Hey Everyone!
I hope that everyone is doing well back home. I guess the wedding and reception went well for Zach and Juliana. I didn't get any pictures though, hopefully you took pictures! I would love to get some more family pictures. I'm sorry Zach to hear that you have been sick. I hope you get better. Pioneer day was this last weekend, I was sure not to forget. We had a ward activity here in our ward that day. It was fun, we did some little games and relay´s. I enjoyed it, but my legs are still sore from doing jumprope and squats for the relay race. I guess I´ve gotten a bit outta shape. I'm only good for walking, walking, walking.
Today we went to the stake center and played soccer with the Elders from the zone and some members from my ward. It was alot more fun than I thought it would be. I'm actually not that bad at soccer. I just got out there and played like it was football. All the skinny latin kids kept their distance from me for the rest of the game! haha. I headbutted one pass from my companion and it almost went in the goal! I was pretty impressed! hahaha. Last week after having gotten to the sector, I began unpacking my clothes and books. But there was alot of junk on my desk, so I had to clean it all out and arrange everything. So in the cleaning process I found one of those little hacky sack style "stress-balls" that you squeeze in our hand. And so I started playing with it. -off track but- A few years ago at the thanksgiving dinner at the house, Aunt Florence´s car had a tire low on air, so I went to fill it up so she could go home. As I was filling up the tire I noticed that the wires were showing and it began to bulge. The thought crossed my mind "I wonder how much longer this tire is going to last, it looks like its about to pop." and as "pop" crossed my mind, it did just that! A big of a scary experience, but you would think that I would have learned my lesson. So, as I was playing with this small anti-stress-ball, I looked and noticed an unnatural bulge. The thought again crossed my mind, "wow, I wonder how hard I can squeeze this thing, it looks like it about to...." And of course, it popped! Anti-stress-balls cause a very stressful situation when they pop. I had some sort of a powder/sand mixture ALL over me! Those things look pretty little, but they pack ALOT of powder. But all is well, I think I have it all cleaned up now.
This week we had a neat experience in a lesson. We are teaching a few Haitian people here in our sector. There are 4 Haitians that live in the house we are visiting. Edmón, is 20, his friend Shamushka also 20, Noel 29 and his wife Marimar. All of them are here as refuges, all of them lost their entire families in the earthquake. In Haiti they speak French and Creole. So the lessons are a little bit slow, Edmón knows some spanish, and Shamushka knows some English. So little by little we explain, they read from a French Book of Mormon, and then they discuss amongst themselves in French/Creole. Everytime we get to their house, they open the door with GIANT smiles, there is no handshaking from the men, Edmon and Noel, they go right in and give big hugs! They live under very humble circumstances, a small block house, with only a couple of plastic chairs to sit in. But they always try to give us something to eat after lessons, most of the time an apple or a banana. They have passed such trials, and are still passing through difficulties, they don't know the language here, work for probably $15 a week. But they always have a smile on their face, and always want to learn more. It has been, yet again, another humbling experience for me.
I am getting used to the sector here. I no longer have to ask my companion which bus takes us where, nor which street the investigators live on. Its a really dry and hot area. I wear sunscreen everyday, here directly on the equator the sun hits hard! I imagine all of the time, this must have been what Jared lived in for 2 years in Chile! Im grateful for the green and beautiful parts of the mission I have been in. haha
I love you all and thank you so much for always writing! Oh, my Stake President´s son served in the Pocatello Idaho mission about 4 years ago, he served in IF, Firth, Pocatello, and a couple other areas I cant remember. Pretty neat! Love you all.
Elder Matthew Morris

