¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

Hola everyone!! How were all the holiday celebrations? New Years is a
bigger deal here than Christmas it seems like! It`s more like
Halloween! New Year`s Eve all the men dress up like women (they are
supposed to be widows dressed in all black but it`s more like drag
queens) and stand in the streets asking for money. And they build
these paper mache statues and make these dolls and put masks on them
and burn them! And there are parties going on everywhere and parades
and wow, they really get into it! And the next day no one was in the
streets, it was so quiet! And the buses are full of drunk people
coming home from the parties at 11 in the morning! So it was fun
getting hit on by a bunch of drunk people!
So we started contacting in the new area we found- Carmen Bajo and we
found a lady who is so great! She is studying with the Jehovah`s
Witness´ right now but when she was 10 her family was taking the
missionary discussions from Elder Foster and his companion- 18 years
later and they still remember his name! I think he left and they
somehow got lost and were never baptized and now her mom is a hard
core Jehovah`s Witness! Against our will, we have been getting the
missionary lessons from her! Man can she preech! She is proabably
about 4´ 8´´ but when she gets going she can be really intimidating!
And then after she is done with her schpeal we teach her daughter! She
is so sweet and really wants to know the truth so we are praying and
praying that she will progress! There are lot`s of more people in this
area that we still haven`t found but we know they are there! And
Carmen Bajo is going to give me buns of steal whether I like it or
not! Holy cow! I swear I am going to have to have knee surgery when I
get home! The road to get there is a 90· angle no joke! Okay that`s
not possible but it`s like a 75· angle. It is insane and it`s more
than half a mile long! It is so crazy! You would think I am getting
skinny because of it but not so. I don`t know what it is but we are
ALWAYS hungry! I would be so disgusted with myself if I was at home!
But food is our comfort I guess! Oh well I can lose it all when I get
home! Not having to eat rice and drink soda (yuck!) all the stinking
time will definately help!
Changes were today but Hermana Rodgers and I are still together! I`m
so glad because I have been back and forth back and forth and it`s
nice to stay in one place for a while! And now I have time to
hopefully help make a little difference here! I love it here in Quito!
It`s so green and pretty and the mountains are unreal looking!
Well I hope everyone`s New Year is starting off great and continues to
be great! This next year is definately going to be full of learning
and growing for me but it is going to be amazing! Everyday I am
learning that I have to rely more and more on the Lord because I can
not do this by myself! The mission always is compared to a sugar cane
here. Bien duro pero dulce! ( it`s hard but sweet) I love you all!
Thank you for all of your love and support!! xoxoxXo
Love, forever and always,
Hermana Nelson