Lots of Rain

Hey mom,

I am good. I have some nasty blisters and have been using that blister kit you gave me. I am super hot, temperature wise. I sweat constantly here. Yesterday since we wore are suits all day my white shirt was soaked,visibly soaked.

My companion is good. He is very intelligent  and smart but I find that he lacks in certain areas where I could fill in but the problem is the language. It has gotten better though. I am somewhat understanding people but its expressing my thoughts that is the problem. There have only been a few times where Elder White and I disagree or that he bugs me but other than that we are good. He speaks Spanish very well and only speaks to me in Spanish. 24-7 It sucks but its good for learning. (Good for Elder White to keep to only Spanish.  I'm sure its hard, but it will be more beneficial later for Brian.)

On P day we wake up, one hour personal study then companion study then we clean the casa. Email, shop, then play soccer. We are only aloud to leave our sector not our zone and there isn't anything in our zone that is a wow factor. Except for this giant metal Christmas tree that I found on the way to the zone leaders house. 

The wards are weird here. Its not like back home. Wards are way smaller. Members are good, they are super nice to us and feed us everyday. But it's weird.  Our relationships with the members aren't like it was with missionaries serving in our ward and nothing like our family's relationship with Elder Smith. Yea we have a few people that we love to pass by because they are fun but its not the same. ya know. The problem here in this mission is menos activos, less active members.

Soggy Missionary

Oh the weather. Its hot. Like I said I sweat a lot. But vienes it started to rain and then rain some more and then all of a sudden it flooded. I got to use my jackets (a nice waterproof jacket from SCORE) but i was still soaked. (We'll have to check the guarantee on that jacket.) I thought it was super fun. Just massive water to the point that we had to stop and go clean up and wait for the rain to stop.

 

The food is pretty good. Its always sopa con rice and some meat. But yesterday I had my companions favorite meal. I ate it and then he told me what I ate. COW STOMACH. It tasted good but its just nasty. Never again am I eating that.

 

That's awesome to hear about Ben and his friends from church. I was telling my companion about how blessed we are in that ward. Its awesome. It is literally the best ward. I think we made a right choice to move way back then. Idaho is where we belong. Well for me its Ecuador for now.

 

Well here everyone knows who Christ is so its easier than some places. Its just that here everyone breaks the law of chastity because its so common.  Its just the normal.  So we step in and say "yo you need to get married". That's the hard part. 

 

Well I have some awesome news. I had my first baptism. It was an 8 year old girl but yet a baptism. I got to baptize her. I was so nervous because I had to memorize the baptism speech in Spanish.   I practiced all day and killed it. Aye a baptism is still a baptism.  Elder White said that she will probably be my strongest convert.

 

 We might be getting a new casa in the next few weeks because ours is crap. There is only one window and so it is always super hot in the casa. I need to work harder this next week though. I feel like we need to have more investors and right now its a bunch of walking and no teaching. So that's my goal this next week. Work harder, just hope my feet can hold it.
 

It warms my heart to hear how much fun and whats going on back home. I do dream of the day I return. I know I have only been here for a short time but it helps me keep me going.  I pray for you guys. I hope the blessing are coming. I will be praying for you mom and the store. Oh and for snow for you guys. hahah, I know this church is true.  I know that Jose Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. I have been studying 2 Nephi and man there are a lot of prophesies about today and a lot of little things that I have found. Its crazy how great of a prophet Nephi was. Reading it over again I was shocked that I had missed all that stuff before.

I know angels are watching over me.

I miss you guys

I love you mom

I love you dad

Your son

Elder Luke