Last week in Ecuador

Hola mis amigos y familia!

This week was a super sad week as I found out that I would be returning home. I am now writing this email from my basement because I have to be in isolation, so everyone doesn't die from coronavirus jaja. Don't worry I don't have it. 😉

So, at the beginning of the week I was waking up early every morning to get to the office early to start buying flights and sending them to parents. We had our zone leaders at our house because their house flooded and as the week went on more and more missionaries came over. We were trying to get every missionary serving far away from Quito into Quito early so they could get to the airport easier. So Wednesday and Thursday we had missionaries traveling to and leaving the offices. I was super busy and really didn't have time to think which was good for me. I had other missionaries asking a billion questions, most of which I didn't have an answer to, and that was also stressful jaja. I mentioned it was good to not be able to think before, because every night I would get home and have a panic attack, knowing that I would be going home soon. One night it was super bad and I didn’t know what to do. I was praying so hard for help when I thought to look in the scriptures. I read a verse and then had a thought to share it with our recent converts. I was surprised to find all my stress and anxiety swept away and I only felt love for those around me. I didn't want to leave and asked my president to do everything he could to help me stay. He was going to buy my plane ticket last, but then Thursday morning we got info that all missionaries had to leave by Friday, that is all the North Americans had to leave by Friday. I had to pack all my bags, but the catch is that our carry on could only be 10 lbs and our check on bag 30lbs. So, I left a suitcase in Ecuador! My last day I was balling for more than half of it as I frantically tried to get as much work done as possible before throwing it all on the new secretary who had no clue what he was doing.

We got in a taxi and on our way found out our flight had been cancelled and that our travel leader would be taking a separate flight. So then I was in charge of our big group and had to deal with a bunch of questions all over again, but I was happy for it because I had to do something to keep me busy and away from thinking about myself. We eventually got to Miami where members were waiting there with krispy kreme donuts and directed us to a hotel to sleep the night. The next morning at 10 left to go to the airport to fly to Atlanta and later to Salt Lake.

I am so very grateful for my time I had in Ecuador and all the amazing people I met, all the friendships I made, my time there has changed me greatly and I miss the country and the people so much! I know that the Lord watches over each one of us and everything that happens is for our good. I trust in Him, His timing, and His plan and that has brought me comfort through this difficult change!

I love you all and hope each one of you are well!

Cuidense mucho!
Elder Tolman

Scheduling flights for all missionaries

Saying goodbye to President Barlow y Hermana Barlow

Our Traveling Group

Loading the bus for the airport

Quarantined like little Cuys(guinea pigs)

Hola mis amigos y familia!

So last week I didn't have a lot of time to write because I was buying plane tickets for a big group of missionaries so they could get home. We were sending 21 home and 1 to her mission. Unfortunately 4 of them got stuck here and have to wait. I was so busy buying tickets, taking care of missionaries and other stuff and so it was super crazy and I didn't have any time to think of what was happening. Everyone here was sent on lock down and couldn't leave so we also had to send a bunch of money to the missionaries and a list of food to buy so that they could survive. No one is allowed to leave, but President has asked us to leave every once in a while to do office work. That is good for us so that we can get outside.

I have also been learning how to play the piano, getting a lot of exercise and reading a lot from the Book of Mormon to try and keep myself occupied, but mostly we sleep which is boring but it passes the time a lot faster.

I'm doing super well and everything is fine here! Hope you all are doing great!

I have attached some photos but since we didn't do much or i was doing too much to take photos there aren't a lot.

Oh and also we had a baptism on Saturday. Nicole and Rosa got baptized which was super awesome and then on Monday we baptized Ruben who works for us helping with fixing houses. We spent all night on Monday with him and it was awesome.

Les quiero mucho!

Elder Tolman

Ruben's Baptism

Staying safe

Corona Virus

So Corona Virus attacked and I have no time.

Here are photos instead...

Baptisms
Pricing out food for 2 weeks for all the missionaries
Moving a mattress and bedding through the city in the rain!

Pricing food for 2 weeks for the  missionaries

Baptism of Reyes Family

Happy Leap Year!

Hola mis amigos y familia,

I can't believe it is already March! Time flies by way too fast! This week we were finally able to meet in our chapel. We haven't been meeting there because it was being renovated. We also had so many families attending and some people from other wards I have served in so it was really fun. Later in the day on Sunday we went to a family's house we were teaching. One of the family members recently committed suicide, and so we have been bringing messages of hope to them. We recently learned that before his death, he had been playing around with evil spirits and a bunch of other stuff so they asked us to bless his room. We went with Elder and Sister Lewis, and Elder Lewis offered a prayer to bless the room. It was pretty cool and different experiences, but I honestly thought we were going to have to cast out spirits jaja. Later we were going to a funeral of an investigator and we took a taxi. When I left the taxi I realized that I my phone fell out of my pocket, and he drove off with it :(

Monday, I finally felt good enough to eat like normal so we went to Top Ten which is kind of like Five Guys in the states, and I ate so much!! I was so happy. Later we had a lesson with Fam. Reyes and we were teaching about the commandments. They were so happy and ready, they had found a video about the 10 commandments they wanted to watch and have us use as a visual guide. This lesson was different from any other I have had. We were laughing and making jokes, but at the same time teaching important stuff about the gospel. It was so awesome and we left the house so happy! They also made burritos for us which made me super happy too.

Tuesday, we had to wake up early to go to leadership council meeting. Normally, the secretaries don't go, but president invited us this time, so we got to go and for me it was my first time, so it was super cool. Later we had to travel to a different part of Quito to do some house stuff and then in the night to buy some office supplies. It was so busy, but just boring stuff that you guys wouldn't care about reading so I'm just skipping all of that jaja.

Wednesday, we played soccer in the morning again for exercise which is good because everyone tells me I have gotten skinnier from being sick. I didn't know that was possible! We were able to teach a friend of a member so that was awesome. She had brought her friend to church and introduced us so we could start teaching her. She is very open to learning more. Then just a lot of office work.

Thursday we traveled to Latacunga to help some elders move into their new house. I got to see a whole bunch of members including Jorge who was one of my converts there in Latacunga. Members and missionaries tell me all the time how strong of a convert he is. He has a calling as a counselor in the teachers quorum and he is awesome. It is such an indescribable joy to know that someone I have helped come unto Christ is so strong in the gospel and helping others! We spent all day in Latacunga and it was a blast to be there again!

Friday I had to take a missionary to try and renew his visa. We went and waited for hours just to be rejected because they are asking for documents that I didn't know about, or that I was told I didn't need. So I was super stressed about that because that means I have to get these same documents for the Barlows when I renew their visas. I have like 5 to do and I have to do them before April which scares me. Then I had to buy pizza for a meeting president had with some missionaries and when I got there president asked me how it went and I told him we failed. He just told me, thanks for all your work. I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be encouraging or not, but I took it as in he is disappointed in me which probably isn't true, but oh well.

Saturday we were going to go to a volcano but it was raining so we didn't go and just played pool instead with the assistants.

I love you all and hope you have a great week. The church is true and the Book of Mormon changes lives! If you read it, it will change yours to!

Les quiero!

Elder Tolman

Member visiting from Latacunga

Visit to Latacunga