Hey Everyone,
So hopefully you already got and read the other e-mail before this one. Today was a great day for us. One of our investigators here was able to get baptised. As you saw in the pictures it was a very special baptism, but even more than the location is that of the story that Luis Alberto has. He is such a great and such a humble person. As soon as we get done here writing letters we are going over to visit him at his house. We are so very excited for him. This last week he had alot of opposition come up against him. His wife, as I think I mentioned before, is blind and pregnant. This week her health got fairly bad, she started having alot of blackouts. So Luis Alberto was feeling pretty sad about his wife´s health and he was worried alot about the little baby boy thats on the way. But we read with him about Job, and how through all of his losses and sad moments, he never once complained or forsook God. So we explained to Luis Alberto how important it is that he keep pushing forward, that his baptism was now so close for him to achieve. And he made it. He has shown me alot about to have faith, a true repented heart, and trust in the Lord. We really had a great day with him today. We went up to the lake with our bishop and a couple of less active members that live by Luis Alberto. We had it all planned in advance, another 8 missionaries from the zone here went up early to look around for their p-day activity, then they met up with us for his baptism. Luis Alberto´s eyes just lit up when he saw that group of Elders coming and one by one shaking his hand. We are so happy for him and this decision he has made. I just can´t explain how happy I was to able to be there for his baptism. And the location made it even more special for us all. Luis Alberto told us he didn´t want to get baptised in the chapel, he had always wanted to be baptised in a river or a lake. So it just worked out great. On the drive up to the lake I could see doubt and nerves in the bishop and Luis´ eyes. The clouds crept in over us and it just got colder and colder. Otavalo itself is about 8400 ft. elevation, the Mojanda lake series is about 45 minutes outside of Otavalo at about 12,500 ft elevation. So even when the suns out it´s pretty cold there. And I guess the water never warms up! haha. In another couple of weeks we are going to go back for an activity and hike the hills above the lake. From the peak of the mountain you can see all of Otavalo, west to the Esmeraldas, south until Quito, and north until Columbia! So we will be heading back to get some pictures of the view of all the volcanoes in Northern Ecuador! It will surely be a stop for me after the mission whenever it is that I come back. We just had a great week here this week. My companion and I are getting along very well and working hard here.
This week we met a few new north americans here where I live. One is her travelling, he saw us walking down the road and called to us "Elders!" when we went back to talk to him, turns out he is from St Anthony! Didn't know anyone from the family though, he lives over near the Woodcocks. Then a day or two later we met a couple from BC. So we got to talking about some of the cities I remember dad mentioning about his mission. I think I remember them saying that they are from just outside of Victoria.
Well, thank you all for your letter. It is always GREAT to hear from you all. I hope all is well back home and that there is plenty of work! Love you all!
Elder Matthew David Morris

Short but Sweet

A picture is worth a thousand words. . . . . . .
Luis Alberto Quinchiguango, Baptised Saturday March 27 in Lake Mojanda, 45 minutes into the mountains outside of Otavalo.
Air temperature with wind chill, about 40, water temperature, about 40 as well.......but worth every second of it.
Elder Matthew David Morris

Hey Everyone!
I had a great week this week. We had a very spiritual zone conference this week. We didn't end up having very much time to do a whole lot of this as far as teaching goes, but we had a very good week here in Otavalo. Tuesday I had to go with a couple of the Senor missionaries from the offices to go do checkups on the houses of all of the missionaries here. Luckily all of the missionaries passed the cleaning check. On thursday we had interviews with the President. They turned out GREAT! I learned so much in my interview. I filled up a whole page of my study diary with things that I learned in my interview alone. Then thursday evening one of our investigators here had an interview with President Sloan. After the interview President came out and gave me a big smile, and a thumbs up! So our investigator passed the interview and is going to get baptised sunday the 28th in the morning before the meetings start. He told us last night that he wants to be baptised in a river or in one of the lakes here! So we have an appointment with him tonight to work out some of the details.I am really excited for him, he is a great guy. His name is Luis Alberto Quinchguango. He is indigenous and doesnt speak a whole lot of spanish, so it has been a bit of a slow process but he´s finally ready! He has had a really hard life, he is really poor. He is married to a member that has for about 15 years been inactive. He and his wife got married about a year ago, they are both about 40 years old. His wife was born blind, and she is now 8 months pregnant. We are really excited for them both. They are progressing so much now, they have the goal to go to the Temple in another year after the baptism. It has been a great experience for me to be able to know and to teach him and his family. I have learned so much from him and how humble he really is. When we first met him he didn´t really have any purpose to life, he lived with fear every day. Many days they didn't have food in the house for the family. Even worse with his wife so close to giving birth now. But now with him learning these things we have seen him find a new light and happiness. He truly has a new light in his eyes everytime that we visit him. I will surely send pictures home of the baptism.
One new thing that I just remembered, I got a new companion this week. Elder Taylor got transferred monday morning. I am still here in the sector. My new companion´s name is Eler Paredes, he is from Lima Peru. He only has about 3 months left in the mission now. We are getting along great, he is a funny kid, and a great cook! haha. Yesterday he taught me how to make Chinese fried rice! Today we went with the senor missionaries from the offices to show them around Otavalo. One of the pictures we took I am sending with the e-mail. In the picture of the group of us, starting from the left the couple is the Curtis´, they live in Sandy Utah, they will finish the mission about the same time as I have, next is Hermana Dressen, she is the secretary in the offices, she is from good old REXBURG IDAHO!!! Well she is actually from Wisconsin, but about 12 years ago moved to Rexburg. Then comes the Rose´, the big guy and his wife! They are great, they are from Roy Utah! It was alot of fun going around with them. We went to the market here in Otavalo today to buy souvenirs and I helped the senor missionaries to not get charged too much. It was just a blast for me to go around translating for all of them.
So ya thats been my week. Lots of fun down here in Ecuador. The other pictures I´m sending are of me doing a little unplanned service project for a member family, cracking bean pods! It was alot of fun, they let the pods dry out, then you crack them open and the beans all come out. It was really pretty to see how all the different pods had different colored beans.
Then the other picture was from church two sundays ago, I was worried that I would get changed so I made sure to take a picture with some of the cute little kids here! They really are adorable kids here. In the picture the little boy´s name is Nephi!
Love you all and hope you all have a great week!
Elder Matthew Morris

