Hey Family!How are things all going back home? Everone wrote me about this big wind storm/snow storm that hit. Sounds like fun! We have been getting some BIG rainstorms down her. The roads fill up with water FAST. And our sector Santa Anita is pure steep hillside so they have all kinds of mini mudslides that they are cleaning up right now. just little ones where an empty lot of soil washes down onto the road, nothing too extreme. This week was a better week. I knew it would be, we had zone conference! My interview with president Sloan like always was just a big recharge for my batteries. My talk in the conference went weel. It was neat to see everyone here in the Quito area. My comp from the MTc Elder Taylor was there at the conference. He is still struggling alot with spanish but does well. He talks like a caveman, only in infinitives, ask Jared what that means, he can explain. It was just really fun to see him again and a couple of Elders I met up north when I was in Tulcan. President Sloans donctrine lesson he gave us was on the true meaning of repentance. He takes the basic ordinances and doctrines of the church and goes in depth with them and I always walk out of that room wide eyed still trying to take it all in. I love it!
Nobody needs to worry about my safety down here. We are watched over and protected. If ever we feel at all in danger or have any impressions, we leave the area and go to another house. So no worries, Im being smart about everything. This sunday they announced that in September they will begin ditributing an LDS version of the Bible in spanish! The one we use right now doesnt really have cross references or footnotes, so when they announced that I got really excited! Exchanges are comming up in...8 days, next tuesday. President gave me some good advise and gave me a heads up on my next exchange. Im not gonna say what yet cuz Im not sure on it, but maybe next monday or the one after you will all hear. No worries, its good news, really really good exciting news. So ya, since I´ve got to wait to hear what Loua´s and Chance´s baby will be, you gotta wait too.
We had a lady come to church this week to our ward. All by herself, and shes not a member, she just wanted to get to know about the church. So we had a lesson with her and everything we taught she wrote down on a notepad. Everything we asked her after we taught she repeated back, she just understood everything! It was awesome, very exciting for us. After the lesson we asked if we could schedule an appointment with her to continue with the lessons. She acce`pted and when she gave us her address.... OTHER SECTOR! ahh! She is a great investigator, and it turns out she is from another companionships sector. Oh well, we got her prepared good for them. The couple that got baptised a few weeks ago here are doing great. They both have callings already, the wife is a teacher in the relief society and she gave a talk last sunday, the husband is a teacher in the primary and gave a talk yesterday! I felt so proud of them and was just so excited for them! There is much to learn out here, and Ive got alot to go. Jared told me that I gotta get ready, at my six minth mark I am actually half way done here. Up till this point I was excited to say I have six months out, but now it really does scare me, the time is really going by too fast. 1/4 of the mission is behind me. But that just means that I need to work harder and do more each day! Thats ok with me though, I love the work here. I just love my mission! Thank you for everything. I love you all!
Elder Matthew Morris

Hello Family
Sorry Im late again this week. It has been a stressful week. Yesterday we got bigtime lost on the way back from a family home evening in another sector that we were helping out at. The other grigo elder and I made home made pizzas. Afterward we got on the wrong bus in foggy weather. So we ended up staying the night in the other sector in the other elders house. But we are all safe. Last thursday our house got robbed while we were out teaching. So if I could ask for a new digital camera (cheap simple), a discman for the cds I got from home in a package thursday, the other stuff i can get here. They just took electronics from the house, no clothes, bokks, nothing else. But its alright, we got new locks put on our doors yesterday and we are looking for a new apartment each day as we are going around the sector. Im doing pretty good. It was a bit of a downer week. I got a letter from Devin Broadhead this week. His farewell was sunday and he flies right to the brazil MTC the first of may. Exactly 6 months after me. That sure makes me see how the time has gone by fast. Oh well. Today and tomorrow is our Zone conference here in quito. There are 3 zones that will be there. President Sloan asked me to give a talk at the conference tomorrow on Faith. Ive got it all ready but I am a bit nervous about it. We have interviews this afternoon, Im really excited for that. I love getting to talk to president. Its always a recharge for my batteries. Its a true statement that the mission isnt anything easy. But im doing pretty darn good. Its always good to get good news from home. Im glad to hear all is well with the babies. I cant wait to hear what Laura and Chances little one will be. My guess is another little boy. I tell about every member and investigator all about my family and my nephew caleb and the two more on the way. Families really are the biggest source of happiness in life.
We got a few new investigators this week so hopefully the program in this sector will pick up. Put your shoulder to the wheel! I love you all. Thank you for all of the letters and support.
Elder Morris

