I live!

 September 8, 2025

Bon tardi atrobe! I am back from the dead! It's been a few weeks, so here's what I've got! Elder Winfield and I are still training Elder Sialaoa, and it's a blast!

     Elder Sialaoa did not know how to ride a bike before the mission, so these last few weeks we have been teaching him when we pop into biking areas. He now knows how to ride a bike and takes every opportunity to do so! As well, coming back from exchanges in Aruba, we found a really cool person at the airport. Elder Winfield and I both felt very strongly that there was someone there we needed to find, and we found someone reading a book about growing a relationship with Jesus. Perfect. We started chatting with them, and they talked about how they have been growing a relationship with Christ outside of religion, but recently they had been praying for his holy messengers. Then they met us, and they were so excited! And so were we! They came to church and loved it! It was a pretty cool miracle

Overall, it's been a blast! Missionary work is always an adventure! Go read Hebrews 10:39, it's a pretty great one. Love you guys!

-Elder Aldrich

I'm a dad again?

August 11, 2025 

Wus poppin, everybody! It's me again, back from the dead. I'm still here, still kicking, and still loving the island life in Curacao. The last few weeks have been crazy! And the adventure is far from over. For the last 6 weeks, I have been paired with a beast of an elder, and we have been living it up and working as hard as we can, running as fast as our little legs can carry us. And now, we will be training a brand new Missionary together! The world (Curaçao) is not ready for this powerhouse of a trio. There will be much Missionary work done, many places explored, and a lot of food to eat. Story time: meet Antonio

     Real quick story. Antonio is a good friend of ours. He was found over a year ago by the Elders, long before us, and he works security here at the Curaçao mall. He's an incredible man and has always had an incredible testimony. He came to church as often as he could, but that was not too frequently, as work often got in the way. But time passed, and up came a 3-week "staycation," meaning that he would be able to come and be baptized. And it happened! There were so many miracles that happened, and I have never seen so many members come to support. So many members have gotten to know him, and many missionaries have had the pleasure of teaching and learning from him. I'm so glad I was able to witness the smile on his face as he stood up after being confirmed on Sunday. It was an unforgettable day

     That's what I've got for y'all this week! Stay tuned for the next time Elder Aldrich finds the time and motivation to send out a "weekly" email. Ether 12 is always a good one, but specifically verse 27. I will leave you with the honor of reading it, but it teaches us about the ability that we have to grow when we put God first. Weak things become strong because of him. I love you all, have a great week. Remember to smile more this week, it's contagious

Elder Aldrich

Antonio's baptism

Catholic Church

Transfers (finding out about training)

Yes I'm still alive

 August 4, 2025

    Hey guys, I'm still here! I'm alive and living my best life! I know some of you were worried... So don't be. I don't have enough time to give you a detailed rundown of my week, so here are some pictures! I love you all! Read your scriptures

Whiplash

 July 14, 2025

    Good morning, beautiful people! It's definitely been a little while. Few things to cover in today's episode of: "Where the heck have you been?!" It's been a very fun past few weeks. For those of you who had no idea, which would be all of you, I was transferred a couple of weeks back, and I'm back on the island of my youth, the beautiful island of Curaçao. And I have a new companion, Elder Winfield, who's perhaps the coolest Missionary ever, so it's been pretty fun!

     Getting used to the island life again was a little Strange. There's less traffic, no cows, and you drive on the correct side of the road again. But not to fear, I was back in Guyana again this week! Every 6 months or so our mission president likes to bring us to Guyana for a leadership conference, and this week was the week. So, after about 7 days back on the island, I packed up and headed to Guyana with a couple of other missionaries. What an adventure it was! We flew from Curaçao to Panama, hung out in Panama for a few hours, almost went to see the Panama Canal, then flew into Guyana at about 3 am. Once off the plane, we began the next adventure of getting to the senior couple to get some sleep before our meetings in 4 hours. Quick reminder that Guyana drivers are absolutely crazy all day every day, but most of them are probably also drunk at 3 am. Armed with that knowledge, we hopped on a bus with a good friend of ours and headed into the unknown. The unknown lasted about 45 minutes, not a whole lot of unknown.

     Three hours later, we were up, kicking, and ready to spend a few hours learning from Elder Zabellos! It was a great conference, and we learned a lot about how we can become better and stronger leaders. From there, it was off to the senior couple to sleep, then back to Curaçao! About 48 hours of travel with about 5 hours of sleep. 10/10, definitely worth all the lost sleep!

