Sweaters in 80 degree weather! And they think I'm the crazy one...

Hola!

It is summer here, actually I am not sure what it is here but it is hot. When I go to bed at night it is 80 degrees and when I wake up it is 80 degrees. It does get a little cooler at night, but it is still way warm. Although the sun is not out and its cloudy, it's still 80 degrees! 

Lol, everyone asks me how I can walk around without a sweater. Sometimes I just look at them and smile lol. My question is how can they walk around with sweaters when it is 80 degrees outside! lol. It is really pretty here. We are in a suburb area of Guayaquil. There are mango trees everywhere we walk but the mangos are green. I didn´t even know you could eat a green mango but you can. You just eat it with salt. Kind of weird but it is actually pretty good. 

This first week here in Ecuador has been super hard for me. It is a new place, so far from you all, and obviously in a different language. I am picking up more spanish each day for the most part but still get frustrated when I cant understand everything. I have a great senior companion and she helps me a lot. Her name is Hermana Y, she is 20 years old and a convert to the church. Her mom is a member and her father is not. She is the second in her family to serve a mission. Her father is Catholic and her parents are divorced but she is so strong and has so much LOVE for me. She asks me each day how I am doing. 

Our apartment

For the most part I tell her okay but today I had a breakdown. All week I have not been feeling the Spirit all the time. So when we do contacting which is just walking around and getting promptings from the Spirit on who we should talk too, I get frustrated, that and I dont know a lot of Spanish so I never know how to start or what to ask. I have been feeling really alone, even though I am not. But today we talked and she said it is normal to feel that way. So when she reminds me of that, then my spirits get turned around.

Overall, we had a great week and found so many new people to talk too. We had 4 investigators come to church on SUNDAY!. Yes I said 4. This week, we started teaching an elderly man named P, he lives by himself and owns a little tienda (store, or market) that he runs from his house. He is 76. We started teaching him last Saturday and teach him daily at 3 PM. He is a really funny man. Sometimes I am not sure if he understands me or what we are trying to explain to him, but he enjoys our company and listens to the lessons. He came to church with us on Sunday and stayed for the first two hours, then walked home. 

I wash my own laundry now. Reminds me
of Jessica's cloth diaper rack lol.

It was so amazing that he came with us to church. We walked by his house to help him find the church, and as we were walking away, one of his customers walked up and asked to buy a cigar, he told him he couldn't sell him one because it was Sunday and he was going to church. It was like Satan walked up and wanted to tempt him. He showed so much faith and told him no and that he would have to go to a different store. I was so PROUD of him. He sacrificed $1 of sales so that he could go to church. That is a lot of money around here. He also has a desire to get baptized and has a date for the 23rd of this month.

Our other investigators are D and A. A is an inactive member who is 22 and has two children with D. They have been together for 7 years and have lived together for about the same time. D is not a member and A was born in the church but has become inactive. They are an amazing couple. We are working with them to get enough money so they can get married. It costs $36 dollars here but that is a lot. D wants to get baptized and he loves when we teach them about Eternal Families. He works 7 days a week, but they came to church with their two daughthers as well this weekend. It was so exciting to see them there. 

Our other investigator we have been working with is P, she is 60 and lives by herself. She has a lot of questions about the restoration of the church but she came to chruch too and loved it. We are going to meet with her on Wednesday this week again and teach her some more.

This week has been a hard week but I love that I have a great companion and that their are people here in Ecuador who want to hear our message. My spanish will come as I put my faith in the Lord and I will be prompted by the Spirit when the time is right. This is the hardest thing ever but I am glad I have the Lord on my side and the truth. 

I love you all and cant wait to hear from you again this week. Thank you for all the letters.

Read D and C 46: 30-32 Ask God and thank him for all blessings and read Alma 57:27 and Jacob 3:2. These scriptures helped me a lot this week.

Love you, 

AnnaAlicia