Cambios What

Thank you so much for all your kind words and support for Jeremiah. I know he really appreciates it. If you would like to send him a Christmas card or a letter, that would make his day! His address is:

Elder Jeremiah Scanlan

Ecuador Quito North Mission

Calles Robles E4-151 y. Av. Amazonas

Casilla:17-07-9921

Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador

That seems to happen very frequently in this mission. Yes, I already have my second companion (in the field) and he's going to finish my training. Elder McPhie is the name and he seems pretty great. And I went from one of the biggest sectors in Moran to one of the smallest in what's called La Bota. Everything is within walking distance. I don't know much, but I'm excited to work here and with this companion. Of course I was sad to leave Moran...we had plenty of work. But I'm sure the work here will be no different and I will find the people I need to find.

 

Sorry if this letter is short - it's partly because of the shell-shocked-ness of the sudden-ness of all of this. That and we tried to retrieve my companion's Christmas package from customs down in Quito and of course that took absolute loads of time. It had better be worth it when we get it next week.

 

Speaking of, Christmas here seems to be more or less the same in a lot of ways. Everybody has trees and lights (though fake trees) and there's a big Christmas dinner with turkey and everything - though apparently at midnight. Since they don't have Thanksgiving everybody's had trees up since mid-November at the latest so...I'm very much in the Christmas spirit, thank you. I wish we could decorate our apartment a bit but it's way more important for me to have food to eat. We're only missing Christmas music - because that doesn't exist here so much and I have none on my ipod.

 

I've had to learn a lot this week and will have to learn, probably for the rest of my life, about patience. Patience with myself, patience with investigators, with companions...it's truly a divine attribute. I find it interesting, as well, that it is so closely linked to faith and hope. We have to have faith that we can be blessed, hope that it will happen, and the patience to wait it out until the end.

 

I was hoping to be a bit more spiritual this week but I just can't think of much to say. Instead, I'll refer you to an incredible talk by Brad Wilcox that completely changed my thought process regarding Grace:http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=1966.  Please take a minute to read it.

 

I love you all! I'm excited to work in a new sector and tell you guys all about it. The work is the same everywhere, and I just want to make sure I'm doing my part in it. Until next week!

 

Elder Scanlan