Hello all,

Good to hear from you. Thursday arrived pouch with letters from Abby and Caitlin and Mom. GRACIAS A TODO. Abby's letter had a whole bunch of pictures. I loved it. I just walked around on cloud nine that day. Hearing from family and friends is like passing a checkpoint in a racing game. I'm driving in circles, doing the same thing over and over and sometimes running into walls and other cars and I am running out of life, and then I hit the check point and I speed up and have a renewed determination to make it to the end. Safely. Bringing other souls with me.

So. I didn't explain things very well. I will explain why we had an emergency transfer in a letter, I don't have too much time to write. We are teaching the indigenous people. A lot speak Spanish too, but some don't and we have to have members with us to translate in all the lessons. Sundays are really cool because all the members are in their traditional dress. 

Okay, we do not have hot water and our shower is at a constant drip. So that's fun, but, Life is good. Yes we have plumbing. The members are great. We work so so so hard here and we have a lot of investigators but progress is slow. Saturday we had a baptism with a girl named M. It was a really amazing experience. Okay, I have to explain it.

So good to hear that things are going well with Sienna and your temple calling. I want to hear from Jennica. I want to see pictures of my niece. I haven't received any clothes from you yet (other than the pajama shorts that yes, did fit perfectly and are so great). Tell Adam I love him and I can't wait to get his letter. I want to hear all about Jr. High. Mitch, I love you.

Okay, do we have a family member that served in Otavalo? All the members here are asking me about an Elder Norton that served about twenty years ago.

Yesterday I spoke in church. In Spanish of course, so maybe most of the members didn't understand. But I felt okay about it.

I want to write about our experiences with investigators, but I don't have time left!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We only get thirty minutes!! And sorry about last week, we only got three hours of p-day because we had to travel Friday to the mission reunion with E. Holland. And the meeting with E. Holland was so cool. It was so powerful. You could probably feel the spirit all the way in Utah. I just felt the reality of the second coming of the Savior and the importance this work. 

I want you all to know I have no question that this is the true church. No doubt. I know this is the gospel of Jesus Christ, restored to the earth and I know that The Book of Mormon was written by ancient prophets here in the Americas. Christ lives and the atonement is real and faith is so important. The power of prayer is indescribable. Prayer is the foundation of my testimony.

Okay, I have to go. Here is a cool quote I really like. Be good. Read the Book of Mormon every day. Never stop praying. I love you all.

"We of this generation are the end harvest of all that has gone before. It is not enough to simply be known as a member of this Church. A solemn obligation rests upon us. Let us face it and work at it. We must live as true followers of the Christ, with charity toward all, returning good for evil, teaching by example the ways of the Lord and accomplishing the vast service He has outlined for us."                              President Gordon B. Hinckley.
Hna. Norton