Tan Bobo

Hey Hey Hey Hey Hey Hey! So Danny and Diego got baptized on Saturday!  Danny chose me to baptize him and he was so nervous!  Good thing the water was warm or he would have drowned like the other kid a few weeks ago.  We also had a special music number singing I am a Child of God and in was pretty sick.  All in all it was a good week.

I am going to be staying here in Cayame like President said.  I will be training a new missionary again.  To be honest I would like him to be from a different country thats not Peru, but if it comes to it, oh well :)  I was really surprised to recieve this assignment but Im excited at the same time. We sent Elder Parker to the airplane and he will be touching ground in New Mexico sometime tomorrow evening.  He was about to cry but didnt.  Ill see him at BYU for sure.

A lot of this week was visiting members too.  We made some smores and had a surprise Bday party for a less active that we rescued.  We had some good laughs and last night we had to sleep three missionaries to 2 beds.  Rough when one smells snores and the other is sick with a cold and YOU are the one in the middle.  Experiences that I learn from that I hope to never have to relive haha.  

Keep it cool, keep it clean, and keep reedin the Book of Mormon´s son Mormon.

Elder Lomeli

Kids still got it: String art

Danny and Diegos baptism!

Choclo Frito

Hey so I dont got lots of time this week cuz we get back from Otavalo late but here we go! Danny and Diego passed their interviews this week! They are going to be baptized this coming Saturday! We are too pumped.  We also had a killer lesson with Oscar.  He was feeling pressured by us to be baptized and had stopped talking to us for a while.  We went over and had a super spiritual lesson with him.  We told him that we would put less pressure on him if he keeps his commitments!  He accepted and we hope that he will be baptized soon.

I had my FINAL INTERVIEW with President Richardson this last week.  We had an interview a litle big longer than normal since I have been with him for almost two years. He gave me one last piece of advice that has stuck with me: "Just enjoy it".  Sometimes I stress out about the little things and dont slow down to enjoy the blessings I am recieving.  He did say that I will most likely end my mission here in Cayambe, but to live it to the fullest.

Me and Elder Andonaire (Skywalker) have been a little "chiro" this week, meaning that there is little money.  So an hermana gave us some corn and we pan fried the corn....pretty delicious.  Thats what we ate this week with some oatmeal if we behaved good.  

We are doing well.  If you have any questions or comments, talk to my secretary.  She can be found when I find one :)

Congrats on the Eagel Dyl!

Elder Lomeli

Interviews are stressful

What ya gotta do when your bed has fleas...

Chuta!

"So you been out here long? Hah! An eternity... Ive almost got less months than youve got years!"

No dont worry. Im not trunky.  But this will be a short one as there is little time left! Crazy how much cool stuff there is to see on Mormon Channel.  This week we have made an attempt to visit the members and ask them lots of references.  We didnt have too much success, so we are going to do it again this week! Yay!  I also have a killer talk in church about the Sabbath Day and left some members in a daze.  But I felt it needed to be done and the branch president thanked me for it and was waiting for a while for someone to give a talk like that.  

We also got to go to a baptism for a kid in the ward! His name is Henry and he asked me to baptize him.  The water was FREEZING and the poor kid came gasping out of the water like I had just drowned him.  Umm...okay kid, we had investigators there and are now afraid of me.  Haha no just kidding it was a great experience and the Spirit was felt for sure.

Danny and Diego are doing well for their baptism.  Oscar on the other hand seems to be dwindling.  He commits of come to church but doesnt show up.  Pray for him that he can find a job here in Cayambe and have the desires to come to church.

I learned a lesson the hard way too.  We were walking up on the mountain to visit Danny and Diego and to save time, we decided to cut through a corn field.  Well, there wasnt a sign that said there was 4 inches of standing water under the inch of dirt.  Shoes got super wet and muddy.  Oh well though.  Mission probs.  

I love being a missionary.  Time goes fast and the work hastens on.  I know this is all true.  Proverbs 3:5-6.  

God Speed,

Elder Lomeli

So capturing.....

Photo Shoot on Divisions with Elder Parker

Watch where youre walking, they said. 

 Henry´s Baptism!

C´mon Barbie!

Life in plastic, its fantastic!

This week was pretty good, especially since I could call home!  So good to know that all is well and that the food there is still delish.  We have three investigators with a baptismal date all for the 28th of May! Two are brothers named Danny and Diego who are 10 and 12 and then we have Oscar who is 27 (he is rasta!)  We are super excited for them and have lots of faith that all will work out.

It was a madhouse taking Danny and Diego to church though.  We took the bus about 20 minutes outstide of Cayambe and were waiting to take the bus back around 8:30, thinking it would give us enough time to get to church.  FIVE buses didnt stop to let us get on becuase they were too full.  First time Ive experienced that in the mission, cuz normally its like a can of sardines!  We got to church late, but we got there and they were able to retain their baptismal date ;)

Since this last week was 5 de Mayo, I made the hint to a family that we needed to have some Mexican food and celebrate.  They had me make burritos, but they made a point to not make it spicy (Ecuadorians cant take the heat apparently).  But it was delicious and they really liked it.  

Im not really sure what to do with my hands right now, because I said all the good stuff yesterday in the call.  This week "Im a Barbie Girl came on when were on a bus to Otavalo.  Being the only one that knew the words, I gave em a little show hahaha.  Then one of the counselors in the branch presidency here told me that I could be a Ken Barbie.  

Still gotta celebrate 5 de Mayo, even if its a day late 

The Golden Question 

Quemados Training Camp

We just go out of boot camp in Otavalo.  We played quemados which is basically dodgeball, but with toilet paper wrapped in tape.  For almost an hour we played THOSE WITH MORE THAN 18 MONTHS vs. those with less time.  In all, it was like 7 against 16, but those 7 could all catch, throw and throw hard so we won.  Fun to pound on the younger missionaries once in a while :)

We are having a bit of a hard time right now in the sector.  Its big and we are always having to travel to Otavalo and it eats time.  David didnt come to church, but we are looking for those that want to progress.  Pray that we can find someone that will progress soon, we kinda need it to keep the spirits up.  The house is clean though, so that helps :)

We are wet, tired, sore, and hungry.  Sounds like scouts but Young Men, its a whole new level.  You get all the fun, but you get to shower.  This work is great.  I cant wait to call this Sunday!  I love ya all....when yer asleep.  Have a great week!

Elder Lomeli