Hello Family!
All is well here in Ecuador. From the letters i got from home it sounds like winter has arrived in good old rexburg. I really miss the snow. it never snows here. We had a good rain storm the other day that hailed a bit. They say they get hail storms pretty often, sometimes the hail is the size of golfballs if not bigger. The ones we got the other day were just BB sized. I learned a lesson that day though, when it starts out really warm and sunny early in the day, it means a big old storm is going to hit just after lunch. Yes it does rain everyday. maybe for only half hour, or maybe half the day, but it rains EVERY day. Yesterday after church we went to a members home for lunch and when we got done with lunch we went out to get a taxi to go back to the church for the other branch´s meeting and it was pouring! Within 30 seconds outside we were SOAKED! The rain drops were huge and there was alot of em. But it was fun.
The church is in kinda rough shape down here. There isnt really any reverence at all in meetings, its sad. It really makes me miss the homeward and the challenge Bishop Purse gave us. I am so grateful for the reverenceand the spirit i could feel back home. There are only two branches here in Tulcán and in my opinion they should be one. Only about 40 people show up for church on sundays. Husbands dont come, usually only wives and small kids. Teenaged boys almost never come. Priesthood holders are on low supply here. So we have our work cut out for us.
Something Jared said to me before i came out is that i may be shocked at how many missionaries in the field are pretty much useless. WOW, how true that is. My trainer Elder Castro is a so-so missionary. He is helping me with the language and everything, but i am really working hard to get him to obey the rules. We are almost never on time getting home. He likes to chat with the members alot. There is a girl in the branch here who he just knows he is going to marry so we go over to her house to see her and her family often. So i am working alot with him trying to get out and around the city more. We decided to go knocking doors the other day after we contancted a referral. It was a bit of a rough area and everyone was calling me gringo so we left. We did get a couple of referrals though.
The average monthly income here is about $240. Most of the people here have little businesses out of their houses like , bakeries, convenient stores, mechanic shops, cabinas (phone booths), and thats about all i can think of. The wives usually stay home and run the little stores while the husbands, or more often boyfriends, go drive bus or taxi. There are alot of little cook stands on the side of the roads as well. little home made grills where they usually cook potatoes, pork, or bananas. We are not allowed to eat from those things though, and if we were allowed i still dont think i would! haha. The food here is getting better. I love love love the bread and all of the bananas. Saturday i had my first raw banana, it was really good. Before that i had only had grilled and fried bananas, they are really good too. We had some fish with our rice yesterday..... im still not sure about that. they eat every little piece of the fish here. And the flavor is a bit different but i will probably get used to it with time.
We hold our district meetings in a classroom at the churhc. There are only two companionships here in Tulcán. The other companionship is Elder Gonzales from Lima Peru and Elder Monson from SLC. No hes not related to President Monson. Bishop Klinger actually met Elder Monson when he came to Ecuador this summer. Elder Monson was serving in Otavalo and Bishop Klinger talked with him for a bit. ´
I cant think of anything i would really need for christmas. If you do send anything send it to this address and it should go to the mission home and they will send it here.

Dirección de la casa de la misión:
Robles 640 Y Amazonas
Quito, Pichincha Ecuador

also the pouch address is
PO Box 30150
Salk Lake City Utah
84130=0150 USA
Love you all. thank you for the letters.
Elder Morris