Happy Birthday Ethan!

Hola!

Happy birthday ethan!!! I hope you enjoyed the day! Did you keep up the tradition of a bonfire?

Guess what....I´m leaving Colón! My Coloncito!!.....Once again, I am training. Yep. Tomorrow (or maybe in the middle of the night tonight?) I go to Rosario, and then we will be in Santa Fe. Good thing revelation is real, and president Giuliani is called of God. There are SO many changes here. Crazy thing is I was only here 3 transfers. Either I have messed things up, didn´t do training right the first time, or something like that. ja. But I´m excited! I have no idea what the area will be like...only that right now there are 2 elders, and the area is splitting. I am leaving my hermanita Cruz!..... :( 

Also....there are 2 more hermanas coming here to Colón! This week I officially entered the real estate business....we were initally given 2 days to find an apartment and buying everything you would need to live. This eventually turned into a week of hunting for an apartment. (Which basically doesn´t exist, as it is summer in Colón and every single house is for tourists.) But we still haven´t found anything. And after complications with money, the hermanas will be lucky if mattresses get delivered for them tomorrow. All in all, it was quite the week. You all know how I love home depot and RC Willey....the thing is it isn´t quite the same here. I had to hunt down prices for everything, we went to about every furniture store in colón, called every inmobiliario. Quite the experience. And at least 3 times this week people asked if I am from Germany.

Yesterday we rearranged everything in our apartment, to make room for 2 more hermanas, until we find other apartment. (I even redid the wall decor) And then what happened.......ring, ring, ring, hermana andrews you are changing areas. I think this is the theme of the mission, just when things start to get going, boom....changes.

Sunday was a miracle though, and it was a sweet little piece of fruit from months of efforts. Sunday there were 3 families, the Castros, that went to church. They have all been less active, we have visited and worked with all three of them (brothers) lots and lots....and after all this prayers and fasting and frusteration jaja....it was the happiest day to see them all dressed up in white shirts and ties. One of them, David, blessed the sacrament for the first time in years and is going to baptize his daughter this week. Another brother, Sebastian, was there with his wife (non member) and his baby was blessed. The other brother Eduardo was there with his kids, after about 15 times that they have commited to going to church but haven´t. I can see the changes in these families. All the brothers, and their kids, bore their testimonies. The gospel absolutely changes lives....it´s difficult to return to the church, but I have seen evidence in this area that it is possible. I look forward to the day these families go to the temple:)

Church was just lovely, even with the usual noise of screaming wild children. There was a hilarious moment during sacrament mtg., a little boy was up and the stand, when his sister and cousin walked right up and hauled him off by his hands and feet. It was just so out of place to see a little child being hauled off by other little children in the middle of church, I think i busted out laughing.

It rained this week. And rained. It´s always a little bit more complicated with this (including we had to cancel our activity we planned)...but our sweet Rubencito made us torta fritas...like a scone. I finally convinced my comp that it is worth it to purchase boots (haha even though the next day was warm and sunny). We saw a guy on a bike get hit by a taxi driver...I am always just waiting for something like this to happen.

Well truth is I can´t even think of what else happened.....my mind is in 50 million directions. Or maybe I am just aging.

Aaahhhh I am leaving Colón! I absolutely love it here, muddy streets and all. It´s hard to understand how much you love the people and everything, until they are all you think about 24-7. I´m waiting the news one day for when there is a church here:) It makes you think about all you tried to do...and all you didn´t do. But I feel content, that I gave God everything I have, and so hopefully I fulfilled my purpose here. Answers to prayers come in funny ways. Or something like that. We will see what this next little part of the adventure, called a mission, brings.

As you can see from the fotos, pres Giuliani sent us new transportation. The food, well Mom, you would be proud of my diet. A healthy salad and fruit...ok ok, with a little dulce de leche. (I blame the fat cankle legs on the walking all day....and the whiteness....maybe summer will change that) That would be my beloved district! Not sure if it was purposelfully segregated like that, with giant americans and little latinos. Happy birthday hermana cruz!

I´m glad everyone had a happy halloween. It´s basically nonexistent  here. I used my orange tic-tacs to make a little pumpkin shape on my desk, and took a picture. That would be the extent of our festivities.

Good job ethan with band!

I read one of the best talks I have ever read...by elder maxwell, Jesus the Perfect Mentor. Instead of giving 

the whole schpill, you can all just go read it. But it has changed my attitude and view on the person that I need to be. (yes, it´s like 10 pages long, but worth it.)

love you all! thanks for the emails, they all mean a lot...the advice, the love, the updates. 

love, hermana andrews