My Favorite Conversations

These pictures are from Elder Martin, they are from like a week or two ago. We went to a place called Cuicocha, a lake in a crater. The pictures are from Elder Martin's camera. He isn't my companion, but my ZL. We spent kind of a lot of time with them last week on exchanges and on the pday activity.

 

This week started slow because Elder Walker and I were a little sick. Things got better and we got in some good lessons with some less actives. San Roque is still tough for me because it is so different than my other sectors. We are trying to contact folks just in the streets, but they aren't very responsive. The good thing is that my companion likes to have fun so gettin back home and studies in the mornings are fun and it helps carry me through the dusty days. We have 2 service projects planned for this coming week for Tuesday and Wednesday. I am pumped for the services, it is fun to work in a different way. There isn't a whole lot of news here, things are just pluggin along. We learned a little bit of Kichwa yesterday from a sister who teaches Kichwa. That'll be fun to apply this week. My favorite conversations are explaining the basics to people about their eternal identity and destiny; something that most other religions don't touch on.

Week 2 in San Roque

Things are flying by. We are doing our best to get to know all the members, less actives, WHILE finding new people to teach, but it is coming along OK. It has kind of been the routine for 20 months. Elder Walker is from Farmington, Utah and we have a lot in common. The things that are fun about here is the amount of service projects we get to do because everyone has fields to harvest, houses to build, or any sort of other tasks. We harvested some peas and beans on Wednesday, wired on the rebar supports for building a second floor of a house on Friday, and then on Saturday we were putting buckets of materials into the cement mixer and then it would be hoisted up to the second floor for construction. That one was the hardest. 3 buckets of rock, one of cement powder, 3 of sand within 2 minutes. We were just working like dogs. I am beat today.

We had a baptismal goal set for 3 kids of the Picuasi family, but it seems like there is a lack of desire for the whole family to come back to activity in the church. If you guys could pray a little bit for them it would be great.

I am a litte down on the health, I have a fever but things are looking up.

We had a really fun secret pday activity with the 4 missionaries who did not go and play soccer last week. we went to Cuicocha, a crater lake with 2 islands in the middle. I would send the beautiful pictures, but there are like 20 people on this same internet connection and it takes like 30 mins to upload each picture. I sent a letter like 40 mins ago to Adam, but it still hasn't sent.

Love

Elder Blackwelder

San Roque - A land of skirted women and braided men

I love my sector! These pictures are from my rooftop and everything behind me is my sector. Up to the top of El Volcán Imbabura. You may recognize the volcano from when I was in Ibarra...it's the same one. My sector is just one long slope going up from a river down below up to the top.

 

Elder Walker is awesome and is way pumped to work. Things were tough this week because we were basically opening up the sector. Elder Walker and his past companion had 2 wards to work in, but they worked mainly in one because there were more members there and they got a lot of references. Sadly, Elder walker hardly knew San Roque at all, so we have been working a lot in getting to know the members and less actives along with the sector.
 It has been a long week. I got a bloody nose I think every day, probably because of the altitude and it is not as humid as Tena. But I got on the ball and carry a roll of tissue around in my backpack. I have been trying to learn as much kichwa as I can, and it has been really fun. Every adult speaks kichwa, and the majority of the kids do too. All the church meetings are in Kichwa, and I just love it. These are my people. I spoke in sacrament meeting and told them all that it was really hard for me to leave the wonderland of Tena, but once I got here I could feel a draw to them as a people. I wanted to tell them that ever since I was little I have preferred to have long hair, a manifestation that my spirit is part of their culture (all the men have long braids of shiny, thick black hair), but I thought it may not be appropriate from the stand.

