Full of Pingüinos!

Hello Family,

How are you all? I had a good first week in Los Esteros. The members here really like the missionaries. Mucho Cariño (they care about the missionaries).

We found a new investigator named Javier. He is the son of a part member family. When we came to visit with his father, Javier invited us to come back and visit with him. He told us that he had intended to be baptized with his family but had lost contact with the missionaries when he left town for a new job while they were still teaching his family. He came back to live with his family, but never really became interested again in the gospel. Hopefully, we will be able to start teaching him and help him gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon.

We are also working with a young girl named Karola. She can't decide if she really wants to join the church or not. Much of her problem is her parents. I think they are disappointed that their son, Yahir, did not solve all his problems when he got baptized so they don’t want the same to happen with Karola. We taught a few of Yahir’s friends. Those chicos have quite a few problems. In my one week here in Los Esteros, I think I have run into more pura babilonia (pure Babylon) than anywhere else in my mission. This place is crazy.

Here is some more missionary jargon. A few years ago, there was some problems with missionaries paying little kids in ice cream to sit down to be taught and then be baptized so now missionaries like to refer to such kiddie-baptisms as Pingüinos (a big brand of ice cream here in Ecuador) At least that’s how the story goes. Anyway, if Las Amazonas was full of Dollies, then Los Esteros is full of Pingüinos. Je Je. Actually, a lot of the kids here are really good. They know their stuff. When we come to give the new member lessons, we just have to say, "Plan of Salvation. Go!", and they teach us.

Well, I might get another trip to the Bahia and Malecón. Elder Liberato needs some new clothes so he has been asking permission to go there to get them cheap. They told us no for this week. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get you some pictures with the new companion next week. The pictures with Elder Garcia didn’t really turn out. I was angry because Brian, our investigator-guide-shopping consultant was afraid to let us take his picture. I think he was still suspicious deep down that we were somehow affiliated with the CIA even though we went to his house almost every day of the week for nearly a month. Oh well.

When I asked him if he would accompany us to Malecón, I asked using a word that sounds ever so slightly different but means something very different indeed. He gave me a "What did you say to me, boy?" look and then remembered I was a gringo who still did not know what most of the words coming out of his mouth meant. Oops.

Anyway, I guess your summer has finally come to an end. I don’t know if it went faster for you guys or for me. Lia’s a senior. Now you need to be the Bull Goose Looney on campus (you’ll read that book this year). Ava’s going to start high school and seminary. Who is the Freshmen-Sophomore teacher? Sorry if I am forgetting anyone else’s steps up the scholastic hierarchy. You’ll have to remind me what grade the other gua guas are in.

Well Ta-Ta for now,
Guh-ur-aa-double "n"-ter