Hey Everyone!
Sounds like everyone is doing well back home. Hunting season, more work, good weather, and another nephew! WAHOO!!! I'M GONNA BE HOME FOR THIS ONE!! Congratulations Mary and Greg, and no dad didn't spill the beans about it. This week was a good week for us here in our sector. We almost didn't have anytime at all actually in the sector, but we had 3 baptisms here. We had a few meetings with the Stake Presidency and with all of the bishoprics, giving training meetings, it was fun and hopefully it will make a difference. General Conference is coming up quick so we want to get all of the bishoprics and members ready so the feel excited to bring their friends and family to church during the conference. I will try to send some pictures of the baptisms we had, this computer wont read the memory card to I will have to get on another one. One of the persons that was baptised is Franklin Borja. He and his sister were baptised saturday evening in the stake center. They are from Esmeraldas, but are living here in Quito for work. We met Franklin about a month ago. We just happened to be passing by when one of his cousins said hello to us on the street. He told us that a few months back the missionaries were visiting them and asked if we could enter the house to visit with them a few minutes. We accepted and began to talk briefly with them. Then Franklin entered the room, he had not previously met the missionaries, having recently come from his pueblo in esmeraldas. When we introduced ourselves as missionaries, we asked if he had the opportunity before in listening to the missionaries and or reading from the Book of Mormon. He eyes then got wide and brought into the room his copy of the Book of Mormon, he had found it in the house upon arriving and had been reading from it. He and his sister are now reading through 2 Nephi. They love the Book of Mormon. Yesterday at church I was able to confirm Franklin as a member of the Church. It was a very special experience for me, he has already shared with us his great desire to in some moment go back to where he lives on the coast and share with his family and those of his pueblo about the Book of Mormon. He lives in a little place called Olmedo where only a couple hundred people live, the only church known to them is the Catholic. I am certain that he will be a lifetime member of the church, dedicated to the work of the Lord.
Tuesday morning of this week we had a service project for the another person that was baptised on friday evening. The lady Patricia is currently trying to open up a little restaurant, so she asked us our help to clean up the place that she is renting now. So we got there and were able to sand the walls, paint them, do some plumbing work in the new kitchen, and I got to build a block sink and table area! It was a blast! Starting out the first coarse of block, kneeling there on the concrete floor the openly thing I could think of were those famous words of dad "on my knees all dang day laying block" and then that sigh.........hahahaha... It was a lot of fun. Service projects are my favorite! It always funny to see the reaction of the missionaries and the members as they see the gringo outwork all of them. They always are pretty surprised about the construction skills and experience that I have.
Well, love you all. I hope everyone has a great week. Thank you always for your letters and your support.
Elder Matthew Morris