#67

Hello family! Wow, are we really in 2015? I cant believe it. The time is going by way too fast. It has hit me that i will be home this year...it doesnt seem real yet to me. I am still in denial. 

Well, this week has been a super good week! I am here trying to adjust to the cold! We are so high up that i feel we can almost touch the clouds! The weather here is interesting, because in the mornings it is super cold and cloudy, in the afternoon it is super hot because the clouds go away and the sun is so powerful, and at night it is cold again! The sun burns, and burns hard! Here in riobamba, the people are a lot different then what they are in los chillos! Almost all are indeginous, so they speak quichwa as well as spanish. If you think spanish is hard to learn, wait until you see quichwa! A lot of people here spend all their time in their traditional outfits, you will have to look it up on the internet. The people here are known to be really unaccepting of the gospel, but, in this week, I have seen that it isnt entirely true. I am super excited to be here! Our sector seems to be great! 

Well, this week has been a good, and interesting week. In ecuador, new years is a lot more important then christmas. The traditions are so cool, but so weird! I think you will have a hard time believing what i am going to write haha...Here in ecuador, they have two traditions. The first is the burning of the old man. They make paper figures (I think it is called paper mache? I dont remember how it is said in english..) of humans, animals, or whatever thing. At midnight, they beat them, and then they burn them. Representing the old year. They say that it is a good way to have good luck, and welcome in the new year. We have seen figures human-sized, and also two stories tall. Huge!!! I think i heard only a few houses burnt down this year, but, it is always a hazard. I didnt get any photos because it was too dangerous to take pictures...they get super drunk! The rule was that we as missionaries were only allowed outside of the house if we had planned lessons. So, basically all of the missionaries stayed inside. Another tradition they have is called "the widows". In this tradition, the men dress up in their wive´s clothes with wigs and makeup and stand in the middle of the street and ask everyone for money. It is super dangerous and scary because the guys do strip dances, and basically try to touch everyone they can. We watched a few widows pull a guy out of his car and do some pretty inapropriete things to him....it was gross, but, and the same time, hilarious! We left the house at 8 for a lesson that we had, and on the way home we passed by quite a few widows. One snuck up behind me and put his arms around me and said in a girly voice "how are you?" I dont think i have ever ran so fast in my life! Haha but, i escaped without any harm done. That night we didnt sleep because of the fireworks! We are on the third story of a building, and the fireworks here arent the best, so they would explode at about the same height as the window. I thought i was in a war zone...seriously! But, it was an awesome experiance, and i got to know more the ecuadorian culture. I just regret not taking pictures...=/ 

My comp is a great guy! I get along with him really well! He is a tiny little guy from argentina, about 5'4 and 100 pounds. A few people make fun of him for being so small, but, i always make sure to put an end to the laughing. Here all the people are pretty short, and i have even hit my head on some door frames. Interesting the difference of the people here and in Los Chillos. They were all regular sized there in los chillos, but here they are tiny! 

Well, right now my companion and i are headed to quito for the zone leaders council. We will spend the night there in the mission hotel, and then have the meetings all day tomorrow, and head back at about 6 tomorrow night. We should be home around 9 or 10. The councils are always great, and we always learn so much in them! 

The zone is huge...there are so many missionaries! As of right now, they are all pretty trunky and didnt get much work in last week, but we will get them working hard again this week! All is well, I am happy, and I am healthy. I am eating a lot here! Our goal is to gain weight this change, so my comp and I are eating every chance we can get! We are working hard and hoping for a lot of success this transfer.

Well family, this is about all i got for you! I hope you have a great week! I love you tons!

Con amor,

Elder Nielson