Elder Thayne

But this Friday I complete 6 months in the mission. Yeah, crazy, huh? Tomorrow I'll be home! Time flies like crazy here, I can't believe it! And yes, it is REALLY nice being at a point where I actually understand what's going on. Where I can actually understand people, and get around on my own. Those first four months were tough, but they say that the mission gets better and better with time, and that's proving to be true!

And speaking of time flying like crazy, this week ends another transfer here in the mission field! On Thursday, I had my transferly interview with the mission president and it was really good. He told me that he wants me to stay here in 25 de Julio for at least one more transfer. He said he has a little goal of his to keep missionaries in an area for at least 4 transfers, so if they're working hard and don't have problems, he does everything he can to make it happen. Of course it all depends on revelation, but yeah. I was really excited about that, because that means I'd get to spend christmas AND new years with my peeps here! Yaya! So I was really content Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. But today ruined it all. Today I was in the mall, talking to some other elders. I started talking to another elder that I've never met before, and he said, "hey, so you're going to be the next secretary huh?" Now I'm scared. Because he wasn't the only elder I heard it from. There's rumors going around about me being the secretary this transfer (because everyone knows the current secretary leaves this transfer). But I have no desire to sit in an office all day (the office missionaries only work from 6-9 every day), get white, and lose my spanish. But then again, when the Lord calls, you just do it anyway. So I guess we'll see what happens! But I just might cry this week.

We're still out of power this week. And it turns out that this is happening in all of Ecuador, not just Guayaquil. Today and tomorrow they're trying a new schedule where there won't be power between 7 and 9 at night. So we have to be in our houses by 6:30. Lame. Between 7 and 9 are when the BEST appointments are... bleh. Oh well.

Yesterday, some people from Florida showed up in our ward at church. They were visiting Ecuador with a friend from their stake who's from here. I talked to them for a little bit, but it was sooooo weird. Like, they don't belong here. I felt kinda like Tarzan. I'm living in this totally new culture, and then some random "strangers like me" show up at church. And then I talked to them, and that was weird too. They just act differently, I don't know. But the WHOLE ward commented to me that they thought they were my parents. Haha.

This week I got the three coolest letters I've every received in my life. The first one was from you, Mom, with the South African candy (thanks!). The other two were from Trevor Greene in Thailand, and my BYU friend Tanner Thayer from Japan! So get this... you remember Justin Porter from South Africa? Yeah, he got his mission call to Thailand. I also had a friend from BYU called Taylor who got his call there too. They were companions in the MTC. Crazy, huh? It gets better. I left a note with them to carry to Trevor Greene. So now Trevor knows them too, and he sent me a letter to let me know! And he sounds like he's doing awesome there! He wanted to know where Dad served at in Thailand, all in Bangkok or in other places? Let me know. Or, if you want, I'll give you his address and you can write him! It's a tiny world!

And speaking of small worlds... One of our investigators has a grandson who's serving a mission in California, but he's in the MTC right now and he knows one of my teachers from the MTC that served here in Ecuador because his family talks to him every night on the phone! Loco.

We started teaching a BUNCH of new investigators this week (about 15), but I'm not going to explain them all until we see what starts happening with them.

It looks like we'll be ending this transfer with one baptism, but we've got a lot of people lined up for the next one!

Okay, well I better go. I've only got 3/4 of my mission left and too much work to do!

Love you all!
Elder Thayne

Oh, and if you say so, Mom, I won't open my package until Christmas, I guess...

Oh, and I have a lot of cool pictures from this week. I'm going to send them over GMAIL!s address and you can write him! It's a tiny world!

And speaking of small worlds... One of our investigators has a grandson who's serving a mission in California, but he's in the MTC right now and he knows one of my teachers from the MTC that served here in Ecuador because his family talks to him every night on the phone! Loco.