Christmas in Ecuador

My mission got together at President and Sister Ghent's apartment to celebrate Christmas. It is always great to see the other missionaries and catch up. 

Elder Meriles from San Francisco

 

Elder Christensen, my companion, from Massachusetts

President Ghent, my mission president, from Manhattan Beach, California

President and Sister Ghent's home

 Elder Sanchez, my favorite companion, from Honduras

Good and Bad

A successful week. We are doing great here in Colla Loma. We have 3 people with baptismal dates, Juliana, William and Alison for the 29th of December. Juliana is ready to be baptized right now, but she really wants her mom to be there for her baptism and the 29th is the first availability she has. William is the dad of the Rojas family whom are a less active family. Alison is his youngest daughter who is not yet baptized. They are very excited to be able to clean up their lives and have felt the Lord's hand in helping them achieve that. We had an appointment with them on Friday and we had scheduled to just teach the restoration, but after we had finished talking about the Book of Mormon, I felt prompted to talk with them about the sabbath day. It took a while explaining it to them, but it proved a very true prompting. On Sunday morning when we had a visit with them, Maria, the less active mom, told us of the miracle they experienced on Saturday. They had committed to us on Friday to attend church and keep the sabbath day holy and not work (they sell cell phone parts and batteries in the street and make very few dollars a day), so once Saturday came, they were determined to sell enough for Sunday too. But, at mid-day, they still hadn't sold a single thing and their daughters were really hungry. The mother gave them a few dollars to find something to eat and after the girls returned, they said a prayer right there in the street to ask Heavenly Father to help them be able to keep the sabbath day holy and sell enough on Saturday. By 4 o'clock they had over $50 and at the end of the night they had more than $70! They were so excited at church knowing that the Lord had helped them out. 

Elder Christensen is passing through some tough times (as is normal for the first few weeks on the mission) but he is doing well over all. Elder Putnam, an elder who was with me in the MTC and was in my first zone here in Ecuador, lives in the house with my companion and I (along with his companion). Well, he has had a few mental shutdowns and has had some difficulties with migraines, so they sent him home to the states to get some real medical treatment and then hopefully come back. It seems like it may be the start of epilepsy, but we'll just have to see. He is a great guy, born in Temecula and moved to St george. He and I passed a lot of the same newbie experiences and grew up a lot and it was fun to have him here with me these last few months and see how much he'd changed. 

 

More bad news, looks like Elder Sanchez did some more foolish things in Esmeraldas, and he may get sent home ): we went to the offices and found him there ready for an interview with President with his bags all packed. He was way bummed and so was I, but we got to talk a lot and I was glad that he loves me as much as I love him. We had some of the best experiences of our mission together in Ibarra. His family lives in New Jersey and he has a half brother who is a US born citizen but lives here in Quito (another crazy story) and hopefully Elder Sanchez can get sent to the states to be with his family. I told him that if he needs anything my family is his family and "mi casa es su casa" as dad loves to say (: I'll find out tonight if president ends up sending him home or just repremanding him. More crazy news, the sister missionary from my MTC group is going home on the 20th to be home for the next semester! ahhhh! Time is going by so fast!

 

Love Elder Blackwelder

 

These are some pictures I took this week of the Volcano Cayambe. The sun was setting one day and it was magnificent. I love how I can see it from my shower and from the bus. It makes me so excited that I am here and not somewhere else.

 

New Companion

Well, Tuesday night I received the call that Elder Ramos was to leave the next morning. I am not going to waste my time nor yours to tell you about how difficult of a companion he was, I'd rather tell you about my new one Elder Christensen. He got out of the MTC early because he already knew spanish pretty well. He has helped me to see the spirituality that is necessary to have success in a mission. We have an investigator named Elizabeth who has leukemia and her husband left her for a few days because she needs to get married in order to get baptized but he got really offended and mad that she was talking about such things. We found her one day on the street and she told us the news about her husband leaving her and her 3 kids. and after she walked away, my companion suggested we offer a prayer for her. I was happy to hear that, and we did so, but it made me think about how sometimes here I begin to just work, and sort of leave God out of it. After having done the same kinds of things every day for 16 months, I'd begun to think that I kinda had it all under control with my own skills that I've acquired. I was happy that he could teach me so much with such a small action. I'll let you guys know next week about how things are doing with Elizabeth. We also have another person preparing for baptism but is really nervous about making a decision. She knows it's all true, but is hesitant in making the decision. Her name is Juliana. We are going to focus a lot this week on finding new people to teach and I just KNOW that there is a family waiting for my companion and I to knock.

