10/13/2014 - Chocolate keeps the Missionaries alive

Hey Familia y Amigos!

We've been getting hungry over here, we always forget to go shopping so we've resorted to hunting Cocoa en El Campo...

...ok, no, I'm eating pretty good.  We stop and buy Pan de Comubia almost every night because there's TONS of Panaderias de Colombia here, and the bread is so dang good... I also eat good breakfasts.

OH HEY!  Speaking of eating, I got the package!

Yes, we enjoyed the taste of home.  Thanks for everything that was included!  My eggs in the morning and now 10x better with the tabasco that you sent.

Things here are great as anyways.  Roller coasters are interesting.  The ups and downs sometimes make you scream, but you always come out laughing in the end.

I can't say that the mission is anything less than a roller coaster.  Investigators build your faith and break your heart, some lessons are amazing and others consist of three fully nude little boys trying to attack you and steal your pamphlets while you try to teach their distracted little sister about Jesus. (I had a day yesterday... No I did not take pictures)

Between all the lessons and planning and work, there's hardly any time for fun and games...

...And no, we don't have more mandarinas than we can eat.

Dia de bruja is coming up.  (day of the witch) I really don't know what people here do for that or what the missionaries do during that time... I guess I'll find out.

How are preparations back home for Halloween? Has anyone tried to put Bill in the front lawn yet?

Love you all!

~Cameron

COCOA BEANS

10/06/2014 Adventures in the Jungle!

Hola!

Conference was cool!  I was able to watch all the sessions!  All the talks that weren't in Spanish had a Spanish guy speaking over the audio of the actual speaker.  Which was cool but I sometimes missed the voices of the leaders I love.  Although, President Packer sounds a TON more youthful in Spanish. And the lady who was translating for the lady who spoke in the first session started choking on tears half way through the talk whereas the original speaker's composure was completely normal.

I saw mom!  We all did! We all had a fun game of "Spot Elder Howell's mom" During the sessions. She was on Music and the Spoken Word a ton!

So, I got a lot to send but not a lot of time, AGAIN...

I'm writing so late because we went on a P-Day adventure today and got back a little later than planned...   I'll get to the adventure in a second. (Get ready for a ton of pictures!)

RIGHT, so we baptized Jorge!

Jorge is a poor man who lives in a little shack, but I realized something in this picture...

...LOOK AT THIS! If Jorge was born in the US he could definitely be a movie star.  LOOK AT THAT PHOTOGENIC FACE.

Ok... onto the adventure...

So, Elder Martínez pointed out that we don't really have much to do for p-days in Buena Fe. We decided to ask members if there was anywhere cool to go.  And the ward mission leader of the other ward told us he knows a place that's in the zone and that he knows a guy.  So the eight missionaries of Buena Fe all went here today.  SUPER COOL PLACE!  It's basically a resort built in the jungle with a bunch of hiking trails.

COCANE PLANTS!!

After the hike we all ate in the lodge. The Food was really good! and because the administrator is a friend of the missionaries it didn't cost more than $5 each for everything!





AND that's it.  Tomorrow we're going to have interviews with the President, AGAIN. and on Friday the area authority is coming to talk to the mission.  Also on Friday I complete 6 months in the mission.  WOOT!

I'll talk to you all next week! I should be getting my package from the office tomorrw.  Love you all and I hope the best for everyone!

Chao!

~Cameron

09/29/2014 - New Companion... Again!

Hola!

My baptisms have been good, I've realized how important members are in this work and I think back of how back home was and try to remember if I was a selfish-drone-like-member who did everything I should do for me but never really helped with this grand work that's happening in every part of the world or if I was better than that.  Whatever the answer, I'm pretty dang sure that when I get back I'm going to do a lot better.  If the missionaries need references or someone to go teach with them, I'm gonna try to be there.

For General Conference next weekend we could go to the stake center is in Quvedo which is 30 minutes north of us in the bus.  BUT I think that they'll be able to set up a projector in the chapel here in Buena Fe, so I don't think we'll be traveling.  Which is good because I hate buses.

Gissela and Carlos are doing good, we helped them with their first Family Home Evening and we're hoping that they'll continue the tradition.

SO! This is me and Elder Martínez and Vadamir, a baby of a member who wanted us to take a picture of her baby.

Yes, Elder Martínez. My new new Companion! (new new because my other new companion wasn't that old) Not sure whats up, but my companions keep leaving and I keep getting left here in my first sector.

