January 30th, 2017

Well, this week was great.  The baptism we had was great.  Elder Lambson and I got a little emotional, only for a few seconds though, but it was cool.  People just change the moment they come out of the water, and it is really cool to see that change.  Her husband baptized her, he is a recent convert, but they moved Sunday, so that was a little sad.

Also, on Sunday, a lady came up to us and said she looked up our church and really liked it and she loved the story of Joseph Smith.  So we taught her on Sunday and set up a baptismal date for the 18th, and for her son, it was cool.

This week Elder Montoya de the 70 (of the seventy) is coming to talk with us.  He will interview a few of us and look at some of our houses, so it will be interesting.

Life's good and, yeah, I eat fruit.  I eat a lot of grapefruit, they are like $.15 for 3 big ones.  Tomate de Arbol are good but you don't eat them alone you make juice out of them and I like the juice.  I have tried about every fruit here, I don't know the names of most of them, but they are all pretty good.
 The church changed some things about the mission, we no longer focus on teaching less-actives or recent converts, it is the ward's job to teach them.  We need to just focus on finding and teaching our investigators.  The schedule changed a little, but we are waiting on president to tell us what to do with that.  We learned all of this on Wednesday, it was a world-wide mission conference.  It was nice; they talked a little bit about how we could be better and then told us of the changes. it was interesting.

Yeah, I'm happy.  Me and elder Lambson get along very well.
I love you all and hope you have a great week.
Here are some pics------I will get one of me and elder Lambson.

January 23rd, 2017

Well, life is now good.  My health is back to normal.  My companion's name is Elder Lambson, he is cool, and we talk all the time.  It is great to speak English and he can help me with my Spanish a little better just because I can ask questions.  I'm slowly adjusting to our house.  We have a toaster oven and a gas stove.  So I'm accepting the small house for the toaster oven and gas stove they're nice to have.

We are the only missionaries in our Barrio (ward) so our sector is huge.  When I first got here there were other missionaries but then we had emergency changes and they both left.  So it is hard to control two sectors, but we have like 7 investigators so that is nice.  One is going to be baptized this Friday so I hope it goes well.  When I got here they had been teaching her for a long time but she wasn't receiving an answer about the church.  The first lesson I had with her the spirit told me to help her realize her answer and then I felt prompted to ask her these questions: how she feels when she goes to church, when we teach her, and when she reads the scriptures.  She said it makes her feel great, and then I asked her if these feelings were the answer she has been looking for.  She didn't answer me, but she excepted to be baptized that day, so it was cool.  Her husband is a recent convert, so it was nice to have him help us teach her.  He liked talking about how much the church changed his life so I think it was good for her to hear him teach.

This week has been nice, a little crazy, with the whole ward to ourselves, but it is nice.  I'm in Atahualpa.  When I looked it up on google maps it was not right.  But I will get my house address soon.

Thanks for the pictures of the temple, I really like them.
Sorry I don't have pictures,

I love you all so much and hope you have a great week.

January 16th, 2017

I think the past 6 weeks went by fast, we had transfers today.  I'm still in Quito, just a different sector.  I'm just a little south from were I was.  I don't know what it's called.  But I hate the house, it is tiny.  We live in the back of this building on the bottom floor.  We have windows but all you see is walls.  I'm calling it the hobbit hole, it makes me feel a little better about the house.  My companion is from the states, California.  I will have his name next time.

But yeah, the past 3 weeks were hard.  I had the stomach flue, it was horrible.  I went to the doctor but I didn't have anything, I just can't eat a few things for a while.  I might have lost weight because I have not been able to stomach food very well.  I can eat now, just not a lot.  But I'm doing better, I just really want U.S. food right now.

I got grandma's package, so if you guys can thank her for that.  I can't eat any of it right now, but it is a nice view.

Thanks dad for those pictures, when I started looking at them a lot of Latinos gave me some weird looks but the pictures are awesome.  Thanks for the story of president Hinckley, it was good.

Life's good and it is good to be hear all is well over there.  I love you all.  I sent Ellie some pictures.  I hope you all have a great week.  The next time you guys get a snow storm, can you take a picture of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple?  Thanks, love you all.

January 9th, 2017

Well, life is alright.  I'm sorry mom is not doing to well, I'm not doing too well either, I feel like dying.  I'm probably going to call this in; I've been sick for almost 2 weeks.  But, other than that, life is going good.  My zone had interviews with president last week but I didn't have an interview because I had one last transfer.  So I just talked with Sister Christensen, it was nice.

This week it has rained every day, I love it but elder Morales hates it.  The thunder is awesome, for about 5 seconds it just sounds like someone ripping paper, but really deeply, and then a huge bang, it is cool.

The snow looks cool, I can't wait to feel snow again.  The mission is fine, it is just sad to see missionaries being disobedient, and members not living there convenios.  I feel like Satan is getting a grasp on some of the members here.

Sorry this is short, not a lot has happened here, but I love you all, and sorry about pictures, these computers are dumb.

January 2nd, 2016

Well, life is good.  We didn't do much for the 1st, I cooked food, but none of it worked out.  The french toast didn't have flavor, and the no bake cookies well, lets just say a stick of butter is a lot bigger here.  I used 250g which is about 16 tbsp. so they tasted like butter, they were bad.  But I bought some Pringles, they were 5 dollars, but they were amazing.

At night on the 31st it was so loud, there was so much music, and they have fireworks here.  But everyone just uses these fireworks that don't have any light, they are just loud bangs.  So it was an interesting night.  During the day it was fine when we went to lunch, but walking back to our house a lot of girls were giving us interesting looks, so we quickly got back to our house.  All the men dress up as women and stop cars and dance in front of them and don't let the cars pass until they give them money.  It is really weird.

I´ve been a little sick this past week, but it has been on and off.  I know I'm starting to go crazy because, one day, we were driving with a member and I thought we were going to die at how fast he was driving.  But then I looked at the speedometer and it said 45km/h, that is 27 mph.  I'm going to die when I go back to Utah.

My Spanish is coming along.  Sorry I don't have much to say, but I love you guys a lot and hope you have a great week.  I have pictures, just the computer is being dumb so I will try next time.  I love you guys.

December 26th, 2016

Yeah, it was fun to Skype you guys.  The snow looks great.  I have not done much since we Skyped, just went to the store and got a lot of things.  I don't really know what to talk about.  I love you guys, and all of you guys look great.  But Keenan could look a little better without that animal on his face.  Life is good, and yeah, I have pictures, but this computer is not being nice, so next week I will send you guys pictures.  Have a great week, and I love you all.