 

Love you all,

Elder Blackwelder

 

Tamarindo- a pod fruit that has seeds with like a tart paste all around them.

The elders who live with me and the Christmas garland (:

 

My speaker I bought with the money from Miki Olsen. Finally can ring in the season with the Manheim Steamroller dad sent (:

This is what I look like RIGHT NOW (: ¡feliz cumpleaños Thomás!

 

I just got my hair cut (: it grows so fast...plus i have to shave daily now...not every 3 or every other...dang. I love the advent cards; they are the best. They make me so excited to have a new day. Today was from Bree Lundquist. Made me laugh really hard to hear what she had to say. Sounds like she is happy though. You guys should do the letter advent again at the end of my mission, like the last 30 days or something.

Here is a picture of breakfast on Dec 1st- granola from home and mangoes. So rico.

 

Thanksgiving 2012

I actually had a splendid holiday. Our whole zone was invited over to a family's house to eat with them...and their house was soooooo nice. By far the nicest one I've ever been in in Ecuador. The food was really good and the mom did her best at making pumpkin pie. All sorts of goodness, and then after eating, we all got to go play in the yard. They had a trampoline, punching bag, soccer field, piano, guitar, lightsabers...it was great. Definitely made for a great Thanksgiving away from home. Well, I wish I could write more, but this gooofy keyboard has sucked up all my time in trying to type ledgibley.

Love 

Elder Blackwelder

The whole zone

My plate

Dessert selections

Real salad

My special place marker

Elder Plua and me

My desk

My old shoe inserts and the new ones you sent me

The last of the chocolate cake

MAJOR mission challenges

Wow, major challenges with my companion. In fact, president invited us over tonight to eat with him and his family (his daughter and son in law are visiting) and probably to have interviews with us... On Thursday after the district meeting, one of the assistants came on divisions with us. My companion didn't really behave himself very well, and the whole rest of the week was just kind of a joke...contacting doors by myself was a very different experience (: "Hi, we're missionaries. I'm Elder Blackwelder and that's my companion over there on the corner" hehehe thats just how it was this week, but we (I) found a new family of 5. In the prayer at the end of the lesson, the wife-who was praying-just bursted out in tears asking for help with her kids and her husband. It was a really good first lesson, but they didn't end up going to church ): Our church starts at 2:00 and we taught them in the morning at 10:00, they said they would try to go, but weren't able to do so. Anyway, I am growing a lot in a lot of ways. Physically too! I got my pull up bar installed and have been hittin it every morning (: and the elastic bands they gave us in the MTC I use as well. With my companion, I am learning how to be decided, direct, and firm. I am not wishy washy nor suave anymore. Well, at least I try not to be. I think that is something I got from my dad, very suave. But it will help me to be a better leader here in the mission and a better dad in the last days. 

Sorry I don't really have much to write about, nothing really exciting happens in Quito. Nor do I have photos to send for the same reason. But if you write and ask questions, then I will have something to answer to (:

Oh, there is a new missionary in our house. He is from Utah, but has lived just about everywhere in the west. Named Elder Fowkes (like Faust but with an X sound at the end). That's about it for news from me..

 

Until Next week

Elder Blackwelder

January 30, 2012

Candice,


Sadly we cant have bikes here, kinda a bummer. But it
is still fun to see others using them, even though they are usually just thrashed. I saw one fixed gear the other day though, but you wouldn't be able to tell because normally people take a lot of pride in their bike, but his was just gnarly and rusty.I am jealous about the film festy and the valentine party, that sounds so fun. Well, I hope you are doing well, and make a good choice for the valentines dinner. If I was invited I know who I would bring. How are you doing with your prayers and scripture reading? Just do it for one week and you will see. Major change. You have nothing to lose, not even your social image! haha (: I love you, and wish NOTHING but the
best for you.

Ian

TURTLE NECKS!

