Awesome Companion, Stinky Apartment

Everything is just wonderful here in the mountains of Ecuador!  I think i like Manantial a bit more that I liked Guamani.  Guamani was a great place but i just think that there are a few more people here in Manantial.  Well there's actually probably alot more people here.  Manantial borders with Guamani too.  Which is kinda funny that i just moved one sector over. Manantial is just a bit further south than Guamani.  We have a bigger sector here too which means more places to contact and work and it has more houses.  There's more people walking in the streets too.  The view of the mountains and volcanoes is really nice too.  So i really like it here!  It's a nice sector.  The house is a bit different though.  Most of it is fine but the kitchen isnt as nice as my last one.  Its pretty small and there is hardly any cupboard or counter space.  There is hardly any utincils, no plates, and very few of everything else there is in a kitchen.  Except i just bought a new pan, 3 forks and 2 plates today.  The bathroom is small and the shower is terrible.  Its even worse when someone else in the apartment complex thing is using water.  The house and especially the kitchen smell horrible because the last elders that lived here didnt clean it at all when they left and have probably never cleaned it before.  So we have been working on that the past week.  The desks that are in this house are very old and very small.  The chairs are just metal and uncomfortable and the legs on my chair are uneven a bit.  The closets arent as good as my last house and there arent very many of them.  Other than those few things the house is good.  Its a pretty good size, the beds are alright and the view is wonderful when it's a clear day.  So that's pretty much all about the house and the sector.  

This past week we have been trying to find the members that live in our sector.  I dont know if i said this last week but me and elder Caceres are opening this sector because the last two elders that were here both left this last transfer.  So we dont really know anything here in our sector.  So we have met a few members but not a whole lot because it's hard to find out where they live.  Church was good this sunday.  The building we meet in isnt a chaple.  It's just kind of a section on a buisness complex thing on the side of a busy road.  Its really small and pretty loud inside because of all the traffic on the road.  I think there is normaly around 150 people that attend every week too.  And that's a pretty good amount for a ward in Ecuador.  So yes it's a ward.  And with that many people in the small room for sacrament meeting is a ton.  The members and bishop seem good too.  

Well i have learned a bit of spanish from my new companion.  And just a few tips on teaching the lessons and stuff that like that.  So far it's been really good.  He's a good companion.  He's pretty funny and knows alot of english.  Which has been nice for when we want to say something to each other and dont want other people to know what we are saying.  But in the streets and the house we mostly just speak spanish.  (to answer mom's question...) He doesnt cook anything interesting.  Just normal, borring, easy stuff.  Like all the missionaries.  

Well that sounds pretty super duper fun to go down to Boise again!  I pretty much just tell everyone here that i'm from idaho.  Sometimes i change it up and say utah though.  I would like to speak in the Meridian 5th ward when i get back.  Maybe i could speak in both wards like i did when i left.  But that's still a while away.  

So this last week we have been able to find a few pretty good families.  None of them were able to come to church on sunday but we still have faith that they will next week.  Me and Elder Caceres have been working hard to find new people this past week.  We started out with only one investigator lady named Ines.  She's actually really good.  She comes to church every week and really wants to get baptised.  She just has to get married first.  We havnt been to most of our sector yet becuase have just been focusing alot on the stuff around our house.  And we have found a good amount of people in this little section so i'm pretty excited to get to the rest of our sector.  I think there is alot of good people to find in the other parts of our sector.   

Here's my companion.  Sorry i kinda forgot to take more pictures this past week.  Ill do better this week.  

Well that's everything for now!

Elder Eastman

Manantial and A Latino Comp

Hello!

This past week was pretty good.  On friday i got to go on divisions with my father (trainer) Elder Peters.  So that was super awesome.  We had a new investigator named Vilma come to church on sunday.  I think she liked it.  Except she said she was a bit confused about a few things at the end.  So hopefully a few things can be cleared up.  And then Sunday night we got the news about the changes (transfers).  I got moved out of Guamaní and put into a place pretty much right next to it (to the south) called Manantial.  Except im in a different zone now.  So far i really like it here.  It's pretty different from Guamani.  My new companion is named Elder Cáceres.  And he's a latino!  So that's my first latino companion.  I'm excited to learn a lot of spanish.  Elder Cáceres is from Argentina.  Which means his accent is really hard to understand sometimes.  So i'll be getting better at that too.  He has about 20 months in the mission.  So he'll probably finish his mission in this sector with me.  He seems like a really good missionary so far.  Also we are both brand new in this sector.  So we are going to have to figure out where everything is and all that stuff together.  That'll be interesting!  But i'm pretty excited for these next few changes here.  I think we'll have some really good success here.  

