September 25 2017 - Servant of God (But still 18!)
This week was flipping amazing. But I got to start out by saying Happy Birthday Justine. I have been counting down your birthday for at least 3 weeks. I am so hyped. Also, General Conference is that day. Hidden in my letter is a little something that I think you will really appreciate Justine. Also I am so excited for Jason's wedding. Jason is a cool uncle.
(Still 18!)
Now I got to start out with my funny story of the week. So Monday I clogged the toilet. I totally take the blame. I tried unclogging it but our plunger sucks. And then that night we were trying to fix the toilet and it overflowed. That sucked. I could not shower and there was poop-water on the floor. It was crazy. So we tried to fix the toilet South-American style. Here in South America not only can you use Coke to clean a car engine but you can also use it to unclog a toilet. So we bought some Coke but it did not work. Keep in mind that this was day 3 of the clogged toilet. [Bryce's parents would like to insert here that he should know how to unclog a toilet and under no circumstances should a toilet remained clogged for more than 18-27 minutes.]
Usually when we needed to use the bathroom we made a 20 minute trek to the church and used it there. I thought we should use the Lord's plunger since it was consecrated and of the Lord. So we stole the plunger and took it back to our house. There is nothing more satisfying than walking the streets of Quito with a toilet plunger in your hand. I already get stares because I am a gringo so you could just imagine how weird it looked for me to be walking around with a plunger. I really wanted a dog or a Borracho [drunk person] to mess with us just so I could wield my plunger. So we went into the house and prayed for a miracle from the Lord. And oh we got one. With the Lord's plunger we were able to unclog the toilet. It really strengthened my testimony of how true the church is.
Also Elder Pontón and I just had fun during this trial and were just laughing at how crazy it was. Just so y'all do not misunderstand me I was joking about unclogging the toilet strengthening my testimony.
Transfers and Elder Pontón
But man this week rocked. I love being in Ecuador so much and I love being on a mission. Elder Pontón and I are just having fun. Fun fact. Elder Pontón is as new to the church as you get. He was baptized a year before the mission which is the minimum for serving. But he amazes me every day with his knowledge. We are so tight.
I just finished my first transfer. I am so glad Elder Pontón is staying and that our zone leaders are not changing. Our zone is only 20 missionaries but I am super close with the zone leaders. They are both white and we are pumped for conference because we get to watch it in English and party.
The Dark Knight and the Light and Life of the World
Anywho, spiritual thought of the week: Batman is like Christ. Y'all know me, everything goes back to The Dark Knight. So Harvey Dent and Batman both loved Rachel and were destroyed when she died. But one responded to this situation in a Christlike way and the other did not. At the end of the movie, Harvey says "Why was it only me who lost everything." Batman responds "It wasn't" and you realize how Batman is still hurting from the loss of Rachel. This scene is vital because you realize that these men responded to the same situations in opposite ways. Harvey turned inward. He had self-pity and wanted others to be as miserable as him. He regressed to easy anesthetics to numb the pain. He thought he was the only one in the world who was experiencing this pain and turned bitter to others. He lost his moral compass. (Kinda like Sydney Rigdon after Liberty Jail.) But Batman turned outwards and shows us how to be Christlike. He wept for Rachel but rather than receding from the world. He doubled down on his conviction to help others and even though he was hurting he decided to help others who needed it more. Every time we have a difficulty we can either be Harvey Dent or Batman. We can turn inwards like the natural man or turn outwards like Christ.
Fun Fact Related to Nothing
I have decided to name my first kid Cotopaxi.
Brother Pepinos, Spanish, and the Work
Also there is a brother in the ward, Brother Pepinós, who served in a mission in Raleigh and served in the Burlington Spanish Branch in 2010. Just wanted to share that. He is awesome.
My Spanish is really developing which is amazing. It is funny when you hear a word a lot and finally realize what it means. Every time we take the bus the attendant says "Siga por favor" and I finally realized that is the subjunctive of seguir. The people from the coast of Ecuador have the coolest accents and my goal is to one day talk like them.
The work went really well this week. We found 4 new investigators and had our record of 6 investigators attend church. We have two baptismal dates but they are in November and December because the investigators want to get baptized on their birthday. There is nothing better than working for the Lord. The spirit is amazing and I just love it here. I already am a little sad with how fast it is going and hope I always enjoy it like I am now.
Trip to the Equator, the Joy of Fresh Mayo, and I Love Y'all
So P-day. We went to the Equator Oh Yeah. It was super dope. There were a ton of Gringos also which was weird. But we had so much fun. Also the hamburgers here are pretty good because the ketchup and mayo is amazing. It is fresher and sweeter than in the US.
I love it here so much and love y'all so much. I wish I could talk more with y'all but there is nowhere I would rather be then here. BTW I want to say sorry for the long letter but I am not sorry. I know this is the highlight of your week.
Love y'all so much
Elder Tucker
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