Ants are Spicy

So this week has been very good. I'm with my new comp Elder Chicaiza
from Quito Ecuador.

This week we placed two baptism dates with a kid
from Colombia named Daniel who has 17 years and another girl named
Marcela who has 17 years.

They are both very good but Sunday Daniel had to go out of town and
couldn't go to church and Marcela had to work Sunday. So I was heart
broken that we didn't have anyone in church....praying sooooo hard! And
later I noticed a lady in our ward brought a friend to sacrament
meeting!!!!!!!!!!!! Named Norma.

So today we are going to have family
night with her and the family in our ward that brought her to church.
She will hopefully get baptized this 7 of April.

This week it rained so hard!!!!!!! And it hailed all day yesterday. We
were getting hit in the head for about an hour with ice.....but
finally we got in a house and taught a lesson. So much for the "day of
rest" ha ha. I have noticed that that day doesn't exist in this mission.
There is no rest in the work of the lord.

Today my comp had to buy new shoes, we went to this lady that makes
shoes down our street and she started crying when she saw us. She told
us that she has been wanting to talk to us for like a week but has
been scared to. We talked to her for the first time today and she is
having a lot of trouble in her life. She told us that she has been an
inactive member of thee Church for like 20 years. Has a lot of kids who
aren't members and wants us to teach them.

Yesterday we drank hot chocolate because we had frost bite.......and
we had ants in the chocolate powder...they are the most spicy food I
have ever tasted in my life....ha ha weird huh?...

I love the mission and I love the gospel. I am blessed in many ways
everyday. When you are doing whats right you are happy...I have
learned that on the mission. When we do what the lord asks of us we
get rewarded. like it says in 3 Nephi 13:33 "But seek ye first the
kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be
added unto you."

I am loving the mission and working really hard and I am happy. I love
you all and I hope you have an awesome week.

Love the lord with all your heart and keep his commandments and you will be blessed.

Elder Jase Warner

New Companion!

I finally today got a new comp!!!! Por fin!

His name is Elder Chicaiza, he is from Quito Ecuador. He has about 18 months in the mission now and he is very cool. He got here in cuenca about an hour ago. I am looking forward to having a
companion and having some more success!

One thing I have learned here on the mission is that success and bringing people into the true Church brings me happiness! More than I ever imagined it would bring
me.

The work of the lord is the most important work that we can do here in the earth. This last week I worked mostly in another sector. That sector hasn't had a baptism date or anyone in church for 9 weeks now.

But this last week I helped the other elders and we put 2 baptism dates for the 7th of April and had two people in church. It was a relief to have some success in that sector. But on the flip side we didn't have any one in my sector go to church. But this week we are going to put a lot of effort into finding new people to teach and get
them to church.

I am so excited for general conference this month! What a blessing it will be to listen to our prophet and apostles. I hope you will all take the time to pay attention to the words of the lords servants. It will bless your lives.!

I miss you all and look forward to hearing from you next Monday, I am
sorry that this letter is so short ha ha.

Love

Elder Jase Warner

Bautismo!

Hey everyone!!

This week has flown by here in Cuenca!

This week I have been without a companion again....I won't have one till next Monday, I am kinda getting tired of being in a different sector half the day and then in mine for like 1 hour a day at the most. Going to church a lone just with my ward mission leader.

It is okay though, because I had the best baptism of my mission this week! It was weird filling out the baptism paper work and only putting my name in the top right corner and not another missionaries too.... But Ana Belen Merchan was baptized this Saturday by her dad who has been waiting a long time for that moment. It was a very spiritual experience for the whole ward and me. She has never wanted to join the church before listening to many different missionaries over the years. Well when she finally accepted the baptism date she cried and cried cause she was so happy and told us she didn't know what was different but she just knew she needed to do it and new it was true all of a sudden. But we usually have like 10 people in baptisms but this one had 80 people! I counted like 3 times in amazement! A lot of the people there were other non member family members, I know they all felt the spirit.

