Week # 41 Edens 20th birthday

Merry day, one and all! 

 SO!  This week was as swell as a mighty squid!   So, I`d say that I had a rather swell 20th birthday, I truly do feel as if I have advanced!  Double digits all the way!    So, before I get into any contacting or stuff, Elder Bardzinski and I had a swell little party in our house.  We bought a couple mini-cakes (which were oh so delicious but nothing like my Dad`s teramasu, I hope that`s how it`s spelled!)  and I had balloons, blew out the birthday candles, and...  built with Sponge bob legos.  TOTALLY AWESOME!    Nothing quite as extravagant as the family parties at home, but, it was rather swell.

  Alrighty!  So, I don`t remember if i explained it earlier, but we technically have 3 sectors to work in. which also means 3 wards, and 3 area books.  (for any missionaries reading this, you all know how bad ONE area book can be! :)  )    But, this week we were focusing on a sector called Quinchuqui, which is placed conveniently on a mountain with large hill's, spaced houses, and corn fields without end!  We had a pretty ok time up there, because every time a kid or teenager answered the door, we were received with uncontrollable giggling instead of a good contact.  I guess people think it`s funny to see two white guys up in the mountains, and unless we found an adult, contacting there was useless!

  But, for better news, we found a new family!  He was a contact from 2 weeks ago that we thought wasn`t very good, but we found him and met his family, and they are interested!  Well, it`s true that when we found him he was a punch drunk and we were cordially served salty soup filled with esophagus, intestines, and liver, (one of the few times I didn`t finish my food! ;P )but,  they are a family very much in need!  SO WE ARE EXCITED!!!

Well, that is all the big news for the week, but I also did Receive the CHRISTMAS TREE In the mail, and I loved those pictures you all sent me, they were utterly stupendous! Well, until next time my dear dear family,

-Elder Sanders

PS- PHOTOS!

Here are pics of:

-Me in Quinchuqui

-My companion and I in our awesome masks!

-Pics of my ´birthday party´

-Contacting a Mayan Civilization (actually one of the coolest houses ever!)

-A pic I drew of Christ during sacrament (after attending 2 wards in a foriegn language, you need something to do :)  )

-A scarf making machine that a member has, actually, that alot of members have.

WEEK 40 !!!!!!!

Hello Family! Tis I, your Dear Elder Sanders! 

So, this week was rather good, and eventful.  So, I can´t say we had much success with investigators this week, because we were quite busy with many other things!  We had 3 meetings, 2 service projects, and- my companion struck sick!  Wednesday night he arose at one in the morning and ´expelled´ all the rice, potatoes and meat we had eaten earlier that day, and he was throwing up all night!   So, yes, we were trapped in the house, and I studied and drew while my companion was bed ridden all day!  Egads!  But, never fear, for I took care of him as a mother takes of her child, and he has recovered and is ready to work again.  I never thought I´d be so happy just to be outside contacting...

And for other news, you all thought that you could have wedding fun without me right?  Well, I was not left out, for I too assisted a wedding reunion!  One of the members by our house just got married, and we got to go over and have a jolly moment with them.  Food, dancing, and LOTS of people!  It was pretty nice.

And well, it sounds as if you all are having a great time at home!  2 wedding receptions, dad´s off to see catheters in action, and Madison rocked it with her talk on Sunday!  Actually, that´s coincidental because my companion and I gave talks too!  I spoke about the people in Mosiah 18, and how our ward can be more unified and prosperous by following their example.  (it´s way good!)   And you need to tell Emily to write me a message, if you say I am to marry, then I´d like to hear from her!  :)

So, Elder Bardzinski and I are still doing great, and this sectors is just slapping us silly right now.  We have no investigators!  Because those we contact aren´t accepting, our members aren´t giving us references, and the only references we have received have failed.  So, we did a special fast (we just finished 3 hours ago) so we hope that we can get the lord´s help to start getting the mission work in our sector rolling. And my Quichua is.... coming.  I´ll tell ya when I can start to make sentences, right now I just know how to say brother/sister, see you later, good afternoon, etc etc

BUT!  This sector is just lovable, so I shall be sure to keep you all updated.  and!  I took a stop at the market today and bought some cool stuff!  The photo will be attached in a separate e-mail.

Well, that is all the time I have for now, so I shall be sure to see you all later!

-Elder Sanders

(PS- by the time you read my next e-mail, I SHALL BE TWO DECADES OLD!!) I´m super excited to put up all the birthday stuff!

PHOTOS!!
Here are some pics of us at the wedding reception, me at a zone activity (each companionship had to drop pudding/cake stuff into his companions mouth from way up on a chair!  It got in my eye, haha),   (SUPER FUN)  and me by the left over soda from the wedding party.  Enough carbonation to scare the Lehi swim team. :)

CIAO y   Tu Parishum!   (quichua for until later!)

Hello one and all! And ¡Alli Chishi!  (good afternoon)

I am still here in Otavalo, absorbing all that it has to offer.  Everyone here speaks Quichua, there are members everywhere (this place is nicknamed Utah-valo) and my companion is the bomb!  Also, the church meetings are great.  Why?  Everyone comes to church in their traditional attire (I`ll need to hunt down some photos) and all the talks are also in Quichua.  Yes, I do feel lost, but at the same time I feel way excited!  There are going to be great times ahead!  I can feel it...   but, not quite at the moment.  I guess contacting here is extremely tough and we`ve just been visiting members, all for the purpose of finding new investigators.  So, our main problem right now is that we have no investigators.  EGADS!   But, all hope is not lost, for tonight we are receiving a new reference.  It`s a family that wants to hear about the gospel!  Yes!  So we shall go after writing letters, and hope that it shall go well!

So, it sounds as if things in Utah (and Argentina) are going great!   You need to send me some pictures of the new carpet, and also of the weddings to come!  So many things are going on over there, and I`m (sort of) missing out on it all!  Especially the temple, whew,  I wish that there was one available down here.  Perhaps in the future we`ll see the temple of Otavalo, but, we`ll keep our hopes up.  I also hope that Grandma and Grandpa are doing well, and that the rest of our family are also having a great time.  

And, by the way, my companion is from a city called Melbourne, so we`ll see if our cousins know it.

We`re also doing well, working hard, and keeping the rules.  We had an activity with our zone today, and it was swell!  ¡Fùtbol!  So, I shall also be sure to write when the packages come, because for all the zones out side of Quito, there is a zone package that comes about every couple weeks or so, which usually has letters, pamphlets, book of Mormons, and packages.  The one for this week came and there was nothing for me, so in 2 or so weeks I`ll tell you guys if any of your packages are inside.

Well, I believe that is all for now,

-Elder Sanders

PHOTOS:

There are a few here from my old sector in Pelileo (because I didn`t have time to send them last week), but there`s also one of our clean house (it has couches!), one of the view from our window of Otavalo, !