Buenas Tardes!  I`m writing here from a little town called Guamani (I`m not sure if that`s the right spelling...)   So yes... I WAS CHANGED!  No More Elder Gomez!  AAUGH!  I wanted to spend Christmas with him in our sector with our families soo.. badly...

but, I suppose there is purpose in everything, so I shall tell you when cool things start happening.  Well, my new companion is Elder Manrique, a 25 year old missionary from Quayaquil, Ecuador, awaiting to receive to his visa so he can go to Venezuela.  He has been here for about 8 months.    SO! That was that.  I guess now I`ll really have to brush up on my spaish, because it`s 0% English from here on out. 

 

Time to answer questions!  Weather in Ecuador is quite nice, it`s either warm, sunny, or rainy.  And when it gets rainy, it is intense. My rain-coat that looks like a WWI trench coat does wonders!  Pretty much the weeks switch off from being hot, to rainy.  So, all my shoes and clothes check out ok.    And our investigator that was going to get baptized was unable this weekend, becasue this week is a thing called, Fiestas de Quito, which is a 2 week long celebration of the city.  It`s all pretty mellow, except for the dance parties which are 3 days in a row and are just bursting with gigantic speakers, way to much alchohol and smoking, and everyone goes with thier entire families. Kids and all.  There are plenty of parades, dances, and just a communial feeling.  Pretty swell, but I fear that Michelle will have to wait until next week to be baptized.  We shall see! 

So, our investigators are doing well, but the majority of their baptismal dates fell because they didn`t attend church! GAR! I despise it when you tell them the whole week that they need to attend, they agree to, and when you go to their home sunday morning to pick them up, they just don`t even answer the door.  Lame. 

 

But it sounds like things are exciting at home! Argentine dinners, the whole State of Utah destroyed by the God of Wind, our chickens have given the gift of omlettes,  a great 80`s murder myster dinner, and the Atonement is still giving blessings.    Oh, and can I have your old washing machine? That would be so much easier than a lavanderìa (laundromat).:)      But yeah, life`s going pretty well, and it turns out our beds were infested with microscopic bugs. A week ago,we started getting tons of little bug bites and later learned that they were indeed from miniscule insects that live in beds.  Not bed bugs, but I forgot the spanish name for them.  Our beds shall be disinfected soon, it`s good timing that I left!              I`m also going to send out a Christmas letter soon, I`ll have to ship it off next week, it`s almost finished!   The holiday season down here is going to be great!  I`ll have to tell you about the video conference once I figure out when I can do it.  I guess also this month we get to go caroling in a shopping mall and eat a christmas dinner with the mission president and his wife later!  Alas, since I just got here, I`ll need to tell you later who is ready for baptism and our new investigators and familes.  I shall conquer again!   (I hope)

 

 

HASTA LUEGO!

 

-Elder Sanders: Missionary on the edge.

 

 

Photos!

1-the most pointless fence ever conceived

2- Elder Gomez and I enjoying the fruits of fresh Ecuadorian salsa

3- The extent of our christmas decorations:  a deranged snowman that we found under our desk, which we both think could be used for both Christmas and Halloween

4- La Familia Calvas!  They gave us the thanksgiving feast, and are just plain awesome!  (I shall miss them..)

5- My old zone, Goodbye friends!  (PS, the guy with Blondish hair is from LEHI!  he went to school with me!  Elder Tuckett!