Feb 8 2016

Hey familia!

This week has been another good week full of walking and burning in the terrible Ecuadorian summer sun! And rain. So to explain how it works, it gets really hot. Like I can't breathe kind of hot. Then after like 4 hours of the extreme hot, a little wind kicks up and in come the clouds full of water. Then it pours rain. Then it gets extremely hot because all the rain is evaporating and making it even more humid.  Then you rinse and repeat. That's the schedule here. Its not an every day thing, more like every other. But it is bad.

The people here in Duran buy blow up pools and stick them outside to deal with the heat. But EVERY house pulls the pools out for Carnival. The holiday Brennan talked about when they have a giant water fight. It technically starts today but they do a pre-party so since Saturday it's been going on. Everyone buys foam in a can, basically shaving cream and fights with it. It is literally the shaving cream wars all over again. It should only be today and tomorrow but today it is raining so not may people are playing. I think the big day will be tomorrow.

Oh! The baptism did happen. Hno David was baptised. To explain really quick, we invited Hno Carlos and his family. He is a recent convert who used to sell beer but dropped it all when the missionaries taught him the word of wisdom. His wife isn't a member or his kids. He is 65 so his kids all live away. After David was baptised we had a few minutes while they were changing. I invited Hno Carlos to bear his testimony. His wife and one daughter were there. He bore one of the most powerful testimonies I've heard here in Ecuador. He is a stud too.

Other experience, Hno Bryan from the ward here got his mission call. They did a big ceremony in which his mom talked about Bryan falling away and returning to the church. It was very powerful. Then he opened his call. Chile, but I dont remember the mission... But it was funny, he was reading it and reads, you will report to the Chile MTC the 30th of March, but the word March was in English! He just kinda pauses and looks at it and moved on. He basically read, you will report the 30th of..... blah blah blah.. Everyone was freaking out, When do you leave!?!? He finally called me up to translate March to Marzo to be sure haha. I'm super excited for him though. He has a strong testimony and will be a good leader. 

Other than that nothing new other than rain, mosquitos, and sun. I did buy a new bag with my name and the mission and the flags. I will send a pic the next week. Love you guys

Elder Taylor