Hey Family!
Well this week was not a real busy week, but we had a few great lessons! The best thing to hear as a missionary is "you are like angels! we weren't expecting you to come today, but we sure were hoping for you to come!" Friday we did a little activity in the church and I taught how to make pizza! It turned out pretty well. They burnt the first pizza though, they forgot they had put it in the oven and it came out one black hard disc! Today we have just been doing little things around here. Today Ive gotta fill out a new contract for an apartment, the one we´re in right now is itty bitty and it doesn't have any window, so its basically a little oven here in Esmeraldas. Just a lot of busy work for today is all. Maybe next Monday I will be in a new sector.
One of the pictures that Jared sent me last week was of Dad with a pinehen he got looking for firewood, the first thing I noticed in the picture wasn't dad or the pinehen, but the tail lights of a truck in the lower corner of the picture. Who's driving the Dodge?! and WHY did you wait till I was gone? looks like a pretty truck, I'm guessing its the new work truck, as dad did tell me the gold Chevy gave up the ghost. anywho, thanks for the letters and the pictures. Congratulations Zach on your calling, you´ll do great!
Sorry I don't have much to say this week. I will be waiting for pumpkin pictures and little trick-r-treaters pictures of Caleb, Cole and Hadley!
Love you all! Have a great week!
Elder Morris

Hey Everyone! Sorry I didn't get an email sent yesterday. We went to a little village for preparation day, then when we wanted to come back, there wasn't any bus or canoes! It was a fun day. The village is called Guayacana, the people there are natives and they speak chapalá. There are about 500 people there, some 80 members and a little wood house for the chapel! It was a neat experience. The ward mission leader took us into the jungle to find some waterfalls. We had to wade through some streams climb through jungle and everything! But it was the most paradise-like place Ive ever seen. Sad to say, I brought my digital camera with me without remembering my memory card. A couple of the other missionaries took pictures for me, I hope to get them in the next week or two. So my day was filled with turantulas, waterfalls, iguanas, frogs like you've never seen, rashed legs from ivy-plants, and LOTS of mosquito's!!! It will be a memory of a lifetime. I would like to get to go back someday. The people of the village have no running water, little electricity, no telephone, internet, just the basics. It was so fascinating to me, no video games, movies, nothing, just soccer, volleyball, and fishing! The simplicity of life was more than I have ever really seen. I will try to get some pictures sent as soon as I can.
As of the news from home. WAHOOO!!!! Way to go Mary, I'm really excited for you. It made my eyes tear up when I read your letter. How much better I feel for you and little Caleb! I wish you the very best in all, as you said in your letter, all in the Lord´s time. Dad happy birthday last week! I didn't forget, don't worry. Funny thing actually, on the day of your birthday we went to do a zone service project. We went to a nursing home to sing hymns and tell jokes with the old people! I thought it was pretty coincident, and remembered making those nursing home jokes to you alot. So happy birthday Dad! And yesterday, Happy birthday Jared! Cuando me puse a contar los años, no pude creer que ya tienes 29 años. ¡Te estás pniendo viejito! Gracias por tu carta y el animo que me das. Espero que te vaya bien en Washington con los suegros. Y si, tu hijito está gordito. jeje. Thank you all for the pictures that I got in emails this week. It was a big shocker as well as a relief to see so many letters in my inbox this week. Love you all SO much!
Elder Matthew David Morris

Hey family! How was this week for everyone?! I hope everything went well for everyone. Sounds like the baby blessings turned out well. I didnt get any pictures from anyone though. Oh well. This week was a pretty good week for us here. We had zone conference last wednesday. It was great. Today for preparation day we went and got pictures developed, bought some food and such, then we went and had lunch and have just had a relaxing day. I honestly cant think of any story or anything big that happened this last week. Well, in my interview with President Sloan on tuesday he asked me how long I have been here in Esmeraldas and when I told him I was going on 7 months now he was a little shocked. So he told me I will more than likely get changed when transfers come up again. the first week of november are the transfers, there is a group of 26 missionaries arriving from the MTC, some 18 gringos from provo and another 8 latins from the mtc in columbia! Its crazy for me to now see alot of my friends from the mission who are now going home. I cant beleive how fast the time goes by out here.
Well I'm all outta stories for this week. You are all in my prayers and thoughts. Write back soon! Love you!
Elder Matthew Morris

Here's a few pictures...
1st- the investigators that came to conference, Carlos his wife Anabel, their daughter Veleria and little baby girl Chelsey. 2nd- cute little Valeria!

3rd - the English room for General Conference4th - a REAL LIVE TONKA truck!!!!

WOW! What a great general conference!! Full of spiritual uplifting messages. Something I never noticed so much before my mission is how EVERY one of the talks is applicable to ME, and to MY life! They all were great talks and I cannot wait till we get the Liahona of November. This last week was such a great week for me. We had a good trip to Quito, the DL training meeting was very spiritual, I was able to learn a lot there, dinner with the Sloan´s as always GREAT FOOD! Chicken enchiladas just like mom makes back home! Then we got back from Quito and Thursday was a kinda sad day, my one year mark. I cant believe and don't want to either, that the time has gone by so fast. But then Saturday and yesterday were great days with the general conference. We had an investigator family come to the conference yesterday. The wife is ready to be baptised and have a calling, shes just not married with her husband yet, but he came to the conference yesterday morning, and so we visited them last night and he has had a change of heart! Hes even willing to get married now!!!! I cant describe how happy I felt to see them as a family at the conference. I with one of my other companions contacted this family, and I have seen them progress soo much! From a broken family with a drunk husband, to a family unified and full of love and patience! There's no wonder why the first principles that we teach in the message of the restoration are those of, ¨Our LOVING Heavenly Father¨ and ¨The Gospel message BLESSES Families¨. I cant even describe the happiness and the love and sheer joy I have felt in this last week. I love my mission. I hope you all were able to feel the same spirit this week as you saw or heard General Conference. I would love to hear from you all and how conference was for you.
I am sure glad to hear about the baby blessing coming up! PLEASE take pictures and send them to me by mail to put in my scripture case. Some of the family as complete as will be there. Pictures of Gramma, magnum, the little babies, etc... Thank you all! I love you and miss you. Keep moving forward, you wouldn't realize how many of the members and investigator alike down here CONSTANTLY pray for the families of ´Los Elderes´.
Elder Matthew Morris