February 13, 2012

 Everyone:


So today was the 7 month mark, and we went to a waterfall. really cool. Looking at the pictures, it probably looks like hot south american jungle, but it is really mild, like home. with eucalyptus trees and low shrubs. the water was rather warm too. so beautiful.

To Candice:

hehe clothes, food, school, babies, sicknesses...sounds like your life is just about the same as always except for EUROPE! so cool! i want to go to iceland sooo bad. that was my pick for the mission....but there are places here that are just as cold and that are just what I imagined iceland like...tons of grass and volcanic black rock with a lake or two. We met two folks from france today at a market in otavalo. I asked what was better for them, english or spanish. English. they lived in australia for 12 years. I asked what he likes to do. Digging. haha sweet man, me too! For gems; like rubies and saphires. Awesome! That was why he lived in Australia. We also went to a waterfall today. I'll send pictures of that.
The cheese family isn't home much, so that is going nowhere fast. But we found another family, Sahona, and the son (8) is a champion Michael Jackson dancer. He is incredible! All over the place with his music-video-obtained moves, truly magic. I have gained a new respect for Michael Jackson.
Yes, being District leader is still hard for me, I just feel like all the other missionaries have so much more to offer than I do, and I just want to learn from them, not the other way around...oh well.

I'll never find someone like you,
Elder Blackwelder

March 5, 2012

So, a quick week, no doubt. A new month too, we are planning a big mission wide goal called "Miracle March" and we had a mini zone conference on saturday and our zone Leaders told us all about it. It's basically a goal to get ALL the companionships up and running properly. I am getting adjusted to all my responsabilities and am enjoying it all. I have been very happy lately, realizing that I am not responsible or required to be perfect. It was a big weight that I have felt taken off my shoulders, seems like it should just be something simple, something I already should have known, but I suppose it was just a reminder. We have a new missionary in the Zone, well 2 actually. One is the new Zone Leader, the other is a greeny fresh from the MTC in Mexico. They are both very unique and have strong quirks...but it will all be great. I went to Tulcán yesterday to do some baptismal interviews with the new Zone Leader, Elder Anderson, and we spent the night there (at 12,000 ft elevation). In the morning I went on  run with Elder Pande, the missionary who works there, and I was huffin and puffin hahaha it was fantastic. Then, Elder Pande and I went fishing! haha we had been planning something like that for a few weeks now, and finally did it. 

We bought some cheap $6 poles with reels and line and headed to a place called Tufiño, on the river that divides Colombia and Ecuador. We weren't sure if the fish were Colombian or Ecuadorian...haha but we didn't catch any anyway. But while we were exploring better fishing spots, we found a trout hatchery (criadero de trucha)! It was so cool, I recognized it from a distance with the different pools with an input of water and an output. There was a cool little hut that had the egg laying section I imagine. there was a house next to it, so we knocked to see if we could toss our lines in....(: the lady answered but said no, because she is just the caretaker, it is someone else's project, called Gisis I think-you can look it up- but we got to take a little tour.
We're working with a really funny old lady named Elsa Guerra, she is supposed to get baptized this saturday, but it will probably get moved to the following week, the 17th. All is well here in Sagrario.

Love you all,
Elder Blackwelder


To Candice,


I love you and am sorry about your fall. It is scary to think how fragile life really is, to think that you passed an experience that could have ended you life in an instant makes life a bit different. Makes you wonder, "if were to die, would I be ready? Did I say what I needed to say to a certain person? Did I achieve what I really wanted? Am I going to make my life different now that something like that has happened?" All questions that I have meditated deeply and have come to various conclusions, but it is still powerful to think about. I'm sorry about your glasses, I know how you feel ):


Love Ian

February 27, 2012

I am going to answer your questions first:

Yes, it was a good week, Elder Rocha and I have been working out some kinks in the companionship and i am glad that we are going to be together another 6 weeks, transfers were yesterday. The district experienced a change...it grew! now there is only one district in the whole Zone, so i have the same dominion as the zone leaders...kinda strange. But this week I talked about using the members more, not just for asking for references, but teaching the how to become missionaries. The policy that President Hinckley established was "every member a missinonary", but many members don't know exactly what to do. We talked about how to teach them how to make a contact, what are the basics of the church that they can teach (articles of faith basically) and how to be a good fellowshipper and help their friends come to church. It went really well, I felt like it was succesful. 