Hey family!
This week was a good week. It was another rollercoaster week, but at least my health is good. Im all better, no fever, no parasites. We had a few challenges with some of the investigators that had plans on getting baptised. They will have to wait a little bit longer to be able to be ready for baptism. Two great things though. One, Last week while in Quito for leaders council, I was able to talk with the missionaries that are in my second sector, San Carlos/Santa Anita, and so I asked them how my converts are doing there, well, Fernando Barrigas, his wife and their two little boys are going to the Temple in Guyaquil next month to get sealed as a family! I still remember clearly the day they got baptised, now they are going to the temple as a family. It fills me with a complete and infinite joy, I cannot explain the feelings in me. And I just remember and think how I was simply an instrument in the Lord´s hands. The other good news, a few months ago in Cotacachi I mentioned in a letter about teaching a family up on the mountainside in the night under the stars, translating everything in Quichwa, WELL.... they are getting baptised this saturday! I would have loved to be present at the baptism. Now comes the sad news, I can´t make it to their baptism, because I got transferred today. I am now in Northern Quito. My sector has the equatorial line running right through the middle of it. Its an interesting area, the climate is much like a desert in fact. It reminds me ALOT of Mesquite Nevada. It was sad to have to leave Otavalo this morning, but I know that if the Lord wants me here, that's what I´ve got to do. There is some reason that I´m here. I love it here in the mission. Thank you Zach for your words in the letter last week. I'm so very excited for everyone back home. So many new things happening. I'm going to be the only single person in the family. Thats really odd. The pressure is on now. I'm in no real hurry though. I have got to apply for BYU I in the next little bit. Lots of crazy new changes coming up in life. I got my itinerary this week from the mission offices. I fly out of Quito October 21st at 6:15 AM, arrive in SLC that same day at about 8 PM. I think thats it, I will have to check for sure when we get back at the house. Like always, many mixed feelings about going home. But I know its just another "transfer" that I have to accept and search for the next lesson to learn from it.
I love you all so very much and am so grateful for the wonderful family that I have been blessed with. Zach and Julie, best of wishes. I'm happy for both of you, I was proud as can be getting the invitation this week, I showed everyone how my brother is going to get married in the temple, mostly I showed them because they all said how much better looking I am than you, but... haha. Love you all. Have a great week!
Elder Matthew Morris

The picture attached is of me roasting smores after the zone leader council here in Quito last week.
Totally forgot to even mention my new companion in the other letter. We are actually in a trip for right now, the missionary that I am replacing is Elder Harding from Virginia, he goes home on thursday, so he is just the third wheel for a couple more days, but my real companion is Elder Estrada, he is from Colombia! Finally! I have been wanting a Colombian companion ever since I got here. He is a great missionary. I knew him before in the mission. We are the zone leaders here in Zona Ofelia. There are a couple of challenges with some missionaries in the zone, but we are both excited to be here and to work together to help out the zone and this stake where we serve. The picture that I added on here was taken during the smore roast last week. Elder Estrada is on the far left, then comes my best friend in the mission, Elder Morales (he is also the new Assistant to President) and then my-handsome-self, and then Elder Duarte, my other best bud that is also from Colombia.
Elder Morris

Hey everyone!
This week was a MAJOR rolleroaster week. We had so many great things happen last week, and so many horrible things happen this week! It was very interesting to me how it all happened. I just know, its always darkest before the dawn. Last sunday we had 3 different families come to church, a total of 13, a record for me in the mission, this week we had a grand total of 0! One of the really sad things for us this week, was after church my companion and I decided to go visit our two investigators that were going to get baptised this coming weekend. Well we happened to find them both in the same place, one block away from the chapel, in a party, very very drunk. So we have our work cut out for us now to get them prepared better. They had both completely left alcohol, one of them is 3 or 4 months without drinking, and the other about 1 month. And they both fell, in the same party. It made me feel so sad. After that we went to lunch, it was a good lunch, I was feeling better, then on our way to another investigators house, like a ton of bricks it hit me, RUN TO A BATHROOM! Luckily we were close to the chapel. Last week I had taken some pills for the parasites I got, I was feeling better thursday through sunday, but they were only under remission. So I was dealing with stomach pains and other unwanted side effects all afternoon yesterday. I'm feeling a lot better today, no worries. And so with all of this going on and some other things, I got to thinking Why me? Why now? and I remembered, before church (and all of the bad fortune) started as I was sitting down reading my scriptures I felt impressed to read from Doctrine and Covenants section 121. And upon remembering that, I decided, all is well, I'm not THAT bad off.
7 My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;
8 And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.
It was a good lesson learned. Before leaving the house sunday morning I prayed for the ability to learn patience and charity. I guess I didn't take into account the part about HOW I wanted to learn it. But I learned my lesson. I know that the Lord surely answers our prayers. There is no doubt in my mind about that. Amongst all of those problems, we were able to have a family home evening with Family Rosero (converts that I interviewed for baptism 7 months ago) and Familia Aizaga (an investigator family that we found knocking doors a month ago). It was a great FHE. The family is so excited to get baptised. They have the baptismal goal July 24th. I will let you know on their progress and everything.
I hope that everyone back home is doing great. I love you all so much. I have such mixed feeling about everything right now. I just now feel like I'm getting into the groove of things, but now its so close for me to go home. I am so very excited to come home and meet all the new family! The only house that I know is my own! Everyone has gotten married and moved away. But at the same time I want to stay here. I love it here so much. I now understand all those times when Jared would tell me with tears in his eyes, "I am so jealous of you, I would give anything to be back in the mission."
Don't anybody worry about me. I will be just fine here, parasites are curable. Thank you all so much for the letters and pictures always! I love you all.
Elder Matthew David Morris

