Well today was a long day
I recieved news the other day that we were having emergency transfers and I am now in Quito. The BIG city itself. I bore my testimony sunday and had to say goodbyes after church and i just cried. It felt like leaving my family again. It broke my heart to have to leave our investigators too. I love the people in Tulcan and i will really miss them. So this morning I left at about 8 and got here at about 2:30. On the busride we got stopped at checkpoints a few times, and everytime of course they have to ask the gringo questions outside. I dont have my ecuador ID yet only a photocopy of my passport, before, it hasnt been a problem for me, but today i got threatened jail time and being deported a couple of times. A little bit nerve wrecking but they had mercy. So i guess the big news about this exchange is that President Sloan made me Sr companion. here is his words to me in a letter he sent this morning
Elder Morris,
It´s time for you to be a senior companion. You are coming to Quito, to a ward that needs a missionary who sets a good example and knows how to work. You will also help Elder Benivides learn how to work, set goals and exercise faith. You will have two wards to work and you will learn how to juggle the two. Gain the respect and the friendship of the bishops and leaders as quickly as you can. There is renewed interest in the missionary work and they have to be able to count on the missionaries which they haven´t been able to do so. I recently sent home two missionaries who served in San Carlos, so the work has to be picked up. They have references waiting for you. I know you will do well, Elder Morris. I have no doubt of it. Thank you very much for your faithfulness.
Un abrazo,
President Sloan
So the story in this area is that the last two missionaries here got sent home for a sexual activity with a member and the sector got closed for a little while. This happened i think about the time i got to tulcan. So Elder Benivides and I are now reopening the one sector along with the sector next to it that was still open. My companion has 6 months here and i only have 2. So I am pretty overwhelmed by this right now and a bit nervous but i know for a surety that i will have the Lords help. So because of what happened the members no longer help the missionaries. So we are going to have to work alot on that. Its sad how many elders in the past year in this mission have been sent home and even a few have lost their memberships. The trust gets broken so quickly and is so hard to get back. Thats what we were working on so hard for in Tulcan. For a few years Tulcan was the sector of the iniquos or wicked elders. The members had no trust. But the companionships of elders that were thier before me started to make the change and now the members love the missionaries. But about my sector. It is on the hillside above the airprt here in town. Its not too big of an area but there are TONS of people here. One good thing is the first couple days we spent in ecuador were here in quito and it was actually in my new house thatwe slept and my sector that we practiced a bit in so i remember a couple of the roads and how to get to the house. Quito is a HUGE city but i know i will figure my way around in a week or two.It is really good to hear all of the good news from back home. The baby boy, Cole Matthew Morris, yea, GREAT name. i support it. So congrats on that Jared and Krysten. I cant wait till he is born. And Lauras mystery baby too. I dont have alot of time here but just know im doing good and im loving it here! Keep up the faith back home! Youre all in my prayers.
Elder Morris