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