Yeah there were a few teenagers in my old ward.  I dont know yet in my new ward.  

Haha that's funny about ticket to ride and the rainbows!  That was a good game even though i was terrible at it.  

Well that's pretty much it for now!  I'll get some pics of my new sector and companion this week.  

Elder Eastman

Hello Dad!

Im doing great!  Yes i was still there when they were digging up the back yard.  That's cool that it's getting done.  Could you send me a pic when it's all done?  Yeah im sure they have that movie in spanish (Meet the Mormons).  We havnt watched it though.  That's sweet that you got the iPhone 6 plus.  I saw a lady that had one a while ago.  She was from Australia.  It was super huge.  But you're right I dont care about smartphones (celulares inteligentes) right now.  I think the word smartphone is funny in spanish.  Actually i do have a phone now because we just had transfers today and i am now companions with a district leader.  Only the leaders in the mission have phones.  But they are really dumb phones.  Thanks for the talks and scriptures!  I'll definitely read and study them.  

¡Te quiero también! 

Elder Eastman  

Time Is Flying By

Hello!

Im doing great!  Time has been going by super fast!  Chelsea is already home, I almost have 7 months on the mission, it's almost summer again, wow.  The weather has pretty much been exactly the same as it has always been.  Pretty good tempurature and a good amount of rain.  I think i wear short and long sleeves pretty much the same amount.  If it's sunny outside when i wake up i'll wear a short sleeve shirt but if its cloudy i'll wear a long sleeve shirt.  

 

The work has been pretty good!  Patricio came to church yesterday with his two daughters.  The wife had to work so wasnt able to come.  But i was super happy that he came!  He stayed for all three hours too.  So thats a pretty good sign.  Nobody else came to church though.  Probably the toughest thing for people to commit to and then actually follow through with is going to church.  People just have a really hard time coming.  Even though alot of them say they will.  They just dont.  So thats a bit frustrating sometimes.  

Well i really like the first presidency message from this months ensign.  By Dieter F. Uchtdorf about the Atonment.  I especially like the painting that is used.  The one with the angel comforting Jesus.  

Good job Emma for finishing the Book of Mormon!!!  That's super duper awsome!

Elder Eastman

Hey Father!

Im doing great!  So I just sent you a spanish letter today.

Well that's super exciting that Chelsea got home!  But ya mom told me last week when she was coming home.  But i bet that has been pretty fun!  Haha i kinda forgot about that Dickies story!  That was an interesting job.  

That's super good that you went to the Temple!  Nope, our President has been pretty clear that we are never going to be going to the temple.  Probably because there is just too much disobedience in the mission.  But i guess that will just make the Temple that much better when i get back.  

Thanks a bunch for those scriptures!  I really like them.  

When is your half marathon in utah?  And when is Ragnar?  That's super cool that you are doing Ragnar again.  Ragnar is very very similar to a mission I think.  Just a bit shorter.  It feels like a really long time, it's really tiring, you dont get much rest, it's mentaly hard, but in the end it was all worth it and you want to do it again.  

Love you too!

Tu hijo, Elder Eastman

We helped a member make latex gloves in his little glove fatory!  

Investigators At Stake Conference

Hello!

My week was pretty good!  Patricio (Patrick) is doing very well.  The past week we were able to teach him and his wife, Miriam, twice.  Then this sunday they came to church!  This sunday was also stake conference.  They enjoyed it too!  So i think they will do very good.  Also some other investigators named Edwin and Maria (im not sure if i have already told you about them) but they came to conference as well.  Except they're not married so we have to work with that before they can get baptized.  Ruby and her family have been alright.  Except she had to go down to Guayaquil for the past few days because of family stuff.  So once again she and her family werent able to come to church again.  So that's kindof frustrating.  

