30 May 2011 Machala

Hello family! How is everyone? Wet it sounds like with all the rain and snow you've had lately! We had a little bit of rain this morning here in Machala, but it was more during the night than anything.

We had another good week, but our baptism fell through once again, so we've had to tell our investigator, Omar, that he HAS to attend church this Sunday in order to be baptized. He has told us many times over that he wants to be baptized, he knows the importance of baptism, and it is his desire, so we can only hope he'll attend with us this upcoming Sunday. We've also found some more investigators who are interested in the message, so we'll see how they progress over the coming week.

Transfers were to be last night, but they've been postponed until, well, we don't know, perhaps tonight or sometime during this week because last night the Assistants were calling everyone to gather their goals for June, in which President Montalti says will be the best month of our mission, and the best month for the entire mission. So I'm still in Puerto Bolivar for the time being, which is alright, because the members here are great and I know my way around! 

Last Wednesday we had a great meeting with Elder Walter F. Gonzales, of the Presidency of the Seventy, in Guayaquil, with the Guayaquil North mission. A lot of it was centered on the Atonement of Christ, which is key for us in teaching our investigators. It was good to learn and have, in essence, a refresher course on that in order to be able to teach it with more clarity. And really, it was just nice to take a little bit of a break and listen to some good counsel and advice.

Our trip to and from Guayaquil was interesting, also... On our way to Guayaquil, our bus, just a normal city bus owned by the city of Machala, blew a tire almost in the middle of nowhere. Luckily we made it to a place that could repair our tire, and within a half hour we were on our way once again. The meeting was to start at 5 pm, but didn't until 5:30, which we thought, "Well, ok, no problem." We left Guayaquil at around 8 pm, and didn't make it back to Machala until 12:15 am because the bus was kind of slow and the driver stopped a few times, who knows for what, perhaps a bathroom break! Waking up at 6:30 was no fun that day, I can tell you that! 

Apart from that, things are going good here, I'm sorry I don't have any pictures this week, it was a little busy with traveling and all! But I hope to get some pictures and send them to you next week!

Bummer about RSL's streak! Well, all good things come to an end as they say. 

And I'm glad to hear all went well with Keaton's surgery!

I love you all and hope you're enjoying things back home, even if the weather is still gloomy! Things are going fine here! Tell everyone I say hi!

Talk to you next week!
--
Elder Garrett Cederquist
Misión Ecuador Guayaquil Sur