In getting to know less actives, we visited the Tituaña family. The wife is a returned missionary from like 20 years ago and 8 years ago he got baptized and then a year later they were sealed in the temple but shortly thereafter they went inactive and have been for about 7 years... I had asked the husband how many children they have (most here have at least 8, one guy in the ward had 14 kids-11 girls and 3 boys. 3 of the girls passed away, and all the oldest ones are married and have the same ratio of offspring) and he responded 1 little girl (Sulay, 8 yrs) and a little boy who passed away shortly after birth. As we continued talking over corn and beans in came some relatives from Quito. After finishing dinner, we started the lesson. But it was weird because the wife felt bad that now the missionaries are visiting HER and HER family and she had done the same as a missionary. The things we were teaching weren't having much of an affect on them, which is what happens after years of inactivity, but then I just said "Look, you guys have made some serious promises to the Lord. The temple isn't a joke, you both know that. I'd like to tell you a brief story about my life. After finishing a year at the University, I left on a trip with my oldest sister to spend time together before coming here on my mission. After leaving the city, we were in an accident and I woke up in the hospital with a deep feeling that my sister had passed away. I was able to talk with my mom on the phone and she reminded me that we are an eternal family, sealed in the temple. That sealing is only valid for those who complete with all the things that God requires. I know that my sister did all she needed to do, in fact she paid her tithing for the upcoming month the day of the accident, she received her endowments even though she wasn't married, she did her visiting teaching days before pàssing away. I know that she was ready. And now, it is my turn. I have to do my part. I know that I can see her again if I do my part, and that is what I want more than anything. Hermano y hermana, you guys have a little one who is waiting for you. He received a body and fulfilled all that he was sent to do. He is sealed to you and is waiting. Will you do your part? I know that the Savior lives and allows me the chance to repent and do my part so that I can be with my sister again." I had never talked so direct to someone before. It felt so right and all the words came out perfectly, like never before. I know that the spirit speaks through us, I know that it spoke through me. I know that President Ghent receives the revelation to know where I need to serve. As much as I hated to leave Tena, it has all been swallowed up in loving service. Well, that was my highlight of this week. Hope it came out right in english.

I love you guys, I know that I have an eternal family.

Con Amor

Elder Blackwelder

Imbabura

Sorry that I didn't write much yesterday. I had to get on the bus quick and get here as soon as I could. I left at 10 am and arrived at 6:30...I don't know why it is so tiring to sit in a bus, but I was wiped out. Elder Walker is great, he is humble and calm. There are a ton of missionaries here opening new sectors because of the influx of missionaries in the world. My zone is called Imbabura and used to have 10 missionaries working 9 wards, but now, there are 18 missionaries, one companionship per ward. I am in the ward San Roque and love it. All around my house is just farmland, I sit at my desk and look up to see the rising flanks of the Imbabura volcano. My sector is just one extensive hill and just keep going up the whole volcano(: everyone here speaks kichwa and often say they don't speak Spanish in order to not have to talk with us...but we'll see what can be done. I'll try to take some pictures and send them to you in the afternoon. We are having p-day today because yesterday the Zone Leader and my companion were running around getting all the new houses ready for the incoming missionaries, but next week it will all be back to normal. Well, that's the update for now, I'll write again later on.

 

Elder Blackwelder

Bicicletas

Finally, a real P-day in the jungle. We have always been traveling from one place to the next and haven't been able to do any sort of activity. But today we rented bikes for $5 and cruised around looking for fun stuff to do. We found a bmx park that was just empty, no one was there and we romped in on our mountain bikes (they were way to heavy to get any real air). I felt like I was in the olympics (: We found another trail by a river and rolled around there too. 

Highlights from the week were 2 service projects. One was collecting (in the states it would be considered stealing) materials for building the foundation of a house. We jumped in a truck with a less active guy and went to the river with shovels to get sand. Coming up to the river there were a few folks on the side of the dirt road gathering something (cacao maybe) and their dog comes bolting at the truck like it was going to chase us, but I didn't hear any barking, I looked in the sideview mirror and it was just laying there in the road...squished. We reversed and this 23 year old native with a long ponytail (Mr. Sink style) comes over and chats with us for a bit. He said "whelp, it's dead now, ain't nothin can be done. It was my mother in law's (with a smile and a chuckle)" haha, pity. We got the sand we needed from the river, which was sooo beautiful and wide and green and deep, and we headed back to the house and went out for another trip to get river rocks from a different river so as to not find the mother in law (:

 

The next day we went to help a member who lives 2 hours from Tena in a little pueblito. He reminds me of Uncle Dickie. We helped him harvest cacao and remove the seeds from dried corn. He has a sweet little house with hammocks and bamboo and all sorts of fun stuff. Right as we were getting ready to leave, his grandson leaves the house with a little fishing rod and then a piece of wood with some 50 pound test line wrapped around it with a thick 7/0 long shank hook on the end. I longingly asked him where he was going, knowing well what the answer would be. He said his little rod was for catching perch and the big one for putting the perch on as bait for fat catfish...I was so bummed that we had to leave... ): I don't know if you know much about cacao, but it looks like a warty big papaya which you split open with a machete and pull out the dozen seeds that are covered in a juicy white cotton ball (that is what it looks like at least) that is super tasty. Inside is the seed about the size of an almond, and after drying in the sun for a few days the white goop comes off, the seeds are bagged and sold to buyers that drive around the far away communities looking for cacao. A sack full goes for about $60 to $70 and really is a good product to grow. I imagine it gets sent off to Europe to be processed and made into fine chocolates to be distributed throughout the globe. 