So, Elder Martínez is from Porta Rico, he just got out of the mission office.  He served as the secretary who's in charge of packages and materials for seven months. He knows a lot about how the mission works and things that deal with the HQ of the mission.

ANYWAYS, he's spent parts of his life in New Jersey and Lehi, Utah and he speaks really good English, which is nice but also a pain because it super tempting to talk with him in English.  but yeah, that's Elder Martínez. He's super cool and has about 14 months on his mission.

I'm not too sure what else to write about...  Next week we have plans to go on an adventure for p-day, I'll let you know how that goes.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MOM!

Hope everything is going well back home.   SEND BIRTHDAY CAKE!  LOVE YOU ALL.

~Cameron

Music of Ecuador. Ha.

Hola,

I'd like to take a minute to talk a little more about the music here because I THINK there's some things I haven't talked about.

Elder Cuberos is a huge fan of music as well as a large number of the people here in South America.  No one really minds music, so, people like to set their 9000w speakers outside of their house and blast whatever the heck they want for the whole town to hear while they sit in their house.  I'm still trying to understand this...  I explained that if a person did this in the united states, the people next door would call the cops.  People also like to set their 9000w speakers on top of their cars for both playing music and for selling things out of their trunk.  No one has problems with this.  I've had thoughts once of twice about buying a big speaker system and blasting MoTab from the deck of our apartment.

Shakira is super popular down here, turns out that she's Colombian.  There's also another song down here... not sure if it has reached the United States or not but it's basically the latino Gangnam Style and it's just as bad.  It's called Caballito de Palo and people play it all the time.  I'd be surprised if Lindsay didn't hear it in Peru.

Along with Shakira, caballito de palo, and the typical Latin artists that play on the radio on the buses, other music from home is here too, usually only the pop, but sometimes there's surprises.  I like it best when someone blasts One Republic... Mi Canta!
Me and my companion have also been comparing Disney movie titles are the lyrics of the songs.  It's interesting sometimes and sometimes super funny!

Every Monday we've been playing fútbol at the church in Quvedo as a Zone.  It's super fun but most of the time I'm really really bad at it.  I've been told I'm progressing though, so that's good.  To world cup is cool, but what's super fun is when missionaries from The United States, Columbia, Handores, Peru, Chile, Dominican Republic, and Ecuador all team together and play fútbol!  Good times in the mornings on P-day.

I really don't have much to report, which isn't a bad thing.  Things are good here in the Buena Fe Mission-  or so I call it as I've had three different companions but only one area.  My health is good both emotionally and physically.
Happy Birthday to mom!

I love you all!

Cameron

09/15/2014 - Guinea Pig, Weddings and Baptisms!

Ok, I took lots of pictures of this week that passed so this is going to be another series of photo emails!

Here we go!

This week we got the opportunity to eat Cuy out of special Request.  the week before I mentioned that I've never eaten Cuy and that if I was given the chance I would.  The Hermanas for Amuerzo on Wednesday took that as a challenge. Cuy isn't commonly eaten here as most people think it is.  this is due to the reason that it's expensive and isn't a meat people LOVE to eat.

Cuy means Guinea pig.  

Yes, it was good-  

But it wasn't great.

Yes, there was a wedding this week :D ...

...The city registy center isn't the greatest place to hold a wedding but I don't think anyone cared...

...the testigos signed some paper work, and...

...We payed the the money (they are very grateful), They filled out some paper work... 

...The nice lady of the registry stood up and pronounced them husband and wife

Awe.

Their families and the people waiting in line to get their ID pictures sat in the congregation.

I Insisted that they let me take this picture.

They're happy with it.

....Afterwards we went to Gissela's mom's house for cake and cola

In other news.  One of the new Misionaras in the ward had a Birthday. Some of the Hermanas in the ward (who's restaurant we eat at on Thursdays) Threw a surprise for her. This picture and the expressions on their faces shows how awesome the members here are.

...And here's a fantastic photo of me reading the Liahona during Carlos' Baptismal interview. No, no I'm not constantly tired.

...Shortly after (2 Days) followed the baptism.  :D

And to finish: Here's on of the giant grasshoppers that live here.
This one was on the wire in front of our window yesterday morning.

Love you all! Have a good week!

Elder Howell

09/08/2014 "This is not a toy"

Hi.

I really don't really know what to say in this email...  The past week hasn't been SUPER eventful.... This week however should consist of a wedding and two baptisms if all goes to plan!  Plans however are a fickle...  BUT THIS WEEK I'M HOPEFUL!