     I was thinking about that the other day, that in reality, I feel like my shirts look the same as when I was in the MTC. We wash at a member's house, they have a washing machine, then we bring it all home and put it on a rack that we have to dry out.  I use 3 shorts sleeves and one long sleeve every week, the long sleeve for when I use my suit on sunday and if it is cold during the week, and the shorts sleeves I wear 2 days in a row. It is a good system and I still have many more white shirts in my suitcase. But there are some areas in the mission that are just hot and dusty and I heard most missionaries change thier shirts at lunch because of the dirt sticking to sweat...awesome.

       I love it here in the sierra though, so beautiful. The volcano Cayambe was making itself visible on sunday morning as we went around town waking up the sleepy investigators, it is so magnificent and snow covered. 

     I was talking with a guy at church yesterday about Iceland and that I wanted to serve there on my mission because I have some viking heritage, he was kinda confused because I am American...it's funny because most people don't understand that the gringos that they are familiar with are not native to north america...haha they all come from other countries.

     I would imagine that the Blackwelder cousin's house in Orem would be quite crazy, but it is sooo cool. They have a trampoline indoors and a climbing wall...and like 20 rooms too haha.

Today in the morning, we made cookies in the chapel from a Betty Crocker mix that Elder Challis got in a package from his grandma. Super good. We did a service project this week for a member, helping him build a new house out of cinder block and I got super burnt on my neck where my collar tan line is...haha so funny how different the sun is here. We got shirts as a zone with a drawing of each of us as an indigenous from our respective countries (U.S, Ecuador, Panama, Honduras) but mine came with my name mispelled, and a bit small, so I am going to send it home to Thom.

Well Love you all,

Elder Blackwelder

February 20, 2012

 Letters to dad and mom:

Dad,

Haha I love Anza! that's cool uncle Don got to go. Here in Ecuador is a holiday called Carnaval, everyone has work and school off and they throw water balloons, eggs, flour and all sorts of things at whoever is in the street. Kinda fun. I met some guys at the Colombian border who were fishing, they use bread mixed with tuna for bait for the trout, up to like 3 or 4 pounds. The river separates the two countries. Funny old guys. We're spending the pday here in Tulcán, 12,000 ft! haha it is so awesome to be here and not have to have hiked all the way up, I always love how the air is so different and chilled.

Sorry it is short, but I love you, thanks for helping me out in everything.

Love Elder Blackwelder

Another tough week for me mentally. I'm interested to know when it was that you felt that. One night i just felt it all so real, exactly how you said it; she was so vibrant, but it all is just captured in pictures. The pictures of her are very different, other people tell me they see a difference too, than those of Tess or Candice. Her eyes hold all the goodness of her life here on earth. I can't look at the picture on her funeral program without crying, where she is looking at the camera direct and has her hair back, and its hard to tell if she is smiling, or kinda sad, kinda like "well, i finished, now it's your turn to keep going". I loved going to her house on weekends and taking a break from everything. I have never been one for friends ALL the time, and her house was always the best retreat. We would sing, and cook, and then sleep forever. And I always made her go get gelato with me! haha I knew she wanted it, but couldn't make herself do it. I always felt so respected by her, like I was her Older brother. Her waist was always perfect for hugging, she loved those. And her teeth so white and always smiling. Her scar on her nose, lazy eye in pictures...she was the best! and even though I know it's not over it is still hard to believe it wil be so long until we meet again.

