We're Halfway There ooooOH Livin on a Prayer‏

Well yeah that bank stuff was a doozy.  I'm still lost.  But all I know is that I could eat some and get fat again.  Happy happy joy joy.

So not a whole lot happened this week since I was in Quito.  AGAIN.  I just wanna work in my sector sometimes and help some people out here.  Well those that are left anyway.  In Coca everyone leaves to where they came from, Esmereldas, Guayaquil, other strange small places from the oriente and coast.  So we had about 60 people in church this Sunday, and the first councilor made me conduct the meeting.  Chuuusooo that was just awkward.  And nothing was planned!!  Sooo we will now sing.....a hymn..... (looking through the hymn book)..... I am a child of God..... and then we'll pray.....and the Santa Cena.... and we'll ask Elder Reber to talk.  Cough.  That is all....Thanks for coming.

But it was alright de todos modos.  But slap me with a napkin and call me Mr Higgins but I have a year in the mission this week!  Woooo!!  que loco.  What were we doing a year ago??  Walking in the sand dunes.  An ill fated trip.  Walking for hours through sand, we were lost, the sisters crying, dad far off ahead with his GPS, I just wanted to eat something and get some shade.  Sounds like the mission. We'll get some elders who will start dying and crying on the trip back home, or the year mark, others will keep blazing ahead with the guide of the Spirit like the GPS.  I just hope I don't walk around looking for food and mumbling to myself.  But really it's been an awesome experience so far.  Shoot, I might as well make a list of the things I've learned on a year in the mission.

1. God exists
2. The Church is true.
3. Families are way important.
4. It is not a universal law that woman must shave their arm pits (heeey that lady looks pretty nice today.... HOLY SHERWOOD FOREST!!  enough hair to make a Bagwell blush)
5. It is RICE not bread that is the staff of life (sorry Mr. Coombs)
6. The mission makes skinny people fat and fat people skinny.
7. The Atonement is real (and not just some word in the scriptures)
8. I'm slow AND a little stupid
9. I can tell the difference between a Colombian, Ecuadorian, Argentinean, Brazilian, Mexican, Chileno, and Peruvian
10. The gospel changes lives
11. Americans have very little to complain about
12. You don't love unless you show it (don't take it for granted!)
13. Lots of other stuff that I haven't thought clearly through and besides I don't have time

Well here's cheers to another year, we'll see how it goes!  I'm excited!  Somebody kick me in the butt and hit me with a cattle rod because it's sink or swim now!  But I love you all, I'm very grateful for what you've done for me, and I'm prayin for you.  Adios!