Merry Christmas !!!!

Hello family!   ¡Feliz Navidad!
How was your celebration of Christ`s birth? Mine was pretty swell.  After the Skype call home I certantly felt a grand longing for home.  VERY MUCH!  But, our day went well, and I`m really glad that we were able to have that phone call.

Thanks for sending your letters and pictures!  It sure looks like you guys had a great time over there, I sure wish I could`ve had a taste of some of that food!  Gnocchis... OH!  How I crave them so!  But I`m glad that it all went very well for you all.  

On Tuesday, we had our Christmas dinner with the president and his wife.  They had tables laid out as if it were a fancy restaurant, and we proceeded to have ham, mash potatoes, festive veggies, and cheesecake. (ALL rarities here in Ecuador for Gringos to find), then we had a `noche de hogar`   (Family home evening), and finished with caroling out in front of a mall.  It was great!  I even received a new study journal with my name on it!  It was great!

For Chirstmas Eve, we had to return at the house at 4, and proceeded with our own little Christmas dinner, a full chicken, fries, and Jell-O.  Pretty swell, along with a bunch of Christmas candy the members gave us.  Essentially, we had our own little party with Christmas music, many games of Monopoly, and plenty of Drawing time.  We went to bed happy.

Christmas morning, now that was one to remember.  (before I continue, during what I am about to recourse next did not put myself or my companion in any risk of danger! (Suspense builder) )

Ok, so when we awoke Christmas morning we were both way tired.  Probably because we were out and about all of yesterday and had to get up early for church.  I felt a little sick, and we got ready to go.  While we were grabbing some food, I noticed that there was a very loud knocking outside.  I looked to see the neighbor´s house in front of ours had some guys kicking at the door, yelling while the family was on the roof yelling back.  Yup, typical South American temper tamptrums.  We started to leave, and stepped out the door to behold a literal brawl of 15 people in the street, wives being flung off to side and men frantically bashing on each other.      Slightly shocked, we continued off to church, our `spirit of Christmas`  momentarily eviscerated.   What kind of world is it that people so childishly do such things, and especially on Christmas morning! Gah!      WELL!  Do not fear, for nothing like that could ruin Christmas day for us!  (Hm, I`m not even sure if I should`ve shared that...  oh well!)

Church went great, we met with a lot of members, visited some investigators during the day, shared plenty of messages on the purpose of Christ`s birth and life, and had to arrive home at 6.  We made some spaghetti, watched the movie Legacy, and essentially relaxed.  (along with some more monopoly!)   Essentially, it was a nice Christmas.  Yes, I did feel deprived of family in a physical sense, but even without gifts or grand dinners, it was still a fantastic holiday.  

And this next week is New Years!  I hear down here in South America the people really like to celebrate it in a grand way down here!  I`ll tell you about it next week, but for now... PHOTOS!

1- Eden ready to devour Christmas dinner

2- Our zone with the president and his wife

3-My comp and I at the president`s house

4- OUR CHRISTMAS  TREE!!!

5- I don`t know why it was there, but we found this costume to dress up as Christmas present in our house.  We later converted it into a table cloth.

AND!  Alas, I have only received one package so far!  Which one?  And the winner is... THE LECHTENBERGS!  Thanks Patty for your swell gift! Although it`s late to start it, I shall begin now and   build each advent every day until the deed is done.  Thanks!  

I shall keep you all updated as I receive more!

-Elder Sanders

week 22

Hello one and all!  Ok, to start, I have 2 HUGE news items!  One is partially sad, and the other will make you guys go ballistic with joy!  First off, remember how my companion was waiting for his VISA for Venuzuela? Well, I guess it came and he`ll be leaving in a few days!  AUGH! I`ve only been with him a week!  So, I shall be receiving a new companion, and... well, I`m just not sure what day exactly or when, but I shall let you know next week!

Ok, number 2.  I cannot hold it in any longer... :D  OK!  Today, while we were eating at the Mall by our sector with other missionaries in our sector, we were approached by a woman who said she was a member.  A member from... SALT LAKE CITY!  AH-HA! Her name is Ivon, (I hope that`s how to spell it, it sounds like Ibon but could be Evon) she was born in Ecuador, and is here visiting her mom.  And now... get ready for this... she`s coming home Thursday, and is GOING TO VISIT YOU GUYS THIS SATURDAY!  HA HA!  She`s also going to bring my mega-letter that has something for everyone in the family. (if I would have known that we were to meet, I would`ve made a package of sorts, but oh well!)   SO!  she has our phone number and address, and her number is 801-358-7904.   It`s going to be GREAT!  (well, for you guys, enjoy!)

Alright, so now to ´normal business.¨¨¨

First off, this sector has been tough!  To begin our week, we only had 1 investigator, and the majority of our week has been contacting.  On Tuesday we were out contacting for 7 hours!  SEVEN!  Well, it`s been a long, and rather tough week, but we now have 2 families with a baptismal date for the end of the month, and it looks as if we may get 1 or 2 more!  We shall definitely work hard!   
And I think the hardest part of going to a new sector is that you need to re-memorize the city and re-become friends with the members.  That`s a lot to absorb!  But I shall stay true!

And to reply to the letters I received:
1- CONGRATS TO ERIK!  First fruits of baptism indeed!   I can`t wait to get your stuff, and... your Christmas package is on the way!  I`m going to send ya a letter and pictures by hand or by email, whichever I can get to first.