I haven't become the missionary I want to be. I realized that here in Ibarra, and I was really racked thinking about it. Then, at church, there was this young black guy, like 23 or so, who I hadn't seen before. I think he attended the other branch on Sunday, but he was just so happy. I thought, "I'm supposed to be like that, I have always been like that". I got to talk for a long time with him, and he served in Honduras 3 years ago and told me all his good experiences and just kinda helped me in general with understanding the mission life. And now I feel better, but the 23rd is coming this week, those days are always kinda difficult, but I think it will be ok. Today is the holiday Carnaval, where everyone throws waterballoons or other liquids at everyone in the street. We bought some foam sprays and hid them, so people drive by, think we have nothing, then we chase them down in the traffic and get em good. We have a baptism this weekend, a 9 year old whose mom is inactive. We've been trying to get the mom back to church with the help of the ward council, but it has been tough because she had a miscarriage in November and she lifted something heavy recently and had to go to the hospital because of some major bleeding...so...we're just kinda waiting for her to get better before she can come back to church. We have been having district meetings outside because it has been really nice weather, but today is kinds drizzly. We are here in Tulcán, on the border with Colombia. It is cool, I found some guys who were going fishing in the river between the two countries, they were just like crusty old fishermen from home, things aren't always different I guess (: Sorry I always write about the daily life stuff, it is just what I feel like you guys find most interesting, but I will try to write more about people and how we try to help them.

 

Love

Elder Blackwelder

Need some advise

Ian's letter to mom:

thanks mom (:

The cheese guy is named Merson Ortega, he works from the province of Carchi which is where almost all dairy products come from here. He sells all of his cheese in Colombia, i think because there aren't good farms there so he can get a better price. He is gone a lot and so we can't teach the wife when she is alone...so little progress there ): I never knew that Alyse was pregnant!! 9 months ago...i was still home too....oh well. Blackwelders and Myers always right behind each other with babies....not much time to write today, but always time to read because we print out the letters in the morning and read them during the day and write at night, but today we got a late start because we cleaned the bathroom. The other missionaries who attend the same chapel as us are the zone leaders. They have been teaching a family Celin, the mom is marcia and she got baptized on sunday, and President Ghent showed up too which was cool. But Marcia has two sons Lenin and Gustavo who are also investigators, but smoke weed mixed with cocaine everyday. They have been working a lot with them to get them to stop, but still are so physically attached to it. They hate it, but can't stop. I was wondering if you could ask Larry if he has any advice. The Elders working with them, one is from Guayaquil and has seen a lot of things with his friends, and the other is from Saint George, so they need some advice..

love you

Elder blackwelder

Ian's cousin Larry's response to Ian's request for help with addicts:

Ian, Hey buddy!


Your Dad stopped over on Sunday and gave me a little update on your progress. Sounds like you're doing a good job and making a difference. I'm proud of you. Your investigator that are smoking cannabis and cocaine daily will be able to get the program but you're going to have deal with the dependency also. A good starting point is seeing if they can meet you and not be under the influence, little baby steps. Take it "One Day at a Time" and then it's not so overwhelming. Maybe they can commit to a whole day without using and then contact you the next day with an update. You can be their support sponsors and also spiritual guides. Smokable cocaine is highly addictive but more psychologically than physical. Cannabis is psychologically addictive only, no physical withdrawal. They can quit but it may not be right away, relapse is part of the process for most people. The true healing from this "brain disease" is spiritual in nature, finding help from a Higher Power, outside of themselves and you may be that for them at first. Love, compassion, acceptance and encouragement are key ingredients to recovery. Another thing to remember when working with addicts, you may never see them get clean or sober that's the facts. Sometimes all you do is plant the seed and when the time is right they will remember what you said and especially your spirit and how you were with them. You can be a source and inspiration for change with acceptance and example. I know you'll do a good job with them, you did with me.


I remember sitting in your backyard when I was in the first month of recovery. You, Briana, Tess and Candice were worried, asking what was I going to do with Locals Only, with Jim, etc. etc? I said "I'm not sure, I'm just taking it one day at a time. You walked in the house a drew this little caricature of me with blood shot eyes in my torn-up shorts and shirt looking like a bomb went off. It said "I take it one day at a time but lately two days attacked me at once!" I'll never forget how loving and understanding all you kids were while I was going through probably the toughest time of my life. Love is the cure all.


Well buddy dog! Get out there now and spread the love in the way you've been taught. Again I'm so proud of you.


Love, Larry

January 23, 2012

 my shoes

 my reflection on the bus (yes we do travel alone)

  My friends from my MTC group at the training meeting we had with president in otavalo

 my nasty kitchen in the cave we live in (the light in the photo is actual, it's like camping because there is a big shadow from the yellow light on the one wall. we're in the process of looking for another house)

 baptism of Kevin Moises

 the zone the day of transfers waiting for the bus

in the bus at terminal Quitumbe

the view from in the bus. I am glad you and dad checked out the drive from quito to ibarra, it really was quite incredible. I loved the desert to roling green hills change. Did you guys look on google earth?