     Man, it's good to be back in Curacao! Guyana was a blast. Truthfully, I loved every second. But I needed more adventures so it was time to go. Really fast, I just want to leave you all with a few scriptures:  Alma 5 45-47

   45 And this is not all. Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself? Behold, I testify unto you that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken are true. And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety? 

   46 Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me. 

   47 And moreover, I say unto you that it has thus been revealed unto me, that the words which have been spoken by our fathers are true, even so according to the spirit of prophecy which is in me, which is also by the manifestation of the Spirit of God.

     Sometimes it's hard to learn and understand new gospel concepts. It can feel a little overwhelming, confusing, and strange. But there's a sure-fire way to become strong and faithful. That's through effort. Fasting, prayer, and studying scriptures are all a part of putting forth our best effort, and God loves effort. He will help us along the way. I love you. God loves you. Have a beautiful and blessed week. Ayó

Elder Aldrich

I would caption these, but honestly, I don't feel like I need to 

One year older... And wiser too?

 June 16, 2025

    Wagwannn everybody! Nope, it's not my real birthday, but it is my mission birthday! I officially hit my year mark of serving the Lord. I don't even know what is going on. I went to bed one night in the MTC and woke up here... In Guyana... A year into my mission. I have learned so many lessons in the last year, so I want to share a few:

            God's timing is perfect

     God has perfect timing, who'd have guessed right? But seriously, it's crazy how his plan is for the whole world, but somehow so individual. As many of you know, a mission was not in the cards for me. I wanted nothing to do with it until I received a very strong impression telling me otherwise. 4 months later, I was a missionary. And the people I have met, the friendships I have made, the experiences I have had have changed me forever. Missions are fun. The mission has been an absolute blast. You learn how to love the hard work and love the people.

     I didn't send an email last week, but not too much happened. This week we had zone conference, and it was great. We talked lots about the need for members to do Missionary work with us, because it's the only way for new members to feel like they truly have a home. I learned a lot, and it's going to be fun to implement it more.

     Something that was interesting was the death day for cows. You all remember, here in Guyana there are cows everywhere. Literally everywhere. But last week, they had a special holiday that was all about friendship. Very fun. This friendship holiday involves killing a cow and sharing it with your neighbors. All of a sudden... No cows. Nowhere. You couldn't find one if you tried. I thought I was free, but yesterday they returned, so Guyana still has a cow infestation. 

     3 Nephi 5:13 Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life.

     I love this scripture because it applies to each and every one of us. We have all been called to declare the good word of the restored gospel. And that doesn't mean quietly and to a few people, but that means shouting it from the rooftops, and that sounds great to me. It's a good reminder of our purpose as missionaries and our purpose as the Lord's disciples. Thanks for coming on my adventure through my first year of mission life. Let's see what year two has to bring! I love you all! 

Elder Aldrich

Elder Blake wore a baby tie

Parrots on the church

 Lunch with CHAITRAM for his birthday

The monkey won't bite... but the dog might

  June 2, 2025 

    Good morning everyone! I understand that it's the evening for most people, but that's not important right now! This was a wonderful week! And I'm excited to tell you about it!

     This week was crazy with all of the exchanges! We started with an exchange on Wednesday. I don't think it stopped downpouring the whole day, and we did not care. We rode around on the bikes in the rain happily for hours. We topped it off with some food truck Guyanese barbecue. From there, we moved to the music night for the district. All of the sisters from the mission were in Guyana (that's not normal) for a sisters' conference, and they stayed for the night of music. It was super cool to see a bunch of missionaries from the islands!  We Elders performed "Ye Elders of Israel," and it was a lot of fun! We also ran back "This little light of mine" from when I was in the islands as well!

        Turns out... The dog does bite 

      On my Saturday exchange, after being stuck in traffic for a considerable time, we visited a member who has a dog that is notorious for trying to bite people. It had yet to be successful with the missionaries. I am always prepared with that thing... Till this time. When we showed up, the dog was totally chill, and I figured I had just made good friends with the dog now and we were chill. We go to say hi to the monkey (who doesn't want to say hi to a monkey) and while we are standing there, without a sound, the dog just clamps its fat mouth just above my knee. Unfortunately for that dog, it got a foot to the side, let go without a sound, and walked away. All was well, no blood was drawn, but trust was broken, and bruises were made (it was a big dog).