We have an investigator, Judith, who is ready for baptism. She is from Cuenca and has a goofy accent, but has been great with listening to us. Well, she loves having us over, but she wasn't applying what we have been teaching her. Last week in our Zone leader meeting, President Ghent talked about how we need to teach the process of repentance more clearly to investigators, to help them feel the spirit in their lives more strongly before baptism. While we were in a lesson with her, she kept talking and talking about things that really weren't pertinent and my companion was just nodding and saying basic agreements, but I felt like we needed to do something more and apply what president told us. So I went for it and tried to help her see what this was all about. That there are things more important than clothes, cars, houses, and relationships; our personal eternal lifespan. I don't really know how to put it all into an email, because I write really poorly, but it was an important moment for her. Sorry that I am so bad at putting spiritual experiences in emails. I always focus on the exciting and adventurous aspects of Ecuador, maybe it's just because those are the parts that are different for me. Every day there are special things that happen that strengthen my testimony in this advancing work. I love reading Preach my Gospel and Jesus the Christ. They make me so happy to be alive in this day when the work is finishing, when the final push is being made to harvest while the field is still white, because swift comes the day of the Lord, and I want my Ecuadorian friends to be ready for it. 

 

Love Elder Blackwelder

Week 4 in the jungle...all questions answered

The Mission has been divided!!!! Into Quito North and South. Changes won't start until July. The church will be sending lots of new missionaries here!

The weather here is so mild. The heat really hasn't been that bad for me, in the beginning it was, but now it is much more livable and relaxed. Mosquitos haven't been a problem at all, but it sure does rain a lot and there are cool geckos that cruise around the house at night and bark, or chirp... its awesome. OH! this week we were walking down the street and I was on the phone with the branch president, and out of the corner of my eye I saw an older gringo couple walking on the sidewalk in front of us. We had stepped down into the street to walk around them while I kept on the phone and as we passed, I heard the wife say to her husband in a surprised voice, THE Missionaries! We stopped to chat with them and they're from Missouri, but have a grandson that lives in Aliso Viejo! haha He had just left on a mission the 20 of January to Sao Paolo. His name is Brady Allen. They showed me a picture, and I could tell by his hair that he was definitely from so cal, but I didn't really recognize his face very well... good folks. Loved their accents!

Well, the million questions you had...

My companion is Elder Borroel from Southern Mexico, Vera Cruz. He is a good guy, really easy to live with, but I feel like he doesn't ever really stand up for what he wants but just goes with the flow. When his companion is obedient he is obedient, but when his companion is lazy, well he is too. There haven't been any problems yet at all. Just that he isn't much of a "go getter"  kind of a guy.

 

Yes, we always travel together except for when I came from Quito. Whenever there are transfers we travel alone.

 

Carnaval is just a holiday when everyone gets each other wet, or throws flour, or paint...those kinds of things. Kind of like a city wide water fight. President Ghent didn't want us to play, so I tried not to, but at the end of the day they painted my face.

 

I am doing better with my goals, but I find little time to read in the scriptures to fulfill my goal of 9 pages a day to finish before going home.

 

Service projects are normally just the same things I did at Nonnies's house, gardening projects. Next week I think we are going to help a guy harvest cacao (:

 

Yes, I am Zone Leader with Elder Borroel here in Tena, and the other Elders in our zone live in Puyo and are in a trio, Elder Condori, Elder Molina, and Elder Quiquivix. I was on exchanges with Elder Condori this weekend, I'll send pictures. He is from Peru, Cusco, and is the only member of his family who is a member of the church. I respect him a lot, spanish is his second language. He is a native of the high andes and speaks quechua. Puyo is 2.5 hours from Tena, but has a way different temperature average because it is higher up, but enjoys the same vegetation because of the high rainfall.