Everyone-


So, my first full week in Sagrario Ibarra. It is very different than San Juan. Starting with the house, my new one has very few windows. It makes it very sad and dismal, and it has also been really cloudy and rainy, so that doesn't help much either. But it is all flat! no hills! However, it makes it very difficult to orient yourself. It is a really interesting city, and the people are much friendlier and much more willing to listen. My companion doesn't really know where things are either, so the only investigators we have are really close to the house, but occasionally we have lunch in the more extremities of the sector. We have a crummy map at the house that I try to study at night to get to know it all, but I have know idea where the boundaries are. I think on Tuesday we have a meeting with the branch president to get things like that settled. Oh, the branch. It is really great actually, a lot stronger I'd say than my old ward in San Juan, but there are a few things they are lacking (like a piano player in sacrament). I am actually excited though to be able to work in a branch because there is a real goal to be reached of becoming a ward. It was hard to leave the investigators and everything in San Juan, but I think I just need to learn to get over it.

We are working with the Burgos Family. They were found a few weeks ago by my companion Elder Rocha and another Elder who is in Tulcan, Elder Pande. The dad has a cheese company and is away from the house A LOT, so it is hard to find them all together. They are highly wealthy and have a very different way of conversing. Their house is Chinese themed with big fans on the walls for decoration and chinese style furniture. The folks here are considerably more wealthy than San Juan, but there certainly are some sectors of the poorer variety. I don't think I prefer either more than the other, they both have their ups and downs. My companion is a really good teacher. He only has 9 weeks in the mission, but I have learned a lot from him in lessons. He has a really different accent because he is from Brazil. He has been really sick lately, but I think we are going to start running in the mornings to get to know the sector a little bit better. We have a few other people we are working with besides the Burgos family, but they were the only ones who showed up at church. Elder Rocha and I think that once they get baptized, Hermano Burgos will be the first Bishop of the ward. They are really good investigators, just lack the time. That is about it for this week. I am just continuing to get to know Ibarra and the people, and getting used to my new responsibilities. 

Love you all

Elder Blackwelder

January 16, 2012

To everyone:

I have had some incredible experiences this past week, and have really seen that the Lord trusts ME with the salvation of souls...really big responsibility once I realized it. But since it is so important to Him, He is right there to help me do it.

I met a girl in a wheel chair the end of December, mariela. She just had an operation on her knee because of arthritis, even though she is 23 years old. Her niece lives the street above her, but stays with her most of the days to watch after her. We have been teaching the two of them and things were progressing slowly, but we stressed the importance of asking Heavenly Father directly and receiving a heavenly answer rather than a worldly one. Well, the neice, Estefania, asked Heavenly Father if the Book of Mormon is true and if this is the true church of Christ and if He could make it known to her by means of a dream. Well, that night in her dream, Joseph Smith appeared and said it is all true and that she needs to get baptized! I was so happy! I was completely blown away, but then she asked, "do my parents need to sign something for a baptism?" sadly, yes, and her parents are FULLY against it and she was extrememly dissapointed.

Mariela, her aunt, while we were visiting her one day with a member, kind of had an ah-ha moment when the Hermano was talking. Mariela had some doubts about baptism, but I told her that I am not here in Ecuador by chance. First told her about mission application process and the probability of me getting sent to Ecuador. Then, the accident with Briana and that I shouldn't really be living. And the probability that I am serving in that very sector (San Juan) at that very moment. I said, there is no reason for you to not take the step of faith and get baptized. Well, she still wanted to wait until sunday to go to church and see what it felt like there. Well, she went, and Estefania too, and so we went to visit them after church. Estefania said, "I prayed like you asked me to in order to know when I should get baptized, whether I should wait until I'm 18 to not offend my parents, and I got an answer...the 28 of January like you invited me to. But, when my parents found out that I went to Church today, they said that if they see any missionaries or anyone from the church at Mariela's house, they won't let me see her again. " So that is the problem at this point, a mother/sister who is blinded and stubborn and is prohibiting the salvation of 2 of God's daughters. And, better yet,  I just got transferred today...I am now in a place called Ibarra as the District Leader. Responsible for the Salvation of more souls...what a ton of bricks...So, it would be great if you could pray for Stefanie's parents so they can soften their hearts.

