This Is One of Those E-Mails Where I Just Send A Bunch of Pictures of Me Eating Things‏

Sorry this e-mail will be rather short - school got out early for some
reason today and all the students flooded all the good internet
places. I'm struggle here with gmail in basic html. Woe, woe is me.
 
As for the week and the work, it goes, it certainly goes. It's
incredibly hard to find people to teach here and we spent most of the
week contacting. But we still had some good experiences.
 
One day we had nothing, absolutely nothing, nobody was home and nobody
even answered the door as we contacted. Winding down the day we
desperately go to a visit we'd planned with a less-active hoping she'd
be there but of course she wasn't. But her mom, an older lady who's a
firm member, was home and so we talked with her. We just spent time
talking and helping her undo some fabric, which is what she sells for
a living. She lives awfully humbly and without even much of the help
of her family but I could feel a lot of love in that little broken
concrete house. I love her example because despite the fact she has
practically nothing she's happy. She just goes about being kind to
others and helping. I'm not sure how to communicate it here, but I
needed that little moment of service, and I think the greatest service
we gave was simply visiting her for a moment.
 
We ended the day with nothing but a handful of contacts but you know
what I think the Lord was happy with what we'd done. We'd helped
someone. That's what we're here to do.
 
Conference was great! We watched it in the stake center, which is
normally how they do it here because not everyone has internet. Those
who have internet usually stick around at home but we went to the
stake center. The gringos hid in the family history center and used
the computer, with some difficulty, to watch conference. It was great!
I hope you all felt the power of the new apostles as they spoke. I
think it's amazing they all focused on overcoming weakness. Remember,
it's the weak and simple that will overthrow the enemy in the end!

I approached conference a bit different this time-I formulated a
list of questions I had in my life and for the sector and simply
waited for inspiration in the talks. And I definitely got a lot of
answers! Often they weren't the answer I expected nor wanted but I got
them. One of the talks that most impressed me was by Elder Lawrence of
the 70. I love the idea he gave us to pray to know what's detaining us
or limiting our progress. I did it and once again got an answer, even
if I might not have liked it.
 
Sorry this is so short this week - I normally plan these things out
but I left my planner at home by accident but please check out the
conference talks! I know we're led by prophets who speak with God.
It's a huge blessing and we need to take advantage of it.
 
OH and one last story. We went to our lunch at a member's house
between sessions on Sunday. We're sitting there and a taller, blonde,
white guy walks in and says hi in not very good Spanish. A gringo! I
was excited. Turns out he's from Germany and touring a bit of South
America to see if he wants to study here. We could converse in English
because he knew enough and of course the church came up in the
conversation (it's easier when you're wearing a plaque). We talked
about that and I was happy to learn he believed in God. I showed him
the church websites in German on his tablet and encouraged him to
watch conference in half an hour and he seemed very enthusiastic! I
could feel the Spirit as I could bear him a bit of a testimony in
English. God's plan is perfect! I know we were put there for a reason!

There's a guy from Florida here who makes burgers. The closest
thing I'll come to real American food in two years...
 

                 I eat the burger.

       Downtown Otavalo from our apartment.