July 13 2015

Hey familia!

 So first off to start I'm doing tons better. Obviously it is still a mission, so it still is hard but like you said, relax. haha That word has echoed in my head for a week now. Thank you guys for all the support.

 Anyways, yes I was transferred! So after we talked we went to the mission home and slept. We woke up, studied till 10, then went back to the offices. They kept saying President is coming in today, he'll be here. We literally sat for 4 hours and change. He showed up at 2, but they had to eat first (they fed us at 1). After, we talked for a few minutes. He gave me the option to transfer or stay and to call Saturday with what I felt. I called and said I was ok to stay there.

The next day, which was yesterday around 9:30pm we got called and I was transferred! So now I'm in the city and wow, it is soo different! We are 5 minutes to the offices and the temple and everything. We are in a ward so that should be a lot cooler. This morning Cordova and I caught a bus to Guayaquil at 8, got here and got our new companions.

My companion is Elder Vavricka, and he is from Layton. He is super col. We live across the street from here, the cyber and its just us. I already like him. But the house we live in is tiny! There is about 3 inches in between our beds and no closets. Just a dresser. Pretty sweet. 

Today, after transfers, we had to run to the doctors for him and after to the office. At the office I talked to the nurses about my feet and they are going to set up an appointment to have it checked out. It will be interesting because I don't speak very well haha but my comp does! Anyways, after that we ran back to the house to take my laundry to the laundromat which is owned by a member and then went back to the offices for my comp. He had a meeting with Pres, but President was busy so again, we sat for over 2 hours again. It was great. That's why we are writing so late.

 So anyways, while we were in the office he explained to me a few of our investigadores. He explained the last lesson. We also talked a bit about being missionaries. He was in a California mission for 6 weeks so he got to experience two ways of planning and prepping and everything. He says he wants to change a lot of things and experiment a bit which sounds freaking awesome to me!

 So anyway, the city is a lot more modern, apparently lots of the houses have AC so that's awesome. Right now is the cool season for Ecuador apparently. There have been a few days of clouds so no sun which were awesome. The rest its almost like summer at home where its just hot, but also humid which is a nice step down from the Ecuador super hot.

 Ok for the package, I dont really know. I dont really have a need for bbq sauce. Like I said I talked to the nurses so I dont necesarily need the medicine, but feel free to send it. I would like another picture of the family and the dogs to bring with me because everyone asks. Also, this is the big one, we can listen to disney music! We were in the offices and the assistants put on Disney! It makes sense, our manual says music that brings good thoughts and uplifts which is exactly what Disney does. So you have a project. Load a flash drive (FLASH DRIVE NOT MP3) full of Disney music. Have the girls help, have William help. Anything from Frozen to Snow White. Also I really want the sound track from holes. Ive been singing it for months! I dont know why but I would appreciate that as well. I'm serious about this too, have the kids help choose songs. This is one thing that has kept me going this past week is knowing I'm gunna have Disney music. Alladin, Tangled, Frozen, Tarzan, Toy Story, I want it all. haha

 So at our old house I had my hammock hung up and was soo happy and the next day transferred to a house with no space. haha Just my luck right' But this area is going to be a lot better. I can eat the empanadas that the guy sells through the fence next to the offices (he's famous). They are delicious. I will miss the tacos though. The escobar taught us how to make them, we ate them many nights. We make the guacamole, we make the salsa and we cook the meat. About as fresh as you get haha. So stuff here is like opposite. Stuff in the states that's cheap is expensive here whereas stuff here that's cheap is expensive there. Like fruit, 25 oranges for a dollar. But shampoo, a tiny bottle is 5 bucks! Or icebreakers (which they have) are 4 bucks.

Anyways probably better send pictures now. I did pull a little money out of my account, I was out because we've been traveling so much! But this Monday I should be good. One thing I would like to ask for is more packages, or letters. Don't mean to sound pushy but it is seriously better than Christmas when someone opens a package. haha Well lemme end with this, if it weren't for my parents and their examples I wouldn't be here today, let alone half the man I am.

 Love you guys, you're the best!