 

Elder Young was my zone leader from my last sector, he started his mission 6 weeks after me and was in the MTC with Lance Frame. Well, the story is, the Roche's sent me their christmas card, and one day when Elder Young was over, he was complaining about how his girlfriend got back from her mission and wasn't writing him anymore and his family was getting kind of lazy in writing too, so in order to not give him reason to whine, I gave him the address of the Roche's as a joke, but he ended up accepting it and told me he wrote them, but I honestly didn't believe him. He is a great guy and one of the few gringo friends I have made here on the mission. 

 

There it is. The answers to all your questions (: hahaha

 

Love, Elder Blackwelder

Week 3 in the jungle

We had a  baptism this week. The cool part is that since we don't have a chapel, we baptized in the river (: There are so many rivers here, it is incredible. The main big ones are really kind of dirty, but taking back roads and walking a little it is easy to find pristine rivers. The baptism was of 2 kids of a less active member, sister Lara, and her husband, Geovanny Rovalino, who is not a member. He lived part of his life in LA and loves to speak english with me. We had a little barbeque afterward to celebrate. I found a gecko and a tucan...pretty cool.

On Friday we had a training meeting in Ambato, the chocolate capitol of the world, We had to wake at 4:00am to get showered and make it there by 10:00. My companion and I slept in Puyo which is a bit closer. Elder Condori, from Peru, came back with me to Tena and my companion, Elder Borroel, stayed in Puyo. Elder Condori and I cleaned out the study room on Sunday. Funny thing, Sunday were the national elections and President Ghent saw it fit that all the missionaries stay inside. It is an obligation to vote, and it has to be done in one's home province, so there was only the first hour of church services so that everyone could travel to their destinations to "sufragar", like the word suffrage in english. So after the one hour of church, we came home and we weren't allowed to leave...so we organized things and put all the books into a busted bookcase that we found and cleaned.
We also baked the Cinnamon Cake mix you sent me
Love, Elder Blackwelder

Elder Condori and Blackwelder

admiring their work 

 

week 2 in the jungle - "A need for change"

Wow, I only have 10 minutes left of my 1 hour internet time....how does it go by so fast?! Well, I had to write a ton to President Ghent and that took a while. So it was a quick week, and a lot happened. I spent most of the week in divisions in Puyo (since Thursday, and I am leaving today, Monday) with only one pair of socks, one pant, one shirt, one tie, 2 garments, and 1 Guillermo to get a hold of and do the baptismal interview...what a strange week.
Monday we went to Quito for the zone leaders council. It was great and president has set some really high goals for the mission in February and in March. There were 6 more missionaries sent home for doing bad stuff (making 15 for the year 2013) and he talked a lot about change we need to make in our respective zones. He set a lot of new rules to help the mission get cleaned up (things like no talking to single women younger than 30 unless there is another priesthood holder older than 30 present) and to help missionaries get focused. President has asked us to make some big sacrifices to be able to receive the Lord's help in reaching our goals for these next 2 months. Then we had to take all that information and teach it to our Zone (one other companionship) on Thursday after a service project we did.

 

I then went to Puyo and tried to get the interview done, which was achieved, but the baptism didn't happen on Sunday and will be postponed until next weekend. We did another service project  here in Puyo (in my same shirt and tie).

 

Starting on Saturday was the holiday called carnaval. I spent it last year in Tulcán, you may remember. It continues until Tuesday.

 

Well, president didn't really want us to get involved and wanted us to stay away from any sort of craziness, but to answer your questions about my companion, we ended up getting involved. I did my best to be a good leader, and tried to set a good example, but some things are only noticed up to a certain point.Well, my whole zone is kind of lazy, being in the Oriente does that, and they aren't real pumped about being obedient...so I think that is why president sent me out here, to try and encourage the zone to be good.
Well, I have to get on the bus and take the 2.5 hour ride back to Tena, I really love it though because my bus book is Jesus the Christ and my goal is to finish it before I leave this sector.
Love, Elder Blackwelder

 

A week in the jungle

So, I have been here  in Tena a week now, and I am still stunned each day by this amazing place. On Tuesday, I went on divisions with Elder Molina and Elder Quiquivix in Puyo, and I was surprised by how temperate the climate was. There was a nice breeze and a few bits of rain in the day, but it just isn't the nasty heat that I always expected from the jungle. In Tena it is a little bit more toasty, but with a cool shower in the morning and at night, the heat becomes forgotten. Speaking of the night, we put the fan next to the open window to blow in the cooler air and just sleep on top of the mattress and sheet. I just put some shorts on and sleep in the open, whereas in Quito, I had a sheet and a blanket and wool socks on every night, and sometimes my thermal pants too... It is just so convenient here. 