One more thing. If i ever dont write home on a monday, dont worry. The only time to worry would be if president Sloan called home. So if i dont write its just cuz i didnt have time or got lost on the bus system again! haha. love you all.
Elder Morris

Hello!
This week went by better. We had divisions with our Zone Leaders earlier this week and it went well. I stayed in our sector with Elder Grange from Logan Ut. We got alot done and just had fun. It was a good day. Then on saturday we went on splits with a couple of members. I went with the ward mission leader, who just got home this fall from his mission in Satiango Chile! He was a GOOD missionary. It was alot of fun going and doing visits with him. I leardned alot both days. I think I have gained alot of patience since I got transferred here. I am just to the point that I dont really let things bother me about my companion. Today we were supposed to do a zone activity and go to Cotopaxi, a Volcano a little ways away. Its supposedly the worlds highest volcano. We were gonna climb up to a certain point, take zone pictures then hike back down, but plans fell through. So the four of us in my district that went to the ecuator last week went to Basilica. It is a HUGE cathedral in down town Quito.
I am going to get a couple of CDs of all my pictures made and I will send them home. It was fun. We spent a few hours just at this cathedral. The outside structure reminds me alot of the salt lake temple. BUT the difference is that they have tours go through this place, different stores in it to sell souvenuirs, and a cafe upstairs. And they still use it for all of their services and all. It made me think that they must have forgotten that story in the New Testament of how Jesus had to kick out all of the vendors from the temple. Oh well it was a fun little trip anyways. Alot of history in downtown Quito. This upcomming week we will hopefully be putting goals of some baptismal dates with a few investigators. We were planning on doing it last week but everytime we went by their houses they were either busy or gone. But this week is the week. Oh one funny story about the ecuator trip last week. As we were leaving the little park we were just strolling down the sidewalk and this big group of people were comming up towards us entering the site. As they got to us, the big guys in front pushed us out of their way and told us to move! and so we stood to the side and watched as this group went by. On the outside was alot of big tough guys, behind the group, a bunch of camera crazy people and the center of the group, a bunch of guys with long hair, and tattoos. I figured it was some band but didnt pay much attention to them. So the next day I found out who it was. The rock band from the states Iron Maiden! They are very popular and they had a concert here in Quito tuesday night so they were touring around before the concert and we just happen to literally BUMP into them! Funny story.
I am doing really good. I finished reading Alma the other day. I love the scriptures. I cannot beleive how much stuff I learn everytime I read. I also read over my Patriartical Blessing, wow, isnt that just like a road map for life when you are feeling lost. That and it really kicks me in the but and makes me remember how much I need to work on. But thats a good thing. I have alot that I need to do better at. President Sloan in his letter to me this week told me I need to hang in there and deal with my companion and learn what I can do better to make the companionship better. Then he compared it to his marriage and to my future marriage. I replied to him that if this is what marriage is I´ll pass. haha. Oh well, even if it is rough at times I really am learning alot out here. I love it, I wouldnt rather be anywhere else. Love you all. Hope to hear from you next week!
Elder Morris

Hello everyone!

