of the way. How many times have I already heard, “how hard it is to follow the things of the Lord,” “how hard is the life it must be to be a missionary?” I can´t say that it is easy to be a missionary, but I know it is not hard. Let us not be lazy because of how easy the path we have to follow is. Eternal life is waiting for us. Look and be saved.

I love the opportunity I have to study everyday. I love the opportunity to find people that are so lost without this gospel and fill them with purpose and with answers. How great are the things we have! There is not one important question about what we need to do, and what is going to happen, that we do not have the answer to.

I love you all so much. I thank you so much for finding this gospel for our family, for making this easy path a little easier. I thank you for the example you have been and the example I know you will continue to be.
I thank you for your unwearyness in declaring this gospel to your children and you will be blessed forever for doing so.

Until next week.
Love Élder Vomocil.