Hey Family!
This week was a wonderful week here! We had the opportunity to go to Quito for the Zone Leader council with President Sloan. I have never been in such a spiritual meeting in all my time on the mission. I left that meeting feeling absolutely GREAT! And then we got to have dinner with President Sloan in his house and after dinner, the doctrinal class. We read over and discussed a talk by Elder Christoferson, ¨a sense of the sacred¨. It is an amazing talk that reminds us of how we at times get lazy about sacred things, without even realizing it. I encourage you all to read it. So anyways, we had a great day Thursday in those meetings. Our zone here in Otavalo is doing very well. We had changes, but I stayed. We got 8 new missionaries here in the zone from other parts of the mission. Some great ones, some that are a bit lax about the work, so we are really excited to have all of them here. If we can pull off what we did here last change all of us will be spiritually stronger at the end of this 6 week change. I'm really excited to still be here. This upcoming week we have on monday, the mini zone conference that my companion and I are in charge of, to be able to talk about the things discussed in our council with President Sloan, then on thrusday and friday we have interviews and the main zone conference! So I am really really excited to be able to have these great moments to learn and grow. And even better, general conference is coming up shortly! Wahoo!!!
Today we went to some waterfalls here in the zone, it was pretty neat, nothing like union falls back home, but it was a fun little activity as a zone for everyone to get to meet who all the new zone members are. Then after the waterfalls we went around the main plaza a little bit, being tourists. We bought a few little souvenirs from some members that have stands. I got some REALLY good deals. So I couldn´t resist. Just passing by some of the leather shops here we went into one. Every time I walk by it I look inside, they sell custom made leather jackets that are yamaha, honda, toyota, etc. themed. And they are beautiful! So I went in to ask how much they cost.... $160. So maybe on one of my return trips I will be getting myself a custom fit yamaha jacket! haha. I'm just doing great here. I'm really enjoying my sector and all the opportunities I have to serve. I don't really have a whole lot to say this week other than that, but I hope that everyone back home is doing well. As always, thank you for the letter and the pictures. You are all the best!
Elder Matthew Morris

Hey everyone!
We had a great week this week here in the zone! Sadly tomorrow we get changes. I'm hoping that I stay here another change. I bet I will, but I think that Elder Taylor will go back to quito and I will get another companion. Elder Ellis (with the back infection) is doing alright. I haven't heard anything real recently if he is doing better at all, but I know he hasn't gone home yet, so I guess no news in this case does mean good news.
We have a Chilean missionary here in the zone, his name is Elder Vergara, but he is from Santiago, so his family is all alright so far. A couple of days after the earthquake there in Chile there was one here in the south part of my mission. About 3 hours south of Quito, it was a 4.4, but didn't cause any damage at all. I don't imagine that it was put on the news or anything due to the lack of size, but it gave a good little scare to alot of the people here after hearing about what happened in Chile. I'm safe here, the only thing that would be bad for us here in Ecuador would be that the volcanoes start erupting. I think that we have some 30 or so here within mission boundaries. But no worries! The Lord is on our side!
I really am loving it here though. Today we had a special zone activity to congratulate our missionaries. in the last two weeks here we have had a total of 18 baptisms between the two stakes that we cover. The stone is truly rolling forth! So today we went to a little community park area and we played frisbee, basketball, pass arounded a couple of footballs. While everyone was playing I became the chef. I had promised them all a real Gringo Hamburger. So we had a big grill with burgers, corn on the cob, watermelon and lemonade! It made me think alot about 4th of july lunches back home! It was alot of fun for us all.
I'm happy and healthy, I guess that´s all that really matters. I am safe down here, nobody should be worrying at all. I hope that everyone back home remembered that Magnum´s birthday was on the 3rd. He turned 8. If you didn't remember and buy him a cake, its never to late to repent. But remember, an essential part of repentance is the restitution, so I will be expecting some pictures of a very happy and fat black dog next week! haha. Well I love you all! Keep reading the scriptures daily, go to church every week, they are such simple things, but they truly bring security to our souls. Read the talk from Elder Holland from last falls conference, ´security for the soul´ its a great talk. Love you all! See you all soon.
Elder Matthew Morris