Elder Farley's Life in Ecuador: Week 11 -- Simon Bolivar -- Finally, some pictures!

¡Chevere!

¿Hola familia como están? Well, let me start by answering your questions. Pues, our baptisms that were scheduled all fell through. Nobody got baptised! This month has been hard for baptisms. So far, in the month of Octubre, we have planned 1 baptism. No bueno pero tratamos (not good but we will try). It gets a little discouraging but I wont stop working.

Yes, I did find out about my card.

Well, I try not to eat dinner because lunch is so big. For breakfast I usually eat a sandwich with mayonnaise and ham. That is about it that we buy because almuerzo (lunch) is so big.

NO we cannot drink the water. I filled up a picture with water from the tap and the water turned black when it was full!! We buy this huge purified water jug and we drink that, and I just buy water bottles.

I cannot buy dark soda like por ejemplo (for example) cola or Pepsi. For food I think we can eat everything. I haven't heard of anything I can't eat yet.

No, I haven't done any sight seeing.

Our branch has about 40 or so members.

Yes I did receive your packages and I loved them so much. I learned that I cannot send letters or packages so I can't send anything back to you guys, but I encourage you guys to send me more. I especially loved the photo album Davis sent. Keep sending them.

Yes, I did get sick but it was only a bad cold--nothing I couldn't handle.

Yes and no; the humidity is always there and if I am outside I really feel it, but if I go inside I don't anymore.

Well, my favorite part so far has been everything! I love everything about my mission I can't tell you enough that my mission is awesome!

My week this week was really hard. Thursday we only taught one lesson the entire day. We walked all day with no one to teach it was really hard and really discouraging. If I had tear ducts I would have cried but for some reason I don't cry. The rest of the week was a lot better. We taught a bunch of people and challenged people to be baptized and a lot of them accepted. In order for them to be baptized though they need to attend church and no one attends church so it's a bit frustrating. But I don't lose hope.

This was really my week in a nut shell: Martes we went to Milagro for the district meeting and then we came home and taught people. Wednesday we did practically the same thing. Thursday was really hard--we taught no one and we honestly did nothing. Friday was a lot better. We went to Milagro for a zone conference and then came home and taught people. Saturday and Sunday we did the same thing and taught people. That is really all we do and it's AWESOME!!!

Let me tell you a funny story that happened to us this week: So, Friday we were having a zone fast. The whole zone was going to fast to accomplish our goal of 60 baptisms by December. So, Elder Mercado and I started our fast and all was well. Later that day, like 3 hours later, we were visiting an investigator and they asked if we wanted a banana. She took out these chocolate covered bananas and both of our eyes got huge and we were saying YES, YES! We took a bite and it was sooo good. Oh my goodness it was good! As we took the second bite we both remembered that we were fasting and we both said "Dang it!!!" So, that was kinda funny :-).

Well, that was my week.

LOVE

Elder Farley-

He gave us no explanation about these pictures nor the names of the people in them, but we will leave that for another day. It took us 5 weeks to get these pictures, so we are just going to enjoy them. We think he looks great! To us he looks happy and even a little tan. :-) I have to admit that I cried when I opened this first picture because I have been so anxious to see him. This was total salve to my soul. I sure love this kid!