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