Ibarra looks like a great place, but it is small. Not even a stake, just a district still, made up of 4 branches. what I have heard, it is the oldest district in the world (which goes to show that the members aren't amazing right now). It would need 5 wards for it to be a stake, so we are here to do our best to get things flowing with the members. My new companion, Elder Rocha, is from Brazil and has a cool accent in spanish. He came 9 weeks after me, and I think was in the Brazil MTC the same time as Elder Astle.

Well, Love you all

Elder Blackwelder

To Candice:

That was the best letter I ever got from you, and I feel so sad that I don't have time to write. I am in the terminal in Ibarra waiting for another missionary to get here I got transfered, very sad. But we had such a good last two weeks, especially this weekend. We had a "regalito" baptism of a less active dad's son who is incredible and such a smart 10 year old. Kevin Moíses Lavayen Vicente, I got to do the baptisma and confirmation. So, that was the only baptisms we had in san juan this transfer...kinda wimpy, but still amazing. The trip from Quito to ibarra is incredible...goes from the city of quito to a desert like Baja Mexico in the spring, to rolling volcanic hills with houses and cows to an epic view of a lake and then a wide valley known as Ibarra, but people here have goofy accents and say Ibazha basically. They don't say "rr" correctly.  I LOVE you and am soooo excited for those things too when I get back, but it would also be fine if you got married I think...but nonetheless, good times ahead. My new companion is from Brazil. Elder Rocha, and he got here 3 weeks before elder Comsa and so 9 weeks after me! Crazy that he and I use Spanish as our common tonuge, something that is new for the two of us. I am District leader, which is kinda gnarly for me right now to realize. I have to give training every thursday to 6 people, all, with the exception of one, of which have more time in the mission than me. Yikes.

Love Ian

Week 17

January 9, 2012

To the family-

Whoo, another week, they go by so fast. I loved everyone of those pictures you sent. So funny and sad to see you all together at Christmas.
This week we had a training meeting with President and I go to have an interview with him. He is so funny and calm, sooo calm. He taught me some good tricks for asking for references from the members, so we are going to start implementing that this week.
The weather was kinda rainy this week and I made a recording today of the thunderstorm, but I think I got rain in my recorder! Or the batteries died. I had some strange dreams this week about catalina, mainly because right before I go to sleep I remember myself swimming through the kelp with Thom and dad. Mmmm. My companion said he played a jazz thing on the island once with his school band when they were on a Disneyland trip.
Daniel and his mom have come back from Guayaquil and we set a baptismal date for the 28 of January. They are so interesting and different than all other Ecuadorians I've met. I was teaching about the holy ghost and how we feel it (she doesn't believe in God), and she said "kinda like a positive energy I'd imagine, right?" Totally! We read moroni 7:12,13 but she totally already understood that. We are teaching Mariela still, she's got the bum knee, well now it has a prosthetic, and she seems to be progressing fine, but yesterday a guy in the church that we asked to pick her up in his truck totally didn't and she was really bummed because she couldn't just roll herself down to the chapel, so she cant get baptized until she attends 3 times...now the next month. All is good here in San Juan, next week we will receive transfers...so we'll see how that goes. I imagine I'll stay here, hopefully with Elder Comsa.

Love Elder Blackwelder

Danny Charculean, funny kid

Quinoa soaked for 3 days, woops!

Mangoes, fresh and dry 

The Basilica behind me

UW and BYU hats in a shop. The owner is Korean, named Cho

my new Venus shoes (ecuadorian special)

 January 9, 2012

Candice-

So, this week was kinda hard for me too. I'm glad you cried too about that song, its so good! Ben wrote me! I was so happy. I love you too and I wish you were here! I'm just a lost soul swimmin in a fish bowl, well, not really. I feel like I've got all the direction I need right now. My poor companion, he's just dying from spanish. I try to speak 100% with him so he can gain some confidence. 

Love Ian