It has been yet another amazing
week down here in Concoto.
It all began with the result of last
week´s trip to Molinuco, I have over 30 bug bites that are about the size of 50
cent coins. They are still HUGE and kind of like a huge rash all over now, not
quite sure what bugs live here but they are nasty.
The beginning of the week was just
the usual. Teaching our investigators and contacting like crazy. The pouring
rain every afternoon and eating tons of rice. We have been teaching the same
family Tamayo. We also found a couple new investigators while contacting in the
central part of town. One woman owns a haircut place and is obsessed with my
blonde hair, and also another family that has 3 little kids. We will begin
teaching the family once they move in a week or two!
On Friday we had divisions for 24
hours. We got on the wrong bus to meet the other sisters and ended up like a
hour away to begin our adventure. I went about an hour away to Hermana Mollo´s
area and her companion went back to Conocoto with my companion. Hermana Mollo
has 16 months on the mission; she is from Bolivia and is 21. She was super nice
to me and we worked crazy hard for a day and taught about 9 lessons in 10 hours
it was amazing. There was a huge storm we laughed and somehow I was able to
communicate with her for 24 hours she knows not a lick of English. Except for “dang
it”! She wanted me to teach her ballet
and some little girl we taught took a picture with me because she thought I was
Barbie. She taught me soo much and I enjoyed seeing a completely different part
of Ecuador. We were up closer to a volcano. I loved spending time with her
learning how to be a better missionary.
Next this week I ate cow stomach
twice, it was NASTY and people eat it like crazy here, chewy, nasty stuff, I
almost died. Also when I was with Hermana Mollo, I ate an entire fish, also horrible.
I thought I was going to die.
The next thing I need to talk about
is a new thing to me. People here are obsessed with their blenders. Yes, the
kind in the states you make smoothies with. They sell them in almost every
store. Here people just blend fruit for juice. EVERY meal we have some fresh
juice straight out of the blender. Which brings me to my next point, the
grandma that lives above us decides she is going to blend her juice at 5 am
every morning, yes 5 in the stinking morning!!!!!!!!!!!! We live in a building
thing where and everyone is a big family but us, they think we are crazy. Also,
people make blender covers they sew them and give them as gifts. Blenders for
life!!! You will think of Ecuador next time you get out your blender.
The general Women’s conference for
the church was on Saturday night, I LOVED IT!! I could not help but think of
everyone back home watching it and a cried like a baby hearing music in English.
I did not understand much of it in Spanish, but the spirit still worked through
me, it was so special.
I hope all is well back in California;
I miss you all so much and love you each. Thank you for your support on my
mission, this is the best work in the world, seeing people’s lives change and
seeing good people become even better in the most humble ways. I love every
hard and good moment. I pray for you all and think of you each day, Love you
all so much
para siempre
dios este con vos
con amor
xoxoxo
Hermana
Merrill:)
ps here are some pictures, one
selfie and one of me on the main road that goes through Concoto that we live
on:)
