More Pictures from Cuenca

we ate pizza hut todeeeeee

so for the fiestas de cuenca, everyone eats pan de guaguas (pronounced wa-was) which means niño, or like baby or little kid.  made out of bread.  and colada morada.  which is a hot drink made out of this purple wheat thing and a bunch of fruit like pineapple and apple and strawberry and raspberry and peaches.  and a bunch of other stuff.  its actually pretty good!  we had it at 3 peoples house the past 3 days so i´m kind of sick of it now.  but i guess it´s kind of like memorial day slash dia de los muertos because they would put the pan and the colada on the graves of people so they could eat it too.  anyway.  so that´s that. 

this is danilo and his family.  the lady is carmen and the guy is patricio and their 3 kids, who are all members.  and then danilo is carmens brother who we are teaching.  and then the old lady is danilo and carmens mom.  I LOOOOOVE this family soooooo much!!!!!!  They are all hilarious and so so sweet!!  

Danilo is doing so so well!  but oh my heck, he almost didnt come to church this sunday but finally made it at the very end.  And he loved it!  Everyone was really good about saying hi to him so he felt super comfortable and welcome.  And he is always full of questions.  Like the other day we were talking about diezmo and at the end we asked if he had any questions and he was like yeah, here in la guia de las escrituras under ¨diablo¨ it says that he lost his first estate... what is that??  haha we were like uhhhhh....... we´ll look up more about that and get back to ya.  and then the other day he asked why all the apostles were white and none from south america.  so we told him to read what they say and pray to know if they were called by God.  I didnt know how to respond!!  Que bestia.  But he´s awesome.  Super excited to learn and be baptized here soon! 

Transferred to Galapagos?

11/04/2013

So I got transferred to Galapagos!!!  Kidding.  Still in Cuenca!  This past week was fiestas de cuenca, which was happy.  NO one really celebrates halloween.  I saw one person wearing face paint but that´s about it.  But we dressed up!!!!  I was a tree and Hna Ayer was a zebra and her companion Hna Clark was a mermaid and my companion was a bird.....  Arent we so creative.  And I ate a sucker. So that was the extent of our Halloween celebration.

And we couldnt really celebrate the fiestas de cuenca besides eating the guaguas and the colada.  They had a bunch of parties and markets and cool stuff like that.  oh and mark anthony came here so that was exciting.  we went to the concert.  front row tickets.  it was pretty awesome.

today when i was making my bed there was a huge spider!!!  i really dont mind spiders and i just kill them when i see them but really? in my bed.  that made me mad.

Yesterday we went and visited a less active lady who is like 20 something and ohhhhh my heck.  it was the craziest thing ever.  so she was atheist.  still is actually.  but anyway, a few years ago she started going to church with her cousin and kept going for like 2 years because she liked how she felt there.  and after 2 years of going and like 8 different baptismal interviews, she finally got baptized.  but she had to get special permission from the mission president because she doesnt believe in God, which is question number one of the interview.  so she got baptized but went inactive because she felt like she was deceiving herself.  but it was just so sad because she is so torn and confused because she said her heart wants to be mormon but her head is atheist and cant believe in God.  So sad.  And then she told us a bunch of other super sad details of her life and it just made me cry!  She feels so alone and lost and I felt like anything I could tell her had to do with God and Christ and how much they love her.  Anyway.  That was the most intense lesson I´ve ever had.  Pray for her if you can?  her name is Andrea.

Ohhhh my heck!  We found an American!  We saw him one day walking with tons of groceries so we helped him carry them to his house.  His name is Tim and he is from New Jersey and is 24, graduated in Psychology but wanted to travel the world, so he is here teaching english.  So we set up an appointment with him for a couple days later.  So the day we went for the appointment, we went with the bishops wife who is this old sweet innocent American lady who doesnt get out much.  Literally. she hardly ever leaves the house.  So we go to his house and were knocking on the door forever and he didnt answer.  Then we went to call him.  didnt answer.  so we decide to go back one more time to knock on the door.  And he answered the door with just a towel on!  Hahahahaha i didnt see him because i was leaned up against the wall and the door opened the other way.  I just saw the reaction of my companion and the bishops wife.... hahahahahah they were mortified.  So hilarious.  anyway so then he put some clothes on and let us in but he only had like 10 minutes to talk to him.  So we start with a prayer and we start asking him about some of his beliefs.... ohhhhh my heck.  he hates the idea of God as a guy up in heaven controlling everything in the world.  He thinks God is a woman, like mother nature.  And he thinks that Jesus Christ was just a good talker.  And the bible is just written by a bunch of guys.  And all christian religions are like the catholics, who went to south america and killed the people who wouldnt be converted.  and then he was like yeah, i definitely wont be able to commit to join your church or anything because i like to drink and i´m not willing to give that up.  ummmm alrightyyy then.... hahahahaha the bishops wifes face was hysterical when he said that.  anyway.  he said he would come to church on sunday but he wouldnt answer on sunday.  we´re thinking he was hung over.

