I have no Idea what to put here... :3

Well here we are again. Lunes. 

The time is really starting to pick up. It feels like yesterday that Elder Salazar came here to join me in the land of bread... Riobamba. (yes, the bread here is really really good)

Elder Salazar and me. Three weeks have passed and I don´t think I have sent one yet... :P

The work here is moving along. After our fútbol last week, we were all sore and we had trouble working on Tuesday and Wednesday, but we ran into a drunk on Tuesday that had been drinking for 4 days straight. He was in really bad shape, so we took him to the police location where they gave him a shot to help him calm down and then we took him to his house. He said later, "please come by later and pray and talk with me" We haven´t yet had that opportunity, but I hope we can help him change his life. 

We also spent some time talking with the family really far north in our sector called the Albarado family. There are a lot of people there, and the mother of the family and some of her kids are very interested in our message. The father doesn´t want to break the catholic tradition of his family but for now is willing to listen. 

José is super excited! His baptism is in 2 weeks!

Also Castor came with us to church this week!!! It was fast and testimony week so he got the chance to here lots of testimonies of members. I asked him how he felt after and he said "very good. There is a peace and tranquility in this church." In the gospel principles class he said that he wasn´t used to the style of the church but he really likes it and wants to come back. It made me really happy to see the progress he is making. He also has read 4 or 5 chapters in the Book of Mormon.

For P-day today we went to a small town called Guano where there is a small museum with a mummy and a few cool rocks. It was somewhat interesting but it was more fun just hanging out with other missionaries. 

The mummy was quite creepy.

I´m trying to imitate the face here. How´d I do?

I´m glad it´s not living.

I´ve spent a long time thinking recently about success as a missionary. Sometimes as missionaries we act like success is in the numbers. How many new investigators you have taught this week or how many baptisms you´ve had in your mission. Really these aren´t marks of missionary success but of success of these people who are listening to the message. Our success is measured by our personal growth, diligence, obedience, and if we can feel the spirit working through us. When we are working our hardest to invite other to come unto Christ, and feel the spirit in the process, we are successful. I want to be that kind of missionary.

Love you all!!!

Elder Cloward

Work work work

Hola Todos!

Primero, I´m not doing a very good job taking pictures right now. We have a couple of great opportunities, but I´ve been forgetting my camera. So here´s a pineapple we bought for $1.50.... actually the computer doesn´t want to send a pictures right now, so... forget this paragraph.... :3

Second, we found a lot of people to teach this week. 

José is progressing really well. He is coming to church consistently with his family and is very excited to learn everything. 

We found a man from Venezuela named Castor who is 84 years old. He was really interested in our message and will most likely come to church. Venezuela has been struggling economically and politically for the past few years so a lot of people are moving to other countries. It is a little difficult to understand their accent, but they are all really great people. 

We went searching through antiguos (older people who had been listening to missionaries before) and found a family of five (Huamalema) who are strong Catholics but are willing to listen. If they can come to know that our message is true, they will be strong members. Please pray that they will have a desire to understand our message for themselves.

We also found two teenagers, Joseph 16 years and Michael 14 years, that were interested in our message. When we finished teaching the restoration, Joseph said, thank you so much for teaching me that. 

Finally, when searching more for old investigators, we travelled by bus to the northern part of our sector to a small village called El Carmen. About the same time that we arrived there, a large family arrived in a house near the bus stop. We talked a bit with the family and the wife said that she was really worried about her husband who had been struggling with drinking. We taught her that the gospel of Jesus Christ changes lives and that by living the teachings of Christ, her husband would change. There is a recent convert who made that change, and we plan to take him with us the next time we pass by there. 

We have a lot of people to teach but none of them are coming to church yet. If you have any suggestions to help people come to church, I´d love to hear them.

Today for P-day we met with all of the Elders in Riobamba and played 4 on 4 soccer. It was a blast. We played gringos versus latinos, and suprisingly the gringos won. 

I want to finish with my testimony that the restored gospel of Jesus Christ changes lives. In a world of chaos, Christ has restored peace.

Until next time!

Elder Cloward