One week left...

Hello all! So this week has ablsolutely flown by. I'm pretty sure that I lost a day somewhere within this week. And now there are only 6 days until I'm in Ecuador! I believe that I'll be leaving the morning of Tuesday, but I don't know for absolute sure. They don't tell us these things until very close to when we leave. We might learn tomorrow during the LGM (large group meeting).

Anyway, I am very excited and very nervous to finally be going to the field. I don't really feel that I know enough spanish yet, but I know that I'll be able to do at least a little bit of good with what I do know, and I'll learn much more during the next two years minus some.

General Authorities...hmm, no se. We had an Elder (maybe he was President) Nash come here Sunday for a fireside. I think he was president of the Northwest area of South America though, so...I have no idea. But he was cool. We all got to shake his hand, and he told me that the Quito mission is off the charts right now, so that's super exciting.

I haven't been able to go tracting again since the last time 3ish weeks ago, but this Saturday I'll get to go. I know of one other person going to Quito, but I haven't really met him. I won't get a new companion until my first companion in the field.

All of the Peruvians are super nice to you. They're all for the most part fairly short (5' 8"ish is about the tallest a guy ever gets), but they're all generally happy it seems. I haven't been to any member's houses yet. We only leave the CCM on Wednesday for a couple hours for the temple/Tottu's, and on Saturdays except for this rotation. Our service projects are just janitorial work around the CCM. We've only had one service day the entire time I've been here.

I haven't had any more trouble with my teeth really. They seem to be okay. My right eyelid is all swollen today though. I woke up with it all swollen, and it hurts a bit when I move it at all. It's also super annoying. I have no idea why it happened today, but I'll talk to Hermana Whetten if it's not gone by tomorrow.

I'll probably purchase an umbrella in Quito when I get there, because right now I really don't have space for anything else.

Okay, now for some highlights of my week. This Sunday we watched a fireside that Elder Holland gave a couple of weeks before I entered the Provo MTC. Elder Holland always has such great talks. This one was about missionary work (like all of his at the MTC are), and there was one part that really hit home with me. He was talking about Peter and how he leapt from the boat when he saw the resurrected Jesus on the shore. Peter swims up to Jesus, and Jesus asks Peter 3 times if he loves Him. Peter answers in the affirmitive, and then Peter is basically made the president of the church. The transformation of Peter at this time from a fisherman to a true, 100% apostle of Christ is rather magnificent. Peter proceeds to go around preaching the gospel, and he has such a strong testimony that people come out of their houses to be healed by meerly having his shadow fall on them. While Elder Holland was talking about this, two words came to my mind out of nowhere; Be Peter. And that's what I'm trying to do now. I just feel that if I can be like Peter, then I will be able to be the best tool of the Lord that I am able to be, so I'm going to try to be like Peter with all that I've got.

Okay, new subject. I think the mail is a bit off here or something, because hardly anyone here has received any Dear Elders or anything for the past week or more. It might be that everyone is sending mail to mission address (mine is

Elder Andrew Schomburg
Misión Ecuador Quito
Calles Robles 640 y Amazonas
Quito
Ecuador

and that's for sure), but I think it's slightly messed up too. I haven't received those pictures that you (madre) sent to greet me here in Peru, so those may be lost. Sorry to everyone if they've sent something and I haven't gotten it. I believe I've responded to just about everything that I've received, or will respond shortly.

Oh, and a very important thing. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROBBY AND MICHELLE!!!! /HUG!!!! /HUG!!!! I hope both of you have a very happy birthday on the 31st. I don't know if I'll be able to write to you guys again before then, that's why I'm saying it now.

Oh, a little something interesting; in my class I am now kinda companions with an hermana. We're just companions for teaching in the class, but it's still a bit different. We were both kinda dumbstruck when our teacher said we'd be companions, but we're doing fairly well teaching together. We've only done it a few times, but they were both pretty good.

Also, I cannot wait to get out in the real world and to teach real people. That will be so nice. And I only have 6ish days! Tuesday! Ah!!! Okay, I must go now.

Please, keep writing! Mail is like missionary gas. Anyway, I love all of you very much. Stay strong! Bye!