     I'm sure there's more that I'll remember once I hit send, but for now, enjoy the pictures and the scripture:

Mathew 4:19-20 

"19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him."

Sometimes the Lord asks us to sacrifice EVERYTHING in the service of him. We must give up our old life to accept the new one that God gives us. He wants to give us all that he has, so let him. I love you all, have a good week, and as always, be you.

Elder Aldrich

(I don't know how to caption these, but these are some incredible people) 

Cows

Adventures of Big Bird and Whitebai Inbox

  May 26, 2025

    Good Afternoon, and welcome to another episode of storytime by yours truly.  This week was a good one!  It was also transferred, meaning that the power couple of Elder Big Bird and Elder Whitebai has now been split up.  It had a good run, but now it's time for Elder Big Bird and Elder TALL to have some adventures!  I'll be staying here in Guyana for another transfer, and I could not be more excited!  I love it here, and my adventures are not yet done.

     This week, I have another story about some of our friends that were baptized this last weekend.  They are an incredible couple that came from Cuba to Guyana about 3 years ago.  They came here looking for a better life and found themselves struggling to feel the Lord's hand in their lives.  They began attending several churches and joined a few.  But with time, things stopped feeling right, and they left those churches, leaving behind many hopes of the Gospel.  

     Fast forward a year or so, and a certain Elder Big Bird and Elder Whitebai were frustrated, not sure where to go, and chose to stop by a Facebook referral down the street.  Opening the door was Dalay and Guillermo, who opened the door and invited us straight into the house.  After about 5 minutes of speaking with them, they looked at us and said, "We feel something special. Where is your church?"  And they showed up to church, felt the spirit, and asked us how they could join the church.  With a baptismal date set for May, they progressed quickly and took every invitation given.  At one point, Guillermo fell 4 stories out of a building during work at a construction site, and came to church 2 days after his surgery.  They were baptized this past weekend.

     I have never seen such strong faith before.  Dalay and Guillermo felt the spirit, and they followed it through everything.  Faith is such a powerful concept.  Faith literally can move mountains, and if we allow it to, it will change our lives forever.

     A few things before I go.  I learned how to drive in Guyana this week.  Let me tell you, it is a new level of fun.  We drive on the left side of the road here, and you have to watch out for a few things:

   1. mini buses:  the drivers are drunk, and the racing stripes mean business

   2. The pot holes: not the kind of pot you want to smoke at 60mph

   3. The cows man.  They are everywhere.

     I love you all! I hope you have a wonderful week!  Keep the faith, keep the love, and keep serving the Lord and others in all that you do!

- Elder Aldrich

1and2. Dalay and Guillermo

3-end. I love my zone

Wins and Losses

May 12, 2025 

    Goooooood whateverpartofthedayitis! It has been quite the week again! I am loving my time out here in Guyana... It's crazy, I've already been in Guyana for a month. This week was a week filled with wins and losses, some of them fun, and some of them well... not so much. For starters: Brain Cells. I'm about all outta those this transfer. My companion and I, bless his heart, have the same sense of humor, which means that we quite literally think we are the funniest people in the world. Top that off with a 6-man apartment filled with funny guys, and you have quite the line-up. But I can't complain, so that's a win too.

          Our Recent Convert Ran Away 

     Oooooo yeah. Our recent convert is back in the bush. The interior. The Amazon-hecken-rainforest. But bush is easier to say, so let's go with that. Storytime! Vernie, our beloved recent convert, managed a gold mining company, but ghosted her boss so she could get baptized. Sick. But that leaves one problem: no job. So she searched for a while and found a job that would allow her to work during the week, with Sundays off for church. Win. And her 3 kids also want to be baptized. Quadruple win. But on Tuesday morning, while confirming appointments, we call Vernie. She answers the phone with questionable music in the background. She says, "I'm going back to the interior. I'll explain when I get there."  She did not explain.  Fast forward another day or so, and she lets us know she will be in the interior for the next 3 months. Eeek. Our recent convert is "lost in the woods," as our favorite Disney Prince would say.

          Cows

     That's right. The cows are back. But in a much better fashion than before. Cows seem to be the bane of existence. Whenever you think you won't see a cow, Boom, there it is. But you know where you can't find cows? Supermarkets. 

