Carnaval!

Hey,

This week was pretty interesting and is continuing to be interesting.  Carnaval has been a happening event here in Guayaquil: Carnaval is basically when people either 1.  Go to the beach and have a full big party.  or 2.  Stay at home with family and put out a little pool out in front of their house for the kids to play in and then drink large quantities of beer and dump water, eggs, paint, and everything else on each other's heads and yell "CARNAVAL!".

Apparently it used to be worse; from the stories I've heard; the street was a war zone and anyone was a legal target.  Now-a-days people can call the police if you assault them and people are a little more careful.

Carnaval is a big pain in the butt more missionaries because everyone we teach and half the ward are at the beach or visiting family somewhere faraway and all the stores are closed until Wednesday.  That and the streets are more dangerous. Meh.

Last night we four were looking out over our deck and a kid started squirting us with his water gun from below.

Firing first was his error.

We then got our water bottles and buckets in the house and commenced returning fire.  The rest of the kids, seeing that their friend had started something that he couldn't finish, gathered their water guns and water balloons to back him up.   It was us four against the kids on the street, however, we had the high ground and didn't get very wet.  As it got to be our bed time we told them that our house was out of water and to have a happy carnaval.

As we went inside, the phone rang, and we discovered that everyone but me had a cambio/(change). Which meant my companion, Elder Taylor's, time had come and I was to receive a new companion on the morrow.  Therefore, I spent most of my day today waiting for the three new guys who are living in our house.

My new companion is Elder Sanchez from Chile, I really don't know too much about him yet, all we've done so far is eat lunch and buy food.  I'll let you all know more about him next week.  I'll also have some pictures.

I hope all is well back home.  Talk to you next week!  Look forward to hearing about the wedding.

~Cameron