 Elder Taylor

OK a picture of my hammock, a picture of me on the back of Hermano Julio's trici-moto with my comp, and a kid in my old branch who had four pockets so we all put our nametags on him and took a picture.

 

 This was a random guy at the bus station. He wasn't waiting for a bus, because like 3 had already pulled up and left. He was just sitting there.

 Also these were at Elder Wursten's funeral (the kid with the sombrero).

 

June 29 2015

Hey....Probably should tell me the weird gorilla stories first cuz now thats all I can think of haha.  Well first to answer the plaque question, I dont have my scriptures today, I wrote one down I thought I wanted but I didn't bring that either so Ill have one next time..sorry.. 
Second, I'm in a branch which sucks.  The singing is hilarious.  We don't have anyone who plays piano so we sing without music which is even funnier haha.  But the people are good.  They are willing to give everything even though they have nothing. 
The food here is ridiculous.  A plate full of rice, a plate with verdes, basically imagine a banana but it tastes like a potato and they just cut it into slices and fry it.  Not bad, but not really good..Anyways then theres also a bowl of soup which is mostly liquid with usually a few pieces of cheese and potatoes and chicken.  Then a piece of chicken and a great big glass of either cola or fresh juice which is always good.  This is the typical lunch.  And I've been sick since day one so at the house I don't eat much else.  Lots of yogurt.  A bag of 12 gogurts is 70 cents.  I have tried a few weird things, one being papaya which which is like cantelope in color and texture but tastes weird and we are in South America so we eat all of it including the slimy center.
So the bugs here are a joke.  Lots of lizards and rats and bugs and ants and spiders.  Not big spiders, tiny little baby spiders that are everywhere!  I'll try to get a pic but our counters are constantly moving.  Pretty gross.  But the mosquitos are terrible.  Everything is a swamp and unlike ID and UT it doesn't cool down so the mosquitos don't sleep.  Repellant is a joke, they say to use it but even with it you still come home covered in bites.  Our house surpisingly doesnt have very many mosquitos, we just sleep.  I just have a sheet on my bed and you just sleep on top.  Its hot.  The other thing about our house is our power and water go out 3 to 4 times a week.  It is bad.  Our water is really wierd.  The last two days no water until the moring then its fine so we all shower and then its broken again.  Oh and I don't have a bug bracelet, I don't think we ever got one...No i don't have a hammock yet but I know which type Im gunna get haha they are sweet.  They all have one because they can breathe and you are constantly moving so there is a nice breeze.
Last Wednesday we went to Guayaquil which was nice.  Got there around 9 pm went to bed and woke up and went to the temple.  It was nice.  I love the temple so much.  Then we had a conference after which was long.  Til like 5:30ish.  I did talk to President, but ya.  He said that I expect perfection from myself and from those around me.  Which is true, but not 100% terrible.  I do expect people to have common sense.  And to understand the difference between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law.  Otro example.  Sunday we didn't have any water in our house and its hot.  One of our group says we can pay for transportation on Sundays but not water...which is more essential?  So at the next house we asked for water and had them break the Sabbath day by buying us water.  Genious.
Anyway another week done and another monday come and gone.  Love you guys,  I'm gunna write a few other letters and send pics.  Keep up the good work with the house!!
With Love,
Elder Taylor
These are my shoes after a normal day, I shine them every morning.

Also, every house has a picture like this with a nice house and random animals.

This was at Pres. Escobar's house, we had "mexican tacos".

June 22 2015

I don`t even know where to start.. First don’t worry about the last week, not a big deal haha.  Just glad I got to at least hear from you this week. So ya it hasn’t gotten any easier, my brain hurts haha soo much spanish. 

We were walking and saw what I assumed was a possum dying in the street but turns out it was a rat! It was the size of a dog! No joke. It was gross. Remember the Princess Bride in the swamp when the rat things attack? It looked almost identical haha.

So the rain here is nuts! Luckily every time it's poured we`ve been with the rich recent converts. They have a covered motorcycle and give us a ride home. But the other missionaries all come home drenched. So Last Pday, we played basketball. It was super fun. But it is hot here so after a while we quit playing because it was gross when you bumped into each other cuz we were all soaked in sweat. SOOO HOT!!!  I think that’s why everyone has hammocks though, because it’s so hot.  It keeps a constant breeze on you cuz you are swinging. They are really nice. 