Well this week was a rough one. Issues with the companion continue. BUT saturday was a great day. I have a couple of picture with this e-mail. The one of the group of us in front of the chappel was this saturday. The barrigas family was able to get married friday afternoon, baptised saturday afternoon, and confirmed sunday afternoon! The guy wearing white is the bishop, he baptised the wife and even though im not wearing white yet in the picture, i got to baptise the husband! Its was an awesome day. That night at their house we went over for dinner with them. They gave my companion and i both a HUGE plate of food, while they had a little less than a full portion on theirs. Thats just how the people are here. They will go without just so they can give us alot. This family has gone through so many trial and difficulties lately. The husband is jobless because his boss (brother) hadnt paid him for a couple of weeks. The wife got ill and couldnt walk for a couple of days, the money they had saved up for the lawyer fees to get married was used on doctor bills, then the son got sick, more doctor bills. After all of that we visited them one day and the two little boys were crying asking their mom when they would get to eat. They were out of money, food, and ready to give up. Then the ward pitched in and gather money for them. They received the answer to their prayers, got the papers to get married and they completed their goal. They have already made pland to be sealed in the temple one year from now, and because of the spirit that was felt and the blessings they received, Fernando, the wife´s brother is assisting church and we will put a baptismal date for him this week for hopefully 2 saturdays from now. This family has faith! It was so amazing getting to see them and participate in them being baptised. The other fotos of me and the other gringo missionary were in Tulcan, my last sunday there. The two kids with us are Luz Clarita and Jonathan. Both were baptised 2 weeks after I got transferred. The other fotos are of our p-day yesterday. We went to the middle of the world. It was really pretty cool. The weather has been nothing but sunny skies for about 5 days now. 85-90 and just sunny. My neck got scorched yesterday. I was wearing a normal shirt, so my white collar line was exposed and I didnt think to put sunscreen on the part of my neck. oops. Oh well it was fun. I baught a discman yesterday afternoon at a big market place in quito. It was on trying to find our way back from their that we got a bit lost in the bus system. Once we finally got the right bus we got stuck in traffic and it took a little over an hour to get back to our sector. But Im safe and nothing bad happened at all. Tomorrow we are doing divisions with our zone leaders, I imagine president asked them to do it to see how bad it is in my companionship. Hopefully it turns out well. Tomorrow, the 11th, Mark and Kyle turn 20 and conference weekend they will have completed 1 year, and I will complete 6 months. Its crazy how fast the time goes by. Just the other day we were all little (well i was pretty chubby) and camping up in the slough. Now Jades married with almost his 2nd kid, Tyler is back from his mission, i dont know what hes doing right now but oh well, and mark kyle and I are getting there in our own missions. I hope those two are doing well. Oh i just remembered a story! The other day we were walking down the sidewalk and as I walked passed a dark doorway I saw a small white flash and alot of growling and barking, then I turned and saw the attacker! A white mini poodle came after me, he first went for the left ankle, then the right, then again to left left. But his little jaws were luckily to small to get a hold of any flesh! I make it out without any problems, but he sure was abitious! I have come to the knowledge the I could probably be in a group of a couple hundred people, but if there was an angry dog there, it would instictively come for the missionary gringo first! Trust no dog. Well everyone, I love you and thank you always for the letters. It is always good to hear from everyone! Keep up the faith, winter will soon be over by the sounds of it! Love you.

Elder Matthew Morris

so i couldnt fit all of the pictures on here that i wanted to. i will get some more home soon though! enjoy.

hey everyone sorry this im so late today. We got lost in quito and just got back to our sector. i dont have time to write tonight but i will write tomorrow morning!
love you all Elder Morris

Well another week has gone by. I completed 5 months in the mission this sunday! And before i forget, i want it to be known that tomorrow march 3rd is Magnums 7th birthday! So i want pictures of the party he will be having! He sure is getting old, hes a good dog though. This week went by so-so. We had a couple of good teaching days, then a couple of bad teaching days. The couple that we have waiting on the marriage lisence to get baptised, is STILL waiting on th marriage lisence. We have got a few good investigators. We spent about 3 hours buzzing door bells the other day. ONE lady told us that we can come back another day when she has more time. No one else really gave us a chance. Oh well. We are trying to help the members realize that for us elders to be most effective and successful, we need their help. References from members almost always turn out with success.
As for today, we went to the mission offices to do a couple little things, the offices are in my zone here in quito so we can go anyday of the week. So after we left there we went bowling. 4 of us bowled for a couple of hours and i won every round. Im getting pretty good! It was alot of fun for me haha. After that we went over to one of the mall places and ate in the food court. I had a personal pan pizza from pizza hut and some cinna-sticks! Almost just like home! haha. It was a fairly good afternoon.
I cant beleive how fast the time here is going by! It seems just like a couple of weeks ago i left the MTC and just a couple of weeks before that i left home. So this house we are at is the ´hotel house´of the mission. All of the new missionaries stray thier first night there, all of the elders going home, all of the elders comming for training meetings, everything. So last week was exchanges and so we had our house FULL of missionaries monday through thursday! And when there are 25 missionaries in a little appartment it gets dirty quick. And we´re all 20 year old boys, so of course they dont clean up after themselves, so this morning i got to go through the house and clean it all up again. But it was alright with me. I really really enjoy working! Just that feeling of having accomplished and fineshed a big task, its very sastisfying to me. The other day we went by a building where they were pitting some stone on a wall and it hurt me to have to just walk by. I have never wanted to lay stone so bad in my life! haha. The changes that come over you on a mission are pretty drastic. My first week in Ecuador i was shocked i could get a gallon bottle of water for 1.20 and now i feel like im getting ripped off if i pay more than 1 dollar! All the little things like that i notice once in a while, i grumble for having to pay more than 1.50 for burger fries and a drink! oh goodness. I love ecuador though. I dont think i can say it enough. I love my mission. I have never learned so much about the gospel and the scriptures so much in my entire life! I just love it here!
Sorry i dont really have any news or anything much to say, maybe nextweek i will have a big extravagant story. Love you and all choose the right! Im glad to hear all is well back home. Keep doing all the things you need to be doing and you will be blessed with more work(dad, jared, zach). Dont forget magnums party tomorrow! Hes probably expecting something big so dont let him down!
Elder Morris