Our house is so happy!  Every morning we sing hymns in harmony and it is the best ever!!!  Dont worry, we still speak spanish....  when we talk to spanish people....

que bestia is like ´what a beast´ and que pena is... i dont know how to explain it.  ask cameron.

i actually think i might have dandruff again?  i dont know.  sometimes i do and sometimes i dont.  but it´s super little and white.  so i dont know what that means.  but yeah, send me the pills for my hair!!!!  that would be happy.

i tried using the card again and it didnt work.  is it checking, savings, or credit?

all this week i was thinking about your halloween chili and breadsticks.  so sad i couldnt eat that.  but that baby is the cutest thing i have ever seen in his costume.

that sounds crazy about marching band.  but thats super awesome they got second!!!

i want to see rachel´s hair!!

ummmm do i want to see wicked????????????  is that a question??????????  i would think i would be home by then.  i dunno though.

mmkay i think thats all.  thanks for everything!!!!  I love you!!!!!!!

Hermana Bytheway

Katelyn's Apartment in Cuenca

I'm back in Cuenca!!!

10/28/2013

I´m back in Cuenca!!!!!!!!  Monday night we got back to our apartment and the zone leaders were there to tell us we had changes.  I´ve never had changes where the they come to our house and tell us in person.  so that was exciting.  haha i honestly think the zone leaders were sad to see us go.  we were super tight with them since we were in the same ward.  But yeah so Tuesday morning we left at 6 to Cuenca!  I met my new companion there and hermana ynoñan went to Guayaquil.  Hahaha she started crying because she didnt want to be in the heat.  Poor thing.  So my new companion is Hermana Alvarado and she is AMERICAN!!!!!!!!!!  She´s from West Valley, but her parents are from El Salvador and Guatemala, so she´s latina and speaks pretty decent spanish, even though she´s only been in the mission 3 weeks.  Her personailty is Shelby Page.  And her voice.  She is basically Shelby Page in every way.  ANDDDDDD we live with Hermana Ayer and she is also training a gringa, hermana clark.  Sooooo basically our house is the greatest ever.  I´m not sure what President was thinking when he put 4 americans in a house together but I love him for it!!!  Oh and our house is ridiculous.  There are 2 floors, 3 bathrooms, and toooons of room.  AND we have a camera slash intercom thing!!  hahaha no one ever comes to our door but we sure have fun with it.

Our ward is Tarqui, which includes the centro of Cuenca.  It is absolutely GORGEOUS!!!!  It reminds me of Spain.  Love it.  Oh and full gringos.  Our bishop is from New Mexico and there are tons of old couples in the ward that reitred here from the States.  Between all of them and my companion and the other hermanas, I am speaking so much english!!!  weird.  but dont worry, i´m not forgetting my spanish.

So the hermanas that we here before us were opening up a sector so we´re un poquito bajo with investigators.  But we´re teaching one of the member´s brothers who is wayyyyy awesome!  His name is Danilo and he´s 20.  He LOVES reading the Book of Mormon.  He reads all that we leave him to read, plus more.  His sister told us he was asking her questions that she didnt even know.  The only problem is that he left sunday to go visit his mom because he´s the only child that can go take care of her.  We promised him that if he went to church, his mom would be blessed even more and you could tell he was super torn but decided to leave.  que pena.  but hés really great and has a huge desire to learn and be baptized.  wére also teaching this one lady named marlene, who is like 50 something.  she is super sweet and came to church and is going to be baptized in a coule weeks.  But oh my heck we went to teach her and we brought the bishop with us.... worst mistake ever.  He went on and on and on and on and on about subjects that he definitily should not have.  I´m sure it confused the heck out of her.  The bishop really is great and always willing to help us but he needs a little training on what his role is as a member in a lesson.  he should know because he served a mission but i guess not.  que bestia...

i dont have dandruff anymore.  but yeah tons fall out every time i wash it and brush it.  like tons.  it makes me want to cry.  i try to control my stress level but i´m a missionary...... so..... yeah.  it´s kind of inevitable.

yeah, i´ll just buy the peanut butter, no worries.  and the retainer can wait.  it should be fine.

oh but i went to take out money of my travel card and it wouldnt let me.  and then i tried to use it in the store as credit and it wouldnt let me do that either.  it said  RECHAZADO.  DENIED.  so embarassing.  and i didnt have enough cash so i had to buy less.  soooo i dunno why it did that.

the cheese is just gross.  rubbery and the flavor is just not good.

OH MY GOSH I AM SOOOO MAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I SENT A SUPER LONG EMAIL AND IT DIDNT EVEN SEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  AND NOW I´M OUT OF TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


k well know that i love you all!!!!!!

FW: Better Week?