I've been reading a lot about Alma, Amulek, Ammon, the other sons of Mosiah because they were basically the BEST MISSIONARIES EVER.  I've been thinking to myself: "How the heck did they do the things they did?" Every time I think about making someone have a personal earthquake or making the dog that tries to attack me drop dead from the spirit like that man that tried to kill Ammon did I immediately remember that I'm tired and my back hurts like nothing else.  Miracles sound exhausting...  I also seem to remember that all the pictures of Ammon and Nephi depict them as SUPER buff.  I've also read in 1 Nephi that physical strength can be a fruit of the spirit when needed.  Therefore, I'm gonna continue trying to perfect myself and work to have the spirit not only with me but as my faithful companion.  One thing about the spirit, however, is that it's like a dove.  In fact the holy ghost has been shown in the form of a dove on a couple different occasions.  Like a dove, the spirit can be scared away if you make a wrong move, whether it's a little wrong move or a big wrong move.
My goal is for me to not only have that dove stand beside me but to sit on my shoulder.

For now, however, my back really hurts...

Things here are all good! I'll tell you all about the baptism next week!

~Love, Cameron

Elder Cuberos and I bought new rulers last week because rulers are cool things to have.  We've made a point in playing with our rulers as much as possible:  Sword fights, random thrashing, music sessions,  etc... Just for the spite of it!

Butterflies with eyeballs on their wings exist in real life, not only in National Geographic! Tell your friends.

When people die here, their friends and family walk them down the central street to the cemetery, normally against traffic. Jolexu was super special to the people in Buena Fe: she was a 17 year old cancer fighter who had a bionic leg.  She was made the "Rayna de Buena Fe"

The Tricimotos of Buena Fe blocked traffic for the procession.

8 bautismos, el templo, Bus drifting, y misioneros ver peliculas avasis

Hey!

So I guess I've failed to inform you all about my baptisms.  The first five was familia Holgin/Burgos.  Namely: Justin Holgin, Jubede Holgin, Alexander Burgos, Junior Burgos, and Rosa Burgos. They count as my baptism and I personally baptized Junior, but the truth is that they were mostly taught by Elder Christiansen (el poderoso), a missionary who finished his mission right as I started mine and was the companion of Elder Pagoada before me.  I feel like I can take more credit for the other three though: Pablo Fillian, Andy Cruz, and Noami Burgos.  Those are my eight baptisms, I thought I sent pictures for all of them... I'll send them again if I have time today.

This last week we got to go to the temple and afterward listen to President Riggins speak.  President Riggins is awesome and I like the way he runs things!  He tightened up a few things that I'm really glad for.  Before, the mission ran on the COMPLETE YOUR GOALS system were you made a goal for baptisms and if you didn't meet it you were put to shame.  Because of this missionaries seemed to baptise people by whatever means nesasary and I think sometimes some people got baptised before they were ready.  I hated this system.  President Riggins however is taking a new approch to the work that still involves making goal (because goals are SUPER importaint) but he's also raised the bar of the requirments to baptise.  He basically wants stong members which is OK by me.  This mostly comes from the statistics of last year, 80% of the baptisms last year were childeren and teenagers and he flat out told the missionaries that we're harming the church.  Another statistic is that the number of less active members here is over 50%.

The Temple was amazing!

This picture was taken at 6am, meh....

Our Zone consists of Buena Fe and Quvedo.  This being the case we do a lot of bus traveling between the two cities.  NOTE: I hate busses.

During one of our trips to a zone meeting, the bus hit some loose gravel and the back end started to drift a little.  WHICH IS REALLY SCARY IF YOU"RE A GREENGO IN THE BACK OF THE BUS.  Everyone was calm however.  Because as I said before; people here are gutsy/crazy-out-of-their-minds and they're good at it.  We continued to slip and slide down the road and we continued on our way.  No biggy.  Welcome to Ecuador.

The four hour bus to Guayaquil plays a movie for its passangers.  Missionaries really have nothing else to do in the bus exept for sleep or watch the movie.  With four hours there's usually time for both. SO, on that note.  If you're in the mood for one of those feel good/inspirational/make you love life and then litterally murder the charactars that made you love life and then make you feel good again kinds of movies, I'd recomend "My Name Is Khan", I liked it. Granted I watched it in spanish.

So there, I'm still recommending movies :P

I think that's everything for today... I have more but my time is sadly limited.  I usually make notes in my planner about what to talk about and if I end up not talking about a point I move it to the next week.  So don't worry.  you wont miss information!

I hope all is well back home!  Love you all!

~Cameron