      Cinco de Mayo, the greatest holiday in the world, is mostly caused by Star Wars. But Cinco de Mayo is also like a secondary "Taco Tuesday." One of the only American members in the branch had a taco party at work, and took all the leftovers and gave them to us. Guys, I found a cow in my fridge for the first time since coming here. We had beef tacos, take that Cows.

     The last few weeks, I have been reading a book called "To Draw Closer to God" by Henry B. Eyering, and one of the big things that it has covered is repentance and the importance of it. All of us are sinners, and as sinners, one of the biggest questions that we can have is: How do I know if I have been forgiven? And the answer that he gives is a rather interesting one. He turns us to Alma 5:26-31, it's a lot of words, so I'll let you look it up if you want. But he breaks it down into 4 key aspects: Humble, stripped of pride, stripped of envy, not making a mock of thy brother. He proceeds to recount a story of a young man who had gone through a long repentance process and was still unsure if he had been fully forgiven by God. And the answer was that it was through the little things he did that gave him his remission of sins. The little things are the ones that change the heart. Remember that repentance comes from sincere desire and a broken heart. A heart willing and ready to change.

Sandwich

Weekly planning

Guyana

Pray For Guyana... And the Cows

 May 5, 2025

   Good Morning, lovely people! What a week it has been! Guyana has been struggling a little bit the last week or two. A little girl was murdered, which led to lots of protests and riots. Please keep the country and people of Guyana in your prayers. 

     But nonetheless, we were able to have a good week. Driving here in Guyana still throws me off, but I'm on a bike, so I get to throw myself through the chaos; it's an unexpected thrill! One of these emails will include me in a trench, but that day is not today! 

     Guys. There are cows here. Cows everywhere. I don't know how to explain the sheer amount of cows in this country. I swear, any time you look anywhere, it is a cow or a goat. I love it! Keeps you on your toes! 

     Let me tell you a story about a friend of ours named Vernie. She was scrolling on Facebook one day and found the Come unto Christ Facebook page. She added it and soon was in contact with the missionaries. Unfortunately, she had to go into the interior (gold mining land) for a few months. Contact was lost, but her testimony continued to grow. As soon as she got out of the interior, she got back in contact with the missionaries, looking to be baptized. Fast forward 2 weeks, and she was baptized. As she continued to grow her testimony, her children began to see the changes that she was making. Soon, her children wanted to follow suit and wanted to feel all of the joy that is felt in the gospel.

    Often, things come with time. It almost never comes at once. Change starts with one thought, thought turned to action, and actions to change lives. As a missionary, I have seen lives change, pains fade, and wounds heal. Christ is the healer of all pains and the beginning of the most beautiful things in life. His plan and his timing are perfect.

     I love you all. I am having the time of my life out here, and it's hard to believe my time is almost halfway over.

Cows

Stranded In Miami

 April 14, 2025

    Good Afternoon, Everybody!  Today, this email isn't coming at you from an apartment in Aruba; it is coming at you from the heart and soul of Guyana!  I have been transferred to Guyana, where I am living in a six-man apartment.  But getting here was somewhat of an adventure.

     Friday night was the Transfer document drop.  We do them live, so they end up looking like a draft night with missionaries and mission areas.  We get to Kitty in Guyana, and my name pops.  Wooo! I'm off to Guyana!  Monday morning, I say goodbye to everyone and step into the airport to fly away.  Our flight was scheduled for 2:40, with a one-hour layover in Miami.  Shouldn't be a problem, right? Wrong.  Our first flight gets delayed an hour and fifteen minutes, meaning that we miss our connection in Miami.  We land in Miami, and sure enough, we have lost our flight from Miami to Guyana.  The next flight won't be for another 24 hours.  Me, Elder Gomez, Elder Corbridge, and Sister Harmer, are stranded in Miami for the next day or so.  Posted up with a deck of cards and some dice, we played blackjack for 3 hours waiting for our luggage. Spent the night in a really nice hotel, and then went back to the airport the next morning.  Our original rescheduled flight was set for 1:15, but it was delayed to 6:00 pm, which meant that Sister Harmer, who was coming to Guyana to finish her mission, would not be able to make it to the mission home in time.  So from Miami, they just sent her the rest of the way home.  From there, we were off to Guyana.  And now we are here!  I absolutely love it out here in Guyana!  The culture here is so very different, and the languages too.  Here are some fun facts about Guyana!