So the food is no better. Lots of grease, and rice. The other day we were given a fish that wasn't open, just fried as is. You eat everything but the head. Super gross. And they make a fruit drink that is super thick.  It’s like drinking spit, really gross texture but tastes good. My companion is Elder C, he is from Peru, and everyone says he is the greatest.  The APs were here last week and kept saying “you are so lucky”. He is nice I guess. 

One really weird thing here, they all have a picture in their houses of a really nice, like normal, house and then a whole bunch of random animals on the lawn.   I will try to get a picture of one. 

So the story of Jordan is pretty sweet, he is such a stud. 

To try to answer more questions, my area is Vinces, and it is in the fields.   Basically surrounded by banana farms. You can buy 28 bananas for a dollar.  But if you are white, they always tell you a different price. Super lame. Like a cheap crappy watch was 32 bucks. I found a nice one in Babaoyo though that was 25. But Vinces is decent. The center is where we live. I'll send a few pics, but its got a bunch of normal buildings. But its not very big. The center is pretty small, everyone we teach lives in the outskirts. All dirt roads that are flooded constantly, and their houses are all either concrete, or bamboo with sheet metal roofs. The houses usually have 3 rooms, one is the bathroom, one is a bedroom, and the other is the kitchen, and giant stereo room. Very poor. People here are lucky to make 10 bucks a week.

I`m gunna send pics now, and write pres, keep up the good work on the house.
 
Love you all,
Elder Taylor

The handle of this toilet is hand made by yours truly,

 

 this is an average speaker setup in all the houses. They could literally break the house with their stereos,

 

 and this is Elder W's last day.

 This is one of the many parades thats gone by our house, and also this is a picture of the area I'm in.

 

June 15 2015

Well I can officially say a mission is not what I expected haha. So anyways, it has been quite the rollercoaster here. Especially today. I guess my comp owed someone money so we skipped companion study, and 12 weeks study and language study basically we skipped 3 hours of studying to waste 2 on a bus, one hour both ways, and almost two hours there waiting. We waited for a long time, and then we went to find a cyber and wrote the president our weekly letters. It was fun stuff.

Then we went to the market, and then to the fruit stands, I wish I would have taken a picture of our fridge, but basically fruit is dirt cheap here. 18 oranges, 18 mandrins, and 5 passion fruit for 3 bucks.

It is great, I'm gunna be having fruit and fruit smoothies every day!!

 Ok so to explain more about the food, people and area.. The food is terrible. We always eat lunch with the members since that is the big meal here, and they basically give you around two pounds of rice and a piece of meat, and a bowl of soup. You know how when we have Hawaiian haystacks how I always took a heap of rice, and mom would complain that was too much? Ya haha that's not even half of what they give you here.

Its ridiculous. The people here are dirt poor. The rich ones have concrete houses, and the less wealthy have bamboo houses. Remember the pictures of the houses that are like 5 feet in the air? That is also typical. They have wood supports and a house on top, its kinda funny. Still haven´t seen an iguana and theres probably 5 chickens for every person here. They are everywhere!! The other day I saw a chicken without any tail feathers, it was hilarious! Just a round butt and a head and two legs haha!  

So the last few days have been I think the 170th birthday of Ecuador so there have been some gnarly parades on our street.

So Elder P and Elder W are pretty cool, they are the other Elders in our house. The other day I came out of my room, and they had bought switch blades, and were playing fruit ninja. Elder C splattered a grapefruit all over my desk! It was hilarious. Elder W goes home in a week and Elder P in 2 months.

 So transportation here is crazy as well, people buy a crappy chinese motorcycle, cut the back wheel off and add a covered bench to the back. They cost 25 cents a person, we usually use one in the afternoon and one in the evening. My companion is done (writing).. Im gunna send pictures real quick.

Love,

Elder Taylor

a giant verde, like a banana but, more like a potato, and our street