Hey Everyone,
Sorry it took so long to write today. We just got into Quito. We have a leaders meeting tomorrow. This morning we did a 4th of July barbecue as a zone, and by the time we were all done cleaning up and everything, it was time to get ready for the trip to Quito! Today had a rough start though. This morning we carried the clothes up to the roof for our clothes mamita to wash them. While taking the clothes up I was admiring my new little indigenous grass slippers. Well, on the way down the stairs my beautiful woven grass slippers didn't get any traction. I slipped, while trying to catch myself, I caught hold of the railing with my left arm, but my right hand in its struggle to grab something, caught the broken window next to me. It only caught a piece of it, but it gave me a good notch in the tip of my ring finger! But the bleeding stopped after a few minutes! haha. Just kidding, well no, it was bleeding pretty bad, but I'm fine. I may not have been an eagle scout but I do know a bit about first aid! And this week I had to stay a half a day in the house resting, I ate some bad food or something, I got a bit of the fever and have parasites again. I got the medication, the fever is over, but I still am working on the parasites. But I'm feeling a lot better, so no worries at all! I'm happy as can be here. About the barbecue, I was the "volunteer" chef for the activity. We had 15 lbs of ground beef for the burgers, 10 lbs of beef for the shishkabobs, and a bunch of Doritos, and fruit for a fruit salad. It was great! We cooked it all over a barrel drum grill with charcoals. The burgers and shishkabobs turned out great.
Everyone loved my patriotic outfit, you will see in the pictures. One of the sister missionaries in the offices made me the apron. Its my favorite. The little American flags were a part of a package that Chelsey sent me a couple of weeks ago. Ya, she´s on my favorite list now. The only down part about the activity is that when one of the missionaries was taking down the volleyball net he kinda fell off the poll the he straggled up. They had to take him to the hospital, we aren't sure yet, but they think he broke his arm... oops... So that's how our day went here, it was a fun 4th of July, surely unforgettable.
(OK, just so you know, the apron is the Ecuadorian flag)

This weekend we had a great baptism. Saturday afternoon, I celebrated an early Independence day! Juan Villarreal is a guy that we met my first week here. He has had a rough life, but the moment we arrived, we knew he was prepared. After his baptism he bore a very strong testimony about the church, the Book of Mormon, and that God loves us all and gives us all the opportunity to change. His older brother who is not a member was present at the baptism, he came to church yesterday as well to see how the confirmation is. He really enjoyed church, he even got up a bore his own testimony about what he had seen and felt in the church, it being his first time. He is now an investigator. He was previously the Mayor of Otavalo so everyone in church was happy to see him and touched by his testimony! We have had some great experiences here. Tomorrow at some point in the day I am going to ask President Sloan if I can finish my last three months in Otavalo.

I hope that all is well back home. Thank you for the stories and all of the pictures of this weekend. I hope that everyone had a great fourth of July. Now for being here in Ecuador I have realized how great our country really is. We have a great government, many rights and freedoms. It is a great place, and even better in Idaho!
Love you all. I hope to hear from you all next week!
Elder Matthew Morris