-  Cows.  There are cows absolutely everywhere.

-  I speak more Spanish here more than I did in Aruba.  Huge W's

-  They drive on the wrong side of the road here, and trust me it's trippy.

-  The sewage drains to trenches that run alongside the roads, which used to be rice patties

-  The trenches grow pretty, 5-foot-tall flowers

     Guyana has been an incredible experience out here so far.  I am so excited to see what the lord has in store here in Guyana.  I have been studying a lot about intentions recently, and there was a scripture that I loved.  Mathew 25:40 says:  "Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."  Each and every good thing that we do, when done with good intentions, blesses us and counts us as servants of God.  I love you all, have a wonderful week!

Arriving in Guyana

Miami Crew

Duck!

March 24, 2025 

What up, beautiful people. Long time no see. It's been a little while since I've had the chance to sit and write out an email! A lot has happened, and a lot of great things are yet to come!

     We were able to have a few baptisms this weekend! It was such an incredible experience. They both have such beautiful testimonies. In fact, I would love to share a story with you all. Medilus Morency. One of my favorite people in the whole world. His story is truly a great one. He was born and raised in Haiti and moved to Venezuela for 20 years. After a while, he moved to Aruba, married an Inactive member, and joined a different church. He spent 15 years or so in a different church before he and his wife felt something was missing. His wife, Duela, was reminded of the joy and love she felt in the church, and they came to church for her first time in 30 years, and his first time ever. That's where I met him. I introduced myself, and almost immediately, I could feel the love he has for everyone. He told me how strongly he felt the spirit at church, and that he wanted to feel that more. As we met with him, his light and his love only grew. His dreams and desires of following Christ increased so fast, I didn't see it coming. He was baptized on Saturday, and he knew it was the best decision of his life before he even asked to be baptized. He is a testimony to me of the light that God's children carry, which is each and every one of us.

     That's all I really have for this week. I'll save the crazy story for next week. I love you all. Our heavenly father has given us light and love, and it's our job to use it to love and serve one another.

Fiola and Medilus Baptism

2 am Hospital Runs

 March 3, 2025

  Hey, hey everybody! How are we all doing? How the heck are y'all? Alrigh,t so this week...  has been interesting to say the least. I don't even know how to describe it so let's just get into it.

               The 2am Hospital Runs

     I was in a trio for a few days waiting for my companion to come in, and it was rather eventful, to be honest.

     Wednesday, 8:25pm. We are teaching a lesson with a friend. Things are going well, and the spirit is there. But you know who wasn't there? Elder Magee. Poor Elder Magee is half-conscious and is fading fast. We get him up and out the door, but he throws up before we get there. These friends were so sweet and handled it so well, but they forced him to eat before they sent us home.

     1 am. The other elder in the trio starts throwing up too. At this point, nobody is asleep because the two companions are getting up every 10 minutes or so. So, at 2 am, we call our senior missionaries and they tell us to meet them at the hospital.

     2am. I am driving down the road in the middle of Aruba, taking my less-than-half-conscious companions to the hospital at 2 in the morning. As a Missionary. What is life. When we get to the hospital, one sits down and the other lies on the floor. With all the adventures in Aruba, we didn't get home from our 2 hospital trips until after 5 am. How did I not get sick? I don't know. Miracles

     We got new chairs at our church! For most people, that's nothing crazy, but out here, that's HUGE. Our branch is small and needs more room to grow, and we had some pretty crusty old chairs. But now we have nice new ones that make the church feel like a church! I've never been so excited about chairs before, but I hope you can feel my enthusiasm! Oh, and they're crazy comfy. 

     Yeah, that's honestly about it. It was perhaps the craziest day/night of my life as a Missionary thus far. Other than that, I'm here with my companion Elder Neal. He has been out for about 20 months and just finished his run as AP, and if you remember my Machete story from way back first day, that's him. It's been a blast.

     I hope you all have the best week in the world and that you all remember that with God, anything is possible. I love you all! Kuida kurpa, nos lo wak bo otro siman!

Ayó

Elder Aldrich

Aruba Island, March 2025

Throwback to Guyana machete night

Our church got new Chairs!! Look at em!!