Ana Belen bore her testimony after and told everyone that she will serve a mission in 1 year from her baptism day!!!!!! I was so shocked because 4 days before she didn't believe in the church at all. I was so happy also! she is 21 years old so in one year she can go through the temple and serve a mission. There were a lot of returned missionaries that were a little disappointed that she is going on a mission because they all want to marry her.
All in all it was a very good day for a lot of people her in Cuenca.

I know that she received her answer through the power of the Book of Mormon and through the power of the holy ghost. I am excited to go to the temple in 1 year and watch her get sealed to her family and leave on the mission. Hopefully in the time in between more of her family members will come unto christ through the waters of baptism.

This week we started a new program in my ward. Every week I get up in sacrament and assign a book of Mormon to a family, they have to give it to a non member with their testimony in it and invite them to church. This week on Thursday a lady came running into the chapel because her dog ran away and went into the church. The bishop found her and he gave his book of Mormon to her. We happened to walk in right then and meet her and taught her about baptism and invited her to church. It was a miracle in my eyes that her dog decided to run into the church! She really liked the church and our lesson. We tried placing a baptism date and she said she wants to learn more, but the next lesson she will commit to being baptized.

I have been living with two other missionaries for a while now on the floor...... but its a comfy floor. And we get a long pretty well.

All the missionaries this last week had a conference with the mission president, he came to talk to us. It was cool we learned a lot, The meeting was 6 hours with a lunch break. It was very long but very spiritually uplifting. He didn't know that I was without a companion at the time and asked me where my companion was and I said " I don't know president, I was hoping that you could get me one soon" and everyone laughed. He said next week I will have one. It is hard for him to keep track of 250 missionaries I guess.

Well I love you all and I hope that your week goes very well. Find someone to share the gospel with, you never know whose life you will change by just being a good example and inviting someone to learn more, or to church.

I love you

Elder Jase Warner

Solo All Alone

This is Sean, I wanted to show you the raw email I usually get with the actual spelling and grammar from Elder Warner!

well this week has been another crazy and challenging week. I have been living with other elders out of my area for this past week and still dont have a new companion. this week i had to wear the same clothes for 4 days staight because i couldnt go back to my house for a while....it rained so much those days that every night i had to pour water out of my shoes. i went and worked in my area like two night with my bishop as my companion and i put 2 new baptism dates. I will also be having a baptism this saturday, and it looks like it will be by myself.....No one to share the joy with. I have learned the importance of companions this week thats for sure.
But this girl is getting baptised named anabelen merchan is very awesome. she is 21 years old and she heard the missionaries for the first time 2 years ago and is finally getting baptised. But before we came to teach her she pretty much refused to listen to the missionaries. we have worked with her the past 2 weeks and she now has a testimony of the restored gospel. She didnt have one until two days ago. She told us she would get baptised on the 10th of march if she got an answer she prayed everynight for the answer and read in the book of mormon she got that answer on saturday. And she is so excited to be baptised this week! Her dad and mom are very excited too. They are so thankfull for the missionaries are experiencing their children one by one come unto the gospel. They have waited a long time for this day. Lots of praying and patcience.
I am practicing my patcience aso right now with waiting for my companion to come.....it is hard without a companion!! But suprisingly i had some of the best numbers in our zone this week and the zone leaders were very suprised....I only was in my area for two nights for a couple hours each night ( working with my bishop) and a little bit with our ward mission leader that doesnt do anything..... But i worked very hard prayed super hard and got blessings. Hopefuly my companion comes soon.

I hope you guys like my pictures! there was a lot of rain this last week everyday pretty much!! i finally used the boots i have for the first time.

i pray that you are all choosing the right and praying to our heavenly father daily. One thing i have learned out here is the power of prayer! it really does work, heavenly father does answer us. What ever you are going through he knows and he is ready to help you.

i love you all

elder warner