10/28/2013

Hiiiiiiiiiii...........  Shine bright like a tsdiamond.... (bahahaha tell cameron that song played in Supermaxi last week and I just died laughing thinking about us singing that together)

Mmmkay so here is my list of what I would like in my Christmas box...
-conferences of may and october 2013
-toothbrushes with the little tongue cleaner on the back.  like 3?
-new bottom retainer.  the one i have is cracking like crazy so i dont think its doing much good.
-peanut butter
-peanut butter bars
-peanut butter m&ms (basically i{m dying without my peanut butter.  they have jiffy at supermaxi but it{s $10....)
-pictures
-music on a micro sd card if brenden hasnt sent it already
-letters from the family
-the baby
-mini hymn book in english
-something to keep me from going bald.  really though i feel like i am losing soooo much hair!!  i bought "crecipelo" shampoo which says that it helps "with the fall of the hair" but who even knows if it really works.  but really i dont want to be bald.  depressing...

Yeah tha{ts what i came up with of what i want in the package.  I hope you dont feel like i{m demanding all of that.  you just asked what i wanted so i told you.  but thanks so much for thinking of me and my christmas :)  you are the best mommy ever!!

oh.  so gross.  for a "dessert" the other day, we had miel con quesillo, which is cheese and honey.  the cheese here is awful enough.  and who thought to put honey on it??? so gross.

but today the missionary couple bought us lunch!  they are the cutest.

Yesterday i had to give a talk in church.  one of the other elders spoke and one of the ward missionaries who is preparing for a mission.  i think it went pretty well actually!  one of the young women said it was the best sacrament meeting so at least she liked it.  hopefully the other members enjoyed it and got at least a little bit more excited about missionary work.  for the most part, they{re usually pretty willing to say they can come with us on visits, but they bail at the last minute wayyyy too much.  they are also hard to get referrals from. but we{re helping them realize the importance they have in missionary work so it{s all good.

oh so yesterday we went to the branch that goes to our building in the afternoon because we got to our branch late and missed the sacrement.  so after the sacrament, we stayed to hear the other hermana , hermana cambal, give her talk and after she finishes, they{re like, and now we{ll have a special musical number by all the missionaries.  and hermana cambal is like you guys too!!!  umm alright.  haha so we get up to the front and hermana cambal is giving us instructions of how we{re singing the song as we{re singing!  hahaha there were 2 other elders, one of them from utah, so we sang parts in english and parts in spanish.  anyway.  i just thought it was funny we were planning the musical number as we were singing it.

yesterday we helped one of our eternal investigators move houses (the dad has to get divorced and marry the mom.... takes sooooo long to sort all that stuff out.  but they are the cutest!).  but i was washing the dishes and one of the mugs said "caffee".  hahahah i dont know why but it just made me laugh way hard to myself and there wasnt anyone around who spoke english.  because it{s spelled like you{re saying it with an eastern accent, ya know?  but thats how you would pronounce it saying it in a spanish accent... anyway.  i thought it was funny.

oh i was going to ask you when you sent my other package but i kept forgetting.  why did you send an envelope with a pencil in it?  i mean, i appreaciated the pencil but i just htought it was random .

oofff the guy next to me smells fresssshhhh......  gotta love the smells of ecuador.  oh, cleaning out the house and moving all the stuff, we got lotsa nice smells.  a lot of the cupboards smelled like old chinese food.  mmmmmmmm gross....

hahahahaha i love how you said that someone just made up stats.  i definitely agree.

hahahahaha the water doesnt smell bad.  or maybe it does and i{m just used to the smell of ecuador.  i{ll probably come home smelling bad and i wont even know.  great.  will you tell me if i smell bad and help me get rid of it?  thanks.  the view from my desk faces west.  

oh boo hoo, you couldnt see the baby for a week.....   I DONT EVEN KNOW HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  yeah, it{s fine.

sounds crazy about dallin and all his band practices.  hahaha but at least it gives him something better to do than watch youtube videos of people playing video games.

this past week my companion has been sick so we had to stay in the house a lot.  the only good thing about that was i got to read a bunch of conference talks!  i looooove conference talks sooooo so so much!  i{m excited to read all the talks from this past conference :)

oh my heck i cannot even tell you how many investigators that have had problems listening to us or coming to church or getting baptized because of family members.  Just about all of them here, i think.  they refuse to listen to us and they refuse to let their family members listen to us too.  it{s so sad!  because the family should be there to be a support system and should be more unified through the gospel.  it makes me so grateful for the family that i have been blessed with!

ummmm what is with brendens hair.  is he trying to be a hipster?  now he just needs the glasses.  but ohhhhhh my heck the baby is sooooo cute and is growing sooo much!  i looooooove all the pictures rachel sent me!!!!  hahahahaha especially the one of him on the grass looking off to the side.  my companion said it{s a face i would make....

anyway i think that{s about all for todee.  thank you for everything!!  know that i am praying for each one of you every day!  i love you!!!

Hermana Bytheway