For General Conference we get to listen to it in English.  We have our own seperate room in the church for the gringo missionaries.  

Oh thats super cool!  Joseph W. Sitati came and spoke to us while i was in the MTC.  Haha no i dont remember that about the coconuts.  But that's cool!  

Today as a zone we all went up to the Panecillo.  The first time i was there was in change 1.  So it was pretty cool to go back.  While i was there i bought a llama.  But it was just a tiny little one made of wire and string.  It's pretty awesome.  Ecuador has alot of cool little things to buy.  

Well that's pretty much it for this week!  Sorry it's not a whole lot.  

Elder Eastman

Oh i forgot one thing.

The next letter that you send could you include a nice picture of our family?  not to bit and not to small.  Something that i could put in my scripture case so i can show people that we teach.  Cause i family pic can be super usefull alot of the time.  Especially when teaching the Plan of Salvation.  

Or maybe even better, you could just send me a pic and i can just print it off here. 

Thanks!

Hi Dad!

Im doing good!  I got your letter in spanish a few days ago.  I really liked it!  Im in the process of writing one back in spanish.  Hopefully i'll get it done this week so i can send it next monday.  Well like you mentioned in your letter, we should definitely come back down here for like a week after i get home.  Then you could get some good immersion in the language for a little while.  And i think it would be super super fun.  

Transfers are in about two weeks.  Well since i have been here for 4 months i think i might actually go this time.  But im still not sure.  Because you never really know with our president.  So i still might have one more change here.  

Yep we had a few good contacts.  And we have gotten a few new, good investigators out of it too who could do well with their commitments.   

Today during a zone activity we learned that no matter how much time we have or dont have in the mission we should always work and have the same mind set as if we were always in the middle of our missions.  So i think i need to work on stop thinking about how much time i still have to go and just always work as hard as i can.  

Love you too!

Elder Eastman

Finding Patrick

Hola! 

Oh cool thanks!  (referring to the small package he will be picking up at the mission office.  I was able to send it with a lady who flew to Quito last week. She took it directly to the mission office.) Yep I got your letter a little while ago.  Thanks for it!

No we dont have to hang them outside.  We have a little rack thing inside for hanging clothes.  

Yes we've been able to teach Ruby some more.  I think we have had 3 or 4 lessons with her and her family so far.  They've been pretty good too.  They're still interested and always have sooo many questions.  They just havnt been able to come to church yet.  But as soon as they do that i think it'll be very likely that they will get baptised.  It just wont be in this transfer because this transfer is already half way over and they need at least three church attendances.  

One kinda cool thing that happened this week was when we were contacting.  We had quite alot of time to contact this day.  We were thinking of where we should go and then we just decided to go down this one street.  We saw this guy sitting on his motorcycle with his daughter and a wife next to them.  So we decided to go talk to them.  When we came up to him he seemed pretty excited to talk to us.  His name is Patrick.  He told us he has seen us all the time walking past his house but we have never came up to him.  And that he has always wanted us to talk to him so he could find out what we are doing.  He also said that his aunt is Mormon and he has talked to her about the church alot.  He said that when she converted to this church she changed alot in a good way and said that he would like to have some change too.  He already knows alot of things about the church like the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, Thomas S. Monson and Moroni.  Also his cousin, i think it is, is on a mission right now in Peru.  So this guy already has some good connections with the church, he's just never been able to talk to the missionaries before.  He's really interested in talking to us more and we have a cita with him tomorrow.  So i'm pretty excited for that and i hope he becomes a good investigator and him and his wife get baptised.  

Well that's it for now!

Elder Eastman

Hey Father!

Thanks a bunch for that scripture!  I really like it!  Good job on the running!  When are those races that you are going to do?

No i havnt gotten that spanish letter yet.  Im sure i'll get it soon though.

Testimony meetings are alright.  There is always a few people who say some really good things and share good testimonies.  Alot of the time though as soon as one person says something about some gosple topic like temples, pretty much all the other people that go after that person will say exactly the same thing as the first person.  I just think that is kinda funny sometimes.  But they're normaly good, without weird things or really crazy people.  

Love you too!

Elder Eastman