We went running one morning to exercise and explore a bit of the sector. We found a sweet little river and beach to go to someday to write letters. Also, on Thursday we had lunch at a restaurant that a member paid for, and we got to talking with the hostess, a native to the Oriente, about chontacuro, those fat worms they eat here. She said she loves them, and that she ate like 16 for breakfast. They always interested me, and I figured I'd eat one. She gave me a little guy to try.

Normally they serve them asado, but she said they were good just raw. Ever since I was little, I have always imagined those mandarin orange slices that come in syrup in a cup like the grubs that Timon and Pumba eat, and when I saw them here, I got excited to try them. Well, they really aren't that bad. There really is nothing bad about them, just the idea of eating a grub... It leaves a flavor in your mouth like the smell of the sawdust festival. They honestly just taste like wood, another childhood fantasy of mine (: hehehe 

Eating the chontacuro

 

We had a family home evening on Saturday with a member, Hermano Cajilema, who lived in the states and was baptized there. He is a cool old dude who is pretty relaxed. The Guillín couple came too (other members from our branch) who live like 2 hours away deep in the jungle. They are more than 80 years old but work hard all week on their farm, then take the 2 hour bus every Saturday night and stay at the Cajilema house before church the following day. They are so peppy and have a lot of spunk, just like grandma. 

Well, as for the work, we are focusing on 5 less active families with the Branch President. We have 3 of the kids from those families with baptismal dates for these next 2 weeks. The cool part is we baptize in the river (: Today we have to go to Quito for the Zone Leader council which we have at the beginning of every month to talk about the results from the previous month. We will be back here on Wednesday, work a bit, then we have a big service project on Thursday with the elders from Puyo, we are going to harvest cacao, and a long zone training meeting. Then on Friday I'll be in Puyo for some interviews. 

Well, I love you guys. Have a good week.

 Love, Elder Blackwelder

A very big grasshopper with the coolest wings

Our Sacrament room in the rented apartment/chapel

 

A jungle soccer field at sunset

 

I Have Been Transfered

Well, I have been transfered. I am not going to tell you where yet... When I get there I'll send a foto (:

 

 This is a view out of the bus window

 on the way to my new sector.

I am in the JUNGLE (: and I am so happy to leave the sierra. I just wanted to get out of Quito and try something new. I am zone leader in the Oriente South Zone, sector/city Tena. It is a branch, not a ward, and I am the secretary in charge of the tithing. Baptisms are done in a river. There is not a chapel, just a house turned fancy! 

 

 

 



I am an Ecuadorian

Well, I have been doing a lot better this week writing in my journal, I think I wrote 6 of the nights. With my other goals, well, those have been tough to get on top of. It's fun being a missionary, but it can get so frustrating sometimes and lately I have been thinking about what other people think of me as I walk by. Not in like a superficial or lack of self confidence sort of way, but just what do they think I do? Why do they think I am here? I have met a lot of other "missionaries" here in Ecuador from other organizations, but I see them as people who are here for very different purposes than I am; things like college application, getting to know a rad country, ease of obtaining certain drugs, or other things like that. I hope that people can see me and not think that I am here for any of those reasons. I hope they see me as someone who really wants to help them. Honestly, I just wish they saw me as an Ecuadorian, as weird as it may sound. I was going through the notes that Bridgette took from my setting apart and saw that it mentioned me feeling a strong bond with the Ecuadorian people, as if they were kin. That has definitely come true for me. I like their weird food, I like their weird music, I like their language, I especially like their land, and I just like them. They all have such interesting lives and live at a different pace than we do. It is comfortable for me now. I imagine most missionaries have feelings like these at some point, but I just wish I could stay here longer (: haha it is weird, and I love the both lives, but like I said, it is just so comfortable for me here now. Well, have a good week. 

Love Elder Blackwelder

Here are some pictures from the service we had this week...

Quimbolitos

Quimbolitos are a steamed cake made from cornmeal, eggs, butter, cheese, sugar, and raisins. Ian learned how to make them with a sister in his ward. He loves them so much - they are the only moist cake he has found so far. He took photos of the process so we could learn how to make them. The recipe he used is coming soon, but, in the mean time, I found a video showing how to make them. I haven't tried it yet, but they look delicious!

