Update from Sur America

Hola!

Well, another week went by here in Sur America!  Well, this week was awesome!  I will start with yesterday at church!  So church was about to start and we only had 1 investigador there and I was so sad.  I didn't know what to do haha, and then legit right before church started 9 investigadores showed up!  It was so awesome!  I also gave another wonderful talk here in this ward haha and yeah, my spanish was bad. But it's ok! 

This past week too, my Bishop made me chocolate chip cookies with milk and yes I cried a little!  It was TAN CHEVERE!  SO AWESOME!  ME GUSTA MUCHO COOKIES FOR THE US!  

So also last night, we had such a great lesson with a mom who has been investigating the church for 1 year. All of her kids are members of our church.  Well, she mentioned my talk that I gave in church (I talked about el Espiritu Santo) (the Holy Ghost) and she told us that she has never felt the Spirit in her life!  So we told her to really pray and to really ask with faith during her prayer if the Church was true!  And during her prayer she just started to cry her eyes out and it was so powerful!  We have set a date for her to get baptized this week so that is hopeful it happens.  And the great news here is that the family garcia is getting baptized!!!!!!!!   ESO!!!   POR FIN!!!  I am so happy about that too!  We are busy this week.  This week should hopefully be a good one! 

Thanks for everything!  I sure miss home haha!

con Amor 

Elder Hoole!

This photo was sent by members after Sunday lunch!

Update - April 16, 2017

Well, my week was pretty dope here in Ecuador!

Well, first off I had splits or intercambios with Elder McKieghan!  We have the same time in the mission and he's from St. George, Utah.  We met in the MTC the very first day and have always been in the same zone.  It was so awesome to spend the day with him and preach the gospel!    Speaking about the gospel...all is going well here!  This past week was Semana Santa, or in English it is known as *Easter*.  It wasn't anything too exciting here, but on Friday there were like somewhere around 500 people, I kid you not, following a guy coming down my street dressed up as Jesus and walking with a huge Cross.  All of the people were throwing blood and other stuff at him and dressed up as Romans... it was really different, but it was kind of uncomfortable to watch!  But yeah, nothing else really happened on Sunday.  But on other news, we had an activity with another zone here on Thursday and it was a huge HIT!  We had so many investigators come and watch the church videos about The Prince Of Peace and learn more about our Savior and His church!  

Also, this last week all of the missions here in Guayaquil got to hear from Elder Christofferson and his wife!  We had about 700 misioneros all in one room.  It was so awesome and then the next day he came to my stake and spoke to the members there.  It was so awesome to hear from him two days in a row!  And yes, his Spanish is SO good!

So yeah this week was pretty swell!  A lot of our investigators didn't really progress this week.  I think mainly because we taught about tithing and the law of chastity haha.  We are praying that hopefully this week will be better with our investigators and lessons!

Love you all! 

Would love to hear from more of you guys!  Pdays are hot and lonely!  There is not much for us to do in our area here in Guayaquil, so we are pretty stuck here in our same neighborhood.  Also, you all need to Google how to make polaca!  It is a drink here that is from Colombia but everyone drinks it and it is SOOOO good!  And I love the Inca Kolas!  I think we can get them at Macey's back home!  Go try it!

Here's a pic of dinner one night here!  This is what I eat!

Con Amor,

Elder Hoole

Still Celebrating 6 Months!

6 MONTHS IN THE MISSION!  ESO!  

Well, I have made it this far haha!  I guess I might as well just finish it out haha!  

So this week was interesting!  Last Monday night, we had such a great lesson with the Garcia Family. They didn't go to General Conference sessions so I showed them the talk by Elder Costa about him living in Argentina and the missionaries talking with him.  Right after that, we showed them the Prince Of Peace video the Church made for Easter this year and that video is awesome!  And after they watched those videos, the whole family started to cry and then even I cried haha!  Yes, it was so powerful in the room last week and this past Sunday they FINALLY came to church!   Yes, it was awesome!  And to make it even better, we even had 6 investigators this week show up to church!  So basically it was such a great week!  I even talked to some fellow Americans who have been to the Great State of Utah (Moab) and spoke English with them!  So awesome! 

This upcoming Saturday and Sunday, we will be able to hear Elder D. Todd Christofferson.  He is coming to say what's up to our mission!  It should be super awesome!  And yes, I am pumped to hear some English!  I am glad to hear that President Monson is doing better.  He's probably pretty tired.

Well, I hope all is going well back home!  It is sooooooo hot here and we don't have AC!  I am dying. I thought today I would actually die.  LOL  Love and miss you all so much!

Have I told you that I would love to hear from you guys? Haha!  Be safe!  I pray for all of you everyday!!!

Con AMOR

Elder Hoole

maxwell.hoole@myldsmail.net

Burning of the Tie!

The traditional "burning of the tie" at the 6 month mark...

I just hope he didn't put the hot ashes in a plastic garbage can!  :)

6 Months DOWN! And Lots of PHOTOS!

Well, this week was interesting!  I had intercambios or splits with Elder Thorpe!  He is from Riverton, Utah and it was awesome!  It was my first time in the mission to be able to teach and work with another North American and Elder Thorpe is so beast haha!   He goes home in July and it was just awesome to talk about home with him and all the great times!  Well, with conference this week it was for sure a new experience with watching it in Spanish and man was it hard and did it give me a headache haha!  But I did actually understand a lot of it!  It was a great time! 

The familia Garcia did not come to Conference.  Their son had his birthday on Saturday and so they had a party. My companion and I took a birthday cake over to them for the celebration.  We hoped they would come to the church for Conference on Sunday, especially since it is like literally 2 minutes from their house!  But they did not come.  Next week!  Pray for them!

Well, I am doing well!  I hit 6 months this week in the mission!  Pretty crazy how fast time is going by!  Hope all is going well back home!  We are all so blessed in the United States, that is for sure! 

Con Amor,

Elder Hoole

Email me anytime:  maxwell.hoole@myldsmail.net

Exchanges!  Good times!

THE ZONE!

Members - so good to send photos to my Mom :)

Here are some photos of where I live!