2- Yes, our insect-infected beds are being purged.  I have had no more recent bug-bites.
3- IT looks as if the Chirstmas party went great! Those pictures were crazy!  I wish I could`ve joined ya... maybe in a year or so. :)
4- BRANDON LEISHMAN!!! Your Christmas package is on the way too!  Expect to receive my letter Via Email soon!
5- CONGRATS TO THOMAS FAGG!  I shall be sending an E-mail to you also!  I just need to do it!
6- President and Sister Ghent are awesome.  They both are kind, give great talks, and are just great role models.  I don`t get to see them often, just when I go to the offices or during a special capacitation.
7- CHANTEL!  Thanks for those pics, they made my day!  (I printed one out to secretly stash somewhere... ha ha!)
8- Yes, thanks for the Spiritual thought mom!  It also sounds as if the group ward activity went great! Here`s some swell quotes to share:

^To be Christian means to forgive the inexcusable in others, because has has forgiven the inexcusable in you.¨    -CS Lewis

´You cannot convert people beyond your own conversion´  -Neal A Maxwell

´The future is only as bright as your faith.´   Thomas S Monson

and lastly (when it comes to receiving revelation during a lesson or at home...)

´God Can`t Inspire an Empty Bucket.´     -Elder Blackwelder

Well!  I`ll update everyone next week on how our families are doing, and about my new companion.  Have fun meeting with Ivon, and I shall be awaiting your packages! 

-Elder Sanders

PS; I still don`t know what day I can do the video conference, but I think it shall be either Christmas Eve or the day before.  I shall ask this week to find out!

PSS: Dinner with the president will be this 21ish, I gotta verify because I changed Zones!

PSSS: Photo 1- The view from our house.

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!

 

 

Week 19

Why, hello there!  This is Elder Sanders, reporting in for the week!  Well, first off, happy Thanksgiving!  By the photos, it looks as if you all had a stupendously joyous time together.  I´ll admit, I really want one of those indian hats now.  (The indiginous hats here are rather like fedoras...literally)  BUT! Thanks for the letters, and I always love when you guys write to me. 

And BEN IS ENGAGED? Nelly! That´s stupendous! And Amanda? ¡Doble Loco!  It sure looked like quite the joyous day, espcially those pies... 8!?  What I would´ve done for 1 slice...   and I think I do remember Emily, I´ll be sure to have confidence next time we make cookies together.  Well, anyways, I´m attaching some pics of our ecuadorian thanksgiving and some other fun ones.  As of right now, we have 1 person with a baptismal date (because all of our other ones fell because they didn´t attend church, so we´ll have to set a new one with them) and we have about 7 investigators.   I´m doing ok on health, I´m eating very well, and as for meats, I have chicken every day, I had a an entire fish deep fried (entire as in I believe they took it out of the water and put it in the pan.), and some duck, which is really good! (and to answer your question, I´ve stopped gaining weight and my body is now equalizing.)  Plus, Elder Gomez and I made some homemade raspberry syrup and salsa.  MMM!!! 

 

So, we did have a baptism planned this last Saturday, for the sister of H that we baptized last week.  We started the day out good, set up in the chapel, called members and investigators to attend, visited her in the morning, and filled the font with warm water, (no buckets this week)!  Essentially, all was going well.  A half an hour before the service, we gave her a call to see if we could pick her up.    Instead, her mom answered, and said that we was at her college giving a presentation.  Apparently, she had this huge end of the year thing at her school planned for the evening, until 10PM, and throughout the whole week was too shy to tell us!  GAH!  While this was going on, members and Investigators started arriving.  The whole evening was going to shambles!  So, essentially, we waited a half an hour to she if she could get out early, and in the mean time watched videos with all the guests that had arrived to attend.  Well, she never showed up, and the night was sort of a bust.  So, we planned to re-do the service Sunday before church, where she could attend with us and get confirmed the same day.  And in order to have the font filled in time, we had to get up at 5 to begin filling the font.  We waited until it was reasonably early to call her and see if they could make it... and the reply was no.  That after a week of interviews, visits, and meetings, she didn´t feel ready and wanted to push it until next week.  So, essentially the jist of the weekend was dissapointing, but hopefully by this Saturday, she will be a member of the Church.  :)

 

Well, everything else is good, and changes are next week!  ACK!  I hope we don´t seperate, Atahualpa & Elder Gomez and I are such a great team!  And as for Christmas... People started putting up their trees and lights at the start of november.  It´s gonna be good!  But alas...  I am robbed of those cheeky christmas songs playing in every public venue possible. *sniffle*   BUT! I can skype you guys, so start researching it now so I can do it with ya!  And they still have not told me when or where I can call you, so stay tuned!  (right now, I´m preparing a mega-letter with christmas letters for you guys, so stay tuned! I shall find a post office!) 

 

And yes Erik, I am jealous that you had Wassil.

 

-Elder Sanders

 

PS i´m attaching the other pictures in a seperate email!

 

PSS- HAVE YOU GUYS MADE THAT CEREAL I TOLD YOU ABOUT YET?  IF NOT, DO IT!

 

PSSS- Do you now if Erik and KT got my letters? I don´t know if they´ve written back yet... the suspense is immense!