-Tess

18 Months! Jan 14th, 2013

"It is all going by so quickly! The theme song for this week in my head is by The Eagles, ..."I've been runnin' down the road tryin' a loosen my load....". Juliana's baptism really was excellent and some members helped us out with refreshments. Juliana had invited her mom and cousin who are not members and they definitely felt the spirit. On Sunday, the Bishop and my companion and I went to the house of my earlier convert, Luis Cornejo, the one with the intestine problem, to give him the Melchizedek priesthood.Unfortunately, his health is worsening.

Elder Fowkes, an elder who lives in our house, and I went to the offices today to check on a few things. On the way, I bought a nice hammock I want to hang in our apartment. The best thing that happened today is that I ran into some members, the Perez Family, from my last sector, and got caught up on news! They have a son on a  mission in Tijuana, Mexico and their other son is leaving soon for a mission to Rosario, Argentina. I asked them about the less active members and converts from their area, and it sounds like everyone is doing great!  Javier Correa is getting ready to go on a mission, and his parents - even his dad - are going to church! Also, one of the less active families we got back to church are going to the temple in 15 days to be sealed as a family. Their oldest son is going on a mission to Peru :)

I am sooo happy about all the good news :)

Love Elder Blackwelder

Photos from Juliana's baptism and the refreshments afterward:

Baptism & Quesadillas

Well, Happy New Year. It has been a good week, we have worked hard and had a few new folks at church. We are going to have a family home evening with them and another member family tonight. The investigators are the Quelal family and the members are the Córdova family. There is a member from our ward who leaves tomorrow to go to the MTC in Peru, then he will probably serve for a bit here in Quito until he can get his visa to go to Mexico. He is serving in the north of Mexico City.

 

HEY! I found the coordinates for the finca (farm) I want! I was on the church website looking for a map to print off of my sector and thought, "why don't I look for that farm..." and I found it (: now I just need to find a way to contact the lady who owns it, Sister Escobar. Here are the coordinates for the entrance: -.291012 lat, -78.678509 long, and then you walk down a big hill to get to the flattened spot with the house on it -.290159 lat and -78.680832 long. Then down a little farther is the volcanic rock perfect for setting up a few ropes on -.292858 Lat, -78.684580 Long. We'll see. .

 

Elder Christensen and I are very different people, but we get along. He is pretty antsy whenever we are running just a tiny behind, and sadly, it has never, nor will ever bother me very much...so there is a little bit of clash there. He has been teaching me a little bit about computer systems and those kinds of things. 

This Saturday we are finally going to have Juliana's baptism! at 10:00 am, you're all invited. She had an interview with President Ghent, and while she was in the office talking with him, we were eating Quesadillas that Sister Ghent made (with beans and cheese and salsa and guacamole) and all of a sudden, Sebastian, her 2 year old, tapped my leg, and I look down to see that he had just peed...all down his leg and onto President's rug. I was very disappointed, but sister Ghent was really understanding and we got it all cleaned up. Oh, and Sister Ghent says thanks for the caramels you made, she had made some caramel apples and we ate those with the 'dillas. 

I will send my goals later in the afternoon, I forgot to bring them from the house, along with some pictures. On Wednesday we have interviews with President Ghent and he wants us to print out our goals for the year and we are going to review them with him in the interview.

 

Have a good week. 

Love,

Elder Blackwelder

Happy New Year 2013

Finally we got to do an activity. We went up the teleferico (aerial tramway)  to the volcán pichincha. We did it in my first zone like more than a year ago. It was so refreshing for me to get out and see the natural world.

Quito is very different in their celebrations of the new year. Everyone makes a doll out of real clothes filled with newspaper and they call it "the old year" and at midnight they kick it and beat it up and burn it. It's to get rid of all the bad that happened to them during the year. There are guys that dress as the "widows" of the "old year" and stop the cars in the street and dance skankily on the hood of the car and won't let them keep driving until they give them money. I got a funny picture of 2 of those guys.

Not a whole lot to say, just that the 2 baptisms we had planned were flops. The little girl Alison told us she was 9, which would count as a baptism for the mission, but she actually was only 8, so we did the baptism anyway, but it didn't count for us. The other baptism, Juliana, her little boy had an asthma attack in the morning and they were in the hospital all day, so, that'll be next week.

Well, Happy New Year! I wanted to tell you my goals for the new year, but I am going to be working on those tonight.

Love you all,
Elder Blackwelder